January in Great Wall of China — workable with trade-offs
Trade-offs · 6.3/10January averages -5°C (24°F), cold enough that sightseeing works in bursts rather than in one long day on foot.
Rain is a non-issue at 3 mm for the month, with about 28 sunny days and 9.7 hours of daylight to work with.
It scores 6.3/10 here, 10th of 12 months, against 9.7/10 in the destination's best month.
Expect mid-season pricing, and crowds are light for this destination.
Pack insulated layers, a windproof shell, gloves and boots with grip.
If your dates are flexible, May is materially better in Great Wall of China — 3.4 points higher on the same scale.
February in Great Wall of China — workable with trade-offs
Trade-offs · 6.9/10February averages -2°C (29°F), cold enough that sightseeing works in bursts rather than in one long day on foot.
Rain is a non-issue at 8 mm for the month, with about 24 sunny days and 10.7 hours of daylight to work with.
It scores 6.9/10 here, 8th of 12 months, against 9.7/10 in the destination's best month.
Expect mid-season pricing, and crowds are moderate.
Pack insulated layers, a windproof shell, gloves and boots with grip.
If your dates are flexible, May is materially better in Great Wall of China — 2.8 points higher on the same scale.
March in Great Wall of China — reliably good (5th best month)
Good · 8.4/10March averages 6°C (42°F) — jacket weather. Comfortable for walking and museums, too cool for anything water-based.
Expect 16 mm of rain — occasional showers rather than washed-out days — alongside about 26 sunny days and 12 daylight hours.
It scores 8.4/10 here, 5th of 12 months, against 9.7/10 in the destination's best month.
Expect mid-season pricing, and crowds are moderate.
Pack a mid-weight jacket, long sleeves and shoes you can walk 15 km in.
April in Great Wall of China — the year's strongest window
Best window · 9.6/10April averages 13°C (55°F), the range most people find easiest for walking a city all day without either overheating or losing daylight to weather.
Expect 22 mm of rain — occasional showers rather than washed-out days — alongside about 25 sunny days and 13.3 daylight hours.
On our climate-comfort scale this is the top-ranked month of the year for Great Wall of China at 9.6/10 — the reference point every other month on this page is measured against.
Expect peak pricing, and this is one of the busiest months here. You are paying the year's highest rates for the year's best conditions — book early or shift a few weeks either side.
Pack layers you can shed by midday plus one warm layer for the evening.
May in Great Wall of China — the year's strongest window
Best window · 9.7/10May averages 18°C (65°F), the range most people find easiest for walking a city all day without either overheating or losing daylight to weather.
Expect 42 mm of rain — occasional showers rather than washed-out days — alongside about 27 sunny days and 14.4 daylight hours.
On our climate-comfort scale this is the top-ranked month of the year for Great Wall of China at 9.7/10 — the reference point every other month on this page is measured against.
Expect mid-season pricing, and crowds are moderate.
Pack layers you can shed by midday plus one warm layer for the evening.
June in Great Wall of China — reliably good (6th best month)
Good · 8.1/10June averages 23°C (74°F) — warm enough for beach and boat plans, still short of the heat that pushes sightseeing into early morning.
Rainfall runs 81 mm, so plan one flexible day in three; you still get about 26 sunny days and 15 hours of daylight.
It scores 8.1/10 here, 6th of 12 months, against 9.7/10 in the destination's best month.
Expect mid-season pricing, and crowds are moderate.
Pack light clothing, swimwear and real sun protection, a packable rain layer.
If your dates are flexible, May is materially better in Great Wall of China — 1.6 points higher on the same scale.
July in Great Wall of China — workable with trade-offs
Trade-offs · 5.2/10July averages 25°C (76°F) — warm enough for beach and boat plans, still short of the heat that pushes sightseeing into early morning.
256 mm of rain puts this in monsoon territory — about 23 sunny days across the whole month, and multi-day washouts are normal.
It scores 5.2/10 here, 12th of 12 months, against 9.7/10 in the destination's best month.
Expect low-season pricing, and crowds are light for this destination.
Pack light clothing, swimwear and real sun protection, a proper rain shell rather than an umbrella.
If your dates are flexible, May is materially better in Great Wall of China — 4.5 points higher on the same scale.
August in Great Wall of China — workable with trade-offs
Trade-offs · 6.3/10August averages 23°C (73°F) — warm enough for beach and boat plans, still short of the heat that pushes sightseeing into early morning.
At 175 mm this is a genuinely wet month: about 26 sunny days in total, and outdoor plans need an indoor fallback.
It scores 6.3/10 here, 11th of 12 months, against 9.7/10 in the destination's best month.
Expect mid-season pricing, and crowds are moderate.
Pack light clothing, swimwear and real sun protection, a proper rain shell rather than an umbrella.
If your dates are flexible, May is materially better in Great Wall of China — 3.4 points higher on the same scale.
September in Great Wall of China — the year's strongest window
Best window · 8.7/10September averages 19°C (67°F) — warm enough for beach and boat plans, still short of the heat that pushes sightseeing into early morning.
Rainfall runs 69 mm, so plan one flexible day in three; you still get about 24 sunny days and 12.4 hours of daylight.
On our climate-comfort scale this is the top-ranked month of the year for Great Wall of China at 8.7/10 — the reference point every other month on this page is measured against.
Expect mid-season pricing, and crowds are moderate.
Pack light clothing, swimwear and real sun protection, a packable rain layer.
October in Great Wall of China — the year's strongest window
Best window · 9/10October averages 11°C (52°F) — jacket weather. Comfortable for walking and museums, too cool for anything water-based.
Expect 35 mm of rain — occasional showers rather than washed-out days — alongside about 24 sunny days and 11.1 daylight hours.
On our climate-comfort scale this is the top-ranked month of the year for Great Wall of China at 9/10 — the reference point every other month on this page is measured against.
Expect mid-season pricing, and crowds are moderate.
Pack a mid-weight jacket, long sleeves and shoes you can walk 15 km in.
November in Great Wall of China — reliably good (7th best month)
Good · 7.8/10November averages 4°C (39°F), cold enough that sightseeing works in bursts rather than in one long day on foot.
Expect 18 mm of rain — occasional showers rather than washed-out days — alongside about 25 sunny days and 9.9 daylight hours.
It scores 7.8/10 here, 7th of 12 months, against 9.7/10 in the destination's best month.
Expect mid-season pricing, and crowds are moderate.
Pack insulated layers, a windproof shell, gloves and boots with grip.
If your dates are flexible, May is materially better in Great Wall of China — 1.9 points higher on the same scale.
December in Great Wall of China — workable with trade-offs
Trade-offs · 6.4/10December averages -4°C (25°F), cold enough that sightseeing works in bursts rather than in one long day on foot.
Rain is a non-issue at 5 mm for the month, with about 28 sunny days and 9.3 hours of daylight to work with.
It scores 6.4/10 here, 9th of 12 months, against 9.7/10 in the destination's best month.
Expect mid-season pricing, and crowds are moderate.
Pack insulated layers, a windproof shell, gloves and boots with grip.
If your dates are flexible, May is materially better in Great Wall of China — 3.3 points higher on the same scale.
