Best time to visit Kobe

Re-score for me — drag the dial — every chart on the page recolours live for your heat limit 27°C
I'm comfortable up to 27°C feels-like
22° heat-averse 30° heat-loving

Default 27 °C is the upper edge of the Holiday Climate Index "ideal comfort" band (Scott, Rutty, Amelung & Tang, 2016). Above this, most warm-tourism travellers report measurable discomfort.

Saved to this browser. Changes update the strips below.
Recent · 2020-2024
Interest Google Trends 2021-2025 searches, not arrivals (?)
Day · avg daily high (?)
Night · avg overnight low (?)
UV index · On a typical day around midday, UV is about this (?)
234567886432
On the sunniest 1 in 10 days, UV reaches this — and even higher
46889109864
PM2.5 air quality · on a typical day (?)
131519221827302618111211
On the worst 1 in 10 days, PM2.5 reaches this — and even higher
242935363246625836162120
October 8/10 feels 22°C (+1°C vs 1991-2020) · HCI 82/100
Day 22° · Night 16° 65% humidity 18 km/h wind 9 rain days (110h) 194h sun
Thermal 8
Sky 8
Rain 7
Wind 10

Higher = better, including rain & wind (green = "doesn't hurt the score", not "lots of it").

How is this scored? HCI / Steadman / CCI gate — full methodology and citations below.

Compare with another destination

Add as many as you like — stacked below the main strips above. Each row is just the recent-window score strip and (for beach destinations) sea-temperature strip.

Tours in Kobe

6 top-rated tours via Viator. Booking links earn this site a commission at no cost to you. Map locations are approximate (centred on Kobe).

  1. 1Customizable Private Tour in Osaka Nara Kobe and Kyoto5.00★ (8)from $287
  2. 2Kobe: 100% Personalized Tour with Local Student Guide4.96★ (73)4hfrom $61
  3. 3Sake Brewery and Japanese Life Experience Tour in Kobe4.81★ (43)4h 30mfrom $77
  4. 4Kobe Private Custom Walking Tour5.00★ (7)from $114
  5. 5Nijigen no Mori: Naruto Theme Park (with return transfers) Fire shadow training journey5.00★ (1)from $172
  6. 6Kobe beef lunch with calligraphy and tea ceremony experiences5.00★ (2)4hfrom $230

Last refreshed 2026-06-06.

Similar climatesOsaka97% · Nagoya96% · Hiroshima96%

Other destinations with the most-alike year-round climate to Kobe (apparent temperature, rain hours, sunshine — matched within the same trip-profile). The ±N chip compares each match's typical score for the current month against Kobe's. Based on the 2020-2024 climatology, not this year's actual weather.

Month-by-month

Month Temp °C Feels °C Rain days Rain h Rain h/day Humidity Wind km/h Sun h UV Interest Score
Jan 3–9 5 7 82 11.7 65% 20 173 2 Quiet 6
Feb 3–10 6 7 83 11.9 63% 20 165 3 Quiet 6
Mar 6–14 11 11 130 11.8 65% 20 195 4 Quiet 6
Apr 11–18 16 10 133 13.3 66% 21 195 5 Quiet 7
May 15–21 21 13 138 10.6 71% 20 211 6 Quiet 7
Jun 20–25 27 14 182 13.0 77% 18 191 7 Quiet 6
Jul 24–29 33 18 241 13.4 80% 19 219 8 Quiet 3
Aug 25–31 35 18 196 10.9 75% 19 241 8 Busy 2
Sep 23–28 31 14 164 11.7 71% 18 206 6 Moderate 5
Oct 16–22 22 9 110 12.2 65% 18 194 4 Moderate 8
Nov 11–17 15 7 81 11.6 65% 18 181 3 Peak 8
Dec 5–11 7 6 53 8.8 61% 20 194 2 Busy 7

UV Index in Kobe by Month

UV index in Kobe peaks at 8 (very high) in July, dropping to 2 (low) in December. July reach very high or extreme levels — apply SPF 50+, wear a hat and protective clothing, and limit direct sun between 11:00 and 17:00.

Best months in detail

October

8/10

16–22°C · 9 rain days (110h) · 194 sun hours · 65% humidity · Moderate crowd · UV 4 (moderate) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 6 (moderate)

November

8/10

11–17°C (feels 15°C) · 7 rain days (81h) · 181 sun hours · 65% humidity · Peak crowd · UV 3 (low) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 4 (moderate)

May

7/10

15–21°C · 13 rain days (138h) · 211 sun hours · 71% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 6 (high) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 8 (very high)

Every month

Show the other 9 months in detail

January

6/10

3–9°C (feels 5°C) · 7 rain days (82h) · 173 sun hours · 65% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 2 (low)

February

6/10

3–10°C (feels 6°C) · 7 rain days (83h) · 165 sun hours · 63% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 3 (low) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 4 (moderate)

March

6/10

6–14°C (feels 11°C) · 11 rain days (130h) · 195 sun hours · 65% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 4 (moderate) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 6 (moderate)

April

7/10

11–18°C (feels 16°C) · 10 rain days (133h) · 195 sun hours · 66% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 5 (moderate) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 8 (high)

June

6/10

20–25°C (feels 27°C) · 14 rain days (182h) · 191 sun hours · 77% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 7 (high) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 9 (very high)

July

3/10

24–29°C (feels 33°C) · 18 rain days (241h) · 219 sun hours · 80% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 8 (very high) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 10 (very high)

August

2/10

25–31°C (feels 35°C) · 18 rain days (196h) · 241 sun hours · 75% humidity · Busy crowd · UV 8 (high) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 9 (very high)

September

5/10

23–28°C (feels 31°C) · 14 rain days (164h) · 206 sun hours · 71% humidity · Moderate crowd · UV 6 (high) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 8 (high)

December

7/10

5–11°C (feels 7°C) · 6 rain days (53h) · 194 sun hours · 61% humidity · Busy crowd · UV 2 (low)

Frequently asked questions about visiting Kobe

When is the best time to visit Kobe?

October is the highest-scoring month (8/10 on the Holiday Climate Index). Typical conditions: 16–22°C (9 rainy days). The top three months by score are October, November, May.

What is the worst time to visit Kobe?

August is the lowest-scoring month (2/10, capped by extreme heat). Typical conditions: 25–31°C (18 rainy days).

Is Kobe too hot in summer?

3 months (July, August, September) trip the heat deal-breaker in our scoring: apparent temperature crosses the comfort cap, so even with clear skies and low rain the score is held down. Plan around it if heat tolerance is low.

When are crowds lowest in Kobe?

Search-interest seasonality (Google Trends 2021-2025) is lowest in February and peaks in November. Interest tracks both in-trip visitors and lead-time planners, so treat it as a "destination is on people's minds" signal rather than literal arrivals.

Which months in Kobe have good weather but fewer tourists?

October (climate 8/10, crowd index 42) and April (climate 7/10, crowd index 0) — shoulder months with above-average climate and below-median search-interest. Often the best value-for-weather trade.

What is the UV index in Kobe by month?

UV peaks at 8 (very high) in July and is lowest in December at 2 (low). Monthly peak values: Jan 2, Feb 3, Mar 4, Apr 5, May 6, Jun 7, Jul 8, Aug 8, Sep 6, Oct 4, Nov 3, Dec 2. July reach very high or extreme levels — apply SPF 50+, wear a hat and protective clothing, and limit direct sun between 11:00 and 17:00.

What is the UV index in Kobe in July?

July is the peak UV month in Kobe, with a daily-peak UV index of 8 (very high). At this level, sunburn can occur in under 20 minutes on unprotected fair skin. Apply SPF 50+, wear protective clothing and a hat, and avoid direct midday sun (11:00–17:00).

How high can UV get in Kobe on the sunniest days?

Most days look like the monthly average, but on the sunniest ~1 in 10 days UV climbs higher than the mean suggests. July is the worst case: typical days average UV 8 (very high), but the top 10% of days reach UV 10 (very high) — and even higher. Months where the sunniest days routinely exceed the typical reading: February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November. Plan sun protection for the worst case, not the average.

Is air quality in Kobe bad for travelers?

PM2.5 (fine-particle pollution) exceeds the WHO sensitive-group guideline (15 µg/m³) in 12 months: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December. The worst month is July with a typical-day mean of 30 µg/m³ (unhealthy); on the worst 10% of days PM2.5 reaches 62 µg/m³ (hazardous) and higher. People with asthma, heart conditions, or sensitive children may want to avoid these months or limit outdoor activity. Source: CAMS via Open-Meteo.