Best time to visit Xi’an
The best time to visit Xi’an is April–May, judged on twenty years of weather records and the events worth going for.
Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
°C
mm
- Average daily high and low
- Precipitation
- Good month
- Best month
- Made good or best by an event
| Month | Average daily high | Average daily low | Precipitation | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 5.7 °C / 42 °F | -3.1 °C / 26 °F | 14 mm / 0.5 in | neither best nor good |
| February | 9.6 °C / 49 °F | 0 °C / 32 °F | 21 mm / 0.8 in | neither best nor good |
| March | 16.8 °C / 62 °F | 6.1 °C / 43 °F | 31 mm / 1.2 in | good month |
| April | 22.7 °C / 73 °F | 11.3 °C / 52 °F | 49 mm / 1.9 in | best month |
| May | 27 °C / 81 °F | 15.6 °C / 60 °F | 73 mm / 2.9 in | best month |
| June | 30.9 °C / 88 °F | 20.2 °C / 68 °F | 92 mm / 3.6 in | good month |
| July | 32 °C / 90 °F | 23 °C / 73 °F | 164 mm / 6.5 in | neither best nor good |
| August | 31.1 °C / 88 °F | 22.4 °C / 72 °F | 123 mm / 4.8 in | neither best nor good |
| September | 25.4 °C / 78 °F | 17.4 °C / 63 °F | 152 mm / 6 in | neither best nor good |
| October | 19.5 °C / 67 °F | 11.5 °C / 53 °F | 77 mm / 3 in | good month |
| November | 13.2 °C / 56 °F | 4.8 °C / 41 °F | 36 mm / 1.4 in | good month |
| December | 7.3 °C / 45 °F | -1.5 °C / 29 °F | 9 mm / 0.3 in | neither best nor good |
Good and best months depend on more than temperature, rain and events. How they are chosen
Each activity on this page has its own good and best months, rated on twenty years of daily weather records. Which measures count, and how much, depends on the activity: humidity for exploring outdoors, wind for the beach, hiking and skiing, snow for skiing alone. Between them, the activities are rated on:
- Daytime highs
- Night-time lows
- How warm it feels
- Humidity
- How much of the day is sunny
- Hours of daylight
- Monthly rainfall
- How many days it rains
- Days of heavy rain
- Wind
- Snowfall and days with snow
- Major events, such as festivals
The chart shows the good and best months for exploring outdoors.
The event icon marks a month that an event lifts to good or best, such as a festival or a natural spectacle. Choose “Weather only” in the toolbar to rate the months on weather alone.
Best months by activity
Exploring outdoors
Mild days and nights, mostly dry and bright. The default for 'when should I go'.
- JJanuary: neither
- FFebruary: neither
- MMarch: good
- AApril: best
- MMay: best
- JJune: good
- JJuly: neither
- AAugust: neither
- SSeptember: neither
- OOctober: good
- NNovember: good
- DDecember: neither
- Best
- April–May
- Good
- March, June, October–November
April and May are the sweet spot, mild, dry and sunny; March, June, October and November are clearly fine but cooler, hotter or duller; peak summer (July-September) turns hot, humid and increasingly rain-soaked, and December-February are too cold for comfortable outdoor sightseeing.
Why these months
March · good
In its favour: feels like (high) 14.5 °C / 58 °F, precipitation 31 mm / 1.2 in, share of daylight that is sunny 75%, average daily high 16.8 °C / 62 °F, wet days 5.6 days, days with heavy rain 0.9 days, relative humidity 55%, average daily low 6.1 °C / 43 °F.
April · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 21.7 °C / 71 °F, average daily high 22.7 °C / 73 °F, precipitation 49 mm / 1.9 in, share of daylight that is sunny 72%, days with heavy rain 1.4 days, wet days 7.5 days, average daily low 11.3 °C / 52 °F, relative humidity 56%.
Watch out for: Tomb-Sweeping Day (Qingming).
May · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 27.4 °C / 81 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 69%, average daily high 27 °C / 81 °F, days with heavy rain 2.5 days, average daily low 15.6 °C / 60 °F, relative humidity 58%.
Against: wet days 8.1 days, precipitation 73 mm / 2.9 in.
Also on: Dragon Boat Festival.
June · good
In its favour: share of daylight that is sunny 72%, precipitation 92 mm / 3.6 in, wet days 7 days, days with heavy rain 2.8 days, relative humidity 60%, average daily low 20.2 °C / 68 °F.
Against: feels like (high) 33.1 °C / 92 °F, average daily high 30.9 °C / 88 °F.
Also on: Dragon Boat Festival.
October · good
In its favour: feels like (high) 19.1 °C / 66 °F, average daily high 19.5 °C / 67 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 62%, days with heavy rain 2.5 days, average daily low 11.5 °C / 53 °F.
Against: wet days 10.7 days, relative humidity 74%, precipitation 77 mm / 3 in, sunshine per day 7 h.
Also on: Mid-Autumn Festival.
Watch out for: National Day Golden Week.
November · good
In its favour: precipitation 36 mm / 1.4 in, share of daylight that is sunny 69%, days with heavy rain 0.7 days, wet days 6.6 days, relative humidity 69%, average daily low 4.8 °C / 41 °F.
Against: feels like (high) 10.9 °C / 52 °F, average daily high 13.2 °C / 56 °F, sunshine per day 7.1 h.
An activity is listed only where it applies: skiing at ski destinations, beach and swimming at beach destinations. The nearest ski area is 鳌山滑雪场, 142 km away.
Weather averages
Monthly averages over twenty years, 2006–2025. Highs, lows and precipitation are in the chart at the top.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feels like (high) | 2.1 °C | 6.4 °C | 14.5 °C | 21.7 °C | 27.4 °C | 33.1 °C | 36.2 °C | 34.8 °C | 27.2 °C | 19.1 °C | 10.9 °C | 3.7 °C |
| Days with heavy rain | 0.2 days | 0.3 days | 0.9 days | 1.4 days | 2.5 days | 2.8 days | 5 days | 4 days | 5.1 days | 2.5 days | 0.7 days | 0.1 days |
| Time rain usually falls | 3 pm | 1 pm | 3 pm | 3 pm | 2 pm | 8 am | 1 pm | 11 am | 1 pm | 10 am | 1 am | 3 pm |
| Sunshine per day | 8.3 h | 8.1 h | 9 h | 9.4 h | 9.6 h | 10.3 h | 10.3 h | 9.8 h | 7.5 h | 7 h | 7.1 h | 7.9 h |
| Relative humidity | 61% | 62% | 55% | 56% | 58% | 60% | 69% | 70% | 75% | 74% | 69% | 60% |
Air quality
Averaged over a shorter period (2022–2025) than the twenty-year averages above, and not counted towards good or best months.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air pollution (PM2.5) 2022–2025 | 78.5 µg/m³ | 66.8 µg/m³ | 49.6 µg/m³ | 40.6 µg/m³ | 41.5 µg/m³ | 41.4 µg/m³ | 43 µg/m³ | 41.7 µg/m³ | 46.6 µg/m³ | 52.6 µg/m³ | 63.7 µg/m³ | 77.9 µg/m³ |
| Air pollution (PM2.5, daily peak) 2022–2025 | 142.8 µg/m³ | 120.1 µg/m³ | 84.3 µg/m³ | 66.3 µg/m³ | 64.6 µg/m³ | 65.3 µg/m³ | 68.1 µg/m³ | 67.4 µg/m³ | 73.1 µg/m³ | 83.3 µg/m³ | 111.1 µg/m³ | 143.1 µg/m³ |
- Good 15 µg/m³ or less
- Fair 15 to 25 µg/m³
- Moderate 25 to 37.5 µg/m³
- Poor 37.5 to 50 µg/m³
- Very poor 50 to 75 µg/m³
- Extremely poor over 75 µg/m³
Each figure is compared with the World Health Organization's guideline for a day's air, 15 µg/m³ or less, and with its interim targets above that. The words are ours: the WHO does not name its steps. The figures are modelled monthly averages, so single days can be well above them. The daily peak is the average of each day's highest hour, shaded on the same scale.
Events and seasons
What the weather records cannot show. A major event can lift a month to good or best. The warnings are there to help you plan, and never count against a month.
Reasons to go
- Dragon Boat Festival
May and June, dates vary from year to year
- Mid-Autumn Festival
September and October, dates vary from year to year
Worth knowing before you go
- Chinese New Year travel rush (Spring Festival Golden Week)
January and February, dates vary from year to year
- Tomb-Sweeping Day (Qingming)
4–6 April, dates vary from year to year
- National Day Golden Week
1–7 October
World Heritage sites nearby
UNESCO World Heritage sites within 25 km, nearest first.
- Silk Roads: the Routes Network of Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor
8 km away