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When to travel to China

Travelling to China is possible all year round, however there are some specific climate zones and seasons to bear in mind when planning your China holiday.

To get the most out of your China holiday, we recommend visiting during the spring or Autumn, so between the months April - May and September- October. The weather is most suitable for travel during these periods: average temperatures, little rain and additionally, you'll be avoiding some of the crowds by not travelling during peak tourist season.

Take a look below at our China climate information for a little inspiration on when to travel to China.

If you'd like to start building your own China holiday, you can choose from our range of bite-sized China trips. Or if you'd rather leave the planning to us, you can take your pick from our range of suggested holidays in China.

When to travel to China - Regional differences

Northern China is known for its dry, hot summers and long, cold winters. During the summer, temperatures can rise to about 30 degrees Celsius and it's not much cooler in the evenings. During the Winter months it is very cold -Beijing's daytime temperatures are usually around freezing, however the sky is a beautiful blue and it's a great time to take pictures.

Southern China has a more subtropical climate with precipitation spread out over each month. The summers are long, hot and humid, and the winters are cool, yet short. The island of Hainan has a tropical climate and conditions are excellent for spending a day on the beach during your China holiday anytime of year.

When to travel to China - China holidays

When to travel to China - National Holidays

When planning when to travel to China, keep the following in mind:
Most Chinese have two weeks off for Chinese New Year holiday (January or February, date changes annually) and most take this opportunity to visit family. Therefore, it's quite difficult to travel during these periods of time; most flights, trains, busses and accommodation are full!

Although April - May and September - October are the best months to travel in China, the first week of May and the first week of October are not recommended travel periods. During these periods, there are also national Chinese holidays and once again all means of transport and all accommodation are booked. It's difficult to even get a reservation confirmed during these periods and due to the crowds, the travel experience is a lot less enjoyable.

When to travel to China - climate table

Northern China

Beijing:

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Temperature	-4	-2	4	13	19	24	25	24	19	12	4	2
Rainfall (mm)	3	7	8	20	33	78	193	212	57	24	4	2

Xian:

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Temperature	-1	2	8	14	20	25	27	26	19	14	7	1
Rainfall(mm)	8	11	25	52	64	52	99	72	98	62	32	33

East Coast

Shanghai:

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Temperature	4	5	8	14	19	19	23	28	24	18	12	6
Rainfall(mm)	44	63	13	13	15	14	12	10	12	8	8	8

Southern China

Chengdu:

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Temperature	6	8	12	17	20	24	26	25	25	22	12	7
Rainfall(mm)	6	8	11	14	16	16	17	16	16	15	8	6

Guilin (Yangshuo):

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Temperature	8	10	14	18	23	26	28	28	28	26	15	11
Rainfall(mm)	57	75	128	282	353	312	232	170	64	98	75	33

Hong Kong

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Temperature	16	16	18	22	25	28	28	28	25	22	18	23
Rainfall(mm)	25	52	71	188	329	388	374	445	287	152	35	33

Hainan Island:

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Temperature	23	24	26	28	29	29	29	29	28	28	24	23
Rainfall(mm)	8	13	19	43	142	198	193	222	251	235	58	11

Click here to see our bite-sized China trips

Click here to see our suggested holidays in China

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