Best Time to Visit Shanghai

Spring and autumn: the sweet spots

April is Excellent here, and so are October and November. Days are mild, the air is lighter, and you can walk for hours without feeling sticky. October is our top pick. It's the driest of the three, with rain on only about 8 days.

Spring is soft and a bit grey. March is still cool, so it suits you if you like quiet museums and tea houses. By May it's warm and pleasant for strolling the Bund (the riverfront promenade) or the tree-lined streets of the former French Concession.

Autumn is the time for hairy crab season, which starts around October and runs into winter. Look for it in restaurants across the city. Late autumn also brings golden ginkgo leaves to many streets.

Summer: hot, wet and heavy

June to August is rated Poor, and we won't dress it up. June is the wettest month at 207 mm, with rain on 17 days. July and August are the hottest, both tied at a high of 32°C. Nights stay warm, at 26°C, so there's little relief after dark.

The early rainy stretch, called meiyu (plum rain), makes June grey and damp. July and August are drier but sticky. Chinese school holidays run through July and August, so families fill the Shanghai Disney Resort and the Science and Technology Museum. Do outdoor things at dusk. Spend the middle of the day in air-conditioned places like the Shanghai Museum or the malls around People's Square.

September is still Fair. It's warm and a little wet, but it's quieter than summer.

Winter: cold, damp and calm

January and February are the coldest, with highs of 9–10°C and lows near freezing. It's damp rather than snowy, and few buildings have strong heating, so it can feel colder indoors than you'd expect. December is Good. It's drier than any other month, with just 42 mm of rain.

Winter is low season for foreign visitors, so hotels are easier to find and the sights feel calmer. It suits food-focused trips. Try hot soup dumplings (xiaolongbao) in the Old City near Yu Garden.

Chinese New Year falls in late January or February, depending on the year. The city empties as many people head home, and some restaurants and shops close for several days. The Lantern Festival, about two weeks later, lights up Yu Garden. National Day on 1 October starts a week-long holiday called Golden Week. It's the one time October gets crowded, so aim for mid or late October. November avoids that and is still Excellent.