In recent years, China's summer has been getting much hotter, especially in the east and south of China. There are still some top places to go in July in China to appreciate natural landscapes and attend some great ethnic festivals, without it being too hot.
Here we list the best 8 places to visit in July in China. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions. All our tours can be customized. We will create a trip for your summer vacation according to your group size, time, budget, interests, and other requirements.
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- Chengdu — Meet Cute Pandas
- Inner Mongolia — Vast Grasslands
- Zhangjiajie — Inspiration for Avatar Hallelujah Mountain
- Yunnan Province — a Colorful Fairyland
- The Silk Road — Discover Chinese History and Culture
- Guizhou Province — Explore Chinese Minority Culture
- Tibet — Explore Pure Landscape and Tibetan Culture
- Qinghai Lake — Nature and Tibetan Culture
1. Chengdu — Meet Cute Pandas
Chengdu is a city of pandas. The lovely giant pandas are the No. 1 reason that people visit Chengdu.
Going to Chengdu to see the cute pandas is a good choice for both adults and children. You can join in a panda volunteer program in Wolong Panda Baseexplore and explore habitat of wild giant pandas in a nature reserve. See our 1-Day Wolong Panda Keeper Program Tour.
Jiuzhaigou (Jiuzhai Valley) is open to visit. With cool weather, summer is the best time to see its waterfalls and green lakes.
Visit Mount Emei, which is one of the most well-known summer destinations in China. Experience the congenial atmosphere, natural scenery, and Buddhist culture.
2. Inner Mongolia — Vast Grasslands
Inner Mongolia has vast grasslands where you can enjoy horse riding and trekking when the weather is comfortable. During the short and hot summers, the grass is the tallest. Grasslands stretch as far as the eye can see. It has one of China's most beautiful and unusual natural areas. It was once the domain of the Mongol empires, and you can see Mongolian yurts in some places still.
July to September is the best time to travel to Inner Mongolia, when the temperature is quite comfortable and the grasslands are lush. The annual Naadam Grassland Festival is held during this period, during which you will have the chance to enjoy Mongol sporting competitions and traditional celebrations with Mongolian folk songs and dances.
3. Zhangjiajie — Inspiration for Avatar Hallelujah Mountain
Zhangjiajie features fabulous mountainous scenery. It is a natural summer resort and has China's first national forest park — Zhangjiajie National Forest Park. Towering mountains, clear streams, and fresh air make the park a natural air conditioner and a natural oxygen bar.
Take the world's longest cable car to Tianmen Mountain, which has the highest peak in Zhangjiajie. Bike around the beautiful and non-touristy side of Tianmen Mountain.
The heat dissipates when you take a cable car to reach the top of the mountain. The mountain peak vistas are charming, especially under the misty rain and fog. Walk on the cliff-hanging walkway and see the 99 Bends and the grand Tianmen Cave.
Recommended Tours
- 5-Day Zhangjiajie Hiking and Biking Tour for Any Level
- 4-Day Zhangjiajie Essence Tour
- See more Zhangjiajie tours for inspiration
Discover real reviews of Highlights Travel Family's best-rated service across trusted platforms.
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Great Zhangjiajie Tour with Eileen — Flexible and Stress-Free
We just finished a 3-day Zhangjiajie tour with China Highlights and our excellent guide, Eileen. Overnight, half of our family got sick, but Eileen was flexible and adjusted the plans perfectly. On day one, 3 out of 5 of us still enjoyed the Avatar Mountains. The next day, 2 went back to the Avatar area while the others explored Golden Whip Stream — and we all did the Glass Bridge together, which was lots of fun. On our last day, we visited Tianmen Mountain and the Gate to Heaven. Despite the crowds, we barely had to wait, which we really appreciated. The Zhangjiajie underground market at the end was an unexpected highlight. Thank you, Eileen and China Highlights, for making this trip smooth and really memorable for our family. more
Jul 2025, Cyrill R
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Fairytale landscape in Zhangjiajie
Our trip to China revealed fairytale-like landscapes, thanks also to the kindness and availability of Wendi, who guided us from Fenghuang to Zhangjiajie. Even though the weather wasn’t always on our side, Wendi made sure we fully appreciated these enchanting places.Thank you, Wendi, for making this part of our journey so special! more
Jul 2025, Ezio C
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Excellent experience with a caring guide
We loved all the sites we visited! From Tianmen Mountain to Avatar Mountain and everything else, the views were spectacular at every turn. Our experience was so much better because of the personalized care we got from our guide, Alan. He went out of his way every time to make sure things were smooth for us. He took care of getting us our tickets and made sure we understood where to go and what to do. He translated for us at restaurants checked us in at our hotels. He explained options and made sure we were ok with changes that came up. He even walked us all the way to our seats in the train when it was time to leave. Excellent customer service! We REALLY appreciated the little gift he had for us at the end. more
Jul 2025, Nick I
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4. Yunnan Province — a Colorful Fairyland
Due to its special geographic location with lush vegetation, the weather in Yunnan Province is not very hot. Therefore, it has gradually become one of the best choices for summer vacations. The best cities to visit in Yunnan are Kunming, Dali, Lijiang, and Shangri-La.
Wander in leisurely ancient towns in Dali, Lijiang, and Shangri-La. Bike along charming Erhai Lake in Dali. Listen to the roaring of Tiger Leaping Gorge in between Lijiang and Shangri-La. Go to the Lugu Lake to escape the summer heat and soak in its incredible scenery.
5. The Silk Road — Discover Chinese History and Culture
The Silk Road was an important international trade route in ancient times, and stretches a long distance through some amazing scenic and cultural places.
Gannan is scenic and cool with Tibetan culture, gorgeous mountains, valleys, gorges, wetlands, and meadows. Zhongwei provides wonderful and fun desert activities such as sledding, camel trekking, dune buggying and camping. Xi'an, Dunhuang, Zhangye, and Xinjiang are all charming for their unique Silk Road culture.
Recommended Tours
- 6-Day Gannan Pure Land Tour
- 3-Day Zhongwei Desert Tour with Winery Experience
- 11-Day Along the Great Silk Road
- See more Silk Road tours for inspiration
6. Guizhou Province — Explore Chinese Minority Culture
Guizhou Province is an ideal summer destination, as it is temperate and not very hot.
You will discover places and diverse minority cultures that you've never heard of. Visit Mount Fanjing, which became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2018. It isn't a trending place to visit now, so you can enjoy a quiet trip there. The cool weather and cloud-wrapped Mushroom Rock will not disappoint you.
Guizhou has the second highest number of minority groups next to Yunnan Province. Tujia, Miao, and many others make Guizhou an important place for ethnic culture. You can learn disappearing traditional crafts, such as making paper by using vegetable fiber, batiking and silver-ornament-making.
Recommended Tours
- 6-Day Diverse Minority Adventure
- See more Guizhou tours for inspiration
7. Tibet — Explore Pure Landscape and Tibetan Culture
The temperature in summer in Tibet is around 12-24°C (54-75°F). In summer, you may have lower risk of altitude sickness because the air has a higher oxygen content than in other seasons.
Summer is the time to travel to the various attractions in the remoter regions and enjoy the high-altitude sites when the mountain passes are snow free such as a Mount Kailash hiking.
July is one of the busiest travel months of the year in Tibet. A good idea is to book a tour with us at least 1 month before your journey and let us to confirm all bookings for you.
- 5-Day Tibet Tour including Lhasa Highlights and Lake Yamdrok
- 7-Day Tibet Tour including Trekking and Camping
8. Qinghai Lake — Nature and Tibetan Culture
Qinghai Lake is China's largest, and it is often deep blue, high in the old Tibetan homeland of Qinghai Province. You can appreciate Tibetan culture and food while you walk and bike in the towns in the area.
In July, the lake is decorated with golden clothing, as tens of thousands of hectares of rape flowers spread out from Qinghai Lake's shores.
- Recommended tour: 8-Day Qinghai Lake, Zhangye, and Dunhuang Tour
Tour China with Us
All our tours can be customized. If you are not interested in the above destinations or tours, you can contact us to tailor-make a summer tour for you. It is important to us that you feel comfortable and safe during your visit and we will respect any requests or decisions you make regarding your travels.
- See more recommended tours for your vacation in China
- Just feel free to contact us if you have any questions.
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