Best Time To Visit Kyoto > Weather, Temperature & Season

What is the best time to visit Kyoto?

Late March to early April and mid to late November are the best times to visit Kyoto. Those are the cherry blossom and autumn colour windows, and they are both narrow.

Cherry blossom peaks around 29 March to 5 April in 2026, with full bloom lasting about a week. Autumn colour peaks in the second half of November, a week or two before Tokyo.

Both are the busiest and most expensive weeks of the year. Late November in Kyoto is as crowded as cherry blossom week, which catches people out.

Kyoto is hotter than Tokyo in summer, about 28.5°C in August against Tokyo's 26.9°C. It sits in an inland basin with no sea breeze, so the nights do not cool down. June to mid-July is tsuyu, the rainy season.

Monthly Weather in Kyoto

Month	High/Low (°C)	Rain
January	12°/ 4°	3 days
February	12°/ 2°	5 days
March	15°/ 5°	9 days
April	18°/ 7°	8 days
May	26°/ 13°	5 days
June	28°/ 18°	12 days
July	30°/ 22°	21 days
August	34°/ 24°	16 days
September	31°/ 21°	7 days
October	25°/ 16°	13 days
November	19°/ 8°	5 days
December	14°/ 4°	6 days

Kyoto Travel Packages

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8 Nights / 9 Days

Japan Explorer: 8 Nights Tokyo, Kyoto & Osaka Adventure

Tokyo(3N) → Kyoto(2N) → Osaka(3N)

Sold By: Probesten Tours(4.8 )

₹179,000/person

9 Nights / 10 Days

Customized Holiday to Japan

Tokyo(4N) → Kyoto(2N) → Osaka(3N)

Sold By: Finkeda (operated...(4.3 )

₹150,500/person

14 Nights / 15 Days

Japan 15 Days

Tokyo(5N) → Kyoto(4N) → Osaka(4N) → Hiroshima(1N)

₹330,000/person

10 Nights / 11 Days

Japan Discovery Tour: Osaka, Kyoto, Nagoya, Tokyo & Fuji 10N/11D

Osaka(3N) → Kyoto(2N) → Nagoya(2N) → Tokyo(3N)

Sold By: Probesten Tours(4.8 )

₹152,000/person

5 Nights / 6 Days

Journey To Japan

Tokyo(3N) → Kyoto(2N)

₹124,000/person

8 Nights / 9 Days

9-Day Japan Highlights: Tokyo, Mt. Fuji, Kyoto, and Osaka Adventure

East of Tokyo(3N) → Fujikawaguchiko(1N) → Kyoto(2N) → Osaka...

₹154,999/person

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More about Best Time to Travel to Kyoto

Cherry Blossom in Kyoto: Late March to Early April

Peak bloom in 2026 is forecast for 29 March to 5 April, and full bloom lasts about a week. The Philosopher's Path, Maruyama Park, Arashiyama and the Kamo river banks are where everyone goes.

Kyoto's average peak has drifted about ten days earlier over the last century, so historical dates are not a reliable guide. Book six months out for this fortnight; the machiya guesthouses go first.

Autumn Colour in Kyoto: Mid to Late November

Kyoto's colour peaks in the second half of November, and it is the equal of cherry blossom season for both beauty and crowds. Tofukuji, Eikando, Kiyomizudera and Arashiyama are the headline temples.

Do not believe anyone who calls November quiet. It is the busiest month of the Kyoto year, rates match April's, and the popular temples run evening illuminations that need booking. Kyoto peaks about a week before Tokyo.

Spring in Kyoto: March to May

March to May is mild and dry, about 10°C to 20°C, which is the best walking weather of the year for the temple districts.

Early March and mid-May are the quiet edges of it, either side of the blossom and Golden Week. Golden Week, 29 April to 5 May, fills Kyoto with domestic travellers and is the hardest week of the year to book.

Tsuyu and Summer in Kyoto: June to September

Tsuyu runs roughly 7 June to 20 July, and July is Kyoto's wettest month. Then August takes over as the hottest, about 28.5°C mean, hotter than Tokyo and with still, heavy nights.

Gion Matsuri culminates on 17 July, one of Japan's three great festivals, and it falls squarely inside the worst weather of the year. September is still hot and wet, and typhoon risk peaks in August and September.

Winter in Kyoto: December to February

January is the coldest and driest month, about 4.8°C. It is chilly rather than severe, and the occasional light snow on the temple roofs is one of the best sights in Japan.

This is the quietest and cheapest season, outside the 29 December to 3 January shutdown when much of the city closes and transport fills. The To-ji temple market and the New Year shrine visits are the winter draws.

When Kyoto Is Full

Four windows to book far ahead or avoid: cherry blossom in the first days of April, Golden Week from 29 April to 5 May, Obon around 15 August, and autumn colour in the second half of November.

In those weeks Kyoto's hotel rates roughly double, the Arashiyama bamboo grove is shoulder to shoulder by nine in the morning, and same-day shinkansen seats are hard to get. The quiet months are January, February and June.