Kurama Onsen
くらま温泉- Say it
- koo·
ra· ma on· sen - Also written
- Kurama Onsen Kyoto, Kurama Hot Spring, Kurama Spa
About Kurama Onsen
A small hot-spring ryokan and day spa at the foot of Mt Kurama. It closed in 2021 and reopened under a new owner on 1 November 2024, with five guest rooms and stays that come with dinner and breakfast.
- OnsenYesNatural sulphur spring, iron-rich
- Bath in your roomNot stated
- Private bathNoneGuests bathe after day visitors go
- TattoosAllowedGang members excepted
- MealsDinner and breakfastDinner 18:00 or 19:00; breakfast 8:30
- Dietary needsSome dietsTell the staff about allergies
- ChildrenWith limitsFrom age 6; none 5 and under
- Check-in and dinnerCheck-in 16:00; check-out 10:00
- Getting thereFree shuttle from Kurama Station
Good to know before you book
- The baths are shared with day visitorsThe ryokan is also a day spa, open to day visitors from 10:00 to 21:00; overnight guests can bathe from 7:30 and after the day visitors leave.
- The open-air bath is in a separate buildingIt stands on higher ground away from the main building, up the steps from the car park.
- Room pages list a toilet and washbasinThe ryokan's room list gives a toilet and washbasin for each of the five rooms and does not mention a bath in the room.
- Rooms
- 5, each named after a tree: Matsu, Kaede, Hinoki, Icho and Sugi
- Reopened
- 1 November 2024, under a new owner, after closing in 2021
The fine print
Last checked November 12, 2026.
- Onsen
Yes. Hot-spring water, a natural sulphur spring
Iron-rich. The open-air bath is in a separate building up the car-park steps.
- Bath in your room
Not stated. Not stated by the ryokan
The five rooms list a toilet and washbasin but no bath; guests use the indoor bath (7:30 to 22:00) and the open-air bath (7:30 to 21:00, 20:00 in winter).
- Private bath
None. None
Overnight guests get bath time after day visitors leave.
- Tattoos
Allowed. Allowed
Except members of gangs or anti-social groups.
- Meals
Included with every stay. Dinner and breakfast
Dinner at 18:00 or 19:00 (until 20:00 if you tell the ryokan); breakfast from 8:30.
- Dietary needs
Some diets. Allergies: tell the staff
From the restaurant menu: fried food shares oil with shrimp, crab and oysters. No vegetarian or halal policy is stated.
- Children
With limits. Age 6 and over; no children 5 and under
Ages 6 to 12 pay a child rate with a children's dinner and breakfast; 13 and over the adult rate. Age is counted on the stay date.
- Check-in and dinner
Check-in 16:00, check-out 10:00
- Getting there
Free daily shuttle or 10 minutes' walk from Kurama Station
Or Kyoto Bus 32, 50 or 52 to Kurama Onsen.
Meals
- Dinner
- Starts at 18:00 or 19:00; until 20:00 if you tell the ryokan in advance
- Breakfast
- From 8:30
- Kitchen
- The ryokan says its chef trained at a well-known Gion restaurant. Dashi of Hokkaido kombu and fresh bonito; charcoal-grilled river fish, Miyama chicken and eel
- Restaurant
- Also open to day visitors: 12:00–15:00 (last order 14:30) and 17:30–20:30 (last order 20:00)
- On the menu
- Charcoal-grilled eel with rolled omelette on rice, mackerel sushi with Kurama's kinome-zuke pickles, Miyama chicken sukiyaki, wild-boar hotpot with white miso
Who it suits
- Suits
- A night away from central Kyoto, with Kurama-dera and the Kibune walk the same day
- Tattoos
- Travellers with tattoos can use the baths
- Season
- Bathing outdoors in snow and in autumn colour
- Children
- Not for families with children aged 5 or under: they cannot stay overnight
History
- Late Meiji era
The spring is found in a tea field.
- July 2020
A landslide stops the Eizan line to Kurama for more than a year.
- 2021
The ryokan closes.
- 1 November 2024
It reopens under a new owner, a long-time fan of the baths, after repairs part-funded by crowdfunding.
- Today
A day spa and five guest rooms.
Ryokan elsewhere to compare
Questions
Can you stay overnight at Kurama Onsen?
Yes. The ryokan has five guest rooms, and a stay comes with dinner and breakfast. Check-in is from 16:00 and check-out by 10:00.
Is Kurama Onsen open again?
Yes. It closed in 2021 and reopened on 1 November 2024 under a new owner, as a day spa with five guest rooms.
Are tattoos allowed at Kurama Onsen?
Yes. Guests with tattoos can use the baths. The ryokan excludes only members of gangs or anti-social groups.
Can children stay at Kurama Onsen?
From age 6. Children aged 6 to 12 pay a child rate and get a children's dinner and breakfast; 13 and over count as adults. Children aged 5 or under cannot stay overnight.
Does Kurama Onsen have a private bath?
No. The ryokan has no private bath, but overnight guests get bath time after the day visitors leave.