The river runs through the center of Kameoka City, flows south-east down Hozu-kyo Gorge, and then into the Kyoto Basin at Arashiyama southward; the river then merges with the Kamogawa River (Yodo-gawa River System) in Fushimi Ward, and is joined by the Kizu-gawa and Uji-gawa Rivers on the border with Osaka Prefecture, where it becomes the Yodo-gawa River.
亀岡市の中央部を縦断し、保津峡を南東に流れ、嵐山で京都盆地に出て南流、伏見区で鴨川(淀川水系)を併せ、大阪府との境で木津川(京都府)、宇治川と合流し淀川となる。