4 where to stay Updated 16 September 2026

Where to stay in Kyoto

Rooms described honestly, tax included

4 places to stay in Kyoto, with the accommodation tax on top and the trade-off each one makes.

A timber ryokan building on the wooded bank of the Oi river at ArashiyamaIt depends

Hoshinoya Kyoto

Twenty-five rooms on the Oi river with no road to them. The boat is the only way in, and the price is whatever the date says it is.

Ryokan Arrive by boat Arashiyama
KyotoExplore

Not to be missed

HiiragiyaArashiyamaHozugawa boat ride
A tatami guest room at a traditional Kyoto ryokan with a low table and garden viewIt depends

Hiiragiya

Two centuries of the same family, twenty-odd rooms, and a service tradition that survives because it never had to be revived.

Ryokan Since 1818 Nakagyo
KyotoExplore

Not to be missed

Hoshinoya KyotoDowntown and Nishiki MarketKaiseki
The brick facade and arcade of the former Central Telephone Office housing Ace Hotel KyotoWorth it

Ace Hotel Kyoto

The best-located big hotel in Kyoto, in a restored Modernist telephone exchange with a courtyard that anyone can walk into.

213 rooms Karasuma Oike Nakagyo
KyotoExplore

Not to be missed

Piece HostelDowntown and Nishiki MarketKyoto City Kyocera Museum of Art
A communal lounge with long tables and daylight at a Kyoto design hostelWorth it

Piece Hostel

Dorms and private rooms done properly, in the two most useful locations in Kyoto. The March 2026 tax change made the budget end relatively better value.

Dorms & privates Kyoto / Sanjo Budget
KyotoExplore

Not to be missed

Ace Hotel KyotoHoshinoya KyotoKiyomizu-dera

The rest of Kyoto

Every other collection in the city guide, with what is in it.

Sights 6 Museums 3 Districts 4 Restaurants 6 Bars 3 What to eat 4 Things to do 3 Walks 2 Events 2