Editorial scores for the three factors that decide an anniversary here, from an overall 9.6 of 10 across our six criteria (Romance, Service, Setting, Design, Food and Value, where Setting is held back only by the distance from the central sights). Method at our methodology page. Affiliate disclosure: booking links may earn us a commission at no extra cost to you, and never change our verdict.
Why is Aman Kyoto a top anniversary choice?
Aman Kyoto answers a specific question, which is how to spend an anniversary in Kyoto without spending it in the crowds. The resort sits inside a private forest garden in the Takagamine district in the north of the city, on grounds that once belonged to a textile and art community, and the approach alone, along a mossy path under tall cedars, does most of the work of leaving the world behind. Kerry Hill Architects, the Singapore studio behind many of the group\'s most restrained buildings, set low pavilions of dark timber and stone among the trees, with full height glass that turns the forest and the changing seasons into the decoration. There is almost no ornament and very little noise, and that is the point.
The case for a milestone rests on three things that the resort does quietly and well. The setting delivers genuine seclusion within a short drive of one of the most visited cities in the world. The Aman Spa is built around a natural hot spring that rises on the property, so a long soak is part of the architecture rather than a booking. And the service runs at the calm, anticipatory level that the brand is known for, without ceremony. For a couple who want their anniversary to feel like a retreat, that combination is hard to match in Kyoto.
What are the rooms and pavilions like?
Expect calm rather than opulence. The rooms and suites are ryokan-inspired, with tatami textures, low furniture, deep soaking tubs and full height windows onto the forest, finished in the same dark timber and stone as the rest of the resort. Space is generous and the materials are quietly expensive, but the mood is minimalist, so a couple hoping for gilt and chandeliers should set their expectations to a modern reading of a Japanese inn instead. The larger suites and the standalone pavilions give you the most room and the best of the forest views, and some come with a private onsen, which for an anniversary is worth the step up.
One honest clarification is that the restraint is real. The palette is dark and natural, mornings are about mist in the trees rather than a skyline, and the resort asks you to slow down. Most couples find that deeply romantic; a few find it austere. If your idea of a celebration is a bright, buzzy room over a famous view, this is not that hotel, and that is a feature rather than a fault.
Book a room or pavilion with a private onsen and ask for a slot at Taka-An early, because the kaiseki room is small and fills first at the seasonal peaks. Leave one morning completely free to walk the garden paths before breakfast, when the moss is wet and the resort is at its quietest, and let the concierge arrange a car for the temples rather than relying on taxis from the hill.
What is the dining like?
Dining is small in scale and serious in intent. The flagship is Taka-An, which serves Japanese kaiseki built around Kyoto produce and the turning of the seasons, the kind of long, quiet dinner that suits the setting and makes a natural centrepiece for an anniversary. Alongside it, The Living Pavilion serves a mix of Western and local dishes through the day, from breakfast to a relaxed dinner, so a stay never depends on leaving the forest for a meal. Neither room is showy, which is in keeping with a resort that treats calm as the luxury.
What about the spa and the grounds?
The Aman Spa is the daytime heart of the resort and a genuine reason to book rather than an afterthought. It is built around a natural mineral hot spring that rises on the property, feeding the bathing pavilions, and the treatments use that same water. Outside, the grounds are the other headline, a wooded valley of gardens, streams and moss laid out among cedars, with paths that reward an early, unhurried walk. The one thing to accept is that the resort is a retreat first and a base for sightseeing second, which shapes who should book it.
Signature amenities
In a forest in northern Kyoto
Takagamine district, northern Kyoto · about 30 minutes by car from Kyoto Station
What is nearby
- Kinkaku-ji
Golden PavilionShort drive - Genko-an & Koto-in
Northern templesNearby - Central Kyoto sights
Gion, Nijo, markets20 to 30 min - Kyoto Station
Shinkansen30 min by car
The forest, the pavilions, the onsen
Resort
Room
SpaHow does it compare with central Kyoto hotels?
The choice in Kyoto comes down to seclusion against access. Aman Kyoto is the retreat, a forest resort with an onsen that asks you to slow down and drive to the sights. The central five stars are the opposite trade. Park Hyatt Kyoto puts you in the historic Higashiyama district, steps from Kiyomizu-dera and the lantern-lit lanes. Four Seasons Hotel Kyoto wraps a modern hotel around an eight hundred year old pond garden nearer the temples of the east. And the group\'s own Aman Tokyo offers the same brand calm as a soaring city tower rather than a forest. For an anniversary built on quiet, Aman Kyoto wins; for one built on walking out into the city, one of the central hotels will suit you better.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Aman Kyoto and how far is it from Kyoto Station?
Aman Kyoto sits in a private forest garden in the Takagamine district in the north of the city, at the foot of the Hidari Daimonji hill. It is roughly a thirty minute drive from Kyoto Station, which trades easy access to the central sights for near total seclusion and quiet.
Who designed Aman Kyoto and when did it open?
The resort was designed by the Singapore studio Kerry Hill Architects and opened in 2019. The architecture draws on the Japanese ryokan and the surrounding forest, with dark timber, stone and full height glass framing the trees and moss gardens.
Does Aman Kyoto have a natural hot spring onsen?
Yes. The Aman Spa is built around a natural mineral hot spring that rises on the property, feeding the bathing pavilions, and some suites have their own private onsen. The spring water is the reason the spa is a genuine reason to book rather than an add on.
What are the restaurants at Aman Kyoto?
There are two restaurants. Taka-An serves Japanese kaiseki built around Kyoto produce and the seasons, and The Living Pavilion serves a mix of Western and local dishes through the day. Both are small and calm rather than showy, in keeping with the resort.
Is Aman Kyoto worth it for an anniversary?
For a couple who want silence, forest, an onsen and a kaiseki dinner rather than a city view and a buzzy bar, it is close to ideal, and it ranks third on our Kyoto and anniversary shortlist. Couples who want to walk out of the lobby into temples and restaurants are better served by a central Kyoto hotel.
Other hotels on this list
AnniversaryAman Tokyo
KyotoPark Hyatt Kyoto
Kyoto