The ride itself
The Hozugawa boat trip runs from near Kameoka Station, west of central Kyoto, down through Hozukyo Gorge's rapids and calm stretches over roughly two hours, guided by boatmen using traditional poles and oars rather than an engine. The gorge's forested walls change dramatically by season — vivid green in early summer, red and gold in autumn — making it worth timing deliberately if a specific season matters to you.
Ending in Arashiyama
The boat trip concludes right at the edge of Arashiyama, Kyoto's bamboo grove district, making it easy to combine both into a single day: the gorge in the morning, the bamboo grove and surrounding temples in the afternoon, rather than treating them as two separate trips.
Getting there from Osaka
From Osaka, reaching the boarding point near Kameoka Station generally means a JR connection via Kyoto Station onto the Sagano/San-in Line, adding a bit of extra travel time on top of a standard Kyoto day trip. Given the total time commitment, this works best as a full-day trip focused specifically on the gorge and Arashiyama rather than an add-on to a broader Kyoto sightseeing day.