Skip to content
Departly.

Destinations

Spain France Italy Greece Portugal Ireland United States Netherlands Turkey Poland Germany Cyprus Croatia Egypt United Arab Emirates Malta Switzerland Austria Morocco India Thailand Hungary Bulgaria Iceland Mexico Canada Tunisia Japan South Africa Australia Vietnam Indonesia Sri Lanka Dominican Republic Jamaica Barbados Mauritius Maldives Montenegro Albania All destinations → Guides About Browse destinations
Kyoto, Japan
Kyoto

Where to stay in Kyoto

Downtown Kawaramachi keeps you on the subway and near dinner, while Higashiyama suits temple-first mornings and Gion charges a premium for lantern-lit atmosphere.

Written by the Departly editorial team Reviewed against GOV.UK on 10 Jun 2026
Find hotels in Kyoto

Ad · affiliate link — at no extra cost to you.

In short

Where to stay in Kyoto

For a first Kyoto trip, base yourself in downtown Kawaramachi unless you have a clear reason not to. It sits on the Karasuma and Tozai subway lines, puts Nishiki Market and Pontocho on your doorstep and saves you a daily commute to dinner. Choose Higashiyama if temple mornings on foot are the whole point, Gion for lantern-lit atmosphere at a premium, and the Kyoto Station area only when an early Shinkansen or Nara day trip drives the decision.

The short version

  • Best all-rounder: downtown Kawaramachi.
  • Best value: around Karasuma-Oike and the subway spine.
  • Best atmosphere: Higashiyama's stone-paved lanes.
  • Best for early temple mornings on foot: Higashiyama near Kiyomizu-dera.
  • Avoid basing yourself out in Arashiyama as your hotel filter; it is a half-day visit, not a base for the historic core.

Best areas to book

Downtown / Kawaramachi

££ mid-range

The easiest first-timer base: Nishiki Market, the Teramachi arcade and Pontocho's evening alley are walkable, and you sit on both the Karasuma and Tozai subway lines for the rest of the city. The trade-off is that it is a busy modern centre rather than an old-Kyoto street, and prices climb close to Shijo-Kawaramachi.

Best for: First-timers, food and shopping, central transport

Browse hotels City centre

Higashiyama

££ mid-range

The postcard eastern hills, with Kiyomizu-dera, Yasaka Shrine and the stone lanes of Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka on your doorstep. Best if you want to walk out among the temples before the coach crowds arrive, but it empties at night and you walk or bus back for dinner.

Best for: Temple-first trips, early risers, photographers

Browse hotels Eastern historic core

Gion

£££ premium

Lantern-lit teahouse streets around Hanamikoji and Shirakawa, walkable to both Higashiyama and downtown. Lovely for an atmosphere-led stay, but several private lanes are now closed to tourists with fines for trespass, and rooms carry a clear premium for the address.

Best for: Atmosphere, couples, evening walks

Browse hotels Between downtown and Higashiyama

Karasuma-Oike / central business core

£ value

A quieter, better-value pocket two stops up the Karasuma line from the Shijo crowds, with the subway interchange at Karasuma-Oike and plenty of mid-range business hotels. You give up street-level buzz but keep fast transport and lower nightly rates, which suits longer stays.

Best for: Value, longer stays, quiet sleep with good transport

Browse hotels Central, north of Shijo

Kyoto Station area

££ mid-range

Practical rather than charming: you are on top of the Shinkansen, the Haruka airport express and the main bus terminal, with large modern hotels. Pick it for an early onward train, a Nara or Osaka day-trip base or a late arrival, not for evening atmosphere.

Best for: Onward rail, late arrivals, Nara and Osaka day trips

Browse hotels South of the centre

The simple choice

If you are booking in a hurry, filter for downtown Kawaramachi first, then compare Karasuma-Oike if the Shijo rates look high. That single rule keeps most first-timers out of the two common traps: paying a Gion premium for an address you'll mostly admire from outside, or booking up in Arashiyama or the northern hills because they sound central when Kyoto's bus-heavy transit will cost you an hour each way.

Anywhere within a few minutes' walk of the Karasuma or Tozai subway lines beats a 'historic' address that leaves you reliant on slow buses.

Safety and noise

Kyoto is very safe and GOV.UK does not flag pickpocketing as a common risk in Japan, so your accommodation decision is about sleep and convenience, not crime. The real noise trade-off is Pontocho and the Kiyamachi canal strip: a room directly over those bars can be loud past midnight, so for a quiet night ask for an upper or rear room, or base a couple of streets back around Karasuma-Oike.

Compare Kyoto hotels

Book the essentials

Where to stay

Browse staysvia Booking.com

Tours & tickets

Book tours & ticketsvia GetYourGuide

Keep planning Kyoto

KyotoCity guideJapanCountry guide

Where to stay in Kyoto FAQs

Is it better to stay near Kyoto Station or downtown?
For a first trip, downtown Kawaramachi wins for food, atmosphere and being on the subway. Choose the Kyoto Station area only if you have an early Shinkansen, several Nara or Osaka day trips, or a late arrival, since the station's main pull is transport rather than evenings out.
Should I stay in Higashiyama or downtown for the temples?
Stay in Higashiyama if your priority is walking out to Kiyomizu-dera and the Sannenzaka lanes before they fill up. Stay downtown if you'd rather not commute to dinner; from Kawaramachi the eastern temples are still a short bus or 20-minute walk, and you gain the restaurants and shops in return.
Is Gion worth the extra cost to stay in?
Only if the lantern-lit atmosphere is the point of your trip. Gion is beautiful and central, but you pay a premium for the address, several private lanes are now closed to tourists with fines, and you can walk into it for an evening from a cheaper downtown base.

Ready to book?

Find hotels in Kyoto

Go