Season guide · Kyoto · Japan
Kyoto in spring
March–May: weather, crowds, prices and the best things to do this time of year.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Basile Morin, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Plum blossom in March, cherry blossom in early April and fresh green maples in May; Golden Week and blossom season bring heavy crowds. Expect highs up to 25°C (77°F) and lows around 4°C (39°F), with about 31 rainy days across March–May. March–May are among the best months of the year to visit.
Key facts
- Months
- March–May
- Temperatures
- 4°C (39°F) to 25°C (77°F)
- Rainy days in the season
- About 31
- Crowds
- Busy
- Hotel prices
- High
Weather in spring
| Month | High | Low | Rainy days | Daylight | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March | 14°C (57°F) | 4°C (39°F) | 11 | 11.9 h | 4/5 |
| April | 20°C (68°F) | 9°C (48°F) | 10 | 13 h | 5/5 |
| May | 25°C (77°F) | 14°C (57°F) | 10 | 14 h | 4/5 |
Compared with the rest of the year: average highs of 20°C (68°F) against a yearly 21°C (70°F), and 31 of the year's roughly 113 rainy days fall in these 3 months. Crowds rate 4/5 and hotel prices 4/5 on average.
What's on in spring
Recurring events; dates move from year to year, so confirm with the organiser.
- March: Early cherry blossom at the Imperial Palace's weeping cherries (late March)
- April: Cherry blossom along the Philosopher's Path, Maruyama Park and Arashiyama (usually late March to early April)
- April: Miyako Odori — spring dances by Gion's geiko and maiko (usually April)
- May: Golden Week holidays (late April to early May)
- May: Aoi Matsuri — Heian-era costume procession (15 May)
- May: Kawayuka river-terrace dining season opens (May)
Good choices for spring
Market · Downtown Kawaramachi
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.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Food
- Rainy day
- Shopping
- Iconic
Religious site · Higashiyama
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
Kennin-ji
Kyoto's oldest Zen temple, founded in 1202, sits just south of Gion's teahouses.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Art
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
Museum · Kyoto Station area
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
Kyoto National Museum
Opposite Sanjusangen-do, the Kyoto National Museum shows Buddhist sculpture, painting, calligraphy and ceramics from Kyoto's temples in the modern Heisei Chishinkan wing, beside a red-brick Meiji-era hall and garden.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- History
- Rainy day
Day trips in spring
- Nara (About 45 minutes by train) — Japan's first permanent capital has Todai-ji with its giant bronze Buddha in one of the world's largest wooden buildings, Kasuga Taisha's lantern-lined paths and Nara Park, where more than a thousand deer roam.
- Uji (About 20–30 minutes by train) — Uji's Byodo-in, the Phoenix Hall pictured on the ten-yen coin, sits by the Uji River among shops selling some of Japan's most prized green tea.
What to pack
- Light layers for the day and a light jacket for the evening
- A packable rain jacket for showers
- Comfortable walking shoes
Other times of year
Questions travellers ask
+Is spring a good time to visit Kyoto?
Yes: March–May are among the best months. Plum blossom in March, cherry blossom in early April and fresh green maples in May; Golden Week and blossom season bring heavy crowds.
+What is the weather like in Kyoto in spring?
Highs of up to 25°C (77°F) and lows around 4°C (39°F), with about 31 rainy days over the season.