Our verdict
The best time to visit China is May
In summer, temperatures can reach as high 37℃ (98℉) in the middle of the day in Beijing. The coldest it usually gets in winter-time in Beijing is around -12℃ (11℉). Temperatures can often differ in other locations in China, so be sure to continue reading if you plan on visiting elsewhere.
The days are longest in China in May, so if you want to see the sights during the day when the sun is up for the longest time, it’s best to visit around that time of year. On average it rains the most days in July, making it the wettest month of the year. Although it’s the wet season, it can often rain a little bit during the day or evening but have fine weather for a majority of the day too, so don’t let this put you off.
Continue reading to find out about when to visit China, including the climate, seasonal info, FAQs and more for loads of the top places you NEED to explore, as well as all the best tools to help you plan and book your next vacation.Quick links: Fast facts / Seasons / Average temperatures / FAQs / Map
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China seasons
Before you plan your trip, it’s important to know when the seasons are as they may be different to yours depending on where you’re travelling from. China is in the Northern hemisphere, so the seasons fall on:
Season | Months |
---|---|
Summer | June to August |
Autumn/fall | September to November |
Winter | December to February |
Spring | March to May |
Best time to visit the top destinations in China
We’ve put together a breakdown of the average minimum and maximum temperatures by month, as well as the best times to visit for each. To learn more about these destinations including detailed climate breakdowns and much more, click or tap the city/destination name below.
City | Best time to visit | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Beijing | May | ↑↓ | 1℃-7℃ | 4℃-4℃ | 13℃2℃ | 21℃9℃ | 28℃15℃ | 31℃19℃ | 32℃22℃ | 31℃20℃ | 26℃15℃ | 19℃9℃ | 9℃1℃ | 2℃-5℃ |
Chengdu | September-October | ↑↓ | 10℃3℃ | 13℃5℃ | 19℃10℃ | 24℃15℃ | 28℃19℃ | 30℃21℃ | 31℃22℃ | 31℃23℃ | 26℃19℃ | 22℃16℃ | 16℃11℃ | 11℃5℃ |
Chongqing | September-October | ↑↓ | 12℃6℃ | 16℃9℃ | 21℃13℃ | 25℃17℃ | 28℃20℃ | 30℃22℃ | 34℃24℃ | 34℃25℃ | 28℃21℃ | 23℃17℃ | 18℃13℃ | 13℃8℃ |
Dali | October | ↑↓ | 13℃-0℃ | 16℃1℃ | 19℃5℃ | 22℃9℃ | 24℃12℃ | 23℃15℃ | 22℃15℃ | 23℃14℃ | 21℃13℃ | 19℃9℃ | 16℃4℃ | 13℃1℃ |
Dunhuang | April | ↑↓ | -3℃-11℃ | 3℃-6℃ | 12℃1℃ | 20℃9℃ | 25℃15℃ | 29℃21℃ | 32℃23℃ | 31℃22℃ | 25℃16℃ | 17℃8℃ | 7℃-1℃ | -1℃-8℃ |
Fenghuang | April-May | ↑↓ | 8℃2℃ | 11℃4℃ | 16℃8℃ | 21℃13℃ | 25℃16℃ | 28℃20℃ | 31℃22℃ | 31℃22℃ | 27℃18℃ | 22℃14℃ | 16℃8℃ | 10℃3℃ |
Fuzhou | April-May | ↑↓ | 14℃8℃ | 15℃9℃ | 18℃11℃ | 22℃15℃ | 25℃18℃ | 28℃22℃ | 30℃23℃ | 31℃23℃ | 28℃21℃ | 24℃18℃ | 20℃14℃ | 15℃9℃ |
Guangzhou | September | ↑↓ | 19℃12℃ | 21℃14℃ | 23℃17℃ | 27℃21℃ | 31℃24℃ | 32℃26℃ | 33℃26℃ | 34℃27℃ | 32℃25℃ | 29℃22℃ | 25℃18℃ | 20℃13℃ |
Guilin | October | ↑↓ | 12℃5℃ | 15℃8℃ | 18℃11℃ | 23℃15℃ | 27℃19℃ | 28℃21℃ | 30℃22℃ | 31℃22℃ | 29℃20℃ | 26℃16℃ | 20℃11℃ | 14℃6℃ |
Haikou | September | ↑↓ | 21℃18℃ | 23℃19℃ | 26℃21℃ | 29℃23℃ | 31℃26℃ | 32℃27℃ | 32℃27℃ | 32℃27℃ | 30℃26℃ | 28℃25℃ | 26℃22℃ | 22℃19℃ |
Hangzhou | September | ↑↓ | 9℃2℃ | 11℃4℃ | 16℃7℃ | 22℃12℃ | 27℃17℃ | 28℃20℃ | 33℃24℃ | 32℃24℃ | 27℃20℃ | 23℃15℃ | 17℃10℃ | 11℃4℃ |
Harbin | May | ↑↓ | -14℃-23℃ | -9℃-19℃ | 1℃-9℃ | 13℃3℃ | 21℃11℃ | 26℃16℃ | 28℃18℃ | 26℃16℃ | 20℃9℃ | 11℃3℃ | -1℃-8℃ | -12℃-19℃ |
Huangshan City | September-October | ↑↓ | 18℃12℃ | 19℃14℃ | 21℃16℃ | 24℃19℃ | 27℃22℃ | 29℃25℃ | 30℃26℃ | 30℃26℃ | 29℃25℃ | 27℃22℃ | 23℃18℃ | 19℃14℃ |
Kashgar | September-October | ↑↓ | -2℃-10℃ | 3℃-5℃ | 13℃5℃ | 21℃12℃ | 26℃17℃ | 30℃21℃ | 33℃23℃ | 31℃22℃ | 25℃17℃ | 18℃10℃ | 8℃1℃ | -1℃-7℃ |
Kunming | September-October | ↑↓ | 14℃3℃ | 18℃4℃ | 21℃8℃ | 23℃11℃ | 25℃14℃ | 24℃16℃ | 23℃15℃ | 24℃15℃ | 22℃14℃ | 20℃11℃ | 17℃7℃ | 14℃4℃ |
Lijiang | April | ↑↓ | 19℃7℃ | 23℃8℃ | 26℃13℃ | 28℃15℃ | 29℃18℃ | 28℃19℃ | 27℃18℃ | 28℃17℃ | 27℃16℃ | 25℃14℃ | 23℃11℃ | 19℃8℃ |
Macau | April | ↑↓ | 18℃15℃ | 20℃17℃ | 22℃19℃ | 25℃22℃ | 28℃25℃ | 30℃27℃ | 30℃28℃ | 31℃28℃ | 30℃27℃ | 28℃24℃ | 24℃21℃ | 20℃16℃ |
Nanjing | September | ↑↓ | 7℃1℃ | 10℃3℃ | 15℃6℃ | 21℃11℃ | 27℃17℃ | 30℃21℃ | 32℃24℃ | 31℃24℃ | 27℃19℃ | 23℃15℃ | 16℃9℃ | 9℃3℃ |
Nanning | September-October | ↑↓ | 17℃10℃ | 20℃13℃ | 23℃16℃ | 28℃20℃ | 31℃23℃ | 32℃24℃ | 32℃25℃ | 33℃25℃ | 31℃23℃ | 28℃20℃ | 24℃16℃ | 19℃11℃ |
Qingdao | September-October | ↑↓ | 3℃-2℃ | 5℃0℃ | 10℃4℃ | 15℃9℃ | 21℃15℃ | 25℃19℃ | 28℃23℃ | 28℃24℃ | 25℃19℃ | 20℃15℃ | 13℃8℃ | 6℃1℃ |
Sanya | September-October | ↑↓ | 22℃15℃ | 26℃17℃ | 29℃19℃ | 31℃22℃ | 33℃24℃ | 33℃24℃ | 33℃24℃ | 32℃24℃ | 31℃23℃ | 29℃21℃ | 26℃19℃ | 23℃16℃ |
Shanghai | April-May | ↑↓ | 9℃3℃ | 10℃4℃ | 15℃7℃ | 20℃11℃ | 25℃17℃ | 27℃21℃ | 32℃25℃ | 32℃25℃ | 27℃21℃ | 23℃17℃ | 18℃12℃ | 11℃6℃ |
Shantou | May | ↑↓ | 18℃13℃ | 20℃14℃ | 22℃17℃ | 25℃20℃ | 28℃23℃ | 30℃25℃ | 31℃26℃ | 31℃26℃ | 30℃25℃ | 27℃22℃ | 24℃19℃ | 20℃14℃ |
Shenzhen | October | ↑↓ | 19℃14℃ | 20℃16℃ | 23℃18℃ | 26℃21℃ | 29℃25℃ | 30℃27℃ | 31℃27℃ | 31℃27℃ | 31℃26℃ | 28℃23℃ | 25℃20℃ | 20℃15℃ |
Suzhou | May | ↑↓ | 8℃3℃ | 10℃4℃ | 15℃6℃ | 21℃11℃ | 26℃17℃ | 29℃21℃ | 32℃25℃ | 32℃25℃ | 27℃20℃ | 23℃16℃ | 17℃11℃ | 10℃5℃ |
Urumqi | September-October | ↑↓ | -6℃-15℃ | -4℃-14℃ | 5℃-4℃ | 15℃7℃ | 20℃12℃ | 25℃17℃ | 28℃20℃ | 27℃18℃ | 21℃12℃ | 13℃5℃ | 3℃-4℃ | -3℃-11℃ |
Wuhan | April-May | ↑↓ | 9℃3℃ | 12℃5℃ | 18℃9℃ | 23℃14℃ | 28℃19℃ | 30℃22℃ | 33℃25℃ | 33℃25℃ | 29℃20℃ | 24℃16℃ | 17℃10℃ | 11℃5℃ |
Xi'An | April | ↑↓ | 15℃7℃ | 18℃9℃ | 22℃13℃ | 26℃16℃ | 30℃20℃ | 33℃23℃ | 34℃24℃ | 34℃24℃ | 31℃22℃ | 27℃17℃ | 21℃11℃ | 17℃9℃ |
Xiamen | May | ↑↓ | 17℃11℃ | 18℃13℃ | 20℃15℃ | 24℃18℃ | 27℃22℃ | 29℃24℃ | 31℃26℃ | 32℃26℃ | 30℃24℃ | 27℃21℃ | 23℃18℃ | 19℃13℃ |
Zhangjiajie | May | ↑↓ | 8℃0℃ | 10℃2℃ | 15℃7℃ | 20℃11℃ | 24℃15℃ | 28℃18℃ | 30℃21℃ | 30℃20℃ | 26℃17℃ | 21℃12℃ | 15℃7℃ | 9℃2℃ |
Zhuhai | September | ↑↓ | 18℃15℃ | 20℃16℃ | 22℃19℃ | 25℃22℃ | 28℃25℃ | 30℃27℃ | 31℃28℃ | 31℃28℃ | 30℃27℃ | 28℃24℃ | 24℃21℃ | 20℃16℃ |