To know when it is the best travel to China, one must take into account that China is a large region with dozens of climatic zones. It can be said that all types of climates are represented in this huge Asian country.
The Best Time to Visit China
The climate varies depending on the size of this huge country, whose total area is equal to the whole of Europe. The country has a continental climate in the north and west, and a tropical climate in the south. The climate of Tibet is completely different and corresponds to the highland climate.
On the other hand, the entire country is subject to the equatorial monsoon; if you decide to visit the country in the summer, you may encounter very rainy days.
Given all these differences, it is difficult to determine the exact time to travel to China. However, in general, we can say that the best period to explore the country is from April to November. In addition, each city and each region has its own climatic characteristics, which we will discuss below.
A. Best time to visit Beijing
Due to its geographical location, the capital of China has a continental climate with hot summers and cold winters. Summer temperatures can easily exceed 86 °F (30 °C) and winter temperatures can drop to 14 °F (-10 °C). July is the hottest month, so try to avoid this period.
The best months to visit the capital are April through November, but the hottest months are not highly recommended. The best months to experience the charm of Beijing are April, May, October, or November.
B. Best time to visit Shanghai
The second-largest city in China is Shanghai, not only because of its economic development but also because it is the most populous city. The climate is still continental, but slightly milder than Beijing. Temperatures can drop to 32 °F (0 °C) in winter and rise to 91 °F (33 °C) on the thermometer in summer.
In summer, typhoons bring a lot of rainfall not only to the city but also to other parts of China. Therefore, spring and autumn are the best times to visit Shanghai: it doesn’t rain often and the temperature is pleasant. So, to visit this huge city, choose April and May or October and November.
C. Best time to visit Hong Kong
Another Chinese giant is Hong Kong: located on the south coast of China, this city has the largest commercial airport in the world and is one of the most important industrial ports. Before coming to Hong Kong, you should be aware that the climate is subtropical.
Therefore, compared to the previously mentioned cities, this city is characterized by rainy summers and not too cold winters. To give you an idea, the coldest months are January and February, when the temperature reaches 59 °F (15°C).
In summer, the temperature reaches 86 °F (30°C) in July and August. The weather is correspondingly much milder. The only drawback is the rainfall from May to September.
The best months to visit Hong Kong are April and October.
D. Best time to visit Xian
March, April, or May is the best time to travel to central China and visit the legendary city of Xi’an, with its Terracotta Warriors and Horses, the Great Wall, or the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. During this time, you can enjoy the best temperatures in this part of China, although October is also a good choice.
Xi’an has a warm climate, with hot summers reaching 89 °F (32 °C), especially in June, July, and August. In the winter, temperatures can drop to 39 °F (4 °C), especially in the coldest months of January. September has the heaviest rainfall, so it’s best to avoid the city during this time so you don’t have to walk on soaked streets.
E. Best time to visit Tibet
Since the Tibet Autonomous Region is located at an altitude of 2.8 miles (4,500 meters) above sea level, the climate here is correspondingly plateau-like. This means that in the colder months, such as January, the temperature drops below zero to 50 °F (10 °C). In summer, temperatures rise to 71 °F (20 °C), especially in June, the hottest month of the season.
If you want to avoid heavy rains, avoid the period from July to August. Therefore, the best months for a Tibetan vacation are May and June, and September and October are also good months to visit Buddhist holy sites and the highest mountain in the world, Mount Everest Lookout.
Other Best Schedules for China Travel
A. The six most beautiful grasslands in China
1 Hulunbeier Eastern Grassland (Inner Mongolia)
Best season: May – mid-September
Snow and ice season: November – mid-February
2 Yili Grassland (Xinjiang)
Best season: July – September
3 Xilinguole Grassland (Inner Mongolia)
Best season: July – August
4 West Sichuan Alpine Grassland (Sichuan)
Best season: Summer
5 Naqu alpine grassland (Tibet)
Best season: May – September
6 Qilian Mountain Grassland (Qinghai, Gansu)
Best season: June-July
B.The most beautiful five lakes in China
1 Qinghai Lake (Qinghai)
Best season: all seasons
2 Ennis Lake (Xinjiang)
Best season: July – mid-September
3 Namucuo Lake (Tibet)
Best season: July – September
4 Tianchi (Jilin)
Best season: July – September, other seasons are very likely to be in a blanket of snow
5 West Lake (Hangzhou)
The best season: four seasons have their own characteristics, and all seasons are suitable
C. Top 10 most beautiful mountains in China
1 Namcha Barwa (Tibet)
Best season: February – April, October – November
2 Gunga (Sichuan)
Best season: snow after late October, you can watch the snow scene, thaw in March
3 Jumolangma (Tibet)
Best season: late April – early June, mid-September – early October
4 Meili (Yunnan)
Best season to see snow-capped mountains: January – May
5 Huangshan (Anhui)
High season: March 16 – November 16, low season: November 16 – March 15
6 Inacheng Sanshinshan (Sichuan)
Best season: April – June, July – November is the rainy season
7 Chogori (Xinjiang)
Climbing season: July – September
8 Gang Rinpoche (Tibet)
Best season: May-early July, mid-August – October
9 Taishan (Shandong)
Best season: all seasons
10 Mount Emei (Sichuan)
Best season: spring and autumn
D. Six Most Beautiful Villages in China
1 Danba Tibetan Village (Sichuan)
Best season: May – November
2 Hani villages (Yunnan)
Best season: autumn, November – April between the terraces to store water, better shooting results
3 Tuva Village (Xinjiang)
Best season: all seasons
4 Liping Zhao Xing Dong Village (Guizhou)
Best season: all seasons
5 Wuyuan (Jiangxi)
Best season: March – April, August – September
6 Lijiang Dayan Town (Yunnan)
Best season: all seasons
E. Top 10 most beautiful forests in China
1 Tianshan Xueling Spruce Forest (Xinjiang)
Best season: spring and autumn
2 Changbai Mountain Red Pine Broadleaf Mixed Forest (Jilin)
Best season: spring for trekking, summer for scenery, autumn for foliage, winter for snow
3 Jianfengling Tropical Rainforest (Hainan)
Best season: November – April of the following year
4 Baima Snow Mountain Alpine Rhododendron Forest (Yunnan)
Best season: May – June
5 Bomi Gangxiang Lingzhi Spruce Forest (Tibet)
Best season: March – April when peach blossoms are in full bloom
6 Xishuangbanna Tropical Rainforest (Yunnan)
Best season: November – April
7 Luntai Poplar Forest (Xinjiang)
Best season: mid-October
8 Libo Kerst Forest (Guizhou)
Best season: all seasons
9 Xing’an Larch Forest in northern Daxing’an Mountains (Heilongjiang, Inner Mongolia)
Best season: spring and autumn
10 Department of Southern Bamboo Sea (Sichuan)
Best season: all seasons
F. Five most beautiful deserts in China
1 Batangilin Desert Hinterland (Inner Mongolia)
Best season: late September – late October
2 Taklamakan Desert Hinterland (Xinjiang)
Best season: late October – mid-November
3 Gurbantunggut Desert Hinterland (Xinjiang)
Best season: September – December
4Ming Sha Mountain, Moonlight Spring (Gansu)
Best season: May – September
5 Shapotou (Ningxia)
Best season: spring and autumn
G. Ten most beautiful canyons in China
1 Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon (Tibet)
Best season: August – October
2 Jinsha River Tiger Leaping Gorge (Yunnan)
Best season: spring and summer
3 Yangtze River Three Gorges (Chongqing, Hubei)
Best season: all seasons
4 Grand Canyon of the Nujiang River (Yunnan, Tibet)
Best season: October – April
5 Meili Grand Canyon of the Lancang River (Yunnan)
Best season: January – May
6 Taroko Grand Canyon (Taiwan)
Best season: All seasons
7 Grand Canyon of the Yellow River Jinxia (Inner Mongolia, Shanxi, Shaanxi)
Best season: January – April, September – November
8 Dadu River Jinkou Grand Canyon (Sichuan)
Best season: autumn
9 Taihang Mountains Grand Canyon (Beijing, Hebei, Henan, Shanxi)
Best season: spring and autumn, with a hundred flowers
10 Tianshan Kucha Grand Canyon (Xinjiang)
Best season: All seasons
H. Five most beautiful peaks and forests in China
1 Guilin Yangshuo (Guangxi)
Best season: April, October, around the opening of the osmanthus flowers in August
2 Wulingyuan (Hunan)
Best season: spring and autumn
3 Wanfenglin (Guizhou)
Best season: July – August
4 Sanqing Mountain (Jiangxi)
Best season: autumn
5 Luoping Peak Forest (Yunnan)
Best season: late February – early March rape blossoms
I.The six most beautiful waterfalls in China
1 Zangbu Badung Waterfall (Tibet)
Best season: autumn
2 Detian Waterfall (Guangxi)
Best season: June – July
3 Yellow River Hukou Falls (Jin-Shanxi border)
Best season: May, September
4 Luoping Jiulong Waterfall (Yunnan)
Best season: early February – early March
5 Norilang Waterfall (Sichuan)
Best season: July – August
6 Guizhou Huangguoshu Waterfall (Guizhou)
Best season: July – August
Now that you know the best time to travel to China, it’s time to start planning your trip.
