China travel, explained by someone who lives here
Practical guides on visas, payments, apps and trains — plus honest destination notes. No brochure copy, no fake stats.
46 guides · 14 destinations · month-by-month planner · 10 itineraries · last reviewed October 23, 2026
Visa-free for 50 countries
Ordinary passports, up to 30 days. The UK and Canada joined in February 2026; the US and India are not on the list. Most schemes currently run to 31 December 2026 — check before booking.
Visa guide →Pay with your own card
Link Visa, Mastercard, JCB or Amex inside Alipay and WeChat Pay before you land. Card payments up to ¥200 usually carry no platform fee; above ¥200 a 3% fee applies.
Payment guide →Trains at 350 km/h
Beijing to Shanghai in about 4.5 hours. Book on 12306’s official English site or app, with Trip.com as a fallback. Your passport is your ticket.
Train guide →First time in China?
Follow the same order I would: check entry rules, set up payments and data, then book trains and the sights that sell out.
Where to go
Fourteen destinations with honest notes — what is worth your time, what to skip, and when to go.
Beijing
China's capital, from the Great Wall and Forbidden City to hutongs and night markets: what to see, how many days you need and when to go.
Best time: April - May, September - October
Shanghai
Experience the dynamic blend of East and West in China's most cosmopolitan city. Explore historic Bund, modern Pudong, and vibrant food scenes.
Best time: March - May, October - November
Xi'an
Step back in time at the ancient capital with the Terracotta Army and City Wall. Taste amazing Muslim Quarter street food.
Best time: April - May, September - October
Chengdu
Home of giant pandas and Sichuan cuisine, a city that combines tradition and modernity. Enjoy hot pot, tea houses, and slow pace of life.
Best time: March - June, September - November
Guilin
Experience breathtaking karst landscapes along the Li River. Explore Yangshuo and Longji Rice Terraces.
Best time: April - October
Lhasa
Explore the spiritual heart of Tibet with stunning monasteries and Himalayan views.
Best time: May - September
Zhangjiajie
Sandstone pillars and Tianmen Mountain: honest advice on the national forest park, the glass bridge and how to split your days without losing them to queues.
Best time: April–June and September–November; July–August brings heat and storms
Yunnan
The classic first-timer loop through Kunming, Dali and Lijiang — with honest notes on altitude, rainy seasons, long bus rides and the parts you can safely skip.
Best time: March–May and September–November; summer is the rainy season
Hangzhou
West Lake is free and best at dawn. Add Longjing tea fields, Lingyin Temple and a water-town day trip — Hangzhou is the east coast’s best slow city.
Best time: March–May and September–November; summer is hot and humid
Suzhou
China’s garden city: classical gardens, canal lanes that outdo the brochures, and water towns nearby. A one- or two-day pause, 25 minutes from Shanghai.
Best time: March–May and September–November; winters are damp and quiet
Huangshan
Granite peaks above a sea of clouds when you get lucky: how to time a summit trip, survive the stairs, and avoid spending the day in a queue.
Best time: April–May and September–November; winter snow is beautiful but icy
Harbin
Russian-influenced architecture and the world’s biggest ice festival each winter. What January at -20°C feels like — and why summer is a different city.
Best time: December–February for the ice festival; June–August for mild weather
Sanya
China’s tropical south: resort beaches, duty-free shopping and the Hainan visa-free zone. Honest advice on seasons, typhoons and who should skip it entirely.
Best time: November–April; May–October is hot, humid and typhoon season
Pingyao
A walled Ming-era banking town where the main sight is staying inside the walls. One to two days, and an easy stop on the high-speed line between Xi’an and Beijing.
Best time: April–May and September–October; winters are cold and summers hot
Month by month
When to visit China
Twelve month guides with the 2026 holiday dates built in — weather by region, crowd warnings and where to go each month.
January to December →
By traveler type
Traveling with kids, solo or on a budget
Separate guides for families, women traveling alone, seniors and students — the pace, hotels and food choices that actually change per group.
Read the traveler guides →
Start with these guides
The eight questions visitors ask most — answered with current, tested information.
The questions most guides skip
What actually happens when you land, what a realistic daily budget looks like, and how to handle allergies, scams and access needs.
Ready-made routes
Day-by-day plans that respect travel times — no packing five cities into three days.
Beijing 3-Day First Trip
A realistic three-day Beijing route for first-timers: the Forbidden City, Mutianyu Great Wall and one calm neighborhood day without rushing the city.
View day-by-day →Shanghai 3-Day Experience
Three days in Shanghai covering the Bund, Yuyuan, the French Concession and Lujiazui — with realistic transfer times and what to book ahead.
View day-by-day →Xi’an 2-Day Highlights
Two efficient days in Xi’an: the Terracotta Army, City Wall, Muslim Quarter and the museum pieces that matter most on a short stop.
View day-by-day →Chengdu 3-Day Slow Trip
Three days in Chengdu with pandas, tea houses, hotpot and one strong day trip — paced like a city people actually enjoy, not a checklist sprint.
View day-by-day →Trip help
Need route feedback before you book?
If you already have dates and a rough plan, I can help with the parts that usually go wrong: too many cities, the wrong order, unrealistic pacing, and routes that do not fit kids, parents or a first trip.
Good messages start with
- Nationality
- Travel dates
- How many nights you have
- The cities or experiences you care about most
Before you ask
Short answers to the four questions almost everyone asks. The full list is on the FAQ page.
See all FAQsDo I need a visa to visit China?
It depends on your passport. Ordinary passport holders from 50 countries can enter China visa-free for up to 30 days — the UK and Canada were added in February 2026, while the US and India are not on the list. A 240-hour transit scheme and Hainan’s own 30-day scheme cover additional cases. Check the expiry date and country list before booking.
How do I pay for things in China?
Mobile payment dominates. Link your Visa, Mastercard, JCB or Amex inside Alipay and WeChat Pay before you travel — that works almost everywhere. Foreign-card transactions up to ¥200 usually carry no platform fee; above ¥200, a 3% fee applies to the full amount, plus your card’s FX fee. Cash is still accepted in most places. The old Tour Pass product no longer exists.
Can I use Google services in China?
Google, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, X and YouTube are blocked on mainland networks. Download offline maps, use Amap for navigation, and keep an international roaming or travel eSIM connection if you need Western apps. Google Maps works in Hong Kong and Macau.
What is the best time to visit China?
Spring (April–May) and autumn (September–October) are the best all-round windows. Summer is hot in the lowlands but good for Tibet and the high northwest; winter suits Hainan, Hong Kong and Harbin. Avoid Golden Week (1–7 October) and Spring Festival if you can.
Find me here
I live in China and spend most of my free time testing the routes, apps and payment setups that visitors actually use. This site is the notes I wish someone had given me before my first trip — practical, honest, and dated so you know how current it is.
- Whether your itinerary fits the number of days you have
- Which apps to install before you land (and what to print as backup)
- Whether a specific route works for parents, kids or a first visit
- How to handle payments, SIM cards and transport without a local bank account
I usually reply on WhatsApp or email.