When to go · Kyoto
Kyoto in July
Mixed month. Heat + Gion Matsuri crowds.
Key facts
- Verdict
- Mixed
- Temperature
- 32°C (90°F)90°F (32°C) / 23°C (73°F)73°F (23°C)
- average high / low
- Rain days
- 13
- Crowds
- Medium
- Japan overall
- Prices
- Medium
- Japan overall
Verdict
Heat + Gion Matsuri crowds.
All twelve months in one grid — weather, crowds and prices, with gaps left as unknown.
Is another month better than July?
July is rated mixed. These months rate higher:
Weather in July
- KyotoHighs around 32 °C (90 °F), lows around 23 °C (73 °F), rain on about 13 daysHighs around 90 °F (32 °C), lows around 73 °F (23 °C), rain on about 13 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.
Gion Matsuri
July (peaks Jul 14–17 and Jul 24)
Central Shijō streets close for floats; very crowded evenings; heat.
Crowds and prices
- Crowds · Japan overall
- Medium
- Prices · Japan overall
- Medium
- Room rates · Kyoto
- Peak
- Gion Matsuri: 14–17 and 21–24 Jul are the tight nights.
Japan overall: Rain ends mid-month then the heat begins; festivals everywhere.
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
Jul: Mixed
May: Great (better)
Daytime high
Jul: 32 °C (90 °F)90 °F (32 °C)
May: 25 °C (77 °F)77 °F (25 °C)
Night low
Jul: 23 °C (73 °F)73 °F (23 °C)
May: 14 °C (57 °F)57 °F (14 °C)
Rain days
Jul: 13
May: 10 (better)
Crowds
Jul: Medium
May: Medium
Prices
Jul: Medium
May: Medium
Room prices
Jul: Peak
May: Normal
Festivals listed
Jul: 1
May: 2
July: Heat + Gion Matsuri crowds.
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