Most importantly of all, Japan & Kyoto is very gay friendly, especially for foreigners. There are plenty of Gay Friendly Hotels Kyoto.
Homosexuality is legal in Japan. There are no explicit religious prohibitions against homosexuality in the traditional religion of Japan, Shintoism, or in the imported religions of Buddhism (see “Buddhism and sexual orientation”) or Confucianism.
Kyoto, once the capital of Japan, is a city on the island of Honshu. It’s famous for its numerous classical Buddhist temples, as well as gardens, imperial palaces, Shinto shrines and traditional wooden houses. It’s also known for formal traditions such as kaiseki dining, consisting of multiple courses of precise dishes, and geisha, female entertainers often found in the Gion district.
Kyoto is a very comfortable place for gay and lesbian travelers with a few places to hang out in the evening for a drink or two.
Top attractions to visit in Kyoto
Kyoto Day Tours
It’s the cultural and historical heart of the country. It’s the best place in all Japan to experience traditional temples, shrines, gardens, geisha, shops, restaurants and festivals. In short, Kyoto is the most rewarding destination in all of Japan and it should be at the top of any Japan travel itinerary.
- Hidden Kyoto E-Biking tour
- Kyoto Virtual Tour
- 5 Top Highlights of Kyoto with Kyoto Bike Tour
- Samurai School in Kyoto: Samurai for a Day
- Kyoto Cultural Forest, Shrine and Temple Tour with Options
1. Kyomachiya Ryokan Sakura Urushitei 3* – LGBT Friendly
Ryokan in Kyoto
Situated a 10-minute walk from lively Kawaramachi area, Kyomachiya Ryokan Sakura Urushitei offers Japanese-style accommodation with modern and design. It provides a tour desk and a bar on the ground floor. Free WiFi is available in all areas.
The ryokan is located within a 10-minute walk from Gojo, Shijo or Kawaramachi stations. JR is a 5-minute subway ride away.
Fitted with a relaxing ambience, all rooms come with air conditioning, a fridge and an electric kettle. The private bathroom has a hairdryer and free toiletries.
See why so many travelers make Kyomachiya Ryokan Sakura Urushitei their ryokan of choice when visiting Shimogyo. Providing an ideal mix of value, comfort and convenience, it offers a family-friendly setting with an array of amenities designed for travelers like you.
Rooms at Kyomachiya Ryokan Sakura Urushitei offer air conditioning, a refrigerator, and a desk providing exceptional comfort and convenience, and guests can go online with free wifi.
A 24 hour front desk and baggage storage are some of the conveniences offered at this ryokan. A hot tub and a lounge will also help to make your stay even more special.
For those interested in checking out popular landmarks while visiting Shimogyo, Kyomachiya Ryokan Sakura Urushitei is located a short distance from Ichihime Shrine (0.4 mi) and Ayako Tenmangu Shrine (0.5 mi).
While in Shimogyo, you may want to check out some of the restaurants that are a short walk away from Kyomachiya Ryokan Sakura Urushitei, including Donguri Shijokarasuma (0.8 mi), Kura Kura (0.7 mi), and Nakamura Tokichi Kyoto Station (1.1 mi).
Should time allow, Bukoji and Shimabara Wachigaiya are some popular attractions that are within walking distance.
We’re sure you’ll enjoy your stay at Kyomachiya Ryokan Sakura Urushitei as you experience all of the things Shimogyo has to offer.
Location of the hotel is excellent. It’s a 20-30 minute walk from Kyoto station depending on how quick you are. There are a couple of subway stations nearby so we chose to take a two stop subway trip from Kyoto which puts you within 5-8 mins walk of the hotel. Much less hassle if you have luggage.
Once there, you are within walking distance of the delights of central Kyoto. Gion, Shinjo St, Higashiyama, Nishiki Food Market and Kamogawa River are all close by, not to mention the shrines and temples.
They offer Japanese or Western breakfast that you can book a day in advance. Between us we tried both and they were very tasty. The service was efficient too.
This hotel is centrally located within walking distance of Nigishi market in Kyoto. You can buy a local all day bus pass from the hotel reception which is easy to use and worth the cost. The staff are extremely helpful and friendly and the hotel has a handy elevator.
The rooms are comfortable – although the walls are very thin (to be expected in Japan) and it tended to be noisy, particularly in the mornings. It has a small bar and breakfast can be provided if required. The outstanding points in my opinion were the friendliness of the staff and the location.
This is a ryokan experience, so it emphasizes simple, spare, and somewhat ascetic accommodations. This means no TV, no shoes in the room, and hard sleeping surfaces (we had both the Western and Japanese style rooms and the futon mattresses and pillows are very, very firm). It also means attractive accommodations with a clean aesthetic, and relative peace and calm, even though the establishment seems to be on one of the busier streets of Kyoto (relatively speaking; from my US standpoint, it wasn’t very busy at all).
The rooms are a good size, very clean, and efficiently furnished. The bathrooms are very comfortable, and you can book time in their private bath if you want some quiet time in a sauna-like environment. It’s 500 yen for a 40 minute session, which is just about perfect. They have amenities at the front desk for whatever you need. If you need medicine, there’s a 24 hour drug store near the subway on Karasuma Dori. If you need an ATM, there’s one at the Lawson’s on the next block.
The beds, as I mentioned, are very firm. They’re too firm for me, personally, and I felt bruised after sleeping on them, but this is a preference issue. The walls are fairly thin, so you can hear hallway noise and the outside if it’s loud, but that is part of the older style experience of inns.
The breakfast is nice – the Japanese breakfast we had consisted of a very respectable and tasty salmon with a bunch of sides. You can also opt for the Western-style bakery about 200 meters away (very good and inexpensive), and also grab cheap goodies at the Lawson’s the next block over, which we did a good deal. There is a very good ramen spot about 300m away, a good “sports bar” that serves very respectable okonomiyaki and other stuff about the same distance, and a few other random restaurants (including a place that serves crepes) if you want a quick bite and don’t want to travel far. There’s also a fantastic knife shop (Hayakawa Hamonoten) a couple blocks away.
The staff is very warm and friendly. They speak English well enough to be very helpful – I didn’t encounter any communication issues whatsoever. They’ll bend over backward to help make your experience as enjoyable as possible.
How much does a room costs at Kyomachiya Ryokan Sakura Urushitei Kyoto?
Prices start 156 $/night for Japanese-Style Standard Room. The Japanese-Style Superior Room
is 170$/room per night with breakfast included – if coming on a honeymoon this is the perfect choice for gay couples.
Features tatami (woven-straw) flooring and traditional futon bedding.
Where to book online – Kyomachiya Ryokan Sakura Urushitei – Gay Friendly Hotels Kyoto – you can find the best hotels deals in Kyoto during Gion Festival in Kyoto which is celebrated with much enthusiasm in Kyoto on Booking.com and Trip.com and see more reviews on TripAdvisor.
2. Hotel Granvia Kyoto 5* – Gay Friendly Hotels Kyoto
Ideally within , Hotel boasts an indoor swimming pool, a fitness centre and 9 dining options. The hotel offers with chic décor and modern facilities. Free WiFi is provided throughout the property.
Rooms have windows and are fitted with an LCD TV, extra-long beds and a bathroom. A minibar and an electric kettle are provided.
Guests at the Granvia can relax in the steam room or the hot tub. The hotel features over 1000 art works. It is close to Kyoto Station’s shopping mall and museum. Extra charges apply to use the swimming pool and fitness centre.
Cafe Restaurant Le Temps serves light dishes and a range of restaurants offer Japanese specialities. Granvia Hotel features a bar and provides in-room dining until midnight.
The room is very spacious and clean, but the downside is that there is not enough powerpoint and no usb plug in the room.
The advantages of this hotel, is their location, its located on the stop of kyoto station. Its make easier for us to catch JR Line, Subway and also bus.
Shopping mall, 7 eleven and restaurant also in the walking distance, so its very convenient if you want any food or snack.
Very convenient location above the Kyoto train and bus station, stylishly appointed with the expected competent and helpful staff, but with a major problem for non-smokers: smoking rooms are mixed indiscriminately with non-smoking ones, resulting in corridors that reek of smoke as you are walking to your non-smoking one. Management needs to segregate smokers by entire floors, a very obvious solution perfectly understood elsewhere.
The location is great since it’s in the Kyoto station. It’s convenient to take JR, Shinkansen, and Kintetsu Railway. There are many good restaurants in and near the station/hotel. It is also a good place for shopping, too, since there is a Isetan department store and the Porta underground shopping mall that has numerous shops and restaurants.
Our room came with its own kitchen, lounge space, separate shower and bath and the most incredible views over the City. There is even a balcony for the faint-hearted! The style of the room is Japanese inspired with sliding doors and neutral tones.
While this Hotel is large, there are enough amenities to cater for the number of rooms. There is a decent-sized indoor pool, fitness centre and a number of dining options. With the room that we booked, we had access to the Club Lounge which serves a number of snacks and drinks throughout the day.
Also, in terms of location, you cannot do better! It is right above the train station. We would only need 5 minutes to get from our room and to one of the station platforms. Due to the close proximity of the train station, there are also a number of good restaurants in the area.
Would highly recommend to anyone coming to Kyoto.
How much does a room costs at Hotel Granvia Kyoto?
Prices start 232 $/night for Standard Queen Room. The Superior Double Room – Non-Smoking
is 355$/room per night with breakfast included – if coming on a honeymoon this is the perfect choice for gay couples.
This double room has air conditioning, soundproofing and electric kettle.
Where to book online – Hotel Granvia Kyoto- Gay Friendly Hotels Kyoto– you can find the best hotels deals in Kyoto during Gion Festivalin Kyoto which is celebrated with much enthusiasm in Kyoto on Booking.com and Trip.com and see more reviews on TripAdvisor.
3. Kyoto Tokyu Hotel 4* – Gay Friendly Hotels Kyoto
Just 5 minutes from Kyoto Station on the free shuttle, Kyoto Tokyu Hotel features 3 restaurants, a bar and a fitness gym. The modern rooms have Tempur comfort pillows and a satellite LCD TV. Free WiFi is available throughout the property.
You can kick back with a drink from the minibar or have a hot soak in the private bath. All rooms are air-conditioned and include a fridge and an electric kettle. Guests are entitled to complimentary access to the on-site fitness centre. All guest rooms are non-smoking, while there is a designated smoking area on site.
World Heritage site Nishi Honganji Temple is just a 5-minute walk away. The Gion area and Kiyomizu-dera Temple are a 15 minute taxi ride.
The hotel’s contemporary interpretation of traditional Kyoto values has earned the Kyoto Scenic Beauty Award, as well as the BCS Awards for excellence in modern architecture. From the impressive main entrance, and the courtyard water feature recreating the simple purity of the city’s Horikawa River, the atmosphere of quiet composure communicates a sense of calm and relaxation to every guest.
Super modern, apparently new, 400+ Rooms, in Shimogyo Ward on one of the City’s main arterial Roads running Nth/Sth, it proved quite a good convenient location – regular Taxi rank right outside, Free Courtesy Bus service to main Station only a few blocks away (10 mins). Walkable to many of City Centre’s Restaurants & Bars.
Super convenient for the Ryukokuzan Hongan-ji (Buddhist Temple) and the many buses that ran up said main Road right outside.
The room was super large with comfortable beds and lovely amenities. We had access to a free mobile phone to take with us for the duration of our time there. In addition, we could access a private room that provided free coffee and tea with delightful snacks from morning to the evening. The free shuttle bus was handy for dropping us to and from Kyoto Station.
The hotel room is spacious for Japan. The rate is reasonable. It is located in an area where you need to walk a distance for public transportation We took a taxi or walked approximately 30 minutes to sites or public transit. The room was cleaned well and the service was excellent.
Breakfast gets very busy but there is a wide choice of Japanese and Western dishes. There are several dining options for the evening if you cannot be bothered to go out. The main dining area (where the breakfast is served) had a good food choice, the tempura restaurant was very good although rather expensive and there is also a Chinese restaurant which we did not get to.
The regular shuttle to Kyoto station (3-4 per hour I believe) was welcome and convenient for my tourist needs. (Shop at the gift store by the lobby if you have time to kill; it’s surprisingly well-curated.) As for the free breakfast–go for the traditional Japanese over the western buffet. It did not disappoint, and offered diverse, delicious morsels with a bowl of either rice or rice porridge.
This is a modern hotel with a lovely central water feature complete with waterfall. It is in a perfect location a short way from the station and within walking distance of many of Kyoto’s attractions assuming you are fairly fit. We managed to visit the Imperial Palace and most major temples on foot. The Higashi-Honganji Temple is less than a 5 minute walk away and is well worth a visit.
Our bedroom was on the small side (but this is true of most Japanese hotels) but we easily managed to unpack our suitcases thanks to 4 deep drawers and some hanging space. The double bed was exceptionally comfortable throughout our three night stay. The bathroom was a bit odd because it was a sort of ‘capsule’ (but we did come across this in another hotel later during our trip), as a result you had to step up into it and the door opened outwards. There was also a bit less headroom if you’re tall.
Breakfast offered a massive choice but some of the items were not the best quality, obviously trying to cater for everyone but not managing to excel in some areas. That said the freshly prepared omelettes were delicious.
For dinner we found that there were a wide range of restaurants in the station offering a range of cuisines although we stayed with Japanese. There is an American style restaurant directly opposite serving breakfast, lunch and dinner for a reasonable price if you prefer western food.
How much does a room costs at Kyoto Tokyu Hotel?
Prices start 133 $/night for Standard Double Room with Fitness Center Access. The Superior King Room with Fitness Center Access is 234$/room per night with breakfast included – if coming on a honeymoon this is the perfect choice for gay couples.
Located on floors 5-6, rooms include special toiletries, a Simmons mattress, and free WiFi. All rooms are air-conditioned and have a fridge and an electric kettle. A minibar and an en suite bathtub are included.
Where to book online – Kyoto Tokyu Hotel – Gay Friendly Hotels Kyoto– you can find the best hotels deals in Kyoto during Gion Festival in Kyoto which is celebrated with much enthusiasm in Kyoto on Booking.com and Trip.com and see more reviews on TripAdvisor.
4. The Millennials Kyoto 2* – Gay Friendly Capsule Kyoto
Just a 5-minute walk from Kyoto Shiyakusho-mae Station, The Millennials Kyoto offers capsule units with modern decor. The property offers free WiFi in all areas and for an additional cost, bicycle rentals are available.
Furnished with the Serta mattresses which can reclines to be a sofa, each minimalist unit features towels, free toiletries and storage space under the bed. Guests can rent pyjamas at an extra charge. The simply designed shared bathroom includes a bath, shower and bath amenities. Some rooms come with a projector which connects to guests’ devices.
Decorated in natural earth tones, the lobby features a workspace and a kitchen with a dining area where guests can relax and socialise. The kitchen includes an electric kettle and toaster. The property also offers a play zone and an on-site bar.
The future of lodging. From the comfortable rooms to the unique sociable concept, this hotel offers a whole new experience. It consists of 20% common facilities, and areas like the workspace, kitchen, play zone, dining area, and the bar can be accessed and used freely 24 hours a day. The sleeping pods are cutting edge installing both perfect comfort and IoT technology. A place to work, play, cook, socialize, or relax, this hotel is not merely an accommodation; It’s a lifestyle Feel free to spend the time you’re not busy exploring in our common facilities and enjoy this new style of hotel.
Truly top-class facilities for reasonable rates. Prime location, barely a minute walk from bus stops and 5-10 mins to key subway stations like Sanjo, Kawaramachi. Shopping malls and streets like Takashimaya, Loft, OPA, Teremachi all within walking distance. Nishiki Market and Pontocho is also nearby.
Even thought it was a “capsule” like space, the bed was spacious. There was enough space to store a 25inch luggage. The common area is just as clean and classy as seen in the photos. My reservation came with a nice daily breakfast consisting of a loaf with spreads, soup, juice and a side dish (up to 3-4 choices) which is more than enough to fill my tummy. There’s also free flow coffee and a beer hour in the evening.
Facilities are impeccable and always very clean. Comes with pretty much everything you’d need. Staff are also super friendly, helpful and speak excellent English.
Do note that it also serves as a co-working space so it has a more chill and peaceful vibe (people do tend to keep to themselves) compared to your usual hostels. However there is no shortage of activities like live music nights and workshops where you can socialise as much as you want.
Location was impeccable. Kawaramachi Sanjo Bus Stop just a few steps from the hotel. Walking distance to Nishiki Market, Kamogawa River (lovely place for a stroll), Gion. Plenty of food options. Cleanliness was good. You can tell they invested in high quality materials throughout the hostel. There’s also a co-working space at the reception area. The Millennials team were very helpful and friendly. So yeap, definitely a place to consider if you’re making a trip to Kyoto.
Nestle in the heart of Kyoto lies a bunch that’s tucked away from the hustle and bustle of Kyoto. Strategically located in the midst of all the ongoings in Kyoto lies a quaint, minimalist cool bunc u could ever ask for! There’s nothing average/ normal about this place , you get an iPod for your control capsule- the lights, fan& sofa are all app based , the capsule are one room spaced like a storage unit u can literally change inside & one of the highlights u can change it bed into a sofa or vice versa! The showers are gorgeous , the breakout lounge at the 8 is awesome! Still need to say more?
How much does a room costs at Kyoto Tokyu Hotel?
Prices start 41 $/night for Smart Capsule – Men. The Smart Capsule with a 80 Inch Projection screen – Mixed is 46$/room per night with breakfast included – if coming on a honeymoon this is the perfect choice for gay couples.
Rooms are 3 square metres.
Where to book online – Kyoto Tokyu Hotel – LGBT Friendly Hotels Kyoto– you can find the best hotels deals in Kyoto during Gion Festival in Kyoto which is celebrated with much enthusiasm in Kyoto on Booking.com and Trip.com and see more reviews on TripAdvisor.
5. Auberge AZABU 5* – Gay Friendly Accommodation Kyoto
Attractively situated in the centre of Kyoto, Auberge AZABU features air-conditioned rooms, a restaurant, free WiFi and a bar. Boasting a garden, the ryokan is close to several noted attractions, around 1.3 km from TKP Garden City Kyoto and around 1.9 km from Kyoto International Manga Museum. The property is situated 3.1 km from Samurai Kembu Kyoto and 3.2 km from Nijo Castle.
At the ryokan, rooms include a wardrobe.
A continental breakfast is available each morning at Auberge AZABU.
Everything- all the photos are exactly what you see. The wonderful detail and care for your comfort, is what you get. A true joy to stay and the owners deserve every high accreditation. The most exceptional property for location, comfort, styling and cleanliness (plus wonderful breakfast).
Amazing auberge owned by a lovely husband and wife team who have a strong connection to France. The food was the best food I’ve had in Japan. Was great to get some French food with some Japanese touches to take a break from the Japanese food we’ve been having daily. – Location was very convenient super central – Recently renovated 100 year old building. Super clean, elegant and modern style Ryokan – Food was incredible.
Amazing staff who made us feel very welcome and provided lots of excellent suggestions for our stay, these suggestions allowed us to really make the most of our stay in Kyoto. Relaxing atmosphere with a boutique/luxury, stylish and traditional feel. Super clean and comfy with huge rooms and excellent facilities. Great location for exploring Kyoto. Perfect for gay couples as well.
How much does a room costs at Auberge AZABU?
Prices start 313 $/night for Deluxe Double. The Twin Room with Garden View is 369$/room per night with breakfast included – if coming on a honeymoon this is the perfect choice for gay couples.
This twin room has a garden view and air conditioning.
Only a small dog (up to 7 kg) can be accommodated upon request in this room.
Where to book online – Auberge AZABU – Gay Friendly Hotels Kyoto– you can find the best hotels deals in Kyoto during Gion Festival in Kyoto which is celebrated with much enthusiasm in Kyoto on Booking.com and Trip.com and see more reviews on TripAdvisor.
