Classic routes

For your first trip

Good first tripBeijing → Xi'an → ShanghaiFirst trip classic: Beijing, Xi’an and Shanghai in 10 daysThe Great Wall, the Forbidden City, the Terracotta Army and the Bund, linked by fast trains. The route most first-timers should start with.10 days · best Apr–May, Sep–OctGood first tripBeijing → Xi'an → Chengdu → Guilin → ShanghaiChina highlights in 12 days: palaces, pandas and karst peaksThe classic five: Beijing, Xi’an, Chengdu, Guilin and Shanghai. Busy but doable with trains and two short flights.12 days · best Apr–May, Sep–OctGood first tripShanghai → Suzhou → HangzhouShanghai, Suzhou and Hangzhou in 7 daysA relaxed week in the Yangtze delta: a megacity, classical gardens, a water town and West Lake, all under an hour apart by train.7 days · best Mar–May, Sep–NovGood first tripChengdu → ChongqingPandas and spice: Chengdu, Leshan and Chongqing in 6 daysGiant pandas, the Leshan Buddha and Chongqing’s cliffside city, with the best food in China on the way.6 days · best Mar–May, Sep–NovGood first tripGuangzhou → GuilinFrom Hong Kong: Guangzhou, Guilin and Yangshuo in 7 daysCross from Hong Kong by high-speed train: Cantonese dim sum in Guangzhou, then the Li River and Yangshuo.7 days · best Mar–May, Oct–NovGood first tripBeijing → HarbinWinter wonderland: Beijing and Harbin in 7 daysA snowy Great Wall, then the Harbin Ice and Snow World, the frozen Songhua River and Russian-era streets.7 days · best Dec–Feb

For your second trip

Guilin → ZhangjiajieKarst landscapes: Guilin, Yangshuo and Zhangjiajie in 8 daysChina’s two most famous landscapes: river valleys of limestone peaks, then the sandstone pillars that inspired Avatar.8 days · best Apr–May, Sep–OctKunming → Dali → LijiangYunnan: Kunming, Dali and Lijiang in 8 daysSpring-like weather, old towns, Erhai Lake and snow mountains, with minority cultures all along the way.8 days · best Mar–May, Sep–NovXi'an → Zhangye → DunhuangThe Silk Road: Xi’an, Zhangye and Dunhuang in 8 daysFrom the old capital to the desert: rainbow mountains, Buddhist cave art and sand dunes around an oasis lake.8 days · best May–Jun, Sep–OctBeijing → Datong → Pingyao → Xi'anAncient China: Beijing, Datong, Pingyao and Xi’an in 10 daysBuddhist grottoes, a temple hanging on a cliff, a walled Ming town and the Terracotta Army, for history lovers.10 days · best Apr–May, Sep–Oct

Travellers’ itineraries

Real day-by-day trips shared by travellers. Sights link to our guides, so every place is in your language and in Chinese.