Top 5 Hot Spring Hotels with Autumn Foliage Views Near Kyoto

Arashiyama is a scenic spot in Kyoto where noble families have built their villas since the old days. Arashiyama Onsen (hot spring) is extremely famous in this area, and when the autumn foliage season commences, the beauty of the place apparently becomes more striking. Arashiyama Benkei has three types of open-air baths with a 360-degree view of the surrounding areas! You can surely enjoy the autumn leaves to your heart’s content! Stay in one of the purely Japanese-style guestrooms so you can gaze at the Oi River and Arashiyama. There are also rooms with baths with a sky view and open-air Jacuzzi. In the Japanese cuisine menu, the Kyoto dishes are not only beautiful to look at, their taste is also exquisite. This hotel even offers Kyo kaiseki (course meal using the traditional local cuisine of Kyoto) and seasonal meal sets. Don’t you feel like enjoying the leaves of autumn over at Arashiyama now?

Illuminated autumn leaves.

Kurama Onsen is a small Japanese hotel in the mountains of Kurama, which is an annex of Kyoto. It is famous for its secluded virgin sulfur hot springs and open-air baths. The landscape of the mountain that changes every season has excellent healing effects. In particular, the beauty of the autumn leaves made by maple trees will sink deep into your heart and soul. Here, you are guaranteed to taste unforgettable Kyoto flavors from the Kyo kaiseki meal that make use of seasonal ingredients, jidori no mizutaki (one-pot stewed chicken) cooked with chicken from Kyoto’s Tamba region, and the kamonabe (duck stew) made with local duck that is served with this hotel’s secret soup.
All guestrooms are Japanese-style rooms with Western-style toilet. Kurama Onsen offers day-trip packages that will let you fully enjoy its open-air bath and grand indoor bath. If you only want the day-trip package, then you do not need a reservation and you can come empty-handed. The hotel has a free shuttle bus from Kurama Station, too.

Open-air bath along Kurama River

*Photo is for illustration purposes

Yunohana Hot Spring is located in the heart of the mountains. What will draw your attention in this area is Sumiya Kiho-an with its thatched roofs and massive arches. Stay here and experience hearing the sound of charcoal fire burning in the fireplace and seeing the spread of autumn leaves in the mountain through large windows. This hotel's guest room with an open-air hot spring bath that draws water from the source is characterized by its soft water. Further, it is home to such facilities as the Library Tsurezure Bunko, Teahouse Kiho-an and the private open-air bath Yama no Kakureyu, among others. You will surely feel the lavish hospitality of Kyoto.
Sumiya Kiho-an’s four seasons Kyoto cuisine uses select ingredients in season under the hashiri (first harvest of the season), shun (main body of the season), and nagori (last part of the season) concept. Further, it has the best lineup of Austrian wines among Japanese-style hotels in Japan. It even has rare wines in the cellar for those who can appreciate them. Try them and see that Austria's natural wines are a perfect match for Japanese food!

*Photo is for illustration purposes

Yunohana Hot Spring

*Photo is for illustration purposes