Travel Guides

Travel Guides & Articles

Explore our comprehensive travel guides for China

Three scenes side by side: the Forbidden City's red walls, Xi'an City Wall at dusk and the Shanghai Bund waterfront

Routes & Itineraries

Beijing, Xi'an and Shanghai Itinerary: The Classic Route by High-Speed Train

The classic China route leg by leg: Beijing West to Xi'an North to Shanghai Hongqiao, trains per day, travel times,...

15 min read

View from Jingshan Hill over the golden roofs of the Forbidden City in Beijing at late afternoon, with a few visitors at the railing

North China

Beijing Travel Guide: How Many Days, What to Book Ahead, and How to Get Around

How many days Beijing needs, which sights must be booked days ahead with a passport, where to stay by subway logic,...

14 min read

A Beijing Airport Express train pulling into the elevated station beside the airport terminal

Flights & Airports

Beijing Airports Guide: Capital (PEK) and Daxing (PKX) to the City

Capital or Daxing, and how to get into Beijing from each: the two Airport Express lines with fares and last trains,...

10 min read

Hillsides of red and orange smoke trees and maples at Fragrant Hills Park in Beijing in late autumn, with visitors walking a stone path

Seasonal Guides

Autumn in China: Weather, Fall Colours and How to Avoid Golden Week

Autumn in China month by month: September to November temperatures by city, where and when to see red leaves and...

23 min read

Travelers walking toward an immigration inspection area under overhead signs at an airport

Visa & Entry

Arriving in China: The Arrival Card, Immigration and Customs

Your first hour on the ground, step by step: filing the arrival card online before you fly, what immigration...

8 min read

Acrobats in a human pyramid on a theatre stage under warm spotlights, seen from the audience

Cultural Experiences

Chinese Acrobatic Shows: Shanghai ERA, Beijing Theatres and Chimelong Circus

Which acrobatic show to see in Shanghai, Beijing or Guangzhou, with show times, official prices, passport booking...

17 min read

A wheelchair user rolls along a high-speed rail platform beside a white bullet train while a station attendant walks alongside

Travel Styles

Accessible Travel in China: A Wheelchair Guide to Trains, Flights, Metros and Sights

Can you travel China in a wheelchair? What the 2023 accessibility law requires, how to book 12306 train assistance...

15 min read

Three travel scenes side by side: Mutianyu Great Wall, a high-speed train at a station platform, and the Shanghai Bund at dusk

Routes & Itineraries

7-Day China Itinerary: Three Ways to Spend One Week in China

One week in China: Beijing, Xi'an and Shanghai, Beijing and Shanghai at an easier pace, or Shanghai with Suzhou and...

14 min read

Three scenes side by side: the snow peak of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain above Lijiang rooftops, karst hills along the Li River, and sandstone pillars in Zhangjiajie

Routes & Itineraries

2-Week China Itinerary: Two 14-Day Routes via Yunnan, Guilin or Zhangjiajie

Two weeks in China: classic cities in week one, then Yunnan, Guilin–Yangshuo or Zhangjiajie. Two day-by-day 14-day...

15 min read

Split image: a giant panda eating bamboo in Chengdu on the left, a raft on the Li River below limestone peaks near Guilin on the right

Routes & Itineraries

10-Day China Itinerary: Beijing, Xi'an and Shanghai plus Chengdu or Guilin

Ten days in China: the Beijing, Xi'an and Shanghai triangle plus Chengdu or Guilin and Yangshuo, with two day-by-day...

14 min read

A set fine-dining table by a window at night, with plated tasting-menu courses and the lit Bund riverfront visible outside

East China

Luxury Travel Guide to Shanghai: How to Book a Michelin-Starred Dinner

Shanghai's current Michelin list, its one three-star restaurant, and how to book a starred dinner from abroad: what...

5 min read

Giant panda eating bamboo in a green outdoor enclosure at a Chengdu panda base, with visitors watching from behind a wooden railing in the morning

Southwest China

Luxury Travel in Chengdu: Can You Still Pay to Be a Panda Keeper for a Day?

Planning a high-end Chengdu trip around pandas? No official base sells a one-day keeper experience. What the...

5 min read