From late March to mid-April, Kyoto’s cherry blossoms create a stunning spectacle across the city. Popular hanami spots fill with visitors eager to admire the fleeting beauty of sakura in full bloom.

During cherry blossom season, temples, shrines, and gardens open for special nighttime illuminations, offering a magical and uniquely serene spring experience.

Held from 1 to 30 April, this mesmerising dance performance by geiko and maiko of Gion Koubu has welcomed spring in Kyoto since the Meiji era.

An elegant reenactment of a Heian-period court ritual, where participants in Heian attire compose waka poems beside the stream in Rakusui-en garden. Held on 29 April in spring and 3 November in autumn.

From 1 May to late September, over 100 riverside restaurants along the Kamo River offer noryo-yuka seating, where guests can dine in elegance while enjoying Kyoto’s tranquil summer ambiance.

One of Kyoto’s three great festivals and its oldest, Aoi Matsuri takes place annually on 15 May. A grand procession of 500 participants in Heian-era attire makes its way from the Kyoto Imperial Palace to Shimogamo Shrine and Kamigamo Shrine in a breathtaking display of tradition.