January holds up well in Lijiang — 6th best month
Good · 8.1/10Expect 5°C (40°F) in January. A good month for city streets, viewpoints and long meals; leave swimming for another season.
At just 11 mm for the month, rain will not shape your plans; you get about 30 days with 6+ hours of sunshine and 10.7 hours of daylight.
That is 8.1/10 on the same scale — 6th of 12 months, versus 9.6/10 for the best month here.
Budget for mid-season pricing, and crowds are moderate.
Pack a mid-weight jacket, long sleeves and shoes you can walk 15 km in.
If your dates are flexible, April is materially better in Lijiang — 1.5 points higher on the same scale.
February in Lijiang — reliably good (5th best month)
Good · 8.2/10Expect 6°C (42°F) in February. A good month for city streets, viewpoints and long meals; leave swimming for another season.
With around 36 mm of rain, any showers tend to pass through rather than settle in; about 27 days with 6+ hours of sunshine and 11.3 hours of daylight fill the rest.
That is 8.2/10 on the same scale — 5th of 12 months, versus 9.6/10 for the best month here.
Expect mid-season pricing, and crowds are moderate.
Pack a mid-weight jacket, long sleeves and shoes you can walk 15 km in.
March in Lijiang — one of the year's strongest windows (2nd)
Best window · 9.2/10March averages 11°C (52°F) — jacket weather. Comfortable for walking and museums, too cool for anything water-based.
Rain is a non-issue at 15 mm for the month, with about 30 days with 6+ hours of sunshine and 12 hours of daylight to work with.
A 9.2/10 puts this among the year's best months in Lijiang (2nd of 12); only April scores higher, at 9.6/10.
Plan for peak pricing, with crowds are moderate. You are paying the year's highest rates for the year's best conditions — book early or shift a few weeks either side.
Pack a mid-weight jacket, long sleeves and shoes you can walk 15 km in.
April in Lijiang — the year's strongest window
Best window · 9.6/10Temperatures hover around 13°C (56°F) — the kind of month where neither heat nor cold forces the schedule.
With around 32 mm of rain, any showers tend to pass through rather than settle in; about 28 days with 6+ hours of sunshine and 12.8 hours of daylight fill the rest.
On our climate-comfort scale this is the top-ranked month of the year for Lijiang 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 Lijiang — reliably good (7th best month)
Good · 7.8/10May averages 15°C (60°F), the range most people find easiest for walking a city all day without either overheating or losing daylight to weather.
Monthly rainfall reaches 112 mm — wet for this destination — but about 27 days with 6+ hours of sunshine still break through, so keep one indoor fallback in the plan.
It scores 7.8/10 here, 7th of 12 months, against 9.6/10 in the destination's best month.
Figure on mid-season pricing, with crowds are moderate.
Pack layers you can shed by midday plus one warm layer for the evening, a proper rain shell rather than an umbrella.
Flexible dates? April scores 1.8 points higher here — enough to change the trip.
June in Lijiang — middling scores, decent value
Trade-offs · 5.9/10Temperatures hover around 17°C (62°F) — the kind of month where neither heat nor cold forces the schedule.
This is the year's wettest stretch at 279 mm, but with about 25 days with 6+ hours of sunshine it is not a total loss; an indoor fallback covers the risk.
That is 5.9/10 on the same scale — 9th of 12 months, versus 9.6/10 for the best month here.
Budget for low-season pricing, and crowds are light for this destination.
Pack layers you can shed by midday plus one warm layer for the evening, a proper rain shell rather than an umbrella.
If your dates are flexible, April is materially better in Lijiang — 3.7 points higher on the same scale.
July in Lijiang — middling scores, decent value
Trade-offs · 5.8/10Temperatures hover around 17°C (63°F) — the kind of month where neither heat nor cold forces the schedule.
This is the year's wettest stretch at 320 mm, but with about 25 days with 6+ hours of sunshine it is not a total loss; an indoor fallback covers the risk.
That is 5.8/10 on the same scale — 11th of 12 months, versus 9.6/10 for the best month here.
Expect low-season pricing, and crowds are light for this destination.
Pack layers you can shed by midday plus one warm layer for the evening, a proper rain shell rather than an umbrella.
If your dates are flexible, April is materially better in Lijiang — 3.8 points higher on the same scale.
August in Lijiang — workable with trade-offs
Trade-offs · 6/10August averages 17°C (62°F), the range most people find easiest for walking a city all day without either overheating or losing daylight to weather.
220 mm makes this the wettest stretch of the year, though about 27 days with 6+ hours of sunshine still appear — keep an indoor fallback ready.
It scores 6/10 here, 8th of 12 months, against 9.6/10 in the destination's best month.
Plan for low-season pricing, with crowds are moderate.
Pack layers you can shed by midday plus one warm layer for the evening, a proper rain shell rather than an umbrella.
Flexible dates? April scores 3.6 points higher here — enough to change the trip.
September in Lijiang: mixed conditions, plan around the weather
Trade-offs · 5.7/10September averages 15°C (60°F), the range most people find easiest for walking a city all day without either overheating or losing daylight to weather.
238 mm makes this the wettest stretch of the year, though about 26 days with 6+ hours of sunshine still appear — keep an indoor fallback ready.
It scores 5.7/10 here, 12th of 12 months, against 9.6/10 in the destination's best month.
Plan for low-season pricing, with crowds are light for this destination.
Pack layers you can shed by midday plus one warm layer for the evening, a proper rain shell rather than an umbrella.
Flexible dates? April scores 3.9 points higher here — enough to change the trip.
October in Lijiang — workable with trade-offs
Trade-offs · 5.9/10Temperatures hover around 12°C (54°F) — the kind of month where neither heat nor cold forces the schedule.
148 mm of rain makes this a wet month here, though with about 27 days with 6+ hours of sunshine there is still bright weather between the fronts.
That is 5.9/10 on the same scale — 10th of 12 months, versus 9.6/10 for the best month here.
Expect low-season pricing, and crowds are light for this destination.
Pack layers you can shed by midday plus one warm layer for the evening, a proper rain shell rather than an umbrella.
If your dates are flexible, April is materially better in Lijiang — 3.7 points higher on the same scale.
November in Lijiang — reliably good (3rd best month)
Good · 8.3/10Expect 8°C (47°F) in November. A good month for city streets, viewpoints and long meals; leave swimming for another season.
With around 40 mm of rain, any showers tend to pass through rather than settle in; about 28 days with 6+ hours of sunshine and 10.8 hours of daylight fill the rest.
That is 8.3/10 on the same scale — 3rd of 12 months, versus 9.6/10 for the best month here.
Expect mid-season pricing, and crowds are moderate.
Pack a mid-weight jacket, long sleeves and shoes you can walk 15 km in.
December holds up well in Lijiang — 4th best month
Good · 8.3/10December averages 6°C (42°F) — jacket weather. Comfortable for walking and museums, too cool for anything water-based.
Rain is a non-issue at 12 mm for the month, with about 30 days with 6+ hours of sunshine and 10.5 hours of daylight to work with.
It scores 8.3/10 here, 4th of 12 months, against 9.6/10 in the destination's best month.
Figure on peak pricing, with crowds are moderate.
Pack a mid-weight jacket, long sleeves and shoes you can walk 15 km in.
