Weather: April is a cool and comfortable month for travel to the area. Average daily low and high temperatures are 6 °C (43 °F) and 18 °C (64 °F) in April. There is about 48 mm of total rainfall each April, and precipitation falls on about half of the days of the month. It is usually pleasant after noon and cool in the early morning and evening.
Clothing: Wear layers of clothing for spring and autumn weather. Bring rain gear if it looks like it might rain. In the early morning and evening, wear a jacket or a coat to stay warm. Since the paths may be icy or slick, it is important to wear good non-skid shoes.
Altitude Sickness: The airport is at 3,500 meters, and most people visit the area of the park that lies between 2,000 meters (6,561 feet) and 3,000 meters (9,800 feet). Most people will get altitude sickness in the first day or two. Since walking uphill is difficult at this altitude, you can ride to the points you want to see and then walk downhill. Take precautions when traveling there if you have heart disease or high blood pressure.
Things to Do
Visit Rize Valley: In April, you can hike in the upper altitude valley of Rize. It is more scenic than its twin valley called Zechawa Valley. At this time of year, you'll see green grass, trees with new leaves, and colorful flowers. Unless you are used to the altitude, you can start at the top of Rize Valley and hike down to Nourilang Falls near the junction of Rize and Zechawa.
Visit Huanglong Scenic Area: By the middle of April, the roads may be open for entering Huanglong Scenic Area. Huanglong is about a kilometer higher than Jiuzhai Valley National Park, and temperatures usually go above freezing during the day and drop below freezing during the night. It is a UNESCO Heritage site and a nature preserve.
Shoulder Travel Season
Tourism at Jiuzhaigou picks up in April, so hotel room rates are higher. The prices for flights and train tickets are higher. However, the busy tourist season doesn't start until fall. Many hotel rooms in the area don't get hot water, so check for that beforehand, or let us book accommodations for you.
Popular Jiuzhaigou Tours
If you're interested in visiting the fairyland in person, why not browse our popular tours below for inspiration?
- 5-Day Fairyland Tour to Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong
- 7-Day Chengdu and Jiuzhai Valley Fairyland Tour
- More Jiuzhai Valley tours
Jiuzhaigou Climate Information by Month
- Jiuzhaigou Weather in January
- Jiuzhaigou Weather in February
- Jiuzhaigou Weather in March
- Jiuzhaigou Weather in April
- Jiuzhaigou Weather in May
- Jiuzhaigou Weather in June
- Jiuzhaigou Weather in July
- Jiuzhaigou Weather in August
- Jiuzhaigou Weather in September
- Jiuzhaigou Weather in October
- Jiuzhaigou Weather in November
- Jiuzhaigou Weather in December