Best Time to Visit China: A Month-by-Month Guide

China spans five time zones' worth of latitude and several climate zones. Crowds matter as much as weather, because Chinese public holidays move hundreds of millions of people at once.

The three busiest travel periods to avoid

• Chinese New Year, usually late January to mid-February: transport and hotels are heavily booked and prices peak.
• Labor Day, the first few days of May: short, intense and nationwide.
• National Day, the first week of October: the busiest travel week of the Chinese year.

Month by month

March to May. The best all-round window. Beijing and Xi'an are mild, Wuyuan and the Yangtze valley bloom, and Yunnan is dry and clear. Book the first week of May carefully.

June to August. Hot and humid in the east, and the school vacation crowd is significant. This is the best time for the high country — Yunnan, Tibet, Qinghai and the grasslands — and for mountain destinations such as Zhangjiajie.

September to November. Our favorite season overall. Clear skies, comfortable temperatures and good visibility for photography. October's first week is crowded, but late October and all of November are superb.

December to February. Cold in the north, which makes Beijing and Harbin a genuine winter destination; the Harbin ice festival runs roughly late December to February. Southern China stays mild and much quieter.

Regional shortcuts

• Beijing and Xi'an: April to May, September to October.
• Guilin and Yangshuo: April to October, with the terraces greenest in summer and golden after the October harvest.
• Zhangjiajie: April to October; expect fog at other times.
• Yunnan: March to November, with Shangri-La best in spring and autumn.
• Silk Road and Dunhuang: May to October, and not in high summer unless you like 40°C.
• Jiangxi and Lushan: April to June for the cloud sea, October and November for color.

Tell us your dates and we will tell you honestly whether they suit the route you have in mind, and what to change if they do not.