Ryokan Tips: What Every Guest Should Know Beforehand
Last Updated on March 27, 2025 by Kay
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If you’re visiting Japan, I highly recommend staying at a ryokan, a traditional Japanese inn.
I’ve lived in Japan for over fifteen years and after all this time, I still absolutely love ryokan.
Unlike hotels, ryokan can only be experienced in Japan. These are perfect places to relax for a night while enjoying meals, dipping in an onsen, and experiencing the epitome of Japanese service.
If you’ve never stayed at a ryokan before, here are essential information and tips that everyone should know before they visit.
Table of Contents
How Much Does a Ryokan Cost?
A ryokan stay ranges from around 15,000 yen to more than 100,000 yen for one night, depending on the type of ryokan, the room, and the meals.
This fee includes dinner and breakfast, so the pricier the meal you select, the more expensive your ryokan stay becomes. This price does not include beverages other than water.
Rooms with private onsen (hot springs) in them are also more expensive than rooms without them.
Payment can typically be done using a credit card when you check out but it’s always important to check with the ryokan (on their website or by contacting them) beforehand, especially if you’re staying at a small ryokan in the deep countryside. There are still some businesses in Japan that only accept cash, and you don’t want to be stuck without it!
How Many Nights to Stay at a Ryokan?
People in Japan typically stay only one night in a ryokan.
Why? Because meals are included and tend to be the same.
If you don’t mind having the same thing for dinner and breakfast, then absolutely stay for two nights or more at a ryokan.
Some ryokan also offer different dinner meal plans. For instance, you can choose from a wagyu yakiniku dinner or shabu shabu. You’ll need to choose the dinner plan when you book the ryokan and might need to make separate reservations for each night.
When is the Best Season to Stay at a Ryokan?
You can stay any time of year but the best time to enjoy onsen at a ryokan is winter.
Tips for Staying at a Ryokan: What to Know Before You Go
Here are my must-know tips that everyone should know before staying at a ryokan.
Arrive at Check-In
Check-in at ryokan typically runs from around 2-3 PM, depending on the ryokan.
If the ryokan you’re staying at has onsen, I highly recommend arriving right at check-in so that you can get the full experience. This way you can enjoy the onsen and relax in your room before dinner.
Another reason to check in as early as possible is so that you have more options when it comes to breakfast and dinner times, because other guests who check in before you might take all the good spots!
Know Dinner and Breakfast Times
When you check in, you’ll be asked what time you’ll want dinner and breakfast. These times are fixed, which can be a little annoying for those who want more flexibility.
Typically, dinner times at ryokan range from 6 PM to 8 PM while breakfast times start from 7 AM to 8 AM.
Depending on the ryokan, dinner and breakfast will either be in your room or in the ryokan’s restaurant.
If you are having breakfast in your room, you’ll need to get up around 30 minutes before your designated breakfast time so that the staff have time to put your bedding away. (More on that later.)
If you want to enjoy some drinks with your dinner, it will come at an additional charge. You’ll typically be given a menu and asked to select a drink. It’s not mandatory to purchase a drink, though, there’s nothing wrong with simply enjoying the free water in the room.
Do Not Wear Your Shoes in the Room
Ryokan rooms are in a traditional Japanese style. They have tatami flooring that can be easily damaged (so please don’t roll your suitcase on it, carry it if possible, because you will damage it). This is why you cannot wear shoes in the room.
Most ryokan require you to remove your shoes at the entrance of the ryokan although some will have you take off your shoes at the entrance of your room. Don’t worry if you don’t know exactly where to take your shoes off, the staff will tell you what to do.
Once you’re inside your room, take off your slippers in the entryway before stepping up onto the tatami.
Wear Slippers in the Ryokan
You’ll likely be given slippers to wear while you’re walking in the ryokan. Depending on the ryokan, the slippers will either be given to you at the entrance of the ryokan or you’ll find them in your room.
Children sometimes get slippers, although when my daughter was a toddler, it was very hard for her to keep the slippers on so she just stayed in her socks or was barefoot.
Expect to Sleep on Futon
The bedding in ryokan is futon, meaning you sleep on a futon mattress on the floor.
When you first enter your room, you won’t see any bedding. This is because the bedding is kept in a closet called oshiire (押入れ).
The bedding will be put out by the staff either while you’re having dinner (if you’re having your meal in the ryokan’s restaurant) or after dinner if your meal is served in your room.
Similarly, the bedding will be put away while you’re having breakfast in the restaurant or before breakfast is served in your room.
Know How to Wear Yukata
It is so important to know how to properly wear yukata. This is because if you wear it the wrong way, you’re basically dressed like the deceased!
The left side of the yukata should be on top, as illustrated on my daughter below.
Secure the yukata using a belt called an obi. You don’t need to do anything fancy in terms of tying it; simply make a bow at the front or back.
You can also wear a jacket on top of the yukata, which is called a haoori. (The photo below featuring my daughter in a haoori is from the ryokan Musouen, which I will talk about later in this article.)
Wear your underwear underneath your yukata as well as a t-shirt or tank top.
People tend to sleep in yukata, so consider these your pajamas for the night! Make sure to take off the jacket (haoori) before you sleep.
Know Onsen Etiquette
Most, if not all, ryokan have a public onsen.
These onsen are shared with other guests and have set operating hours.
The onsen are separated by gender, which you can tell by looking at the color of the noren, a Japanese curtain. Blue is for men and red is for women.
Sometimes the noren is the same color, but there will be a sign stating which onsen is for men (男) and which is for women (女).
Note that some ryokan switch the onsen in the morning and evening. For instance, Onsen A will be for
In terms of etiquette, many public onsen do not allow people with tattoos to use the facilities. This isn’t a problem if you have a tattoo that can be covered with a Band-Aid, though.
I have a small tattoo on my back and in my fifteen years of living in Japan, I’ve only been questioned about it once by staff. They were nice about it and told me to put a bandage on it the next time I used the onsen.
Take off your shoes before going into the changing room.
Swimsuits are not allowed in the onsen. You need to be completely naked.
Do not take photos inside the onsen, even if no one is there. I say this because if someone happens to catch you doing this, you might be asked to leave. Not to mention it makes foreigners in Japan look bad!
After taking off all your clothes and putting them in a locker, take the small towel with you so that you can use it to dry yourself off when you’re done soaking in the onsen. I like to tie the towel on my head like a hairband so that I don’t have to worry about it.
Wash your body before getting into the onsen. You don’t need to wash your hair if you tie it up.
Do not put your hair in the onsen or the small towel given to you by the ryokan.
After soaking in the onsen, you can wash your body again. Dry yourself with the small towel so you don’t drip all over the changing room. Then finish off drying with the larger towel.
Feel free to use the makeup remover, dryer, etc., in the changing room.
If you have kids, read this article about taking kids to an onsen. This article also covers everything you need to know about visiting an onsen as a woman (ie, periods).
Some ryokan also have private onsen that you can rent by the hour, so if you don’t quite have the funds to splurge on a room with a private onsen, consider staying at an onsen with rental private onsen.
Do Not Leave a Tip
Japan is not a tipping culture and you do not need to leave a tip. My husband is Japanese, born and raised in Japan, and he has never left a tip anywhere at any time.
You might be chased by staff or contacted when you leave if you leave a tip, so it’s just causing trouble for the ryokan staff if anything.
My Top 3 Ryokan
I’ve stayed at numerous ryokan in Japan so I thought I would share my top three that every visitor to Japan should consider staying at.
These aren’t in any particular order since they’re located throughout Japan and each have their own uniqueness that set them apart from other ryokan.
Ubuya (Fuji Kawaguchiko, Yamanashi)
If you’re visiting Tokyo, consider taking two days to stay at Ubuya.
Ubuya was one of the nicest ryokan we ever stayed at — the stunning and modern room has a private onsen and has the perfect view of Mount Fuji! I felt like I was in a beautiful dream.
This ryokan is very popular, which means you need to make reservations months in advance to snag a room.
Hamanoyu (Izu Peninsula, Shizuoka)
Another destination worth venturing out of Tokyo for is the Izu Peninsula in Shizuoka, especially in February because you can see early-blooming cherry blossom trees called kawazuzakura.
I stayed at Hamanoyu for my babymoon with my husband and absolutely loved the food, the room, and the stunning ocean view from our private onsen.
Yama no Hotel Musouen (Yufuin, Oita)
This ryokan is located in Yufuin, a lovely onsen town in Oita Prefecture.
Staying at Musouen makes you feel like you’re in a dreamy little village, complete with several private onsen throughout the premises that guests can use without having to pay an additional fee, including open-air ones.
The massive public onsen is absolutely stunning, with the perfect view of Mount Yufu. (No picture here because you shouldn’t take photos of shared onsen, so check out this page to see for yourself.)
Musouen’s food is also nothing short of spectacular. Each dish in their course meals is unbelievably delicious and just the right amount, so you don’t feel overly full.