Best time to visit Kyoto

Kyoto's two famous seasons, cherry blossom in early April and autumn leaves in late November, are the most beautiful and the most crowded weeks in Japan, with temple paths shoulder to shoulder and hotels booked out months ahead. The city is just as rewarding at the edges: late May and early June for fresh green, October for festivals and mild air, and winter for empty gardens, snow on temple roofs some mornings and the lowest prices. Summer is hot and humid, but July's Gion Matsuri is the country's great festival.

Avoid Golden Week at the turn of April and May. Most temples open from about nine to five with last entry half an hour before; a few, including Saiho-ji, require advance applications. The city buses are crowded in peak seasons; the subway and a rental bicycle are faster across the flat centre. The accommodation tax and the crowding measures in Gion, where some private lanes are now closed to tourists, reflect how full the city gets. For the best weather with manageable crowds, take the second half of May or the first half of October.