October is the middle of autumn in China, and it is the best month to appreciate colorful autumn scenery. Cool weather in October can makes your tour in China more comfortable and enjoyable.
These places we recommend for October are all open for foreign visitors. If you are a shutterbug and looking for the most beautiful photography locations in October, these places are also great choices.
1. Daocheng Yading — The Last Pure Land on Earth
Yading Nature Reserve is in Daocheng Country, Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province. It has breathtaking natural landscapes and is praised as "the last pure land on earth".
There are awe-inspiring and beautiful snow-covered mountains and highland plateau scenes including crystal rivers, sky-blue lakes, and rolling meadows. Hiking is the best way to enjoy the magnificent landscapes of Yading Nature Reserve. Usually, two days is suggested to explore the reserve.
Located on the edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau — the Roof of the World, Daocheng Yading has an altitude from 2,900 to 6,032 m (9,500–19,790 feet), so please prepare for the possibility of altitude sickness. The average temperature range of Daocheng Yading in October is from 0 to 15°C (32–59°F), so please bring warm clothes with you.
Yading Nature ReserveWe also offer a small-group Daocheng Yading trip during golden week, please contact us for more information.
2. Populus Euphratica Forest in Inner Mongolia
Ejina Euphrates Poplar ForestAn Euphrates poplar golden leaves shoot in autumn is a dream trip for many photography lovers.
Ejina Euphrates Poplar Forest is one of the best remaining ancient desert poplar forest areas, and features dazzling golden leaves, dreamy water reflections, running sheep, and boundless deserts with longed-for camel riding opportunities. It is a good place for both sunrise and sunset shoots.
With its advantageous position adjacent to Gansu Province, Ejina Euphrates Poplar Forest is usually combined with a trip along the legendary Silk Road, with with the mysterious Mogao Caves, desert landscapes, and colorful landforms.
- 7-Day Dunhuang, Zhangye, and Ejina Photography Tour
- 6-Day Grassland and Desert Tour with Hiking and Camping
- More Inner Mongolia tours
- More Silk Road tours
All our tours can be customized according to your needs. We also offer a small-group Inner Mongolia trip during golden week. Contact us.
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Beijing trip
Ethan was a great guide. Who was very kind and helpful. We had a great time in Beijing. He deserves a five star, thank you china highlights more
Mar 2025, Lucrecia
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Mark. The Best Beijing Guide!
He met our every need above and beyond our expectations. My family of 6 had such a wonderful and memorable holiday.He is patient, well-versed and eloquent in both English and Mandarin. My Chinese-speaking parents and my English-dominant children clearly understood all that was explained. He included insights and aspects at each attraction that is not commonly known expanding our appreciation of the places we went. No questions too big and requests too small.. Every meal he arranged over the 5 days was very thoughtfully planned and had such variety that we were spoilt and well fed indeed. We will certainly look for Mark again on our next trip to Beijing and strongly recommend him to all and sundry if they plan to visit Beijing. more
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Beijing and sights with a local guide
Amazing city with bucket list sights to visit. DO use a travel company and get a guide with transportation! We used Tom at China Highlights and can not recommend him highly enough. He went way above and beyond what we normally get from a guide (our resume is over 50 countries visited, and use guides in most). Very knowledgeable in history and current China, and is attentive to any needs or requests. Sight seeing while negotiating your way around the crazy Beijing driving scene and to the must see sights: Great Wall, Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Summer Palace, etc... is virtually impossible for most travelers. Tom also brought us to places to eat determined by what kind of food we were interested in. We were very surprised at how delicious the food was, and experiencing local's eateries was great for people watching in a very affordable city. I look forward to going back! more
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3. Tibet — Autumn Plateau Scenery
Mount EverestTibet is attractive for its rich Tibetan culture, characteristic Tibetan houses, vast grasslands, herds of cattle and sheep, blue skiesy, clear water and fresh air.
Autumn is the best time to enjoy the view of snowcapped mountains from a distance. You will have better opportunities to see the peaks of Namcha Barwa or Mount Everest. It's a good time to hike and trek in Tibet.
4. Great Wall Hiking and Camping
Camping on the Great WallHiking of the wild Great Wall is definitely an amazing experience in October, especially during the Golden Week (National Day holidays) if you want to get away from crowds.
Hiking, camping, having a BBQ dinner, sharing beers with friends, appreciating the enchanting sunset and sunrise over the Great Wall... All these exciting things you experienced on the Great Wall will be your unforgettable memory.
5. Guilin
Biking in YangshuoAutumn is the best time to visit Guilin weatherwise. This time of the year is very suitable for sightseeing and outdoor activities. A hike among the rice terraces and a cruise on the Li River are very popular.
Cycle through the fields and ethnic villages in Yangshuo. You will also have the chance to learn about the local people's daily lifestyles in the villages or help them to do some farm work in the paddies.
6. Zhangjiajie — Precipitous Pillars
ZhangjiajieZhangjiajie is world-renowned for its amazing rock pillar landscapes. You can spend 4 or 5 days hiking in the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, enjoying panoramic views of the stunning Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon on the world's highest glass bridge, and taking the world's longest cable car ride to explore Tianmen Mountain.
October is the best time to visit Zhangjiajie as the weather is comfortable, the mountains are cool, and (apart from the National Holiday in the first week) it is quiet.
Most of the national forest in Zhangjiajie is evergreen, but, in October, Wolongling in the Tianzi Mountain area and Yaozi Village are the two best places to see fall foliage.
7. Kanas in North Xinjiang
KanasNestled in the deep forests and mountains of Altay, Kanas is a truly beautiful mountain lake. Nearby Kanas Lake is a village of the Tuwan tribe, which is a branch of the Mongolian ethnic group. They live in their traditional houses and practice their centuries-old traditions.
Autumn is the most beautiful season in Kanas. The changing hues of the birch trees, especially the bright yellows, mingle with the dark greens of the spruce and other evergreen trees, creating a colorful foreground to the snow-capped mountain peaks in the distance.
8. Jiuzhaigou
JiuzhaigouAutumn is the best time to visit Jiuzhai Valley. It is particularly picturesque when the mountains, valleys, and lakes are splendidly robed in autumnal colors. Warm days, cool nights, and great vistas saturated with yellows, reds, and greens reflecting off the blue lakes are typical of autumn there.
9. Shangri-La
Meili Snow MountainShangri-La's autumn is colorful and gorgeous. Golden alpine meadows, fiery red leafy oceans, and blue skies form a beautiful painting, presenting its ultimate natural beauty.
From October to early November is the best time to see Meili Snow Mountain, with the best combination of clear skies and conducive temperatures. It is the most suitable season for hiking. Hike to Yubeng Village, a secluded village said to be "close to heaven", or hike along one of the deepest gorges in the world — Tiger Leaping Gorge.
- 6-Day Shangri-La, Meili Snow Mountain, and Tacheng Adventure Tour
- 4-Day Shangri-La Exploration Tour
- 4-Day Yubeng Village Hiking Tour
- More Shangri-La tours
10. Ningxia
Ningxia desertOctober is a great month to visit the desert with exciting activities. After September, the ultraviolet rays become weaker, and the weather gradually becomes comfortable and not hot. Early September to early October is the season for picking grapes. Ningxia is one of the best places for winemaking.
Zhongwei provides wonderful entertainments in the desert including sand sledding, camel trekking, dune buggying, shuttle bus riding, speedboating, sheepskin rafting, glass bridge walking, and more and unique accommodation.
Ningxia is home to the largest number of Hui people in China. You could learn about Hui ethnic culture: enjoy morning tea with a full selection of Hui food and visit a Hui family.
Visit These Beautiful Places with Us
Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions. All our tours can be customized. We will create a trip for your vacation according to your group size, time, budget, interests, and other requirements.
If you have a preferred place to visit in addition to the above, please contact us and we could also make an itinerary for you.