Kyoto in cherry blossom season is a fine idea if you enjoy queuing next to strangers for photos of trees. I did that trip in 2018 and left with pictures of my own arm holding a phone. Kyoto in November, when the maple leaves are dying, is a completely different city. Cheaper flights. Half the tourists. Better food, because the local restaurants are not overrun. Colder mornings, warmer scarves, a slower rhythm.
The maple season peaks somewhere in mid-to-late November, and it lasts about ten days. If you plan a two-week trip you will see it. The trees turn red-orange in a way that is genuinely worth flying for, and the light in Kyoto in autumn has a specific slant to it that makes everything look film-grain.
Practical: temples that are impossible in April — Kiyomizu-dera, Ginkaku-ji — are walkable in November. Ryokans that are booked a year out in spring will have availability. And a bowl of ramen at a counter with steam rising into the cold is a specific experience you do not get in warmer months. Go in November. Bring a coat that is warmer than you think you need. Reserve nothing except your first three nights.