As temperatures drop, it is time to plan your 2023-2024 winter vacation to China!
Many travelers would be enchanted by winter’s first snowfall and look forward to attending the grand Ice and Snow Festival in the snowy paradise, while many others are itching to escape the season’s frigid weather. Thanks to the size, natural diversity and varied climates of China, there are plenty of suitable destinations across the country well suited for travelers who flee cold weather and those who flock to it. From the deep snow of the northeast to the beaches of the south, from skiing at the best ski resort, hiking on the snow-capped Great Wall, to indoor cultural activities and delicious food tasting, there’s nothing that this diverse country can’t offer you.
To help you find the locale that meet your winter vacation wants and needs, China Discovery has selected the most recommended China winter tour packages based on our expert analysis and past customers’ choices. If you have your own interests and favorite places to go, you can feel free to pick the winter destinations after getting the general ideas and temperatures about each destination, or, you can take a moment to design your own winter vacation by adding different experience into the trip. Besides, No matter what side your fall on, you’re bound to find some travel inspirations in the “China Winter Vacation Planning and Useful Article” section. For those who are hesitate to decide where to go and what to do, just move to read our customers winter travel stories and witness their true happiness in the winter days.
Come on! Let’s plan and play! Your life will be different and more colorful after the COVID-19 and the winter in China is not cold any more!
Meet top 3 destinations with distinct sightseeing and culture.
Trip at a Glance: Kunming (1N), Dali (2N), Lijiang (2N)
Sites: Stone Forest, Dali Old Town, Lijiang Old Town, Tiger Leaping Gorge
Transfer: Private Car & Bullet Train
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Enjoy Ice and Snow Festival in Harbin and have winter fun in No.1 snow town in China.
Trip at a Glance: Harbin (3N), China Snow Town (1N)
Sites: Ice and Snow World, Sun Island, St. Sophia Cathedral, China Snow Town
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UNESCO World Heritage Site of Leshan Giant Buddha & Mount Emei with Buddhism Culture
Trip at a Glance: Chengdu (2 Days), Leshan & Emei (2 Days)
Sites: Leshan Giant Buddha, Mount Emei, Chengdu Panda
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Cover three best destinations in Guilin: downtown area, Yangshuo County and Longji Rice Terrace.
Trip at a Glance: Guilin (1N), Yangshuo (1N), Longsheng (1N)
Sites: Li River, Yangshuo Yulong River, Longji Rice Terrace, Elephant Trunk Hill
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Catch five amazing wonders of Yellow Mountain and explore UNESCO ancient villages.
Trip at a Glance: Huangshan (3N)
Sites: Yellow Mountain, Bright Summit, Hot Spring Scenic Area, Hongcun Village
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Visit the most romantic leisure city in China and visit some earth buildings around Xiamen.
Trip at a Glance: Xiamen (3N), Yongding (1N)
Sites: Gulangyu Island, Tianluokeng Tulou Cluster, Chuxi Tulou Cluster
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In warm winter area, have nice visit to “the Land of Abundance” and “Colorful Yunnan”.
Trip at a Glance: Chengdu (3N), Emei (1N), Lijiang (2N), Shangri-La (2N), Kunming (1N)
Sites: Chengdu Pandas, Leshan Giant Buddha, Mount Emei, Lijiang Old Town
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What is your favorite winter destination in China? No matter you are limited in time for short breaks, or you just want to focus on some featured winter-sun / cold-weather destinations, you’ve got the perfect choices. From the “Ice City of China” and “Moscow in the Orient” in the Northeast China with temperatures dropping to -13℃ and even lower, to the City of Eternal Spring with warm temperatures around 15℃ in winter days, you can either choose to immerse into the snow paradise with lots of fun or escape to a warm area to enjoy gentle sunshine and beautiful landscape... Below are top 8 winter destinations with general information and recommended winter itineraries - just feel free to select your favorite to spend a different winter this year.
Enjoy nature beauty and ethnic diversity beyond time limit!
Most travelers would like to put Yunnan as the no.1 winter-sun destination into their bucket list. Located in the southwest China, with subtropical latitude combined with high altitude, Yunnan has mild winters in most of destinations. It is still COLORFUL in winter with special winter scene to enjoy!
Reach the place south of the colorful clouds, enter into the “Plant and Animal Kingdom”, see the magnificent mountains and plateaus, appreciate the breathtaking river and lakes, and join in minority village to enjoy ethnic culture…
Price from $915
Start from Kunming for a magical journey to Stone Forest and head to explore amazing Yuanyang Rice Terrace and feel authentic life in historic town. This is the best trip traveling to South Yunnan for 5 days.
Price from $984
Do you have some questions about planning a China winter tour? Do you want to pick the most suitable places and the best things to do in the special season? No worry! Our experts have done a lot of research in the past years and have good understanding about each destination - weather & temperature condition, featured activities, useful travel tips, etc. are provided in each article. No matter you are first time to China or the second time, you are guaranteed a DIFFERENT and COLORFUL winter vacation in the year of 2023!
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Check our ultimate winter trip planning guide to get general ideas about weather and temperature in China, places to visit, best things to see and do, tips for wearing and packing before taking a winter tour.
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China is vast enough making you step into a white snow paradise or taking you to have fun in the tropical zone with warm temperature. Check the 10 best winter destinations recommended by our customers.
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I know many travelers would like to challenge themselves to the cold destinations full of winter charm! The 10 best cold weather destinations give you ideas about fun activities to do in each place!
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Yunnan, Fujian, Greater Bay Area, Hainan and Guangxi are located in the Southwest or South China. They have fine weather that you can relax under the sunshine and enjoy beautiful scenery.
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Worry about the cold weather everywhere and feel nothing to do? Feel free to tick your favorite things to do in our 15 recommended winter activities and we can combine them into your trip.
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There are quite a lot diverse festivals celebrated in winter, such as Harbin Ice and Snow Festival, Winter Fishing Festival, etc. in north China, Zigong Lantern Festival, traditional Chinese Spring Festival, etc.
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The 37th Harbin Ice and Snow Festival will open on January 5, 2021. Travelers can enjoy ice sculptures at Ice and Snow World, snow sculpture art fair on Sun Island and Lantern Show at Zhaolin Park...
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Harbin, located in the northeast of China, is reputed as the Ice City as well as “Moscow in the Orient”. It is a good idea to spend 2-5 days visiting Harbin to enjoy Ice and Snow Festival, skiing and snow scenery.
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Skiing is an exciting sport and outdoor activity in winter season. No matter you are amateurs or advanced skiers, you can find the suitable ski resorts among our 10 best ski resorts in China.
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Have no idea about what winter looks like in China? Winter is different and beautiful in China. Browse through a lot of winter pictures in different destinations in high resolution. Enjoy the visual feast!
-- Get Where to Go in December, January and February & Practical Travel Tips
The weather in China in December has an average temperature of just 2°C across this huge country. It is cold across the north and milder in the central zone, which includes Beijing and in the southern city of Guangzhou and around Hong Kong, the temperatures are much warmer with a good deal of sunshine in December. In January, most of China has cold weather that you will need to come prepared for. Northern and eastern regions, including Beijing, are bitterly cold and windy, but dry at this time of year, while temperatures are a bit warmer in coastal Shanghai. Don’t miss the grand opening ceremony of Harbin Ice and Snow Festival in the northeast China. February is wintertime across the country, and most parts of China have cold weather at this time. With such cold weather in North China, make sure you pack plenty of warm winter clothes including a thick coat, along with a hat, scarf and gloves. Temperatures will rise up at the end of February and rape flowers and other kinds of flowers are going to bloom.
Whether you like embracing the chill or escaping to the heat, China has the perfect winter destination for you. From the deep snow of the northeast to the beaches of the south, there’s nothing that this diverse country can’t offer you. Get inspired about where to go and what to do in December, January and February in China!
“Seeing is believing”! In the past years, thousands of travelers have taken winter trips to different destinations all over China with us. Many of them chose to head to the Northeast China with snow scenery and grand Ice and Snow Festival, part of travelers went to the classic destinations covering Beijing, Xian, Guilin or Shanghai and some of them headed to the south / southwest China to escape the coldness. While, many groups wanted to challenge themselves with a trip to Tibet - the Roof of the World... Whether a snowy retreat, or a beach haven, these winter trips have surely warmed their soul. Now, it’s your turn and your time to write your own stories in this winter! >> Read All Our Customers Travel Stories during 2011-2023
Shanghai / Suzhou / Hangzhou / Huangshan
from $1,391
Beijing / Xian / Guilin / Yangshuo / Shanghai
from $1634
Shanghai / Zhangjiajie / Kaili / Kunming / Lijiang / Shangri-la / Kunming
from $2507
Guilin / Longsheng / Yangshuo / Zhaoxing / Kaili / Fanjingshan
from Request
Harbin / China Snow Town / Jingpo Lake / Dunhua / Changbai Mountain / Jilin
from Request
Chengdu / Emeishan / Leshan / Guilin / Longji / Guilin / Yangshuo / Guilin
from Request
“Very good experience”
“WONDERFUL 25 DAYS IN CHINA - PRIVATE TOUR”
“Awesome China tour from northeast to southwest”
1,580+
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