China stretches from the frozen north-east to tropical Hainan, so there is no single best month for the whole country. Spring and autumn suit most classic routes. Winter and summer work too, if you choose the right regions.
Spring: March to May
Mild weather in Beijing, Xi’an, Shanghai, Hangzhou and Chengdu, with blossoms in March and April and new-season tea around Hangzhou. Zhangjiajie is green and misty. It is one of the two best seasons for a first visit, so book hotels and trains early. The first days of May are a national holiday with heavy domestic travel.
Summer: June to August
Hot and humid in most cities, with the plum rains in Shanghai and Hangzhou in June and early July. Southern coasts can see typhoons from July to September. Harbin is at its most pleasant, and mountain areas are cooler but busy. July and August are school holidays in China, so popular sights are crowded. Plan outdoor visits for early morning.
Autumn: September to November
Clear skies and comfortable temperatures across most of the country, and autumn colour in the north in October. It is the other best season for a first visit. Avoid 1 to 7 October if you can: the National Day holiday is the busiest travel week of the year.
Winter: December to February
Cold and dry in Beijing and Xi’an, with fewer visitors and often clear skies for the Great Wall. Harbin’s ice and snow season usually runs from late December to late February. Sanya and Hainan are warm and dry, which makes a winter city-and-beach combination easy. Chinese New Year, which falls in late January or February, closes some businesses for a few days and makes trains and flights very busy in the weeks around it.
Region by region
- North (Beijing, Xi’an): best in April–May and September–October; winters cold and clear
- North-east (Harbin): December–February for ice and snow; June–August for mild summers
- East (Shanghai, Hangzhou): March–May and September–November
- South-west (Chengdu): March–June and September–November
- Central (Zhangjiajie): April–May and September–October
- South (Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Xiamen): October–December and March–April
- Hainan (Sanya): November–April
Routes for each season
- Spring or autumn: Classic China in 10 days or Mountains and water in 14 days
- Early summer: Pandas and heritage in 12 days, starting early each day
- Winter: Beijing and Harbin, or Beijing and Shanghai with a few days in Sanya
- Any time of year: our 11 destination guides list the best months for each city
Not sure when to go?
Tell us when you can travel and what you want to see. We will suggest the regions that work best for those dates.