Mikasa Ryokan

Great view, facilities, breakfast and dinner.

Fantastic staff, fantastic food. The onsen was lovely.

Such a relaxing authentic ryokan. View over Nara was stunning and meals were delicious

Lovely place to stay and the staff were very accommodating.

Great first Ryokan experience. We booked a room with a private bath, which is splendid!

Beautiful view of Nara especially at night. Service was amazing. I wish I checked in earlier so I could have enjoyed even more time there haha!

This is a very special ryokan offering in that 1) it’s just inside the park gates, 2) some of the nicest Japanese traditions are honored here, 3) you can get your own open air bath that overlooks a private garden. I have no idea why others would not give this 5 stars unless they reserved the wrong type of room. Their gift shop also has wonderful things that are easy to pack to bring back for the folks at home.

The first thing I have to say is the staff was excellent. They could not have been nicer. The reason I gave it only four stars was we simply did not enjoy sleeping on the floor OR the options for breakfast. Communication was a bit lacking too, but that was partly the language barrier. Also, although we enjoyed the ryokan experience, we won't do it again. Dinner was awesome, prepared in our room, traditional Japanese fare, mainly sushi, soup, salad, etc. A LOT OF FOOD! The room was small, though, and the futons on the floor were not comfortable at all. I think we just prefer western style hotels, and that is not their fault.

This is was my first ryokan stay and also my first time both in Japan and solo traveling. I can whole heartedly say that while the staff, food, and overall room was nice - this is NOT worth the price. I spent $327.72 for ONE NIGHT at this ryokan a half board for dinner. ALSO would like to note the receipt cost, so via Expedia it was: $340.49 $77.66 in taxes (which is insane), but I used $90.43 in rewards cash I had from a large group trip I booked with friends for spring break in the past. That means that the actual cost for a SINGLE NIGHT would have been $418.15 via Expedia, which is INSANE. I’m staying one night at a ryokan in Kobe the next night and it also has a half board and that only costs $237.11 and my checkout time is noon! Cons: #1 con is the insane cost which does not feel justified for what is provided, I mean for three nights sure, but ONE night, no chance. #2 is that we’re at the top of a mountain where you need a shuttle via the ryokan to get to the actual ryokan entrance, you’re kind of just stuck in the ryokan the whole day - so all I could do besides go on my phone was watch the TV. While the half board was a unique multi course meal, I still do not feel justified in the total price for a single night. Overall, I want to note again that the staff were super nice and helpful and the food was good, BUT I cannot recommend anyone stay here unless you just have money to burn. I’m sure you can find other ryokans for a better price w/better location

Had the best time. Was treated great and verry polite place. Personal room Onsen was great. Would love to return.

Perfect! Extremely clean and the service was excellent! Loved the public bath.

The service was great and really appreciated the transport service from the station to the property. The only thing is the property is a bit dated and could use an uplift soon

What a lovely stay. We had great service, delicious food, and a wonderful overall experience. It was a restful getaway to the mountains with a private onsen just for us. The patio onsen had a beautiful view of a well-cared garden and was a very nice place to pass the time. There isn't much else to do directly at the hotel unless you take a bus or taxi into Nara, but that really forced us to let go and relax.

Overall, this place is a great option if you're looking for a peaceful and relaxing stay. The surroundings are calm and serene. However, I did notice that the hotel facilities seemed a bit outdated. Although there were some updated amenities, I also noticed some black mold around the vents in the Rykon. The staff member who checked us in and served our private dining was exceptional.

It was such a nice experience. We loved the onsen.

The free bus shuttle service from Kintetsu-Nara was extremely useful. They also let us check in luggage early. This was my first time at a Onsen. My wife and I really enjoyed it! I definitely recommend having both the dinner and the breakfast, the spread is very pretty and delicious. I definitely recommend picking up a few Japanese phrases or words, but if you are patient and observe their diagrams their system and rules are pretty easy to learn. We had a room with a private bath as well, which was really enjoyable to use. All in all, it was a wonderful first experience. Be aware that the location is kind of in the mountains, so there is an element of the outdoors that you should be conscious of. They also have a bar that they host in the lobby in the evening with simple cocktails. The night view is great, it's quiet for a great honeymoon. We'd love to stay again :)

I absolutely LOVED my stay at Mikasa Ryokan. Everything from the service pre-arrival to the check out was flawless. Upon arrival in Nara, they held onto my bags so that I could explore uninhibited. They provided a shuttle with multiple departure times to the hotel to choose. I rented a bicycle and explored Nara for a few hours. The ride from the station to hotel took less than 10 minutes, and all my bags loaded up for me. I was greeted with multiple smiles, given a welcome matcha, and was guided to choose my Yukata after 1:1 discussion planning my dinner, breakfast and next day shuttle. I was even told where Sakura Blossoms were just coming into view. The room with open air bath was incredible. Room was large, clean and so relaxing. Had wonderful views of the skyline and peach / sakura blossoms. Dinner was also incredible. As I stayed two nights I had different meals for both days, including breakfast. I’m usually very weird eating fish but the meal was amazing. I was guided on how to eat and in what order and tried everything once! The second dinner was beef, and eating in private room was also a beautiful experience. The hot spring baths were clean and never cluttered or loud. There was a late night bar and vending machines for drinks for when the bar closed. I will never forget my incredible experience! Thank you to all the staff who contributed to making my visit the best it could be

Location is an nice remote spot!

Elegant, professional, transforming. Wow.

Wife and I stayed one night here to get away from the busy life of Tokyo and Osaka and this was an absolute treat. The ryokan was peaceful, clean and very relaxing. The staff all greet you upon arrival and your dedicated staff member takes care of everything up until you go into your room. You are then given instructions and are able to ask any outstanding questions. Our stay included dinner and breakfast which is a must. The course meals were absolutely amazing, and once done, we went to our rooms to use our private bath. I cannot say enough great things about this place! The only thing to keep in mind is that getting to the ryokan can be a bit tricky. Once you get to the Kintetsu-Nara station, the office is across the street and clearly says "Mikasa Ryokan". You go in there and ask the shuttle times, which you can go on even if you do not reserve it, though space might be tight. You can also drop off your luggage to roam around Nara, but you need to let them know when you will board the shuttle, so it will go with you to the hotel. Be aware that the shuttle has LIMITED times it runs, but there is a taxi spot at the train station you can use if the shuttle is not in service. Overall, we absolutely loved this ryokan and plan to make it a regular stay when in Nara!