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 ¥10,000 (about US$75) 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
Sotetsu Fresa Inn Kyoto Kiyomizu-Gojo
(View on Booking.com or Agoda.com)
Located a short walk from the southern Higashiyama sightseeing district, this is a solid choice for those looking for value and convenience.
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
ibis Styles Kyoto Shijo (formerly Hotel Unizo Kyoto 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!
ibis Styles Kyoto Shijo (formerly 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
Imu Kyoto Hotel
(View on Booking.com or Agoda.com)
A budget hotel that has the sociable feeling of a hostel. It’s a great place to meet other travelers.
Imu Hotel Kyoto exterior
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 Nijo
(View on Booking.com or Agoda.com)
With rates as low as US$20 per night, this is one of the cheapest places to stay in Kyoto. It’s a fantastic value.
Kyoto Hostels
Piece Hostel Sanjo
(View on Booking.com or Agoda.com)
This new hostel in the heart of downtown is our favorite hostel in town. It’s got some great areas to hang out in and it’s the perfect place to meet people.
Len Kyoto Kawaramachi
(View on Booking.com or Agoda.com)
This happening hostel could easily be mistaken for a great café, bar or restaurant when you walk by. It’s a sociable and friendly place.
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 Hotel Bargains
- 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 and Agoda.com - often you can book with no upfront payment and free cancellation
- You can buy shinkansen (bullet train) tickets online from Klook - popular routes include Tokyo to Kyoto, Kyoto to Osaka and Kyoto to Tokyo
- Need tips on where to stay? See my one page guide Where To Stay In Kyoto
- See my comprehensive Packing List For Japan
- You can buy an eSim to activate in Japan or buy a data-only SIM card online for collection when you arrive at Tokyo's Narita or Haneda Airports or Kansai International Airport. You can also rent an unlimited data pocket wifi router
- Compare Japan flight prices and timings to find the best deals
- If you're making frequent train journeys during your visit, you might save money with Japan Rail Pass – see if it's worth it for you
- World Nomads offers simple and flexible travel insurance. Buy at home or while traveling and claim online from anywhere in the world
- Do you want help planning your trip? Chris Rowthorn and his team of Japan experts at Japan Travel Consulting can help
