Stay At These Fantastic Inns And Get The Complete Kyoto Experience - Updated 2024

Trip101 Editorial
Trip101 Editorial 
Updated
| 4 min read

Choosing the best accommodation when planning a trip to Kyoto is not easy - all hotels have their pros and cons. For those who want their accommodation to be part of the whole Kyoto experience, here are some of the recommended inns you should choose!


Experience Kyoto in its full glory by staying in one of these top inns

We handpicked these listings carefully, considering (wherever possible) Superhost status, recent guest reviews, location, accommodation type, prices, availability of dates, decor, and amenities. The image galleries get refreshed with the latest updates regularly. They were last updated on March 04, 2024.

Japanese gardens and Kyoto cuisine: Ryokan Gingaku

Ryokan Gingaku

Ryokan Ginkaku is located conveniently just 4 minutes from Kyoto station by foot. You will be greeted by a Japanese-style design once you reach the inn.

The lobby of Ryokan Gingaku is well decorated with lanterns and mattresses designed based on traditional Japanese culture. There is also a tea house available in the inn where you can enjoy delicious Japanese tea.

Both Japanese-style rooms and Western-style rooms are available in Ryokan Gingaku, but it is recommended that you select the former. Tatami mats are laid out in the rooms and you will get to experience sleeping on a futon mattress. There are also onsens available in the inn.

The charm of Ryokan Gingaku comes from the marvellous dinner and breakfast served. Full-course Japanese meal cooked using the freshest seasonal ingredients are served at Ryokan Gingaku and you can enjoy them in your room without the need to travel to a dining hall.

旅館 銀閣 Ryokan Gingaku

Address: 709 Higashisiokoji-cho Shichijo-sagaru Akezu-dori Simogyo-ku, Kyoto-city

Access: 4-minute walk from Kyoto Station

Contact: +81 75-371-5252

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Traditional Kyoto-style building: Sumiya Ryokan

Tamatsukuri onsen yado02s3648
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user 663highland used under CC BY 2.5

Sumiya Ryokan is located in a traditional Kyoto-style building which exudes a retro atmosphere, and you will be brought into a world of olden Kyoto once you step into the hostel. From the Japanese-style rooms, you can have a splendid view of the hostel’s private garden.

Sumiya Ryokan is best known for the delicious Matcha green tea that will be served once you check-in. The bitter and fragrant tea will remind you of the fantastic tea tradition that Kyoto treasures. If you stay at the hotel during the 7th or 17th of the month, you will also be invited to an after-dinner tea ceremony. Japanese cuisine is also another factor that makes Sumiya Ryokan stand out - a full-course Japanese meal can be enjoyed which includes luxurious seasonal dishes made using ingredients of the highest quality.

炭屋旅館 Sumiya Ryokan

Address: 431 Shirakabecho, Sanjyo-sagaru, Fuyacho, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto-city

Access: 10-minute walk from Karasuma Oike Station/Sanjo Station (Keihan Line)/Karasuma Station (Hankyu Line), 15-minute taxi ride from JR Kyoto train station>

Contact: +81 75-221-2188

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Great view of Lake Biwa from Hoshino Resort L’Hotel de Hiei

Hoshino Resort L’Hotel de Hiei was opened in July 2015 by the resort group Hoshino Resort. It is a hostel surrounded by nature where you can spend an amazing time away from the hectic city life.

Located along the border of Kyoto prefecture and Shiga prefecture, Hoshino Resort L’Hotel de Hiei is located at Mount Hiei. A shuttle bus is available from Kyoto station which will save you the hassle of finding your way there.

A total of 29 rooms are available in Hoshino Resort L’Hotel de Hiei, ranging from standard twins, semi suite to maisonette suites. Apart from the great rooms, the hostel also has various activities and services that will keep you excited. For one, wine tasting service is available from 5 pm, where 4 different types of wine can be enjoyed.

The meals served here are French dishes blended with a taste of Japanese cuisine. Breakfast is also available, which serves various international cuisines made from the freshest local ingredients. You can enjoy the splendid breakfast while enjoying the view of Lake Biwa and the mountains around it. What a way to start a day!

Stayed at this property?

Hoshino Resorts L’Hotel de Hiei

Address: Ipponsugi, Hieizan, Sakyo, Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan, 606-0000
7.89 km (5.0 mi) from Kiyomizu-dera

Enjoy Japanese tradition within the city: Gion Hatanaka (from USD 378)

Gion Hatanaka was built in 1971 and is a hostel that has long been satisfying tourists to Kyoto. The quiet hostel, located closely to Yasaka Jinja shrine and Kodaiji temple, is filled with Japanese tradition.

The rooms in Gion Hatanaka are Japanese-style and this hostel is best known for the fantastic meals they serve. Dinner and breakfast are both served to the room, saving the hassle of travelling to the dining hall. Full-course Japanese cuisine is served and the menu changes according to seasons, serving the most delicious ingredients available during your time of stay. Various local cuisine, such as the Yudofu (a type of tofu dish), is served. You definitely have to try the Yudofu when visiting Kyoto!

Stayed at this property?

Gion Hatanaka

Address: Higashiyama-ku Gion Yasaka Jinjya Minamimon Mae
997 meters (0.7 ft) from Kiyomizu-dera

Beautiful landscape of Kikusui

Kikusui
Source: 藤田 聡

Kikusui is a hostel located near the famous temple and tourist spot Nanzen-ji. The garden of this hostel was worked on by a famous garden designer who was also in-charge of the Nanzen-ji Villa.

From Kikusui, you can enjoy a marvellous view of the traditional Japanese landscape and garden surrounding the hostel. It is most beautiful during autumn when bright red maple leaves embellish the compound. Another factor that makes Kikusui the ideal hostel is the meal served. Dinner and breakfast plans are both available in Kikusui, which serves a full-course Japanese meal including Kyoto’s famous Yudofu.

Kikusui is just 3 minutes from Nanzen-Ji by foot, so you will be able to enjoy the temple in the morning before the crowd start coming in. This is a great hostel to consider when exploring Kyoto city!

菊水 Kikusui

Address: 31 Nanzenji Fukuchicho, Sakyo Ward, Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture

Access: 3minute-walk from distance Keage

Contact: +81 75-771-4101

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Fantastic onsen of Sumiya Kihoan (from USD 1712)

Sumiya Kihoan is located in the Kameoka region, just 20 minutes from Kyoto station via train. The area is famous for the natural hot spring Yunohana Onsen, and Sumiya Kihoan is one of the hostels where you can enjoy this onsen.

A beautiful Japanese-style garden will welcome you once you reach the hostel, designed in a manner that reminds you of the temples in Kyoto. Apart from that, you can also appreciate beautiful natural landscapes from your room - something that many hostels around the city cannot offer.

What makes Sumiya Kihoan great is its private onsen, Yamano Kakureyu. Although you have to walk for a while to reach the onsen, you can have the great natural hot spring all for yourself!

Japanese cuisine is served in the in-house restaurant, and there is also a wine shop with over 30 choices of wine available.

The availability of a gorgeous onsen beats many other factors when choosing an accommodation, and Sumiya Kihoan is definitely one of those that you should consider.

Stayed at this property?

Sumiya Kiho-an Ryokan

Address: Yunohana-onsen, Hiedano-cho, Kameoka, Kyoto, Japan, 621-0036
25.55 km (15.9 mi) from Kiyomizu-dera

Welcome to Kyoto

From green teas to traditional Japanese culture, the inns are specially designed in a way to welcome you with the Kyoto omotenashi - hospitality - spirit. The onsens and gardens also remind us how luxurious Kyoto city is. Do consider these inns when planning a trip to Kyoto!

Any must-sees we missed? Tell us about them in the comments section or write a post here to help out fellow travelers!
Disclosure: Trip101 selects the listings in our articles independently. Some of the listings in this article contain affiliate links.

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