Sagano Railway - end June/early July

Hi.
I will be in Kyoto at the end of June and beginning of July.
Just wondering if it is worthwhile to take the railway ride in the summer ?
Any interesting scenic views to be had in the summer ?

Also, will it be easy to obtain tickets on the day itself ?
I am assuming it will be less crowded in the summer.

Thanks.

Just wondering if it is worthwhile to take the railway ride in the summer ?

Yes, I think it is worthwhile at any time of the year for people who like this type of tourist activity.

Any interesting scenic views to be had in the summer ?

Yes, the gorge is scenic at any time of the year. And vegetation will be lush and beautiful.

Also, will it be easy to obtain tickets on the day itself ?

Late June and early July tend to be low season. Especially on weekdays it should be no problem to obtain tickets on the day.

I am assuming it will be less crowded in the summer.

During the summer holidays, which start in the second half of July, I believe the train is very popular. But not so much in the first half of July.

Many thanks Uji for the very prompt reply.

Is the Hozugawa boat trip also recommended or a return trip from Kameoka on the Sagano railway be as good and faster ?

Thinking of combining the Sagano railway ride in late afternoon with Arashiyama and the ukai watching in the evening.

On a separate note, is Takao or Hiei-san better ?
Takao seems slightly more difficult to get to.

Cheers.

Is the Hozugawa boat trip also recommended or a return trip from Kameoka on the Sagano railway be as good and faster ?

They are two completely different experiences. I recommend to read more about both of them and decide yourself whether it sounds interesting enough to you. I enjoyed the boat ride a lot, but it is rather long and relatively uneventful.

On a separate note, is Takao or Hiei-san better ?

Again, two completely different places. I would give Hieizan a higher priority due to its higher relevance in history. japan-guide.com users give Hieizan the slightly higher rating. And I disagree that Takao is more difficult to get to than Hieizan. Hieizan is much more time consuming to access, and you will need most of a day for a visit.

Many thanks Uji.

Uji,

Actually, I was wondering if I should visit Takao or Mt Hiei assuming I only have half a day (afternoon after lunch) ?

Both seems equally interesting and tempting.

I will most likely be near Heian Shrine or Maruyama Park after lunch, so is Takao or Mt Hiei more convenient to get to from those places (by bus, where possible) ?

Thanks in advance again.

P/S : I probably should create a new thread on this topic as the title of this thread relates to Sagano railway.

It is not a lot of time for either place. It also depends on your preferred pace of travel, how much you want to see (both places have multiple areas, and it is time consuming to cover them all, especially on Hieizan) and how late you have lunch. I believe that most sites in both places close around 16:00 or 17:00. Access to either place takes about an hour with relatively good connections. To Hieizan it can easily take longer.

Access to Hieizan is explained here:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3911.html#jump_access

Access to Takao here:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3940.html#jump_access

I will most likely be near Heian Shrine or Maruyama Park after lunch, so is Takao or Mt Hiei more convenient to get to from those places (by bus, where possible) ?

Note that the buses to both place are not fully covered by the day passes.