Rainy day · Kyoto · Japan
5 things to do in Kyoto when it rains
Indoor sights that make a wet day feel planned rather than lost.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Nacaru, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Start with Nishiki Market, Sanjusangen-do and Kennin-ji. Together the 5 picks below take roughly 7–8 hours across 4 areas; all charge for entry. July is usually the wettest month, with about 13 rainy days.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 5
- Free entry
- 0
- Time to see them all
- 7–8 hours
- Areas
- Downtown Kawaramachi, Higashiyama and Gion
Kyoto on a rainy day
Market · Downtown Kawaramachi
1.Nishiki Market
Eat at or beside the stall where you buy; the market asks visitors not to eat while walking.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Food
- Rainy day
- Shopping
- Iconic
Religious site · Higashiyama
2.Sanjusangen-do
Look for a face that resembles someone you know; tradition says you can find one among the statues.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Art
- Rainy day
Religious site · Gion
3.Kennin-ji
Photography is allowed in most areas, and it is usually calmer than the temples up the hill.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Art
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
Museum · Kyoto Station area
4.Kyoto Railway Museum
Check the steam-train ride schedule on arrival, and book simulators early on school holidays.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
- History
Museum · Higashiyama
5.Kyoto National Museum
Major special exhibitions draw long queues; the permanent collection is calmer and well labelled in English.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- History
- Rainy day
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Downtown Kawaramachi | Nishiki Market | 1 hour |
| Higashiyama | Sanjusangen-do and Kyoto National Museum | 45 minutes + 2 hours |
| Gion | Kennin-ji | 45 minutes |
| Kyoto Station area | Kyoto Railway Museum | 2–3 hours |
Booking and timing
Of these 5, 3 low cost, 2 mid-priced. None needs booking far in advance. The longest visit is Kyoto Railway Museum; group the rest by area to save travel time.
How to fit them into 2 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Downtown Kawaramachi, Higashiyama and Gion): Nishiki Market → Sanjusangen-do → Kyoto National Museum → Kennin-ji, at least 5 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Kyoto Station area): Kyoto Railway Museum, at least 2 hours.
The wettest months
- July: highs of 32°C (90°F), about 13 rainy days, busy crowds. Hot and sticky as the rainy season ends mid-month; Gion Matsuri fills the city with festival floats and evening street parties.
- June: highs of 28°C (82°F), about 12 rainy days, moderate crowds. The rainy season brings humid, drizzly days, but moss gardens and hydrangeas at Mimuroto-ji look their best and crowds are lighter.
- March: highs of 14°C (57°F), about 11 rainy days, busy crowds. Warming, with plum blossom and, in the last days, the first cherry blossom; hotels fill quickly towards the end of the month.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- Kyoto Station area — Transport hub with big hotels, Kyoto Tower and department stores
- Downtown Kawaramachi — Covered arcades, Nishiki Market and the Kamo River bars of Pontocho
- Gion and Higashiyama — Teahouses, wooden machiya, temples and stone-paved slopes
More of Kyoto
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Kyoto?
Nishiki Market. A five-block covered street known as 'Kyoto's kitchen', Nishiki has more than a hundred stalls selling pickles, tofu, dashi rolled omelettes, fresh seafood, wagashi and knives.