Best Time to Visit China

Autumn and spring win almost everywhere

If you only get one window, pick October. It's the best or a top month for Shanghai, Hangzhou, Hefei, Wuhan, Nanjing, Beijing, Tianjin and Xi'an. The air is dry, the heat has gone and the skies are often clear. Spring works too. April and May suit Beijing, Tianjin, Weifang and Nanjing, while Chengdu, Chongqing and Xi'an do well from March.

Summer is the hard part. Most cities peak at 32 to 33°C, and Xi'an is the hottest at 34°C in July. It's sticky, and it's also the wet season. June is the wettest month in Shanghai, Hangzhou, Wuhan, Chongqing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Dongguan. Guangzhou gets 352 mm that month, so expect heavy downpours, not drizzle.

North, south and the exceptions

The south flips the pattern. Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Dongguan are best from November to February, when it's mild and dry. Winters in Beijing, Tianjin and Harbin are properly cold, so save those cities for other seasons.

Harbin is the cool pick. July peaks at only 28°C, the lowest of any city here, and May and September are the best months. Its famous Ice and Snow Festival is a winter event, so go then only if you want deep cold on purpose.

Holidays, crowds and cost

Chinese holidays shape your trip as much as the weather. Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) falls in late January or February. Millions travel home, trains sell out and many small shops close for days. Big cities feel quiet, but getting between them is hard.

The other big one is National Day Golden Week, starting 1 October. Sights like Beijing's Forbidden City and Great Wall are packed, and prices jump. That's the catch with October. If you hate crowds, aim for the weeks either side, or choose late October and November in Wuhan, Chengdu or Chongqing.

Summer school holidays, July and August, bring family crowds to the main sights. Low season is the cold months outside Spring Festival, and the hot, wet middle of summer. For the best mix of weather and space, try late April, May or November.