Home › Sagano Romantic Train

When do Sagano Romantic Train tickets go on sale?

Bookings open every day at 00:00 JST, for the same date one month later. Dates that don't exist in the earlier month (such as the 31st) open on the 1st of the next month.

A sightseeing train in Kyoto's Arashiyama area, with one open-air car. Reserved seats go on sale at midnight Japan time, one month before the ride. The busiest times are the autumn leaves in November and cherry blossom in spring.

Where: Arashiyama, Kyoto
Book ahead: One month: seats open at 00:00 on the same date a month before

Confirmed on the official site Last checked Oct 17, 2026, 12:00 JST

How hard to get: Usually sells out within days or weeks. Why we say this

Bookings open every day

00:00 JST, for the same date 1 month later

Official booking page ↗

How to book, step by step

Go to the operator's English website and follow "Reserve tickets here" to the online booking system.
Register an account with your email address or a social login.
From 00:00 Japan time, one month before your ride, pick your train and seats on the seat map. You can buy up to 8 tickets at a time.
There are no round-trip tickets. Buy two one-way tickets if you want to ride both ways.
Pay by credit card (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, JCB or Diners Club). The card must support 3D Secure. Debit cards are accepted.
On the day, show the QR e-ticket at the gate.

Good to know for overseas visitors

Window seats are A and D. Car No. 5, "The Rich", is open-air and has no windows.
Cancellation is free until 23:59 the day before you ride, which is also when online booking closes. No refunds on the day.
Dates that don't exist a month earlier: the official example says tickets for March 29 go on sale on March 1. We take this to mean such dates open at 00:00 on the 1st of the travel month.
No card, or no booking? Same-day tickets are sold at Saga station from about 8:35 and Arashiyama station from about 8:50, for cash or IC card (not PiTaPa). None are sold at Hozukyo.
Standing tickets go on sale only after the reserved seats sell out.

Sold out? Other ways in

Buy a same-day ticket at Saga or Arashiyama station: standing tickets are sold once reserved seats are gone
Sagano Romantic Train tickets and Arashiyama tours on Klook (Klook)

FAQ

When do Sagano Romantic Train tickets go on sale?

At 00:00 (midnight) Japan time, one month before the boarding date. For example, seats for November 20 go on sale at 00:00 on October 20.

Can I buy a round-trip ticket?

No. Round-trip tickets are not sold, so buy two one-way tickets.

Sources

www.sagano-kanko.co.jp: “Tickets can be purchased from 0:00 a.m. (Japan time) one month before the boarding date.” (checked 2026-10-17)
www.sagano-kanko.co.jp: “Tickets for boarding on March 29 will be available from 0:00 a.m. on March 1.” (checked 2026-10-17)

Read from the operator's official English FAQ. The rule for dates that don't exist a month earlier is inferred from the official example, since the full rule is shown only as an image.

How hard to get (“Usually sells out within days or weeks”): Estimate, not measured: demand peaks for the autumn leaves in November and cherry blossom in spring. The operator doesn't say how fast seats sell.

Rule changes

2026-10-18: Added. 00:00 JST on the same date one month before boarding (official page).