Summer time’s coming! Where to travel for a cool summer holiday? China must be on your wish list. Summer lasts from early May to late September in China. Every destination sure has its charm during a different span of time.
1. Tibet: Holy Religious Culture
- Highlights: Mt. Everest, religious sites in Lhasa
- Sample itinerary: 8-Day Mt. Everest Base Camp and Lhasa Essential Tour
Cool-weather and religious vistas, both natural and cultural, grant Tibet as one of the best destinations for your summer travel in China. In most areas of Tibet, summer lasts from May to August with an average temperature of 20-25°C (68-77°F). Also, it is the time with the highest air oxygen content. These make for a comfortable and easy trip to explore Tibet’s various highlights. What’s even better is the train travel from Qinghai or Yunnan. Given 20 days is needed for a Tibet Travel Permit, it is suggested you plan the trip at least 1 month ahead. You need to protect yourself from the strong ultraviolet rays, so sunglasses, sunblock, a hat, and a light coat should be in your backpack.
2. Huangshan: Breathtaking Vistas from Mountaintop
- Highlights: mountaintop views, photo tours
With a clear view and a challenge to walk, Huangshan, which is also called the Yellow Mountain, is excellent for trekking in summer. It presents a visual adventure, let alone a brave trek along its jaw-dropping walkways. In addition to the awesome vistas, Huangshan also offers a thrilling summer with a cool temperature. The average temperature in summer is 12-20°C (54-68°F), making it a cool- even a bit cold- trip on the mountain top. If mountain trekking is not your thing, it is suggested to check out the obscure villages in Hongcun (宏村) or Xidi (西递). The sun rises early, and so do the hard-working villagers. Go wandering about their houses or watch them work on fields, with such a strong sense of life that you might find quite touching. Bright colors of the villages and fields are ideal for a photography tour or quick sketches.
3. Guilin: Karst Landscapes and Bamboo Rafting
- Highlights: boating, bamboo rafting, karst caves
- Sample itinerary: 3-Day Classical Guilin Tour
Guilin offers a full package for a wonderful summer holiday- whether you want an easy-peasy cruise tour on the Li River, or an in-depth experience of rock-climbing and countryside cycling in Yangshuo. The city is hot and humid in summer but caving and water activities will cool you off. The biggest reason to have your summer holiday in Guilin is the gorgeous Li River. It rains a lot during summertime in Guilin and the Li River brings out her best during the time from April to September. The fun comes from activities related to water or natural hide-outs. Potholing into many limestone caves, Reed Flute Cave for example, not only means an adventure but also a great way to cool off. Besides the completely beautiful landscape, boating or river drifting in Yangshuo are also very exhilarating. 4. Yangtze River: Three Gorges Dam and Cruises
- Highlights: cruises, shore excursion to historic sites
- Sample itinerary: 4-Day Relaxing Time on Yangtze River Cruise
Before the grand Three Gorges Dam was built, the region or the Yangtze River used to suffer from floods during summertime. The story is different nowadays and traveling to the Yangtze River during summer brings more than a holiday. Besides refreshing river wind and fascinating scenery, there’s something more you should expect while traveling to the Yangtze River in summer:
- Days of total relaxation while cruising along the river;
- Extremely marvelous views of the roaring water at the Three Gorges Dam;
- Ashore excursion to White Emperor City or Fengdu Ghost City for cultural fulfillment.
The temperature from May to early September ranges from 20-28°C (68-83°F). it is recommended to take the cruise in May or September. An overcoat is still necessary during summer for cruising nights can get a bit cold.
5. Guizhou: Waterfalls and Minority Culture
- Highlights: Huangguoshu Waterfalls, minority villages
- Sample itinerary: tailor-make an in-depth Guizhou tour with us
If you’re talking about a cool summer, Guizhou should come to mind. With an average temperature of 20-25°C (68-77°F), a summer holiday in Guizhou is blessed with amazing landscapes (mostly waterfalls and mountains) and colorful minority lives. Besides the classical Huangguoshu Waterfalls, you should make a bee-line for Qiandongnan (aka Southeastern Guizhou). From there, find your way to the villages of the Miao People in Kaili (凯里), Xijiang (西江) and Zhenyuan (镇远). Traditional minority festivals in summer include:
- The Chinese Dragon Boat Festival in early June,
- Fishing Festival in July,
- Flower Mountain Festival in July or August,
- New Rice Festival in mid-August.
During these special occasions, you don’t need to get invited. Just walking around the villages, you can make yourself a part of the celebration.
6. Mt. Emei: Buddhist Culture
- Highlights: the Golden Summit, temples and monasteries, monkeys
- Sample itinerary: 5-Day Panda, Mt. Emei, and Giant Buddha Tour
A Three-hour drive from Chengdu, Mt. Emei is a famous Buddhist mountain in China. With sprawling temples and monasteries, it is famous for the 48-meter-high statue of Samantabhadra at the Golden Summit. Thanks to its over-3,000-meter altitude, Mt. Emei is not only a Buddhist holy ground but also a summer resort blessed with beautiful scenery and lovely wild monkeys, who may jump out to tease you at any time. Optional choice: Mt. Qingcheng, a holy mountain of Taoism, is another good option to escape the summer heat of Chengdu and experience the religious culture.
