Kyoto in March

When to go

March opens Kyoto's flower season: the city's tourism guide describes plum blossoms first, then cherry blossoms, and notes that the April cherry blossoms are particularly beloved. The Japan Meteorological Agency's normals below show cool days, colder nights and a monthly rainfall total worth planning around. Check your dates against the doll-floating ritual at Shimogamo Shrine early in the month and the Vernal Equinox Day holiday dates late in the month.

Trip facts

• The Japan Meteorological Agency's 1991–2020 climate normals for Kyoto list an average daily maximum temperature of 14.1 °C, an average daily minimum of 4.3 °C and a monthly total precipitation of 106.2 mm for March. (www.data.jma.go.jp, checked 2026-10-15)
• The Kyoto City Tourism Association's travel guide says that beginning in March the city will be colored by a variety of seasonal flowers and plants, starting with plum blossoms and then cherry blossoms, azaleas, wisteria and irises in succession, and that the April cherry blossoms are particularly beloved by visitors and locals alike. (kyoto.travel, checked 2026-10-15)
• The Kyoto City Tourism Association's travel guide says that at Shimogamo-jinja Shrine a nagashi-bina (doll-floating) ritual is held every year on March 3rd, with small dolls placed on boats made of straw and floated down the Mitarashi River. (kyoto.travel, checked 2026-10-15)
• The Cabinet Office's list of Japan's national holidays for 2027 includes Vernal Equinox Day on March 21 and a holiday on March 22 under Article 3, paragraph 2 of the Act on National Holidays, which makes the nearest following day that is not a national holiday a holiday when a national holiday falls on a Sunday. (www8.cao.go.jp, checked 2026-10-15)
• The Japan National Tourism Organization's visa page says passport holders of some countries and regions do not need a visa if their period of stay in Japan is 90 days or less and they are only engaging in tourism activities, and it tells readers to check the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs' official website for the latest information. (www.japan.travel, checked 2026-10-15)
• Kyoto City's 'Guide to the Accommodation Tax' for stays from March 1, 2026 lists the tax per person per night as 200 yen for an accommodation charge of less than 6,000 yen, 400 yen for 6,000 yen to less than 20,000 yen, 1,000 yen for 20,000 yen to less than 50,000 yen, 4,000 yen for 50,000 yen to less than 100,000 yen and 10,000 yen for 100,000 yen or more, where the accommodation charge is the price of the room and accompanying service charges and does not include meals and consumption tax, and it says to pay at your accommodations, with no payment needed there if you already paid the tax through a booking website or travel agency. (www.city.kyoto.lg.jp, checked 2026-10-15)
• The Kyoto City Transportation Department's Bus & Subway Information Guide says that on the Sightseeing Limited Express Bus routes EX100 and EX101 you get on through the front door, get off through the rear door and pay when getting on, while on other bus routes you get on through the rear door, get off through the front door and pay when getting off. (www2.city.kyoto.lg.jp, checked 2026-10-15)
• The Kyoto City Transportation Department's Bus & Subway Information Guide says the Kyoto City Subway has two lines, the Karasuma Line (north and south of the city area) and the Tozai Line (east and west), that you can transfer between them at Karasuma Oike Station, and that it generally operates from 5 o'clock to 23 o'clock, with fewer trains in the early morning and at night. (www2.city.kyoto.lg.jp, checked 2026-10-15)
• The Kyoto City Tourism Association's travel guide lists the JR Kansai Airport Limited Express Haruka from Kansai International Airport at approx. 80-100 minutes and says direct trains to Kyoto take approximately 80 minutes, and it says the trip from Osaka Station to Kyoto Station takes approximately 30 minutes with the JR Special Rapid Service. (kyoto.travel, checked 2026-10-15)