Where to Stay in Kyoto 2026: My Favourite Areas 

Kyoto is one of those cities where the area you stay in really does shape your trip. Get it right and you can walk to temples in the morning, eat well in the evening, and not waste hours on buses. Get it wrong and you’ll spend half your time in transit, especially if you only have two or three days.

I’ve narrowed it down to four areas worth considering and the hotels I’d actually book in each, across budget, mid-range and luxury.

If you only read one line: for most first-timers, Downtown Kyoto is the right call. It puts you within walking distance of Gion and Nishiki Market, on the main transport spine for everywhere else, and you get the widest range of hotels at every budget. The other three areas are the right answer for specific kinds of traveller, and I’ll tell you who.

My Top Tip! Book early for Kyoto. I cannot stress this enough. Kyoto sells out faster than anywhere else in Japan, particularly during cherry blossom season (late March to early April) and autumn (mid-November). Six months ahead is sensible, twelve months ahead isn’t excessive for the popular hotels. If you leave it late, your choice shrinks fast and prices climb hard.

The four main areas at a glance

A note on the price ranges: these are typical mid-week, mid-season nightly rates for two adults in a standard double, in pounds. Cherry blossom and autumn weekends push everything up significantly. Your range will look different if you book six months out versus six weeks out.

My Top Tip! Don’t stay near Kyoto Station unless you have a specific reason. It’s tempting because the trains all run through there, but the area is functional rather than charming, and you’ll be further from the bits of Kyoto you came to see.

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Kyoto’s best areas to stay

Each of the four areas suits a different kind of trip. Below, what’s good and what’s not about each, and a clear “pick this if” line so you can match the area to your priorities. The hotels for each area follow further down.

Disclaimer: This article features affiliate links. If you click these links, and choose to book with that hotel or company, I will earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I appreciate the support that allows me to continue providing this information

1. Downtown Kyoto (Kawaramachi / Shijo)

This is where I’d send most first-timers. It’s the food and shopping heart of the city, walking distance to Gion, and the best-connected base for everything else.

What’s good:

• Central. You can walk to Nishiki Market in 5 minutes and to Gion in 15 to 25
• The widest range of hotels at every budget. If you book late or want value, this is where you’ll find it
• Best for restaurants and nightlife. Pontocho alley is on your doorstep
• Subway, buses and Hankyu/Keihan lines all run through here, so day trips to Osaka, Nara and Arashiyama are straightforward

What’s not so good:

• Less of the “old Kyoto” feel you might be picturing
• Busy streets, especially Shijo-dori, can feel more like central Tokyo than what you came for

Pick this if you’re a first-timer, you’ve only got 2-3 days, you want one base that does everything, or you care about food and want options on your doorstep. Skip this if atmosphere matters more than convenience and you don’t mind paying for it.

2. Gion

Gion is what most people picture when they think of Kyoto. Wooden machiya houses, lantern-lit lanes, the Shirakawa canal in the evening. It’s a beautiful base if you can stretch the budget, and a slower-paced one. Walking distance to Yasaka Shrine and the Higashiyama temple cluster.

What’s good:

• The most atmospheric area to stay, particularly in the evening once the day-trippers leave
• Walking distance to Yasaka Shrine, the Shirakawa canal, and into the Southern Higashiyama temple cluster
• Connected via Gion-Shijo station and the Keihan line

What’s not so good:

• The most expensive area to stay, and budget options are genuinely thin
• Crowded with tourists during the day, particularly along Hanami-koji
• Quieter dining scene than Downtown, fewer late-night options

Pick this if the look and feel of old Kyoto is the main reason you’re here, and you’re happy to pay a premium for the location. Skip this if you’re on a budget or you want a wide choice of restaurants on your doorstep at all hours.

If you’re walking out from a hotel in Gion, my 2-day Kyoto itinerary covers the Yasaka Shrine and Hanami-koji route in walking order with timings.

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3. Southern Higashiyama (Kiyomizu area)

This is the temple cluster: Kiyomizu-dera, the Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka streets, Yasaka Pagoda. Staying here means you can walk out of your hotel into Sannenzaka before the coach tours arrive, which is genuinely worth doing once.

What’s good:

• You’re inside the temple cluster, so early-morning temple visits are easy
• Beautiful preserved streets, particularly first thing
• A quieter base than Downtown or Gion in the evening

What’s not so good:

• Hilly. Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka are slopes, and you’ll feel it after a long day
• Limited dining and very limited nightlife
• More bus-reliant than Downtown, the nearest stations are a walk away

Pick this if you want early-morning photos of the temple streets, or you’re a slower-paced traveller who values a quiet hotel over restaurant choice. Skip this if mobility is a concern, or if you’ll be eating out late most evenings.

The Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka walk up to Kiyomizu-dera is covered in detail in my Kyoto itinerary, including the order I’d do it in to dodge the worst of the crowds.

4. Arashiyama

Arashiyama sits to the west of central Kyoto, around the bamboo grove and the Katsura river. It’s quieter, greener and more scenic than the central areas. The trade-off is the commute. You’re 30 to 40 minutes from central Kyoto by train, which adds up over a short trip.

What’s good:

• The bamboo grove is on your doorstep, so you can get there at sunrise before the crowds
• Riverside walks and mountain views you don’t get elsewhere
• Quieter evenings, very few tourists once the day-trippers leave
• Good for ryokan stays with private onsen

What’s not so good:

• 30 to 40 minutes each way to central Kyoto on the JR Sagano line
• Limited evening dining, most places shut early
• Fewer hotels overall, and the headline ryokan get expensive fast

Pick this if you’ve been to Kyoto before, or you’re prioritising peace, scenery and a memorable ryokan stay over restaurant choice and central convenience. Skip this if it’s your first trip and you’ve only got 2-3 days. The commute eats too much of your time.

Arashiyama works as a half-day from a central base too. My 2-day Kyoto itinerary covers Tenryu-ji and the bamboo grove as a morning trip if you’d rather stay central.

The hotels: how I chose them

The hotels below are ones I’ve stayed at or have researched as good options in each area and budget. They’re all consistently well-rated by guests on the major booking sites, and chosen to give you a sensible mix of options at each tier rather than one “best” pick. 

Downtown Kyoto: budget hotels

Downtown is the easiest area to find budget options, with a good mix of modern hostels and no-fuss business hotels. Both below are within a short walk of Nishiki Market or Kawaramachi station.

Piece Hostel Sanjo (my pick)

• Rating: 8.9 | Typical price: from £25 a night for a dorm bed, around £50 for a private room
• A modern, design-led hostel that punches well above its price point. You get private and dormitory rooms, a spacious kitchen, communal areas and a rooftop terrace, all 5 minutes from Nishiki Market. The minimalist design means it feels more boutique than budget. Best suited to solo travellers, couples on a tight budget, or anyone who likes the social side of hostel life without the rough edges.
• BOOK HERE

Travelodge Kyoto Shijo Kawaramachi

• Rating: 8.3 | Typical price: from £55 a night
• A reliable, no-fuss budget option right on Shijo-dori, one of the main shopping streets. Don’t expect character, do expect a clean room, free WiFi, a 24-hour front desk and a useful location. Best for travellers who want a private room at hostel-adjacent prices and care more about the city than the hotel.
• BOOK HERE

Downtown Kyoto: mid-range hotels

The mid-range bracket is where Downtown really shines. You get genuinely good hotels in great locations for prices that would get you something much weaker in Gion.

Cross Hotel Kyoto (my pick)

• Rating: 9.1 | Typical price: from £160 a night
• A stylish modern hotel in a great location near Sanjo and Kawaramachi, with a good restaurant and bar on site. The rooms are spacious by Japanese standards and the staff are well set up for international guests. Breakfast is consistently one of the highest-rated parts of the stay. Best suited to first-timers who want a comfortable, central, modern base without stretching to the luxury bracket.
• BOOK HERE

Hotel Forza Kyoto Shijo Kawaramachi

• Rating: 9.0 | Typical price: from £100 a night
• A modern, well-run hotel with western-style rooms and a strong breakfast offering. Central location, an easy walk to Nishiki Market, and consistently good guest reviews on the basics: clean, comfortable, helpful staff. Best suited to travellers who want a polished mid-range hotel without paying a Gion premium.
• BOOK HERE

Downtown Kyoto: luxury hotels

The luxury bracket Downtown is more about polished international-standard hotels than the traditional ryokan experience you’d get in Gion or Arashiyama. Worth knowing if you’re choosing between areas.

Good Nature Hotel Kyoto (my pick)

• Rating: 9.1 | Typical price: from £180 a night
• The eco-friendly luxury option, with sustainability built into the design rather than bolted on. Modern rooms, a restaurant, bar and garden, all 2 minutes from Hankyu Kawaramachi station and a short walk to Gion. Best for travellers who care about the environmental angle and want a more contemporary feel than the traditional Gion luxury options.
• BOOK HERE

Fauchon Hotel Kyoto

• Rating: 9.2 | Typical price: from £350 a night
• The most “international five-star” of the Downtown luxury options, with a Parisian-influenced design and a signature Fauchon café on site. Spacious rooms, strong dining, central location 10 minutes from Kawaramachi. Best for travellers who want a properly polished international luxury experience and aren’t looking for a traditional Japanese aesthetic.
• BOOK HERE

Gion: a small but special section

Gion has fewer hotels than any other area on this list, and the ones that exist tend to sit at the higher end of the price scale.

There’s no honest way around this: budget options in Gion proper are genuinely thin, and most of the hotels marketed as “Gion” in other guides actually sit in neighbouring Southern Higashiyama or Downtown. I’ve kept this section honest. If you want a hotel actually inside Gion, here are three I’d consider.

The best budget hotel in Gion

Laon Inn Gion Nawate

• Rating: 8.5 | Typical price: from £80 a night
• A clean, no-fuss hotel in a genuinely Gion location, 2 minutes from Gion-Shijo Station and within walking distance of Yasaka Shrine and the Shirakawa canal. Rooms are compact but well kept, with soundproofing that matters in a busy area. As budget Gion options go, this is about as good as it gets. Best for travellers who want the Gion atmosphere without paying mid-range prices, and who value location over space.
• BOOK HERE

Mid-Range Gion Hotels

Hotel The Celestine Kyoto Gion

• Rating: 9.4 | Typical price: from £200 a night
• A well-regarded 4-star in southern Gion, a 5-minute walk from Kennin-ji Temple and 10 minutes to Gion-Shijo Station. Featured in the Michelin Guide for its design and service. The hotel has its own small public bath, a guest lounge with complimentary refreshments, and a strong breakfast offering. Best for travellers who want a polished, properly designed mid-range hotel in Gion proper, with the kind of service usually reserved for the luxury bracket.
• BOOK HERE

Luxury hotels to stay at in Gion

Sowaka

• Rating: 9.3 | Typical price: from £700 a night
• A small luxury hotel in a converted 100-year-old ryotei (traditional restaurant) building, steps from Yasaka Shrine and the start of the Higashiyama temple walk. Just 23 individually designed rooms across a main building and modern annex, arranged around courtyard gardens. Sukiya architecture, modern comforts, and an on-site Japanese restaurant that has serious local reputation. Best for travellers who want the full traditional ryokan-style experience without sacrificing modern comfort, and who are willing to pay a premium for one of the most atmospheric stays in the city.
• BOOK HERE

Southern Higashiyama: budget hotels

Southern Higashiyama has the strongest budget options of any of the four areas. The Kiyomizu-Gojo Station area in particular has a cluster of well-rated budget and value hotels within walking distance of the main temple route. 

Sakura Cross Hotel Kyoto Kiyomizu (my pick)

• Rating: 8.6 | Typical price: from £75 a night
• A no-fuss budget hotel right next to Kiyomizu-Gojo Station, two stops from Gion. Rooms are small but recently built and well kept. Free sauna for men, automated check-in, washing machines in the building. The location does the heavy lifting here: 19 minutes’ walk to Kiyomizu-dera, easy bus and train links, and walking distance to Gion. Best for travellers who want to be near the Higashiyama temples without paying mid-range prices, and who don’t need a full-service hotel.
• BOOK HERE

Sotetsu Fresa Inn Kyoto-Kiyomizu Gojo

• Rating: 8.7 | Typical price: from £75 a night
• “A reliable Japanese business-hotel chain, three minutes from Kiyomizu-Gojo Station and around 15 minutes’ walk from Kiyomizu-dera. Rooms are compact in the way Japanese business hotels always are, but the beds are good, the showers are powerful, and the location is genuinely useful. The staff are also happy to hold your bags before check-in and after check-out, which is very helpful if your schedule is packed. Best for solo travellers and couples on a budget who want a clean, predictable base in the right part of the city.”
• BOOK HERE

HIZ Hotel Gion-Shirakawa

• Rating: 9.2 | Typical price: from £50 a night
• An aparthotel rather than a hotel, and unbeatable value for what you get. Every room has a kitchenette, washing machine, and full bath. Quiet residential street near Higashiyama subway station and Shoren-in Temple, between Gion and the Okazaki museum district. No staffed reception (self check-in), no restaurant, no breakfast. What you get instead is a properly large room with everything you need to live there for a week, at budget hotel prices. 
• BOOK HERE

Southern Higashiyama: mid-range hotels

This is where the section gets really strong. The mid-range tier in Southern Higashiyama is the deepest in Kyoto: properly designed hotels, real personality, locations that put you within walking distance of Kiyomizu-dera, the Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka streets, and Gion.

NOHGA Hotel Kiyomizu Kyoto (my pick)

• Rating: 9.0 | Typical price: from £180 a night
• The strongest mid-range hotel in this part of Kyoto. NOHGA sits at the base of the hill leading up to Kiyomizu-dera, with a rooftop bar that looks back over the city, an on-site bakery turning out fresh bread and pastries every morning, and a restaurant that locals will eat at. Rooms are properly sized for once, with rain showers, bathtubs, and free Netflix. Service is excellent. The whole thing punches above the price tag. 
• BOOK HERE

Hotel SUI Kyoto Kiyomizu

• Rating: 8.6 | Typical price: from £160 a night
• A 4-star hotel right next to Kiyomizu-Gojo Station, a 12-minute walk from Gion-Shijo Station and a mile from Kiyomizu-dera. Rooms are spacious by Japanese standards, with a strong breakfast offering and a small lobby lounge that hands out free welcome drinks at certain times. The hotel sits on a busy main road, which is the trade-off for the location. 
• BOOK HERE

Saka Hotel Kyoto

• Rating: 9.3 | Typical price: from £130 a night
• A small ryokan-style hotel in Kiyomizu, walking distance from Yasaka Pagoda, Kodai-ji Temple and Ninenzaka. Tatami floor areas in every room, on-site Japanese restaurant, optional private bath with views of the pagoda. The neighbourhood is residential and peaceful, which is rare this close to the main Higashiyama sights. Trade-off: the nearest train station is a walk away. 
• BOOK HERE

Southern Higashiyama: luxury hotels

Two genuine luxury options sit in this area, both well worth the money if your budget allows. One leans heritage and traditional, the other modern boutique. Both put you within walking distance of the historic streets and temples that most people come to Kyoto for in the first place.

The Hotel Seiryu Kyoto Kiyomizu (my pick)

• Rating: 9.4 | Typical price: from £600 a night
• Built into the converted 1933 schoolhouse of the former Kiyomizu Elementary, eight minutes’ walk from Kiyomizu-dera and steps from Yasaka Pagoda. Member of the Leading Hotels of the World. Forty-eight large rooms (averaging 50 square metres) with views over the rooftops of Higashiyama, a guest lounge that puts on tea ceremonies and maiko performances, a rooftop bar with arguably the best view in the city. 
• BOOK HERE

Dhawa Yura Kyoto

• Rating: 9.0 | Typical price: from £280 a night
• A boutique hotel from the Banyan Tree group, sitting on the Higashiyama side of the river near Sanjo Keihan Station. Five minutes from Gion, ten from Pontocho, fifteen from the temples. Modern rooms with tatami sitting areas, an 8Lements spa on site, a contemporary grill restaurant. Quieter than staying in central Gion but with easy access to it. 
• BOOK HERE

Arashiyama: budget hotels

Arashiyama has fewer budget options than the central areas. The hotels here tend to be smaller, family-run or conversion properties rather than chains. The trade-off is worth it: you get to be in Arashiyama in the early morning and after dark, when the crowds have left and the place is genuinely special.

Yado Arashiyama (my pick)

• Rating: 8.8 | Typical price: from £55 a night
• A small “simple stay” hotel near Togetsukyo Bridge. Compact rooms, modern build, café on the ground floor. The owners describe it as a hotel built for travellers who want sleeping space and not much else, and that’s exactly what you get for the price. Note: 13 years and older only.
• BOOK HERE

Hotel Binario Saga Arashiyama

• Rating: 8.1 | Typical price: from £85 a night
• Right next to JR Saga-Arashiyama Station, ten minutes’ walk from Tenryu-ji and the bamboo grove. The location is quieter and slightly removed from the main tourist drag, which some readers will prefer. Has a public bath and an on-site restaurant. Sits in Saga, the area just north of central Arashiyama, which technically counts as Arashiyama but feels more residential.
• BOOK HERE

Riverside Arashiyama

• Rating: 8.4 | Typical price: from £55 a night
• An aparthotel three minutes from Hankyu Arashiyama Station, ten minutes from the bamboo grove. Rooms have private bathrooms with deep soaking tubs, kitchenettes in some, and decent space. Pet-friendly. Useful for couples or small groups who want a base they can spread out in without paying mid-range prices.
• BOOK HERE

My Top Tip! If you’ve got four or more nights in Kyoto, there’s another option to consider: spend the first 2-3 nights in Downtown or Southern Higashiyama doing the sightseeing, then move out to Arashiyama for the last 1-2 nights to relax. You get the convenience for the busy days and the peace, nature and bamboo grove sunrises at the end of the trip. It’s what I recommend to any friends travelling with more time in their schedule.

Arashiyama: mid-range hotels

Mid-range in Arashiyama is where the area starts to feel like a proper destination rather than a day trip. The hotels in this tier are smaller, more characterful, and lean traditional. Some have onsen baths included. Worth knowing: a lot of Arashiyama hotels in this bracket include kaiseki dinner and breakfast in the room rate, so the headline price is a fairer comparison than it looks.

The GrandWest Arashiyama (my pick)

• Rating: 9.1 | Typical price: from £130 a night
• A 10-room boutique hotel converted from an old apartment building, five minutes’ walk from Hankyu Arashiyama Station. Rooms are unusually spacious for Arashiyama and most have balconies. Some have full kitchens for longer stays. Free bike rental for guests, a small café-bakery on site doing the breakfast (waffles and bread from a long-established Kyoto bakery). Quiet residential street, calm at night. A genuine standout.
• BOOK HERE

Ranzan

• Rating: 8.8 | Typical price: from £100 a night
• A traditional ryokan minutes from Tenryu-ji and Togetsukyo Bridge. 40 rooms across both Japanese tatami and Western-bed styles, on-site restaurant doing kaiseki dinners, hot spring baths, a quiet garden. Description is “Showa-era nostalgia” rather than modern luxury, newer hotels look slicker, but Ranzan has the location and the price. Children not allowed, so this is one for couples and adult groups only.
• BOOK HERE

Kyoto Arashiyama Onsen Kadensho

• Rating: 9.0 | Typical price: from £180 a night (often half-board)
• A 105-room onsen ryokan directly opposite Hankyu Arashiyama Station. Five private rental baths free to use, a large public onsen, kaiseki dinner with all-you-can-eat tempura. Rooms come in three styles: traditional Japanese, Western, and machiya-inspired. The all-inclusive feel makes the price fairer than the numbers suggest.
• BOOK HERE

TOP TIP! If you don’t like these options or are struggling to find availability, click here for more options in the area

Arashiyama: luxury hotels

Arashiyama has more genuine luxury options per square mile than any other part of Kyoto, and they’re a different kind of luxury to what you find in Gion or Higashiyama: more secluded, more nature-led, almost all of them riverside ryokan. If you only have one luxury splurge in your trip and you want it to feel like a genuine retreat rather than a city stay, Arashiyama is the place to do it.

Hoshinoya Kyoto (my pick)

• Rating: 9.3 | Typical price: from £500 a night
• A 25-villa luxury resort on the Hozu River, accessible only by private boat from the Togetsukyo bridge area (or van during flooding). The boat ride to check-in is part of the experience and immediately separates the place from anywhere else you’ll stay in Japan. Every room faces the river. Kaiseki dining, private tea ceremonies, riverside walks. It’s not cheap, and the location means you commit to being out here rather than dipping into central Kyoto each day. Worth it for a special occasion or an end-of-trip slowdown.
• BOOK HERE

Suiran, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Kyoto

• Rating: 9.1 | Typical price: from £620 a night
• Marriott’s Luxury Collection ryokan on the Katsura River, 15 minutes’ walk from Saga-Arashiyama Station. 39 rooms, 17 of which have private open-air onsen baths overlooking the river. The on-site restaurant is set in a renovated century-old building doing Japanese-French fusion. Adults-friendly atmosphere. Slightly more “international hotel” feel than Hoshinoya or Benkei, which works in its favour if you want luxury without the full traditional ryokan ritual.
• BOOK HERE

Arashiyama Benkei

• Rating: 9.2 | Typical price: from £580 a night
• A 10-room traditional onsen ryokan just upstream of Togetsukyo, established in 1969 and built in the sukiya teahouse architectural style. Every room is unique, all face either the Hozu River or the interior garden, all are tatami and futon. The kaiseki dinner here has serious local reputation. The smaller scale (10 rooms vs Hoshinoya’s 25 or Suiran’s 39) means a more intimate experience. The 4-star rating reflects the building’s age rather than the experience.
• BOOK HERE

My Top Tip! Most day-trippers to Arashiyama leave by 5pm to head back into central Kyoto for dinner. If you’ve stayed the night, the bamboo grove, the river path and the streets around Tenryu-ji are at their best from about 6am to 8am, and again from 5pm onwards. Half the reason to stay in Arashiyama at all is to get those quiet hours, so build your day around them.

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