I’m taking the family to Japan for a couple of weeks this summer. We found a house in Tokyo, but we’ll need 3-4 days accommodation in Kyoto for 2 adults and 2 teenage kids. Love to do a ryokan for a day or two, but my kids probably won’t be welcome there, particularly together. Any suggestions from the board denizens?
My suggestions would be to adopt me. ![[wow.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/7/7d450e9830889c8943b674446a21b7254cad657e.gif "wow"){kind=small}
Always have wanted to go there but know very little about it.
George
We stayed at the Hyatt Regency for a few nights last year. It was really nice and polished, quite reasonably priced, and superbly located. I recommend it very highly.
It’s an absolutely magnificent city. One of the most exciting, interesting, and delicious places I’ve been.
This.
Great. Then he’d have 3 unruly kids to deal with.
We stayed a night at this ryokan: http://www.yado-web.com/kinki/kyoto/egb03/egb03.html
Not the most upscale but it was fine and well-located and satisfied my desire to stay at a ryokan. The proprietors didn’t give me the impression that they would look askance at teens.
We stayed at the Hyatt in Kyoto, but stayed in 2-3 Ryokan during the trip with our one year old. No problem with him.
I’ve been to Kyoto twice and both times stayed at the Okura. Very nice, comforatable, I’d definitely stay there again. I love the Okura in Tokyo too.
My friend from my UCLA days runs a few houses as part of airbnb business. you interested? You can tell him I sent you. =)
I stayed at the Westin Kyoto… older building but inside was nice… rooms are huge - more like jr suites… with a living room area… probably not big enough for 4 so you’d need two rooms.
but they WERE pretty cheap on SPG points although i think that was adjusted a while back.
nonetheless, nice property, close to subway station.
agreed that it’s just a wicked fun city.
Thanks to everyone. Very helpful and keep them coming!
And thanks for the offer, George, but, um, no
I stayed at Hiiragaya Ryokan once. It was a very special experience. Don’t know about kids there, but their website seems to indicate kids are welcome.
I am much better behaved than George…so adopt me!!
Hiiragiya and Tawara-ya are probably the two most famous, stately old ryokan in Kyoto. Both will take children, but whether or not it makes sense to take children there is another thing. The prices are very high - worth it, to us, but what you are paying for is an incredibly beautiful, serene surrounding, with superlative service. That, and a very special meal or two. So before you choose a ryokan of that level, I’d think about whether or not your children would appreciate a place where you want to linger in your yukata, sipping tea and taking multiple baths, then eating an hours long kaiseki dinner. I am not sure whether you have the option of opting out of dinner or not - some places you can. If you intend your time in Kyoto to be mostly out and about, with your lodging simply for sleep, then I would choose a more modest hotel or ryokan.
Spot on. We stayed a night at Hiiragiya and a few nights at the Hyatt Regency. Hiiragiya was magical – one of the most magical places I’ve been – but you wouldn’t want to spend your whole trip there because you’d either not see Kyoto or not get the most out of the ryokan. We stayed at Hiiragiya our last night, which was perfect because we’d already seen the city and eaten where we wanted to eat. So we were at Hiiragiya on a snowy day and night, and we took long baths, read and relaxed in our beautiful room, and ate fabulously will with the multicourse dinner and (especially) the breakfast. It was perfect, but an experience separate and distinct from seeing Kyoto as a tourist. Although I’m sure they’d welcome kids, I would not bring kids there as there.
Also stayed at the Westin Miyako Kyoto several years ago. Prime selection was that it was close to the “Path of Philosophy” which is a nice walk past many temples. Not on that path I found the Sanjusangendo temple to be an enjoyable visit… http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanjūsangen-dō . Also the following district maps and walks you might find helpful… Things to do in Japan | Travel Japan（Japan National Tourism Organization） …Gary
Add - Nice Japanese tourism website … JNTO - Official Tourism Guide for Japan Travel
will be there shortly as well. Will have 3 days in that area. Want to see Osaka, Kyoto, and Hiroshima. Day trip to Hiroshima, does it make sense to just get a hotel in osaka or kyoto or should I stay overnight in each?
Kyoto is the center of history. Osaka is much more of an industrial center. Not too much of sightseeing interest in Osaka. After Kyoto, Nara is the next most interesting city to visit. Hiroshima is interesting for only one reason. It is a profound experience to visit Hiroshima, but a day trip is plenty. If you only have 3 days and one is for Hiroshima, I would spend the other 2 in Kyoto.
Another reason to visit Hiroshima is to go to Miyajima.