When to go

Part of Before you go, a sourced pre-trip guide for a first visit to Shanghai. Checked 2026-10-05; rules change, so each step links to its source. Data version 7aa0fecd1904.

Best: Mid-Apr–May · mid-Oct–Nov — The best months for Shanghai: mild, fairly dry and outside the big national holidays.

Come mid-April to May or mid-October to November. Avoid China's national holidays (1–7 Oct, around 1–5 May and Chinese New Year), when sights sell out and hotel prices jump. June brings about three weeks of "plum rain"; July and August are hot, humid and typhoon-prone.

In short

Calendar: holidays, crowds and weather

Sources: State Council General Office (gov.cn), Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism, China Meteorological Administration normals 1991–2020 (Xujiahui), via Wikipedia, Hong Kong Observatory, StudyCLI, CCTV Oriental Horizon (东方时空), Shanghai Municipal Education Commission, The Paper, citing the Shanghai weather service (上海天气发布), Shanghai Bendibao (上海本地宝), a local news site, Shanghai Municipal People's Government

Shanghai weather by month

Sources: China Meteorological Administration normals 1991–2020 (Xujiahui), via Wikipedia

Best: mid-April to May, mid-October to November

1. October has the fewest rain days of the year and highs around 23 °C.

2. November is cooler, about 18 °C, and still fairly dry.

3. Mid-April to May is mild: highs of 21–26 °C.

4. March is cooler and wetter; bring layers and an umbrella.

5. Skip the holiday weeks inside these windows: 1–7 October and around 1–5 May.

Sources: Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism, WMO World Weather Information Service (data: CMA), China Meteorological Administration normals 1991–2020 (Xujiahui), via Wikipedia

Avoid national holidays: sights sell out, rooms cost more

1. National Day Golden Week, 1–7 October, is the busiest week of the year.

2. Labour Day (1–5 May in 2026) and Chinese New Year are the other big peaks.

3. Big museums and sights can sell out; book the day sales open.

4. Make-up working days, such as Saturday 10 October 2026, are normal working days.

Sources: State Council General Office (gov.cn), Shanghai Municipal People's Government / Shanghai Release (上海发布)

2027 days off are not announced yet

1. The State Council usually publishes next year's holidays between late October and early December.

2. Festival dates are fixed: Chinese New Year 6 Feb, Qingming 5 Apr, Labour Day 1 May, Dragon Boat 9 Jun, Mid-Autumn 15 Sep 2027.

3. Treat any days-off window before the notice as a guess.

Sources: Hong Kong Observatory, State Council General Office (gov.cn), StudyCLI

Holiday trains: sales open 15 days ahead and go fast

1. 12306 sells tickets 15 days ahead, counting the travel day.

2. Around Chinese New Year, Labour Day and National Day, peak-day tickets sell out fast.

3. The Chinese New Year travel rush ran 2 February–13 March 2026; for 2027 expect roughly 22 January–2 March.

Sources: China Railway 12306

June plum rain; heat and typhoons July–September

1. Plum rain (梅雨, the early-summer rainy season) usually starts around 19 June and lasts about three weeks.

2. July and August highs are around 33 °C, and the humidity makes it feel hotter.

3. Typhoons affect Shanghai about twice a year, mostly late July to mid-September.

4. December to February is cold and damp but quiet, apart from Chinese New Year.

Sources: Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism, Shanghai Municipal People's Government

Traveller tips

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