Best time to visit Yunnan

The best time to visit Yunnan is March to May, judged across 5 places; July is its weakest month.

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Updated September 2026 · East Asia · 5 places, each judged for what it is · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis

Yunnan month by month

Month	Season	Why	Best places
January	good	birdlife season · 16°C highs	Jinghong, Lijiang, Dali
February	good	birdlife season · 18°C highs · 10 h sun	Lijiang, Jinghong, Dali
March	in season	birdlife season · 22°C highs · 11 h sun	Lijiang, Dali, Kunming
April	in season	24°C highs · 11 h sun	Lijiang, Dali, Kunming
May	in season	26°C highs · 10 h sun	Dali, Shangri-La, Kunming
June	not its best	monsoon · 26°C highs · best Feb–May	Shangri-La, Dali, Kunming
July	not its best	monsoon · 26°C highs · best Feb–May	Shangri-La, Kunming, Dali
August	not its best	monsoon · 26°C highs · best Feb–May	Shangri-La, Kunming, Lijiang
September	good	foraging season · 24°C highs	Shangri-La, Kunming, Dali
October	good	21°C highs	Shangri-La, Dali, Lijiang
November	good	birdlife season · 20°C highs · 9 h sun	Lijiang, Dali, Shangri-La
December	good	birdlife season · 3 wet days · 17°C highs	Jinghong, Lijiang, Dali

In season: one of the region's three best months, and good in its own right. Low season: one of its three worst, and well below its best. The reasons compare each month with the region's own year and name the seasons on the ground — monsoon, autumn colour, hurricanes — where most of its places share them.

All 5 places in Yunnan

Yunnan — FAQ

When is the best time to visit Yunnan?: March to May. In March: birdlife season · 22°C highs · 11 h sun.
When is the low season in Yunnan?: Yunnan has no month that falls far below the rest of its year; July is the weakest (monsoon · 26°C highs · best Feb–May).
Which months are in season in Yunnan?: March to May — the months among its best that are also good in their own right.