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National Day Travel Tips: Avoiding the Crowds

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Seven days off for National Day — two choices: join 700 million people migrating, or learn to find gaps in the crowd.

This article doesn’t recommend destinations. It covers one thing only: how to not get burned traveling during National Day.

National Day highways are toll-free. Sounds great? Here’s what actually happens.

October 1st, 6 AM: highway entrances start jamming. By 8 AM, popular directions (Beijing southbound, Shanghai westbound, Guangzhou northbound) become parking lots. 2024 National Day, G15 Shenhai Expressway’s Zhejiang section was gridlocked for 12 hours. A 4-hour navigation estimate became 14 hours actual.

Fix: Either depart after 3 PM on October 1st (morning rush passed), or leave October 2nd (most people already gone). Return: avoid October 6th; choose October 5th afternoon or 7th morning.

National Day Travel Tips: Avoiding the Crowds

Popular attractions all limit capacity during National Day. The Forbidden City caps at 30,000/day, tickets released 7 days ahead, sold out within 5 minutes. Same for Terracotta Warriors, Huangshan, Zhangjiajie.

Fix: Be online exactly when tickets release 7 days ahead. Or choose places that don’t require reservations — most ancient towns (Fenghuang, Dali Old Town, Zhenyuan) have no caps, and natural areas (grasslands, deserts, beaches) don’t either.

Hotel prices in popular cities typically double or triple during National Day. A ¥300 hotel becomes ¥800–1,000, and may still be unavailable.

Fix: Book one month ahead. Or stay in county towns near popular cities — visiting Hangzhou? Stay in Fuyang or Lin’an, 20 minutes by HSR to downtown, one-third the price.

National Day Travel Tips: Avoiding the Crowds

2–3 hour queues at popular restaurants are normal during National Day. Some restaurants also raise prices or offer “holiday set meals” (expensive, small portions).

Fix: Avoid peak hours (lunch before 11:30, dinner before 17:00). Use Dianping app to check real-time queue lengths. Or go to wet markets/supermarkets for prepared food — many city markets have freshly made local snacks, half the restaurant price with no queue.

Xiaohongshu and Douyin have killed the concept of “hidden gems.” Last year’s “hidden” recommendations are this year’s overcrowded nightmares. Zibo in 2023, Tianshui in 2024 — both blown up by social media.

Fix: Truly hidden places are those social media hasn’t touched. Look at prefecture-level cities on the map whose names you’ve never heard — pick one randomly, and you’ll likely be pleasantly surprised.

One last tip: if you’re a foreign visitor, National Day is actually a great time to experience China’s liveliest side. Chat with people in the next car during traffic jams, watch how Chinese people socialize in queues, feel the energy of 1.4 billion people in motion — these experiences are themselves part of the journey.

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