Best time to visit Xiamen

March to April and October to November are the best months to visit Xiamen, when the city has a moderate flow of tourists and boasts a comfortable climate and charming natural scenery.
March to April is the short spring in Xiamen. Its warm weather blooms various flowers. Bougainvillea, the official flower in Xiamen, can be seen everywhere as early as March, making the whole city lively. You can also admire cherry blossoms at Xiamen Botanical Garden, and peach blossoms at Zhonglun Park. Rainfall is moderate, which is mostly showers ending quickly without a significant impact on travel. Besides, the long daylight of 12 - 13 hours offers visitors sufficient time for city sightseeing. Just be prepared for humid weather in March.  

The climate is also favorable in October to November when typhoon season ends. Cool temperatures and sunny days dominate, creating ideal conditions for outdoor activities, such as cycling along Island Ring Road in cool sea wind. Seawater is still warm in October, so people who like water activities will not be upset. Other than visiting popular destinations, you can also join in vibrant activities, like tasting all kinds of tea at Xiamen Tea Fair and listening to different music performances on Gulangyu Island during the Piano Art Week. In this season for seafood harvest, you can eat the freshest ones at Zengcuo’an Village, Zhongshan Road Pedestrian Street, etc.

Blooming Cherry Blossoms in Spring

Moderate Tourists on Gulangyu in October

Entering March, Xiamen attracts more and more tourists, especially on weekends, and the city gradually welcomes its high tourist season. When the summer holiday in China begins in July, parent-child trips and graduation trips continuously bring crowds to Xiamen, incurring a peak season. Almost all popular attractions can see long queues, and ferry tickets at popular time points to the Gulangyu Island always sell out within seconds of release. It would be better to book everything early in advance for a trip during this period. With relatively low perceived temperatures, Xiamen sees a sparser foot traffic from December to February. Although it doesn’t have a very low temperature according to the data, blowing sea wind and not low humidity increase the feeling of cold. The temperature of seawater is not at a suitable level for some water activities. So, it is not attractive to most tourists who are more interested in outdoor activities and beach experiences.

However, if you are the one who prefers a quiet travel environment, it can be a good time. Popular attractions such as Gulangyu Island, Hulishan Fortress, and South Putuo Temple are not crowded at all, allowing you to enjoy the scenery and take photos more leisurely. Besides, you can book flight ticket and accommodation at a lower price. Just pay attention to the weather forecast before setting off and pack proper clothes to keep comfortable during the trip.

Quiet Seaside in Xiamen in Winter

 Xiamen is a hot travel destination in China during public holidays, particularly the May Day and National Day holidays. In these travel peak seasons, you will meet crowds anywhere, and traffic gets extremely heavy. Taxi drivers may not accept your order to popular spots afraid of traffic jams, and you have to choose public transportation, which takes a long time. It’s much difficult to get an entrance ticket to popular scenic spots or ferry ticket, and hotels and flights are sold at a price several times higher than usual. During the Chinese New Year holiday, many restaurants stop service, offering a limited choice for tourists.

Busy Xiamen University during Summer Vacation

Crowds during Public Holiday

Muggy weather makes it not a good time to visit Xiamen in summer. Although there are not many extremely high values, people easily feel sticky because of humid air. What’s more, typhoons may visit Xiamen from July to August. 

Besides, it’s a travel peak season brought by summer vacation. So visitors are faced with similar cons as the above holidays, that is, lots of tourists and higher prices. Imagine that at the entrance of some scenic spot, the sun shines brightly, and there is an endless queue ahead of you. How challenging!