China travel guide
Plan the China trip you keep putting off
24 cities worth the flight: what each is worth going for, when to go, what to eat, and the practical steps (payment, tickets, trains) people trip on.
Where to go
Six cities to start with
Beijing
An imperial capital with a lived-in hutong heart
Hub cities · 🏯 Forbidden City & the central axis · 🧱 Mutianyu Great Wall · 🛕 Temple of Heaven & the hutongs
Xi'an
Thirteen dynasties, and a wall you can cycle
Heritage & landscapes · ⚔️ Terracotta Army & the First Emperor's Mausoleum · 🚲 Cycling the city wall · 🏮 Big Wild Goose Pagoda & Tang night street
Chengdu
Pandas, teahouses and a slow, very spicy city
Southwest · 🐼 Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding · 🍵 People's Park & Kuanzhai Alley · ⛰️ Dujiangyan & Qingcheng Mountain
Photo: Colegota (CC BY-SA 2.5) via Wikimedia Commons
Hangzhou
Lake, hills and tea, 45 minutes from Shanghai
Heritage & landscapes · ⛵ West Lake and the Su Causeway · 🛕 Lingyin Temple & Feilai Peak · 🍃 Longjing tea village & Nine Creeks
Photo: xiquinhosilva (CC BY 2.0) via Wikimedia Commons
Guilin
Karst peaks, rice paddies and one very good day on a scooter
Southwest · ⛰️ Li River raft, Yangdi to Xingping · 🛶 Yulong River rafting · 🌾 Longji rice terraces
Photo: Chinatravelsavvy (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Wikimedia Commons
Shanghai
Art-deco waterfront, plane-tree lanes, soup dumplings
Hub cities · 🌆 The Bund & Lujiazui · 🏡 Wukang Road & the former French Concession · 🏮 Yu Garden & the old town
Before you fly
The parts nobody explains
The practical steps that decide whether a trip goes smoothly — booking, paying, getting around, staying safe.
01
China Visa-Free Countries 2026: The Complete 50-Country List
The full list of 50 countries whose citizens can enter China without a visa for up to 30 days, plus how long each policy runs and the rules airlines…
Read guide →02
How does China's 240-hour visa-free transit work?
The 240-hour (10-day) transit exemption covers 57 nationalities with a confirmed onward ticket to a third country or region. Here is what airlines…
Read guide →03
China trip itineraries: 7 days, 10 days, and a 240-hour transit route
Three itineraries built around how booking actually works in China: a 7-day first trip (Beijing–Xi'an–Shanghai), a 10-day version with Chengdu or…
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Is China safe for tourists? What actually goes wrong
China is a low-crime destination for visitors: violent crime against foreigners is rare. The real risks are tourist-area scams, unlicensed taxis, and…
Read guide →05
How do I link a foreign card to Alipay or WeChat Pay?
Install the wallet, open the card section, enter your Visa, Mastercard, JCB, Amex or Discover card and verify with your passport. The steps, the fee…
Read guide →06
What a China trip costs: verified ticket prices and daily budgets
The fixed costs you can look up (tickets, rail, card fees, tax refund) plus realistic per-day planning ranges for a budget, mid-range and comfortable…
Read guide →07
VPNs and blocked apps in China: what works, what is legal
Google, Facebook, YouTube and X are blocked in mainland China, and cybersecurity law requires VPN services to be licensed. The practical options for…
Read guide →08
How do I book China high-speed trains with a passport?
Register on en.12306.cn with your passport, complete verification, book with an international card, and board with the e-ticket QR plus your…
Read guide →09
How do I book Forbidden City tickets as a foreigner?
Book on intl.dpm.org.cn with your passport, roughly 7 days ahead, and enter by showing the passport itself. How to spot the reseller sites, and what…
Read guide →10
China Metro QR Codes for Foreigners: Every City's Best Method (2026)
How foreigners ride the metro in 10 Chinese cities: tap a foreign bank card directly at the gates in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chengdu, or…
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