May in Kyoto averages highs of 24 °C (74 °F) and lows of 13 °C (55 °F), with about 10 rainy days and 13 h 59 min of daylight.
May weather in Kyoto at a glance
average high to low each dot ≈ 3 rainy days
Is May a good time to visit Kyoto?
Good time to go: comfortably warm and some rain. May is usually shoulder season in Kyoto: fewer crowds than peak months, with prices often a little lower.
Our rule: a month scores 2 points for comfortable average highs of 18–28 °C (1 point for 14–18 or 28–32 °C) and 2 points for 5 or fewer rainy days (1 point for 6–10). Average highs above 35 °C or below 8 °C make it a tough month whatever the rain. A rainy day here means 2 mm of rain or more. 4 points = great, 3 = good, 2 = mixed, 0–1 = tough.
Holidays and events in May 2026
- Wed 6 May: Constitution Memorial Day (憲法記念日) public holiday
- Mon 4 May: Greenery Day (みどりの日) public holiday
- Tue 5 May: Children's Day (こどもの日) public holiday
Banks and many shops close on public holidays, and museums may change their hours, so check before you go.
Things to do in Kyoto in May
May's weather suits a mix of outdoor sights and museums, so the open-air ones come first.
- Fushimi Inari shrine — climb past the first gates to lose the crowds outdoors
- Kiyomizu-dera and Higashiyama — early morning outdoors
- Arashiyama bamboo grove — before 8am outdoors
- Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion) outdoors
- Gion at dusk — teahouse streets outdoors
- Nishiki Market — lunch on the go indoors
Where to stay: Near Kyoto Station for transport; Gion or Higashiyama for old streets; Nakagyo for food.
What to pack for Kyoto in May
- Light layers for the day and a jumper for evenings, which cool to 13 °C (55 °F).
- An umbrella or a light waterproof: about 10 days this month see real rain.
- Comfortable walking shoes.
What a day in Kyoto costs
| Budget traveller | Mid-range | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical total per person, per day | €60–130 | €160–330 |
Excluding flights. May is usually shoulder season in Kyoto: fewer crowds than peak months, with prices often a little lower.
May in nearby cities
| City | High / low | Rainy days | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tokyo | 23° / 14° | 9 | Good time to go |
| Bangkok | 34° / 27° | 16 | Tough month |
| Singapore | 30° / 25° | 27 | Tough month |
Plan your Kyoto trip
Want the whole trip planned? Join the Journey waitlist: tell it where, when and your budget, and it plans every day hour by hour.
FAQ
Is May a good time to visit Kyoto?
By the numbers, May is a good time to go: comfortably warm and some rain, with average highs of 24 °C (74 °F) and about 10 rainy days. May is usually shoulder season in Kyoto: fewer crowds than peak months, with prices often a little lower. The best months for weather are April, May, October.
How warm is Kyoto in May?
Average highs are 24 °C (74 °F) and lows 13 °C (55 °F) (2015–2024 averages).
Does it rain a lot in Kyoto in May?
Expect about 10 days with 2 mm of rain or more, about 173 mm in total. It is the 5th wettest month of the year in Kyoto.
Sources: climate averages from Open-Meteo historical weather (ERA5 reanalysis, 2015–2024); sea temperatures from the Open-Meteo marine API (2023–2024); public holidays from Nager.Date. Daylight is calculated for the 15th of the month. Averages are a guide, not a forecast. Costs are typical ranges per person per day, excluding flights.