November brings 18°C daytime highs, 71mm of precipitation across about 6 wet days and 10.1 hours of daylight — best for hiking, cycling and reliable sunshine. The strongest run of the year is October to December. July is the quietest month: wetter, but peaceful, and still good for quiet and local.
Long-run climate normals for Kyoto. Month ratings compare months within Kyoto only — they are not a ranking of Kyoto against other destinations, and they are not a forecast for a specific year.
Last updated: · Live forecast data refreshes hourly.
| Best month | November — Hiking, Cycling, Reliable sunshine |
| Best 3-month window | October–December |
| Quietest month | July — Wetter, but peaceful |
| Driest month | December — 48mm |
| Wettest month | July — 220mm |
| Warmest / coolest | July 33°C / February 9°C |
| Seasonality | Fairly even across the year |
| Annual rainfall | 1491mm over roughly 119 rain days |
July gets roughly 210% more precipitation than November — 220mm against 71mm. That difference, more than temperature, is what changes how a day here feels.
Kyoto swings 24°C between July (33°C) and February (9°C) — the month you pick changes what you pack more than where you go.
June gives you 14.3 hours of daylight against just 9.7 in December — a 5-hour difference in how much you can actually fit into a day.
December is the driest month at 48mm across roughly 4 wet days, while July peaks at 220mm.
December is almost as good as November, but usually quieter and cheaper. If your dates are flexible, it is the easier trip.
Kyoto stays fairly consistent all year, so there is no month you need to avoid. What you plan to do matters more than when you go.
Ratings compare months within Kyoto, not against destinations worldwide: five stars means the best time to be here, not that Kyoto beats anywhere else. Tags describe what the conditions actually suit.
| Month | Rating | High / Low | Precipitation | Wet days | Sun | Daylight | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | ★★★★☆ | 9°C / 1°C | 50mm | 4 | 8h | 9.9h | Low-angle light |
| February | ★★★★☆ | 9°C / 1°C | 68mm | 5 | 8h | 10.7h | Low-angle light |
| March | ★★★☆☆ | 13°C / 4°C | 113mm | 9 | 5h | 11.8h | Hiking · Cycling · Spring greenery |
| April | ★★★★★ | 18°C / 10°C | 116mm | 9 | 6h | 12.9h | Hiking · Cycling · Spring greenery |
| May | ★★★★☆ | 24°C / 15°C | 161mm | 13 | 6h | 13.9h | Hiking · Cycling |
| June | ★★☆☆☆ | 29°C / 21°C | 214mm | 17 | 5h | 14.3h | Quiet and local |
| July | ★★☆☆☆ | 33°C / 24°C | 220mm | 18 | 5h | 14.1h | Quiet and local |
| August | ★★★☆☆ | 33°C / 24°C | 132mm | 11 | 7h | 13.3h | Beach days · Swimming |
| September | ★★☆☆☆ | 29°C / 21°C | 176mm | 14 | 5h | 12.2h | Beach days · Swimming · Quiet and local |
| October | ★★★★☆ | 24°C / 15°C | 121mm | 10 | 4h | 11.1h | Hiking · Cycling · Low-angle light |
| November | ★★★★★ | 18°C / 10°C | 71mm | 6 | 9h | 10.1h | Hiking · Cycling · Reliable sunshine |
| December | ★★★★★ | 13°C / 4°C | 48mm | 4 | 8h | 9.7h | Hiking · Cycling · Low-angle light |
| You are planning | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Sun & beach days | November | 9h daily sunshine, 18°C highs and only 6 rain days. |
| City walking & sightseeing | November | 18°C highs with 10.1h of daylight — long days without heat fatigue. |
| Photography & light | January | 8h of sun and 9.9h daylight give the widest window for golden-hour work. |
| Value & fewer crowds | May | Scores 66/100 — close to peak conditions but outside the busiest window. |
| Cooler-weather travel | November | 18°C highs and 10°C nights suit anyone who dislikes heat. |
Each month in Kyoto is described from long-run climate normals and then rated relative to the other eleven months in the same city. A five-star January in a cold destination means January is one of the best times to be there — not that it beats a Mediterranean summer.
| Factor | Weight | What it measures |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature | Described | Average daytime high and overnight low for the month, shown as measured rather than judged. |
| Precipitation | Described | Monthly millimetres and wet-day count, labelled as snow or rain/snow where temperatures make that the likely phase. |
| Sunshine & daylight | Described | Average daily sunshine hours and astronomical daylight length at mid-month, from the city’s latitude. |
| “Best for” tags | Derived | Applied only when the conditions genuinely support the activity — snow depth-friendly cold for skiing, 13–24°C and low rain risk for hiking, dark evenings at high latitude for aurora. A month with few strong use cases gets fewer tags rather than padded ones. |
| Star rating | Relative | Ranks the month against the other eleven months in the same city. Never a comparison between cities. |
Figures are long-run climate averages, not a forecast for a specific year. Where a month lacks sourced rainfall or humidity, the value is modelled from temperature range and rain frequency.
November is the best all-round month in Kyoto: 18°C highs, 71mm of precipitation and 10.1 hours of daylight, which suits hiking, cycling and reliable sunshine. The strongest three-month window is October to December.
July — 33°C highs, 220mm of precipitation over roughly 18 days and 14.1 hours of daylight. It is the cheapest and least crowded time to go, and it still works for quiet and local.
December is the driest month at 48mm over about 4 rain days, against 220mm in July. Across the year Kyoto records around 1491mm.
Yes — conditions in Kyoto stay fairly even all year, so there is no month you need to avoid. What you plan to do matters more than when you go.
Daylight ranges from 9.7 hours in December to 14.3 hours in June, calculated from the city's latitude.