I am going to Kyoto for the first time, traveling solo, for three nights. I am currently booked for two nights at The Okura, and one night at Hiiragiya Ryokan. A friend strongly suggested Hiiragaya specifically, but urged me to stay at a Ryokan for all three nights. Hiiragiya had only one night available, which I thought was perfect; I would get to experience one of the best known and highly regarded ryokans, without completely breaking the bank for three days. Additionally, I like to go out at night, to try different restaurants, and to experience just walking around and exploring. I am not sure I want to be eating my dinners alone in my ryokan room every night. On the other hand, it does seem to me that if I am in Kyoto, I should definitely experience what makes it unique instead of staying at a standard 4* hotel.

Are there any nice ryokans that do not require you eat dinner there? If so, aren't you then missing an integral part of the experience? Are there ryokans offering a comparable experience that are not quite as expensive as Hiiragiya; perhaps in the $250-$300 range?

I've stayed at both Hiiragiya and the Okura, and they're both pleasant (though very different) places. I also think that staying just 1 night at Hiiragiya is perfectly reasonable, especially if your are interested in exploring the city. One of the negative aspects of ryokans is that you, the guest, need to arrange your schedule around the ryokan's meal times, and that's not always convenient. Also, especially in the case of Hiiragiya, the meals are so enormous (I stayed for 2 nights) that I did not feel like doing much trotting around town the following days.

One night in a ryokan in Kyoto is more than enough imho.

If you are interested in more options you can see here:

http://www.japaneseguesthouses.com/db/kyoto/index.htm

Aloha!

I'm a single traveler as well - haven't yet stayed in a ryokan with meals but I will on my one night in Miyajima next month. I agree with rizzuto and ht that one night should be sufficient. There are so many places to eat in Kyoto......
Enjoy your trip!

Thank you everyone for the replies. Very helpful. I will stick with my current plan. Sounds like one night at Hiiragiya will be perfect for me.