When is the best time to book a flight to China?

Some pre-planning is necessary once you’ve found your cheap flights to China. This is a populous country so don’t book until you’ve checked the climate of the region you’re visiting, accommodation availability and whether your dates fall on a public holiday. Organised tours are a good choice in this respect as they can take the hassle out of obtaining tickets for tours and hotel rooms. For the cheapest flights to China during peak season book more than three months in advance.

Cheap Flights to China

Q: When is the best time to fly to China?

Peak season May, September and October are the high season months when many Australians take cheap flights to China. Package tours are especially popular, such as cruising the Yangtze River or the visiting the Terracotta Army in Xi’an. But for those wishing to do independent travel then the trains are amazing in China; clean, affordable and extremely fast. Bus travel by comfortable coach is also a popular option if you’re exploring more than one city. These major public holiday dates usually see flights to China fill up quickly and make accommodation more difficult to find: Chinese New Year (Jan/Feb), Labour Day (1 to 3 May), Dragon Boat Festival (May/June) and University Holidays (June to September / January to February). Off Season Late November to February are the Chinese winter months which, in some regions, can be bitterly cold. So depending on the nature of your visit you may consider booking your flight to China at a different time. But because the country is so vast, there are other places where the temperatures are actually quite mild. Subtropical Hong Kong in the south for instance usually enjoys a temperate climate all year-round with temperatures around 16C in January.

Q: How long is the flight to China?

Flights from Sydney to China (Beijing) – 11 hrs 40 minsFlights from Melbourne to China (Beijing) – 14 hrs 45 minsFlights from Perth to China (Beijing) – 12 hrs 5 mins

Round-trip from	$366	From Melbourne to Shanghai
One-way from	$294	One-way flight from Melbourne to Shanghai

Flight route prices based on searches on Cheapflights within the last 3 days, monthly prices based on aggregated historical data.

Cheapest prices for China flights by month

January

$784

February

$623

March

$590

April

$627

May

$627

June

$697

July

$709

August

$660

September

$694

October

$583

November

$633

December

$930

Currently, the cheapest month for flights to China is October. The most expensive month for flights is December. The cheapest prices are shown above but prices will vary according to departure times, airlines, class and how early you book.

When is the best time to fly to China?

Choose a month below to see average flight price and weather conditions.

MEL - CN2 Price	$583 - $1,468
CN2 Temperature	8 - 32 °C
CN2 Rainfall	4 - 44 mm

Peak season

May, September and October are the high season months when many Australians take cheap flights to China. Package tours are especially popular, such as cruising the Yangtze River or the visiting the Terracotta Army in Xi’an. But for those wishing to do independent travel then the trains are amazing in China; clean, affordable and extremely fast. Bus travel by comfortable coach is also a popular option if you’re exploring more than one city. These major public holiday dates usually see flights to China fill up quickly and make accommodation more difficult to find: Chinese New Year (Jan/Feb), Labour Day (1 to 3 May), Dragon Boat Festival (May/June) and University Holidays (June to September / January to February).

Off Season

Late November to February are the Chinese winter months which, in some regions, can be bitterly cold. So depending on the nature of your visit you may consider booking your flight to China at a different time. But because the country is so vast, there are other places where the temperatures are actually quite mild. Subtropical Hong Kong in the south for instance usually enjoys a temperate climate all year-round with temperatures around 16C in January.

Which day is cheapest to fly to China?

Tuesday is currently, on average, the cheapest day to fly to China. Flying on Saturday will result in higher flight prices.

What time of day is cheapest to fly?

At the moment, flights at midday are likely to offer the best value for money for your China trip. A flight in the evening will more often than not be of higher cost.

How long is the flight to China?

Flights from Sydney to China (Beijing) – 11 hrs 40 mins
Flights from Melbourne to China (Beijing) – 14 hrs 45 mins
Flights from Perth to China (Beijing) – 12 hrs 5 mins

Which airlines operate flights to China?

There are many airlines operating international flights to China from Australian cities, including national carriers China Southern Airlines, Air China and China Eastern Airlines. China Southern Airlines handles over a third of all non-stop flights between Sydney and China and operates 14 direct flights per week. Beijing International Airport connects domestic flights to almost all the airports in China.

How to get from the airport to the city centre?

Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) is located 30 km north east of the city centre and is connected by rail, bus and taxi. The Airport Express Train takes 30 minutes and is the quickest way to reach the CBD after you have got off your flight. Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) is served by the high speed Maglev Train which reaches speeds of up to 431 km/h, taking just eight minutes to cover the 30 km trip to the CBD.