Best Time to Travel to China and Tibet

For most tourists heading for Tibet, travel through mainland China is inevitable, and there is no better companion tour for Tibet than a tour of some of the best places to see in China as well.

Together, China and Tibet are destinations that you can visit all year round, among which, spring and autumn are always the best time to go. However, it doesn’t mean that the other time is not suitable for travel. While some of the seasons may not be the best, there is always something to do or see at any time of the year.

Travel China and Tibet from April to June

From April to May it is spring in both mainland China and Tibet, and the start of the tourist seasons in both places. In Tibet, the tourist season is just opening again after the long winter, and the lakes and rivers are thawing out, as the flowers bloom on the trees and the new leaves come out in earnest. Down in mainland China, the spring is also underway, with drier weather and warmer temperatures. One of the best times to visit China, spring is a delightful time of year when the blossoms come out on the trees across the country.

As the spring comes in, the temperatures begin to rise in both Tibet and mainland China. The weather across China gets warmer, with temperatures ranging from 10-23°C (50-73°F). Warm and comfortable, the air is fresh and clean, with relatively dry weather, especially in northern China. However, the weather does change depending on where you go, with cooler weather in northern China, compared to that of central and southern areas.

The Nyingchi Peach Blossom Festival is not only a popular festival in Tibet, but also attracts millions of tourists from home and abroad.

On the Tibet plateau, the spring brings temperatures that are only slightly higher than the tail-end of winter, with average temperatures ranging from 8-12°C in Lhasa to 2-6°C around the Everest Base Camp. Dry and cool in both China and Tibet, the weather is clear and sunny most of the time, with little rain on the plateau and only slightly more down in the rest of China.

Things to Do for Your China Tibet Tour in Spring

If you are planning to take a China Tibet tour in spring, then the best places to travel to in China would be around Beijing, Xi’an, Shanghai, Kunming in Yunnan Province, or Chengdu. The weather in these areas in spring is generally warm and clear with little rain.

For Tibet, you can visit Lhasa city, Shigatse City and nearby places around them, such as the Everest Base Camp and Lake Namtso.

One of the special event in Tibet in spring is the peach blossom festival in Nyingchi, the east of Tibet from Late March to Early April. During this period, you can see the mountain valleys and local villages covered by the lovely pink flowers.

Travel China and Tibet from September to October

Autumn is another best season to visit China and Tibet for the best weather conditions in the year, with less rain than in the spring and summer, and a lot more clear bright days to look forward to.

Majority of the country experiences warm to cool temperatures, and apart from the far south around Hong Kong and southern Guangdong Province, the rains have stopped.

Autumn is the best time to enjoy colorful leaves in China.

Autumn is also the best time for those who love to be outdoors, as the falling leaves have stunning rustic hues and the fresh local fruits are at their best. Temperatures range from around 15-27°C.

Tibet in autumn is really one of the best times of the year for travelers to the region on the high plateau. The fall hues of the leaves are a beautiful shade of gold and red, and the leaves cover the valley floors like a colorful carpet. Temperatures across the plateau range widely, from around 8-13°C in Lhasa to around 3-9°C around Mount Everest, while in the area of Lake Namtso in northern Lhasa, the temperatures can be as low as 0-5°C, but still dry and pleasant for travel. The rains on the plateau do not really end until around the middle of September in some places, though mostly all that is left are showers in the evenings.
>> Learn More about why there are so many tourists visiting Tibet in September and October.

Things to Do for Your China Tibet Tour in Autumn

Autumn is one of the best times for trekking in Tibet, and the areas around Mount Everest and Mount Kailash are perfect for this strenuous activity at this time of year. Cooler weather and less rain makes for a great Tibet trekking tour, and Tibet has a wealth of treks that you can try throughout the autumn season.

Autumn is one of the seasons to enjoy a clear view of the peak of Mount Everest at the base Camp.

In China, Beijing is one of the best places to visit in autumn, with cool and comfortable weather now the heat of summer is past. In Chengdu in southwest China, the temperatures are also mild, and with lower rainfall from September to November, it is a great time to explore the mountains of the west of this beautiful province. Most of the southwest of China is comfortable in the autumn, with cool temperatures and little rain, though the mountainous areas of Northern Yunnan are best visited before September ends.

Travel China and Tibet in Summer Holidays

Summer weather in China is hot and humid, with temperatures ranging from 25-33C and rain across most of the country, especially in the south and east. In areas such as Beijing, Xi’an, and Shanghai the weather is very hot and humid. The south is also prone to typhoons along the coast around Guangzhou and Hong Kong in Summer, due to the Southeast tropical monsoon.

Our Customers enjoyed their summer holidays in Tibet in June.

The weather of Tibet in summer is warm and bright, with around half of the months having sunny days. While it is the monsoon season on the plateau, the shelter of the Himalayas means that most of the rain has died out before hitting the plateau, and the western areas see very little rain, while the eastern area of Nyingchi is the wettest on the plateau.

However, as the rains mostly fall in the evenings and overnight, there is little to stop you visiting the plateau in the peak months of summer, when temperatures range from around 12°C in the cooler areas to as high as 23°C in the capital.

Things to Know before Planning a China Tibet Tour in Peak Tourist Season

Summer in both Tibet and mainland China is the peak time for tourism, and for domestic tourists, it is the summer holidays and a popular time to travel. Even in Tibet, the summer is the busiest period, and the monasteries and temples are crowded with people throughout the summer.

For many people, if you do not book well in advance, you will have problems getting train tickets, flights, and booking hotels, as well as getting into some of the most popular tourist attractions in both China and Tibet, especially for those who plan to take a Tibet train tour from Beijing, Shanghai or other popular gateway cities. And the cost of the transfer and the accommodation is also higher than other time.

If you can only visit China and Tibet in summer, it is highly suggested to make your reservation as early as possible.

Travel China and Tibet in Winter

In China, the winter months can see temperatures as high as 8°C, though in most of northern China it is often well below freezing, even in the daytime. Winter is the low travel season in China, from November to early March.

However, with cooler weather and fewer tourists,you can save money on hotels and flights in winter,as there are often discounts for traveling in the low season. Attractions are not as busy, and the crowds of domestic tourists have all gone home for the winter.

Harbin Ice Festival is one of the popular events for China Tours in Winter.

In the northern cities such as Beijing, Harbin, and Pingyao, the blanket of snow makes them seem even more beautiful, while the south of the country has warmer places for those who do not like the cold, such as Hong Kong, Hainan, Southern Yunnan, and Macau.

In Tibet, many people think the weather is too cold in winter to visit. However, this could not be further from the truth. Winter in Tibet can be cold at times, especially at night, but with clear skies and bright sunshine during the day, it is a pleasant time of year to travel to the plateau.

Temperatures of Tibet in winter can range as low as -20°C in places at night, though you probably will not get to the colder areas of Lake Namtso and Mount Kailash in the winter. Around Lhasa, it can get up to around 6-9°C during the day, and the bright sunlight makes it feel warm and comfortable.

Recommended China Tibet Tours in Winter

For a China tour, Yunnan and Hong Kong are some of the best in the winter months. But if you want to enjoy a white winter in China, you can go further to the northern China, such as Harbin to enjoy a special Ice Festival there.

Winter is also a good time to take a Tibet train from mainland China at the normal price with fewer passengers onboard.

Lhasa is the ideal place for a winter visit to Tibet, and it is even possible to go further to Shigatse and visit Everest Base Camp in December and January.

The Time You May Avoid Visiting to China and Tibet

There are times when you may want to avoid traveling to China, and even to Tibet, due to the mad rush of tourists. There are two major holidays in China when a lot of locals take a trip to various areas around the country, including Tibet.

The Spring Festival, also known as the Chinese New Year, is one of the busiest time of year for travel in China, and you would be wise to consider a later date for touring around China.

The other major holiday is held in the first week of October, and is known as the National Day Holiday. A national holiday that lasts for an entire week, this is a major time for domestic tourism in China, and majority of the country takes to the roads and rails to travel to visit family, take a holiday, and tour around the places they have never been to before. And while China is very busy this week, Tibet is even busier, with upwards of a million Chinese tourists traveling to the region on the Tibetan plateau within the seven days of the holiday.

Conclusion

It is said that spring and autumn are the best seasons to visit Tibet and mainland China. However, there is guaranteed to be something for everyone, no matter what time of year you travel.

You can check the weather condition in each season and get to know what the recommended things to do in different time.

If you already have your China Tibet tour plan, or want more information about the tour arrangement, just leave your question below, or contact us via email. We are glad to share all of our knowledge and experiences to help you arrange the best tour in mainland China and Tibet.