Where to stay in Kyoto? Recommendations for every budget

Although I try to promote less beaten track destinations in Japan like Tokoku, Kii Peninsula, Tokai and Kyushu, I cannot deny that Kyoto is one of my favourite travel destinations ever – to the point that on my last trip, I decided to stay put and study Japanese in Kyoto for two weeks.

Besides classes, I took my time to walk around this wonderful city a lot, and combined with experience from previous visits, here are my tried-and tested Kyoto accommodations that I would stay in again any time!

I have stayed in all accommodations recommended. Sometimes, where I have given alternatives, I may not have stayed there, but this will be clearly marked.

Is there a “Best area” to stay in Kyoto?

Honestly, no. If you are visiting Kyoto for the first time or only stay a day or two, I would advise to stay close to easily accessible public transport. That isn’t necessarily Kyoto Station – it’s crowded, a bit overtouristed in my opinion, and there are often big queues for the buses to the popular sights.

So, which is a good area to stay for first-time visitors? I like Downtown Kyoto. Central, easy access by fast and high-volume Kyoto Metro. No queueing for overcrowded buses. Stay near the Karasuma-Oike Interchange, and you can get many places in Kyoto very easily. It is not too crowded for a Downtown location and has decent shops, restaurants, even a few temples.

I recommend staying at the Tabist Kiki Hotel Sanjo Takakura, a small hotel with lots of Kyoto design touches, huge rooms and Western style beds. When I stayed, I paid around 80 Euro per night, which is not bad for a mid-range hotel. It certainly felt more luxurious than the official three star classification. Find a detailed review here.

A bit along, at Kyoto City Hall Metro Station, there is a Prince Smart Inn, a modern no-frills Business-Leisure Hotel run by the established Prince Hotel chain. It is comfy, airy, light… nothing to complain about the rooms but it’s a no-frills hotel. Still for around 55 Euro per night, I could have done a lot worse. Find my review here.

When to book your accommodation in Kyoto

My advice is to book as early as you can, book with a free cancellation option and amend your booking according to your travel needs. Kyoto is always busy, and I do not think there is a “low” season, except, perhaps, the beginning of the year. This not only depends on the season and holidays any more, but also on the political situation.

For example, this year in February, Kyoto did not feel as crowded as it usually did. This may have been be due to the conflict over the Republic of China, as usually the Lunar New Year holiday sees many tourist. Coming into cherry blossom season from the end of March to early April, everything gets booked up, and if you can, book around 6-12 months in advance.

Golden Week from late April to early May will see a lot of national travel. The rest of May and June are “relatively” easy to book accommodation. Then in July, the Gion Matsuri runs all month, with the highlight of the large parades in mid-July. Also, school holidays in July and August in Europe and the Americas bring many “Western” tourist families.

Moving on to the second half of the year, September can still be very hot. September is also typhoon season and therefore not that popular, so it may become easy to find accommodation at the last minute.

Late autumn is, in my view, an excellent travel month, until you reach the Autumn Leaves Season from around mid-November to early December, which I think is now the busiest season for Kyoto. Come Christmas and New Year, many businesses shut for the holidays. I have been in Kyoto as late as mid-December, and sadly missed most of the autumn leaves (some stragglers persist) but I found it quite relaxing, too.

As someone who loves temples and gardens, the “green” season is certainly one of my favourite ones. I can enjoy plum blossom as early as mid-February, but the rest of the gardens may still look quite sad and bare.

I like April and May, and I think I will attempt a June trip (overcast skies make for great photos), July can still be nice and green but the sun can be harsh and sometimes unbearable. I liked the turning of the leaves in early November, and of course, peak autumn colour season is beautiful but the popular spots get terribly crowded (but I just visit some lesser known ones which are just as beautiful, since I have seen most of Kyoto’s major sights)

 Low Budget? Consider these lovely yet private hostels

Let’s start with budget accommodations. Where the real good, clean and relaxing ones can be somewhat difficult to find, wherever you are. Because you get what you pay for. There are some great options in kyoto, though. Let’s start with shared accommodations, if you don’t mind sharing.

Last year, I arrived in kyoto on a Saturday night at the end of autumn colour season, and accommodation prices were sky-high. So I booked a bed in a dorm at Piece Hostel Kyoto. I had a great stay. The hostel is 5min on foot from Kyoto Station on the less frantic, South Side, I stayed in a six-bed mixed dorm, with very comfortable almost cabin-like beds, with a bunch of middle aged Japanese who were quiet and friendly. There is a nice and spacious communal sitting area with a kitchen and free coffee and tea, and the shared bathrooms were spotless. A big recommendation!

My second recommendation for that price class is RAK Kiyomizu, a small hostel in a residential part of Gion with all-private single rooms and shared facilities but no kitchen or sitting area. Rooms are bright, comfortable big enough to eat in, and are all Western style. I paid between 23 and 35 Euro (weekday/weekend) per room per night, and I really slept well here. There is also a supermarket next door, and you can walk up to Kiyomizudera in less than 15 minutes! A great option for sightseeing on a budget for solo travellers.

Last not least, I would like to include Guesthouse Soi here. It is somewhat more expensive than the previous two options, and it is more like a classic travellers guesthouse, with a mix of dorms and private rooms, very clean shared facilities, free simple breakfasts and cheap bicycle hire! I paid around 50 Euro per night for a very thoughtfully furnished Japanese room with loads of storage, but still had to share bathrooms, but admittedly that was at the beginning of autumn season which is an expensive time to travel.

The only issue I had is that it was a little harder to get to, the bus that stops nearby does the Station to Gion route and is almost always super crowded, and it’s a fair walk from the rail at Kiyomizu-Gojo.

Convenient for Sightseeing, but without the crowds

So, where should one stay to see all the famous Kyoto sights, but steer away from big crowds? A few places come to mind.

A lot of places close to the reliable public transport (Kyoto Metro, Hankyu Rail, Keihan Rail, JR) come tom mind. Sometimes, they are urban and convenient, sometimes, you will find lovely residential atmospheric areas in earshot from a convenient station.

Just over a year ago, my mum, who cannot walk very far, and I stayed at Gion Shinmonso, a mid-sized hotel in Gion yet somewhat away from the madding crowds.

Founded in the 1950’s the hotel had since had a new building, and the experience was a very Japanese one, down to the tatami rooms and the communal baths. We paid 22k JPY per room per night then, around 120 Euro, which was not bad for a four-star during cherry blossom season.

Rooms were super spacious, I loved my early morning Gion strolls, and the bus stop was a 4-minute and the Keihan Railway and Subway a 6-minute walk away. You’re close to so many sights you’re just in amore residential area that doesn’t get big crowds. Find my full review here.

Best for Kyoto + Osaka

Unlike many, I recommend spending some nights in Kyoto rather than staying in Osaka and visiting Kyoto on a day trip. I much prefer the (relative) quiet of Kyoto to bustling Osaka. I don’t do nightlife – only dinner and maybe a walk or a bar. But, I am trying to see more of Osaka, which to be honest, I haven’t warmed up to so much yet.

But anyway – I have done day trip from Kyoto to Osaka (and beyond) and I really recommend staying near a station.

If you just want to visit Osaka, I highly recommend taking the Hankyu Rail. It is a private rail line that starts in Shijo-Kawaramachi in Downtown Kyoto and runs via Arashiyama to Osaka-Umeda. So, for easy access to Hankyu Rail I recommend the mid-range M’s Hotel Plus Shijo-Omiya (100m to Omiya Station) or the Gate Hotel Takasegawa (200m to Shijo-Kawaramachi Station).

You can also take a JR train to Osaka, but I fund the Hankyu Rail cheaper and way more relaxing plus, on weekends and holidays, they run the cute Kyo-Garaku Sightseeing train at no extra charge. See my full review here.

Best for a traditional Japanese Inn

My budget doesn’t stretch to full-service ryokan, but I have stayed in plenty family-run inns and guesthouses that offer the full Japanese experience at a fraction of the price.

In that category, my top favourite is Gallery Nozawa Inn. I love it so much, I have stayed there twice now. Once, for a full week, enjoying a full cooked breakfast and the excellent hospitality of the elderly owners every day. The property is an old restored Kyoto Townhouse. With only two rooms, this is like staying with family. The rooms are very large, and there is a small area with a shared fridge and microwave, and a shared bath. Each room has its own toilet inside the room, and honestly, I never used the bath, because there are at least three public onsen and sento in walking distance, and I tried them all. Location-wise, you’ll be in Shimabara, which is very much under the radar, very quiet, but with good connectivity by JR, with a station with frequent trains less than 10 minutes on foot away.

Another lovely place that’s quite the wonderful old townhouse experience is Higurashi-Sou, at the back of Nijo Castle. Less than 5min walk to several bus stops, this one is easily accessible but travelling to and from Downtown and Kyoto Station may take a little longer. They rent out bicycles for free, and on a bike, you can be in Downtown or Higashiyama in 20 minutes or less, too.

The house is basically a residence with staff on site, with two large living rooms and a kitchen on the ground floor. Most rooms are in traditional Japanese style, but they have at least one Western style twin room too. Any disadvantages? Well. If you stay in one of the smaller rooms on the second floor, it can be an awful long way to the restrooms on the ground floor, down some narrow steps, but I felt the charm of this traditional residence really made up for it. There is also a nice public bath nearby, and they give you a sento ticket and sento baskets to use. Read my full review here.

Last not least, I also enjoyed my most recent stay at Guest House Waraku-An, another lovingly restored Kyoto Townhouse in a nice area that isn’t completely overrun with tourists. Several buses stop almost at the doorstep, and Keihan Rail is about 300m away. It is managed by the owners who live on site, so there is usually someone around.

It still feels more like being someone’s house guest, and, like in all these old houses, you may hear your fellow guests quite loudly. It’s near the university, with great restaurants, pubs, several sento and the Main Shop of Nishio Yatsuhashi, as well as an easy walk to Heian Shrine and the underrated temples of Shinnyo-do and Konkai Komyoji, and if you are good on your feet, walking to the Higashiyama temples is completely doable, too while several buses will take you Downtown via Gion.

Best tourist-friendly hotel for first time visitors

So, do I have a favourite? Nope. All places I have stayed in were so different.

However, if it’s your first time in Japan, there are some hotels more suitable than others. You might want multilingual staff, some sort of concierge services, maybe Western-style rooms or a mix of both while not missing out on the Japanese aesthetic.

When I visited Kyoto with my mother, I chose Kyomachiya Ryokan Sakura Urushitei – not a ryokan, strictly speaking, but rather a mid-sized hotel with a selection of Japanese and Western rooms, very pleasing interior design and the best concierge services I had in Japan. The front desk is run by enthusiastic multilingual people, who have no issues ordering you taxis vey day, making restaurant reservations, and help with sightseeing plans. The lovely communal areas are frequently used for kimono experiences, tea and whisky tasting.

I am also going to mention The Celestine Kyoto Gion here, even though I have not stayed here yet. Thhi sis one of the nicest central areas of Kyoto to stay – right next to Kennin-ji, a highly underrated beautiful Zen Temple, an easy stroll from Kiyomizudera in one and the river and Downtown in the other direction. The atmospheric geisha quarter of Miyagawacho is also right next to your doorstep. The hotel combines Japanese calm aesthetic and Western comforts. The only drawback? Public transport is at least 8 minutes on foot away, so you want to budget for taxis.

Off the beaten track

Well, staying in Kyoto, wanting to cram as much as possible into your limited time, and staying off the beaten track is something of a contradiction, isn’t it?

So, during my short visits, I always tried to stay somewhere within easy reach of sights and shopping opportunities, but there are some areas that definitely feel more local and you are unlikely to meet that many other tourists there. So, for me, staying near Nishijin has always been quite special and off the beaten track yet still great for sightseeing.

The calm inn of Higurashi-Sou is as far off the beaten track for me, even though it’s right behind Nijo Castle! There are several bus routes, and the inn has free bicycles for rent.

I also quite like Arashiyama, or, ts southerly neighbour Katsura, to be exact. The small Grand West Arashiyama Hotel is on the quieter side of the famous Togetsukyo Bridge, just steps from Hankyu Rail, and has large light-flooded rooms in calm Japanese style in a modern property, and an onsen next door. You can rent bicycles to explore this beautiful area which has plenty of sights, including an imperial villa, many unique temples, some of the best autumn leaves, and thanks to Hankyu Rail, good and frequent connections to Osaka and Downtown. I have not stayed here myself, but the area is lovely and, unlike Arashiyama proper, calm and quiet.

 Business Hotels and Capsule

My very first stay in Kyoto back in 2004 was in a Business Hotel near Toji Station and it was spartan and smelled of smoke… and although most business hotels are usually clean, not all business hotels are made the same. I have written a post on business hotels in Japan and in general, they make a great dependable inexpensive option in Japanese towns and cities that do not see loads of tourists – I stayed in some pretty nice ones all over Tohoku last year. But in Kyoto? Well… some are very convenient.

I mentioned the Prince Smart Inn above, which is basically a newer generation hotel welcoming leisure and business travellers, it’s super clean, comfy and in a great location for sightseeing.

I stayed in a pretty nice room at the Hotel M’s Plus Shijo Omiya for 33 Euro per night last year, which was some kind of special offer, so I always check business hotels! M’s Hotel is a Kyoto chain, with several properties, and they all look pretty decent, so it’s worth checking prices on some business hotels, too. What’s more, they always have nice communal areas with hot water and microwaves, and there’s always a coin laundry.

Last not least, staying in a capsule hotel is one of those quintessential Japan experiences – although capsules are becoming more popular worldwide! I stayed in my first one in 2024, and have returned every now and then. It’s a great budget option for early departures or late arrivals, and I know the First Cabin Kansai Airport fairly well now. Every now and then, they have such good offers, so I stayed at the First Cabin Nijojo in Kyoto as well, when they sold cabins for some crazy low prices like 2000 JPY.

I really liked it there, too, since they have a nice sitting area with free snacks and drinks, space to work, book son Kyoto, a supermarket next door, and a bus stop just outside. It’s not the most central area for sightseeing, but then, it’s more of a residential/business area, and Nijo-jo really is at your doorstep.

 Splurge Stays

Everyone has different views on what makes a splurge stay. For me, staying on my own at the five-star Gate Hotel Takasegawa was pretty much a splurge, but then, I paid around 22k JPY per night. I would get a room at a very mid hotel for that money in Germany. Generally, although I like my comforts, I love hotels with history and style.

The Gate Hotel Takasegawa incorporates a Taisho-era remodeled school, which was one of Kyoto’s first concrete buildings, and was not only extremely conveniently located for Downtown Shopping and the atmospheric Takasegawa /Pontocho area, but also had a lot of charm, including a guest lounge with a terrace, bicycles, a library and a cracking bar with great views across to Gion.

Another place I would love to visit is the Hotel Chourakukan, a late Meiji-era Western-style Guest Residence for foreign dignitaries, in a prime yet quiet location in Higashiyama. Perhaps the grandest and most distinguished of them all in Kyoto.

I also would love to stay in a distinguished full-service old ryokan in Kyoto. The most famous ones, Tawaraya and Hiiragiya, are well beyond my budget. We are talking 1000 Euro+ per night. I think another historical ryokan like Toshiharu Ryokan, where a stay for two with breakfast will be more like 300 Eur per night. Or, since I am so much into The Makanai, and love to visit places where the series were filmed, the former Ochaya turned ryokan Shiraume would be a dream come true for me, too.

Or combine a relaxing stay in the Kyoto Hills, with a hot spring, with sightseeing, at Ryokan Seryo. This one is next to Sanzen-in, a picturesque temple, in a wooded hillside, but has regular buses into central Kyoto – but it will take an hour. However, it is ideally located fo rSanzen-in, the UNESCO site of Enryaku-ji ans a number of other beautiful temples in Kyoto’s hillside, perfect for summer or autumn colours.

 The Small Print

Between 2004 and 2026, I have stayed in Kyoto around ten times, including a two-week trip to study Japanese. My trips were entirely self-funded, in terms of course fees, flights and accommodation. On the occasion of studying Japanese, I took part in workplace scheme in Germany that allows employees five days of paid leave per year to engage in educational activities.

Nothing you see here was sponsored, and I did not receive compensation, discounts, or special treatment in exchange for writing it. All my own honest and unbiased opinion. This post does contain affiliate links to accommodations I stayed at as well as some alternatives. If you book a hotel using my affiliate links, I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you. This is my only way of monetizing my blog, and is used to cover running cost of the blog, and occasionally upgrade a hotel stay. The vast majority of my travel funds come from working a regular job, with some extra shifts. So, you can trust me for unbiased advice, I don’t think I would take a freebie in order to review it, which to me, is not unbiased any more. Please refer to my blog’s Terms and Conditions for further information. This post (well, my entire blog, except this) is free from generative Artificial Intelligence.