Hostel Ebi is the hostel I was hoping to find in Kyoto: small, family-run, simple, and stylish at the same time, with capsule-style beds and right downtown, in Shijo Karasuma.
The dorms, mixed or female-only, consist of wooden bunk beds custom-built, a bedside table, light, and a comfortable curtain that provides just enough privacy. Once more, I chose an upper bed for even more privacy. Bathrooms and shower rooms are on the lower floor, basic, but with everything, you might need, and in the female dorm, there’s even a wide make-up table perfectly lighted 🙂
The common sitting room is very comfortable and well-furnished, just like the pretty open kitchen. I never cooked during my stay, but we had yummy homemade ramen all together one night, and I had lots of sake and matcha in the evening while working on my blog.
Sightseeing in Kyoto
Hostel Ebi is situated near the wonderful Nishiki Market and only 600 m from the Kyoto International Manga Museum. There are plenty of shops, mini-markets, and restaurants of any kind. By the way, I highly recommend both the ramen restaurant on the ground floor (try the lemon ramen!) and the many stalls at the market. On the ground floor, there’s also a very cool Irish Pub open till late 😉
Many buses, trams, and metro stops are within walking distance, and the central train station is a 30′ walk from the hostel. I enjoyed strolling back and forth, the same thing to reach the Imperial Palace or the Nijo Castle. Gion, the world-famous geisha district, is right on the other side of the river, behind the Nishiki Market, and the temple area is only a bit further.
I would also recommend starting with a guided tour of Kyoto and then start strolling and musing on your own.
To sum it up, it’s really ideally located to enjoy Kyoto fully!
A few words about the staff: both the owner and his staff are most welcoming and helpful. I felt at home and will definitely stay there again on my next trip to Japan!
P.S. Wifi is great in the whole hostel and on the roof terrace you get laundry facilities.
Personal note
Thanks to my previous job and often for pleasure, I spent almost more time in hotels than at home in the last seventeen years. Here are those I consider special places not to be missed. Those I truly hope to come back to again and again…
These posts have nothing to do with sponsorships.
These are just places where I stayed and that I loved and felt like have to be recommended to everybody.
