When to go · Kyoto
Kyoto in August
Avoid month. Extreme heat; Obon rail peak.
Key facts
- Verdict
- Avoid
- Temperature
- 34°C (93°F)93°F (34°C) / 24°C (75°F)75°F (24°C)
- average high / low
- Rain days
- 10
- Crowds
- High
- Japan overall
- Prices
- High
- Japan overall
Verdict
Extreme heat; Obon rail peak.
All twelve months in one grid — weather, crowds and prices, with gaps left as unknown.
Is another month better than August?
August is rated avoid. These months rate higher:
Weather in August
- KyotoHighs around 34 °C (93 °F), lows around 24 °C (75 °F), rain on about 10 daysHighs around 93 °F (34 °C), lows around 75 °F (24 °C), rain on about 10 days
- Honshū cities, Japan · Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshimahot
Rainy season June to mid-July; humid heat July–August; typhoon risk peaks in September.
Summer season
Gion Matsuri floats through July (processions on 17 and 24 July), riverside dining platforms, the Daimonji bonfires on 16 August.
Watch: 35 °C basin heat; June rain.
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.
Gozan Okuribi (Daimonji)
Aug 16
Bonfires on the mountains after dark; riverbanks crowded.
Obon big impact
About 13–16 Aug · Japan
Family travel peak; Shinkansen and expressways jammed; some small shops close.
Crowds and prices
- Crowds · Japan overall
- High
- Prices · Japan overall
- High
- Room rates · Kyoto
- Normal
- Hot; Obon and the 16 Aug bonfires push mid-month rates up.
Japan overall: Hottest month and Obon travel peak: go north (Hokkaidō, Tōhoku) or plan short outdoor windows.
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
Aug: Avoid
May: Great (better)
Daytime high
Aug: 34 °C (93 °F)93 °F (34 °C)
May: 25 °C (77 °F)77 °F (25 °C)
Night low
Aug: 24 °C (75 °F)75 °F (24 °C)
May: 14 °C (57 °F)57 °F (14 °C)
Rain days
Aug: 10
May: 10
Crowds
Aug: High
May: Medium
Prices
Aug: High
May: Medium
Room prices
Aug: Normal
May: Normal
Festivals listed
Aug: 2
May: 2
August: Extreme heat; Obon rail peak.
May: Avoid Golden Week (late Apr–early May).
Kyoto: figures are long-term averages from this guide, not a forecast.
What to pack
- Light, breathable clothes, a sun hat and sunscreen
- A rain jacket or umbrella and shoes that dry fast