Where To Stay If Kyoto Is Fully Booked

Kyoto’s hotels and ryokan can be fully booked in March, April, May, October and November. But don’t give up if you can’t find a room in Kyoto! You can stay nearby in Osaka, Otsu, Nara or even Nagoya. On this page, I describe each city and recommend some convenient hotels.

[A Hanami festival in Maruyama Park: Sean Pavone / Shutterstock.com]

The most beautiful times of year in Kyoto are the spring cherry blossom season (March/April) and the fall foliage season (October/November). For details on cherry blossoms in Kyoto, see our full Kyoto Cherry Blossom Guide. For details on fall foliage in Kyoto, see our full Kyoto Foliage Guide.

Unfortunately, there just aren’t enough hotel and ryokan rooms in the city to keep up with the demand during these busy seasons. Thus, if you’ve left things too late, you might find it impossible to find a room in Kyoto. If this happens, rather than cancel your trip, consider staying in one of the following cities.

Osaka

Osaka is only 11 minutes from Kyoto by shinkansen (bullet train) and about 45 minutes by normal express trains. Osaka is packed with hotels in all price ranges.

[Osaka Castle]

Osaka is the best place to stay if Kyoto is fully booked. Shin-Osaka Station (Osaka’s shinkansen station) is 11 minutes from Kyoto by bullet train. There are several hotels right at Shin-Osaka (see my companion website InsideOsaka.com for more details). Otherwise, you can hop on the Midosuji Subway Line and access hotels in downtown Osaka very easily.

In addition to the shinkansen, Osaka is linked to Kyoto by regular express trains that run between downtown Osaka and Kyoto. The JR Line runs between Osaka Station and Kyoto Station; the Hankyu Line runs between Umeda Station in downtown Osaka and Kawaramachi and Karasuma Station in downtown Kyoto; and the Keihan Line runs between Yodobashi Station in downtown Osaka and stations along the Kamo-gawa River in Kyoto (Sanjo and Shijo stations, etc).

Here are three hotels that I recommend for those who want to explore Kyoto while based in Osaka:

• Hotel Granvia Osaka
  Right at Osaka Station for easy travel to Kyoto.
• Remm Shin-Osaka
  Right at Shin-Osaka Station for lightning-fast access to Kyoto.
• Shin Osaka Station Hotel
  Very close to Shin-Osaka Station for easy access to Kyoto.

For more suggestions about Osaka accommodation, see my Where To Stay In Osaka page.

Otsu

About 9km east of Kyoto, the small city of Otsu is conveniently connected to Kyoto by two train lines: the JR Line (good for JR Pass users) and the Keihan Keishin Line.

[Otsu city from Kannondo in Mii dera temple]

The JR Line runs between Kyoto Station and Otsu Station in about 9 minutes. The Keihan Keishin Line runs between downtown Kyoto (Sanjo Keihan Station etc) and Hama-Otsu Station in about 19 minutes.

Otsu is a pleasant little city in Shiga Prefecture. There are some interesting attractions nearby and some decent shops and restaurants in and around the train stations. There’s not as much to see as in Nara or Osaka, but it’s very convenient to Kyoto.

Here are two hotels that I recommend for those who want to explore Kyoto while based in Otsu:

• Biwako Hotel
  Overlooking Lake Biwako, Japan’s largest lake, and with a free shuttle to Otsu Station, this is another great choice.
• Lake Biwa Otsu Prince Hotel
  A stunning hotel right on the shore of Lake Biwa with a free shuttle bus to/from Otsu Station, the views here are a major selling point.

Nara

Nara is only 30 minutes from Kyoto by direct express train and it’s packed with first-rate attractions and some good restaurants.

[Todai-ji: beeboys / Shutterstock.com]

For the full details on Nara’s sights, places to eat, hotels and ryokan, in addition to full details on transport between Nara and Kyoto, see my Nara Travel Guide.

Nagoya

Nagoya is 40 minutes from Kyoto by shinkansen (bullet train) and is a good place to be based when Kyoto is full. The area around Nagoya Station is crammed with hotels and restaurants. So, if you have a JR Pass and cannot find room in Kyoto or the above spots, don’t give up — give Nagoya a try!

[Nagoya Tower]

Like Osaka, Nagoya is a large Japanese city and an attraction in its own right. There are endless places to eat and shop and some decent sights to see. Thus, it would not be a problem to stay in Nagoya while exploring Kyoto. Of course, because the only way to get quickly from Nagoya to Kyoto is the shinkansen, you really need a JR Rail Pass to consider this option. For more details on Nagoya, see our Nagoya Travel Guide.

Here are three hotels that I recommend for those who want to explore Kyoto while based in Nagoya:

• Meitetsu Grand Hotel
  Right at Nagoya Station, the Meitetsu Grand is a reasonably priced business hotel that would make a good choice for those exploring Kyoto while based in Nagoya.
• The Royal Park Hotel Iconic Nagoya
  A slick new hotel not far from the station with some beautiful rooms and facilities.
• Nagoya Marriott Associa Hotel
  Built directly above Nagoya Station, the Nagoya Marriot is a first-class hotel with a super position for easy access to the shinkansen and Kyoto.
• Daiwa Roynet Hotel Nagoya-Ekimae
  A very short walk from Nagoya Station, the Daiwa Roynet is a clean and well-run business hotel with rates cheaper than the two choices above.

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