China Seasonal Destinations for 2024/2025

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Traveling to Different China Destinations in Different Seasons in 2024/2025

When planning a trip to China, choosing the right destinations will ensure you a better travel experience in a way. So, what’s the best time for a China tour? What are the weather like in China during spring, summer, autumn and winter? What are the best places to enjoy seasonality in China? Well, the answer varies for different travelers. Most regions in China own distinct four seasons: warm spring, hot summer, cool autumn and cold winter. Though each season presents different scenery, generally, months from April to October are the peak seasons for most parts of China while summer and winter are less choices. So, it’s very important to select a suitable time to catch the most beautiful scenery and the best travel experience. For example, Tibet are more recommended for a visit between summer and autumn, for spring is quite windy, dry and winter is freezing cold with heavy snows.

Please rest at ease, China Discovery here list the most recommended destinations in China in different seasons to help you get the best seasonal landscape and trip experience in China. Both climate characters and highlighting views have been fully considered. Check your schedule first and then find your ideal destinations from below!

Beijing/Xian/Shanghai/Chengdu/Hong Kong - Classic Destinations Suitable for A Travel in All Seasons

On the vast territory of China, there are some cities you can visit all year round. Big modern metropolis cities, such as Beijing, Xian, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Chengdu are the hottest representatives. Because their best highlights are mostly cultural landscape less affected by weather, and the cities all have developed tourism reception capacity and convenient transportation networks. Hence, you can travel to the above destinations at any time you want. If you travel with us, you can enjoy an all -inclusive tour packages covering useful trip planning guide, well-organized itinerary, local friendly tour guide and efficient private transfer and excellent arrangements of hotels, meals and other local activities. Contact us to get your China vacation started!

Top China Tour Packages:

Four Periods You Need to Pay Attention When Traveling to China

As the most populous country in the world, China faces super huge crowds far beyond your expectation during the following four long public holidays. Better avoid these times, or plan your trip under our help as early as possible if necessary since the hotel rates are much higher, all spots are full of people.

● Labor Day is the most important minor vacation in the first half year for Chinese people. It usually starts from May 1 and lasts 3-5 days. Short-distance travel and side trips are most popular at this time. The average tourist flow amounts to over 100 million each year.

● Summer holiday, specifically from July to August, is China’s summer carnival when the main forces, family and students travelers takes up one fifth of the yearly total traffic.

● National Day holiday from October 1 is the famous Golden Week for tourism in China. Nearly all attractions in China are crowded with tourists. If traveling in China during this period, you will face very high travel cost, shortage of good hotels and flight/train tickets, head-scratching traffic jams on highways, etc.

● Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) is the most important traditional festival in China. For the year-end family reunion, Chunyun - the Spring Festival Travel Season in China has become the greatest migration in human history, with an striking traffic record of over 3 billions. Public transport like trains, bus are packed full, and many shops, grocery stores, restaurant will closed during this holiday.

Top Destinations to Visit in China in Spring - March, April, May

Spring is a lovely season with warm sunshine, eye-pleasing flower blossoms, refreshing green leaves and sweet air. All things wake up in this season, including your desire for a delightful spring holiday. Major top destinations and cities in southern China are the most popular places for a spring vacation, for you can enjoy a pleasant weather as well as appreciate colorful flora beauty in ancient gardens, villages and vast fields. Many enjoyable festivals are also held so that you can join to experience seasonal charm and ethnic culture. Better dress warm in early March and wear layered clothes since there is temperature variation.

Beijing

Long capital history with rich World Cultural Heritages.
Yangtze River

Relaxing cruise along the blooming Yangtze River.
Yunnan (Lijiang, Dali, Kunming)

Warm sunshine and remarkable landscape & ethnic diversity.
Hangzhou

Poetic West Lake & local tea plantations, gateway to Wuzhen.
Suzhou

Chinese classical gardens, beautiful water towns & silk.
Nanjing

Great ancient capital with Ming Xiaoling and many cultural relics.
Luoyang

Longmen Grottoes and gorgeous Luoyang Peony Culture Festival.
Wuyuan

Golden sea of rape flowers and elegant ancient villages.
Nyingchi

Nyingchi Peach Blossom Festival, rare lush forests and green land.

Recommended China Spring Tours: ☛ 5 Days Shanghai Hangzhou Suzhou Highlights Tour | ☛ 6 Days Best of Yunnan Tour

Top Destinations to Visit in China in Summer – June, July, August

Summer is hot in most destinations in China with the highest daytime temperature usually keeps above 30°C. But some destinations in the north, northwest and southeast China, and high mountains and grassland have lower temperatures, clearly blue sky and wondrous natural sights, thus rightly get their best tourist season. Zhangjiajie, Mount Emei, Inner Mongolia, Qinghai, Guizhou rank the top on the summer resort list. If possible, avoid the “Four Furnaces” - Wuhan, Chongqing, Nanchang and Nanjing and daytime outdoor activities. Dress breathable clothing, pay attention to weather forecast and prepare umbrellas, etc.

Zhangjiajie

Surreal Avatar Mountains & skywalk on glass bridge.
Inner Mongolia

Nomadic culture, Naadam Festival, vast green prairies.
Silk Road (Zhangye, Dunhuang...)

Zhangye Danxia Landform, Mogao Grottoes, deserts.
Guilin

Scenic Li River Cruise aside Karst hills, idyllic Yangshuo.
Emeishan (Mount Emei)

Sacred Buddhist mountain, ancient temples & cool place.
Guizhou

Summer coolness, ethnic villages, Fanjingshan.
Tibet (Lhasa, Everest...):

Holy Buddhism & spiritual Tibetans, plateau landscape.
Qinghai (Xining, Qinghai Lake)

Boundless blooming rape flowers, sapphire beautiful Qinghai Lake.
Yangtze River

Leisurely shore excursions, steep canyons, green water.

Top Destinations to Visit in China in Autumn – September, October, November

Autumn is a harvest season and a really golden season for travelling around China. In autumn, the temperature is moderately cool, air is crisp with high visibility, more sunny days, less rainfalls. The multicoloured nature, especially the golden scenery of Jiuzhaigou, Daocheng Yading, Shangri-La, Kanas (Xinjiang), Huangshan Mountain are the most tempting photography sites for travelers (Top Autumn Destintions). Most destinations in China are in their beautiful time with different colors. All that makes autumn a peak tourist season. Plan a trip early under the help of a reliable travel agency like China Discovery.

Jiuzhaigou

Rich colored lakes & primeval forests, waterfalls.
Huangshan

Beautiful mountains (odd-shaped peaks, pines), ancient villages.
Gansu

Mogao Grottoes, Rainbow Mountain, Jiayuguan Pass.
Xinjiang

Mysterious & vast land, distinct Islamic culture, heavenly nature.
Yunnan (Lijiang, Dali...)

Mild climate, ncient towns, ethnic groups & slow life pace.
Tibet

Blessed land for eyes’ and minds’ purification.
Daocheng Yading

The Last Pure Land on the Earth, real Shangri-La kissed by God.
Wuyuan

Oil painting-like beautiful photography site, rural charm.
Xiamen

Gulangyu Island, tree-lined soft beaches, comfortable sunshine.

Recommended China Autumn Tours: ☛ 5 Days Yellow Mountain Autumn Tour with Shaiqiu | ☛ 5 Days Chengdu Jiuzhaigou Tour

Top Destinations to Visit in China in Winter - December, January, February

Most places of China are really cold, harsh and dry during winter, resulting in a lower desire for traveling. However, it’s a perfect time to witness natural miracles, enjoy various winter sports and unusual ice and snow fun in northern China’s Harbin and high-elevated mountains like Huangshan Mountain. And Southern China offers a variety of warm places to escape the biting coldness, including Yunnan, Sanya. (Best Winter Destinations) If you visit China during Chinese New Year, you can join grand cultural celebrations in joyful atmosphere. A lower cost is another advantage. Always keep warm in cold places.

Harbin

Ice & Snow Festival, skiing paradise & winter activities.
Yunnan (Lijiang, Dali...)

Balmy climate, snowy mountains, peaceful lakes, rice terraces...
Guilin

Pleasant temperature, golden rice fields, pastoral serenity.
Xiamen

Gentle breeze, refreshing air, unique Hakka houses.
Sichuan

Real Frozen world, cool winter snowy views, giant glaciers.
Huangshan

Sensational iced mountains, sea of clouds, challengeable hiking.
Sanya

Oriental Hawaii, beautiful beach, soft sand, the warmest city.
Guangzhou

No need of down jackets, transfer center to Shenzhen, HK.
Jilin

Wonders of the rime, Heavenly Lake & Changbai Mountain.

Recommended China Winter Tours: ☛ 5 Days Charming Harbin & China Snow Town Winter Tour | ☛ 6 Days Yunnan Essence Tour

Useful China Weather Guide & Articles

China's weather features a distinct continental monsoon climate, characterized by cold winter and hot summer in general. As the rich China climate, the weather differs from region to region by different Temperature Zones, according to the diverse landforms. Spring and autumn are the two best seasons to explore China natural beauty with comfortable weather.

Travel China with China Discovery

To help you enjoy a worry-free trip to China, we highly recommend you travel with us China Discovery. Our experienced travel expert will help you arrange your trip sincerely. Our local drivers will escort you to the attractions with comfortable car directly with speed and safety. Our English-speaking tour guide will accompany you all the way, show you the best highlights. Whether you have planned places to go or have no idea, your China tour can be tailor-made according to your group size, time, physical condition, plan, interest, budget, etc. Please feel free to contact us if you need any help!

What Our Customers Say

Hi dear Vivien,

our journey is about to end. We are on our way to Guilin airport. It has been an awesome trip indeed. Each destination was well chosen and everything went smoothly. I am super happy for my sister and me to be able to experience such a wonderful travel through the most stunning landscapes in China. Thank you for the perfect organization. And thank you for the nice gift we got in Guilin. Really appreciate it.

My sister with her fan. We also got a beautiful stamp and ink. Thank you very much!

Francesca