Trip plans
Itineraries
Pre-built routes, day by day. Each entry calls out the realistic travel time between cities (high-speed rail or domestic flight), the suggested neighbourhoods to base from, and a CNY budget guide.
3 days · balanced
Beijing–Tianjin long weekend in 3 days
One day on Beijing's sites, a day-trip to Tianjin's Italian quarter and food street, return same evening.
3 days · packed
Beijing 3-day blitz — first-timer fast pass
Three full days in Beijing covering the Forbidden City, Great Wall at Mutianyu, the Temple of Heaven and the hutong lanes — the absolute core of the capital for visitors with limited time.
3 days · active
Harbin Winter Weekend, 3 days
A tight three-day weekend covering Harbin's essential winter highlights: the ice festival, Russian-heritage Central Avenue, and the Songhua River ice activities. Best January–February.
3 days · balanced
Shanghai in 3 days
Bund, French Concession, Pudong, Yu Garden, museums.
3 days · balanced
Beijing weekend — 3 days in the capital
Three days in Beijing covering the Forbidden City, Great Wall at Mutianyu and the Temple of Heaven — the irreducible core of the capital, managed at a pace that avoids pure exhaustion.
3 days · balanced
Shanghai weekend — 3 days in the city
Three full days in Shanghai covering the Bund, French Concession, Yu Garden, Tianzifang and Pudong — the city's distinct neighbourhoods at a pace that leaves time for coffee and wandering.
China Visit Guide
Conglomerate rock pinnacles above the Nine-Bend River at Wuyi Mo
3 days · active
Wuyi Mountain Weekend — Tea and Rock, 3 days
A compact three-day break to the source of Da Hong Pao oolong: bamboo raft through the Nine-Bend gorge, summit hike, and a tea ceremony in a cliffside guesthouse.
3 days · balanced
Xi'an in 3 days
Terracotta Army, City Wall, Muslim Quarter, the Wild Goose Pagodas.
4 days · balanced
Beijing in 4 days
Forbidden City, Wall, Temple of Heaven, hutongs, museums.
China Visit Guide
The Dacheng Hall of Confucius Temple in Qufu with red columns an
4 days · relaxed
Confucius and Mencius Pilgrimage — Qufu and Zoucheng, 4 days
A dedicated Confucian pilgrimage: two days at the Qufu UNESCO complex, a half-day at Mencius's birthplace Zoucheng, and an ascent of Mount Tai to visit its Confucian inscription steles.
4 days · balanced
Hong Kong + Macau weekend — 4 days
Two days Hong Kong, one full day Macau, return.
4 days · active
Xi'an and Pingyao heritage in 4 days
Xi'an Terracotta Warriors, Muslim Quarter, and Tang dynasty sites followed by Pingyao — China's best-preserved Ming and Qing walled county town. A tight, focused circuit for heritage travellers who want depth over breadth.
5 days · balanced
Chengdu and Chongqing in 5 days
Two and a half days each: pandas and Leshan from Chengdu, Dazu rock carvings and hotpot from Chongqing.
5 days · active
China in 5 days: fastest first-timer route
Beijing's big three sights, a flight south, and two days navigating Shanghai's contrasts.
5 days · balanced
Beijing + Shanghai — 5-day first-timer classic
Two of China's three great cities in five days: imperial Beijing followed by the modern skyline of Shanghai, linked by a quick domestic flight or overnight train.
5 days · balanced
Guangzhou–Hong Kong–Macau triangle in 5 days
Two days in Guangzhou's ancestral halls and food streets, two in Hong Kong, one in Macau.
China Visit Guide
Turquoise coral water at Wuzhizhou Island off Sanya's coast
5 days · relaxed
Hainan Tropical Loop — Sanya to Wenchang, 5 days
Hainan Island's varied offer beyond the beach resorts: the tropical rainforest at Yanoda, Li ethnic minority villages, the space launch centre at Wenchang, and the laid-back surf scene.
5 days · balanced
Heilongjiang Ice Circuit — Harbin and Beyond, 5 days
Harbin's Ice and Snow World plus day trips to Yabuli ski resort and the Siberian tiger breeding centre — northeast China's winter circuit at its most comprehensive.
5 days · active
Inner Mongolia Naadam Festival Circuit, 5 days
A focused grassland trip timed to coincide with Naadam festival — wrestling, horseracing, and archery competitions on the open steppe near Hohhot or Xilinhaote.
5 days · balanced
Porcelain trail: Jingdezhen, Wuyuan, and Lushan in 5 days
Nanchang gateway, two days in the porcelain capital, a rural Huizhou detour, then Lushan mountain retreat.
5 days · balanced
Shandong Classic — Qufu and Mount Tai, 5 days
The most essential Shandong circuit: Confucius's hometown Qufu, the sacred summit of Mount Tai, and a half-day in Qingdao. Suitable as an add-on from Beijing or Shanghai.
5 days · balanced
Shanghai–Suzhou–Hangzhou triangle in 5 days
Two days in Shanghai, a day and a half in Suzhou's classical gardens, then West Lake and Hangzhou.
5 days · active
Sichuan Tea-Horse Road — Chengdu to Kangding, 5 days
The ancient Sichuan-Tibet Tea-Horse Road from Chengdu through Ya'an, the Erlang Mountain pass, and the Tibetan gateway town of Kangding — a classic highland road journey.
5 days · relaxed
Water towns circuit in 5 days
Shanghai to Tongli to Wuzhen to Zhujiajiao — four of the Yangtze Delta's most visited canal towns in a compact loop, using a Shanghai base with day excursions and one overnight in Wuzhen.
China Visit Guide
Nine-Bend River gorge with bamboo rafts and cliffs at Wuyi Mount
5 days · relaxed
Wuyi Mountain Tea Pilgrimage, 5 days
The source of Da Hong Pao oolong and the landscape that inspired Chinese rock tea: five days hiking the Nine-Bend River gorge, visiting tea farms, and learning to brew properly.
7 days · relaxed
Accessible China — mobility-friendly 7 days in Beijing and Shanghai
Seven days in Beijing and Shanghai planned for visitors with mobility limitations — step-free access, English-language signage, accessible transport and accommodation notes throughout.
7 days · balanced
China ski resorts in 7 days
Wanlong near Beijing, then a flight north to Jilin province for Beidahu or Yabuli in Heilongjiang — the best ski in China.
7 days · balanced
Vegetarian and vegan China in 7 days
Hangzhou (Buddhist vegetarian temples) to Putuoshan (sacred Buddhist island) to Suzhou to Shanghai. A seven-day itinerary following the tradition of Chinese Buddhist vegetarian cuisine, with reliable meat-free and vegan options at each stop.
7 days · balanced
Classical gardens circuit in 7 days
Suzhou (Humble Administrator's Garden, Lingering Garden, Master of Nets) to Yangzhou (Geyuan, Heyuan) to Hangzhou. A focused circuit around China's most significant private garden tradition, pairing the UNESCO-listed Suzhou gardens with the less-visited Yangzhou examples and Hangzhou's West Lake landscape.
7 days · active
Eastern Tibet — Chengdu to Kangding, Litang and Daocheng, 7 days
Seven days driving west from Chengdu into the Kham Tibetan highlands of Sichuan — Kangding, Litang and the sacred Yading Nature Reserve near Daocheng. No Tibet Autonomous Region permit required.
7 days · relaxed
Family Beijing and Xi'an — 7 days, relaxed pace
Seven days in Beijing and Xi'an at a pace that works for children: fewer sites per day, breaks built in, and activities with hands-on appeal — the Panda Base of the north and hands-on history at the Terracotta Army.
7 days · balanced
Beijing + Xi'an + Shanghai — 7-day first-timer circuit
The canonical first-time China loop: two days in imperial Beijing, one day in Xi'an for the Terracotta Army, and two days in Shanghai. Linked by HSR throughout.
7 days · balanced
Fujian Coast and Tulou Circuit, 7 days
Xiamen's colonial island of Gulangyu, the Hakka earthen fortress villages of the tulou, Quanzhou's medieval Islamic and Confucian heritage, and the tea mountain of Wuyi — a Fujian round-trip.
7 days · active
Gansu and Ningxia — Yinchuan, Lanzhou, Zhangye, Jiayuguan and Dunhuang, 7 days
Seven days across two northwest provinces — the Hui Muslim city of Yinchuan, Yellow River Lanzhou, the Danxia rainbow hills, Jiayuguan Fort and the Mogao Caves at Dunhuang.
7 days · active
Guizhou minority villages — Guiyang, Anshun, Kaili, Zhaoxing and Xijiang, 7 days
Seven days into Guizhou's minority heartland — Huangguoshu Falls, the Miao village networks of Kaili, the Dong drum-tower villages of Zhaoxing, and the vast terraced hillside settlement of Xijiang.
7 days · balanced
Guizhou Minority Villages — Miao and Dong Country, 7 days
The Miao silver-adorned villages of Xijiang and Leishan, the Dong drum tower villages of Zhaoxing and Dong Grand Bridge country — Guizhou's ethnic minority heartland.
China Visit Guide
Yalong Bay beach
7 days · relaxed
Hainan beach week
Sanya beaches and tropical island lifestyle — 7 days.
7 days · relaxed
Inner Mongolia Grasslands — Hohhot to Hulunbuir, 7 days
From Hohhot's Mongolian temples and lamb hotpot to the Sea of Grass at Hulunbuir near the Russian border — Inner Mongolia's full grassland sweep.
7 days · balanced
Inner Mongolia in winter — 7 days
Hohhot to Hailar to Manzhouli to Hulunbuir in winter — frozen lakes, reindeer sledding with Ewenki communities, the Russian-Chinese frontier at Manzhouli, and the Mongolian steppe under snow. For specialist visitors seeking winter wilderness and cultural depth over beach and city tourism.
7 days · active
Kung fu and martial arts pilgrimage in 7 days
Beijing, then the Shaolin Temple at Dengfeng, then Wudangshan — the two great schools of Chinese martial arts.
7 days · balanced
Modern architecture tour — Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou, 7 days
Seven days focused on China's architectural output since 1990 — Shanghai's Pudong towers, Beijing's Olympic-era structures and Guangzhou's Zaha Hadid and Rem Koolhaas commissions.
7 days · balanced
Northeast China — Harbin, Changchun, Shenyang and Dalian, 7 days
Seven days through China's northeast — the Manchurian industrial heartland, Russian-influenced Harbin, the ice festival in winter, and Dalian's coastal promenades.
7 days · balanced
One week China classics — Beijing, Xi'an, Shanghai
The first-time-traveller's loop: imperial Beijing, the Terracotta Army at Xi'an, Shanghai's skyline. Connected by overnight train or short HSR.
7 days · balanced
Shandong Coastal Loop — Jinan to Qingdao, 7 days
Shandong's coast, sacred mountain and Confucian heartland in one loop: Jinan springs, Confucius's birthplace Qufu, Mount Tai sunrise, and the German-flavoured port city of Qingdao.
7 days · active
Shaolin and Taoist Mountains Circuit, 7 days
Central China's sacred mountain loop: Shaolin Temple on Song Shan, Mount Hua's vertiginous plank walk, and the Taoist pilgrimage site of Wudang Mountain.
China Visit Guide
Karakul Lake with Muztagh Ata peak reflected, Xinjiang
7 days · active
Northern Silk Road — Urumqi, Heavenly Lake, Turpan and Kashgar, 7 days
Seven days in Xinjiang's Silk Road cities: Urumqi, the alpine Heavenly Lake, the desert ruins around Turpan, and the Uighur old city of Kashgar near the Kyrgyzstan border.
China Visit Guide
Heavenly Lake Tianchi at sunrise with the Bogda Peak reflected i
7 days · active
Xinjiang — Tianchi Lake and Northern Grasslands, 7 days
Urumqi and the Kazakh grasslands north of the Tian Shan: Heavenly Lake Tianchi, Nalati meadows, Kanas Lake in the Altai, and the night-market culture of Urumqi.
7 days · balanced
Yangtze Three Gorges and Wudang Mountain, 7 days
A compact version of the Yangtze cruise combining Chongqing, the three gorges downstream passage, and Wudang Mountain — ending in Wuhan for HSR connections.
8 days · relaxed
Tibet — 8 days with permit guidance
Lhasa, Yamdrok, Shigatse and Gyantse — the standard agency-tour Tibet circuit.
10 days · balanced
Beijing to Inner Mongolia by Rail, 10 days
Overnight train from Beijing north through Zhangjiakou and Hohhot to the Mongolian steppe — combining Great Wall railway heritage, Inner Mongolia grasslands, and the ruined Xanadu of Kublai Khan.
10 days · active
Four Buddhist Mountains Circuit, 10 days
China's four sacred Buddhist mountains in sequence: Wutai (Shanxi), Jiuhua (Anhui), Emei (Sichuan), and Putuo (Zhejiang) — each dedicated to a different bodhisattva.
China Visit Guide
Incense smoke at the entrance to a Buddhist monastery in Emei Sh
10 days · relaxed
Buddhist pilgrimage — Putuoshan, Wutaishan, Emei and Jiuhua, 10 days
Ten days visiting the Four Sacred Buddhist Mountains of China — Putuo (Guanyin), Wutai (Manjushri), Emei (Samantabhadra) and Jiuhua (Ksitigarbha) — each with its own character and monastic tradition.
10 days · relaxed
China for seniors in 10 days
Beijing to Suzhou to Hangzhou to Shanghai, built around lift-accessible accommodation, manageable walking distances, gentler pacing, and accessible attractions. Designed for travellers in their 60s, 70s, and beyond who want to see China without the physical demands of the standard tourist circuit.
10 days · relaxed
China honeymoon in 10 days
Shanghai to Hangzhou to Yangshuo to Lijiang — four cities chosen for their scenery, pace, and relative ease.
10 days · relaxed
China hot springs and wellness in 10 days
Beijing, then Tengchong's volcanic hot springs in Yunnan, and Beidaihe's seaside recovery on the return.
10 days · balanced
China shopping circuit: Yiwu, Guangzhou, and Shanghai in 10 days
Yiwu wholesale market, Guangzhou factory-to-buyer districts, and Shanghai for retail and design sourcing.
10 days · balanced
Chinese opera circuit in 10 days
Beijing Peking opera, Suzhou Kunqu, Shanghai Yueju, Chengdu Sichuan opera — four traditions in ten days.
10 days · relaxed
Family China classic — 10 days Beijing, Xi'an, Chengdu, Shanghai
Ten days at a child-friendly pace: Beijing history, Xi'an warriors, Chengdu pandas and Shanghai's waterfront — the four cities that deliver the widest variety for families with school-age children.
10 days · balanced
First-timer China — 10 days adding Chengdu and Guilin
The classic seven-day circuit extended with Chengdu's giant pandas and Guilin's karst river scenery — the two additions that most transform a first China trip.
10 days · balanced
Halal-friendly northwest China in 10 days
Beijing (Niujie Mosque) to Xi'an (Muslim Quarter and Great Mosque) to Yinchuan (Ningxia Hui heartland) to Lanzhou (hand-pulled noodles capital) to Xining (Ta'er Monastery and Hui culture). A route through the Hui Muslim heartland with halal food throughout and mosque visits at each stop.
10 days · relaxed
Photography focus — Yunnan and Guilin, 10 days
Ten days through two of China's most photogenic landscapes: Yunnan's terraced rice fields and highland villages, followed by the karst pinnacles and river mist of Guilin and Yangshuo.
10 days · balanced
Silk Road — Xi'an, Lanzhou, Zhangye, Jiayuguan, Dunhuang
The Hexi Corridor: Xi'an east-to-west by HSR through the Buddhist cave-temples and Silk Road forts.
10 days · balanced
Solo female — 10 days in Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu
Ten days across three cities chosen for safety, English-language accessibility and a good solo-travel atmosphere — with practical notes on accommodation, transport and navigating China as a solo woman.
10 days · balanced
South China — Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Yangshuo and Guilin, 10 days
Ten days through the south: Hong Kong as the entry point, Guangzhou for Cantonese food culture, then the karst river landscape of Yangshuo and Guilin before flying home.
10 days · relaxed
Tea trail — Hangzhou, Wuyishan and Yunnan, 10 days
Ten days through three of China's most significant tea-growing regions: Longjing (Dragon Well) green tea in Hangzhou, Wuyi rock oolong in Fujian, and Pu'er aged tea in Yunnan — each with its own landscape and tea-house culture.
10 days · relaxed
Tibetan Plateau — Lhasa, Shigatse and Everest Base Camp, 10 days
Ten days on the Tibetan Plateau visiting Lhasa's monasteries and palaces, the Tashilhunpo at Shigatse, and the Rongbuk Monastery approach to Everest Base Camp — with practical permit guidance.
10 days · relaxed
Overnight train romance — soft-sleeper journeys across China, 10 days
Ten days structured around China's overnight soft-sleeper trains — Beijing to Xi'an, Xi'an to Chengdu, Chengdu to Lhasa — experiencing the transition from one landscape to the next at a human pace, through the night.
10 days · balanced
Yangtze Cruise with Add-ons — Chongqing to Wuhan, 10 days
The Yangtze Three Gorges downstream cruise combined with two days in Chongqing and a day each at Fengdu Ghost City and Shennong Stream before arriving in Wuhan.
10 days · balanced
Yunnan loop — Kunming, Dali, Lijiang, Shangri-La
The northwest Yunnan circuit through Bai, Naxi and Tibetan culture.
12 days · balanced
Buddhist grottoes circuit in 12 days
Datong, Luoyang, Tianshui, and Dunhuang — China's four great cliff-carved Buddhist sanctuaries in sequence.
12 days · relaxed
Classical Gardens Circuit — Suzhou, Hangzhou, and Beyond, 12 days
China's finest classical gardens in sequence: Suzhou's UNESCO garden quartet, Hangzhou's West Lake landscape, Yangzhou's slender garden tradition, and Shaoxing's canal-town context.
14 days · active
Birding China: Sichuan endemics and Yellow Sea coast in 14 days
Sichuan's endemic loop through Wolong, Balang Pass, and Xinduqiao, then the Yellow Sea coast for spoonbills and cranes.
14 days · relaxed
Family-friendly two weeks
Beijing, Xi'an, Chengdu pandas, Shanghai Disneyland — designed around kids.
14 days · balanced
First-timer China — 14 days with Yunnan loop
Two weeks covering the Beijing–Xi'an–Shanghai circuit plus a Yunnan extension through Kunming, Dali and Lijiang — the combination that most first-time visitors leave wishing they had done.
14 days · balanced
Regional food tour — Sichuan, Hunan, Cantonese and Shanghai, 14 days
Fourteen days moving through four of China's most distinctive regional cuisines — the numbing heat of Sichuan, the dry spice of Hunan, the freshness of Cantonese cooking, and the sweet-savoury balance of Shanghainese food.
14 days · active
Hiking China's national parks — Zhangjiajie, Huangshan and Jiuzhaigou, 14 days
Fourteen days across three of China's most dramatic mountain and forest parks — the sandstone columns of Zhangjiajie, the granite peaks and sea of cloud at Huangshan, and the turquoise lakes of Jiuzhaigou.
14 days · balanced
Off the beaten path — two weeks (Pingyao, Datong, Hongcun)
Walled towns, cliff temples, southern villages — China away from the tour-bus routes.
14 days · balanced
Silk Road — Xi'an to Kashgar, 14 days
The full Hexi Corridor route from Xi'an west through Lanzhou, Dunhuang and the Taklamakan edge to Turpan and Kashgar — the historical Silk Road across northwest China.
14 days · relaxed
Slow travel China — 14 days, fewer cities, deeper neighbourhoods
Fourteen days in just three cities — Xi'an, Chengdu and Lijiang — spending four to five nights in each to move beyond the headline sights into daily rhythms, local markets and neighbourhood life.
14 days · balanced
Train-only China — 14 days using HSR exclusively, no flights
Fourteen days across eastern and central China using only high-speed rail — no domestic flights. A lower-carbon alternative that also provides a closer view of the country at ground level.
14 days · balanced
Two weeks comprehensive — Beijing, Xi'an, Chengdu, Guilin, Shanghai
The expanded loop: adds the panda capital and the Li River karst landscape to the classic three.
14 days · relaxed
Yunnan deep loop — Kunming to Tengchong, 14 days
Fourteen days through the full breadth of Yunnan: Kunming, Dali, Lijiang, Shangri-La, the Yuanyang terraces, Jianshui and the geothermal fields of Tengchong — the province's different climates, altitudes and minorities in one loop.
21 days · balanced
First-timer China — 21 days with northwest Silk Road extension
Three weeks across China: the classic eastern cities, a Yunnan highland loop, and a Silk Road extension through Gansu into the northwest — covering the range of what China actually contains.
21 days · balanced
Three weeks deep — adds Yunnan and Tibet
Two weeks comprehensive plus Yunnan loop (Kunming, Dali, Lijiang) and a Tibet permit-tour to Lhasa.