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Reviews of Guesthouse Ga-Jyun - Hostel

2 out of 5
Guesthouse Ga-Jyun - Hostel
165 Ebisu-cho, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto, Kyoto

Reviews

9.4

Exceptional

Rating 10 - Excellent. 344 out of 467 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 106 out of 467 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 13 out of 467 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 1 out of 467 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 3 out of 467 reviews" "

9.4/10

Cleanliness

9.6/10

Staff & service

8.8/10

Amenities

9.2/10

Property conditions & facilities

8.4/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
4-day stay
Stayed for a few nights, coming back late at night and leaving early in the mornings. The private room was clean and the shared areas and bathrooms were also clean. I did wish the private room had a lockable door, but lockers are provided for free. The hostel was nice and quiet at night and I didn't wake to loud noise while sleeping. Necessities for shower are provided and towels can be rented cheaply if desired. I did wish the water got a little bit hotter, but it was warm and the pressure was good. Breakfast was provided, and although we didn't partake as we left early each day, it looked very delicious and made with care. There were many options available. The dog is very cute and friendly, always greeting us upon arrival back to the place. The location is really great, not far from two of the station exits (one has an elevator, and it is a minute or two longer from that exit to the place, but totally convenient when you have bags). There is a lot of temples and other historical places nearby, so it's a great location for sightseeing. There is also plenty of food options nearby and a convenience store right across the street.
Stayed 4 nights in Apr 2023

10/10 Excellent

Terrence

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
This is what an experience is all about... everyone at Ga-Jyun is a special person they make you feel like family and very special in your own being. From the morning laughs and conversations to the evening discussions everything was magical and special about this place. The location is amazing the accommodations are great and the people are the best... I highly reccomend this guesthouse to anyone who wants a true family feel experience in Kyoto.
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2020

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Travelled with family
Liked: Staff & service
The room was super super small and face to busy street . Quite noisy. No space for walk a little bit. However, the breakfast is very delicious.
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2019

10/10 Excellent

Don

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Breakfast is worth the price of admission.
The breakfast is the best. Lots of fruit, home made miso soup, assortment of pastries, rice and veggies, and assortment of juices, coffee and tea. Don't miss out on the breakfast.
Stayed 4 nights in May 2019

10/10 Excellent

Andrew

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Best hostel in kyoto
Such a friendly place. Thanks for making my stay so great.
Stayed 2 nights in May 2019

10/10 Excellent

Jeffrey

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Fantastic local warmth
All the people in this hostel are so nice that you can enjoy a very very very good breakfast with many types of bread and handmade miso soup & rice. It has all the basic facilities for a typical hostel. I dont have much complaints except it may be quite noisy in the morning, as the owners need to wake up early to prepare breakfast and many fellow travellers wake up early too. But if you want to enjoy good breakfast it is something you cant avoid isn't it?
Stayed 3 nights in Nov 2018

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2018

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Unbeatable hospitality and in a great location to see the temples and shrines of Kyoto. Will absolutely return to this guest house!
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2018

10/10 Excellent

warrem

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
I usually don't write reviews. However, this place was excellent. The air conditioning worked well. The breakfast was great. There were plenty of choices of breakfast pastries and fruit. Wish this place was in every city.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2018

10/10 Excellent

Olivia, New York, USA

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Wonderful place to stay, highly recommended!! I stayed for 16 nights as a solo traveler in a private room (room 3) in the Annex building. The room was absolutely perfect--a bit bigger than it looked online, with a closet and a little table. I only used the bottom bed and it was perfectly comfortable for me. The staff kindly cleaned my room and provided fresh towels and sheets twice during my stay. There were two toilet rooms, one shower room, and a kitchen with a fridge and microwave in the Annex house for all the rooms to share. The house was always clean. The AC in my room worked very well. The breakfast is great and the staff are all so kind, helpful, and welcoming. The owner is especially very kind. Location is also perfect, you're just a one-two minute walk from Higashiyama subway station and a 12-15 minute walk from Sanjo Keihan station. Walking distance to many sights in Higashiyama. I greatly enjoyed spending evenings on the banks of the Kamogawa River or shopping downtown and then just walking back over the bridge from the city center to the guest house. Can't recommend this place enough. When I return to Kyoto one day I'll definitely stay again. Thank you!!!
Stayed 16 nights in May 2018

10/10 Excellent

Tomasz, UK

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Planning a trip to Kyoto? Well Ga-jyun is THE guesthouse. I don't know what to start my praise with: The owner's home-made miso soup? Cosy dining area buzzing with chatter? Jiro the dog making my kids feel so happy? The patience of staff when I tested my broken Japanese on them? Unlimited tea supplies? Sento experience? Every detail adds to Ga-Jyun's unique atmosphere. Not to mention walking distance to subway station and handful of major Kyoto attractions. Five stars straight away. Thank you. Tomasz and family (26-29 March 2018, Tomo room).
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2018

8/10 Good

Apa

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice traditional guesthouse
The guesthouse is in a great location and has amazing staff including Jiro, the dog. I stayed in the female dorm. It was a comfortable bed. The showers and toilets were clean. The breakfast was an added bonus. They had a Miso soup, rice, fruits, wide selection of breads, juices and coffee. Staying in this guesthouse have a good glimpse of a traditional Japanese home. It is also close to local buses and subway. I will definitely recommend this place and would love to stay there again.
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2017

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Very friendly hostel, but also uncomfortably cramped. Barely enough room to turn around in front of the lockers...but at least they have lockers. Loud, too -- it's on a busy street, and the women's dorm room is at the front, upstairs, so you hear traffic noise all night long. Location is great for sightseeing, though. Really close to the temples along the east side of Kyoto, and easy subway access.
Stayed 4 nights in Oct 2017

10/10 Excellent

Theepan, Toronto

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Wonderful guesthouse!!!
What a wonderful experience it was. My first time ever travelling outside of Toronto and staying at a hostel or guesthouse and I think I chose the best possible country to travel to and best possible place to stay. It’s not a big place by any means, but well-designed where you don’t feel crammed in. It’s so clean and we had to take our shoes off past the front entrance, kind of like being in my own home. The owner is very polite, always smiling or laughing which I found radiated to others staying at the place including myself. The workers are very polite, friendly, and helpful and treated everyone with respect. The dog lightened the mood definitely and was adorable. I actually lost my cell phone in Kyoto on my second day in the subway. However, I found it back within 30 minutes after I got back home to the guesthouse. Yukiko, one of the girls at the front was able to contact Kyoto Station where I last saw my phone and to my bewilderment, we found the phone immediately. What could have been a horrible experience turned into a positive. The free breakfast was amazing! I’m sure a hotel would not have this great of a breakfast. The common area was a great place to have breakfast and meet new people I found. Definitely enjoyed my conversations with many people from around the world including Japanese travelers visiting Kyoto. The sharing of information definitely helped me and I was able to discover a few extra great places to visit, side trips that I could do, etc.
Stayed 7 nights in Sep 2017

10/10 Excellent

Aditi

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
A wonderful stay
Had a great stay. Friendly staff and a friendly dog. Clean and comfortable.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2017

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Staff & service, room comfort
Would do it again but there were small issues
Overall we enjoyed the stay. We loved having two floors. However, the rooms were a bit dusty, also there were no hooks for bath towels.
Stayed 5 nights in Aug 2017

10/10 Excellent

Selene, Hollywood, florida

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Beautiful guesthouse to perfection!
Super friendly and warmhearted English speaking staff willing to answer all of our tourist questions. Excellent location in walking distance to major temples/shrines and the Gion district. Impeccably clean rooms with bunk beds and comfortable bedding for our exhausted return from daily walking adventures, excellent bathrooms and showers, and even a mechanical massage chair! Lockers available for storing valuables since it is a hostel, and towel/laundry services for a minimal fee. Best priced option in Kyoto, with a delicious and abundant Japanese/American breakfast included! We rented an entire room for a family of three, and it was still cheaper than an impersonal hotel. Nicest experience for lodging, with an authentic experience of Japanese hospitality. Politeness and generosity is their motto, sharing good conversation and their delicious dinner with us one late night when we had nothing but convenience store items to eat. They even invited us to a demonstration/explanation of a Japanese tea ceremony for free. Beautiful guesthouse for a journey to Japan.
Stayed 5 nights in Jun 2017
Response from Shinya on 20 Aug 2017
Dear Selena Thank you so much for the good reputation. We are really glad to hear that you enjoy your time and have nice experience here. Thank you again for nice the reputation.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great experience in Kyoto
Great experience. Better-than-expected free breakfast. Strongly recommended.

10/10 Excellent

sissa0602, okinawa, japan

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Affordable room and great location
My sister, her two young children, my four children, and I felt this guesthouse was the perfect fit for us. It was within out budget, the staff was amazing, room was clean and comfortable, and it was an ideal location. We loved the breakfast, the opportunity to visit the bathhouse, andhaving laundry facilities. Perfect for large family travel!

10/10 Excellent

Smilehye, Switzerland

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
One of the best place to stay.
I strongly recommend this place to everyone. I would definately come back to the guesthouse.
Response from Miho(a reseption staff) on 19 Oct 2016
Thank you for staying our guest house and giving us a good review. We keep to make our service better and better. Please visit us again. We are looking forward to seeing you again.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Feels like home!
Most hospitable host! Went the extra mile to help us out on places to eat and places to visit.

10/10 Excellent

M, Hamilton, ON

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
close to everything!
This is a very nice hostel to stay at and it's close to many tourist spots, shrines, temples and station. My friends and I stayed for 2 nights and we booked a private room. They offered breakfast, it was great! The only "con" I could say is probably that the room isn't very spacious and there is no outlets to use at the top bunk bed so if you wanna plug in your phone or computer you had to stay down and there's already not a lot of space in the room. WiFi was sometimes slow as well. Since it's a hostel there's other people who are also travelling that you can meet and socialize with, which was nice if you're social but if you're not it's fine, might be a little awkward since you're sharing showers and restrooms. I would definitely stay here again though when I go back to Kyoto in a couple of years hopefully. The breakfast was great! They had washing machine for 100yen per use, dryer for 200yen per use, detergent was I think 30yen. Towels were 100yen to borrow. Very convenient.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great hospitality in a great location
We stayed at this guesthouse for six nights and it was brilliant. The location was great and was a short walk from convenience stores and train stations, as well as being close to art galleries and shrines and a good area of shops, bars and restaurants by the river. The guesthouse was clean and a really good breakfast buffet was served each day for no extra charge. Bike rental was also cheap and laundry facilities were available. The staff were really friendly and helpful, and put on a great Friday night party for guests with Japanese traditions, food and beer - they even brought out a birthday cake for my partner! It was a nice opportunity to meet other travellers too.

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Convenient location, near subway n bus stops. Super nice staff, superb breakfast.

10/10 Excellent

Debra, Jacksonville, FL

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great price and great amenities.
We had a wonderful time. Breakfast is fantastic. Great price.

10/10 Excellent

Stephanie

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great place for awesome price
Really enjoyed staying here, would definitely come here again and recommend it to others.

10/10 Excellent

JL, Seattle, WA

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice home-like
Our stay was very pleasant. Owner & staff were friendly/helpful. Breakfast and bathhouse that is available nearby is a plus. Would definitely stay here again.

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice Guest house
Very good experience with honest host, clean place, breakfast and Friday night party.

10/10 Excellent

Purple Coffee, Jakarta

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Excellent Guesthouse with perfect location
I stayed here for two nights. This guesthouse is just so perfect. The location is the best, walking distance to subway station and bus stop. And also we can walk from here to some major attraction in Kyoto such as Maruyama Park, Gion, Kiyomizudera and some shrines around guesthouse by just walking. The breakfast is the best and very generous. I especially feel like home when stay here :) Surely will be back to Ga-jyun for my next visit to Kyoto.
Response from Guest Houese Gagyun on 4 Jul 2016
Thank you for staying here for 2 nights and writing a good review. We do clean all the things here and thank you for finding out that haha We will try to build more buildings and add more rooms :D I hope you will stay at our new room next time!!

10/10 Excellent

Nathan J, Portland

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Enjoyed the Annex- like a mini apartment
Enjoyed our stay in the annex option which gave us a private mini apartment - very new. The breakfast was expansive and staff very helpful. Location is good for targeting east Kyoto sites. I knew I wanted to hit Kiyomizu and the Sannenzaka streets and we walked there in twenty minutes with many temples along the way.
Response from Ichiro Kotera on 2 Jul 2016
Thank you for staying here. We always give the customers full sataisfaction :D I hope you will chose our fguest house again. Guest House Gagyun.

10/10 Excellent

Jay, Seattle, WA

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Two star hotel with 5 star staff, location, food
Would absolutely stay here when visiting Kyoto. The place to stay for the "99%" of us!
Response from Gueest House Gagjyun on 4 Jul 2016
Thank you! From 5 stars staff :P

8/10 Good

Hazel

Liked: Staff & service

10/10 Excellent

Lada, Prague

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great people
Welcoming, friendly, helpful and smiley staff! Clean well equipped rooms and if you stay in annex building 3 star level. Breakfast was plentiful. The owner Ichiro cooks probably the best miso soup we ever tried. They provide discounted bikes and free entrance and transport to public bath. We very much enjoyed our stay and will come back again. Highly recommend to everybody. Thank you!

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great place to stay in Kyoto with lovely staff.......

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
with comfortable stay
we stay in Annex Private Room (B) and it comes with 2 spring beds which is very good choice. because we stay in one of the double decker room which dun come with spring bed and did not enjoy ourselves that much. good location, just beside bus stop. great breakfast. warm smiles and good price. will stay again.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Enjoy ourselves in Kyoto
Found this guesthouse in expedia which offer the cheap and comfortable stay. the staff are friendly and help. the room is clean and new. The breakfast is fantastic. will stay again

10/10 Excellent

Jordan, Mississauga

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Fantastic stay
Friendly staff and clean facilities! The location was walking distance to several shrines and temples, but I suggest renting a bike for 500 yen a day to get around faster. The bus stop is steps away and a subway station is a 6 minutes walk. The staff prepared a complete breakfast every morning and threw a party for the guests on Friday night, complete with beer, takoyaki and live music. The owner also organizes a trip to a sento 6 nights of the week, but I was unable to fit it in. I would recommend this place to any solo travelers staying in Kyoto.

10/10 Excellent

Stephen, Ho Chi Minh

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great Kyoto location. Very friendly staff.
Response from Ichiro Kotera on 16 Jul 2016
We appreiate for your staying in our guest house. Another seasons also have some events or festivals here, so we hope you come back here soon.

10/10 Excellent

SHARON, Phillipines

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
The staff were all friendly and warm. I definitely recommend this hotel for those who wants to stay in Kyoto.
Response from Ichiro Kotera on 11 Jun 2016
Thank you for your comments and high rating! If you recommend Gajyun to your friends, we are so glad! When you come to Kyoto again, we look forward to see you! Regards Miho.

10/10 Excellent

A-J, California

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Staying in Kyoto? Stop searching. This is it.
First off, the service was amazing. Most of (if not all) the staff speak and understand English well, especially the man at the front desk. I was able to ask for any sort of assistance without altering my normal diction and receive an answer that was both easy to understand and actually answered what I asked (and he even seemed very happy to help). The rest of the staff, usually seen during the complimentary breakfast period in the morning, were also able to assist in English. The complimentary breakfast, by the way, was amazing. Eggs, bread, doughnuts, rice, and more. The Friday night we were there, they hosted a small party, with free food and drinks! Not sure if this is a weekly thing, but if it is, you're in luck. As for the place itself, I stayed in the Guest House, located adjacent to the main building. There is an elevator to each floor there, albeit quite small, and the path from the elevator to the rooms was somewhat narrow as well, but manageable. Do note that if you have multiple people with suitcases, you'll have to use the elevator separately due to its size. The room my group stayed in was on the fourth floor, containing 2 beds with a rollaway bed in the main room. The walking space around the beds was low. There was little space for stowing luggage (if you wanted to get in and out of it easily), generally on the sides of the beds and in the small closet. There is a kitchen area, with a fridge, microwave, and stove, and you have a private bathroom!

10/10 Excellent

Dennis

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Friendly guesthouse near gion district
The staff and breakfast were outstanding. We stayed in the guesthouse with a loft. The stairs to the loft were super steep. You can't stand up in the loft - it's just one enormous bed. It does add to the space and comfort of the room though.
Response from Ichiro Kotera on 21 May 2016
Thank you for staying at our guest house. We are really happy to hear that. please don't stand on the loft safety haha.

10/10 Excellent

mardie, new zealand

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Excellent guesthouse!
Really enjoyed my stay here! All staff are lovely and very friendly. The guesthouse is located on one of the main streets through Kyoto and right near train stations as well as tonnes of restaurants/cafes for food and drinks! You can also hire a bike for the day if you're feeling brave enough :) breakfast every morning is very delicious and lots of choices so do try wake up for it! And Friday night party is so much fun! I would recommend ear plugs though in case you end up being there with noisy people, but otherwise this place is great and absolutely will come back again :)

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
decent hostel apartment
The staff was very helpful. You could not use the kitchen that was advertised as part of the family apartment. The linens could be updated. They were clean but old.

10/10 Excellent

joel, usa

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Do yourself a favour and stay here
I had an excellant time here. It was comfortable, close to convenience stores and a few restauraunts but far enough away from the Geisha district so it wasn't too crowded. The free breakfast was excellant and the staff very attentive. However, my favorite aspect of the guesthouse is the owner. He was very kind to my wife and I and spent time talking to us at evey breakfast. He speaks english and is a genuinely a nice guy. Additionally, he cooks a BBQ dinner for free every Friday night and drinks a beer or two with his guests.
Response from khan,staff of guest house gajyun on 9 Feb 2016
Thank you so much for staying here and your lovely compliments.Actually the owner of the guest house is very friendly and love to enjoy the life.Its nice to hear that you liked staying here.Hope you are fine and see you again.

8/10 Good

helena

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
my first hostel it is like a home
it is like a home but some peoples just dont clean up after they use the facility but the staff will walk extra miles to make sure everything is in order ishiro the chef!! i wish i can post some beautiful breakfast we have every morning here staffs like shige(my hero he is born in osaka)kaori hat"s up to you all this place is walking distance to philosopher's walk from toward silver pavillion to gion corner and famous kiyomizu temple i stay here with my jr pass i went to nara and osaka and with my 2 day pass 20 yen subway and bus i did the bamboo and golden temple and see everthing as much as i can including fushimi inari i wish i can come back again around cherry blossom for sure it is magical and even remarkable
Response from Ichiro Kotera on 9 Apr 2016
Thank you so much helena for staying here.Nice to here that you feel like a home.Ichiro,the owner of the guest house love is a funny person and good chef as well.hahaha....Our staffs try their best to maintain the neat and clean the guest house.Please try to come at sakura time(spring).Hope see you again.

10/10 Excellent

Julien

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Best option in Kyoto!
Definitely the best option in Kyoto within this price range! We booked a private room and it was in an attached building. The room was very spacious and new - even including a small kitchen. This was one of the few cases where the actual room was much better than it seemed from the pictures. And the breakfast was excellent! Many fruit options and cereals, coffee, toast, etc. The staff is also super friendly!
Response from hide koganezawa on 19 Mar 2016
Thank you for your comment. Many guests enjoy breakfast!

10/10 Excellent

michele

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Your loss if not opt for
we were so happy the entire time, the owner & whole team so nice & obliging, warm welcome with smile from the heart; Thank you so much for your great hosptality; homy party, yum breakfast, fun chats, room is clean, spacious & functional got all you need, just a couple of blocks from subway & 10 min walk to Sanjo; if ever coming again, definitely will stay again & join onsen too, strongly recommend you all.

10/10 Excellent

Christopher, Singapore

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Wonderful Stay !!!
Comfortable guesthouse run by a friendly and helpful owner. Short distance walk from Higashiyama subway and just opposite Lawson convenience store. Very convenient location. Breakfast prepared by the owner was sumptuous. They have BBQs on Fridays for the guests and the spread was huge and delicious. A very good 4 nights stay for us... Will be back :)

10/10 Excellent

Tsen

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort