The 10 best Ryokans in Kinki, Japan

May 9, 2023 Leida Jutras

Discover the best Ryokans in Kinki including Kyoto Ryokan Shoei, Kiri no Sato Takahara, Hotel Urashima, Kinosaki Onsen Kinosaki, Yumotokan, Kadensho, Kaisyu, Ryokufuso, Kawayu Midoriya, Kadensho.
Things to do in Kinki

1. Kyoto Ryokan Shoei

128 Nishishinyashiki Kaminocho, Shimogyo-Ku, Kyoto 600-8826 Kyoto Prefecture
Excellent
60%
Good
26%
Satisfactory
7%
Poor
3%
Terrible
4%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 239 reviews

Kyoto Ryokan Shoei

"The Rate is Here! 1000 yen lower than the others on Kyoto Ryokan Shoei official website. Book on Kyoto Ryokan Shoei official website and get the guaranteed best rate. Kyoto Ryokan Shoei has Open-air bathtubs and Large bath facilities. The bathtub in our large communal bath is made from Japan’s famous Mt. Fuji lava that has been processed into tile-like shapes. Japanese-style rooms in sizes of 8, 10 or 12 tatami mats are offered. Settle yourself in the tatami room for a time of relaxation and enjoy an experience in the lifestyle of Japan. Kyoto Ryokan Shoei is located in the Shimabara district of Kyoto. 7 minutes by taxi from Kyoto Station.

Awesome even when you travel alone!

Reviewed By pipathetraveller

The ryokan is well-maintained and the onsens are heaven! I would say onsens as they have both indoor and outdoor (must try). Not forget to mention that they provide you with a book of how to live in a ryokan. I would for sure try ryokans from now on.

2. Kiri no Sato Takahara

826 Takahara, Nakahechicho, Tanabe 646-1416 Wakayama Prefecture
Excellent
90%
Good
10%
Satisfactory
0%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

5 based on 203 reviews

Kiri no Sato Takahara

Great view from this hotelJust beside from Kumano kodo Increadibly great meal using organic vegetable from localEnglish,Spanish,Chinese language are avabable.Located in middle of Kumano kodo easy to access cityModern Japanese hotel style with great spaSearve you nice hospitality

A slice of paradise! Exceeded our expectations.

Reviewed By bengarland123

Kiri-no-sato Takahara Lodge is one of the best mountain getaways I have EVER been to. It totally exceeded my expectations in every way. The price is super reasonable, even when considering that my wife and I went during a national holiday time of year. The dinner and breakfast were both 5-star quality and easily worth $90 per person just for that -- the dinner was 9+ courses, including sushi, japanese pickles, chilled sesame tofu, miso soup, fish and chips, sukiyaki, fried tofu with vegetables, roasted wild boar, a pizza cooked in a real wood oven, and fermented peaches. In our room, we had very comfortable beds, a great view across the mountain valley, DIY coffee, air conditioning, and a very calm relaxing atmosphere. Just a short walk down the hall was the onsen which was also very relaxing with a nice mountain view. I really can't think of anything that would make our experience better, because Jian has thought of everything already! He's a very welcoming host and even came to pick us up in his jeep during the pouring rain when we got lost hiking through the woods. I don't visit many places twice, because usually it's "been there, done that!" but I cannot wait to return! It's like a little slice of paradise! Also don't worry about language issues because Jian speaks fluent Japanese, English, and Spanish.

3. Hotel Urashima

1165-2 Katsuura, Nachikatsura-cho, Higashimuro-gun 649-5334 Wakayama Prefecture
Excellent
22%
Good
51%
Satisfactory
20%
Poor
4%
Terrible
3%
Overall Ratings

4 based on 668 reviews

Hotel Urashima

At this time, we will carry out earthquake-resistant reinforcement works of the main building as safety and security efforts for our dear customers. During the period, only "Nagisakan Building", "Nisshokan Building" and "Sanjokan Building" will be in business and the "Main Building" will be closed entirely. Seismic Reinforcement Construction:April 1st, 2019 ~ March 31st, 2020

Great Experience. Cave Onsens!

Reviewed By SandBTokyo

This hotel is an amazing experience and we loved it. Hotel Urashima is built on a peninsula in the harbour. You can take a boat to the front door or park abotu 5 minutes away and take the bus. The bus comes regularly and drives though a tunnel to the lobby entrance. There are five main buildings for the hotel, all connected by tunnels and walkways. The highest building is Sanjokan which can be reached by elevator or escalator, very long escalator. It has great rooms and is the higher end building. We stayed one night in Sanjokan and enjoyed an amazing view from the room and a beautiful dinner and breakfast. We stayed another night in Nagisa, which is the harbour front building. Very nice room, but be sure to request non-smoking as we discovered one floor smells of smoke so strongly it will knock you down. Dinner and breakfast was also nice. Nagisa had a nice game area for the children. The other two buildings seem OK. Honkan is probably the oldest. Best part of this hotel are the cave onsens. Super great experience. Onsens built into the cave overlooking the ocean. Staff were all super great. Highly recommend staying in Hotel Urashima. It is worth visiting the area to enjoy the hotel and cave onsens. There is a convenience store in the hotel that has pretty much anything you need.

4. Kinosaki Onsen Kinosaki

1232 Momoshima Kinosakicho, Toyooka 669-6102 Hyogo Prefecture
Excellent
32%
Good
53%
Satisfactory
12%
Poor
2%
Terrible
2%
Overall Ratings

4 based on 129 reviews

Kinosaki Onsen Kinosaki

A relaxing and all-round modern ryokan

Reviewed By Joe_Chan_HK

My family stayed in the OOedoonsen Kinosaki for two nights in late December 2018. The hotel was rather a big one relatively to small ryokans in the little Kinosaki town. The hotel had a large free car park. The reception staff clearly introduced the hotel to us in English. Our room seemed to be recently renovated and was very large (the lounge alone was about 20 tatami). Our futon beds had been already set when we arrived. There were still ample spaces for all our lugguage cases and sitting and even kids’ running. The room had a beautiful river view. It had a bathroom though we did not use it. The room was absolutely quiet all the time. As a shallow sleeper sensitive to noise, I could still sleep really well in the room in both nights. We used the hotel onsen for several times during our stay. There were two sections, that shifted regularly for male and female users. Both contained large indoor pools and smaller outdoor pools. My kids liked the onsen very much. Onsen users had to bring their own room towels. The hotel also provided each guest an “onsen pass” for the seven onsens of Kinosaki. I had tried two of them. I found that these legendary onsens could have their own characteristics yet they attracted too many users. To me it was more relaxing and convenient to use the hotel onsen. The dinner buffet began at 17:30, and guests could freely join till 20:30. There was no limit of eating time during this period. The buffet served a wide range of food except crab dishes. The food varieties and tastes were better than expected. When planning our Kinosaki trip, I had also considered the smaller traditional ryokans in the town. These centrally located inns might appeal to travelers who sought quaintness, hospitality, and crab set meals. But I finally chose OOedoonsen for its ample room space, large hotel onsen, reasonable rate, generous buffet meals, free car park, and variety of hotel amenities (games facilities and a comic book library). We really enjoyed the relaxing environment and the sense of freedom during our stay in OOedoonsen. We were all satisfied and definitely gave the highest rating. 我保證這則針對此酒店的評論是以本人的切身經歷為依據、為本人的真實評論、且本人與此酒店無個人或商業關係,也無收受此酒店的贈禮或金錢以撰寫這則評論。

5. Yumotokan

2-30-7 Noka, Otsu 520-0102 Shiga Prefecture
Excellent
49%
Good
33%
Satisfactory
10%
Poor
4%
Terrible
4%
Overall Ratings

4 based on 284 reviews

Yumotokan

After touring 4 tasteful hot springs such as the open-air bath "Gesshin-no-Yu" on the top floor with great view of Lake Biwa, and another open-air bath "Togen-Shoyo" presenting natural beauty, you will enjoy the relish of Ohmi Beef, one of three Japanese beef brands, or Kaseki in Kyoto style. "Hanare Karoi" where every room has an open-air bath.

Fantastic Ryokan style hotel!

Reviewed By TseY

I stayed at Yumotokan during the Christmas holiday and it was a beautiful ryokan style hotel with multiple onsen facilities for the guests. Both breakfast and dinner were included in my bookings and the food was sensational! I would highly recommend this hotel to anyone who plans to visit Lake Biwa!

6. Kadensho

5-4 Arashiyama Nishiichikawacho, Nishikyo-Ku, Kyoto 616-0003 Kyoto Prefecture
Excellent
37%
Good
37%
Satisfactory
13%
Poor
7%
Terrible
6%
Overall Ratings

4 based on 355 reviews

Kadensho

If you’re looking for a romantic onsen ryokan in Ukyo, look no further than Kadensho. Given the close proximity of popular landmarks, such as Adashino Nenbutsu-ji Temple (1.4 mi) and Koryu-ji Temple (1.5 mi), guests of Kadensho can easily experience some of Ukyo's most well known attractions. Rooms at Kadensho offer a refrigerator and air conditioning providing exceptional comfort and convenience, and guests can go online with free internet access. Free breakfast will also help to make your stay even more special. If you are driving to Kadensho, free parking is available. While in Ukyo be sure to experience local unagi & dojo favorites at Unagiya Hirokawa. During your visit, be sure to check out popular attractions like Bamboo Forest Street (0.6 mi), Togetsukyo Bridge (0.2 mi), and Rakushisha (0.9 mi), which are all within walking distance of the onsen ryokan. The staff at Kadensho looks forward to serving you during your upcoming visit.

It was a very comfortable stay

Reviewed By s-hane-s-hane-s

I and my mother stayed there for one night 20000 yen per person, with dinner and breakfast. It was a very comfortable stay. This was more like a hotel, except that we needed to walk around without your own shoes (without getting dirty feet) inside. It was fully booked on that day. We had an earlier check-in, which mean that we could enjoy our relaxing private Onsen bath without standing in line. We also tried the large onsen baths later in the evening after a long walk in the beautiful Arashiyama area nearby. It was hot, but great. One of the baths was outside in a Japanese garden. We got warmed up from the inside out, and had an ice popsicle before we went up to our room for good nights rest. We also enjoyed a huge dinner and breakfast, true local cuisine with typical taste in Kyoto that supposed to be refined and "delicate" - you shouldn´t expect any strong taste, and correctly cooked. This supposed to be a 3-star-hotel, but the amenity was completed. We didn´t miss anything here. We thought the staff at the front desk were not amazing, but definitely not poor. We didn´t need to deal with them so much as we had good information in written form. Everything was clean and pleasant. Had absolutely nothing to complain. We would definitely love to come back again. My rating is 4 - not more or less. I certainly see that they still have a room for improvement, but overall I didn´t personally understand all the poor reviews.

7. Kaisyu

1698-1, Shirahama-cho, Nishimuro-gun 649-2211 Wakayama Prefecture
Excellent
38%
Good
32%
Satisfactory
13%
Poor
9%
Terrible
8%
Overall Ratings

4 based on 413 reviews

Kaisyu

See why so many travelers make Kaisyu their onsen ryokan of choice when visiting Shirahama-cho. Providing an ideal mix of value, comfort and convenience, it offers a romantic setting with an array of amenities designed for travelers like you. Given the close proximity of popular landmarks, such as Shirahama Kaichu Observatory Deck (0.2 mi) and Sandanbeki Cave (0.5 mi), guests of Kaisyu can easily experience some of Shirahama-cho's most well known attractions. Kaisyu is a romantic onsen ryokan offering a refrigerator and air conditioning in the rooms, and it is easy to stay connected during your stay as free internet access is offered to guests. Plus, guests can enjoy a hot tub and a lounge, which have made this a popular choice among travelers visiting Shirahama-cho. For guests with a vehicle, free parking is available. When you’re feeling hungry, be sure to check out Pescatore, Nagisa Beer Dining Barley, and Milk and Beer Hall 99, which are some Italian restaurants that are popular with locals and out-of-towners alike. Looking to explore? Then look no further than Senjojiki (0.3 mi), Sandambeki Rock Cliff (0.5 mi), and Engetsuto (1.2 mi), which are some popular Shirahama-cho attractions – all conveniently located within walking distance of the onsen ryokan. At Kaisyu, your comfort and satisfaction come first, and they look forward to welcoming you to Shirahama-cho.

Terrible service, old rooms, rowdy crowd

Reviewed By Graceful_Empanadas

I had a good impression upon entering the beautiful garden, and service was fine until I showed my foreign passport and the reception staff immediately switched to broken English... Some of them like to practise, so I don't really mind, but he cut out a bunch of things that other staff were explaining to the people beside me. The worst was he just left me after checking in to bring my own luggage to the room 3 halls away!!! I have never ever had to do that at a hotel, lest a ryokan! The room hadn't aged that well either and really needs an update. The tatami mats were discolored in patches and it didn't feel very clean. The baths were so busy that you'd never be able to get a key to the private ones, and you'd be lucky to even get a washing station at times. The only good thing was that there was a variety of facilities at the onsen, like cold water, hot water for pouring, plum salt etc... The private bath in the room was small, but actually pretty nice, except the view from my bath window was a garden hose. Dinner was a circus show. Lots of kids screaming around and people talking loudly. You had to line up along the stairs to get into the hall at your desired dining time! Food was below average and poor at times because of the quantity that needs to come out. Service was so lacking as a whole, so much that I needed to switch to the other seat because plates weren't cleared and I couldn't access the nabe! I enjoyed my other lodging at Shirahama so much better. Look elsewhere if you want a quiet onsen experience with good food and service!

8. Ryokufuso

490 Kanayacho Rokujoagaru Nishinotoindori, Shimogyo-Ku, Kyoto 600-8323 Kyoto Prefecture
Excellent
62%
Good
31%
Satisfactory
5%
Poor
1%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 486 reviews

Ryokufuso

Ryokufuso of Kyoto was founded in 1955 as a subsidiary of its holding company in Gifu prefecture. The attractive feature of Ryokufuso is that guests can experience the traditional Japanese way of life in a casual manner with a heart-warming atmosphere. The concept of RYOKUFUSO is very simple.A friendly Japanese Inn “Ryokan” with full of smiles."Guest's smile" "Smiles of everyone involved" That is…all about us 『RYOKUFUSO』

An amazing experience - perfect in every way!

Reviewed By CLW062

From the moment you enter the hotel you are looked after by fabulous, helpful, polite and professional staff. The whole hotel is spotlessly clean. The rooms are traditional with the most amazing futons. The room is big enough to be have two suitcases open and still have room to sit at either a traditional table on the floor, or western chairs with a coffee table. The rooms are well designed, comfortable and peaceful. There is even a guest laundry. You are given house kimonos to wear at the hotel and shown how to wear them. It's a beautiful touch and a lovely feeling going to dinner in them. We chose the meal inclusive package: breakfast and dinner - western style or Japanese style. We chose the Japanese style for all our meals. The food was amazing, so beautifully presented, and so much of it. They are very proud of their cooking and take their time to explain what each of the many dishes are and how to approach them! I really recommend this option - there is so much to learn. The onsens are segregated and nude. Once again the lovely staff explain the protocols so that you can enjoy, relax and know that you are not offending anyone. The hotel is a long walk (1.2km) from Kyoto Station, but a short walk from the Gojo Subway Station. The Subway station has elevators and a lift to get luggage from platform to street level. From either of these stations you can get anywhere in Kyoto you want. We mostly walked. This hotel was definitely one of the best experiences of our Japanese trip!

9. Kawayu Midoriya

13 Hongucho Kawayu, Tanabe 647-1712 Wakayama Prefecture
Excellent
45%
Good
46%
Satisfactory
9%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 118 reviews

Kawayu Midoriya

Parking: 10

Superb views and Japanese experience

Reviewed By Robbyt19

The hotel is very nice and very modern. We were greeted wonderfully by the reception staff and shown straight to our room (805). The room was traditional Japanese and very large. It has a magnificent view over the river, has an ensuite and own shower room and of course the wonderful Japanese electric toilet seats. The only drawback for us was the traditional Japanese bed, which we aren’t used to, so sleep wasn’t great due to the hardness of the bed. There are block out shutters, so look for them otherwise you’ll have an early wakening. We had dinner included in our stay and it was amazing. A set meal and also choices from the Japanese smorgasbord. Absolutely delicious. The hotel also has Japanese baths available, both inside & outside. Once again these are amazing and so relaxing. Breakfast was also well up to standard with a great choice. I would absolutely recommend staying at this hotel.

10. Kadensho

5-4 Arashiyama Nishiichikawacho, Nishikyo-Ku, Kyoto 616-0003 Kyoto Prefecture
Excellent
37%
Good
37%
Satisfactory
13%
Poor
7%
Terrible
6%
Overall Ratings

4 based on 355 reviews

Kadensho

If you’re looking for a romantic onsen ryokan in Ukyo, look no further than Kadensho. Given the close proximity of popular landmarks, such as Adashino Nenbutsu-ji Temple (1.4 mi) and Koryu-ji Temple (1.5 mi), guests of Kadensho can easily experience some of Ukyo's most well known attractions. Rooms at Kadensho offer a refrigerator and air conditioning providing exceptional comfort and convenience, and guests can go online with free internet access. Free breakfast will also help to make your stay even more special. If you are driving to Kadensho, free parking is available. While in Ukyo be sure to experience local unagi & dojo favorites at Unagiya Hirokawa. During your visit, be sure to check out popular attractions like Bamboo Forest Street (0.6 mi), Togetsukyo Bridge (0.2 mi), and Rakushisha (0.9 mi), which are all within walking distance of the onsen ryokan. The staff at Kadensho looks forward to serving you during your upcoming visit.

It was a very comfortable stay

Reviewed By s-hane-s-hane-s

I and my mother stayed there for one night 20000 yen per person, with dinner and breakfast. It was a very comfortable stay. This was more like a hotel, except that we needed to walk around without your own shoes (without getting dirty feet) inside. It was fully booked on that day. We had an earlier check-in, which mean that we could enjoy our relaxing private Onsen bath without standing in line. We also tried the large onsen baths later in the evening after a long walk in the beautiful Arashiyama area nearby. It was hot, but great. One of the baths was outside in a Japanese garden. We got warmed up from the inside out, and had an ice popsicle before we went up to our room for good nights rest. We also enjoyed a huge dinner and breakfast, true local cuisine with typical taste in Kyoto that supposed to be refined and "delicate" - you shouldn´t expect any strong taste, and correctly cooked. This supposed to be a 3-star-hotel, but the amenity was completed. We didn´t miss anything here. We thought the staff at the front desk were not amazing, but definitely not poor. We didn´t need to deal with them so much as we had good information in written form. Everything was clean and pleasant. Had absolutely nothing to complain. We would definitely love to come back again. My rating is 4 - not more or less. I certainly see that they still have a room for improvement, but overall I didn´t personally understand all the poor reviews.

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