Kyoto in the rain is better

An unpopular opinion after two spring seasons of watching people fight over the same photo of the same tree.

Автор: Ekaterina · April 22, 2026

Sakura season is beautiful. It is also, increasingly, a small stampede. If you can, go in the shoulder — late March or the very end of April — and hope for weather.

Rain empties Kyoto of a certain kind of visitor. The temples become themselves again. Moss glows. The wood smells like wood. You can hear the water in the gardens.

Pack a good umbrella. Wear shoes you can slip off. Order the extra bowl of udon. This is the version of Kyoto worth flying for.

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Japan · 8 days

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I'd send you to Kyoto only if you are willing to start early and leave parts of the day unclaimed. The temples are worth it before the buses arrive; the afternoons are better spent around tea, gardens, and one neighbourhood at a time.

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Five days inside the walls of the medina and out into the palm groves. Small riads, artisan visits, and a night in the Agafay desert.

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Greece · 7 days

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I would send you here if you want beauty without spending the week fighting crowds. I'd keep you out of Fira, split the stay between Oia and quieter Megalochori, and protect one full day from plans.

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