Inn Kawashima

We spent five days here and loved every minute. The ryokan was super clean and quiet, the futons were comfortable, and breakfast each morning was an incredible Japanese meal. The hosts were wonderfully accommodating with all our requests, and the location was hard to beat for getting around Kyoto. The shared shower can be tricky when the place is busy, though we knew that in advance and barely had any complaints. It was exactly the traditional ryokan stay we wanted, and we couldn't have found a better fit for our budget.

Our lower-floor room faced a small Japanese Garden, and the beds were very comfortable. We were happy we stayed. It could get cold at times since there was no heater, even though we visited in April. The thin walls also meant noise could carry if other guests were loud, though that's obviously not the owners' fault.

I spent seven nights in the single room at Inn Kawashima. After a day out, it was a peaceful place to come back to and recharge. The townhouse has sliding partitions, a lovely courtyard garden, and shared shower, bath, sinks, and toilets. The walls between rooms are thin, like in other ryokans, so that's part of the traditional Kyoto-house feel. You can order a traditional Japanese breakfast, and it became one of my favorite parts of staying in Kyoto: rice, miso soup, grilled fish, egg, vegetables, homemade pickles, and tea, served on the house's beautiful dishes. I enjoyed the different combinations. There was also a hot thermos of tea and a little sweet waiting in my room at the end of the day. The owners were friendly but reserved. If you skip breakfast, you probably won't see them much, though they're on site keeping everything tidy and quietly bringing fresh towels and yukata. They speak English too, which helps if your Japanese is limited.

A lovely way to experience Japanese culture. The host was wonderful and spoke great English. From the moment you take off your shoes in the foyer, the Japanese feel starts. Slippers are provided, and the tatami bedroom floors are shoe-free. The rooms have futons, a small table and chairs, TVs, and robes. Fresh genmaicha tea and snacks each day were a nice end to our outings, and the central Zen garden was a lovely touch. Sharing the bathroom added to the experience. The walls are paper thin, so there are quiet hours after 9pm and before 9am. I expected my back to complain about the futon, but it was seriously comfortable and I slept better than ever.