China has a vast territory and varied terrain, the climates of different places have nothing in common, so the answer to “when is the best time to visit China?” is not cut-and-dried. Actually, the answer of this question depends on your needs, like where do you would like to go? What do you want to do? Which one do you prefer? Summer day or snow day? Wet weather or dry? Do you want to go shopping? Do you want to enjoy the local festival and seasonal attractions? Do you would like to avoid the crowded tourists and traffic?

Early Autumn - the Most Popular Travel Time

Most people choose to travel to China in early autumn (around October). The weather at this time is very nice: the temperature in most parts of China is comfortable, the high temperature of summer has gone, and the severe cold of winter has not yet arrived, and summer The rainy season (such as Hong Kong and Sanya) has stopped, so the climate is relatively dry. This is the most comfortable time to travel to most Chinese cities such as Beijing, Xi'an, Shanghai, Guilin, Hong Kong and Chengdu.

As the summer tourist crowd has dispersed, the scenic area is relatively quiet for most of the month. But it should be noted that please try to avoid traveling from October 1st to 7th (National Day). This time period is the largest tourist peak period in China. Many Chinese will travel during this time period, so not only traffic, scenic spots and Hotels can be very crowded, and their prices are very expensive. Except for the National Day holiday, travel expenses in other times of October are cheaper than summer.

The arrival of autumn has added attractiveness to many places, such as the red maple leaves in Beijing, the sycamore leaves in Shanghai and the ginkgo leaves in Xi’an are all famous scenery in autumn.

Early Autumn in Beijing

Late Spring - Comfortable But Rainy

Late spring is another popular travel option, from April to May, when the flowers are in full bloom and the temperature is warmer, but it is still not too hot. Except for the northwest and northeast regions, the temperature in most cities is around 20 degrees. The north of China (such as Beijing and Xi'an) is still dry, but the summer rainy season has begun in the south. The misty drizzle has made the scenery related to mountains and rivers more beautiful, such as Hangzhou, Guilin and Huangshan, adding a lot of poetry.

It should still be noted that the 1st to 5th of May is the Labor Day holiday in China. Like the National Day, many Chinese will choose to travel during this time, so try to avoid this time if you don’t want to be company with crowded people and high room rates.

Apart from holidays, the cost of travel in spring is not high, and there are not so many people. The most important thing is you can enjoy the flowers blooming in the mountains and plains in that time, which is an amazing scenery. In addition, many ethnic minority festivals From April to June, if you want to experience different ethnic customs, you can choose to visit Guizhou and Yunnan during the late spring.

Yunnan in Spring

Summer - The Hottest Time

June, July and August are the hottest months in China. The highest temperature in most areas can reach around 35 degrees. The students on summer vacation and the bright sunshine made summer a peak tourist season.

Therefore, there are crowded tourists everywhere. During this period of time, the demand for hotels is high, and it is difficult to buy air tickets and train tickets, which is the most expensive travel time. If you choose to travel in summer, try to book everything in advance. However, If you want to avoid the hot weather, Tibet, Inner Mongolia, Qinghai and Yunnan will be a good choice. Due to the terrain, these places tend to be cooler, summer is the best time to visit these places.

Cool summer in Tibet

September – Cooler North, Hot South

September is also a good time for domestic travel. At this time, the weather starts to become cooler and there are not many people traveling. The Mid-Autumn Festival is mostly in September, which is an important traditional festival for family reunion in China.

Rainy Season and Typhoon

The unstable weather in the summer could be an important factor that affecting travel, especially in the south, which is severely affected by the monsoon， like Li river and Yangtze river, if the water rises, cruise ships may be suspended and the river water b will ecome muddy; flights will be delayed due to typhoons, and outdoor activities may be less fun due to heavy rain.

Low Season for Tourism - Fewer People and Cheaper Prices

The low season for tourism in China is from November to March of the following year. The weather in the off-season is colder, but it can save a lot of money in accommodation, flying, and scenic spots, and it can also avoid crowds. However, this does not mean that there is no place worth visiting during the off-season. During this time, it will snow in the north of China. Some ancient cities, such as Beijing, Xi'an, etc., will be amazing under the snow scene, while the same time, the most important traditional festival of China-the Spring Festival is occurred during this time. You can celebrate the arrival of the New Year with the locals and experience the colorful customs and cultures.

Low tourist season, but excellent scenery