Fortunately, China is a year-round travel destination and there is always a place that is worth visiting. Regardless of when you are considering going, there is always someplace that is definitely worth visiting because of China’s vast territory. China is so vast that you could get various beautiful sceneries even in the same period of time.
However, there are two main factors when planning your tour to China and how to decide the best time to travel to China & the worst time to travel to China and come up to a conclusion:
- You should always avoid China’s national holidays and,
- Most certainly take care of the weather conditions.
The Worst Time to Visit China
Putting weather conditions aside, the worst time to travel to China is during any of their National Holidays. You may have a better experience while visiting by avoiding the worst time to visit China.
In the 1990s the Chinese government announced the introduction of the “Golden Weeks” to build and improve domestic tourism industry.
You would still be having a wonderful time here in China if you come in a season that is not the best time for visiting this city. What really matters is that you come at a totally inappropriate timing where the prices for air tickets and hotels are comparatively higher than usual, train tickets are sold out because every Chinese plans on visiting their homes in these vacations and every other place that you plan to visit is flooded with tourists.
Unlike in the West, the average Chinese worker has no flexibility in planning their vacation or their holiday time and many may be attracted to experience the Chinese culture and want to explore the local customs that take place in the Spring Festival in China.
Although it is a great memory and a time you would not want to miss, you should better be aware of the fact that everything will be pricier than the usual days. Instead, the entire country’s population would essentially be taking their vacations in the same time.
The Bottom Line:
Attempting to visit China in these days is just like Thanksgiving, 4th of July and Christmas all being at the exact same time. And considering that the population of China is way more than any other region, you may want to lose the will to live if you plan to travel at this time of the year.
If you are in some kind of circumstances that you cannot avoid travelling in these then you should ensure that you make all your reservations in advance but still you should keep in mind that you will be paying more than usual. You will have to think about visiting less trendy tourist destinations and staying put in one location until everyone in China gets back to work.
The three Chinese national holidays to keep away from are:
Chinese New Year (Lunar New Year).
At this time of the year, it is thought to be the worst time to travel. The exact dates each year differs since it is based on the Lunar Calendar, but it is generally around late January to mid-Feb.
Majority of the population of China, be it if they belong from the white collar or the migrant workers, they take off work and travel back to their hometowns to spend more time with their families.
Most restaurant businesses also tend to shut down completely in these days to enjoy their vacations so eating out options become very limited that in smaller towns.
If you enjoy the crowded areas, the celebrations, the sreet festivals and firecrackers then you may have a wonderful time, but if you are not a fan of all these things then you might want to find alternative options.
National Day (starts Oct 1)
This is basically a prolonged weeklong holiday that celebrates and marks the founding of People’s Republic. In specific, While the number of people on the go during this period is lower than during the Chinese New Year, “lower” is still a lot in China and you should avoid the sites that are based in Beijing i.e., the Forbidden City, which is situated right next to the parades at Tiananmen Square, as well as the nearby Great Wall of China.
Labor Day (May 1).
This day is also a national holiday and was at first a weeklong holiday but now it has been thankfully scaled back to a 3 day weekend so this is not as crowded as before but it is still a better choice not to travel at this time of the year.
The Best Times to Visit: WEATHER
If we talk about the weather, then the best time to visit China are the months of spring (March-May) and the autumn (September to early November). During these times, there is less rain and clearer skies and most of the popular places have their most tourism-friendly weather.
But with the exclusion of the north during the tough and harsh winter season, you can still explore and discover China easily all year-round. During the Summers, you may see the heaviest rain and it can rather be uneasily hot, particularly in the south near Hong Kong, which has extremely hot and damp summers and it can be rather uncomfortable there.
The famous cultural and historical destinations like Beijing, Shanghai, and Xi’an are barely influenced by such weather conditions. They are appropriate to be visited by tourists all year round.
Visiting China in The Summer Season
China has a lot to offer in the summer season and summer is in fact the time with most things to do in China. From city sightseeing and exploring museums getting to know more about the history of China and sunny mountain hiking to minority festivals.
It offers the best possible conditions for mountain and highland destinations, for instance in Tibet, Yunnan, Guilin, and Zhangjiajie. .
Visiting China in Spring (April to May)
The weather It is warm and comfortable in this season and temperatures average 10–23°C (50–73°F), warming up, with fresh air all around. Though comparatively dry in north China, rain increases toward summer in the region of south China.
Spring is also considered to be one of the most amazing times to visit China, particularly for nature lovers. Flowers blossom and temperatures are cool to warm giving it an amazing feel.
