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China Travel Guide
Curated by Our Guild Explorers · Updated August 2026
The Middle Kingdom, and one of the great journeys on earth — the Great Wall snaking over the hills, the vast courtyards of the Forbidden City, the buried army of Xi'an, Shanghai's neon skyline on the Huangpu, and the pandas and peppercorns of Chengdu. From imperial capitals to karst rivers, and knit together by the world's fastest trains, this is the Guild's chapter on China.
The Great Wall of China at Jinshanling, north-east of Beijing. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.
Where to stay & when to go
Guild guides to the best places to stay in China's headline cities — and the best time to plan your trip.
Where to Stay in Beijing ›
Best areas and hotels — the Forbidden City and Wangfujing, the old hutong lanes, and the Great Wall day trips.
Where to Stay in Shanghai ›
The historic Bund, the skyscrapers of Pudong, and the leafy lanes of the former French Concession.
Where to Stay in Xi'an ›
Inside the Ming city walls, near the Bell Tower and the Muslim Quarter, and out toward the Terracotta Army.
Where to Stay in Chengdu ›
The teahouse capital of Sichuan — central bases for the pandas, the hotpot and the road to Tibet.
Where to Stay in Guangzhou ›
The Pearl River city — Zhujiang New Town, Shamian Island and the great Cantonese kitchens.
Best Time to Visit China ›
Month-by-month weather, crowds and prices — and the shoulder-season sweet spots to aim for.
Why visit China
Few countries hold so much in one trip — five thousand years of continuous civilisation, and the fastest-changing cities on the planet, often on the same afternoon.
The Great Wall & the emperors
The Wall over the mountains north of Beijing, the Forbidden City and the Temple of Heaven, and the Terracotta Army standing guard at Xi'an — the monuments of imperial China.
Cities of the future
Shanghai's Bund and Pudong skyline, Shenzhen and Guangzhou in the south, all wired together by a high-speed rail network that has rewritten what travel between cities feels like.
Landscapes & pandas
The karst peaks of Guilin and Yangshuo, the rice terraces of the south-west, the sacred mountains, and the giant pandas in their leafy reserves around Chengdu.
One of the world's great cuisines
Peking duck in Beijing, fiery Sichuan hotpot in Chengdu, dim sum and roast goose in Guangzhou, and the soup dumplings of Shanghai — a different kitchen in every region.
The regions of China
Each region is its own trip. Where a full Guild city guide is ready it's marked below; every other city links straight to hotels through our Trip.com partner.
The imperial capital and the classic first stop — the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, the hutong lanes, and the Great Wall over the mountains beyond.
The start of the Silk Road and cradle of dynasties — the Terracotta Army, the great Ming walls of Xi'an, and the old capitals of the Yellow River valley.
China's dazzling commercial capital and the classical canal towns around it — the Bund and Pudong, the gardens of Suzhou, and West Lake at Hangzhou.
Sichuan's easygoing capital and the gateway to the mountains — the giant pandas, the teahouses and hotpot, and the roads toward Tibet and the Buddhist peaks.
How the country divides up
Beijing & the North
Almost every first trip begins in Beijing, and it should. The Forbidden City and Tiananmen sit at the heart of the old capital, the Temple of Heaven and the Summer Palace lie within easy reach, and the grey hutong lanes still hide courtyard homes and quiet teahouses. North of the city, the Great Wall climbs the mountains at Mutianyu, Jinshanling and Badaling.
Xi'an & Central China
Xi'an was the eastern terminus of the Silk Road and the capital of a dozen dynasties. The Terracotta Army stands in its ranks just outside the city, while the intact Ming walls, the Bell and Drum Towers and the Muslim Quarter's food streets fill the centre. It is a short high-speed hop from Beijing, and the natural second stop on the classic route.
Shanghai & the Yangtze Delta
Shanghai is China at its most cosmopolitan — the colonial-era Bund facing the space-age towers of Pudong across the river, with the plane-tree lanes of the former French Concession in between. Around it lie the classical garden city of Suzhou and Hangzhou's serene West Lake, both minutes away by bullet train.
Chengdu, Guangzhou & the South
Chengdu, the laid-back Sichuan capital, is the place for giant pandas, teahouses and mouth-numbing hotpot, and the gateway west toward the mountains. Far to the south, Cantonese Guangzhou anchors the Pearl River delta, while the karst pinnacles of Guilin and Yangshuo rise from the Li River like a scroll painting.
Top things to do in China
The experiences worth building a trip around.
Walk the Great Wall
Ride the cable car up to the restored ramparts at Mutianyu, or hike the wilder, half-ruined towers of Jinshanling — both an easy day trip north of Beijing.
The Forbidden City
The largest palace complex on earth, a city of golden roofs and vast courtyards at the centre of Beijing, best paired with a climb up Jingshan hill for the view over it.
The Terracotta Army
Thousands of life-size warriors and horses, each face different, buried to guard China's first emperor and rediscovered by farmers digging a well outside Xi'an.
Shanghai's Bund by night
The lit-up colonial waterfront on one side, the neon towers of Pudong on the other — then up the Shanghai Tower, the second-tallest building in the world.
Pandas in Chengdu
The Chengdu Research Base at feeding time, when the giant pandas are at their most active, followed by tea and hotpot in the city's easygoing teahouses.
Cruise the Li River
Drift by boat or bamboo raft from Guilin to Yangshuo past the mist-wrapped karst peaks — the scene on the back of the twenty-yuan note.
Best time to visit & getting there
When to go
Spring (April–May) and autumn (September–October) are the sweet spots: mild, drier and clearer, and ideal for the Great Wall and the city circuit.
Summer (June–August) is hot, humid and the peak of domestic travel, while winter is cold in the north but bright — and mild in the far south. Steer clear of Chinese New Year and the October Golden Week, when the whole country travels.
See our month-by-month guide to the best time to visit China for weather, crowds and prices through the year.
Getting there
Beijing Capital (PEK) and Beijing Daxing (PKX), along with Shanghai Pudong (PVG) and Guangzhou (CAN), are the main long-haul gateways, with direct flights from across the world.
Inside the country, the high-speed rail network is the great way to get around — Beijing to Xi'an or Shanghai in a few comfortable hours, city centre to city centre, often faster than flying.
The currency is the yuan, and everyday payment is by phone; link a card to Alipay or WeChat Pay before you arrive and carry some cash as backup. Most visitors need a visa, though many nationalities qualify for visa-free transit — confirm the current rules with the official Chinese authority before booking.
China travel FAQ
When is the best time to visit China?
Spring (April to May) and autumn (September to October) are the sweet spots — mild, drier days and clearer skies, ideal for the Great Wall, Xi'an and the classic city circuit. Summer (June to August) is hot and humid across much of the country and coincides with peak domestic travel, so sights and trains are busiest. Winter is cold in the north, with crisp bright days in Beijing and snow further up, while the far south stays mild. Avoid the two big national holidays — Chinese New Year and the October 1 Golden Week — when the whole country is on the move.
What currency is used in China?
The renminbi, also called the Chinese yuan (CNY, symbol ¥). Day-to-day spending is overwhelmingly by mobile payment — Alipay and WeChat Pay — and both apps now let foreign visitors link an overseas Visa or Mastercard, which is the smoothest way to pay. International credit cards work at larger hotels and some big stores, and cash is still accepted, so carry some yuan as a backup. ATMs are widespread in cities.
Do I need a visa to visit China?
Most visitors, including US, UK, Canadian and Australian citizens, need a tourist visa arranged in advance. However, China now offers visa-free entry to many nationalities, and a generous visa-free transit of up to 240 hours if you are passing through and continuing to a third country. Rules change often, so always confirm the current visa and transit requirements with the official Chinese authority or embassy before you book.
How many days do you need in China?
For a first trip, ten to fourteen days is ideal: three or four days in Beijing for the Forbidden City and the Great Wall, a day or two in Xi'an for the Terracotta Army, and three days in Shanghai, with time to add Chengdu for the pandas or Guilin for the karst rivers. High-speed trains link the major cities in a few hours and make the distances manageable. With only a week, pair Beijing with Shanghai, or Beijing with Xi'an.
Is China safe for travellers?
China has very low levels of violent crime and is generally a very safe place to travel, with a visible police presence in the cities. The main things to watch are petty scams aimed at tourists — the classic tea-house and art-gallery invitations near big sights — busy traffic, and the language barrier. Download an offline map and a translation app before you go, keep your passport with you, and check your government's current travel advisory before you travel.
Ready to plan your China trip?
Compare hotels, flights and tours across China — booked through Trip.com.
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