If you’ve got about US$100 to spend per night, you can get some surprisingly nice rooms in Kyoto. Here are the best, well-located and clean budget hotels in the city, all personally inspected. Plus a few modern capsule hotels and hostels!
Hotel Mystays Kyoto Shijo guest room – image © Booking.com
We consider any accommodation that averages less than Y10,000 (about US$94) per night for a room, capsule or bunk to be budget. Of course, prices vary by season and some of the places listed here might nudge into the mid-range category at some points during the year.
Accommodations in this price range include budget hotels, as well as capsule hotels and hostels. Budget hotels are generally no-frills business hotels. Capsule hotels include “traditional” capsule hotels and updated capsule hotels, where instead of a capsule you get a tiny room. Hostels on this list have both shared and private rooms, and they’re great places to meet other travelers.
We’ve divided this list by category. Under each heading, entries are listed in order of preference, with the best first. Click on the name of the place for our full review. If you’re interested in our criteria for choosing these places, skip to the end of the article.
Proper Hotels
Hotel Sunroute Kyoto
(View on Booking.com or Agoda.com)
The Hotel Sunroute Kyoto is an excellent-value hotel located just south of the downtown shopping district on Kawaramachi-dori. It’s one of the best hotel values in the city.
Hotel Sunroute – image © Booking.com
Super Hotel Shijyo Kawaramachi
(View on Agoda.com)
The Super Hotel Shijyo Kawaramachi is a no-frills business hotel that is perfect for single travelers. It’s right downtown, very close to Nishiki Market.
Super Hotel Shijyo Kawaramachi – image © Agoda
Hotel Mystays Kyoto
(View on Booking.com or Agoda.com)
Hotel Mystays Kyoto is a good budget business hotel on Shijo-dori, just west of downtown. It’s a great value for the money.
Hotel Mystays Kyoto – image © Booking.com
Glanz kei Gion Shinmonzen
(View on Booking.com or Agoda.com)
Located in the heart of Gion, this small hotel offers small hotel rooms at rates that you’d expect from some of Kyoto’s hostels. It’s a serious bargain!
Glanz kei Gion Shinmonzen – image © Booking.com
Hotel Unizo Shijo Karasuma
(View on Booking.com or Agoda.com)
This efficient business hotel is just steps from Karasuma Station. It’s convenient for exploring Kyoto by subway and on foot. And the rates are ultra-reasonable!
Hotel Unizo Kyoto Shijo Karasuma – image © Booking.com
Hotel Excellence Kyoto Station Hachijo
(View on Booking.com or Agoda.com)
Located a short walk south of Kyoto Station, this small hotel offers some of the cheapest rates in town. There are plenty of eating options in the nearby shopping mall.
Hotel Excellence Kyoto Station Hachijo – image © Booking.com
Toyoko Inn Kyoto Gojo-Karasuma
(View on Agoda.com)
Within reasonable walking distance of Kyoto Station and downtown Kyoto, this branch of a popular Japanese hotel chain is a great value. Rooms are small but well equipped.
Toyoko Inn Kyoto Gojo-Karasuma – image © Agoda
Kyoto Capsule Hotels and Quasi-Capsule Hotels
Capsule Hotel Anshin
(View on on Booking.com or Agoda.com)
This is the real deal: an actual capsule hotel. Unlike the updated versions of capsule hotels in this list, here you actually sleep in a capsule. But it’s new and clean and the baths, sauna and spa is way better than those of the pseudo-capsule hotels in this list.
Anshin-Oyado Premiere Kyoto Shijo Karasuma – image © Booking.com
The Millennials Kyoto
(View on Booking.com or Agoda.com)
This slick and stylish updated capsule hotel in the middle of downtown is a brilliant place to stay if you’re looking to save money and meet other travelers.
The Millennials Kyoto – image © Booking.com
The Pocket Hotel
(View on Booking.com or Agoda.com)
For location and price, it’s hard to beat the Pocket Hotel. It’s an updated and expanded version of the traditional capsule hotel.
The Pocket Hotel Kyoto-Shijokarasuma – image © Booking.com
First Cabin Kyoto Kawaramachi Sanjo
(View on Booking.com or Agoda.com)
Smack in the heart of downtown Kyoto, this hotel offers rooms that resemble first class suites on airplanes.
First Cabin Kyoto Kawaramachi Sanjo – image © Booking.com
Kyoto Hostels
Kyoto Morris Hostel
(View on Booking.com or Agoda.com)
With a good location just north of downtown and close to the Imperial Palace Park, the Morris is our favorite hostel in town. It’s got style and class and it’s a great place to meet other travelers.
Kyoto Morris Hostel – image © Booking.com
WeBase Kyoto
(View on Booking.com or Agoda.com)
Super-stylish, well-located and friendly, WeBase is an excellent hostel with private-room options in the heart of the city. It’s a great choice in this bracket.
WeBase Kyoto – image © Booking.com
Piece Hostel
(View on Booking.com or Agoda.com)
If you don’t mind staying on the south side of Kyoto Station, it’s one of the nicer hostels in the city.
Piece Hostel Kyoto – image © Booking.com
If you’re willing to spend a little bit more, you’ll also find some great values in the mid-range Kyoto hotel category.
How Do We Choose the Best Hotels, Hostels and Capsules?
Kyoto is awash with accommodations, so how do we choose the best ones? Here are our criteria:
- Location: We only choose places that are well located, usually downtown or near Kyoto Station, occasionally in Southern Higashiyama. These are the most convenient locations to be based in Kyoto (for more details, see Where to Stay in Kyoto).
- Personal inspections: We personally inspect EVERY place on this list (and many others which don’t make the cut).
- Feedback: We get a lot of feedback from InsideKyoto users and from guests at our tour company, Chris Rowthorn Tours.
- Value: We compare the prices of these places to others of similar rank in Kyoto. Only those that are a great value make the list.
In short, the places on this list are places that we recommend to our own family and friends when they visit Kyoto.
Kyoto Hotel Guide
- Where To Stay In Kyoto
- The Best Places To Stay In Kyoto
- Best Kyoto Hotels For Sightseeing
- Kyoto Hotels Overview
- Best Luxury Hotels in Kyoto
- Best Mid Range Hotel in Kyoto
- Best Budget Hotels in Kyoto
- Best Kyoto Hotels For Families
- Best Boutique Hotels in Kyoto
- Best Value Hotels in Kyoto
- Kyoto Ryokan
- Kyoto Vacation Rentals
Kyoto Vacation Checklist
- For all the essentials in a brief overview, see my First Time In Kyoto guide
- Check Kyoto accommodation availability on Booking.com – usually you can reserve a room with no upfront payment. Pay when you check out. Free cancellations too
- Need tips on where to stay? See my one page guide Where To Stay In Kyoto
- See my comprehensive Packing List For Japan
- Buy a data-only SIM card online for collection when you arrive at Kansai International Airport (for Osaka and Kyoto) or Tokyo's Narita Airport. Or rent an unlimited data pocket wifi router
- Compare Japan flight prices and timings to find the best deals
- If you're visiting more than one city, save a ton of money with a Japan Rail Pass – here's my explanation of why it's worth it
- A prepaid Icoca card makes travelling around Kyoto easy – here's how
- Get travel insurance for Japan - World Nomads is well-regarded (and here's why)
