Kyoto Japan – Best Places to Stay and Tips

Kyoto is a city welcoming more than 51 million tourists a year, half of them being from Western countries. As a result, there is a large option of accommodation in Kyoto, from backpackers’ hostels, to Japanese style B&B, and luxurious Japanese style ryokan. In 2017, AirBnB were put into action, offering an extra type of Japanese experience for a visitor.

Budget Accommodation

Kyoto caters for all types of visitors, and we have personally experienced staying in a budget Japanese style accommodation, sharing a room with 4 persons, for less than JPY4, 000 per person.

There is no definite “backpacker” area in Kyoto, but many small budget hotels, guesthouses or hostels are located around the Central station, the Higashiyama area, and near the University of Kyoto.

A longtime favourite among foreigners is the Rakucho Ryokan Guesthouse, in Shimogamo. This is actually where we stayed at for our first night in Japan. It is accommodation of 8 Japanese style rooms and shared toilets and baths. The whole place was always clean and simple. It currently offers the rates starting from JPY7,000 per person, without meals. You can grab some food around the guesthouse.

Another good choice is the Hanari Guest House, with rates starting from JPY2,500 for a bed in a room for four. Single room privacy rate starts at JPY3,600. Located near Nijo-Jo station, and Marutamachi junction, it is quite a central location to explore the city.

New Zealanders and Australian backpackers’ favourite is the K’s House, voted the Best Guest House in Asia and Japan in 2013. Situated within a walking distance from Kyoto JR station, Naya-Cho, it welcomes 80% of foreigners and few Japanese tourists. Dormitory beds in a six-bed room start at JPY2,600 per night, whereas basic single room rates start at JPY3,600. Japanese style rooms with tatami are available for JPY12,000 and house four people.

Finally, J-Hoppers hostel is another guesthouse located within a walking distance from JR Kyoto Station. It offers free wi-fi, credit card use, security door, communal kitchen and bike rentals.

Middle Range

Middle range hotels in Kyoto are numerous, due to the high number of visitors to the city each year, and in particular the Japanese school trips and elderly groups. The rates usually range from JPY 8, 000 to JPY15,000 per night and include the category of so called “business hotels” meant for single businessmen on business trips. Therefore, it gives one the chance to experience the Japanese or Western type of rooms, at a reasonable price.

For example, within a walking distance from JR Kyoto Station, we stayed at the Hatoya Zuisokaku Ryokan. Through its package rate, we enthusiastically chose to stay in a tatami room, sleeping on a futon, and had a Japanese style breakfast in the common room. The ryokan also has traditional baths, for men and women. Rates can vary greatly according to the season, and attractive variants for off-season travellers start at JPY15,000 per night. We just loved the atmosphere, with simple Zen decor, totally out of the bustle of Kyoto station, and above all the location is very convenient for sightseeing.

The All Nippon Airways Crown Plaza hotel, situated opposite the Nijo Castle, also offers good rates for double rooms as well as for Western or Japanese style beds. Being in just a five minutes’ walk from Nijo subway station, it is air-conditioned, with full wi-fi, and a great choice of restaurants inside the hotel. The location is so convenient that lets you feel the quietness of Kyoto. The ANA hotel features a beautiful Japanese garden, which every visitor will enjoy.

Part of a large chain of hotels the Tokyu, the Kyoto Tokyu Hotel offers the last minute rates from JPY 8,500. The western type of rooms is about JPY25, 000 on average, with wi-fi and complimentary breakfast. What we have really enjoyed there was the architecture and the service, perfect in every aspect, with common areas to relax from a busy day, and the possibility to dine on site. Catching a cab or going by subway there is easy. A free shuttle is available from JR Station. It is located on Horikawa Dori, close to the Higashi Honganji Temple, the costume museum, or Kuioin.

Finally, in the mid-range accommodation type, the business type hotel, the Mitsui Garden Hotel, is located within a walking distance from the Shijo subway station. Its design and features are slightly upscale in comparison with other business hotels in the same category, with an en-suite bathroom, common bath areas to experience the Japanese onsen. The rooms are all western style. For those in need of relaxation, it also has a spa and a massage centre. We always enjoy staying in Shijo area, a very central Kyoto location with easy access to all major means of public transport, taxis, as well as to restaurants, bars and shopping areas.

Top-end Accommodation

In Kyoto, more than anywhere else in Japan, the Japanese style hotels are very luxurious, and difficult to book. There are small hotels, with limited number of rooms, which accept advance reservations sometimes a year ahead.

We were lucky to be able to enjoy two nights at the Hiiragaya Ryokan, in Naka Gyo Ku. The rates start at JPY 38,000 and can go up to JPY90,000 per night. In the traditional ryokans, such as the Hiragaya, the rates include breakfast and dinner, but there are rates per person, not per room. This is a must-see accommodation type while travelling in Kyoto. If you can afford at least one night in a Ryokan in Japan, it is best for experiencing in Kyoto. It will give you an opportunity to try the Kaiseki Ryori, a gastronomic set meal served in Ryokans.

Top-end accommodation in a western style includes the GranVia Hotel on top of the JR Kyoto Station. Its modern glass architecture and central location has made it a landmark in Kyoto since its construction. It is the premier destination for business and international visitors to Kyoto, with more than 530 rooms, 11 restaurants, a panoramic view, pool and fitness centre. Obviously its central location makes it the best getaway for those who need to travel back to Kansai Airport, or Tokyo by Shinkansen. The rates for a room start from JPY 13,600 per night per person.

Another definite luxury option for staying in Kyoto, despite being a bit away from the centre is the Suiran, a Japanese type Ryokan located in Arashiyama, along the Hozu River. You will feel swept by the greenery and strolls available around the hotel. The hotel has only 39 rooms, including 6 special rooms, as well as a Teppanyaki restaurant and several private open-air baths onsen. The baths are elegantly designed, with a Japanese rock garden, cypress trees and a panoramic view of Arashiyama village.

To put it in a nutshell, Kyoto is a city with a hotel for every budget and every taste, whether you want to share your trip with local Japanese tourists, expats, or foreign backpackers. It is worth mentioning that low and high seasons are even more important concepts in Kyoto in comparison with other Japanese cities. Kyoto is a top attraction for Japanese school groups, pensioners or photographers’ tours, and in high “momiji” or “sakura blossom” seasons, all rooms are booked weeks, if not months, ahead. The last option for you, if you run out of possibilities, is to explore the newly legalized AirBnB listings, and take your chance to get to know more aspects of the Japanese culture.