Best Time to Visit Wuxi

Spring and autumn: the sweet spots

April and May are Excellent, and so are October and November. October is our top pick. Days are mild, rain falls on only 8 days, and you get the most sun of the year outside winter. Walking Lake Taihu's shore or the Yuantouzhu peninsula (Turtle Head Isle) feels easy and pleasant.

April brings cherry blossom at Yuantouzhu, which is a local favourite. Expect weekend crowds then. May is warmer, with highs of 27°C, but still comfortable for the old canal area around Qingming Bridge and the lanes of Nanchan Temple.

Late autumn is calmer. November is cool enough for a jacket in the evening, and it suits temples, tea houses and slow city walks. It's also a good time for Wuxi's sweet-and-savoury dishes, like soy-braised spareribs, and for hairy crab season, which usually runs through autumn in the Yangtze delta.

Summer: hot, wet and sticky

June, July and August all rate Poor. July is the wettest month, with rain on 18 days. Nights stay warm, at 26°C in both July and August, so you won't get much relief.

June is the start of the plum rain season (meiyu), when grey, damp weather can hang around for weeks. Everything feels clammy. If you come anyway, plan indoor stops like the Wuxi Museum or the Grand Canal exhibits, and keep afternoons for tea and air-conditioning. Summer is also school-holiday time, so family crowds gather at Lingshan Grand Buddha and the Taihu lakefront.

September is Fair. It's still warm and a bit humid, but it eases off quickly toward October.

Winter: quiet and cold

December to February is rated Fair. Highs sit between 8°C and 10°C, and nights drop to near freezing. It's grey and damp rather than snowy. December is the driest month, with rain on just 6 days, so it's your best winter bet.

If you hate crowds, this is your window. Gardens like Xihui Park and the lakeside paths are mostly empty. Chinese New Year, in late January or February, is the exception. Many locals travel then, and some small shops close for a few days. March is a good shoulder month, as the weather turns Good and the first blossoms appear.