Find help with trip preparation, choose places to visit and get ideas for what to eat and do.
The things worth sorting before your flight.
Preparation
Food, landscapes, family, culture or a few days after work: find your reasons to visit China and use them to plan a trip that suits you.
Read the guide: Why Visit China? Find Your Own Reason to GoPreparation
Set up Alipay or WeChat Pay for your China trip. Learn about foreign cards, QR payments, fees and what to do if a payment fails.
Read the guide: How to use Alipay and WeChat Pay in ChinaPreparation
Get ready for China with a checklist for travel documents, mobile data, payment apps, bookings, packing and your first airport transfer.
Read the guide: China travel checklist: what to do before you goPreparation
Which apps and websites don’t work in China, how roaming, travel eSIMs and local SIMs differ, and the apps to install before your trip: maps, rides, payments and translation.
Read the guide: Internet, eSIMs and the apps you need in ChinaPreparation
A 14-day route through Beijing, Xi’an, Chengdu and Shanghai, a calmer 10-day version, how to travel between the cities and which days to cut when time is short.
Read the guide: China itinerary: 10–14 days in Beijing, Xi’an, Chengdu and ShanghaiPreparation
See if your passport qualifies for 30-day visa-free entry or 240-hour transit, how the rules apply to real routes, and where to apply if you need a China visa.
Read the guide: Do you need a visa to visit China?Preparation
Choose the Airport Express, a taxi or a bus from Beijing Capital Airport. Includes terminal boarding points, train times and a route to central Beijing.
Read the guide: Beijing Capital Airport arrival guideTickets, transport and tips for planning your day.
Beijing
Plan a first visit to Beijing’s Temple of Heaven: which ticket to buy, seasonal hours, Line 5 access and a route from the East Gate to the South Gate.
Read the guide: Temple of Heaven: tickets, opening hours and a walking routeShanghai
Explore Shanghai’s Bund, Pudong, Yu Garden, Wukang Road and Disneyland, with practical advice for airport transfers and choosing where to stay.
Read the guide: Shanghai sights: the Bund, Pudong and moreChengdu & Sichuan
Plan a Dujiangyan day trip from Chengdu: trains from Xipu to Lidui Park, the entrance to use, a walk around the irrigation works and return choices.
Read the guide: Dujiangyan: planning a day trip from ChengduBeijing
Plan a Summer Palace visit in Beijing. Compare ticket types, choose an entrance, find transport information and leave time for a walk by the lake.
Read the guide: Summer Palace: tickets, entrances and visiting tipsBeijing
Book Forbidden City tickets on the official English website. Find release times, passport requirements, ticket prices, opening hours and the entrance to use.
Read the guide: Forbidden City: how to book and plan your visitBeijing
Visit Beijing’s Lama Temple, also called Yonghegong. Find official booking links and practical tips for arrival, photography and visiting respectfully.
Read the guide: Lama Temple, Beijing: planning a visit to YonghegongChengdu & Sichuan
Plan a visit to Chengdu Panda Base with official ticket information, seasonal entry times, identity-document requirements and transport tips.
Read the guide: Chengdu Panda Base: tickets, entry times and visiting tipsChengdu & Sichuan
Planning a Mount Qingcheng trip from Chengdu? Learn about Front Mountain’s Taoist sites, transport planning, tickets and the difference from Back Mountain.
Read the guide: Mount Qingcheng Front Mountain: a visitor’s guideChengdu & Sichuan
Plan a Qingcheng Back Mountain visit near Chengdu. Compare it with Front Mountain and check walking routes, weather, transport and the journey home.
Read the guide: Qingcheng Back Mountain: planning a walking tripBeijing
Plan a Badaling Great Wall day trip: which train station to book, how the north and south sections differ, and when a cable car is worth paying for.
Read the guide: Badaling Great Wall: tickets and trip planningChongqing
Explore central Chongqing with a suggested walk around Jiefangbei, Hongyadong and the river, plus tips for the city’s hills, levels and evening crowds.
Read the guide: A Chongqing walk: Jiefangbei, Hongyadong and the riverBeijing
Plan a visit to POP LAND in Beijing’s Chaoyang Park. Check transport, ticket details, seasonal events and the activities you want to see.
Read the guide: POP LAND Beijing: tickets, location and visiting tipsXi’an & Shaanxi
Choose a Mount Huashan cable-car route: West Peak both ways, west up and north down, or North Peak both ways. Compare the walking and plan your return.
Read the guide: Mount Huashan: routes, cableways and day-trip planningXi’an & Shaanxi
Visit the Terracotta Warriors near Xi’an. Find official museum booking information and tips for admission, guided tours and planning your transport.
Read the guide: Terracotta Warriors: tickets and visiting tipsGuizhou
Planning Gaoguo River rafting near Zhenyuan, Guizhou? Check seasonal operation, participation rules, booking details and transport before you go.
Read the guide: Gaoguo River rafting near Zhenyuan: planning a visitLocal dishes to try and shows to see.
Beijing
Try Beijing roast duck, zhajiangmian, hotpot and tanghulu. Learn the dish names, how to order sensible portions and what to ask before paying.
Read the guide: What to eat in Beijing: a guide for first-time visitorsShanghai
Try Shanghai’s shengjianbao, xiaolongbao and local dishes. Learn the names, compare steamed and pan-fried buns, and get tips for ordering.
Read the guide: What to eat in Shanghai: buns, dumplings and local dishesChengdu & Sichuan
See Sichuan opera in Chengdu. Compare theatre and teahouse shows, find out about face-changing, and check seating, language and ticket details.
Read the guide: Sichuan opera in Chengdu: choosing a show
