Kyoto Weather in October

Season: Autumn
In Short: Pleasant and mild, best time to see red maple leaves

The Kyoto weather in October is pleasant and mild generally, suitable for outdoor activities and it’s the best time to view the red maple leaves. But still, the big temperature difference between day and night needs to be paid attention to. A thick overcoat is pretty necessary while traveling in early morning or late evening. In addition, it has some rainy days in this month, after which the temperature drops sharply, and an umbrella will be useful if you visit Kyoto in October 2025.

Temperature

The average temperature in this month is 18°C (64.4°F) and people feel comfortable about it. However, the daily temperature difference is big: the highest temperature hovers around 23°C (73.4°F) and the lowest temperature is 14°C (57.2°F) averagely, indicating that visitors have to wear a thick overcoat while traveling in mornings or evenings.
Average High Temperature: 23°C / 73.4°F
Average Low Temperature: 14°C / 57.2°F

Rainfall

The typhoon season is over and it rains less in this month. The rainfall totals 144mm. It has about 10 rainy days and the average humidity is 67%. All these above data prove that October is a good time to travel to Kyoto.
Average Rainy Days: 10 days

Average Humidity: 67%

Sunrise & Sunset

In October, the sun rises at around 06:03 and falls at 17:22 which means the daylight hours are about 11.2h. In 11.2 hours of daylight, the sunshine hours are around 5.9h and they are mainly in the afternoon. It is more advisable for visitors to travel in sunny afternoons.

Daylight hours: about 11.2h

Sunshine hours: around 5.9h

Recommended Clothes to Wear in October

Girls

Tops: To visit Kyoto in October, clothes like thin sweater and hoodie can help you fit the weather. Also, trench coat is useful to prevent getting cold from the temperature difference between day and night.

Bottoms & shoes: Sweatpants and jeans can cope with the October temperature well. For easy and convenient walking, a pair of sneakers is recommended too.

Boys

Tops: In cooler mornings and evenings, a jacket can keep you warm and it looks pretty fashionable. In the daytime, a long-sleeve T-shirt or hoodie is basically enough.
Bottoms & shoes: For pants, you can choose the jeans and sweat pants. Shoes should be comfortable and walking-friendly and a pair of hiking shoes is a nice choice.

Accessories: In some windy days, visitors who are afraid of coldness can bring a silk scarf to cover your neck and prevent the wind from getting into the clothes.
Special Recommendation: In red leaves season, it is strongly recommended for visitors to experience the Japanese traditional clothing, kimono. Visitors can find the kimono rental shops almost everywhere in Kyoto and it is convenient to rent one. Taking photos with red leaves while wearing the kimono can definitely leave you an unforgettable memory.

Top Attractions to Visit in Kyoto in October

Travel Recommendation:

1. Arashiyama

Arashiyama in Autumn

October is the best time to see the red maple leaves. When talking about the famous scenic spots to view the red leaves, the Arashiyama must be the top one and Sagano Sight-Seeing Tram is the best way to view the beautiful scenery there. Sitting in the train, you can appreciate not only the red leaves along the way, but also the Hozu River flowing in the valley. Besides, you can see more red leaves in nearby attractions like Tenryuji Temple and Togetsukyo Bridge.

2. Heian Shrine - Jidai Matsuri

In October, one of the three most famous festivals in Kyoto, Jidai Matsuri is held in Heian Shrine. Annually, it would be held 22nd in October. For letting people learn the history and culture of Kyoto, the citizens dress like the important historical figures in Kyoto and form a huge procession to relive the prosperity of Kyoto. The whole procession consists of about 2,000 people and more than 12,000 ancient articles including clothes, worship utensils and so on. For foreigners, it is absolutely a good chance to experience the ancient lifestyle of Kyoto people.

Heian Shrine

Tip: There are some horses in the Jidai Matsuri procession. Please don’t use the flashlight while taking photo, or you may scare the horses and disturb the parade.

3. Sannenzaka

The Sannenzaka is also a good place to experience the past Kyoto customs. As a business street, the Sannenzaka has shops that sell Kyoto specialty souvenirs and food. Most of the buildings along the street are wooden houses which were built in Edo period (1603-1968). It is advisable to wear the kimono, Japanese traditional clothes, to integrate into the local culture better.

Sannenzaka

October Weather for Other Cities in Japan:

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