Linyi is at its best in spring (April–May) and autumn (September–October). The Yimeng Mountains are worth visiting in any season except the hottest weeks of July and August, when the humidity combines with summer heat to make hill walking unpleasant. The tea harvest season — late April through May — is a particularly good time to visit the mountain area, when the new flush of tea leaves turns the lower slopes bright green and the air smells of fresh-cut vegetation.
Winter in Linyi is cold (January averages -1°C) but dry; the museum visits are unaffected by season. The wholesale markets that make Linyi economically significant operate year-round and are most interesting during the pre-Spring Festival period (January–February), when buying activity peaks.