April and September to November. Month by month below, with the weather, what's on and what it costs to fly there from your city.
Spring cherry blossoms (late March to early April) and autumn foliage (September to November) are the two favored windows. Both are crowded.
4 of the 6 travel guides we read name these months.
Average high and low in Kyoto, and days with rain
JanuaryChecking fares…January and February are the cheapest, coldest stretch, with averages of 5 to 6°C and short days.
FebruaryChecking fares…Winter runs December to February; temperatures usually sit between 0 and 10°C and snow is rare.Winter is the off-season for tourism, so popular sites are quieter.
MarchChecking fares…March holds around 10°C, with mixed sun and showers.Hotel and crowd pressure climbs from March into May.
Best timeAprilChecking fares…Sakura opens in Kyoto around 29 March to 5 April, but timing shifts from year to year.April is the busiest month of the year; Golden Week crowds also fill hotels.Spring temperatures run 10 to 20°C, mild enough for walking.Miyako Odori
MayChecking fares…May reaches about 20°C with roughly 8 hours of sunshine a day, though crowds build.Kamo River open-air riverside dining runs from May to September.Aoi Matsuri
JuneChecking fares…June holds around 24°C and is the wettest month of summer.
JulyChecking fares…The Gion Matsuri is held in July, with parades on 17 and 24 July.July runs near 80% humidity and about 28°C.Gion Matsuri
AugustChecking fares…August averages about 29°C, the hottest month.Kyoto sits in a basin and has one of the hottest summers in Japan.Gozan no Okuribi
Best timeSeptemberChecking fares…September holds around 25°C but is the wettest month of autumn at 8 rain days.September and October are given as the best overall, with mild days of 18 to 25°C.
Best timeOctoberChecking fares…Autumn foliage season starts around mid-October.Autumn temperatures run 12 to 22°C with lower humidity than summer.
Best timeNovemberChecking fares…Temperatures swing sharply in November, so pack layers.Tofuku-ji turns red in mid to late November.Autumn leaves in Kyoto
DecemberChecking fares…Autumn foliage season runs into early December.Winter illuminations are held at places like Arashiyama.Weather: Kyoto averages from Japan Meteorological Agency (1991 to 2020 averages), as listed in its climate table on Wikipedia.
Live fares from your airport. Watch them and we alert you when they drop.
Festivals and seasons through the year
Cancún
The Grand Canyon
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Reykjavik
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Capitol Reef National Park