Best Time to Go to Kyoto

March, April, October, and November are the best 4 months to go to Kyoto for their superb weather: 20℃ on average and rainy periods for about only 10 days. In addition, you can also see Sakura or red maple leaves during the periods.

1. Best Months: March – April, October – November

Advantages: 

Good weather: moderate temperature, low rainfall, and few natural disasters like typhon
Kyoto’s Sakura season and red leaf season

Sakura in Spring

The temperature and rainfall

	Temperature	Rainy days
March	4 – 13 ℃	11 days
April	10 – 19 ℃	10 days
October	14 – 23 ℃	10 days
November	8 – 17 ℃	8 days

Tips: 

1. Kyoto’s Sakura usually blooms in late March and lasts for about 7 days to the early April. The maple leaves in Kyoto begin to turn red in late October. The best red leaves can be seen from the mid-November to late November.
2. It’s wise to check the detailed Sakura and red leaf seasons as they will come a few days earlier or later every year.

Disadvantages: 

1. During these 2 periods, airfare and the price of reserving hotel rooms would be higher than usual.
2. There would be many tourists in Kyoto then, so you may need to spend much time queuing in restaurants, tourist attractions, or train stations.

2. Shoulder Season Still with Good Weather & Scenery: May after Japan’s Golden Week

Kyoto’s shoulder seasons including December, January except New Year’s Day on January 1st, February, and May after Japan’ Golden week. There would be fewer tourists during these periods and the cost of trip is lower. While, considering weather and still good scenery in May, visitors with limited budgets can think about going to Kyoto during this month. 

Toji Temple in Summer

Kennin-ji Temple

Advantages:

1. Cool Weather:

	Temperature	Rainy days
May	15 – 24 ℃	10 days

2. Lower price:

After Japan’s golden week in early May, there would be much fewer tourists in Kyoto. During the golden week, the airfare to Kyoto and the price of hotel rooms may be as high as in Sakura season. After that, the prices would fall.

3. Fewer tourists:

After Sakura season, tourists in Kyoto would be much fewer.

4. Good Scenery:

Although the Sakura season in Kyoto would end before May, everything in natural would rebirth in the warm weather of May.

Less Preferred Months but with Many Festivals &Activities: June – August

Disadvantages: 

1. Hot and rainy weather

2. Too many tourists due to summer holiday

June	Heavy rain for 13 days on average
July – August	High temperature over 30℃; Heavy rain in the first half of July

Yasaka Shrine

Bustling Gion

Despite the extreme weather, you can still have a nice trip in Kyoto as long as you check the weather in advance. In addition, the advantage of going to Kyoto during this period is that there would be more activities and ceremonies in Kyoto like below ones:

Activities	When
Gion Matsuri Festival	1st July – 31st July
Mitarashi Festival	For about 10 days in late July
Motomiya-sai	For about 2 days in late July
Lake Biwa Great Fireworks Festival	One night in early August
Gozan Okuribi	16th August
Kyoto Tanabata	7th of the seventh lunar month