April is one of the most enchanting times to visit Kyoto, as the city fully awakens in a wash of cherry blossoms, light, and celebration. Temples and gardens glow beneath soft pink canopies, evening illuminations add a cinematic touch to historic landmarks, and the calendar fills with art festivals, traditional performances, and lively seasonal events. This guide brings together the best things to do in Kyoto in April 2026, so you can experience the city at its most colorful, creative, and unforgettable.
Recreation of the future exhibition “Light and Flower Garden” – Photo Credit: Kyoto Nippon Festival
Kyoto Nippon Festival
This is a major art and culture event held at Kitano Tenmangu Shrine. Celebrating its 10th anniversary, the festival brings together Japan’s traditional beauty and contemporary creativity through immersive art installations, performances, and seasonal exhibitions. Highlights include large-scale art installations in the shrine’s gardens and an immersive theatre experience created by artist Mika Ninagawa, creative team EiM, and dance company DAZZLE, blending vivid visual art, movement, and narrative within historic spaces, offering visitors a unique cultural encounter where history, nature, and modern expression intersect.
Date: February 1st – May 24th
Time: 9:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Admission: Adults ¥3,500. Children ¥2,000
*Purchase here
Address: Bakurocho, Kamigyo Ward, Kyoto, 602-8386, Japan
Website: https://kyoto-nippon-festival.com/s/knfes/?ima=4104&lang=en
Okazaki Jikkokubune Boat Ride – Photo Credit: cowardlion
Okazaki Canal Boat Rides
There’s a sweetness to spring in Kyoto that’s best felt from the water, and the Okazaki Canal boat ride does exactly that: picture yourself drifting along a gentle canal flanked by blooming cherry trees, petals fluttering like confetti as a traditional wooden jikkokubune glides through the water. This isn’t just sightseeing, it’s like stepping into a living watercolor painting, with views of Kyoto’s elegant gardens, historic bridges, and quiet riverside paths unfolding all around you. Whether you’re snapping photos, sipping tea, or simply soaking up that soft pink canopy overhead, this boat ride turns the city’s famous sakura season into something even more unforgettable, a peaceful, poetic cruise that feels uniquely Kyoto in spring.
Date: February 25th – April 15th
Time: 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM
Admission: Adults ¥2,000. Children (age 6 to 11) ¥1,000, (age 3 to 5) ¥500
Address: Nanzenji Kusakawacho, Sakyo Ward, Kyoto, 606-8437
Website: https://kyoto-tabi.or.jp/tour/260320jfj/
Cherry Blossom Illumination at Toji Temple – Photo Credit: Navi
Kyoto Toji Temple Cherry Blossom Illumination
There’s something almost cinematic about this spring night experience. As dusk settles, the temple grounds slowly glow to life, soft pink blossoms illuminated against deep indigo skies, the towering five-story pagoda rising dramatically above a sea of shimmering petals. The weeping cherry tree unfurls like a cascade of light, and when the air is still, its reflection ripples gently across the pond, doubling the magic. It’s romantic without trying to be, peaceful but never dull, the kind of place where you instinctively lower your voice and just soak it all in. If you’re chasing that classic Kyoto spring moment, this is the one that feels straight out of a postcard.
Date: March 14th – April 12th
Time: 6:00 PM – 9:30 PM
Admission: Adults ¥1,000. Children ¥500
Address: 1 Kujocho, Minami Ward, Kyoto, 601-8473
Website: https://toji.or.jp/
Scenic river cruise – Photo Credit: Yodogawa Park
Yawata Sewaritei Cherry Blossom Festival
The Yodogawa Park (Sewaritei) Sakura Festival features a stunning 1.4-kilometer tunnel of blooming sakura along the riverbank. In addition to strolling under the blossoms, visitors can enjoy a variety of activities such as the Sakura Marche with local food and specialty stalls, scenic river cruises, traditional rowboat rides, and free guided walking tours that explain the area’s history and cherry trees. An observation deck also offers panoramic views of the blossoms, making the festival a popular spot for relaxed hanami and seasonal sightseeing.
Date: March 21st – April 12th
Time: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Admission: Adults ¥2,000 / Up to 18 ¥1,000 / Up to 12 ¥500 (boat)
*Purchase here
Address: Yawata, Kyoto 614-8312
Website: https://www.yodogawa-park.jp/sakurafes/
Maikos performing the Miyako Odori Geiko Performance – Photo Credit: Miyako Odori
Miyako Odori Geiko Performance
The Miyako Odori is a celebrated spring dance performance in Kyoto with a history dating back to 1872. Held each April at the Gion Kobu Kaburenjo Theatre, it features Kyoto’s geiko (geisha) and maiko (apprentice geisha) performing an annual newly created program of elegant classical dances accompanied by live shamisen music and traditional narration. The performance opens with the famous chant “Miyako Odori wa Yo-i Yasaa” and unfolds through a series of seasonal scenes inspired by classical literature and well-known places in Kyoto. The show lasts about one hour without intermission, offering a refined and immersive glimpse into Kyoto’s traditional performing arts. Performances run daily the whole month, with three showtimes each day.
Date: April 1st – April 30th
Time: 12:30 PM, 2:30 PM, 4:30 PM
Admission: ¥4,000 – ¥7,000
Address: 570-2 Gionmachi Minamigawa, Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto, 605-0074
Website: https://miyako-odori.jp/english/
Dancers performing at Imamiya Shrine – Photo Credit: Nihon Kōtsū Kōsha
Imamiya Shrine Yasurai Festival
The Yasurai Festival is a vibrant, centuries-old spring tradition with roots stretching back to the Heian period as a ritual to calm spirits and ward off disease during cherry blossom season. Originally a way to appease “epidemic gods” thought to be stirred up by swirling petals, the festival now brings together local parishioners in a lively procession featuring flower-adorned umbrellas (hanagasa), masked dancers resembling oni (demons), taiko drumming, and music as participants make their way through the neighborhood toward the shrine. Passing under the bright umbrellas is traditionally believed to bring health and protection for the coming year, and the event’s combination of music, dance, and community spirit has made it one of Kyoto’s most distinctive cultural celebrations.
Date: April 12th
Time: 12:00 PM
Admission: Free
Address: 21 Murasakino Imamiyacho, Kita Ward, Kyoto, 603-8243
Website: http://www.imamiyajinja.org/eng/imamiya_ENG/Yasurai_festival.html#12
Last year’s Kyoto Graphie poster – Photo Credit: ArtSticker
KYOTOGRAPHIE International Photography Festival
Kyotographie International Photography Festival is a major cultural event celebrating photographic art from Japan and around the world. Held each spring across galleries, temples, traditional townscapes, and public spaces throughout Kyoto, it transforms the city into an open-air exhibition. The festival showcases works from acclaimed international photographers alongside emerging talents, often with specially created site-specific installations that partners with Kyoto’s historic architecture and seasonal beauty.
Date: April 18th – May 17th
Admission: Depends on age and type of ticket (check information here)
Address: Across various venues throughout Kyoto (location details can be found here)
Website: https://www.kyotographie.jp/en/
Msaki & Tubatsi (South Africa) will perform at KYOTOPHONIE – Photo Credit: KYOTOPHONIE
KYOTOPHONIE
KYOTOPHONIE is an innovative borderless music festival held biannually in Kyoto, Japan, launched in 2023 by the co-founders of the KYOTOGRAPHIE International Photography Festival. It celebrates creative experimentation that transcends traditional genre boundaries, bringing together a diverse lineup of international and local musicians to perform in Kyoto’s unique cultural venues, from historic temples and modern halls to club spaces and scenic outdoor sites.
Date: April 18th – May 17th
Time: TBC (check official websites for updates)
Admission: ¥5,500 – ¥20,000 (TBC, check official websites for updates)
Address: Multiple venues in Kyoto (TBC, check official websites for updates)
Website: https://kyotophonie.jp/en/
Girls enjoying at Vegefes – Photo Credit: Vegefes
Vegan Gourmet Festival
The Vegefes (Vegan Gourmet Festival) is a delicious celebration of plant-based living that brings together food lovers, families, and curious eaters alike for a joyful feast of vegan creativity. From hearty burgers and curries to fresh salads, sweet treats, and dairy-free delights, dozens of stalls showcase how vibrant and flavorful vegan cuisine can be, all without meat, fish, eggs, or dairy. Beyond the food, the atmosphere buzzes with positivity, discovery, and community spirit, making it a fun way to explore sustainable eating, meet like-minded people, and indulge in great tastes you might not find anywhere else. Whether you’re already vegan, curious about plant-based food, or just love trying new things, this festival turns ethical eating into a social, joyful occasion that feels both fresh and inspiring.
Date: April 26th
Time: 10:30 AM – 4:00 PM
Admission: Free
Address: 56-3 Kankijicho, Shimogyo Ward, Kyoto, 600-8836
Website: https://vegefes.com/
In short, April is one of the most magical times to explore Kyoto. The blend of tradition and contemporary energy creates moments that feel both timeless and refreshingly new. If you’re planning a visit, this is the month to slow down, look up at the blossoms, follow the sound of distant drums, and let Kyoto surprise you at every turn.
Featured Photo Credit: Jo Panuwat D
