When to go · Kyoto
Kyoto in April
Good month. Blossom peak: book beds months ahead; be out by 07:00.Good month. Blossom peak: book beds months ahead; be out by 7:00 AM.
Key facts
- Verdict
- Good
- Temperature
- 20°C (68°F)68°F (20°C) / 9°C (48°F)48°F (9°C)
- average high / low
- Rain days
- 10
- Crowds
- High
- Japan overall
- Prices
- High
- Japan overall
Verdict
Blossom peak: book beds months ahead; be out by 07:00.Blossom peak: book beds months ahead; be out by 7:00 AM.
All twelve months in one grid — weather, crowds and prices, with gaps left as unknown.
Is another month better than April?
April is rated good. These months rate higher:
Weather in April
- KyotoHighs around 20 °C (68 °F), lows around 9 °C (48 °F), rain on about 10 daysHighs around 68 °F (20 °C), lows around 48 °F (9 °C), rain on about 10 days
- Honshū cities, Japan · Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshimabest weather
Rainy season June to mid-July; humid heat July–August; typhoon risk peaks in September.
Spring season
Plum in early March, cherry blossom late March to early April along the Philosopher's Path and Maruyama Park, Aoi Matsuri parade on 15 May.
Watch: Blossom weeks: rooms cost double and temples are packed.
Festivals and holidays
Dates as our data lists them. Moving holidays (lunar and Islamic calendars, Easter) shift every year: check the date for your year before you build a trip on it.
Cherry blossom
Late Mar–early Apr
Peak crowds; book beds months ahead; be in Higashiyama and Arashiyama before 07:30.
Golden Week big impact
29 Apr – 5 May · Japan
The biggest domestic travel week: Shinkansen reserved cars and hotels sell out; prices up.
Crowds and prices
- Crowds · Japan overall
- High
- Prices · Japan overall
- High
- Room rates · Kyoto
- Peak
- Blossom in the first half; Golden Week from 29 Apr.
Japan overall: Blossom peak early April and Golden Week at the end: the two most crowded windows of the year.
High-price month: see what to book ahead.
Compare two months
Weather, crowds and prices for any two months in Kyoto, side by side.
Verdict
Apr: Good
May: Great (better)
Daytime high
Apr: 20 °C (68 °F)68 °F (20 °C)
May: 25 °C (77 °F)77 °F (25 °C)
Night low
Apr: 9 °C (48 °F)48 °F (9 °C)
May: 14 °C (57 °F)57 °F (14 °C)
Rain days
Apr: 10
May: 10
Crowds
Apr: High
May: Medium
Prices
Apr: High
May: Medium
Room prices
Apr: Peak
May: Normal
Festivals listed
Apr: 2
May: 2
April: Blossom peak: book beds months ahead; be out by 07:00.
May: Avoid Golden Week (late Apr–early May).
Kyoto: figures are long-term averages from this guide, not a forecast.
What to pack
- A warm layer for the evenings
- A rain jacket or umbrella and shoes that dry fast