Hotele z: bar w Nara Prefecture, Japan

„We stayed at Mikasa Ryokan (万葉若草の宿 三笠旅館) in Nara, and overall it was a great experience — but there are definitely some things you should know and plan for in advance. 🏞 1. Location & Transportation The ryokan is located halfway up Mount Wakakusa, with beautiful views over Nara city — the scenery is stunning, especially at night. But getting up and down the mountain isn’t very convenient. At first, I thought the location was right near Todai-ji Temple and would be easy to access. Turns out: The mountain road is very narrow and winding, and it actually takes longer than expected. According to the staff, walking up the mountain is not allowed. There's a gate, and the staff inside don’t permit people to walk up. Luckily, the hotel offers a shuttle bus up the mountain, but you should arrange it with the hotel in advance. Once you’re at the ryokan, getting out isn’t very easy either. Even if you want to take a taxi, you need to book it in advance — it’s not like calling a cab from the street. So I’d recommend planning your itinerary carefully before you arrive. While Todai-ji Temple, Nara Park, and Kasuga Taisha are technically just at the bottom of the mountain, they’re not within walking distance from the hotel, so you’ll still need transport. 🛌 2. Room Experience We booked the Japanese-style room with a private open-air bath. I did quite a bit of research before booking: Sites like *********** say the room is about 28 sqm (307 sq ft) But Ctrip listed it as 56 sqm, which was confusing After checking in, I think 28 sqm is probably just the indoor area, and 56 sqm includes the balcony, private onsen, and garden area. The room is traditional Japanese-style with tatami floors and a low table in the center. In the evening, while we were out having dinner, staff came in and set up our futon beds for the night — a really nice touch. This was our first time sleeping on Japanese futons. It was surprisingly comfortable, and the room temperature was perfect. If you're traveling with kids, this type of setup could be extra fun. 3. Onsen Experience We tried both the public onsen and the private one in our room: The public bath areas are located on the first and second floors, with men’s and women’s baths alternating daily. They include both indoor and outdoor hot spring pools. The water is hot — after about 10 minutes, we felt totally warm and relaxed. The private bath in the room was also very enjoyable. The garden had high fences and trees for privacy, and the tub was perfectly sized for two people. 🍱 4. Meals We booked a plan that included both dinner and breakfast. One important thing to note — you need to confirm your dinner time with the hotel before arrival, because if you arrive after 7 PM, you might miss dinner. Dinner is served in private dining rooms, which gave us a cozy and quiet atmosphere. The food was beautifully presented and very Japanese — including Wagyu beef and sukiyaki. Breakfast was also very traditional — grilled fish, rice, and various small dishes. Personally, I prefer something lighter for breakfast, and there was no coffee, bread, or buns included. If you want coffee, you can get it later in the lounge near the lobby.”

„about a 10-minute walk from Shin-Omiya Station. Right next to it is the Mi Nara Shopping Mall, which has a large hypermarket and several shops selling affordable clothing — including lovely children’s wear. To reach Mi Nara, head to the left side of the hotel, toward the JW Marriott Hotel. Highly recommend:  - Mount Yoshino (steep slopes hiking) lots of persimmon, kiwi trees, pomegranate. Be sure to prepare some food, water in your bag & most importantly hiking stick. We took 4 hours of walking to complete the entire Mount Yoshino (from right with shrines to left with restaurant, fruit trees).  Places to explore near the hotel:  1️⃣ Mi Nara Shopping Mall – Perfect for groceries and daily essentials, with prices more affordable than Aeon Supermarket. 2️⃣ Montbell Village & Bellside Café – A great spot for outdoor gear, and the café serves delicious pasta, pizza, and pastries. - Ask the hotel staff for a printed copy of Bus 28’s schedule to Montbell (the bus stop is right in front of JW Marriott). From Montbell, it’s a short walk to Hard Off / Off House, where you can browse a fun selection of secondhand items — clothes, bags, toys, and household goods. - The breakfast buffet offers a good variety and is worth the price — ¥3,000 per person, payable at the front desk. - The room was clean and comfortable. I recommend renting a humidifier if you experience a dry nose due to the cold air. Also, wearing a mask outdoors helps to stay comfortable in dry or chilly weather. - A free shuttle bus is available — check with the lobby staff for a printed copy of the schedule.”

„This ryokan was amazing, the food the location the atmosphere. The public sento in the building was beautiful and the private tub in our room was amazing as well. Perfect service, great amenities, we even got a little gift! I can only recommend this place if you're looking for something truly special. Get the dinner and breakfast here, trust me!!!”

„Choć położony na obrzeżach miasta, ten cichy hotel oferuje w pełni wyposażoną restaurację i usługi. Jest jednak nieco za daleko od centrum miasta.”

„Exceeded expections on all grounds! I am so happy with the hotel I wanted to spread the word. This hotel has great old world charm and more. I was a little worried about the condition of the hotel (more than 100 years old!) but everything was fine. I stayed at the Main Wing / basic room with park view. The bathroom was basic (business hotel like) but very clean, but the room / bedding and the view at our window was wonderful. Given the low price point, we were very happy with the room. Definitely recommend the Main Wing, and if you can, a room with higher price point. All staff, from shuttle bus / concierge / front desk / bar, are excellent. We really enjoyed the check in process - you can sit at the lounge admiring Einstein's piano while the front staff comes calling your name. Also try the tea lounge both during the day and night (turns to a bar). I would also like to extend special thanks to Korean speaking front manager Lee Su Jin who helped us in so many ways. She really made our stay comfortable. One thing to note about Nara city itself is that most venues close at 4pm and have unpredictable operating hours. You can't just walk around hoping to sit down at a cafe or restaurant. Highly recommend making reservations in advance of your trip and I'm sure Nara hotel concierge can help with this. I really enjoyed Nara Hotel and look really forward to returning.”

„Fufu Nara is a high-end luxury hotel and I enjoyed my stay with my m wife for our 24th wedding anniversary. Service was hearty and our Teppanyaki dinner was greeted with a dessert marking our memorable day!”

„My best appraise is for the services in both of reception and restaurant, especially the staffs from Nepal and Max from Indonesia. Many thanks for the sincere service and patience to my naughty boy, he missed you a lot and he promised to come again next year to see you then. For me, the soundproofing effectiveness is really not friendly, I woke up by the car noises outside many time in the nite😭”

„房間被子什麼還還可以，6人間然後要是有人打呼嚕就很難受了，床不是封閉的和國內宿舍很像。然後有洗衣機220日幣一次，沒有烘乾機，有廁所一般般，進出得穿酒店的鞋子，那鞋子真的不怎麼樣，然後毛巾 牙刷 都必須單獨買。有水壺，冰箱可以吃飯煮點東西，有儲物櫃可以提前點到。”

„The room is very small, but that’s the low price I paid for. Very convenient to train station and historical sites.”