The easiest time to travel in East Asia is from May to mid June: most of its destinations are comfortable to be outside then. Below, the best places for each month, and every country’s own seasons, across seven countries and 86 destinations.
Month by month
For each month, the best places in East Asia for being outside, for sun at the seaside and for walking, read at midday and spread across the region. Each name opens the map there, in the middle of that month, on that rating.
- January — Being outside: Kaohsiung. Walking: Nago, Macau.
- February — Being outside: Chenggong. Walking: Nago, Macau.
- March — Being outside: Nago, Macau. Walking: Ibusuki, Nangan, Narita.
- April — Being outside: Naha, Ōsaka. Sun: Kaohsiung. Walking: Marugame, Nangan.
- May — Being outside: Marugame. Sun: Macau, Ishigaki. Walking: Sendai, Sokcho.
- June — Being outside: Sendai, Sokcho. Walking: Hakodate.
- July — Being outside: Hakodate. Sun: Shimogamo.
- August — Being outside: Kutchan.
- September — Being outside: Kutchan, Seoul. Sun: Shirahama. Walking: Asahikawa.
- October — Being outside: Takamatsu, Nangan. Sun: Nago, Macau. Walking: Seoul, Sendai.
- November — Being outside: Nago, Macau, Kushimoto. Sun: Kaohsiung. Walking: Marugame, Nangan.
- December — Being outside: Tainan. Walking: Nago, Hong Kong, Tateyama.
Country by country
Each country’s main season, where most of its cities agree. “Varies by place” means no stretch suits most of the country at once; its own guide splits it up.
| Country | Being outside | Sun | Walking |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | early May | varies by place | mid Oct to early Nov |
| Hong Kong | mid Feb to early Apr | mid Apr to mid May | late Nov to early Mar |
| Japan | late Apr to mid Jun | varies by place | mid Mar to mid May |
| Macau | mid Feb to early Apr | mid Apr to mid May | late Nov to mid Mar |
| Mongolia | mid Jun to Aug | rarely good | mid May to mid Sep |
| South Korea | late Apr to early Jun | mid to late Jun | late Mar to mid May |
| Taiwan | mid Feb to early Apr | varies by place | mid Dec to early Mar |
The best-known places
The most-visited places with a guide of their own, and each one’s main season. Each season opens the map at its peak.
Rankings for East Asia
How this is worked out
Every figure is a decade of weather-station observations blended into one typical year, read at midday local solar time. Places are the region’s towns and cities that draw visitors, and for sun its seaside holiday places. Being outside is the Easy outdoors rating, Sun is Sunbathing and Walking is Active outdoors; a place is named for a month when it rates Good or better across the whole month.