Apple House - for the City, Temples, Shrines and Mountains!

It's not 5-star hotel, and doesn't pretend to be. It is: friendly, well-appointed, clean, comfortable, and handy to many of the things to see in Kyoto. It's cute, embedded in the local community, close to shops, transport. We loved it, and made it a base for our week in Kyoto. Hiroko is a kind and attentive host. The no.5 bus and the tram gets to all of East Kyoto, with easy transfer to trains that cover the rest. Stairs inside are a bit steep if you have mobility issues, but our family loved it. Have already recommended it to several Japan-bound friends.

This our 2nd time to stay at Apple House. The house is lovely and very clean. Price is reasonable. Location is great, not far for the center(We love to take bus). Highly recommend.

This was the 3th time that we had the luck to stay in this cozy, gorgeous and immaculate maintained typical japanese house.The owner, Hiroko san, is always very kind and very helpful. She can give loads of information about what's going on and what's to see in Kyoto, our favorite town in Japan. Like the previous 2 times, it was again a unique experience, living like true residents of Kyoto. Every evening coming back after a busy day, we said to eachother: "back home, sweet home!".

We are already dreaming to come for the 4th time to Applehouse!

We were staying at the Kyoto Apple House just a week before Christmas. And from the moment we were picked up by the owner Hiroko at the train station until she dropped us off again everything went perfect. The house has all the amenities one could dream of including two bicycles to explore the neighbourhood. We actually took the bikes and rode along the river all the way down to Kyoto downtown. We had bought train-passes but did not use them expect on the day of arrival and for a half-day trip to nearby Nara. We spent most of the time in the close neighbourhood and in the house itself. We cooked our own food and felt so comfortable. We even took a long and relaxing bath in the the heatable bathtube after a day of hiking on Kumara mountain. There are so many attractions nearby such as wonderful cafés, the Kumara hot spring and the many parks and temples just around the corner. Who could ask for anything more. We will back soon!

We had a great time at the Apple House. It was a unique experience, living like true residents of Kyoto, in an authentic neighbourhood. The house was spacious by Japanese standards and had all the comfort requirements ticked off. It's big enough for a family, so two of us enjoyed the extra room. Hiroko is an excellent host, extremely well organised and so friendly. She loves the Apple House, and we kept discovering quirky references to apples every day. It's an Apple shrine in the best possible way. Two air conditioners made it easy in hot summer. Two bikes made it easy to get around. There is a great park 10min ride from the house, where I spotted deer family during my runs. And the Imperial Garden, which is highly recommended, is 5min walk. The only thing that found tricky was travel to the heart of Kyoto using trains. The closest station is not on the main line and is of little use. Matsumoto station is a fair bike ride away. It's probably best to explore bus options, which we didn't. Either way, travel to and from the house will chew up some of your time. But if you're keen to experience a more genuine Kyoto lifestyle in a comfortable spacious and very reasonably priced house, this one is a great choice.