SD › Kyoto › Kyoto Family Hotels
Updated: April 3, 2021
By Santorini Dave
The Best Kid-Friendly Hotels in Kyoto
Ishicho
A great hotel within walking distance of many of Kyoto’s top sights. Large Japanese style rooms are great for families. Bathrobes and slippers are provided for the beautiful Japanese bath.
- Seikoro Ryokan
The most luxurious and traditional Kyoto ryokan that accepts children. Breakfast and dinner is included in room rate. - Hotel Kanra Kyoto
I love this place. A trendy mix of ryokan and modern hotel. Twin rooms sleep a family of 5 with 2 western beds and 3 tatami futons. - Village Kyoto
Japanese-style rooms sleep family of 4 or 5. - Kyoto Ryokan Kinoe
Japense-style family rooms sleep up to 5. - Nishiyama Ryokan
Japanese-style deluxe rooms sleep up to 5. - Tazuru
Luxury tatami rooms sleep up to 6. - Matsubaya Ryokan
Japanese style deluxe and family rooms (both with kitchens) sleep 3 to 5. Close to train station. - Fujitaya Kyoto
Budget hotel with inexpensive triple rooms.
I'm Santorini Dave. I started this site in 2011 with a short article on tips for visiting Santorini with kids. We're now a small team of writers and researchers dedicated to providing the best travel content on the internet. We focus on 
David:
Love your blog.
My wife and I are planning a long 4-6 week trip with our 2-year-old in September/October.
We are torn between Japan, Southeast Asia, and Greece/Italy. You seem to have spent a lot of time in all three so I thought I’d ask you some questions…
1) We’re intrigued by Japan — we’ve never been and it seems fascinating and new — but it doesn’t exactly seem relaxing, and a long family trip seems like a great opportunity to unplug a bit. Outside of Tokyo and Kyoto, etc, are there recommendations you’d make for how a trip like that might be more slow-paced?
2) How severe is monsoon season in Southeast Asia during that time in your experience? Is the heat and rain with a two-year-old a pain in the ass?
3) What would you say are the most kid friendly locations in Southern Italy and Greece? We love beaches of course but we can’t do that every day. Which towns and places are the most fun to wander and get into adventures with a young toddler in your experience?
4) Lastly — we don’t get this amount of time off very often, and we’re looking for a memorable time. If you were gonna vote for one of our options, which would YOU vote for?
Rodney
The weather in SE Asia during that time is monsoon in some places (e.g. Thailand) and wonderful in other areas (e.g. Bali). Tokyo and Kyoto are great and if you planned to rent a short-term apartment and settle in for an extend stay, then yeah, that would be fun – but 4 to 6 weeks could also seem too long for just that region and you might wish you went somewhere else. My first choice would be a mix of Southern Italy and the Greek Islands – the weather will be great (until mid-October) and the region has a great kid-friendly vibe.
Thanks so much for the suggestions!
Elizabeth
Do you have any ‘tour’ recommendations? I took advantage of a super cheap fare and booked a last minute trip with my 11 and almost 9 year old during cherry blossom season. Not surprisingly, I’m having trouble finding a tour. Did you guys do a tour? And would you recommend your guide?
Elizabeth
Kyoto is famous for its cherry blossoms, so much so that many temples and gardens have later closing hours and evening illuminations during the season, making them easy to see on your own (expect crowds, however, though that can be considered part of the cultural experience; the Kyoto tourist office in Kyoto Station has a list of participating venues). Philosopher’s Pathway, along a canal lined with cherry trees, is probably Kyoto’s most famous place for a stroll.
For general tour companies, JTB is Japan’s largest travel agency and offers guided day tours in Kyoto, including half-day and full-day tours that can take you to iconic temples, shrines, and other World Heritage Sites. Kyoto Daily Tours is a local company that provides personalized, more intimate tours, with pickup at your hotel and using public transportation and walking. You can also hire a private taxi with an English-speaking guide for city tours, like MT Taxi.
There are also guided cycling tours of the city offered by Kyoto Cycling Tour Project, with six locations in town also for bike rentals.
Finally, you can also opt for walking tours, which are cheaper. WaRaiDo offers a 5-hour walking tour that departs from in front of Kyoto Station for ¥2,000 (children of your ages are free), as well as a 2-hour night tour of Gion’s famous Geisha district for ¥1,000 per participant. Both are held Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and no reservations required. Your kids might also like Cool Kyoto Walking Tour, led by an entertaining man who calls himself the last samurai, but it’s held only on Saturdays.