When to visit China?

[wailea4me]

We would like to see China and thought about a cruise there? When are the best months to visit? I realize it's a huge country. Also, what ports would we need to visit to see the Great Wall and the Terra Cotta warriors?

[paul929207]

Most people visit the Great Wall from Beijing.

 

The Terra Cotta Warriors are in Xi'an. It is not near the ocean, so it would be best seen before or after the cruise.

 

The most popular ports are Beijing (about 2 hours from port), Shanghai (big ships dock an hours or so away, small ones in owntown), and Hong Kong (big ships dock in containerport 30 minutes or so from downtown, smaller ones at foot of Kowloon).

[Kinkacruiser]

We would like to see China and thought about a cruise there? When are the best months to visit? I realize it's a huge country. Also, what ports would we need to visit to see the Great Wall and the Terra Cotta warriors?

 

I believe it's quite cold in winter. We will be there early April next year and will still need cold weather gear, so May-June would be my choice.Late summer could see a typhoon in the south.

It's a 2 hr flight to Xian from Beijing, being quite inland.

[Ashland]

I was also considering an Asia cruise, as cruising is our preferred vacation...But have decided China is best seen by a land tour..We are going this October to Beijing, Xian and Shanghai..very excited about this adventure.

[Keith1010]

If you can find an itinerary that includes the port (about a three hour drive) that serves Beijing that would be great and also Shanghai.

 

Keith

[maryann ns]

I agree that China is best seen on a land tour. It is very inexpensive and the people are very friendly.

[jstducky]

I was also considering an Asia cruise, as cruising is our preferred vacation...But have decided China is best seen by a land tour..We are going this October to Beijing, Xian and Shanghai..very excited about this adventure.

 

Absolutely agree. China is best seen on a land tour.

 

I took a 9 day tour a few years back and was blown away.

 

Not only is the tour very, very affordable (more so than a cruise is), but all flights are included (even inter-country flights between Beijing-Xi'an and Xi'an-Shanghai), a tour guide that stays with you the whole time, and local guides for each city you visit.

 

I also liked that taking a land tour also allowed you to see the cities at night and experience the night life and culture - something that's difficult on a cruise.

 

Since language is always going to be a problem in China, it's so much easier to do it with a tour than on your own, I think.

 

Xi'an is absolutely mind-blowing. Seeeing the Terra Cotta warriors in person was just breathtaking and unbelievable.

 

And, on the land tour I took to China, I stayed in some of the nicest hotels I've ever stayed in in my life, especially in Xi'an and Shanghai.

[DipBrat]

Another vote for land tour. Best time to visit is fall or Spring. Winter is ok if you don't mind the cold, the sites will be a lot less busy. Summer is beyond crowded and unbearably hot and humid in most of the country.

 

Most importantly you must avoid major Chinese holidays as this is the only time most Chinese can travel, so sites will be very crowded. (e.g. a record 50000 tourists last national day at Badaling great wall site) This means stay away from the first week in October and anytime near Chinese New Year.

[jstducky]

I would agree with an earlier poster's assessment of April as a good time.

 

When I traveled to China for my land tour, it was early-March and it was still cold! Especially up in the Badaling section of the Great Wall, we still saw a little bit of snow on the ground. Which meant that the air was cool and crisp and a bit windy.

 

If I go back and look at our photos from our trip, every day there are photos of us wearing jackets, and in the market stalls jackets and sweaters were being sold all over. So, I definitely think that April would be the better month to go.

[Bowie MeMe]

According to Fodor's travel forum the best time is Oct. Temps in the upper 60's F days and 50's night. By November down about 40's F high. Weatherunderground.com gives the temps historically so can see what dealing with. Think upper New York State for American comparison.

 

We wanted some of the benefits of land travel and some of cruise so we have combined the two in a land tour of Beijing, Xi an and Bangkok for 13 days prior to 16 day cruise on Diamond Princess from Bangkok to Beijing. I worked with China Odyssey.com and they did the China details to my specifications. We negotiated a great deal but really it is pretty much the norm of city tours, Great Wall, markets etc with a private guide and driver and car. For Xi an I bought the flight tickets myself through the airline and got them for less than a 1/3 of what ticketing places wanted. I also am doing our own hotel room booking online. Xi an we will be picked up by guide and car driver for city tour one day, dinner and show and Warriors the next day with transfer back to airport. Met in Bangkok by a new TA group Wandeetours.com and will have 5 days to tour city and countryside ending with transfer to ship. The price for 3 for private guide and car/driver was less than one person Princess extension of 5 days.

 

Do know in advance that the crowds in May 1 and Oct 1 are called Golden Week and it is beyond crowded. Just search this thread with Golden Week or google it. Know before you go and make up your mind if you want this experience. We didn't! Chinese and foreign travelers all needing the same limited services. This is the one week of travel time that Chinese get to visit family or home. Think Christmas, Thanksgiving and the 4th of July in USA all in 7 days. I have been told by those last year that there were over a million people passing through PEK airport on Oct. 1, 2011:eek: (Chinese newsreport). Oh well I get there Oct. 14 so I will let you know how Oct. goes as far as travel in Asia. I am so excited.

[BLS]

According to Fodor's travel forum the best time is Oct. Temps in the upper 60's F days and 50's night. By November down about 40's F high. Weatherunderground.com gives the temps historically so can see what dealing with. Think upper New York State for American comparison.

 

We wanted some of the benefits of land travel and some of cruise so we have combined the two in a land tour of Beijing, Xi an and Bangkok for 13 days prior to 16 day cruise on Diamond Princess from Bangkok to Beijing. I worked with China Odyssey.com and they did the China details to my specifications. We negotiated a great deal but really it is pretty much the norm of city tours, Great Wall, markets etc with a private guide and driver and car. For Xi an I bought the flight tickets myself through the airline and got them for less than a 1/3 of what ticketing places wanted. I also am doing our own hotel room booking online. Xi an we will be picked up by guide and car driver for city tour one day, dinner and show and Warriors the next day with transfer back to airport. Met in Bangkok by a new TA group Wandeetours.com and will have 5 days to tour city and countryside ending with transfer to ship. The price for 3 for private guide and car/driver was less than one person Princess extension of 5 days.

 

Do know in advance that the crowds in May 1 and Oct 1 are called Golden Week and it is beyond crowded. Just search this thread with Golden Week or google it. Know before you go and make up your mind if you want this experience. We didn't! Chinese and foreign travelers all needing the same limited services. This is the one week of travel time that Chinese get to visit family or home. Think Christmas, Thanksgiving and the 4th of July in USA all in 7 days. I have been told by those last year that there were over a million people passing through PEK airport on Oct. 1, 2011:eek: (Chinese newsreport). Oh well I get there Oct. 14 so I will let you know how Oct. goes as far as travel in Asia. I am so excited.

Your trip sounds amazing! I do agree 100% about Golden week--it is crazy crowded (we've been there during the Oct one)

[nick young]

if you want to go to Beijing ,you can go to Tianjing first ,Tianjing is a port.then you can go to Beijing ,visit the Great Wall.

im come from China.

 

 

 

 

 

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Faucet online

[grams98]

We will be there in may after a 17 day cruise . We are hoping for nice weather, but will be ready for cooler and serif necessary. We can't wait . Grams98

[DipBrat]

We will be there in may after a 17 day cruise . We are hoping for nice weather, but will be ready for cooler and serif necessary. We can't wait . Grams98

 

Should be warm or even hot in Beijing and especially Shanghai by May.

 

beijing does get cold but nothing like upstste New York. The climate is more like DC, or even a bit warmer in winter.

[Keith1010]

May will be warm.

 

March can be cool or even cold.

 

Keith

[Trend]

I have been many times at different times of year.

March is damp and cold even in Hong Kong, you may get a spurt of warmth but on the whole it is damp and cool.

Sept. is hot and humid but I have done the Yangtze River cruise then and managed just fine, it was hot and humid but ok for me. The Moon Festival is toward the end of Set. most years so it also is very busy.

I would say if I could choose I would go in May after the golden week it would give nice temps in the north and comfortable warmth in the south.

A combination of land and water is also good as we did the river cruise with some land travel and yes staying in the hotels and walking the streets is a must to get the feel of the life there.

Loved Shanghai could shop till I dropped as I am small every store had a shoe or clothes to fit or would make it in a day for me. It is truly the NY of the east.

We are there on business but always add some personal tourist travel to see different parts of such a large country.