Beijing in Autumn: Why October Is the Only Month That Matters
I've been to Beijing in every season. Summer nearly broke me — 35°C with humidity so thick you could chew it, air quality readings that made my weather app display a frowning skull emoji. Winter was beautiful but brutal, my phone dying every 20 minutes from the cold. Spring had sandstorms that deposited Gobi Desert grit in my teeth.
And then I went in October.
Look, I know "best time to visit" recommendations can feel generic. But Beijing in autumn is not just a marginal improvement. It's a different city. The sky turns a shade of blue that doesn't exist in Beijing's smoggy summer months. Temperatures settle between 10-25°C. The ginkgo trees along the avenues and inside temple grounds explode into gold, and the locals actually seem... relaxed.
Here's your guide to making the most of it.
The Weather Window
The sweet spot is mid-September through mid-November, with October as the peak. Early October brings warm days (18-22°C) that are perfect for the Great Wall without sweating through your shirt by 9AM. By late October, you'll want a light jacket in the evenings, and the autumn color peaks.
One critical exception: avoid October 1-7 at all costs. This is National Day Golden Week, when roughly 800 million domestic trips happen across China. The Forbidden City hits its daily cap of 80,000 visitors before 10AM. The Great Wall sections look like rush-hour subway platforms. Hotel prices double. If your dates overlap, shift by even two days — October 8 onward is dramatically calmer.
Autumn at the Great Wall
The Great Wall at Mutianyu in autumn is the most photogenic version of one of humanity's most photogenic structures. The surrounding mountains turn amber, rust, and gold, and on a clear morning the wall stretches into hazy mountain ridges that look like a Chinese ink painting come to life.
Entry: 40 CNY ($5.50). Cable car + toboggan: 120 CNY ($17). Get there by 8AM — hire a private car through your hotel for 400 CNY round trip. In October, the early morning light hits the eastern-facing wall sections perfectly.
Pro tip: the Jiankou-to-Mutianyu wild wall hike (about 2-3 hours) passes through forested mountain terrain that's at peak color in mid-October. You need reasonable fitness and proper shoes, but it's one of the most rewarding hikes I've done anywhere.
Ginkgo Season
Beijing's ginkgo-lined avenues are the autumn equivalent of Japan's cherry blossom season — and criminally under-known outside China.
The best spots:
Ditan Park (Temple of Earth): A 200m ginkgo corridor that turns into a golden tunnel in late October. Entry: 2 CNY. Arrive before 9AM for photos without crowds.
Yonghegong (Lama Temple) area: The street leading to the temple is lined with ancient ginkgoes. Combine with a visit to the temple itself (25 CNY).
Tsinghua and Peking University campuses: Both have stunning ginkgo avenues. Free entry (bring passport for registration at the gate).
Peak ginkgo color typically hits around October 20-November 5, depending on the year.
Autumn Festivals and Events
The Mid-Autumn Festival (September, dates vary) means mooncakes everywhere — the traditional ones with lotus seed paste and egg yolk are dense and rich. Every bakery in Beijing sells them, but the ones from Daoxiangcun (a chain since 1895) are the local gold standard at 15-40 CNY per box.
The Fragrant Hills (Xiangshan Park) west of Beijing host the Red Leaves Festival from mid-October through mid-November. The hillside of smoke trees turns crimson and the hiking trails fill with Beijingers on weekend pilgrimages. Entry: 10 CNY. Go on a weekday — the park is overrun on Saturday and Sunday.
What to Wear
Early October: t-shirt by day, light jacket for evening. Mid-October: long sleeves, a sweater for mornings. Late October into November: proper jacket, scarf, layers. Beijing's continental climate means temperature swings of 15°C between midday and midnight are normal.
The humidity drops dramatically from summer levels, which is a relief, but it also means your skin will dry out fast. Bring lip balm and moisturizer.
Autumn Food
This is when Beijing's food calendar really shines.
Roasted sweet potatoes appear on every street corner from October onward — vendors with barrel ovens charring them to caramelized perfection for 5-10 CNY. The smell alone is worth stepping outside for.
Fresh hawthorn (shancha) on sticks, coated in hard sugar candy — the classic Beijing tanghulu. You'll see vendors carrying entire trees of these candied fruit sticks. 5-8 CNY.
Lamb hotpot season kicks off as temperatures drop. Donglaishun near Wangfujing is the institution — copper pots of boiling water where you swish paper-thin slices of lamb for seconds until just done. 80-150 CNY per person.
And of course, Peking duck is perfect year-round, but somehow tastes better when you're walking back through hutong alleys in the cool night air afterward.
Autumn-Specific Itinerary (5 Days)
Day 1: Arrive, recover from jet lag. Evening walk along Houhai Lake as the willow trees and bar lanterns reflect on the water. Dinner at a hutong restaurant.
Day 2: Forbidden City (enter by 9AM, 60 CNY). Exit north to Jingshan Park (2 CNY) for the rooftop panorama in autumn light. Afternoon at Beihai Park (10 CNY) — paddle boats on the lake surrounded by autumn color.
Day 3: Great Wall at Mutianyu. Full day. Depart by 7AM, arrive 8AM for the best light and empty wall. Toboggan down. Return to city by 3PM. Evening: Peking duck at Da Dong.
Day 4: Temple of Heaven (35 CNY total) at 7AM for tai chi watching. Ginkgo hunting at Ditan Park or Yonghegong area. Afternoon: 798 Art District. Evening: lamb hotpot.
Day 5: Summer Palace (60 CNY peak season) — the Long Corridor with autumn reflections on Kunming Lake is extraordinary in October light. Afternoon: hutong wandering around the Drum Tower. Pick up tanghulu and roasted sweet potatoes. Final evening: Nanluoguxiang area for craft beer and people-watching.
The Crowd Calendar
Period
Crowd Level
Notes
Sep 15-30
Moderate
Warm, good visibility, manageable
Oct 1-7
Extreme
National Day, avoid if possible
Oct 8-20
Low-Moderate
Sweet spot — great weather, thin crowds
Oct 20-Nov 5
Moderate
Peak ginkgo, increasing at Fragrant Hills
Nov 5-15
Low
Cooling, autumn color fading, quiet
If you can arrange it, October 8-20 is the absolute best window. The National Day crowds have dispersed, the weather is ideal, the ginkgoes are approaching peak, and the Great Wall has that particular October clarity where you can see for dozens of kilometers in every direction.
Beijing in autumn is the trip that made me fall in love with the city — and the one I keep going back for. The rest of the year, Beijing is impressive. In October, it's genuinely beautiful.
