When to go · Kyoto
Kyoto in March
Good month. Late March crowds build with blossom.
Key facts
- Verdict
- Good
- Temperature
- 14°C (57°F)57°F (14°C) / 4°C (39°F)39°F (4°C)
- average high / low
- Rain days
- 11
- Crowds
- High
- Japan overall
- Prices
- High
- Japan overall
Verdict
Late March crowds build with blossom.
All twelve months in one grid — weather, crowds and prices, with gaps left as unknown.
Is another month better than March?
March is rated good. These months rate higher:
Weather in March
- KyotoHighs around 14 °C (57 °F), lows around 4 °C (39 °F), rain on about 11 daysHighs around 57 °F (14 °C), lows around 39 °F (4 °C), rain on about 11 days
- Honshū cities, Japan · Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshimafine
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.
Crowds and prices
- Crowds · Japan overall
- High
- Prices · Japan overall
- High
- Room rates · Kyoto
- Normal
- Last week turns peak as cherry blossom starts (check forecast).
Japan overall: Blossom arrives late in the month: prices jump, book early.
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
Mar: Good
May: Great (better)
Daytime high
Mar: 14 °C (57 °F)57 °F (14 °C)
May: 25 °C (77 °F)77 °F (25 °C)
Night low
Mar: 4 °C (39 °F)39 °F (4 °C)
May: 14 °C (57 °F)57 °F (14 °C)
Rain days
Mar: 11
May: 10 (better)
Crowds
Mar: High
May: Medium
Prices
Mar: High
May: Medium
Room prices
Mar: Normal
May: Normal
Festivals listed
Mar: 1
May: 2
March: Late March crowds build with blossom.
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 coat, hat and gloves for mornings and evenings
- A rain jacket or umbrella and shoes that dry fast