Nara weather in November
November in Nara: nice, a little rain, with clean air — an excellent time to visit.
Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis
#4 of 12 months in Nara · #450 of 1413 destinations to visit in November · comfort 80/100 (tier A)
- Days
- 18°C
- Nights
- 8°C
- Wet days
- 6
- Sun
- 7.7 h
- Humidity
- 76%
- Daylight
- 10 h

Traveller notes on Nara in November
Forum posters consistently name November as one of the best months to visit this part of Japan - not too hot, not too cold, outside rainy season, and among the driest months of the year, with temperatures commonly described in the 50s-60sF (12-18C) and a light jacket sufficient for most of the day. The one real timing caveat posters raise: fall foliage typically doesn't peak in Nara until quite late in the month, with late November (after the 23rd or so, by the same pattern seen in nearby Kyoto) the more reliable window for red leaves than earlier dates. Posters commonly pair a Nara day with nearby Kyoto or Hiroshima on a broader November itinerary, taking advantage of the generally settled, pleasant regional weather.
Other months in Nara
Regulars are specific this falls within the rainy season here, several genuinely wet days a real possibility across a typical trip, though conditions stay meaningfully more comfortable than the following July once real summer heat and mugginess arrive. Our row backs that hot, genuinely wet read, 28.6C reading as a hot 31C, over 18.9C nights feeling 21C, with a substantial 199.2mm of rain across 11.7 days and humidity at 78 percent. Regulars are consistent the famous deer park, a 15-minute walk from JR Nara station, stays reliably full of deer regardless of the weather or season, a genuine reason to visit even on a rainy day. Layers and rain gear remain the standard advice given the real chance of a wet stretch. The record: 8.6 hours of sun, a 12.5 kph wind and AQI 63.
Regulars describe early December as not yet properly cold, with real winter usually waiting until late in the month, though the park itself is open ground and a visitor notes the wind there can make it feel colder than the number suggests. Our row backs the mild-to-cold read, 12.3C reading as 9C over 2.8C nights feeling -1C, with 46.4mm of rain across 5.8 days and a trace of snow, 0.5cm, more likely as the month goes on. The deer themselves are unaffected by any of it, lounging in large numbers along the roads and grass regardless of the weather, and the park stays busier through December than the genuinely quiet stretch that comes in February. The record: humidity 74 percent, 7.4 hours of sun, a 15 kph wind and AQI 47.
March here is the month before the famous one, and regulars are firm about it: the 18th or 19th is still too early for the Somei Yoshino at Yoshino, though weeping cherries come earlier and plum and early-blooming varieties are out from the start of the month. What that buys is space - early March falls between the year-end crowds and the blossom crowds, so the park and the deer are noticeably quieter. Dress for it: our row gives 15.7C days over 4.2C nights that feel like 1C, with 102.6mm across 10 days and a trace of snow still on the books. The end of the month turns changeable. The record: humidity 71 percent, 8.3 hours of sun and a 15.2 kph wind.
The summer heat is finished by late September but October stays warm - regulars report around 17C in mid-month across the Kansai plain, warm by day with a sweater wanted after dark, which our 23.3C over 13.5C brackets. Two corrections worth carrying. Autumn colour is not here yet: early October foliage means Hokkaido or the northern mountains, not Nara. And October is wetter than its reputation, our row giving 160.9mm across 11.7 precipitation days under just 7.7 hours of sun, the tail of the typhoon season. The national holidays in late September and the second Monday of October make busy long weekends. At the park, the deer crowd the entrances; walk further in for quiet, and come early. The record: humidity 77 percent, a 12.8 kph wind and AQI 45.
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Nara climate normals — November
Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.
Crowds in Nara in November
How busy the place itself is — school and mass holidays, the months an editor tagged, and how sought-after the weather makes them. Never part of the comfort score.
BusyShosoin treasures exhibition(estimated)
Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet
Best months for Nara's weather
Ranked by this destination's own climate comfort score across the year — a different thing from how busy it gets (see Crowds above).
Fair weatherNara's best weather comes in April, May and October — separate windows, not one continuous season.
Best weatherFair weatherToughest weather
What's on in Nara in November
Recurring seasonal events, natural spectacles, closures and holidays — curated and sourced.
- Festival
Shosoin treasures exhibition
25 Oct – 15 Nov · usuallyArts festivalCrowdedBook earlyA few dozen objects from the eighth-century imperial storehouse go on show at the Nara National Museum for about a fortnight each autumn, and never the same ones twice. Timed tickets. Source ↗
- Nature
Autumn colour
5 Nov – 5 Dec · usuallyNara Park turns later than Kyoto and takes a fraction of the crowd. Kasugayama's primeval forest behind the shrine is the walk to do while it happens.
Nearby, and something's on
Within 300 km of Nara — a day trip or a short hop — with something on this month. Never part of the comfort score.
Where is Nara?
Nara in November — FAQ
- Is November a good time to visit Nara?
- November in Nara: nice, a little rain, with clean air — an excellent time to visit. It ranks #4 of 12 months for Nara on SeasonMap's comfort score (80/100).
- What is the weather like in Nara in November?
- In November, Nara averages a daily high of 17.8°C and a low of 7.6°C, with about 57.6 mm of rain over roughly 6.1 rainy days.
- What is the air quality in Nara in November?
- Nara has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 45 in November.
Within 300 km: Osaka's Autumn colour around 15 Nov – 5 Dec, and Kyoto's Autumn colour around 10 Nov – 5 Dec.