Always wanted to experience a traditional Japanese stay, and Ryokan Tori was everything I hoped for and more. The hosts were incredibly kind and sweet, and the entire building was relaxing, clean, comfortable, and beautiful. The futon was immensely comfy and warm, and I had one of the best sleeps I had in the entire trip. I shared with the hostess my itinerary, and she worked around it perfectly. Even when some of my plans changed the day of, she was extremely flexible and had the best hospitality. Her husband was equally as pleasant. They welcomed me with an educational and beautiful tea ceremony. As a matcha lover, I felt so honored to have finally seen one face-to-face and heard a little bit about its history. Afterward, she offered plenty of dinner recommendations for me. I was so grateful because I was tired after a full day of exploring and barely had enough energy or time to look up good restaurants myself. Because of her, I was able to experience an izakaya for the first time. It was a 10-minute walk through the surrounding quiet neighborhood. Because I was meeting my Japanese friend who spoke the language, I was able to order and enjoy the food with ease. Upon returning from dinner, I went up to my room and found the bed already made for me. After 20 minutes, the hostess knocked on my door and led me to the private hot bath that she prepared for me. It was so nice to decompress in the steam, and I came out clean and content in the yukata they provided. I enjoyed the delicious and traditional Japanese breakfast. Knowing I had an early kimono appointment and needed to check out early, the hostess prepared my breakfast a few minutes early and I got to eat with the view of the tea garden we walked through the night before. The food was warm and exquisite. I am so grateful to have found this place, and I plan on returning and staying longer for my next trip to Kyoto <3 Thank you so much for making my first solo trip to Kyoto special.

Ryokan Tori is truly a remarkable place where traditional Japanese design blends seamlessly with modern comforts. The hosts are incredibly kind and welcoming, making every guest feel at home from the moment they arrive. Even though we couldn’t check in until 4 pm on our first day they gave us wonderful advice on what to see in the area, so time flew by quickly. We can honestly say that we enjoyed the best breakfasts of our entire trip to Japan here, and the tea ceremony was an unforgettable experience — it felt so special to be able to watch and taste tea prepared in such a traditional way. After long days of exploring Kyoto, the onsen was the perfect way to relax each evening. The futons were very comfortable, and our room was both spacious and beautifully decorated. This ryokan has given us memories we will treasure, and we truly hope to return one day.

This Ryokan was an incredible experience - when we arrived we were treated to an incredible tea ceremony and hot bath in the private beautiful onsen style bath. The rooms were very comfortable and bigger than we expected. The owner sets out your futons while you are out for dinner, and prepares a delicious breakfast for you that differs each day. The owner was so warm and welcoming and we would definitely come back!

While not an issue for us, this property is a little outside of Central Kyoto, so be prepared for an uber or taxi into the centre of town. However, it’s close to a lot of attractions in the northwest of Kyoto and we would recommend hiring a bike (offered by the Ryokan for a good rate) and exploring this area.

Our host and hostess, owners of this 140 year old home for the past 11 years, were so welcoming, gracious and hospitable. They allowed us to store our luggage earlier in the day so that we could walk around the area and of course, visit the Golden Pavilion. When we returned at 4pm, they brought a refreshing cup of cold tea to our room, gave us special robes to change into, ran a bath (not an onsen) for us, and then our hostess, who has been a tea ceremony student for over 20 years, demonstrated a beautiful tea ceremony and we drank the tea while chatting. She recommended a delicious katsu restaurant next door, frequented mostly by locals, and when we returned, futon and bedding were laid out on the tatami mats. They were very comfortable. The following morning we were treated to a delicious Japanese style breakfast. When it was time to leave, the host even came out to the Uber to assist with putting our luggage in the car. Highly recommended.

Nothing

Very peaceful in a serene part of Kyoto amongst the locals and close to various shrines and temples. Very clean and spacious in the town house. Felt like a welcome contrast to the hustle and bustle of Tokyo. We enjoyed the game of Go on the table too. Very aesthetic with a gorgeous wooden smell throughout. Lots of natural materials and fun to dress up in the traditional dressing gowns. Cute delivery and packing of beautifully presented breakfast boxes.

If you are not very flexible and not used to sitting on the floor.... Hard to have a sit down to relax after a day of sight seeing. All the positives make up for this though. It's fine for a couple of nights stay and a reminder to get back to those yoga or tai chi classes☺️

Our hosts were polite and friendly and spoke good English; which is important to us, as sadly our Japanese is limited to a few stock phrases. They advised on places to eat, alternative aspects to popular resorts, which proved invaluable and recommended some places to visit we had not considered. We were treated to private time in an onsen on each day of our 2 day stay and to a traditional tea ceremony. The breakfast was traditional and delicious (and in our case vegetarian which the hosts understood fully). Altogether a wonderful, peaceful and tranquil few days that recharged our batteries despite a busy schedule of visits and activities. Thoroughly recommended.

There were no aspects that we didn't like.

Our stay at Ryokan Tori was unforgettable and one of the true highlights of our time in Kyoto. We stayed in the annex, which was beautifully designed and incredibly comfortable for our group of 4. Every detail felt thoughtful and serene. The hosts were so kind and went out of their way to accommodate us, making us feel genuinely welcome and at home. One of the most special parts of our stay was the tea ceremony — intimate, authentic, and something that we’ll never forget. Ryokan Tori exceeded all our expectations, and we feel so lucky to have experienced it. We hope to be back one day!

We loved staying here and would highly recommend to anyone visiting Kyoto. It felt like a really special, traditional Japanese experience. The staff were incredibly friendly and helpful and you could tell they really wanted you to enjoy your time. The private Onsen was so relaxing, I could have fallen asleep! Followed by our Tea Ceremony which was amazing. It was so interesting and performed so meticulously. We liked that you could ask questions afterwards - it felt very traditional. The staff were also really helpful in forwarding our luggage to our next destination. We stayed for one night which was perfect.

Traditional ryokan, beautifully renovated with a lovely garden. Really enjoyed the tea ceremony (it was mesmerising), private bath (which made for a great sleep) and traditional breakfast. Also like how they provided kimonos to wear. The couple who run the ryokan take a lot of care and consideration in the experiences they provide and it really shows.

Location wasn’t ideal given Kyoto’s public transport isn’t great but think that’s a minor trade off for experiencing a stay like this!

We had a great experience at Ryokan Tori! The family was extremely welcoming and able to handle all of our requests (changes to breakfast timing, luggage delivery, etc.). Daily housekeeping was an unexpected plus, and the traditional breakfast served everyday was great. You really feel as though you're being hosted by a family - it's a lovely, authentic stay in Kyoto.

The location is a little far from Gion (~30 min by public transit), but that also makes it easier to get to the northern areas of Kyoto (Kinkaku-ji, etc.)