Cheapest Time to Fly to Guangzhou (and the Most Expensive)

Flights to Guangzhou can swing a lot by season—especially because long-haul routes have limited “cheap seat” inventory, and big travel weeks in China can wipe out good fares fast. If you’re flexible by even a few days, you can often dodge the worst price spikes.

Quick Take

• Cheapest time to fly to Guangzhou: late February–March, May (after May Day), September (outside peak weeks), and late November–early December
• Most expensive time to fly to Guangzhou: Chinese New Year (late Jan–Feb), early October (National Day Golden Week), late Dec–early Jan, and Canton Fair weeks (typically spring and fall)

Cheapest Time to Fly to Guangzhou

Guangzhou tends to be cheaper when you’re outside major China-wide holidays and outside the biggest business-travel weeks.

Late February to March (Post-holiday cooldown)

Right after the Chinese New Year rush fades, airfare often settles down. This window can be one of the better times to find a reasonable long-haul fare into Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (CAN).

Money-saving tip: Midweek departures: Tuesday–Thursday flights often price better than weekend-heavy dates.
Heads-up: Holiday spillover: if Chinese New Year falls later, early-to-mid February can still be pricey.

May (After May Day crowds)

Early May can spike around May Day, but once that travel wave passes, pricing often calms down. May is a solid “deal odds” month if you avoid the holiday week.

Money-saving tip: Avoid the first week: shifting your trip to mid-to-late May can drop prices.
Heads-up: Weather factor: it can start getting hot and humid—great for savings, less great if you hate sticky weather.

September (Shoulder-season weeks)

September can be a good balance—summer travel is fading, and you’re not yet in the early-October Golden Week rush. This is often a strong “deal potential” month if you stay away from late-September dates that bump into National Day travel.

Money-saving tip: Skip late September: aim for early-to-mid September for better pricing odds.
Heads-up: Golden Week creep: fares can rise fast as early October approaches.

Late November to Early December (Pre-holiday lull)

This is one of the most consistent cheaper windows for many international destinations—including Guangzhou. You’re before year-end travel demand, and airlines often have more open seats to fill.

Money-saving tip: Return timing: getting home before mid-December can protect your total price.
Heads-up: Conference travel: some business-heavy weeks can still price higher than the weeks around them.

Most Expensive Time to Fly to Guangzhou

Guangzhou spikes when holiday demand and business travel overlap—especially in weeks when hotels and flights are both getting hammered at the same time.

Late January to February (Chinese New Year)

This is one of the biggest airfare surge periods. The highest prices often hit on the days leading into the holiday and the return rush afterward.

Peak within peak: The week before the holiday and the week after.

Early October (National Day Golden Week)

This is another major surge. If you fly during this window, pricing and availability can get ugly fast.

Peak within peak: Late-September departures and early-October returns.

April and October (Canton Fair weeks)

Guangzhou is famous for major trade-fair demand—when it hits, flights can jump even if the rest of China is normal. If your travel dates overlap these weeks, expect fewer deals.

Peak within peak: Weekend departures during fair weeks.

Late December to Early January (Year-end travel)

This one’s simple—holiday travel pushes the price floor up, especially for trips that include Christmas week and New Year returns.

Peak within peak: Late-December departures + early-January returns.

Want Better Weather Without Peak Flight Prices?

If you want a comfortable trip window without paying the biggest airfare premiums, these are usually your best bets:

• March: often cheaper than April, with more comfortable temperatures
• Mid-to-late May: after the early-May rush, before peak summer travel patterns
• Early September: solid shoulder-season timing before Golden Week pricing hits
• Late November–early December: reliable value window before year-end surges

Best Booking Window for Cheap Flights to Guangzhou

Guangzhou pricing is often less about “last-minute luck” and more about catching a good drop early—especially if you want decent routing.

• Low/shoulder seasons: start tracking 3–6 months ahead
• Peak seasons (Chinese New Year, Golden Week, Canton Fair weeks, late December): start tracking 6–9+ months ahead

Extra tip: Routing flexibility: if nonstop options are expensive, compare 1-stop routings—sometimes a slightly longer trip saves a lot.

Seasonal Flight Demand Chart for Guangzhou

Use this chart as a quick guide to the cheapest vs. priciest months to fly.