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When is the best time to visit Kyoto?

The best time to visit Kyoto is between April and July, the most comfortable stretch of the year on these averages.

Kyoto has four seasons without a desert summer or a guaranteed freeze. Pack for mixed weather. The good outdoor weeks are real, and so are the grey ones. Kyoto is a city in Japan. This page is about Kyoto, not a country average.

Most visitors come for cities, walking and the milder stretch of the year. Treat midwinter as museums and food unless you like weather for its own sake. The monthly table owns the averages. This layer is how Kyoto actually feels.

Part of Japan weather.

Kyoto
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Spring

Spring in Kyoto is when the year becomes walkable again. March, April and May are mixed: bright days, wet days, and the odd reminder that winter has not fully left.

In Kyoto the meteorological summer is June, July and August and winter is December, January and February. This is a good month-range for a city break that wants outdoor hours without betting the packing list on heat. Carry a shell.

Read Kyoto in this stretch as its own climate, not as a generic holiday season copied from another destination.

Summer

Summer in Kyoto is the most usable stretch of the year: June, July and August. Long days, milder nights, and outdoor weather that makes a city break feel like a holiday.

In Kyoto the meteorological summer is June, July and August and winter is December, January and February. It is still a mixed-sky climate. A grey afternoon is not a surprise. Pack for sitting outside and for the hour you duck into a museum because the sky decided otherwise.

Read Kyoto in this stretch as its own climate, not as a generic holiday season copied from another destination.

Autumn

Autumn in Kyoto is the second spring, then a slide: September, October and November. Early weeks are for walking. Later weeks are for jackets and shorter outdoor plans.

In Kyoto the meteorological summer is June, July and August and winter is December, January and February. Rain returns as a planning constraint. Kyoto in these months is still a good city-break climate if you pack for weather instead of for a brochure afternoon.

Read Kyoto in this stretch as its own climate, not as a generic holiday season copied from another destination.

Winter

Winter in Kyoto is grey, wet and short on daylight: December, January and February. Snow is possible and not the identity of the season. Museums, food and walking between showers are the trip.

In Kyoto the meteorological summer is June, July and August and winter is December, January and February. A bright winter afternoon in Kyoto is worth going out for. The rest of the day is not a failed summer. It is the climate this place actually has.

Read Kyoto in this stretch as its own climate, not as a generic holiday season copied from another destination.

Kyoto weather by month

TemperatureRainfall

Source: MeteostatPeriod: 1991-2020Checked: 1 Oct 2026358 places covered

Average temperature and rainfall, month by month

Every figure below is a 1991–2020 climate normal for Kyoto, in °C and °F. Open a month for what to expect and what to pack.

Kyoto weather by month: average temperature, rainfall, sunshine for each month, from 1991–2020 climate normals
MonthAverageRainfall
January6°C / 43°F45 mm
February7°C / 44°F74 mm
March10°C / 50°F106 mm
April15°C / 59°F125 mm
May21°C / 69°F133 mm
June24°C / 76°F179 mm
July28°C / 83°F250 mm
August30°C / 86°F157 mm
September26°C / 78°F204 mm
October20°C / 68°F162 mm
November14°C / 57°F74 mm
December8°C / 47°F68 mm

Where to stay in Kyoto

Dates are a starting point for April.

All hotels in Kyoto

Travel guides for Kyoto

What to read before you book.

All travel guides in Kyoto

Check another month

Now pick a month.

FAQs about Kyoto weather

Climate averages for Kyoto, 1991–2020.

The best time to visit Kyoto is between April and July, the most comfortable stretch of the year on these averages.

August is the hottest month, with an average around 30°C.

July is the wettest month, with about 250 mm of rain.

Kyoto has a distinct rainy season from June to October, peaking in July at about 250 mm. The dry season runs from November to May.

January is the coolest month, averaging 6°C (43°F) against 30°C (86°F) in August.

This page does not show today's weather. It is a 1991–2020 climate normal from Meteostat — a long-run average of what each month is usually like, which is what you want when booking ahead. For today or the coming week, check a live forecast.

No. These are 1991–2020 climate normals from Meteostat, not a live forecast. Actual weather in any given week can differ.