Spa

Reviews of Kurama Onsen

3.5 out of 5
Kurama Onsen
520 kurama honmachi,sakyou-ku kyoto, city,601-1111 japan, Kyoto, Kyoto (prefecture)

Reviews

9.2

Wonderful

Rating 10 - Excellent. 64 out of 94 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 24 out of 94 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 2 out of 94 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 3 out of 94 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 1 out of 94 reviews" "

9.4/10

Cleanliness

9.6/10

Staff & service

9.8/10

Amenities

9.0/10

Property conditions & facilities

Reviews

4/10 Poor

Stephen

Travelled with family
Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Terribly Disappointing
I have visited Japan several times a year for the last 20 years, working for a Japanese company, and have been to 7 other Onsens previously, ranging from basic to elegant, so do have a good frame of reference. I admittedly have high expectations, as I felt justified for $800/night, and was somewhat surprised when I arrived. Rather than the beautiful, tranquil, and zen atmosphere I was hoping for, the atmosphere was just dated and seedy. There was no area to relax, other than our room (where they served our dinner), or a "relaxation room" which was an empty room, with 2 coin operated massage chairs. The lobby was a room with several more coin operated massage chairs, and a long table with benches, like a picnic table. The food was plentiful, and the service was good and friendly, but rather than the delicate and beautiful food I have received at other Onsens in this price range, a couple of the courses were good and fresh, such as the fish and tempura, but the rest seemed to have been cold leftovers from the fridge. The baths and locker rooms had more the feel of an old run-down dormitory than the beautiful, traditional Japanese experience I had hoped for based on other Onsens I had visited. To sum it up, knowing their NO Refund policy, my family and I unanimously opted to throw away the money, and leave early the morning after our first night (we booked 2 nights), as we felt it was better than wasting a precious day of our 10 day vacation. No regrets.
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2019

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Stayed 1 night in Dec 2019

10/10 Excellent

Anthony

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
A wonderful Experience
what an amazing experience. The onsen is beautiful, the staff is incredible and the experience is out of this world. I felt like I was back in Edo Japan. The rooms are incredible and the area is wonderful. They service so much food and are soo accommodating as well. Definitely give Kurama Onsen a try, it will be so worth it!
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Excellent service, excellent food, excellent onsen, excellent hospitality
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2018

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Beautiful
It was an amazing experience. We came after visiting Tokyo and it was so calm and relaxing after a busy week in the city. We will visit again next trip to Japan!
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2019

8/10 Good

DI

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Average hotel with small onsen area
Second time stayed in an onsen hotel and this one is just ok. The futon is not quite comfortable so if you picky with your bed you might struggle falling asleep. It has two onsens: one outdoor and one indoor. Recommend the outdoor one as you get a good breeze from the view while soaking yourself in the hot water. The onsen area is a bit small compared to the other onsen hotel I went to last time. Both onsen are not exclusively to hotel guests, anyone pays for onsen entry fees can access, i.e. the onsen can get really packed in certain time/season. The dinner, which I expected the most, turned out to be an average one. In general, if you looking for a lifetime impressive onsen experience to treat yourselves, you might look for others.
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner, Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Very excellent stay, we didn't experience any of the things stated in some negative reviews on expedia. Amenities are new and the place looks so much better than what is shown in the pictures. Only thing that could be improved is that the baths/springa are a bit dated. They still provided an amazing experience, but the look of the onsen wasn't spectacular
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The best experience in kyoto. They have very nice food and service
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2018

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
We loved the view of the mountains & friendly staff and service :)
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2018

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Good value for money, hotel staffs are extremely friendly
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2018

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Worth staying!
Overall the experience was great. Unfortunately there were a few mosquitoes or bugs in the room otherwise I had a great time.
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2018

6/10 Okay

Brandy, NC

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Not worth the price. Check-in at 4pm and out at 10am. You have dinner around 6:30-7pm which allows you one, maybe 2 trips to the baths. You are served several courses in your room and food is mediocre at best. The next morning breakfast is served promptly at 8:30 and you are pestered to eat. My husband was told 3 times to eat while he waited for me. Again, food was mediocre and left us less than fulfilled. Even though we woke up early to hike, there was still a rush to get to the baths, eat, and check out at 10. Initially they would not drive us in their complimentary shuttle to the train station even though it was raining. They suggested a walk down the road for a bus that would take much longer to arrive in Kyoto versus the train, which we already had passes for. I would have much rather stayed at a Ryoken instead. Disappointed and left feeling like I wasted my money and time. Not worth an “authentic” experience when it doesn’t feel like the real thing.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2018

8/10 Good

Kalon

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Relaxing retreat
This hotel is a great getaway from Kyoto- it takes about an hour to get here from the city. The service is fantastic, the food was good, and the onsen was nice.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2018

10/10 Excellent

VD, Montreal

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Very nice, mesls excellent
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2018

10/10 Excellent

Chris, Fairfield, CA

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Commune with nature while relaxing
We stayed at the Kurama onsen overnight and our stay was quite pleasant. It is a bit out-of-the-way from Kyoto and if you do not know your way around the area, it may be challenging to get to the there. If you are on a time crunch like us, make sure give yourself enough time to get there as they serve dinner by 6 PM and if you miss this then they will not probably not serve you anymore. The kaiseki dinner was good. It was very filling with five courses of different types of traditional Japanese food. They do not teach you step by step what goes with what food so be guided by your taste. After the dinner we went to the onsen which was a good experience. To me it just felt like a regular hot tub in the United States, however what is special is there is no chlorine in the water so you do not get a headache smelling chlorine while you are soaking in the tub and if you are the type who likes to be “free” and not bashful then this is perfect for you. We had a very good sleep in their tatami mats. If you close the air conditioning and open the windows you can hear the river gushing while you are sleeping. By the next morning you are against served another round of traditional Japanese breakfast which is as pleasant as their dinner. Their staff is very pleasant and polite. They are very accommodating and tried to answer all of our questions even with limited English speaking staff. Over all we were very happy with our stay. This is a good one in a lifetime experience for us.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2018

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great experience! Totally authentic Japanese hosptality!
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2018

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Lovely ryokan near to Kyoto
Lovely onsen, friendly staffs, delicious meals. Overall a good experience for me and my partner. We look forward to visit Kurama again in the near future !!!
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2018

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2017

10/10 Excellent

Cally808, Honolulu

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Wonderful place to relax from the city
Staff was very accomodating the moment you walk in the hotel, especially after a long journey from the city. Food served in the room was so awesome, every bite was an experience of different flavors. Both outdoor & indoor Onsen was so relaxing & wonderful.
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2017

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Lovely Ryokan
Amazing!!! I love the Ryokan. We enjoyed the onsen, the dinner, the breakfast and the walk around Kurama.
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2017

10/10 Excellent

Justin, Cincinnati, OH

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Unrivaled hospitality deep in the mountains
My friend and I spent 4 days, 3 nights here and we were both completely blown away. The staff is excellent; they are helpful, friendly, polite, and incredibly professional while still being approachable. The rooms are simple (it's a ryokan), but the tatami mats and the chairs provided are incredibly comfortable. The meals are excellent, everything is prepared to perfection and the servings are massive. Neither my friend nor I are seasoned foodies, so cooking your own was a very unique experience, and we tried so many new foods we lost count. The area surrounding it is peaceful, you're far removed from the hustle and crowds of Gion, in fact you're on the last stop of the train, but this is a good thing. Kurama will pick you up, whisk you to their inn, and treat you like royalty, and the outdoor baths are phenomenal. Highly, highly recommended.
Stayed 3 nights in May 2017

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
A brilliant stay. A very authentic and relaxing experience. Sitting in the outside Onsen looking over the hills as the snow falls is unforgettable. Great people, great introduction to traditional Japanese food.

10/10 Excellent

Samantha

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
It was amazing, cannot recommend highly enough. For an authentic Japanese Onsen experience, this is definitely the place to stay. Relaxing, beautiful, surrounded by nature, excellent staff and service.

10/10 Excellent

Terry, Pittsburgh, PA

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Mountain Forest Temple & Natural Hot Spring Ryokan
Atmosphere: Traditional Japanese inn located in somewhat remote single street village; Service: Warm welcoming, customized traditional dining, phenomenal personal attendance, and delightful surprises abound; Cost: A bit pricey but the experience is more than worth it; Experience: My friend and I had to travel the road (err, train) less taken to get to Kurama. The buildings become scarcer and greenery more common as we neared our destination. We took the hotel shuttle to get there (and incurred a small fee of like 300 yen to the bill) but later learned a fifteen-minute walk could get us back to the station. We were greeted by hostess and staff upon entry and instructed to take our shoes off upon entry. Our room had tatami mats and a very zen-like appeal to it with simple furniture and a small television. We had a private sink and toilet but obviously the baths (both indoor and outdoor) were public hot spring. To bathe one has to remove and store his clothing & towel, and take only his wash cloth for modesty and cleansing. After a thorough washing and rinsing on the sitting stool (to avoid dirtying the public bath), one is finally allowed to enter the hot spring for relaxation. The outdoor bath is more scenic and refreshing yet only open during daylight hours. The indoor bath is hotter and less natural-feeling, but it is open as late as 11pm. Our hot pot duck dinner was cooked privately in our room and a traditional Japanese breakfast was served in the restaurant downstairs.

8/10 Good

Bongkyun

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Getaway
Very quite & serien. Give extra time to get there. Nice train trip. Not many rooms to stay. Meals are pretty good. Not much English. Bath house, well...personal preference.

10/10 Excellent

Alli, toronto, on

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Lovely authentic experience in a beautiful rural
Very friendly and enthusiastic staff. Can't comment on their english level as I speak some Japanese and communicated in Japanese. Simple room but great way to experience the real authentic Japanese ryokan with an incredible multi Course meal served in your tatami room and then having your futons made up there for sleep afterwards. Make sure you research how to use an onsen as there are very specific rules. I would recommend getting up for 730am when the outdoor onsen opens so you can have it to yourself as I did-absolutely magical experience. Overall Great excuse to venture to a rural Japanese mountain town and experience life outside the major tourist cities.

10/10 Excellent

Arvydas, Washington DC

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Feeling like a king!
From the moment you step inside all busy life worries goes away. Beautiful surroundings, excellent hotel staff, wonderful food, and hot springs! Greeting tea magically turns into dinner when soaking in hot springs and then magically turns into sleeping room with good night cookies and some tea. All unobtrusive and all on time.
Room
Deliciousness
Soup
Yamu

8/10 Good

Tim, Sydney, AU

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Top traditional place to stay for a night or two!
We were greeted upon arrival at Kurama Station and driven in a free minibus to the guesthouse (ryokan) for our one night in traditional accommodation. The room was very clean, with a site map given and robes (yukata) provided to change into for the complete Japanese experience. Our multi-course dinner included many weird and wonderful dishes which filled us both. It was a confronting experience going to the hot baths (onsen), but one that shouldn't be missed! The outdoor baths have a decent view of the forest up the mountain, which made for a tranquil spot early in the morning. After checkout we were once again whisked away back to Kurama Station, ready to head back down towards Kyoto. Considering you are well fed, have unlimited access to the baths, in a picturesque location; the higher-than-average price (compared to a typical hotel) is worth it if you've got the cash.

10/10 Excellent

Audrey, Halifax, Canada

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Outdoor onsen and delicious food
My friend and I had an amazing time. First there was a driver waiting for us at the train station. Then, there is an indoor and outdoor onsen that was so relaxing and quiet in contrast to Tokyo where we had just been. After the outdoor bath, we then went back to our room where we had course after course of delicious food just waiting for us and already set up. Then for fun we went to the indoor onsen, and by that time, our beds had been made up. The beds are tatami mats with ?buckwheat pillow - one of the best sleeps I had in my entire stay in Japan. The next morning the delicious food overload continued with our breakfast. The staff were very kind, very patient, don't speak a ton of English, but are generally able to get their point across. The Furama shrine is nearby - a 12 minute walk, or they can drive you, which my friend and I did the next day and were able to leave our luggage with the staff on checkout. It was wonderful being in the mountains, the quiet and peacefulness of the surroundings that are another part of Japan that you don't often see if just going to Tokyo. Definitely worth the money! And would highly recommend and hope to come back again in the future.

10/10 Excellent

Edward, Melbourne

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
It was super amazing.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Lovely relaxing onsen, beautiful mountain setting.

10/10 Excellent

Justyne, Singapore

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Excellent Service and Onsen
Kurama Onsen feels like a huge family which you become a part of when you get there. Although the location seems rather far flung where you have to travel far north of Kyoto city to Takaragaike, then take the light rail to Kurama, it's a really beautiful place with its natural forests and hills. It's worth the travel time, and besides, Japan's trains function very efficiently. When we reached Kurama light rail station with our luggage, we were pleasantly surprised to be greeted by a staff from the hotel, who had a checklist of guests to look out for. It was amazing how he he was just there even though we didn't specify an exact time that we would arrive. In the booking, the expected check-in time is 3-6pm, and I can see why. The staff will probably just wait there during that time for you. So then he loaded our luggages into his van and drove us all to the hotel, which is about 800m away. The hotel itself has less than 10 bedrooms altogether and seems to be a family-run business. The staff were very warm and friendly, making sure that everything was done well. Dinner and breakfast is included, and they served us the traditional Japanese meal "course by course" in our room. It was a great experience altogether, The Onsen itself is average, very similar to other onsens I've visited in Hokkaido. The indoor one is larger than the outdoor one and has more modern facilities, but the outdoor one has a nicer atmosphere.
A preview of the dinner we got.

8/10 Good

e & v, new york

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Need of Famiky Tub
Everything was good except we had wished there was a family tub.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2020

10/10 Excellent

Ks, Bkk

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
昭和な感じの宿でよかった
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2019

8/10 Good

Hiroyuki

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
景色の良い露天風呂がお勧めの宿です
少々古びてこぢんまりとした宿でしたが、サービスは行き届いていて、快適に過ごせました。部屋食の料理は美味しく、露天風呂からは雄大な山を望めて、そこも高評価です。 難点を挙げるとすれば、時間によって風呂の水栓が、どんなに頑張っても熱いお湯しか出ない(あるいは冷たい水しか出ない)ことでしょうか。
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2019

10/10 Excellent

CarrieHa, Hong Kong

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
旅館提供專車來回鞍馬站,很方便。 因房數不多,晚上泡溫泉不會擠迫。 設備齊全整潔,還有桑拿房~泡後想喝水,找不到飲水機,便向職員查詢,最後職員送上兩杯冰水。 誰不慣豆豆枕頭,又,夜晚泡完待一回便睡,睡得不太好哩⋯ 食物沒特別~ 有機會會再入住!
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2019

10/10 Excellent

KAZUTOYO

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
鞍馬山に行くならお勧め
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
好一間度假式溫泉酒店,只有一層,共六間房間,一泊二食,環境清幽,好舒服!有室內同室外風呂,室外的真的一定要浸,超正!下次嚟渡假,一定會再入住
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2019

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Piacevole esperienza Giapponese. Un po'scomoda da raggiungere
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
very good, strongly recomended.
깔끔하고 친절하고 좋습니다.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2019

10/10 Excellent

Jérémy

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Excellent ryokan avec son onsen
Tres bon séjour dans ce ryokan avec du personnel au petit soin pour ses clients.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Diese Unterkunft bringt die japanische Kultur und Essgewohnheiten nöher.
Stayed 1 night in May 2019

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Staff & service
Accueil respectueux. Proprete des chambres. Le petit dejeuner est satisfaisant sans plus.
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2019

10/10 Excellent

Emeline

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Une belle expérience
Nous sommes partis en couple 10 jours au Japon avec en tête de tester au moins une fois un ryokan/onsen ! C'est un gros budget certes (une nuit équivaut à 3-4 nuits en auberge de jeunesse à Tokyo!), mais nous ne regrettons pas! Le cadre est chouette, nous avons fait la randonnée dans la montagne de Kurama avec la visite des temples et comme récompense le bain dans le onsen extérieur ! Très chouette. Le personnel est au petit soin, la chambre que nous avions était typique avec yukata mis à disposition. Les futons sont de bonnes qualité, nous avons très bien dormi. Chambre un peu bruyante par contre, à cause du bruit d'eau à l'extérieur: sommeil léger prévoir boule quies! Repas traditionnel exceptionnel: beaucoup de plats à base de poisson, y compris le matin ;-) Bains intérieurs/extérieurs quasiment pour nous seuls le soir et le matin ! Beaucoup de touristes l'après-midi. +Sièges massant exceptionnels dans la salle de relaxation (100 Yens)!
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Au top
Un ryokan déjà un peu occidentalisé, mais le caractère japonais est préservé. L’ondée extérieur est magnifique. Le petit déjeuner et le dîner sont excellents. A refaire.
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2019

10/10 Excellent

Pablo

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Excelente estancia.
En general debo decir que es uno de mis mejores experiencias en Japón. El entorno era hermoso, los baños termales externos eran simplemente soberbios (me tocó nieve y disfrute del agua caliente mientras caía nieve a mi alrededor, hermoso) La amabilidad de la gente del hostal fue muy agradable. El único punto que podría decir que no es tan bueno es que no hablaban mucho inglés (y menos español) lo que hizo un poco difícil la comunicación un par de veces. Finalmente la comida... si quieres comida japonesa típica y comer hasta reventar. Este es tu onsen. Mucha comida en la cena (que estaba incluida además del desayuno). Lo recomiendo 100%
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2019