When to go · Shanghai, China
Best time to visit Shanghai
The sweet spot is October, May and November — averages 20°C, 9 rainy days, peak-season crowds and peak prices.
March–May and September–November are mild; the Grand Prix runs in spring. Summers are hot and humid, winters grey and cold.
Humid subtropical: hot muggy summers (Jun–Aug, 30–35°C), cool damp winters (Dec–Feb, 3–8°C), pleasant spring and autumn.
The short answer
20°C · 9 rainy days · high season
21°C · 12 rainy days · high season
14°C · 8 rainy days · mid season
Hardest months: February and January. averages a raw 7°C, 10 rainy days, few other visitors.
Month by month
| Month | Avg temp | Rain days | Crowds | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 5°C | 9d | low | Cold |
| February | 7°C | 10d | low | Cold |
| March | 11°C | 12d | mid | Wet |
| April | 16°C | 12d | high | Wet |
| May | 21°C | 12d | high | Wet |
| June | 25°C | 14d | mid | Wet |
| July | 29°C | 12d | mid | Wet |
| August | 29°C | 11d | mid | Hot |
| September | 25°C | 12d | high | Wet |
| October | 20°C | 9d | high | Comfortable but damp |
| November | 14°C | 8d | mid | Mild |
| December | 8°C | 8d | low | Chilly |
Verdicts are read off the three columns to their left — temperature distance from 21°C first, then rainfall, with crowds breaking ties. Averages, so any given week can differ.
If you'd rather go cheap than perfect
January, February and December are low season in Shanghai — thinner crowds, and the months where accommodation is easiest to book late. Budget travellers already work to about $35–75 a day here; low season is where the accommodation share of that goes furthest.
Book the month you picked
Fares move with the same seasons as the crowds — the quiet months above are usually the cheap ones to fly.