Season, crowds and weather windows
Which months ruin which cities, when prices double, and the quiet weeks worth aiming for.
China is big enough that there is no best month, only the month that suits your route. Harbin is only worth its name between December and February, Dunhuang is punishing in July, and the Yangtze delta is pleasant in March and again in November while every May holiday sells out weeks ahead.
These pages put season, crowd level and price together, because those three move as one: the cheapest week is rarely the best-feeling week, and it is worth seeing the trade-off before you book flights.
Xi’an: The Wall, The Warriors, And How Many Days It Takes
Warriors before 09:00, the wall at sunset, three days covers it comfortably.
Chengdu: Pandas, Hotpot, And The Gateway To Western Sichuan
Pandas by 08:00, hotpot after dark, and two days minimum before you head west.
Guilin And Yangshuo: The Karst Landscape, Planned Properly
Sleep in Yangshuo, cruise downstream to it, and give the rice terraces a night.
Hangzhou: West Lake, Tea Hills, And The Easiest Day Trip From Shanghai
Free lake, paid boats, tea hills in the afternoon; two days, or one very good one.
Zhangjiajie: Ticket Prices, Cable Cars And How Many Days It Takes
Sleep in Wulingyuan, buy the four-day park ticket, and start before the tour groups.
Harbin In Winter: Ice Festival Prices And How To Stay Warm
Two nights, three if you ski. Everything else is a matter of layers.
Dunhuang: The Mogao Caves, The Dunes, And When To Book
Book the caves first, then build the rest of the trip around the morning you get.
Luoyang: Longmen Grottoes And The Peony Two Weeks
One and a half days, or two if you come for the peonies in late April.
Lijiang: Altitude, Snow Mountain And Canal Streets
Sleep in Shuhe rather than the main old town, and give the altitude a day.
Suzhou: The Gardens, The Canals And Two Days That Work
Three gardens, one museum, and the lanes between them on foot.
First Time In China: What Surprises Almost Everybody
Everything that feels like a barrier turns out to be a five-minute problem, once you know it is coming.
The Great Wall: Badaling, Mutianyu Or Jinshanling?
Badaling for ease, Mutianyu for most people, Jinshanling for anyone who has already done the wall once.