Visas & entry
Entry rules change often. Many nationalities now have short-stay visa-free access, but US and Canadian passport holders generally need a pre-arranged Chinese visa; Hong Kong and Macao have separate entry rules from mainland China. Confirm both visa eligibility and permitted stay with the relevant Chinese embassy or consulate before booking non-refundable transport.
Getting in
- Beijing Capital International Airport: The logical arrival point for the classic north-to-east first trip: Beijing, the Great Wall and Xi’an connect well by high-speed rail. Beijing Daxing (PKX) is also used by some international airlines, so check the airport before booking.
- Shanghai Pudong International Airport: Best for Shanghai and the Jiangnan cities of Suzhou and Hangzhou, and the natural open-jaw exit after Beijing and Xi’an. It is China’s easiest big-city landing for many first-time visitors.
- Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport: The practical south-China gateway for Cantonese food, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and the Pearl River Delta. Use it for a southern-focused trip rather than forcing Guangzhou into a northern classic route.
- Chengdu Tianfu International Airport: The best western gateway for Sichuan, Chongqing, Jiuzhaigou and southwest-bound itineraries. It saves a backtrack through Beijing or Shanghai if food, pandas or western scenery are central to the trip.
- Hong Kong International Airport: A useful Greater Bay Area gateway for Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Guangzhou, but entering mainland China from Hong Kong is an immigration crossing. Make sure your mainland-China entry permission covers the crossing you plan to make.
Getting around
High-speed rail is outstanding on the Beijing–Xi’an–Shanghai axis and between Chengdu and Chongqing, but treat every station transfer as an airport process: arrive early, allow for security, and do not schedule major sightseeing around a long rail leg. Fly when crossing the country—Beijing to Chengdu, Guilin, Yunnan or Xinjiang is usually a flight decision unless you actively want a full day on trains. Cars are useful for rural Yunnan, western Sichuan, Xinjiang and scattered scenic areas, but are unnecessary and often irritating in major cities.
Money
The currency is renminbi (RMB/CNY, yuan; ¥). China is overwhelmingly mobile-payment driven: set up Alipay or WeChat Pay with an overseas card before arrival if possible, carry a backup card and some cash, and do not assume foreign cards will work outside international hotels. Tipping is generally not expected; do not add it automatically in ordinary restaurants or taxis.
Daily budget · CNY / RMB (yuan, ¥)
- Value
- ¥350–650
- Mid-range
- ¥850–1,500
- High-end
- From ¥2,500; commonly ¥4,000–6,000+ in Beijing, Shanghai, or with private-guide travel.
- Per-person daily figures exclude international flights and assume two people share a room. They include ordinary local transport, meals, paid sights and an averaged allowance for domestic transport.
- ¥350–650 works for hostels or basic guesthouses, inexpensive local food, metro and buses, occasional taxis, and selective paid sights. Beijing, Shanghai and major scenic areas demand discipline.
- ¥850–1,500 buys clean, well-located 3–4-star or boutique hotels, good local restaurants, taxis when useful, major sights, and a realistic mix of high-speed rail and occasional domestic flights.
- China is inexpensive for everyday food and urban transit; the cost escalation comes from moving too often. Beijing–Shanghai rail is manageable, but Beijing to Chengdu, Guilin, Yunnan or Xinjiang often becomes a flight expense if time matters.
- The major budget killers are holiday-week hotel and transport demand, late-booked domestic flights, private drivers, cable cars and compulsory scenic-area shuttle bundles, and trying to stitch distant regions into one itinerary.
- High-end spending rises fast with five-star hotels, business-class rail, private transfers, destination dining and premium tours. Hong Kong and Macao have separate systems and materially higher costs; do not treat them as mainland-China budget extensions.
Eating well
- In northern China, prioritize noodles, wheat breads, dumplings, lamb and roast meats rather than seeking the seafood-forward cooking of the south.
- In Xi’an, eat around the Muslim Quarter but do not assume the busiest lanes make the best version of every dish.
- Chengdu deserves at least two serious meals: its food is a core reason to stop, not an afterthought between panda visits.
- For Cantonese food, Guangzhou is the country’s strongest dedicated food stop; go for dim sum, roast meats and seafood rather than headline monuments.
- Regional heat is not interchangeable: Beijing hot pot is comparatively mild and lamb-led, while Sichuan and Chongqing cooking is built around chile and Sichuan pepper.
Book before you land
Forbidden City (Palace Museum), Beijing — timed entry can disappear quickly in peak season and during public holidays. · National Museum of China, Beijing — reserve a timed passport-linked entry slot when dates are available, especially in peak periods. · Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding — book ahead for early-morning entry in busy seasons and holidays. · Terracotta Army Museum, Xi’an — reserve ahead for weekends, holiday periods and fixed-date itineraries.
- Avoid Spring Festival, the early-May Labor Day break and the National Day holiday around October 1 if you value functioning transport and manageable crowds; these are not minor long weekends.
- Mainland China’s internet controls affect Google, Gmail, WhatsApp, Instagram and many news sites. Install any legal VPN, offline maps, translation tools and payment apps before arrival; do not rely on airport Wi-Fi to solve this.
- Carry your passport: hotels, train stations, many major attractions and some ticket collections are passport-linked. The name on every booking must match it exactly.
- Use hotel addresses in Chinese characters and download offline destination names. English signage is good on major rail and metro systems, much less reliable once you leave the principal tourist corridors.
- Do not confuse Hong Kong or Macao with a domestic side trip: each mainland crossing requires immigration formalities, and mobile data, payment habits and visa rules can differ.
- China is safe in the ordinary street-crime sense, but crowd management is the practical risk: leave extra time at stations, scenic-area shuttle hubs and landmark entrances, especially on weekends and holidays.
Entry rules change — verify visa requirements for your passport before booking this country.
Season by season
March–May
Mid-April through May is a strong national window: northern cities warm up, Jiangnan gardens and tea country are at their best, though March–April can bring Beijing dust and the south turns increasingly rainy.
Beijing and Xi’an history tripsShanghai, Suzhou and Hangzhoufirst-time cross-country itinerariesspring gardens and tea landscapes
Avoid the early-May Labor Day holiday; prices, trains and major sights surge, while southern rain and northern wind can still disrupt plans.
June–August
Lowland China is hot, humid and often wet—especially Chongqing, Wuhan, Nanjing, Guangdong, Guangxi and Hainan—while high-altitude Yunnan, Tibetan-border regions and much of Xinjiang are in their useful travel season.
Yunnan and mountain trekkingXinjiang road tripshigh-altitude western scenerysummer school-holiday family travel
School holidays crowd trains and scenic sites, and southern/eastern coastal regions face heavy rain and possible typhoons, generally from May into November.
September–early November
Late September outside the holiday rush, then mid-October to early November, is China’s best all-round travel window: clearer northern skies, comfortable Beijing and Xi’an weather, and excellent conditions in Yunnan and Xinjiang.
Great Wall walksBeijing–Xi’an–Shanghai tripsYunnan highlandsXinjiang and Silk Road travel
National Day, usually October 1–7, brings extreme domestic crowds and transport pressure; Mid-Autumn Festival can create a shorter surge as well.
Mid-November–February
This is the low-crowd, lower-rate season for Beijing, Xi’an, Shanghai and Chengdu, but northern China is properly cold and dry; Harbin is a deliberate winter destination, while Hainan is the domestic beach escape.
Harbin ice and snowBeijing and Xi’an at lower pricesnorthern skiing and hot springsHainan winter sun
Spring Festival causes the year’s most severe transport demand, sold-out accommodation and some closures; do not move around then without advance bookings.
Events worth planning around
Spring Festival / Lunar New Year · January or February; dates vary annually with the lunar calendar. · Nationwide, especially major transport corridors and hometown-bound rail routes.
China’s annual mass homecoming puts trains, flights and hotels under severe pressure and can close or reduce independent businesses; reserve well ahead or stay put.
Labor Day holiday · Usually early May; exact public-holiday arrangement varies annually. · Nationwide, with major scenic sites and city attractions hardest hit.
A short but intense domestic travel peak: avoid it for a first trip if possible, or book rail, hotels and timed-entry sights as soon as dates open.
National Day holiday · Usually centered on October 1–7. · Nationwide.
The most disruptive autumn travel period, with packed trains, inflated hotel rates and overwhelming crowds at headline attractions; schedule around it rather than through it.
Mid-Autumn Festival · September or October; dates vary annually and may connect to other public holidays. · Nationwide.
Creates a smaller but noticeable domestic travel surge, especially on rail routes and at scenic destinations; check the official holiday calendar before locking an autumn itinerary.
What to eat
Treat China as a collection of regional cuisines, not a single national menu: northern wheat dishes, Cantonese seafood and roasting, Sichuan chile-and-pepper heat, Shaanxi’s Silk Road flavors, and the southwest’s rice, herbs and preserved foods all belong on different trips. Eat locally and order the specialties of the city you are in; chasing generic "Chinese food" is the fastest route to a mediocre meal.
Peking duckzhajiangmian noodlesjianbing breakfast crepesnorthern lamb hot potbiangbiang noodlesroujiamo meat sandwichesliangpi cold noodlescumin-laced lamb skewersxiaolongbao soup dumplingsshengjian pan-fried buns (Shanghai)
Beijing and northern China: Peking duck · zhajiangmian · jianbing · dumplings · mild, lamb-led northern hot pot
Xi’an and Shaanxi: Biangbiang noodles · roujiamo · liangpi cold noodles · cumin-spiced lamb skewers · Muslim-Chinese snack culture
Shanghai, Suzhou and Hangzhou (Jiangnan): Xiaolongbao · shengjian buns · red-braised pork · sweet-savory lower-Yangtze cooking
Chengdu and Sichuan: Sichuan cuisine built on chiles, fermented bean pastes and Sichuan pepper · hot pot · tea-house snacks
Chongqing: Fiercely spicy Chongqing hot pot
Guangzhou and the Pearl River Delta: Dim sum · Cantonese roast meats · seafood · market eating
Yunnan: Distinct regional highland cooking · local ingredients and food traditions alongside trekking and village travel
Xinjiang: Central Asian-influenced food · bazaars · oasis-town eating