CN China Entry Guide Entry Checker Arrival Toolkit City Guides Route Generator Budget China city travel guides Practical first-time travel guidance: how to arrive, where to stay, what to do, how to move around, and what to prepare for payments, data, and tickets.
How to use these guides Start by confirming your visa or transit route.
Then choose cities that fit your allowed stay area and transport plan.
Save hotel addresses in Chinese, prepare Alipay or WeChat Pay, and book high-speed rail with your passport name exactly matching the ticket.
First-time China recommended routes Use these as practical templates.
Adjust based on flight city, visa or transit rules, travel pace, and season.
Classic 8-10 days: Beijing + Xi'an + Shanghai Best for history and first-time highlights.
Fly into Beijing, take high-speed rail or flight to Xi'an, then finish in Shanghai.
Prepare Forbidden City tickets early, allow a full day for the Great Wall, and keep one light day after rail transfers.
Easy 5-6 days: Shanghai + Hangzhou/Suzhou Best for short trips and transit-style travel.
Stay near metro access in Shanghai, visit the Bund and Yu Garden, then add a high-speed rail day trip to Hangzhou West Lake or Suzhou gardens.
Nature 7-9 days: Guilin + Zhangjiajie Best for scenery.
Plan more buffer time because weather affects views and transport.
Use Guilin/Yangshuo for karst landscapes, then Zhangjiajie for mountain scenery and national forest park routes.
Core city guides These are the priority destinations you requested, written as practical mini tutorials.
Beijing guide Arrive: Beijing Capital or Daxing.
Choose hotel near a subway line.
Do: Forbidden City, Tiananmen area, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace, Great Wall day trip.
Operate: book major sights early, carry passport for tickets, use metro for city travel, allow traffic buffer for airports.
Shanghai guide Arrive: Pudong or Hongqiao.
Stay: near People's Square, Nanjing Road, Jing'an, or Lujiazui.
Do: Bund, Yu Garden, French Concession, museums, skyline.
Operate: use metro, prepare mobile payment, add Suzhou or Hangzhou by high-speed rail.
Xi'an guide Arrive: Xi'an airport or high-speed rail.
Stay: near Bell Tower or metro.
Do: Terracotta Warriors, City Wall, Muslim Quarter, Big Wild Goose Pagoda.
Operate: reserve a full half-day for warriors and keep passport ready for tickets.
Zhangjiajie guide Arrive: Zhangjiajie airport or rail.
Stay: Wulingyuan for park access or city center for transport.
Do: National Forest Park, Tianmen Mountain, Grand Canyon if time allows.
Operate: check weather, start early, buy park tickets ahead, expect walking and queues.
Guilin guide Arrive: Guilin airport or rail.
Stay: Guilin for convenience or Yangshuo for scenery.
Do: Li River, Yangshuo countryside, Longji rice terraces.
Operate: plan transport between Guilin and Yangshuo, check river cruise timing, prepare cash backup in rural areas.
Chengdu guide Arrive: Tianfu or Shuangliu.
Stay: Chunxi Road/Tianfu Square area.
Do: Panda Base, People's Park, Kuanzhai Alley, hotpot, Dujiangyan day trip.
Operate: go to Panda Base early, prepare translation for spicy food, consider Chongqing by high-speed rail.
Guangzhou guide Arrive: Baiyun Airport.
Stay: Tianhe, Zhujiang New Town, or Yuexiu.
Do: Canton Tower, Shamian, Chen Clan Ancestral Hall, dim sum, Pearl River.
Operate: good for business visitors, Canton Fair trips, and links to Shenzhen/Hong Kong.
Shenzhen guide Arrive: Shenzhen airport or border from Hong Kong.
Stay: Futian, Nanshan, or Luohu depending on meetings.
Do: tech districts, OCT Loft, coast parks, shopping, day links to Guangzhou/Hong Kong.
Operate: confirm border route and payment apps before crossing.
10 more major city guides Extra destinations to broaden SEO coverage and support different travel interests.
Hangzhou Best for West Lake, tea villages, and a softer city pace.
Easy high-speed rail from Shanghai.
Stay near West Lake or a metro line, and plan one full day for lake areas.
Suzhou Best for classical gardens, canals, and a Shanghai day trip.
Book garden tickets during busy seasons and use high-speed rail from Shanghai Hongqiao.
Nanjing Best for history, museums, city walls, and Ming Xiaoling.
Good rail connections from Shanghai and Hangzhou.
Stay near Xinjiekou or metro access.
Chongqing Best for dramatic city views, hotpot, river lights, and mountain-city transport.
Use metro and taxis carefully, because distances and elevations can be confusing.
Kunming Best gateway to Yunnan.
Mild climate, Stone Forest, and onward routes to Dali/Lijiang.
Prepare longer transfers if combining mountain towns.
Lijiang Best for old town scenery and Yunnan mountain routes.
Check altitude comfort, weather, and transport time.
Avoid overpacking the itinerary.
Qingdao Best for seaside, old German architecture, seafood, and summer trips.
Stay near the coast or metro and plan around seasonal crowds.
Xiamen Best for Gulangyu, coastal walks, and relaxed city travel.
Book ferry tickets for Gulangyu and stay near Siming or metro access.
Sanya Best for beaches and resort travel.
Plan airport transfer, beach area selection, and weather season carefully.
Good for slower itineraries.
Harbin Best for winter ice festival and Russian-influenced architecture.
Prepare cold-weather gear, book hotels early in peak winter, and check festival dates.