Where to go in China

China is a continent, not a country. These are the cities and regions international travelers ask us for most — each one run by our own guides and vetted hotels.

North China

Beijing

The Great Wall, the Forbidden City and six centuries of empire

China's capital holds six UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The Forbidden City, the Great Wall, the Temple of Heaven and a hutong culture that still runs on jasmine tea.

Forbidden City Great Wall at Mutianyu Temple of Heaven Hutongs of the Drum and Bell Towers Summer Palace Tiananmen Square +4 more

10 places to see Best time: April - May, September - October

Explore Beijing →

East China

Shanghai

Art deco riverfront, a future skyline and canal towns on the doorstep

China's most cosmopolitan city. The Bund at night, the Yu Garden, plane-tree lanes of the former French Concession, and Venice-like water towns within an hour.

The Bund Yu Garden and the Old City Former French Concession Shanghai Museum Shanghai Tower observatory Zhujiajiao Water Town +4 more

10 places to see Best time: March - May, September - November

Explore Shanghai →

Northwest China

Xi'an

The Terracotta Army and the eastern gate of the Silk Road

Capital of thirteen dynasties, home of the Terracotta Army, and the city where the Silk Road began. An intact Ming wall you can cycle, and China's best street food.

Terracotta Army Ming City Wall Muslim Quarter Big Wild Goose Pagoda Shaanxi History Museum Tang Dynasty dinner show +4 more

10 places to see Best time: March - May, September - November

Explore Xi'an →

Southwest China

Chengdu

Pandas, teahouses and the food capital of China

The world's most famous panda base, a teahouse culture that runs on refills, and a cuisine built on Sichuan pepper and chilli oil.

Giant Panda Breeding Research Base People's Park teahouses Jinli and the Wide and Narrow Alleys Wuhou Shrine and Du Fu Cottage Sichuan cooking class Leshan Giant Buddha +4 more

10 places to see Best time: March - June, September - November

Explore Chengdu →

Guangxi

Guilin and Yangshuo

Karst peaks, the Li River and the landscape on the twenty-yuan note

Limestone towers, cormorant fishermen and bamboo rafts drifting down the Li River — one of the most photographed landscapes in Asia.

Li River cruise Yulong River bamboo raft Longji Rice Terraces Yangshuo countryside by bike Reed Flute Cave Impression Sanjie Liu +3 more

9 places to see Best time: April - October

Explore Guilin and Yangshuo →

East China

Hangzhou

West Lake, Zen monasteries and the terraces where China's best tea grows

Marco Polo called it the finest city in the world. West Lake, the Lingyin Temple, Longjing tea villages and the southern end of the Grand Canal.

West Lake Lingyin Temple and Feilai Feng Longjing tea villages Hefang Street Xixi National Wetland Park Grand Canal night cruise +4 more

10 places to see Best time: March - May, September - November

Explore Hangzhou →

East China

Suzhou

Classical gardens, canals and the water towns of the Yangtze delta

A 2,500-year-old city of UNESCO classical gardens, canal lanes and silk workshops — the model for every Chinese garden built since.

UNESCO classical gardens Tiger Hill Pingjiang Road Tongli and Zhouzhuang Suzhou Museum Silk workshops +3 more

9 places to see Best time: March - May, September - November

Explore Suzhou →

Southwest China

Chongqing

The mountain megacity that starts the Yangtze cruise

China's most cinematic city: a vertical maze of skyscrapers and stilted houses on the Jialing and Yangtze rivers, and the gateway to the Three Gorges.

Hongya Cave at night Three Gorges cruise Liziba monorail station Ciqikou Old Town Chongqing hotpot Dazu Rock Carvings +4 more

10 places to see Best time: March - May, September - November

Explore Chongqing →

Hunan

Zhangjiajie

The sandstone pillars that became the floating mountains of Avatar

Three thousand quartz-sandstone pillars rising out of subtropical forest, the world's longest cable car, and a glass bridge over a 300-meter gorge.

Yuanjiajie Tianzi Mountain Golden Whip Stream Tianmen Mountain Grand Canyon Glass Bridge Baofeng Lake +2 more

8 places to see Best time: April - October

Explore Zhangjiajie →

East China

Jiangxi

Our home province: Lushan, Jingdezhen porcelain and Jinggangshan

Nanchang, the porcelain capital of Jingdezhen, the clouds of Lushan Mountain and the revolutionary heritage of Jinggangshan — Jiangxi is where our company was born.

Lushan Mountain Jinggangshan Jingdezhen Wuyuan Poyang Lake Tengwang Pavilion, Nanchang +3 more

9 places to see Best time: April - June, September - November

Explore Jiangxi →

Southwest China

Yunnan

Lijiang old town, Tiger Leaping Gorge and the road to Shangri-La

China's most diverse province: the stone lanes of Lijiang, the Tibetan plateau at Shangri-La, terraced rice fields and a spring that lasts a month.

Lijiang Old Town Tiger Leaping Gorge Dali and Erhai Lake Shangri-La (Zhongdian) Yuanyang Rice Terraces Stone Forest, Kunming +4 more

10 places to see Best time: March - May, September - November

Explore Yunnan →

Northwest China

Silk Road and Dunhuang

Mogao cave art, desert dunes and the Gobi frontier

The Hexi Corridor of Gansu: the painted caves of Dunhuang, camel rides at Crescent Moon Spring, the western fort of Jiayuguan and the rainbow mountains of Zhangye.

Mogao Caves, Dunhuang Crescent Moon Spring Jiayuguan Fort Zhangye Danxia Landform Singing Sand Dunes Shazhou Night Market +3 more

9 places to see Best time: May - October

Explore Silk Road and Dunhuang →

Central China

Yangtze River Cruise

Four days through the Three Gorges, Chongqing to Yichang

An unhurried way to see China: the Qutang, Wu and Xiling gorges, the Shennong Stream by sampan, the ghost city of Fengdu and the Three Gorges Dam.

Qutang Gorge Wu Gorge Shennong Stream Three Gorges Dam Shibaozhai Fengdu Ghost City

6 places to see Best time: March - May, September - November

Explore Yangtze River Cruise →

Tibet

Tibet and Lhasa

The Potala Palace, the Jokhang and the roof of the world

Lhasa's Potala Palace and Jokhang Temple, working monasteries below the Himalaya, and a turquoise lake at 4,400 meters — with the permits and support you need.

Potala Palace, Lhasa Jokhang Temple and the Barkhor Sera and Drepung Monasteries Yamdrok Lake Tashilhunpo Monastery, Shigatse Everest North Base Camp +2 more

8 places to see Best time: April - October

Explore Tibet and Lhasa →

Northeast China

Harbin

The Ice and Snow Festival and China's most European city

Every January Harbin builds a city out of ice and lights it from inside. Add onion-domed churches, cobbled Central Street and the ski country two hours away.

Harbin Ice and Snow World St Sophia Cathedral Central Street (Zhongyang Dajie) Sun Island Snow Sculpture Park The frozen Songhua River Yabuli Ski Resort +1 more

7 places to see Best time: December - February

Explore Harbin →

South China

Guangzhou

Dim sum, colonial Shamian Island and the Pearl River

The home of Cantonese cooking and the world's best Cantonese kitchens, a colonial river island, a 600-meter tower on the Pearl River, and easy arrival from Southeast Asia.

Morning dim sum Shamian Island Canton Tower Chen Clan Ancestral Hall Pearl River night cruise Kaiping Diaolou +3 more

9 places to see Best time: October - December

Explore Guangzhou →

Anhui

Huangshan and Hongcun

The Yellow Mountain, granite peaks in cloud, and Ming villages below

One of the most painted mountains in China: granite summits above a sea of cloud, pines growing out of bare rock, and the UNESCO villages of Hongcun and Xidi at its foot.

Sunrise from the summit Bright Summit Peak West Sea Grand Canyon Guest-Greeting Pine Hongcun village Xidi village +3 more

9 places to see Best time: March - May, September - November

Explore Huangshan and Hongcun →

Henan

Luoyang and Dengfeng

Cave Buddhas, the Shaolin Temple and a kung fu class

Longmen's hundred thousand carved Buddhas, the first Buddhist temple in China, and the Shaolin Temple, where you can learn a form from the monks themselves.

Longmen Grottoes Fengxian Temple Shaolin Temple, Dengfeng Pagoda Forest White Horse Temple Luoyang peonies +3 more

9 places to see Best time: April - May, September - October

Explore Luoyang and Dengfeng →

Shanxi

Datong

Yungang's giant Buddhas and a temple pinned to a cliff

The Yungang Grottoes hold 51,000 Buddhist figures carved in the fifth century; the Hanging Temple clings to a cliff face 75 meters above a gorge.

Yungang Grottoes Cave 20's seated Buddha Hanging Temple, Hengshan Nine Dragon Screen Datong Old City Wall Yingxian Wooden Pagoda +2 more

8 places to see Best time: May - October

Explore Datong →

Hainan Island

Sanya and Hainan

China's tropical island — beaches, rainforest and hot springs

The southernmost province: palm beaches at Yalong Bay, rainforest parks inland, Li and Miao villages, and some of the easiest entry rules in China.

Yalong Bay Wuzhizhou Island Yanoda Rainforest Nanshan Temple Luhuitou Park

5 places to see Best time: October - April

Explore Sanya and Hainan →

North China

Inner Mongolia

Grasslands, yurts and the endless Gobi sky

Three hours from Beijing: the Xilamuren and Huitengxile grasslands, Mongolian yurt camps, horse culture, and the singing sands of the Kubuqi desert.

Xilamuren Grassland Yurt camp overnight Huitengxile Grassland Kubuqi Desert Dazhao Temple, Hohhot Mongolian horse show

6 places to see Best time: June - September

Explore Inner Mongolia →

Southwest China

Guizhou

one of the largest waterfalls in Asia, Miao villages and karst rivers

Huangguoshu, one of the largest waterfalls in Asia, is only the start: Guizhou holds Miao and Dong minority villages, drum towers, and the blue water of Libo.

Huangguoshu Waterfall Xijiang Qianhu Miao Village Zhaoxing Dong Village Libo Karst Longgong Caves Qingyan Ancient Town +3 more

9 places to see Best time: April - October

Explore Guizhou →

East China

Nanjing

Ming walls, plane-tree avenues and six dynasties of history

Capital of ten dynasties: the longest surviving city wall in China, the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum on Purple Mountain, and one of the country's great museums.

Ming City Wall Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum Nanjing Museum Confucius Temple and Qinhuai River Xuanwu Lake +4 more

10 places to see Best time: March - May, October - November

Explore Nanjing →

How China trips are built

Where travelers start, where they go next, and why

The shape of a China trip is fairly predictable — not because anyone dictates it, but because of where the long-haul flights land, where the high-speed trains run and how jet lag works out. These are the combinations our guests ask for most often, and the reasons behind them.

The classic first trip

8 to 10 days

Beijing Xi'an Shanghai

The three cities a first-time visitor usually names, joined end to end. Fly into one and home out of the other, so you never double back.

Why it is put together this way

Beijing and Shanghai are where most long-haul flights from Europe, North America and Australia land. Arriving in one and leaving from the other turns a return flight into a one-way line across the country.
The Great Wall, the Forbidden City and the Terracotta Army are the three things people name first — and Xi'an sits between the other two.
Beijing to Xi'an is about four and a half hours by high-speed rail, Xi'an to Shanghai about six. The traveling happens inside the day rather than instead of it.
Both ends are international hubs with plenty of hotel choice, so a delayed flight or an extra night costs you nothing but an afternoon.

Usually booked by: A first visit to China, eight to ten days, traveling as a couple or with family.

The classic trip, plus the landscapes

12 to 16 days

Beijing Xi'an Guilin & Yangshuo Shanghai

The same spine, with the Li River karst peaks added in the middle — the scenery most people picture when they imagine southern China.

Why it is put together this way

Guilin has its own airport and direct fast trains, so adding it costs one flight rather than a day on the road.
It breaks up the imperial-history half of the trip with two days on the water and in the fields, which is usually what people remember afterward.
Coming down from Xi'an to Guilin and back up to Shanghai follows the rail network instead of fighting it.

Usually booked by: Travelers who want two very different Chinas in one trip, and have two weeks to give it.

Pandas, and the river through the gorges

14 to 17 days

Beijing Xi'an Chengdu Yangtze cruise Shanghai

The long version: head inland to the pandas, then float back toward the coast through the Three Gorges instead of taking another train.

Why it is put together this way

Chengdu is where most of our guests see a giant panda, at the research base outside the city, and it links to Xi'an by high-speed rail in about four hours.
The Yangtze cruise is the one stretch of a China trip where you unpack once and the scenery moves past you — useful about ten days in, when everyone is tired of packing.
Sailing downstream from Chongqing to Yichang takes one night less than the same route upstream, so the downstream direction fits a fixed itinerary better.
It starts in Beijing and finishes in Shanghai, which means it can also be built as the classic trip with four days added in the middle.

Usually booked by: Families, and anyone who would rather move slowly through the middle of the country than fly over it.

West, along the Silk Road

9 to 14 days

Xi'an Lanzhou Zhangye Jiayuguan Dunhuang

The old caravan road through the Hexi Corridor, ending at the Dunhuang dunes. Usually bolted onto the back of a Beijing and Xi'an trip.

Why it is put together this way

It starts in Xi'an, which is already on the classic route — so the Silk Road can be added without rearranging anything you have already planned.
The corridor runs as one line west, so you travel it in one direction and fly back from Dunhuang rather than retracing the road.
Best from May to October. Distances between the stops are long, which is why this one is built around a private vehicle rather than trains alone.

Usually booked by: Second-week additions for travelers with a taste for archaeology, deserts and long horizons.

The southwest, on its own

6 to 9 days

Kunming Dali Lijiang Shangri-La

A loop through Yunnan's old towns and mountain villages, with the altitude climbing gradually as you go north.

Why it is put together this way

The four stops sit on one line from Kunming northward, and each one is a little higher than the last — which is the gentlest way to reach Shangri-La at 3,200 m.
It works as a trip in its own right from Kunming's international flights, or as a southern extension to a Chengdu or Guilin itinerary.
Distances are short and the towns are walkable, so it suits travelers who want days without a coach.

Usually booked by: Repeat visitors, photographers, and anyone who wants markets and mountains rather than monuments.

Where this comes from. The order of the stops above is not a matter of taste — it follows where long-haul flights land, which cities the high-speed rail line connects, and how jet lag plays out in the first two days. Which combinations appear here reflects the itineraries our own guests ask us to build, most often to least. We have not given each one a percentage, because we do not have a share we can substantiate, and a made-up number helps nobody.

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