Best time
When is the best time to visit Yasaka Shrine?
Early morning for photos, after dark for the lanterns. The grounds are open 24 hours, so you can choose.
Being honest: from late morning to early evening the grounds are busy, and on Friday evenings busiest of all. The quiet hours show the shrine at its best.
It depends what you want
- 1Photos without crowds. Early morning. By our estimate it stays at 40 or lower out of 100 before 10:00 every day. Photo spots
- 2The lantern-lit atmosphere. After dark. The Dance Hall lanterns are lit every night, and on most days it is 40 or lower from about 19:00–21:00. Visiting at night
- 3A festival. July for the Gion Matsuri, 2–3 February for Setsubun, and New Year’s Eve for Okera Mairi. Events through the year
- 4Avoiding the busiest hour. Skip Friday 18:00: Friday evening is the busiest hour of the week by our estimate. Every hour of every day
Month by month
Kyoto averages, high / low. The warmest month is August (33.7°C average high) and the coldest is January (1.5°C average low).
| Month | High / low |
|---|---|
| January | 9.1°C / 1.5°C |
| February | 10°C / 1.6°C |
| March | 14.1°C / 4.3°C |
| April | 20.1°C / 9.2°C |
| May | 25.1°C / 14.5°C |
| June | 28.1°C / 19.2°C |
| July | 32°C / 23.6°C |
| August | 33.7°C / 24.7°C |
| September | 29.2°C / 20.7°C |
| October | 23.4°C / 14.4°C |
| November | 17.3°C / 8.4°C |
| December | 11.6°C / 3.5°C |
Kyoto, JMA climate normals 1991–2020.
Questions
- Is it better to visit Yasaka Shrine during the day or at night?
- Both work: the grounds are open 24 hours. Come early in the morning for photos with fewer people (before 10:00), or after dark for the lanterns, which are lit every night. The shrine office for amulets and goshuin is only open during the day.
- What is the best month to visit Yasaka Shrine?
- It depends on what you want. July has the Gion Matsuri; February has Setsubun; New Year's Eve has Okera Mairi. For weather, note that August averages a high of 33.7°C and January a low of 1.5°C in Kyoto.
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