Season	Weather (approx.)	Highlights	Crowds
Spring (Mar–May)	Mild, 10–25°C, frequent showers	Plum, peach and cherry blossoms; new Longjing tea	Busy at weekends and the 1–5 May holiday
Summer (Jun–Aug)	Hot and humid, often 35°C+; plum rains mid-June to early July	Lotus on West Lake; evening lake walks	Summer tourists; mornings and nights are best
Autumn (Sep–Nov)	Warm to cool, 12–28°C, often clear	Osmanthus scent, tidal bore, autumn leaves	Very busy during the 1–7 October Golden Week
Winter (Dec–Feb)	Cold and damp, around 0–10°C; occasional snow	Quiet lake, plum blossoms from February, Spring Festival	Quiet — except around Spring Festival travel

Temperatures are typical ranges; individual days vary.

Spring (March–May)

What to do

• Blossoms: Plum blossoms at Lingfeng (灵峰) and Chaoshan (超山) from February into March; peach blossoms and willows along Su Causeway (苏堤) in late March–April
• Tea season: The first Longjing pick (明前) runs from mid-March to early April — the best time for the tea villages
• Seasonal food: Fresh spring bamboo shoots (春笋), and Qingming green rice balls (青团)
• Tip: Qingming (early April) and the 1–5 May holiday are busy — do the causeways on weekday mornings

Summer (June–August)

What to do

• Lotus: Quyuan Fenghe (曲院风荷) and the West Lake shallows are full of lotus flowers from June to August
• Beat the heat: Sunrise walks, evening lake strolls, museums and malls by day; the cool air of Moganshan for a weekend
• Plum rains: Mid-June to early July brings near-daily rain and humidity — see Rainy-Day Hangzhou
• Seasonal food: Cold noodles, lotus-root dishes, and bayberries (杨梅) in June

Autumn (September–November)

What to do

• Osmanthus: In late September and October the city smells of sweet osmanthus (桂花); Manjuelong (满觉陇) south of West Lake is the classic spot, with osmanthus tea and desserts
• Tidal bore: The Qiantang River tidal bore (钱江潮) peaks around the 18th day of the 8th lunar month (late September or early October); the famous viewing spot is Yanguan (盐官) in Haining, about an hour from Hangzhou
• Autumn leaves: November colours around Nine Creeks, Yanggong Causeway and the hills west of the lake
• Golden Week: 1–7 October is the busiest week of the year — explore campus areas or leave the city before or after it

Winter (December–February)

What to do

• Quiet lake: Crisp, empty mornings on the causeways — the best time for photos without crowds
• Snow: Rare but famous: “lingering snow on Broken Bridge” (断桥残雪) is one of West Lake’s classic views
• Staying warm: Southern Chinese buildings often lack central heating — pack layers, and use the air-conditioner’s heating mode in dorms
• Spring Festival: Many shops and canteens close for a week or more around Chinese New Year and trains sell out — plan ahead with the rail guide
• Seasonal food: Hotpot, roasted chestnuts and sweet potatoes from street stalls, and tangyuan at the Lantern Festival

Which Semester Is Better?

• Autumn semester (Sep–Jan): great weather to start, osmanthus and the tidal bore, but Golden Week crowds and a cold, damp finish.
• Spring semester (Feb/Mar–Jun/Jul): blossoms and tea season, but the plum rains and heat arrive before exams.
• Either way, the packing list covers layers for both.

Last updated: September 2026. Bloom and harvest dates shift a little each year with the weather. Prices, opening hours and rules in China change often — treat costs as estimates and confirm anything important with the official source before you go.

Photos: User:Vmenkov / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) · zhiyin586@163.com / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0) · Aaron Zhu / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) · zhiyin586@163.com / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)