Qufu is best in autumn (September–October) — the Kong Forest's ancient trees are at their most beautiful, temperatures are comfortable for walking, and September 28 brings the Confucius Birthday Festival if you want to see the dawn ceremony at the temple. Spring (April–May) is the second-best season: the peach and apricot trees in the Kong Forest bloom and the paths through the graves fill with blossom.
Summer is hot and busy — domestic tourists flood in for school holidays, particularly Golden Week (October 1–7) and May Day. If you visit during Golden Week, arrive on October 1 or 2 before the peak; the rest of the week is packed. Winter is quiet: Qufu in January has the frozen dignity of an ancient place left largely to itself, and the empty temple courtyards have a quality that the summer crowds destroy.