Kyoto is a year-round temple city. The constraint is crowds and humidity, not closed shrines.
Late March–May and October–November
Sakura in late March to mid-April; maple mid-October to mid-November. Book hotels three months ahead. This is when a first Japan trip from India usually aims.
June–August
Hot, humid, and rainy in the tsuyu weeks. Start at opening. Gion still works at dusk. Hydrate; temples do not wait for cooler air.
December–February
Quieter corridors, lower rates, grey light on gold leaf. A good window if you came for temples, not for blossom Instagram.