Best time to go to China for a perfect weather and where to go?
Discover the very best time to visit China from seasonal norms in many locations like Guilin or Yunnan, below.
When is the best time to go to China?
China is a country that allows for discovery all year. In order to avoid the summer heat wave in the south and the frigid winter temperatures in the north, then opt for a intermediate season. Spring, from late April to early June and autumn which includes the months of September and October, are good seasonal compromises to discover China, extending from one end of the country to the next. Despite the onset of the monsoon season on the eastern coast, the peak tourist season is the period that ranges from May to August. At this time of year, the prices of both hotels and transportation companies are rising due to the fact that the school holidays cause a strong influx of visitors, eager to see the famous sights. Despite the low season between the months of November and February, it also coincides with the Chinese New Year - a major cultural event throughout the entire territory - which attracts crowds of tourists. To attend this said event then visit southern China, which benefits from a warmer climate that is generally preferred unless one enjoys the north - where warm clothes are essential.
So, when is the best time to go to China? Here's some more information to help you in your decision:
- In China, the weather is good across more than 55% of the territory for: April, May, September and October
- The best months to go to Beijing are April, May, June, July, August, September and October
- On average, the warmest months in Beijing are June, July and August, and the coldest month of the year is January
- July is the wettest month in this city
- The cities with the best climate are Xiamen and Quanzhou, with good weather at least 9 months a year
- The best months for swimming in Hong Kong are May, June, July, August, September and October
Annual weather in China
For information about the climate and the weather city by city in China for a specific month, click on the corresponding line below:
| Month | Our opinion | View Details | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | -14°F to 76°F | very bad weather* | |||
| February | -9°F to 79°F | very bad weather* | |||
| March | 11°F to 86°F | tolerable weather* | |||
| April | 23°F to 90°F | good weather* | |||
| May | 34°F to 94°F | good weather* | |||
| June | 43°F to 97°F | good weather* | |||
| July | 47°F to 97°F | tolerable weather* | |||
| August | 45°F to 95°F | good weather* | |||
| September | 38°F to 92°F | good weather* | |||
| October | 29°F to 86°F | good weather* | |||
| November | 11°F to 83°F | good weather* | |||
| December | -9°F to 77°F | very bad weather* |
Best time to travel to China by cities
Beijing
The best months to go to Beijing are april, may, june, july, august, september and october.
Guangzhou (Canton)
The best months to go to Guangzhou (Canton) are january, october, november and december.
Hong Kong
The best months to go to Hong Kong are january, february, april, october, november and december.
Climate and Weather in China
China, a country wedged between Mongolia, North Korea, Vietnam, India and Nepal, has such a vast and extensive territory that found here are all types of imaginable climates - except a Siberian one. Therefore, the south has a hot and humid weather, while the north is rather dry and windy. However, most of the time the climate of China is temperate or subtropical. The monsoon season in turn, mainly affects East China and Central China, with 80% of the year's rainfall in the north during this period while only 5% of the year's rain falls in the south. In order to experience China's climate at its best, get there in the early fall - around September or October or at the end of spring, from late April to early June.
The Dry Zone of the Northwest
Located towards inner Mongolia and Xinjiang, this area is characterized by very drastic differences in temperature, with very hot and very dry summers and particularly cold, dry winters.
The Tibetan Plateau
Located very high in altitude, the Tibetan Plateau suffers from particularly severe winters and extremely short summers although they are warm enough. One can observe a very strong sunshine in this part of China, similar to that in neighboring Nepal and its capital, also very high in altitude, Kathmandu.
The Northeast
Just as on the Tibetan plateau, summers in the northeast of China are brief. However, in the northeastern part of the country, they are also pretty cool. Winters meanwhile, are very long and present rather tough temperatures.
The Great Plains of Northern China
In this area, where the capital Beijing is located, China's climate is generally pleasant however, spring and autumn are short overall. In mid-April, this part of the country also suffers from serious yellow sandstorms.
Coastal regions of the East
On the east coast, the weather benefits from the oceanic influence. Here, the weather feels rather temperate and warm. The humidity level is however rather high.
The Agricultural Center
In central China, humidity allows for an important agriculture. Thus, one of the advantages in the agricultural center is the hot summer, however they are also quite rainy. Rarely frequented by tourists, this part of eastern China is however of great importance to the everyday lives of people living here.
Southern China
In this part of the country, the climate is permanently subtropical, similar to that in neighboring Vietnam and its capital Hanoi. The winters are described as quite mild in this part of China and the summers are particularly hot and humid, making the temperatures during this period of time a little harder to withstand.
The Far south
The area of Kwangtung, like Hong Kong for example, enjoys a tropical climate similar to that in Taipei, the neighbouring capital of Taiwan. The weather is warm and just humid enough. The plateau of Yunnan, which is also located in this area, has the opportunity of benefiting from the most privileged position for Chinese climate. In this part of the country the temperatures are indeed pleasant all year. It is important to note that this part of the country is also particularly affected by the typhoon season.
Temperatures and rainfall in China
On these 3 graphs, we present the evolution of temperatures of China and month-by-month rainfall for the cities of Beijing, Guangzhou (Canton), Hong Kong, Kunming and Shanghai, as well as the month-by-month sea temperature for coastal cities.
Peak visitor numbers and tourist seasons in China
Find out when China has its high tourist season (the period when the influx of tourists is highest) and off-peak tourist season using our data and figures.
Tourist seasons in China
The months with low numbers of tourists are: January, February, March, April, May, June and November. The number of visitors to China is high in: July, August, September, October and December.
- Very low season in China: January, February, March and November.
- Low season in China: April, May and June.
- High season in China: July.
- Peak season in China: August, September, October and December.
Figure: Visitor index for China month by month
Average price for flights to China
A return flight between Sydney and Hong Kong is generally cheaper if you go in march ($ 825 on average): this is the best time for travellers on a tight budget. In contrast, you may end up paying $ 513 more for your airline ticket to Hong Kong if you go in december.
Where to go in China?
This table allows you to see the maximum temperature for each city and our opinion on the weather month by month (see colour legend below the table).
| Cities | jan. | feb. | mar. | apr. | may | jun. | jul. | aug. | sep. | oct. | nov. | dec. |
| Beijing | 36°F | 43°F | 59°F | 72°F | 86°F | 94°F | 95°F | 92°F | 83°F | 70°F | 52°F | 38°F |
| Guangzhou (Canton) | 68°F | 74°F | 77°F | 83°F | 90°F | 92°F | 94°F | 95°F | 92°F | 86°F | 79°F | 70°F |
| Hong Kong | 68°F | 70°F | 74°F | 77°F | 85°F | 86°F | 88°F | 88°F | 88°F | 83°F | 77°F | 70°F |
| Kunming | 59°F | 67°F | 72°F | 77°F | 79°F | 77°F | 77°F | 79°F | 76°F | 70°F | 67°F | 59°F |
| Shanghai | 50°F | 52°F | 59°F | 68°F | 79°F | 83°F | 90°F | 90°F | 83°F | 76°F | 67°F | 54°F |
| Chengdu | 54°F | 59°F | 68°F | 77°F | 85°F | 88°F | 90°F | 90°F | 81°F | 72°F | 65°F | 56°F |
| Dalian | 32°F | 36°F | 45°F | 54°F | 65°F | 74°F | 81°F | 83°F | 76°F | 65°F | 52°F | 40°F |
| Guilin | 58°F | 63°F | 68°F | 76°F | 83°F | 86°F | 90°F | 90°F | 88°F | 81°F | 70°F | 59°F |
| Hainan island (Haikou) | 70°F | 74°F | 81°F | 85°F | 90°F | 92°F | 92°F | 90°F | 88°F | 85°F | 79°F | 74°F |
| Harbin | 7°F | 16°F | 34°F | 58°F | 72°F | 81°F | 85°F | 81°F | 70°F | 54°F | 31°F | 11°F |
| Jiuquan (Gansu) | 27°F | 36°F | 50°F | 63°F | 72°F | 81°F | 86°F | 85°F | 74°F | 59°F | 43°F | 29°F |
| Lijiang | 56°F | 61°F | 65°F | 70°F | 76°F | 76°F | 74°F | 74°F | 70°F | 67°F | 61°F | 56°F |
| Pingyao | 32°F | 40°F | 52°F | 63°F | 74°F | 83°F | 85°F | 81°F | 72°F | 61°F | 47°F | 34°F |
| Qingdao | 40°F | 43°F | 50°F | 61°F | 70°F | 77°F | 83°F | 85°F | 79°F | 70°F | 58°F | 43°F |
| Qiqihar | 7°F | 16°F | 36°F | 58°F | 72°F | 81°F | 88°F | 83°F | 70°F | 54°F | 31°F | 11°F |
| Tibet | 23°F | 27°F | 32°F | 41°F | 49°F | 58°F | 59°F | 59°F | 54°F | 43°F | 34°F | 29°F |
| Urumqi | 25°F | 29°F | 43°F | 63°F | 72°F | 81°F | 86°F | 85°F | 74°F | 59°F | 41°F | 29°F |
| Wenzhou | 56°F | 59°F | 65°F | 72°F | 79°F | 85°F | 90°F | 92°F | 86°F | 77°F | 68°F | 59°F |
| Wuhan | 52°F | 58°F | 67°F | 76°F | 85°F | 90°F | 94°F | 94°F | 86°F | 79°F | 67°F | 54°F |
| Xi'an | 45°F | 52°F | 65°F | 76°F | 83°F | 92°F | 94°F | 92°F | 81°F | 72°F | 59°F | 49°F |
Legend:
perfect weather
good weather
tolerable weather
bad weather
very bad weather
About China
What can I do in China?
Beaches / swimming
Nature and countryside
Culture and heritage
Sports
Family travel
Crafts / shopping
Gastronomy
Nightlife
Is this weather information for China reliable?
Climate data for China has been gathered every day since January 2009. The analysis of these meteorological data for China allows us to determine the average for each month in Beijing, Guangzhou (Canton), Hong Kong, Kunming, Shanghai, Chengdu, Dalian, Guilin, and 72 other cities.
So yes: this data is reliable except in cases of temporary climate disruption in the region.