Where to stay · Kyoto · Japan
Where to stay in Kyoto
7 neighbourhoods compared, with the trade-offs hotel listings don't tell you.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: 663highland, CC BY 2.5
Quick answer
For a first visit, stay in Kyoto Station area. Transport hub with big hotels, Kyoto Tower and department stores. Best alternatives — nightlife: Downtown Kawaramachi.
Key facts
- First visit
- Kyoto Station area
- Families
- Kyoto Station area
- Budget
- Kyoto Station area
- Nightlife
- Downtown Kawaramachi
Best area for each kind of trip
| Trip type | Area | Why |
|---|---|---|
| First-timers | Kyoto Station area | Transport hub with big hotels, Kyoto Tower and department stores |
| Families | Kyoto Station area | Transport hub with big hotels, Kyoto Tower and department stores |
| Couples | Gion and Higashiyama | Teahouses, wooden machiya, temples and stone-paved slopes |
| Budget | Kyoto Station area | Transport hub with big hotels, Kyoto Tower and department stores |
| Luxury | Gion and Higashiyama | Teahouses, wooden machiya, temples and stone-paved slopes |
| Nightlife | Downtown Kawaramachi | Covered arcades, Nishiki Market and the Kamo River bars of Pontocho |
| Food lovers | Downtown Kawaramachi | Covered arcades, Nishiki Market and the Kamo River bars of Pontocho |
| Solo travellers | Nishijin and Kitano | Weaving workshops, machiya streets and the shrine-temple belt of the north-west |
| Shopping | Downtown Kawaramachi | Covered arcades, Nishiki Market and the Kamo River bars of Pontocho |
| Quiet stays | Okazaki | Heian Shrine, museums and canals at the foot of the eastern hills |
Kyoto neighbourhoods in detail
$$ · Best for first-timers, families and budget
Kyoto Station area
Around Kyoto Station, hotels of every size cluster near the shinkansen, the Haruka airport express, JR lines to Nara and Arashiyama and the subway. Sights within walking distance include To-ji, Higashi Hongan-ji and Sanjusangen-do. It is practical rather than charming, and evenings are quiet.
- Good
- Direct trains to Kansai Airport, Nara and Osaka; Wide range of hotel prices; Easy with luggage
- Watch out
- Little traditional atmosphere; Bus queues to the main sights
- Nearby
- To-ji, Higashi Hongan-ji, Sanjusangen-do, Kyoto Railway Museum
$$$ · Best for first-timers, food lovers, nightlife and shopping
Downtown Kawaramachi
Between Karasuma and the Kamo River, the Shijo and Kawaramachi crossings form Kyoto's shopping and dining core: the Teramachi and Shinkyogoku arcades, Nishiki Market and department stores, with Pontocho's lantern-lit alley and Kiyamachi's canal-side bars for evenings. Gion is a short walk across the river.
- Good
- Best restaurant and bar choice; Walk to Gion and Higashiyama; Hankyu and Keihan train links
- Watch out
- Busy and commercial; Rooms book out early in peak seasons
- Nearby
- Nishiki Market, Pontocho, Teramachi arcade, Gion
$$$$ · Best for couples, culture and luxury
Gion and Higashiyama
East of the river, Gion's Hanamikoji Street and Shirakawa canal are lined with teahouses, while the slopes of Higashiyama climb past Yasaka Shrine, the stone lanes of Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka and up to Kiyomizu-dera. Ryokan and boutique machiya stays make this the most atmospheric base.
- Good
- Walk to the old city at dawn before crowds; Traditional ryokan and machiya stays; Evening atmosphere
- Watch out
- Expensive; Very crowded by day; Fewer train links
- Nearby
- Kiyomizu-dera, Yasaka Shrine, Kennin-ji, Hanamikoji Street
$$$ · Best for quiet stays, culture, families and couples
Okazaki
Okazaki is a calm, green district around the giant torii of Heian Shrine, with the Kyoto City Kyocera Museum of Art, the National Museum of Modern Art and the Zoo along the Lake Biwa Canal. Nanzen-ji and the southern end of the Philosopher's Path are close by.
- Good
- Peaceful evenings; Close to Nanzen-ji and the Philosopher's Path; Subway Tozai line nearby
- Watch out
- Few late-night restaurants; A walk or subway ride to downtown
- Nearby
- Heian Shrine, Nanzen-ji, Philosopher's Path, Kyoto City Zoo
$$$ · Best for couples, quiet stays and luxury
Arashiyama
On Kyoto's western edge, Arashiyama sits where the Hozu River leaves the mountains, crossed by the Togetsukyo bridge. Staying overnight lets you see the bamboo grove and Tenryu-ji's garden before day-trippers arrive, and some ryokan have hot-spring baths. The centre is about 15–25 minutes away by JR or Randen tram.
- Good
- Scenery and quiet evenings; Early access to the bamboo grove; Ryokan with baths
- Watch out
- Far from Higashiyama and Fushimi; Restaurants close early
- Nearby
- Tenryu-ji, Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, Togetsukyo Bridge, Iwatayama Monkey Park
$$ · Best for budget, culture, quiet stays and solo travellers
Nishijin and Kitano
Nishijin is the historic home of Kyoto's silk-weaving industry, with machiya townhouses, small workshops and neighbourhood restaurants. It is close to Kitano Tenmangu shrine, Daitoku-ji and the Kinkaku-ji and Ryoan-ji area, with good-value guesthouses but no subway line.
- Good
- Local, residential feel; Affordable machiya stays; Close to Kinkaku-ji
- Watch out
- Bus-dependent; Quiet at night
- Nearby
- Kitano Tenmangu, Kinkaku-ji, Daitoku-ji, Nijo Castle
$$ · Best for food lovers, budget and quiet stays
Fushimi
In southern Kyoto, Fushimi's soft spring water supports dozens of sake breweries, several with tasting rooms, along canals plied by traditional Jukkokubune boats. Fushimi Inari Taisha is a few stops north, and the Keihan line runs to Gion and Osaka.
- Good
- Walk to Fushimi Inari early; Sake tasting on the doorstep; Lower room rates
- Watch out
- Away from most temples; Limited evening dining
- Nearby
- Fushimi Inari Taisha, Gekkeikan Okura Sake Museum, Teradaya Inn
Areas compared
| Area | Price | Nearby |
|---|---|---|
| Kyoto Station area | $$ | To-ji, Higashi Hongan-ji, Sanjusangen-do, Kyoto Railway Museum |
| Downtown Kawaramachi | $$$ | Nishiki Market, Pontocho, Teramachi arcade, Gion |
| Gion and Higashiyama | $$$$ | Kiyomizu-dera, Yasaka Shrine, Kennin-ji, Hanamikoji Street |
| Okazaki | $$$ | Heian Shrine, Nanzen-ji, Philosopher's Path, Kyoto City Zoo |
| Arashiyama | $$$ | Tenryu-ji, Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, Togetsukyo Bridge, Iwatayama Monkey Park |
| Nishijin and Kitano | $$ | Kitano Tenmangu, Kinkaku-ji, Daitoku-ji, Nijo Castle |
| Fushimi | $$ | Fushimi Inari Taisha, Gekkeikan Okura Sake Museum, Teradaya Inn |
Getting to your hotel
Kyoto has no airport. From Kansai International Airport, the JR Haruka limited express reaches Kyoto Station in about 75–80 minutes, and limousine buses run to major hotels. From Osaka's Itami Airport, the limousine bus takes about 55 minutes to Kyoto Station.
Questions travellers ask
+What is the best area to stay in Kyoto for first-time visitors?
Kyoto Station area. Around Kyoto Station, hotels of every size cluster near the shinkansen, the Haruka airport express, JR lines to Nara and Arashiyama and the subway.
+Where should families stay in Kyoto?
Kyoto Station area: Direct trains to Kansai Airport, Nara and Osaka.
+Which area of Kyoto is best for a budget stay?
Kyoto Station area ($$): Transport hub with big hotels, Kyoto Tower and department stores.