Read genuine traveler ratings & reviews to find your perfect stay.
Posted on Jun 19, 2026
Min TeckAn absolute 10/10 stay in Nara City! Yamatonoyado KITAKYOBATE is a beautiful, 2-story property that is kept incredibly clean. The layout is perfect for families or groups, giving everyone plenty of room to relax. I was blown away by the number of amenities provided right in the room—they have thought of absolutely everything to make your stay comfortable. The location in kitakyobate-cho is peaceful yet convenient. Checking in was seamless, and the overall experience was flawless. Will definitely book this place again on my next trip to Japan!
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Price per night from:$93
Posted on Oct 4, 2024
Anonymous User
Hygiene: Yellow stains that had not been cleaned were found on the toilet
Environment: Halfway up Mount Wakakusa, isolated from the outside noise. The overall design style is modern Japanese. If you want to experience pure Japanese living, you should pay attention to the difference
Service: The service is still worthy of praise. The driver and front desk staff are very enthusiastic. They helped arrange the car to go up the mountain in the morning. It was very lucky to see 👀 deer🦌 on a rainy day
Food: Most of the food arranged is made from local ingredients in Nara. The ingredients are not gorgeous, the taste is OK, and it is more down-to-earth
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Price per night from:$163
Posted on May 8, 2025
Zhi Yi
This got to be one of the best rappers i had ever been to, (besides a few really high end resort in Bali). This resort service is impeccable. The kaiseki dinner is really delicious. The Garden is so well curated that it can compete with some of the shrine garden. And last but not least the onsen is truly relaxing and beautiful. One tip, is it place the herbal pack into the onsen early. It takes 6 hours for it to fully diffuse into the onsen.
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Price per night from:$502
Posted on Jun 13, 2025
Guest User
We stayed at Mikasa Ryokan (万葉若草の宿 三笠旅館) in Nara, and overall it was a great experience — but there are definitely some things you should know and plan for in advance.
🏞 1. Location & Transportation
The ryokan is located halfway up Mount Wakakusa, with beautiful views over Nara city — the scenery is stunning, especially at night. But getting up and down the mountain isn’t very convenient.
At first, I thought the location was right near Todai-ji Temple and would be easy to access. Turns out:
The mountain road is very narrow and winding, and it actually takes longer than expected.
According to the staff, walking up the mountain is not allowed. There's a gate, and the staff inside don’t permit people to walk up.
Luckily, the hotel offers a shuttle bus up the mountain, but you should arrange it with the hotel in advance.
Once you’re at the ryokan, getting out isn’t very easy either. Even if you want to take a taxi, you need to book it in advance — it’s not like calling a cab from the street. So I’d recommend planning your itinerary carefully before you arrive.
While Todai-ji Temple, Nara Park, and Kasuga Taisha are technically just at the bottom of the mountain, they’re not within walking distance from the hotel, so you’ll still need transport.
🛌 2. Room Experience
We booked the Japanese-style room with a private open-air bath. I did quite a bit of research before booking:
Sites like *********** say the room is about 28 sqm (307 sq ft)
But Ctrip listed it as 56 sqm, which was confusing
After checking in, I think 28 sqm is probably just the indoor area, and 56 sqm includes the balcony, private onsen, and garden area.
The room is traditional Japanese-style with tatami floors and a low table in the center. In the evening, while we were out having dinner, staff came in and set up our futon beds for the night — a really nice touch.
This was our first time sleeping on Japanese futons. It was surprisingly comfortable, and the room temperature was perfect. If you're traveling with kids, this type of setup could be extra fun. 3. Onsen Experience
We tried both the public onsen and the private one in our room:
The public bath areas are located on the first and second floors, with men’s and women’s baths alternating daily.
They include both indoor and outdoor hot spring pools. The water is hot — after about 10 minutes, we felt totally warm and relaxed.
The private bath in the room was also very enjoyable. The garden had high fences and trees for privacy, and the tub was perfectly sized for two people.
🍱 4. Meals
We booked a plan that included both dinner and breakfast. One important thing to note — you need to confirm your dinner time with the hotel before arrival, because if you arrive after 7 PM, you might miss dinner.
Dinner is served in private dining rooms, which gave us a cozy and quiet atmosphere. The food was beautifully presented and very Japanese — including Wagyu beef and sukiyaki.
Breakfast was also very traditional — grilled fish, rice, and various small dishes. Personally, I prefer something lighter for breakfast, and there was no coffee, bread, or buns included.
If you want coffee, you can get it later in the lounge near the lobby.
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Price per night from:$190
Posted on Dec 23, 2024|Suo Japanese Western Standard Room
slowly-rabbitThe room is quite big, and there is a small balcony where you can go out and get some fresh air. The chickens in the yard downstairs are sleek and shiny. They said there were four chickens, but I only saw three. The rice balls for breakfast are OK, freshly made by hand. It is within walking distance of Kintetsu Nara Station.
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Price per night from:$144
Posted on Feb 24, 2025
Guest User
Good ..The guide lady who helped show me the way was especially nice. She could even speak a bit of Chinese. She helped me get on the shuttle bus to the station. And the scenery around here is really amazing.
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Price per night from:$263
Posted on Mar 8, 2026
Evgeniia Zemchenkova
It is not just a hotel, but a unique portal in Japan's history. Located in carefully renovated buildings of the former sake brewery, it offers a rare combination of the authentic spirit of the Edo era and the perfect modern comfort. Space rooms with a wooden fragrance, as well as private gardens, create an atmosphere of absolute privacy in Nara 's heart. A separate admiration is worthy of a high kitchen: breakfast here is turned into a gastronomic journey across the region using the best seasonal products. Attentive staff and attention to every detail make staying here unforgettable is the perfect place for those looking for silence, aesthetics and truly Japanese hospitality.” And after breakfast, Oleni came to us in the garden!!!!
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Price per night from:$237
Posted on Jun 21, 2026
Anonymous UserCheck in and check out process is easy. Location wasn't our consideration when booking the place since we are driving there. The parking lot is opposite the house. We were late when check in and it's abit dark in the surrounding so we couldn't recognise which was the right parking lot for the unit until we saw the manual / guide in the kitchen.
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Price per night from:$117
Posted on Apr 26, 2026
Guest User
Great location in terms of convenience and accessibility!
Supermarket is just in a walk of 5 minutes, plus restaurants and takeaways downstairs of the building.
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Price per night from:$88
Posted on Jul 16, 2025
HansCoffee04
Overall, I was quite satisfied, meeting my expectations. The price was relatively reasonable, and the value for money was good.
The facilities were complete, with a bathroom and shared washing machine within the B&B. Although there was only one bathroom, I didn't have to worry about long waits. There was also a kitchen available, and the overall cleanliness was excellent. The nearest bus stop is 300 meters away, so transportation and the surrounding area are acceptable. The owner is Chinese and speaks Mandarin without any issues.
Room 201 was quite small, practically covered entirely with mattresses, and only accommodated a 28-inch suitcase, though the owner had explained in advance.
Note that there are few people nearby, and most of them are elderly, so please keep your voice down both on the way and in the room.
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Price per night from:$10