Best Time to Visit Beijing 2027: Month-by-Month Weather and Crowds

This page gives you a month-by-month weather table, the holiday weeks to avoid, and how opening hours change at the Forbidden City and the Great Wall. It ends with a short packing list. For the rest of your trip, see our Beijing travel guide and our China month-by-month guide.

When is the best time to visit Beijing?

The best time to visit Beijing is April to May or September to October. Days are mild and fairly dry, which suits long walks outside.

The numbers below are long-term monthly averages from official weather records, not forecasts.

Spring and autumn work best because you spend many hours outside on foot. Sights like the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, and the Great Wall require miles of walking on stone paths. In April and May, daytime highs reach around 20°C to 26°C. Rain is low, with five or six rain days a month.

Average highs reach 26°C in September and 19°C in October. October is the driest of the mild months, with about 19 mm of rain. October nights average 7°C, so bring a warm jacket for evenings.

What is Beijing like in summer and winter?

Summer brings heat and most of the city's yearly rain, while winter is cold and very dry. Both seasons are workable if you schedule your sightseeing around the weather.

Summer runs from June through August. Average highs reach 30°C to 31°C, and nights stay warm at 18°C to 22°C. Most of the year's rain falls in these three months. July and August each record around 180 mm of rain, spread over 12 to 14 rain days. School summer holidays usually make family sights busier. If you visit in summer, plan outdoor visits for the early morning. Head to air-conditioned museums during the hottest afternoon hours.

Winter covers December, January, and February. Highs hover around 2°C to 4°C, while lows drop to -7°C or -9°C. Although winter is cold, it is very dry. The city has only two or three wet days a month. Dry winter days suit the Forbidden City and indoor museums. A Great Wall day needs warm layers, a hat and gloves. November sits between autumn and winter, with highs around 10°C and lows near 0°C.

Which weeks should you avoid in Beijing?

Avoid the three national holiday weeks: Chinese New Year, early May and early October. Trains, hotels and big sights are usually very crowded then.

There are three main holiday periods to keep in mind:

• Chinese New Year (Spring Festival): Lunar New Year's Eve falls on Friday 5 February 2027. Chinese New Year falls on Saturday 6 February 2027. Major historical sights mostly stay open. However, some independent restaurants and small shops close for several days as workers travel home.
• Labour Day: This holiday begins on 1 May. The break usually lasts about five days. Major sights and city parks are often very crowded.
• National Day (Golden Week): This holiday begins on 1 October. Golden Week is the first week of October, when much of China takes a week off work. The holiday usually lasts about seven days. Big attractions often see high visitor density.

China joins these holidays to weekends to make longer breaks. To do this, people work on a swapped weekend day. So the exact days off change every year. The State Council published the 2027 calendar on 5 November 2026 (Xinhua report): Spring Festival is off from 5 to 13 February, Labour Day from 1 to 5 May, and National Day from 1 to 7 October. Make-up working days fall on 31 January, 14 February, 8 May, 26 September and 9 October. You can read our detailed Golden Week guide and our Chinese New Year 2027 guide for more tips.

How does the season change what you book?

The season changes opening hours, and the busy weeks change how early you must book. The Forbidden City and the Mutianyu Great Wall both need an online booking in advance with your passport.

Keep these seasonal rules in mind when booking your days:

• Palace Museum (Forbidden City): High season runs from 1 April to 31 October, with opening hours from 08:30 to 17:00. Low season runs from 1 November to 31 March, with hours from 08:30 to 16:30. The museum is closed on Mondays, except national holidays. No tickets are sold on the day. The museum can also close at short notice, so check the day before. You must book online ahead of time with your passport number. Daily entries are capped at 40,000 visitors. Book as early as the window allows, especially for early October dates. You can check current rules on the official Palace Museum visit page. Read our complete Forbidden City guide for practical entry steps.
• Mutianyu Great Wall: Peak season runs from 16 March to 15 November. During peak season, the gate opens at 07:30 and closes at 18:00 on weekdays, and 18:30 on weekends. Off-season runs from 16 November to 15 March, with daily hours from 08:00 to 17:30. Ticket sales stop one hour before closing time. You can book tickets up to 15 days in advance using your passport details. Read our Great Wall guide to choose the right section for your trip.
• Summer Palace: From 1 April to 31 October, the gates are open 06:00 to 19:00. From 1 November to 31 March, they are open 06:30 to 18:00. In those off-season months, the ticketed sights inside close on Mondays, except major holidays. Check the Beijing government's Summer Palace page before you go.

What should you pack for Beijing each season?

Pack for the season, and bring good walking shoes all year.

• Spring and autumn: Pack light layers that you can adjust easily. Daytime highs reach 20°C to 26°C, but lows in April and October drop to 7°C. Bring long trousers, breathable shirts, a fleece, and a light jacket for cool mornings.
• Summer: Pack loose, lightweight clothes made of cotton or linen. Bring a wide-brimmed sun hat, sunglasses, and high-factor sunscreen. Keep a compact travel umbrella in your day pack for afternoon downpours.
• Winter: Pack a heavy winter coat, thermal base layers, a wool hat, a scarf, and warm gloves. Winter air is cold and dry, so bring lip balm and skin lotion.
• All seasons: Bring broken-in walking shoes with thick soles. You will walk thousands of steps each day across stone courtyards, paved gardens, and uneven wall steps.

Trips that include this

These LocalKey routes include Beijing:

• First-Time China, 9 days: Beijing, Xi'an and Shanghai. It works best in April to May and September to October.
• Beijing and Shanghai, 7 days: the capital's palaces plus Shanghai's waterfront, for a shorter spring or autumn trip.
• Beijing with kids, 5 days: Beijing at a family pace, with walking days you can move around the heat or cold.

You can see more routes on China tours. LocalKey plans private trips for your own party, planned, booked and backed, as Independent or Private Guided under private China tours. On Independent, a local guide, a car and driver, or an airport pickup is an optional add-on on the days you choose.

Want different dates? Start a custom route.