Best Time to Visit Xi’an

In general, the best time to visit Xi’an is spring from March to May and autumn from September to November, both with comfortable weather and vivid scenery. In these two seasons, both indoor visiting and outdoor hiking will give you a perfect traveling experience:

Spring has favorable temperature. Except for maybe a little cold first half of March, other periods of this season are all warm and cozy. The rainfall is at a fair level and is scattered in less than 10 rainy days per month. So you will encounter many sunny days with bright sunshine and clear skies. Such perfect weather definitely provides good conditions for exploring the various attractions of Xi’an. Besides, the spring scenery also adds fun to your trip: with green trees as the background, colorful cherry blossoms, peach blossoms, peonies, magnolia flowers, and purple-leaf plums are in bloom all over the city.
In autumn, the temperature is also mild overall, though it shows a decreasing trend. The rainfall is only a little high in September, when you may need to pay attention to the weather forecast to make detailed travel plans. But rain brings fresh air and clear skies, and chases away the summer heat, ensuring you more comfortable travel experience. The rainfall in the other two months is low, especially in November. There is also a highlight in late autumn: the golden and red autumn leaves that decorate the whole city. The peak season of Xi’an usually lasts from March to October, when lots of people from all over the world come to explore the city. During the peak travel season, your travel expenses will be much higher than usual, mainly because of the higher transportation and accommodation fees. In addition, sometimes, you need to arrive at scenic areas as early as you can in order to avoid long queues. The slack tourism season of Xi’an is from November to February because the weather is relatively cold and windy and the natural scenery is not as vibrant as at other times. But on the bright side, the prices of hotels and transportation tickets are relatively cheaper, so a good time for budget travelers. Besides, visiting Xi’an from November to February, you can tour around scenic areas at a leisurely pace with fewer tourists around. It’s quite an attractive condition for traveling, especially for the extremely popular tourism destination Xi’an.

See more about How Many Days in Xi’an Needed?

Cold and Quiet Slack Season

 Never visit Xi’an in July and August if you have an alternative. During this period, the weather is not favorable for visiting at all. The temperature is extremely high: the daily maximum is quite often over 35°C (95°F), and you may even experience middays with the temperature of above 40°C (104°F). Then, rain shows up frequently during this period. As a result, the weather becomes humid and sultry, and you may have to adjust your travel plans somehow. 

These two months are also the time of China’s summer vacation, when all attractions and public transportation will be full of people. Some attractions even have to extend their opening hours to accommodate more tourists. Hotels, too, are invariably expensive and difficult to book. 

With these conditions, it will not be easy for you to have a happy and cozy trip.

Crowded and Hot July and August

 In addition to the two unfavorable traveling months mentioned above, there are two tourism seasons that you, especially those who don’t like crowds, are highly recommended to avoid: the Chinese National Day Holiday usually from October 1st to 7th, and the May Day Holiday from May 1st to 5th. Lots of tourists flow into Xi’an during these two holidays. You need to spend much more time queuing up, especially when touring around some hot attractions. Besides bigger crowds, you will also face much higher travel costs than in ordinary times. If you don’t make the travel plan in advance, it will be extremely difficult for you to book train tickets.

On this basis, when choosing your travel dates, it is further advised that you mark the dates of the Chinese New Year Holiday, Qingming Festival Holiday, Dragon Boat Festival Holiday, and Mid-Autumn Festival Holiday, and try to exclude these dates as well, if possible. Although these holidays are not as long as the two mentioned above, you may still see many tourists, most of whom are from cities around Xi’an. Then, hotel prices will also rise, and attractions will also be crowded.

See More about Public Holidays in China