My Solo Travel to Kyoto was the BEST - My Complete Guide

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Find your Perfect Hostel in Kyoto

The first bowl of ramen I slurped in Kyoto left steam prints on my phone camera and splashes on my shirt.

No shame—solo travel means no witness, just laughter with the chef. Kyoto has been my playground ever since: half zen retreat, half snack quest, all freedom.

I crashed in a 12-bed hostel the first night, paid the price of a movie ticket, and left with five new friends and a list of secret torii gates.

This guide is for you if you want the same magic—cheap beds, safe streets, and enough stories to spice up the group chat back home.

Top Picks: The Best Hostels in Kyoto

Best for Hostel Newbies

Guesthouse Soi9.6

from $14.11 | More Details

Best for Female Solo Traveler

Piece Hostel9.4

from $11.60 | More Details

Best Party Hostel

Guest House Ga-Jyun9.6

from $13.66 | More Details

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Why Kyoto Is Perfect for Solo Travelers

Kyoto is small enough to map in your head yet layered like a lacquer box. One street hums with souvenir stalls, the next sighs with incense curls and mossy stone.

Transit is painless. Buses flash English screens, IC cards tap fast, and rental bikes outnumber taxis. You can cross town in twenty minutes, then spend two hours in a garden the size of a postcard.

The city is social on your terms. Hostels host tea nights, cafés accept laptop lingerers, and river steps become a pop-up bar whenever dusk decides.

If you want solitude, slip into any shrine courtyard and hear only bamboo creaks and your heartbeat.

A 3-Day Itinerary on Your Own

Day 1—Temple Pulse and Alley Eats

• Morning: Set your alarm before sunrise. Glide through Fushimi Inari’s orange tunnels while the air feels cool as mountain water. Pause at a viewpoint; the city below yawns awake in pastel light.
• Afternoon: Ride the Keihan line to Tofuku-ji. Wander wooden corridors suspended over maple canopies. Grab a matcha latte from the temple café and journal under whispering cedars.
• Evening: Back in central Kyoto, weave Pontocho Alley. Choose a counter-seat yakitori bar; order two chicken skewers, one yuzu highball. Chat with the chef about your day—no Japanese needed beyond “oishii.”
• Late Night: Return to the hostel common room. Join an impromptu card game or swap Spotify playlists on the rooftop. Sleep comes easy with lantern glow still in your mind.

Day 2—River Wheels and Old-Town Thrills

• Morning: Rent a bike near Gion. Cruise the Kamo River path as herons patrol the shallows. Locals jog by, offering nods that feel like tiny cheers.
• Afternoon: Lock the bike at Nishiki Market. Taste tofu doughnuts, sesame ice cream, and eel on a stick. Slip into a knife shop and watch artisans sharpen steel until it mirrors your grin.
• Evening: Pedal to Kiyomizu-dera for sunset. The veranda hovers above tile roofs like a stage set. Bells ring, tourists hush, and the sky burns peach and gold.
• Night: Park the bike, then drift toward Gion Corner. If you spot a geiko swishing by, practice polite distance. End with a craft-beer flight at a tiny bar that seats six; conversations bloom faster in tight quarters.

Day 3—Bamboo Dreams and City Gleams

• Morning: Hop the JR to Arashiyama. Enter the bamboo grove while sunbeams slice green columns. The air smells like plant tea and possibility.
• Afternoon: Hike up to Iwatayama Monkey Park. Macaques lounge with imperial confidence. Keep snacks buried deep; they’re furry pickpockets.
• Evening: Back downtown, soak in a neighborhood sento bath. Steam fogs the tile murals of Mount Fuji while muscles unclench from stair climbs.
• Late Night: Join your hostel’s ramen crawl. Three shops, three bowls, one stretchy waistband. Finish on Sanjo Bridge steps with a convenience-store highball, river lights twinkling like spilled stars.

Short and crisp: The Best Hostels in Kyoto

1. Tour Club
2. Gojo Guest House - best for Solo Traveller
3. K's House - best for Party Hostel
4. Kyoto Utano Youth Hostel - best for Family-Friendly Hostel, Solo Traveller, Youth Hostel
5. Nishijin Kanouya

Tour Club

8.3

Shimogyo-ku

"…The room also has an air conditioner for summer that works as a heater as well during the more

Gojo Guest House

9.2

Higashiyama-ku

"…However, there is no area to eat really. Some of the other dorms did have a small table in them, more

from

$12.36

K's House

9.1

Shimogyo-ku

"…There's a large comfortable common area, roof terrace or excellent bar to hangout out in. All more

from

$11.23

Kyoto Utano Youth Hostel

8.7

Ukyo-ku

"…I traveled from one end of the country to the other visiting many hostels and I always compared more

from

$11.44

Nishijin Kanouya

8.5

Kamigyo-ku

"…And it is like this all the time. If you have got any question, Sayoko will try to answer. It is more

Hostels in Kyoto

Hostels here blend capsule futurism with tatami nostalgia. Expect pod beds fitted with USB ports and blackout curtains, plus common rooms sporting low wooden tables and free green tea.

Many schedule calligraphy demos, takoyaki parties, or group temple walks, letting you toggle between introvert time and instant community.

Staff usually moonlight as local gurus. Ask about cheap lunch sets and you’ll get a hand-drawn map dotted with hearts and noodle doodles.

Bonus: female-only dorms cost just a few extra coins and come with bigger mirrors and quieter vibes.

Still not sure? Pick my Favorite Hostel in Kyoto

#1 Top Hostel in Kyoto: Guesthouse Soi

This is the overall best rated hostel in Guesthouse Soi. The overall rating is 9.6. You cannot go wrong here.

It is your safest bet in case you are not sure which hostel to pick.

The price for a dorm at Guesthouse Soi starts from $14.11.

Check out Guesthouse Soi here

Is Kyoto Safe for Solo Travelers?

Short version: yes. Long version: also yes—just keep basic street smarts.

Lock valuables in dorm lockers. Zip bags in festival crowds around Gion Matsuri or Hanatouro lightups. Taxis are honest but pricey; memorizing the last bus saves cash.

Women lone-wolfing after midnight should stick to lit arteries like Shijo Street or Kawaramachi’s storefront glow. I’ve walked these stretches holding only a melon-pan snack and felt safer than in many daylight cities elsewhere.

ATM scams and aggressive touts are nearly nonexistent. Your biggest worry might be bike saddle thieves—attach that free hostel lock even for five-minute convenience-store dashes.

How to Meet People?

Start in the hostel lounge at tea time; free matcha turns shyness into chatter. Sign up for the nightly walking tour—guides crack jokes while guiding legs.

Cooking classes teach gyoza folding and supply built-in dinner buddies.

If you crave quiet companionship, visit a manga café and snag a booth next to someone reading the same series. Exchange subtle nods; nerd solidarity needs few words.

Locals lean reserved but warm. Join a morning temple cleanup, and monks will pour you post-sweep tea while practicing English greetings.

Best Neighborhoods to Stay Solo in Kyoto

• Gion: Lantern alleys, wooden teahouses, geiko sightings. Peaceful after ten, spendy before that. Ideal for culture chasers with early alarms.
• Kawaramachi: Neon buzz, cheap izakayas, river picnic steps. Hostels throw pub crawls nightly. Perfect for social butterflies and snack hunters.
• Higashiyama: Stone lanes climbing to pagodas, souvenir stalls, sunrise magic. Busy by 10 a.m., hushed by dusk. Great for walkers and photographers.
• Kyoto Station Area: Modern blocks, 24-hour curry, bullet-train access. Dorms cost less, lockers giant. Suits day-trip fiends and budget minds.

Where to Eat and Drink in Kyoto

• Nishiki Market is your tasting playground—octopus balls, yuzu pickles, and soy-glazed doughnuts await. Vendors hand samples with smiles; just drop a coin in the box afterward.
• Ramen shops favor ticket machines, so ordering is stress-free. Counter seats mean built-in entertainment as noodles whip from pot to bowl.
• Cafés range from sleek pour-over labs to smoke-filled kissaten playing Miles Davis on loop. Buy one siphon coffee and linger till your travel journal fills.
• When night falls, Sanjo Bridge steps morph into Kyoto’s cheapest bar. Grab a convenience-store highball, watch river reflections, and toast with nearby strangers when trains rumble overhead.

7 Hidden Gemz in Kyoto (by Hostelgeeks)

How it works

Final Tips and Surprises

Load an IC card first thing; fishing for coins on a jerky bus is amateur hour. Temple doors shut around five, so plan evenings around food, baths, or river chats.

Surprise joy: tiny neighborhood shrines where you’ll be the only heartbeat for minutes. Ring the bell, bow, breathe—the air tastes like cedar tea.

Surprise bummer: the bamboo grove at noon is selfie-stick city. Slide over at dawn for peace or embrace the chaos with photobomb poses.

Kyoto rewards slow steps and open eyes. Walk softly, eat boldly, and let randomness guide you.

Backpacking Kyoto? Here’s What You Need to Know

These are the guides I wish I had before visiting. I’ve been there, had fun, did some minor mistakes, and now I’m passing the best tips on to you. Safe travels!

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Where to Stay in Kyoto as a Solo Traveler

Best Areas and how to get around

I stayed in a Backpacker Hostel in Kyoto

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About the author: Nour De Wilde Salhab

A Lebanese-Congolese-French-Belgian girl as likely to be found climbing a volcano in Indonesia or reading a sci-fi book by the sea in the South of France. Always on the hunt for remarkable experiences. My two favorites so far: volunteering in emergency medical services in Lebanon and solo backpacking around the world. Life is enjoyable in all its facets, from its healthy extremes to its mundane slows.