Kyoto for solo travelers

Best hostels

Kyoto sorts its budget beds along two axes: the train lines running north from Kyoto Station and the Kamo River cutting through the city's eastern half. Most hostels and guesthouses cluster near the station or along Kawaramachi-dori and Shijo-dori, where convenience stores and ramen counters stay open past midnight. The quieter neighborhoods, Nijo and the mountain valleys of Ohara and Kurama, trade that late-night convenience for breathing room and lower rates. Choosing where to sleep here is less about proximity to any single temple (the bus system covers that) and more about which version of the city you want outside your door: the commercial pull of Shijo's covered arcades, the stone-lantern silence of Higashiyama's backstreets, or the cedar-scented isolation of Kurama's onsen trail. Budget travelers benefit from Kyoto's compact grid; even the furthest neighborhoods connect to the center by a single train ride. Nightly rates range from $21 at Sekia Wagaya Hotel in Kyoto City Centre to $80 near Gion and To-ji, and guest ratings run high across the board, with several properties above 9.0. Pick the neighborhood first, then the bed.