Beijing · Month comparison

February vs October

October ranks #1 overall vs February at #5. National Day Golden Week brings China's largest domestic travel surge — magical if you plan around it

Red lanterns hanging over a Beijing street during Spring Festival

February

#5 of 12 months

Worth considering

Chinese New Year transforms Beijing into a city of lanterns, fireworks and temple fairs

  • ↑Spring Festival temple fairs at Ditan and Longtan parks are extraordinary spectacles
  • ↑Lantern Festival (15 days in) is among the world's most photogenic celebrations
Tiananmen Square decorated with flowers and national flags for National Day

October

#1 of 12 months

Best match

National Day Golden Week brings China's largest domestic travel surge — magical if you plan around it

  • ↑National Day celebrations (Oct 1) at Tiananmen Square are a once-in-a-lifetime spectacle
  • ↑Post-Golden Week (Oct 8+) the crowds drop but the autumn colour remains superb
FactorFebruaryOctober
Weather score
3
9
Value score
5
3
Crowd score
8
10
Events score
9
8
Atmosphere
7
8
Avg high temp5°C17°C
Monthly rain6mm16mm
Daily sunshine6hrs9.5hrs

February trade-offs

  • ↓Peak crowds and surging prices around New Year week — book months ahead
  • ↓Cold weather persists (−3 to 5°C) and transport chaos peaks

October trade-offs

  • ↓Oct 1–7 Golden Week is China's busiest travel period — expect wall-to-wall crowds at every sight
  • ↓Hotels and transport booked out months ahead, prices surge to annual peak
  • ↓Queue times at Forbidden City, Great Wall can exceed 2 hours
See all 12 months for Beijing →February in detail →October in detail →
Scores compare months within Beijing. Climate data: Open Meteo ERA5 30-year normals (1991–2020). Methodology →