An expert analysis showcasing the best accommodation with onsen in Kyoto
The Kadensho Onsen, Arashiyama
Overview
Kyoto is well-known as the historical and cultural capital of Japan, and Japan is well-known for its hot springs and amazing onsen, but surprisingly, natural onsens are quite rare in Kyoto. Finding onsen accommodation in Kyoto can be a very time-consuming process. How can you be sure it will be worth the price? How do you know which location to choose? And how can you trust the recommendations on other websites? We aim to solve these problems and save you time.
Our Expertise
After working as a tour guide in Kyoto for over 3 years, I decided to compile this list based on my expert knowledge of this incredible city. On top of this knowledge, I've analyzed thousands of customer reviews to determine an accurate list of the best hot spring hotels and ryokans in Kyoto. Unlike other websites, this is not a generic article with a top ten list, instead of providing a subjective opinion full of sponsored content and Google Ads, this article gives you measurable data and metrics.
The only filters I've personally applied are:
- a minimum average review rating of 8.5 out of 10
- the location must be convenient for sightseeing
- a minimum of 100 reviews
- must have decent photos (visuals are key)
Our listing for each place has a convenient summary including the:
Gallery
Description
Highlights
Average Price (incl. peak and offpeak)
Location
Review Score
Review Example
Natural vs. Man-made
Due to Kyoto's geography, most onsens are man-made, but this should not deter you from seeking them out. Most of the benefits we associate with onsens, such as relaxation, come from the heat exposure. Moreover, man-made onsens can be thoroughly enjoyable because they've been specifically designed to attract customers despite not drawing from natural hot spring water. Some places, however, have gone the extra mile to obtain natural spring water from underground, and we've included them on this list, although they typically come with a more luxurious price tag.
The Best Onsen Hotels In Kyoto
Luxury
$400 - $1000
The Sori Niwa Terrace — 9.4
The Mitsui Hotel — 9.3
Mid-Range
$200 - $400
The Matsui Honkan — 9.3
The Ryoku-fuso — 9.2
The ALA Hotel — 9.1
The Hatoya Zui-hokaku — 8.9
The Kadensho Onsen — 8.6
Most Affordable
$40 - $150
The Sauna Capsule Hotel — 8.7
The Best High-End Onsen Hotels In Kyoto
1. Sora Niwa Terrace Kyoto Bettei
The Sora Niwa Terrace Bettei offers an incredible combination of a luxury ryokan experience with the facilities of a modern up-market hotel. If you manage to secure a booking here, you're guaranteed your own private outdoor onsen bath with beautiful views of the surrounding area. The hotel features a large onsen facility on the upper floors with natural hot spring water, open-air baths, and a stunning rooftop garden terrace. The location is absolutely perfect for sightseeing, the only problem is, you won't want to leave.
• Highlights:
─ Private onsen bath in every room.
─ A gorgeous rooftop garden terrace.
─ Natural hot spring water and huge open-air onsen facilities.
• Price Range: $550 - $1200 per night • Location: Downtown Kyoto
• Review Score: 9.4 ★ (350+ reviews)
• Review Quote:
"Incredible location, comfortable beds and absolutely beautiful room and amenities. We had a room with a private onsen and balcony - it made our stay very luxurious. The rooftop terrace and bar was perfect in the morning while we drank our coffee and during happy hour after a day of sightseeing. The hotel service was exceptional - everyone went out of their way to make sure we were taken care of. Highly recommended!"
Rooms often sell out fast, you'll find the best prices on Booking.com
2. The Mitsui Luxury Collection
The Mitsui Luxury Collection is situated next to Nijo Castle and has a strong emphasis on the elegance of traditional Japanese aesthetics. They pride themselves in connecting their guests with the natural beauty of Japan, its rich history, and its charming culture. The staff are friendly and professional with a genuine interest in your happiness. The onsen facilities here are stunning and make you feel like you're bathing in a museum, with huge stone columns, waterfall fountains, and a variety of baths.
• Highlights:
─ Stunning onsen facilities and natural spring water sourced 1000m underground.
─ Located right next to the UNESCO-listed Nijo Castle.
─ Amazing restaurants serving French, Italian, and Japanese cuisine served up by Michelin-starred chefs.
• Price Range: $1300 - $3000 per night
• Location: Nijo Castle
• Review Score: 9.3 ★ (200+ reviews)
• Review Quote:
"One of the best luxury hotels in Kyoto. Atmosphere is excellent and compliments Kyoto very well. Reception, garden, restaurants, rooms, spa and onsen work and flow harmoniously together. Everything feels tailor made especially for you. Feels like a hidden peice of Japan inside Kyoto. The staff are excellent and very friendly. The central garden is breathtaking. The restaurants on site are excellent as well. The onsen was incredible."
Rooms often sell out fast, you'll find the best prices on Booking.com
The Best Mid-Range Onsen Hotels In Kyoto
1. The Matsui Honkan
The Matsui Honkan might be my favourite hotel on this list. Its location is super convenient, right in downtown Kyoto, so you're within walking distance to famous attractions, amazing restaurants, and multiple train stations, and yet it's still on a relatively quiet street so you don't feel overwhelmed. The rooms are beautiful, spacious, and authentic, with the option to have Japanese-style futons or Western-style mattresses. The property has been thoughtfully designed and features its own Zen gardens. The onsen facilities are perfect, with ambient lighting and relaxing waterfalls, the whole place feels like a 5-star experience without the 5-star price tag. They even have a huge family room that comfortably sleeps up to 8 people.
• Highlights:
─ Amazing onsen facilities with ambient lighting and relaxing waterfalls.
─ Super convenient location in downtown Kyoto, within walking distance to famous attractions and multiple train stations.
─ Various room options, including a large family room that comfortably sleeps up to 8 people.
• Price Range: $260 - $900 per night
• Location: Downtown Kyoto
• Review Score: 9.3 ★ (250+ reviews)
• Review Quote:
"This place was amazing! I loved that the rooms felt like an apartment, very spacious. The staff were very friendly and always helpful. The breakfast there was delicious, and I loved the public baths. While we had our own private shower/bath in our room, I really enjoyed the communal onsen. The location was perfect! Right next to Nishiki Market. If I could give them 11/10 I would, very beautiful place and wonderful staff."
Rooms often sell out fast, you'll find the best prices for Hoshinoya on Agoda
2. Ryokan Ryokufuso
The Ryoku-fuso is a gorgeous ryokan located on a quiet street just one stop from Kyoto Station. The rooms receive beautiful natural light that creates a charming atmosphere as it illuminates the shoji screen doors that cover the windows in each room. The stowaway futon beds make the rooms feel super spacious and give the space a relaxing, traditional ambience. One of the highlights is the onsen on the top floor, it's quite large, provides a nice view, and is the perfect way to wind down after a long day. There's also an onsite restaurant serving Japanese breakfast, lunch, and full-course kaiseki dinners.
• Highlights:
─ Beautiful rooms filled with natural light with huge shoji screen doors.
─ Large spacious rooms with tatami floors and stowaway futon beds.
─ The top-floor onsen provides nice views over Kyoto and a relaxing way to end the day.
• Price Range: $200 - $500 per night
• Location: Near Kyoto Station
• Review Score: 9.2 ★ (700+ reviews)
• Review Quote:
"Wow, my stay was amazing! Spotless facilities and a keen eye for comfort. My room was exceptionally comfortable and welcoming. The bath was relaxing and very clean. My breakfasts every morning were perhaps my favorite meals I had during my stay in Kyoto. But the best part was the staff. The bathhouse was super relaxing and I enjoyed the products that were supplied in the washrooms. It is also super close to Kyoto Station!"
Rooms often sell out fast, you'll find the best prices for Hoshinoya on Agoda
3. The ALA Hotel Kyoto
The ALA Hotel is a beautiful modern property located on a quiet street only a 6-minute walk from Kyoto Station. They take pride in their museum-like design, incorporating artistic decor throughout the various areas of the hotel. One of the standout features is the natural onsen, which is rare in Kyoto, and includes multiple baths plus a traditional dry sauna. The beds are super comfy and the rooms are well designed with modern Japanese elements. Their breakfast is very popular, and they have free laundry facilities which is great for travelling.
• Highlights:
─ Only a 6-minute walk from the entrance of Kyoto Station.
─ Natural onsen baths and a traditional dry sauna.
─ Museum-like design with artistic decor and thoughtful aesthetics featured throughout the hotel.
• Price Range: $130 - $320 per night
• Location: Near Kyoto Station
• Review Score: 9.1 ★ (1600+ reviews)
• Review Quote:
"Really love the ALA Hotel Kyoto, the room is really clean, spacious and comfortable. Love that they provided free laundry and dryer and the hot spring baths have an allocated area for Women and Men separately. Onsen is so good and very clean. So comfortable after a long day walking around Kyoto to be able to soak in an Onsen. The most comfortable hotel I have stayed in Kyoto. Location is amazing, it’s so close to Kyoto Station."
Rooms often sell out fast, you'll find the best prices on Booking.com
4. The Hatoya Zuihokaku Kyoto
The Hatoya Zui-hokaku is a gorgeous onsen hotel that pumps natural hot spring water from 900 meters below the surface. A charming Japanese atmosphere is found throughout the hotel while the rooms include features such as tatami mats and shoji screen doors. The onsen facilities are beautifully designed with lovely baths offering a variety of different water. The onsite restaurants offer delicious modern Japanese cuisine combined with international influences.
• Highlights:
─ Only a 5-minute walk from the entrance of Kyoto Station.
─ Natural onsen baths offering a variety of different hot spring water.
─ A charming Japanese atmosphere featuring shoji screen doors and tatami floors.
• Price Range: $160 - $360 per night • Location: Near Kyoto Station
• Review Score: 8.9 ★ (700+ reviews)
• Review Quote:
"Hotel was gorgeous - loved the tatami flooring in the rooms. Very clean, very conveniently located, and very comfy place to stay. Tastefully designed with lots of thoughtfulness, super tranquil and relaxing. Amazing onsen which was such a relief after long days of exploring Kyoto. Very nice and special breakfast was a great way to start the day. Very professional and super friendly staff. Highly recommended."
Rooms often sell out fast, you'll find the best prices on Booking.com
5. The Kadensho Onsen Arashiyama
The Kadensho Onsen is a nostalgic ryokan hotel famous for being one of the first hotels in Kyoto to offer natural onsen baths. It's moderately priced and includes 4 public baths (guests only) and 5 private baths, each of the private baths come with their own theme and setting. It's known for being foreigner-friendly, so long as you like traditional Japanese food, and the peaceful location away from the crowds is a nice change of pace for Arashiyama.
• Highlights:
─ Close to Arashiyama Station for easy day trips to Osaka.
─ 6 minutes walk to the monkey park and 10 minutes from the bamboo grove.
─ 4 public baths (guests only) and 5 private baths.
• Price Range: $200 - $600 per night • Location: Arashiyama
• Review Score: 8.6 ★ (800+ reviews)
• Review Quote:
"The onsen is amazing. 5 private baths and a public bathing area with plenty of space. The free yukatas were very comfortable and the staff were very kind and helpful. You can reserve massages for extra cost that are perfect after wandering around Kyoto. The location is also great. The Arashiyama bamboo forest is about a 10 min walk from the hotel. The train station is a 1 min walk from the enterance and takes about 15-20 mins to get to central Kyoto."
Rooms often sell out fast, you'll find the best prices on Booking.com
The Best Affordable Onsen Hotel In Kyoto
1. The Sauna & Capsule Hotel Rumor Plaza
The Sauna & Capsule Hotel Rumor Plaza is a large boutique hotel providing a luxury capsule experience that can't be found anywhere else. It's hard to believe a hotel can offer this much at such a low price. This brand-new capsule hotel features a huge spa facility integrated into the hotel, including outdoor rooftop baths, indoor sento baths, and a large sauna and shower area. With its perfect location in the heart of Gion, continental buffet breakfast, and super comfy beds, it's no wonder the customer reviews are so high.
• Highlights:
─ Amazing spa facility spanning 3 levels, including a large rooftop bathing area.
─ Continental buffet breakfast.
─ Spacious capsules with comfy beds in the heart of Gion.
Average Price: $40 - $60 per night
Location: Gion
Review Score: 8.7 ★ (1000+ reviews)
Review Quote:
"If I could rate it 20/10 I would. Not a fan of capsule hotels but this one is surprisingly comfy. Stayed here for the sauna. Did not expect it to be so big and a commercial 3-levels super sento. Sauna is open 24hrs. They have all the toiletries you need and more. Once you understand how things work this place is magic. Staff are all very nice. Breakfast spread is great (only japanese food). I will return to kyoto just for this place. Location is centered in Gion."
Rooms often sell out fast, you'll find the best prices on Booking.com
