Best time to visit Nara

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 (?)
234566876432
On the sunniest 1 in 10 days, UV reaches this — and even higher
346889109864
PM2.5 air quality · on a typical day (?)
121416171418171411101211
On the worst 1 in 10 days, PM2.5 reaches this — and even higher
212328252329292520151919
October 8/10 feels 22°C (+1°C vs 1991-2020) · HCI 81/100
Day 22° · Night 13° 65% humidity 14 km/h wind 10 rain days (114h) 190h 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 Nara

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

  1. 1Nara Early Morning Tour (Kyoto or Osaka Departure Available)4.93★ (994)4h 30mfrom $72
  2. 2Nara Todaiji Lazy Bird Walking Tour5.00★ (12)4hfrom $85🔥 Selling fast
  3. 3Customizable Private Tour in Osaka Nara Kobe and Kyoto5.00★ (8)from $287
  4. 4Nara: Half-Day Private Tour of 4 Must-See Spots & Deer Park5.00★ (15)5hfrom $152
  5. 5Nara: Todai-ji Temple & Great Buddha 2-Hour Guided Tour5.00★ (2)2hfrom $94
  6. 6Nara Private Custom Walking Tour5.00★ (2)from $106
  7. 7World Heritage Kyoto & Nara Uji Authentic Matcha Experience4.94★ (2,054)8h 30mfrom $124
  8. 8Nara Half Day Trip Walking Tour (Private Option Available)4.93★ (1,018)5hfrom $102

Last refreshed 2026-06-06.

Similar climatesKyoto98% · Osaka96% · Kobe95%

Other destinations with the most-alike year-round climate to Nara (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 Nara'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 0–9 5 10 111 11.1 64% 17 167 2 Quiet 5
Feb 1–10 7 9 104 11.6 61% 17 156 3 Quiet 6
Mar 4–15 12 12 149 12.4 60% 16 187 4 Quiet 6
Apr 9–19 17 11 138 12.5 59% 16 193 5 Quiet 7
May 13–23 23 13 145 11.2 62% 15 208 6 Quiet 8
Jun 18–27 29 15 178 11.9 66% 15 189 6 Quiet 6
Jul 23–30 35 17 237 13.9 70% 15 215 8 Quiet 2
Aug 24–32 37 15 158 10.5 63% 15 240 7 Moderate 2
Sep 21–29 32 15 152 10.1 66% 14 203 6 Moderate 4
Oct 13–22 22 10 114 11.4 65% 14 190 4 Moderate 8
Nov 8–17 16 7 82 11.7 65% 14 178 3 Peak 8
Dec 2–11 7 6 71 11.8 62% 16 185 2 Busy 6

UV Index in Nara by Month

UV index in Nara peaks at 8 (high) in July, dropping to 2 (low) in December. May, June, July, August, September have high UV — SPF 30+ and sunglasses recommended.

Best months in detail

October

8/10

13–22°C · 10 rain days (114h) · 190 sun hours · 65% humidity · Moderate crowd · UV 4 (moderate) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 6 (moderate)

November

8/10

8–17°C (feels 16°C) · 7 rain days (82h) · 178 sun hours · 65% humidity · Peak crowd · UV 3 (low) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 4 (moderate)

May

8/10

13–23°C · 13 rain days (145h) · 208 sun hours · 62% 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

5/10

0–9°C (feels 5°C) · 10 rain days (111h) · 167 sun hours · 64% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 2 (low) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 3 (moderate)

February

6/10

1–10°C (feels 7°C) · 9 rain days (104h) · 156 sun hours · 61% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 3 (low) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 4 (moderate)

March

6/10

4–15°C (feels 12°C) · 12 rain days (149h) · 187 sun hours · 60% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 4 (moderate) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 6 (high)

April

7/10

9–19°C (feels 17°C) · 11 rain days (138h) · 193 sun hours · 59% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 5 (moderate) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 8 (high)

June

6/10

18–27°C (feels 29°C) · 15 rain days (178h) · 189 sun hours · 66% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 6 (high) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 9 (very high)

July

2/10

23–30°C (feels 35°C) · 17 rain days (237h) · 215 sun hours · 70% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 8 (high) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 10 (very high)

August

2/10

24–32°C (feels 37°C) · 15 rain days (158h) · 240 sun hours · 63% humidity · Moderate crowd · UV 7 (high) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 9 (very high)

September

4/10

21–29°C (feels 32°C) · 15 rain days (152h) · 203 sun hours · 66% humidity · Moderate crowd · UV 6 (high) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 8 (high)

December

6/10

2–11°C (feels 7°C) · 6 rain days (71h) · 185 sun hours · 62% humidity · Busy crowd · UV 2 (low)

Frequently asked questions about visiting Nara

When is the best time to visit Nara?

October is the highest-scoring month (8/10 on the Holiday Climate Index). Typical conditions: 13–22°C (10 rainy days). The top three months by score are October, November, May.

What is the worst time to visit Nara?

August is the lowest-scoring month (2/10, capped by extreme heat). Typical conditions: 24–32°C (15 rainy days).

Is Nara 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 Nara?

Search-interest seasonality (Google Trends 2021-2025) is lowest in January 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 Nara have good weather but fewer tourists?

May (climate 8/10, crowd index 3) and October (climate 8/10, crowd index 43) — shoulder months with above-average climate and below-median search-interest. Often the best value-for-weather trade.

What is the UV index in Nara by month?

UV peaks at 8 (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 6, Jul 8, Aug 7, Sep 6, Oct 4, Nov 3, Dec 2.

What is the UV index in Nara in July?

July is the peak UV month in Nara, with a daily-peak UV index of 8 (high). Apply SPF 30+, wear sunglasses, and seek shade during midday hours.

How high can UV get in Nara 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 (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: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November. Plan sun protection for the worst case, not the average.

Is air quality in Nara 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 June with a typical-day mean of 18 µg/m³ (unhealthy for sensitive); on the worst 10% of days PM2.5 reaches 29 µg/m³ (unhealthy) 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.