When Is the Best Time
When to go? It depends on what you’re looking for. Every season is different. Read on for the best tips to plan your visit:
Avoiding Tourist Crowds
Expect a busy National Park year-round except for winter (mid-November/December - February). The main season is from May until October with most tourists and highest rates. Heaviest crowds in July/August. A sweet spot month with mild climate but without heavy crowds is early-November until mid-November. Otherwise, March/April are considered months without massive crowds.
Insider Tip: There are several tips to avoid crowds year-round. A very nice and detailed information from a hiking point of view can be found here at TripAdvisor (close the pop-up and scroll down): Itinerary for Hikers to Avoid the Crowds
Weather Details
December - February (Winter): It’s usually cold and chilly. The average temperature is 7°C (45°F). Often snow, and tracks can be frozen, which makes even short walks on the top dangerous. However, it’s possible there are still some good days in the first half of December. During winter months there are virtually no tourist crowds. That means you can enjoy an amazing scenery during days with pleasant weather. In February the park is closed for 1 week.
March - April (Spring): First months with more tourists but still not high season. Mild temperatures: Up to 21°C (70°F) in April, which is a beautiful month and excellent for photography: Flowers are blooming, the forest in is full of vigor, leaves are verdant
May - August (Summer): Peak season. Temperatures climb to an average of 29°C (84°F) in August. The wet season, with most rain in May/June/July. However, some tourists don’t mind the rain: It creates an enchanting atmosphere with mountains surrounded by mist.
September - October (Autumn): Still high season but usually comfortable weather and less rain than in summer months. Temperatures 20-28°C (68-82°F)
November (Winter): Fewer tourists and still comfortable temperatures and even less rain. Beautiful autumn leaves. Some say from early-November until mid-November is one of the best times.
National Holidays: Avoid the national holidays at all cost. Even more crowds and highest rates:
- Chinese Spring Festival (New Year): Late Jan/early Feb
- International Labor Day: May 01 to 03
- National Day: Oct 01-07 (the heaviest crowds of all and highest rates)
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Where and Tips
The stunning mountains in China’s Zhangjiajie National Park are like gigantic pillars and give an illusion of floating mountains. It was an inspiration for the movie Avatar. The magical landscape of this National Park offers some gorgeous views of densely forested mountains and meandering rivers. Fascinating animals that inhabit the park are rhesus monkeys, giant salamanders, golden pheasants and much more.
You should plan at least 2-3 days for a visit. The easiest place to stay is Wulingyuaninyuan: You are just steps from the entrance to Zhangjiajie National Forest Park while staying in this tourist town.
Check also Tianmen Shan for more information
