China is huge and so are the climatic differences between the areas. She is a year-round destination; the months of May, September, and October are ideal months for travel anywhere in the country. In the north, the winters are cold, and summers warm, with moist monsoon air streams making it hot (80% of China's rainfall occurs between late May and early October, mostly in the Southern regions). June through August is a good time to visit central and northern China. Spring and autumn are the best months for travel in Southern China. The months of March and April are the lower priced shoulder-season; while the lowest price, off-season travel, is from November through the winter months. This is when adventuresome travelers are rewarded with quite low prices and far fewer fellow tourists.

Therefore, the best time to thoroughly visit China is autumn: not too hot, not too humid and not too cold. Spring would be the second best. If you have no choice but to follow the flow of tourists during summer, do not worry however: statistically, most of them survive the experience and it is still possible to find fresh air in the mountainous areas.