I've stayed at Novotel hotels all over the world and have never been disappointed; the brand consistently delivers. This particular one is very new, and the rooms are quite spacious and quiet. We were originally scheduled to check in at 3 PM, but the hotel let us in at 1 PM. Just outside, you'll find the beautiful Sahogawa cherry blossoms. The parking lot is also very spacious and convenient, costing 1500 JPY per day with unlimited in-and-out access.
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.
should consider this the best hotel around in nara town. nice environment, and nice service. the breakfsst varieties could have been a little bit more, and that would be wonderful.
A hotel full of history as it has been the chosen venue for important events in Nara. Many celebrities had stayed in this hotel including Albert Einstein. Tried the rice lager at the tea house which is very good tgough some may find it not strong enough. The vicinity is nice. It is within waljing distance of the famous Nara Park. The room is spacious. Shuttle bus service to Nara station is excellent. Very helpful staff. An enjoyable stay indeed!
The quilt in the room is OK, the 6-person room is uncomfortable if someone snores, the bed is not closed and the domestic dormitory is very similar. Then there is a washing machine 220 yen once, there is no dryer, there is a toilet, you have to wear the hotel shoes in and out, the shoes are really not good, and then the towels and toothbrushes must be bought separately. There is a kettle, the refrigerator can eat and cook something, and there is a locker to order in advance.
Facilities: The hotel facilities are extremely clean.
Hygiene: Both the room and the hotel lobby are very clean.
Service: The service attitude is excellent, and the hotel receptionist speaks Chinese.
Environment: The surrounding environment is particularly good, close to Nara Park.
This got to be one of the best rappers i had ever been to, (besides a few really high end resort in Bali). This resort service is impeccable. The kaiseki dinner is really delicious. The Garden is so well curated that it can compete with some of the shrine garden. And last but not least the onsen is truly relaxing and beautiful. One tip, is it place the herbal pack into the onsen early. It takes 6 hours for it to fully diffuse into the onsen.
Hotel location is very close to Bamu Station, five minutes walk, typical island business hotel, the room is not big, more hygienic. The hotel is not luxurious and suitable for business travel.
GGuest UserFacilities: The hotel facilities are extremely clean.
Hygiene: Both the room and the hotel lobby are very clean.
Service: The service attitude is excellent, and the hotel receptionist speaks Chinese.
Environment: The surrounding environment is particularly good, close to Nara Park.
LloydI've stayed at Novotel hotels all over the world and have never been disappointed; the brand consistently delivers. This particular one is very new, and the rooms are quite spacious and quiet. We were originally scheduled to check in at 3 PM, but the hotel let us in at 1 PM. Just outside, you'll find the beautiful Sahogawa cherry blossoms. The parking lot is also very spacious and convenient, costing 1500 JPY per day with unlimited in-and-out access.
EeddiehappyA hotel full of history as it has been the chosen venue for important events in Nara. Many celebrities had stayed in this hotel including Albert Einstein. Tried the rice lager at the tea house which is very good tgough some may find it not strong enough. The vicinity is nice. It is within waljing distance of the famous Nara Park. The room is spacious. Shuttle bus service to Nara station is excellent. Very helpful staff. An enjoyable stay indeed!
ZZhi YiThis got to be one of the best rappers i had ever been to, (besides a few really high end resort in Bali). This resort service is impeccable. The kaiseki dinner is really delicious. The Garden is so well curated that it can compete with some of the shrine garden. And last but not least the onsen is truly relaxing and beautiful. One tip, is it place the herbal pack into the onsen early. It takes 6 hours for it to fully diffuse into the onsen.
DDuhuiThe quilt in the room is OK, the 6-person room is uncomfortable if someone snores, the bed is not closed and the domestic dormitory is very similar. Then there is a washing machine 220 yen once, there is no dryer, there is a toilet, you have to wear the hotel shoes in and out, the shoes are really not good, and then the towels and toothbrushes must be bought separately. There is a kettle, the refrigerator can eat and cook something, and there is a locker to order in advance.
GGC_ESshould consider this the best hotel around in nara town. nice environment, and nice service. the breakfsst varieties could have been a little bit more, and that would be wonderful.
GGuest UserI did a one night stay and 2 nights before I go, I called the owner to request him to add breakfast and dinner to my booking. He mentioned that he could fix something simple if I didn't mind as his wife would be busy. He offered to pick me up from Shimoichiguchi station when he knew I was going by train. After picking me up, he brought me to a famous temple on the way. It was not somewhere I could visit without driving so I was appreciative. He explained that the house was left behind by his mother and he decided to convert it to a guesthouse last year. There is a famous shrine with a Noh stage within 10 mins walk from the guesthouse and I went there twice as there was a procession at 8am the next morning. There is also Amano river where waters are clear and fishermen can be seen occasionally. Dinner will eventually still prepared by the owner's wife. Food was fresh and delicious. I had beef stew with whole grain rice and several side dishes from the town. As the nearby onsen was closed until June, I decided to visit Dorogawa onsen during checkout. The owner offered to drive me there at no charges. The guesthouse was tastefully converted from a 2 century old house with a nice fusion of new and old. Guests could use the living area with stove heating, bar counter, bathroom and toilets. There are only 2 bedrooms so chances are, you can get some peaceful relaxation. The owner speaks limited English but he uses an electronic pocket tool to help him communicate with overseas guest. His room rates are very very reasonable and he and his wife are both very kind and friendly. They really go all out to make your stay pleasant so give the guesthouse a try. The owner heard I wanted to see stars though I told him I did not expect to since the weather forecast was cloudy. He checked the skies at 9pm and told me that some stars could be seen and took me to a dark stargazing spot nearby. I was happy as I managed to take some decent photos.
GGuest UserWe 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.
11180957907Hotel location is very close to Bamu Station, five minutes walk, typical island business hotel, the room is not big, more hygienic. The hotel is not luxurious and suitable for business travel.
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