Kyoto vs Osaka: which to choose?
Side by side for the month you pick: real weather, how good a time it is, holidays and festivals, rough costs and getting there.
KyotoPhoto: Masaaki Komori / Unsplash
OsakaPhoto: note thanun / UnsplashThat month: November
Kyoto
Goodcool and crispOsaka
Quietercool and dryWeather
Kyoto
16° / 7° · 72 mm rainOsaka
17° / 9° · 77 mm rainHolidays & festivals
Kyoto
- Culture Day Nov 3
- Labor Thanksgiving Day Nov 23
Osaka
- Culture Day Nov 3
- Labor Thanksgiving Day Nov 23
Getting there
Kyoto
Pick where you fly fromOsaka
Pick where you fly fromRough daily cost
Kyoto
$60 budget · $150 mid-rangeOsaka
$70 budget · $150 mid-rangeOur homestays
Kyoto
None here yetOsaka
1 from $300/nightBest time to visit
Kyoto
Visit in April and May for pleasant temperatures and cherry blossoms, or October and November for colorful autumn leaves. Summers are hot and rainy; winters are cold but less crowded.Osaka
Visit from March to May for pleasant weather and cherry blossoms, or October to November for autumn colors. Summers can be hot and humid, winters are mild but chilly.Top things to do
Kyoto
Fushimi Inari Shrine · Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion) · Arashiyama Bamboo GroveOsaka
Osaka Castle · Dotonbori · Universal Studios JapanFood to try
Kyoto
Kaiseki Ryori · Yudofu · Nishiki MarketOsaka
Takoyaki · Okonomiyaki · KushikatsuRough daily costs are AI estimates per person, in US dollars, for a place to stay, food and getting around. Flight times are rough: worked out from the straight-line distance, for a non-stop flight. Average daily high and monthly rain over the last ten years, from weather records by Open-Meteo