Five thousand years of China
Discover China’s cities, culture and landscapes. Build your itinerary and prepare for the journey with practical travel guides.
Use our China trip planner to choose cities, arrange daily sights and stays, and see your journey on one map. Start with a suggested itinerary or build your own, with time for food, culture and the places between.
Pick cities on the map and see how they connect.
Arrange sights and stays day by day, at your pace.
Transport, days and budget at a glance.
Imperial history, riverside cities or a slower journey through the hills. Choose the China destinations that suit your interests.
BeijingThe Great Wall, imperial palaces and hutong walks.
ShanghaiThe Bund, city walks and soup dumplings.
Xi’anTerracotta warriors, city walls and local food.
HangzhouWest Lake walks and Longjing tea country.
GuilinLi River scenery and karst mountain landscapes.
ChengduGiant pandas, teahouses and Sichuan flavours.See all 30 citiesPair nearby places, allow time between cities, and choose the landscapes and everyday moments you most want to see. These six destinations offer different starting points for a first China itinerary.
Find a route that fits your daysCompare three starting routes, then adjust the cities and nights to your pace. Each itinerary opens in the trip planner.
Classic China, four citiesBeijing’s imperial landmarks, Xi’an’s Terracotta Army, Chengdu’s pandas and Shanghai’s Bund. A first China itinerary with three nights in each city.BeijingXi'anChengduShanghaiView this route · 13 daysBeijing & ShanghaiPair the Great Wall and palace courtyards with riverside walks and Shanghai’s skyline. Two cities, with time to settle in.Beijing → Shanghai · 8 daysShanghai, Hangzhou & GuilinConnect Shanghai’s neighbourhoods, Hangzhou’s West Lake and Guilin’s karst scenery. Leave room for the longer journey south.Shanghai → Hangzhou → Guilin · 10 daysStart from a blank mapAdd cities one by one and plan it your way.All routes
A shared pot of tea, a garden path, a local breakfast. Explore Chinese food, traditions and everyday life, and find another reason to pause along your route.
Open the culture collectionA garden window, a shared meal, the rhythm of a tea break. Leave room in your China itinerary for the details that give each place its character.
Follow your curiosity from a morning tea break to a neighbourhood meal. Regional flavours, the pace of a teahouse and the way dishes are shared offer small windows into everyday life. Begin with a little context on dining etiquette.
Read about dining etiquetteSlow down at a doorway and look through, rather than only at, the architecture. Garden paths, framed views, water and stone can change what you notice with every step. Explore the cultural themes that can shape a visit to China’s gardens.
Explore gardens & cultural themesA robe, a ceramic bowl or a painted detail can be a starting point for understanding Chinese culture. Look beyond a familiar silhouette to questions of materials, making and meaning. Our culture collection introduces hanfu and porcelain through short, approachable explanations.
Explore familiar cultural symbolsA festival meal or an evening at the opera adds another rhythm to a journey. Notice how food, music, costume and gathering come together, while allowing for differences between places. Explore these themes, then check local programmes for your travel dates.
Find ways into Chinese cultureUse this China travel guide to work through entry, payments, internet and reservations before you go. Each topic leads to practical steps and the sources to check for your own trip.
Read all travel guidesYour nationality, travel purpose and itinerary determine which entry options to check. Read the visa and 240-hour transit guides, then confirm current conditions with official authorities and your carrier. Prepare your arrival-card information, accommodation address and onward-travel details before leaving home.
Work through Alipay and WeChat Pay registration, identity checks and card linking before departure where possible. Check the conditions for your own card and account, and keep access to verification messages. Carry a practical cash backup and your bank’s contact details for payment problems.
Compare roaming, a travel eSIM and a local SIM against your phone’s compatibility and the services you need. Install and sign in to payment, map, translation and booking apps in advance. Save Chinese addresses and offline copies, and keep a way to receive verification codes.
Compare high-speed rail with flights using the full journey time, including station or airport transfers. Use the passport details required by your booking channel and check that tickets are confirmed. Leave room for security, finding the right station and the final metro or taxi journey.
Check hotel location, passport check-in arrangements and accommodation registration before arrival. For popular sights, use official booking channels and check their current reservation windows and document requirements. Keep confirmations offline, review cancellation terms, and avoid placing a timed visit immediately after a long transfer.
Prepare layers, comfortable shoes, suitable chargers and the documents you need along the way. Check baggage and customs requirements for medicines, batteries and anything you plan to bring home. If shopping tax refunds matter to your budget, check official eligibility and departure procedures before buying.
Start with the questions that shape a first visit: how far to go, when to travel, what to spend and how to feel prepared.
Start with the time you have, then choose a manageable part of China. A week can suit one region or a small city pairing; ten to fourteen days gives more room for connections and slower days. Compare routes before adding another stop.
Compare first-trip routesChoose the season for your destinations, rather than for the country as a whole. Compare regional weather with your plans for walking, mountains or city visits. Check public holidays and local events, then leave flexibility for rain, heat and busy sightseeing days.
Compare seasons & crowdsBuild your budget from accommodation, food, local transport and visits, then add international travel and journeys between cities. Our budget examples illustrate a method; they are not live quotes. Replace each allowance with prices for your dates and keep room for changes.
Build a travel budgetIndependent travel is easier with a few preparations: Chinese addresses saved offline, translation tools ready, and bookings you can show without a connection. Leave extra time for unfamiliar stations and menus. For a complex visit, consider arranging local language support in advance.
Prepare maps & translation appsKeep a clear written explanation of your dietary needs in Chinese and confirm ingredients with staff, including broths, sauces and shared cooking equipment. Allow time to find suitable restaurants. For serious allergies, plan with professional medical advice and know how to get help.
Read food & everyday essentialsPlan around your own needs and those of anyone travelling with you. Save emergency contacts, keep document copies and backup payments, and check transport and accommodation arrangements. Solo travellers can share their plans with someone trusted; families can agree a meeting point if separated.
Know where to get helpPick a few cities and connect them. No sign-in needed.
