Where to stay

Choose an affordable hotel in Nakagyo Ward to be close to Nijo Castle, the first attraction where many visitors head. Built in 1603 for the Tokugawa Shogunate, the site also features Ninomaru Palace, the most important building of the castle complex. Alternatively, stay in neighboring Karasumaoike to combine ancient and modern culture and visit the Kyoto International Manga Museum. To walk to the wooden temples of Nishi Honganji and Higashi Honganji, the largest in the city, select a hotel from the many options in Central Kyoto. In Higashiyama, stroll from your accommodations down narrow lanes lined with wooden houses to visit the red torii gates of Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine and the Kiyomizu-dera Temple.

With thousands of restaurants to suit all budgets, Central Kyoto is the perfect place to stay to eat and drink. Spend your days exploring cultural attractions, such as the classical art collections of Hosomi Museum, where the light-filled basement café is a good place to relax. A hotel in Nakagyo Ward will place you within walking distance of Pontocho alley, next to the Kamogawa River, where you can dine outdoors with locals. Across the river in the Gion District, top-class restaurants can be found among the accommodations and tea houses along Hanamikoji-dori and the atmospheric alleys leading off it.

Stay in the Gion District to participate in ancient ceremonies and get a complete immersion into traditional culture. You can enjoy a private audience with a geisha hostess or join the locals at the fresh food Nishiki Market. To rent a kimono and explore the old textile industry of Kyoto, choose from hotel options in Nishijin District, the best place to see traditional wooden machiya (townhouses) and go to the Funaoka Onsen bath house. Select from many hotel options in Higashiyama, where you can walk from your accommodation to take part in a traditional tea ceremony and see the Sanmon Gate of Chion-in Temple.