3 Best areas to stay in Kyoto for first-time visitors

When traveling to Kyoto, you will need to book your accommodation before your trip. But What part of Kyoto is best to stay in? Is Downtown Kyoto better than Gion? Don’t worry, as in this post, I will help you to find the best areas and places to stay in Kyoto for tourists, both first timers and returning travelers.

Kyoto is the ancient capital of Japan, where you can explore many famous temples and shrines, including the Golden Pavilion (Kinkaku-ji), Silver Pavilion (Ginkaku-ji), Fushimi Inari Taisha, and Kiyomizu-dera.

You can enjoy nightlife, shopping, and visit many attractions in Downtown Kyoto like the Nijo Castle, Imperial Palace, Manga Museum, and Nishiki Market. The historic Gion and Higashiyama is where you spot geisha, explore traditional teahouses, enjoy kaiseki cuisine, and visit many cultural attractions.

Don’t forget to check out the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest in the western edge of Kyoto. It is especially beautiful during the cherry blossoms in spring and the foliage season in autumn.

Me in Kyoto during Chery Blossom season
Me in Kyoto during Chery Blossom season

Where to stay in Kyoto for first-time visitors

Downtown Kyoto and Gion are the most popular areas to stay in Kyoto for visitors, especially for first-timers. These areas offer proximity to major sights and plenty of tourist amenities. I personally find that Downtown has more budget-friendly accommodations compared to Gion.

Downtown Kyoto, particularly Shijo Kawaramachi, is the best base if you want to step away from the heart of the action. It puts you within walking distance to many sights like Kamo River, Nishiki Market, Pontocho, and Gion. This area is a nightlife and shopping hub with many bars, restaurants, and shops.

Downtown is well-served by the local subway, Keihan, and Hankyu lines, offering direct access to Osaka. You can consider staying near Kawaramachi Station, Sanjo Station and Shijo/Karasuma Stations.

Cherry Blossom in Kyoto
Cherry Blossom in Kyoto

During our trip to Kyoto, we stayed at the 3-star Hotel Vista Premio Kyoto Kawaramachi St in a quiet part of the Downtown area. We walked to almost everywhere from our hotel. It was only a short walk away from shopping arcades, 7-11, shopping malls, Gion, and the river.

The hotel has all basic amenities, typical japanese brekafast, and coin laudry machines. It was also only a short taxi ride from Kyoto Station, which cost us around 2000 yen.

Gion is the best location to book your hotel if you want to experience the traditional heart of the city. It is a well-known geisha district in Kyoto. Accommodations here can be pricey though, but if you book in advance, you can find a good deal.

Kyoto Station is also a great place to stay, especially if you have easy access to the city’s transportation hub where you can get shinkansen, local subway, and buses to almost anywhere you want to go. You can find cheaper hotels here compared to Downtown and Gion, many with much larger rooms.

While Kyoto Station is convenient for some day trips, it is not suited for those who want the heart of shopping and nightlife though. You will need to spend money on a train, taxi, or take a long walk to the Downtown and Gion.

me at Kiyomizu Dera Temple.
me at Kiyomizu Dera Temple.

Other areas might have some accommodations, but it is more residential and not as convenient to get around. If you can’t find accommodations in your budget price range, you can consider staying around Tofuku-ji, Fushimi-inari which has direct access to the Keihan Main Line. 

I would recommend staying somewhere close to the train station, especially if you are planning to use Kyoto mainly as a base for day trips and to visit nearby cities such as Osaka, Nara, and Himej.  

A note: You can consider buying an all day city bus pass, as well as 1-day and 2-day bus and subway passes. You can go almost everywhere on the bus, but depending on the season and time of day, popular bus routes get crowded and stuck in traffic, so I suggest using the subway when you can.

Now, let’s get into the details of the best neighborhoods in Kyoto for your holiday. I will give you the pros and cons of each area, and recommend some of the good hotels to stay in.

The Best areas to stay in Kyoto for tourists

1. Downtown Kyoto 

Downtown Kyoto
Downtown Kyoto

Downtown Kyoto, in my opinion, is the best area to stay in Kyoto, especially for first-time travelers. This area is the shopping and nightlife hub of the city. Staying here puts you within walking distance to many popular points of interest like Nishiki Market, Nijō Castle, Manga Museum, Gion and Higashiyama.

You’ll also be close to the shopping districts of Shijo and Kawaramachi where you can find many department stores like Takashimaya and Daimaru, as well as covered shopping arcades like Teramachi and Shinkyogoku.

A shopping arcade near my hotel, Vista Premio Kyoto Kawaramachi St
A shopping arcade near my hotel, Vista Premio Kyoto Kawaramachi St
Nishiki Market
Nishiki Market

Downtown Kyoto also has a vibrant nightlife scene with lots of bars, pubs, and restaurants. The Pontocho Alley, Kiyamachi Restaurant Row, and Kamo River are great places to explore after dark. 

Restaurant Row in Kyoto
Restaurant Row in Kyoto

Downtown has lots of accommodation options, ranging from budget hostels and capsule hostels to luxury hotels, apartments, and ryokans. I chose staying in Downtown over Gion just simply Downtown has more cheaper accommodations compared to Gion.

This central area is well-served by public transport including Kyoto City Subway Karasuma Line, Tozai Line, Hankyu Line, and Keihan Main Line. It is home to various stations including Kyoto-Kawaramachi Station, Karasuma Station, and Omiya Station.

The Hankyu and Keihan Lines offer direct train access to Osaka. You can use Keihan Line to get to famous places like Fushimi-Inari Taisha Shrine, Kiyomizu-dera and Tofukuji Temples. 

Fushimi-Inari Taisha Shrine
Fushimi-Inari Taisha Shrine
Kiyomizu-dera
Kiyomizu-dera

The Hankyu Line will take you to the scenic Arashiyama and Sagano area, where you can explore Togetsukyo Bridge, Tenryuji Temple, the Monkey Park and the bamboo forest.

Arashiyama Bamboo Forest
Arashiyama Bamboo Forest

The best areas in Downtown to book your hotel are probably the areas within walking distance to the train station, but anywhere should be fine as long as you find a good value for money accommodations.

Downtown is also a short bus ride from Kyoto Station. I recommend taking a taxi to get to your hotel in Downtown if you have lots of luggages. It is only a 10 mins ride away and around 15 USD.

Here are my recommendations about the best hotels in Downtown Kyoto:

Cross Hotel Kyoto, great 4-star beautiful hotel centrally located in Kawaramachi Sanjo, 5 mins walk from various stations including Kawaramachi Station, Shiyakusho-mae Station and Sanjo Station. It is also a great place for families as it features family rooms that can accommodate 4 or 5 people. They have nice rooms and bathrooms. They have no coin machine laundry, but you can find a laundry shop nearby.

Hotel Resol Kyoto Kawaramachi Sanjo, popular 3-star hotel in Downtown Kyoto, great place for solo travelers and couples. It is a short walk from Kawaramachi entertainment street, the beautiful canal, Nishiki market, and several bus stops and train stations. It has a 24-hour front desk, luggage storage, and laundry servers. Bus outside the hotel can take you directly to Kyoto Station.

The Gate Hotel Kyoto Takasegawa by Hulic, 5-star hotel located in a great location, near the train and bus stops as well as a shopping district, and wonderful restaurants. The hotel has clean, spacious rooms,  currency exchange, and excellent breakfast. I think this hotel is best suited for singles and couples.

Good Nature Hotel Kyoto, 5-star hotel located in the center of Kyoto, a 5 min walk from Gion Shijo Station. Short walk to shopping malls, restaurants and attractions. Only a stone’s throw from Pontocho Alley. The hotel has many room options for couples, families with children, and groups of friends.

Sora Niwa Terrace Kyoto, 4-star traditional ryokan in a modern style located along Kamo River in Kawaramachi, an unbeatable location, easy distance from Nishiki Market, Pontocho, shops, restaurants, trains, and bus stops. It has double rooms, which is great for couples. There is also an onsite onsen and a nice rooftop terrace with stunning city views and a hot foot bath for relaxing after walking all day. 

2. Gion

Gion
Gion

Gion is undoubtedly one of the most popular parts to stay in Kyoto. This is the historic heart of the city, located in Higashiyama district, where you can experience the traditional atmosphere with many cultural attractions, temples, shrines, museums, historic ochaya tea houses, small alleys, and geisha sightings.

A part of Gion at night
A part of Gion at night

You can easily explore many major attractions on foot or by bicycle. These include the Yasaka Shrine, Maruyama Park, Gion Corner, Kiyomizudera, Nene-no-Michi, Ninnenzaka, and Sannenzaka. 

Ninnenzaka and Sannenzaka area
Ninnenzaka and Sannenzaka area
Kiyomizudera area
Kiyomizudera area

This area hosts the famous Gion festival in July, so don’t miss out if you are visiting the city at this time for a truly local experience. Don’t miss out visiting Maruyama Park, especially in the April cherry blossom season. It is the most popular spot in Kyoto for hanami parties.

You’ll also be close to many historic temples and shrines in Northern Higashiyama like the Ginkaku-ji, Philosopher’s Path, Nanzen-ji, Zenrinji Temple, Heian Shrine, and Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art.

This area is well-connected to various train stations and bus stops. It is served by the Tozai Line and Keihan Main Line. You can consider staying between Gion-Shijo Station along the river and Yasaka Shrine.

You can rent a kimono and explore the streets of Gion. You can spot a Geisha and Maiko in the evening from 6 to 8pm when they are on their way to work.

Due to its popularity, accommodation is often more expensive compared to Downtown. I recommend booking your hotel in advance to have great deals. If you decide to stay in Gion, I recommend you opt for ryokans and wooden machiyas holiday houses for an authentic Japanese experience.

Here my suggestions about some of the best hotels in Gion:

Kyoto Granbell Hotel, a 4-star hotel conveniently located in the heart of Gion, an easy walk to  Gion-Shijo Station, and popular sightseeing spots like Yasaka Shrine. It has a currency exchange machine, very good breakfast, and a public bath Komorebi. They have well designed and comfortable rooms.

Gion Elite Terrace, 4-star family-friendly accommodation in the geisha district of Kyoto, close to Gion Shijo, featuring rooms and suites for families of 4 and 5. They have washers/dryers on site, which are convenient for many visitors. According to the guest, the hotel family has a good-size family room compared to standard Japanese rooms and is very comfortable. 

Laon Inn Gion Nawate, 3-star accommodation in the central old neighborhood of Gion, an easy walking distance to several restaurants, cafes and convenience stores. It has washing machine and dryer facilities, and comfortable rooms. Close to Keihan line station.

3. Kyoto Station

Kyoto Station
Kyoto Station

Kyoto Station is a convenient base for easy access to the public transportation hub of Kyoto. It doesn’t have many attractions, shopping, and nightlife options compared to Downtown and Gion, but it has some nice hotels with more spacious rooms. You can take the train/bus to almost everywhere from here.

Here you can find Kyoto Tower with an observation deck for beautiful views of the city. There are the large shopping centers like Aeon Mall, and Yodobashi Camera and Bic Camera electronic stores nearby.

Kyoto Tower from Kyoto Station
Kyoto Tower from Kyoto Station
We took shinkansen from Kyoto Station to Hiroshima and Osaka
We took shinkansen from Kyoto Station to Hiroshima and Osaka

Here are my recommendations of the best places to stay near Kyoto Station:

Mitsui Garden Hotel Kyoto Station, 4-star hotel located north of Kyoto Station, in the Shimogyo Ward district, 5 mins walk to Kyoto Station. They have spacious and well appointed rooms. It is convenient to get around by public transportation.

Hotel Keihan Kyoto Ekiminami, a popular 4-star hotel located south of Kyoto Station, an easy walking distance to  Aeon Mall and transport. Close to TKP Garden City Kyoto and Sanjusangen-do Temple. It has comfortable rooms for singles, couples, and families.

Miyako City Kintetsu Kyoto Station, great accommodation near Kyoto Station, just opposite shinkansen gate. It has comfy and spacious rooms. There are shopping malls and restaurants nearby.

Where to stay in Kyoto for tourists
Where to stay in Kyoto for tourists

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So there you have it, my recommendation of the most popular areas to stay in Kyoto for first-timers and tourists. I also suggest some great hotels that you can stay at during your trip to Kyoto. 

I personally prefer to stay in Downtown Kyoto as it is a bit cheaper than Gion while still being located within walking distance to major sights and easy access to public transportation. 

What about you? Where are you planning to stay in Kyoto? Feel free to comment below. I’d love to hear your thoughts!

About Author: Huong Tran

My name is Huong Tran. I am a passionate travel blogger based in Australia. I’ve been blogging, traveling, and researching popular tourist destinations since 2010, so I have in-depth knowledge about the location I’m writing about.

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