Find 4-Star Hotels in Nara City

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

A fantastic local hotel, popular with both locals and international guests. The staff were very friendly and welcoming. The breakfast for the half-board option was a bit lacking, but dinner was excellent. We had booked a Japanese suite with a view of the Five-Story Pagoda, but unfortunately, the pagoda is under renovation until 2034, so the view was a bit compromised. Otherwise, everything was great. Deer were everywhere right outside, and the location was superb.

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.

The 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.

The hotel is a little far from the JR station, you have to take a bus, but you can walk to Kintetsu Nara Station. The location is next to Toda Temple, and it is very convenient to Nara Park and other attractions. The hotel staff has a first-class service attitude, very attentive, fluent English answers, and patiently explained various hotel facilities and services. There are also small gifts for staying here, and the content of the gift is not spoiled first, but it is really heartwarming. In terms of room facilities, the open-air wind is very comfortable, and it is a great joy in life to soak in the weather with only zero degrees outside. The room was clean and satisfactory, the space was large, the 𧝁𧝁 meter mattress was also very comfortable, I slept well, and cleaned the tiredness of the journey for a day. In terms of dining, dinner and breakfast are both Japanese food, very exquisite, fresh ingredients, and a good dining experience.  The stay was very good and highly recommended.

The hotel is in the forest, and you can walk along the mountain road to the hotel (it would be inconvenient to walk in to get your luggage, you can take a taxi to the door of the hotel). The scenery is so beautiful, leaving the noisy tourist area and getting close to nature. Dinner is kaiseki, in a private restaurant room, a great experience! When checking in, the time for dinner and breakfast will be arranged, and the time of the private bath room will be confirmed, and the service staff will come to the room to call. The breakfast has traditional tea and rice, delicious 😋The room is traditional Japanese style, not low-key luxury design. The environment is awesome!

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!!!!

I really enjoyed my stay at this hotel. The room was very comfortable and clean, and I really liked the pajamas supplied by the hotel. The lounge was really welcoming, and I liked that you could get hot or iced coffee at any time of day there. The tea selection was also extensive. I also really liked the public bath in the basement. After a day of walking in the winter, nothing beats a soak in the hot pool. Staff was always friendly and greeted me every time I came back or left the hotel. The location is also excellent, with lots of restaurants and cafes nearby, as well as the entrance to Nara Park!

The hotel is within walking distance of Kintetsu Yamato-Saidaiji Station and is also in a great location, just 3-4 minutes from Heijo Ruins Park. It's also perfectly located for soaking in hot springs, which are extremely rare in Nara City. The downside is that the facilities are old, and there are issues with facility management and maintenance, such as room and bathroom locks not locking in some places. Also, the hand washing areas in the rooms are not flush with the rooms, making them difficult to use. We strongly urge the hotel management to ensure that the age of the facilities does not become apparent.

We love the special Japanese style rooms. The garden is big. But this property is a bit too cold in winter time. Owner locked one aircon in the room. Only left one aircon on, which is not enough during night time. We were suffering all the nights and early morning. I suggest owner to provide at least one mirror at the property, we couldn’t find any mirror for make-up.