Where to Go

China City Guides

Practical, first-timer guides for foreign independent travelers — transit, tickets, food, and 3-day plans that actually fit a real trip.

Each city guide focuses on logistics foreigners actually struggle with: metro vs DiDi, which tickets need a passport, where to eat without Mandarin, and a realistic 3-day outline. Use these pages for deep local detail; use our multi-day itineraries when you need to connect cities.

First trip? Start with Beijing, Xi’an, and Shanghai. Want scenery over museums? Look at Guilin, Yangshuo, Chengdu, or the Yunnan trio (Kunming–Dali–Lijiang). Book major sights via our official attraction links.

Forbidden City corner tower reflected in the moat at dusk in Beijing

Beijing

Forbidden City, Great Wall day trips, hutongs, and Peking duck — with metro and ticket tips for first-timers.

 Terracotta Warriors excavation pit and Xi'an ancient city wall

Xi'an

Terracotta Warriors, Muslim Quarter street food, and cycling the Ming city walls on a compact 3-day plan.

 Giant pandas at Chengdu Research Base and Sichuan hotpot

Chengdu

Morning pandas, afternoon teahouses, and evening hotpot — plus a Leshan Buddha day trip option.

 Shanghai Bund waterfront and Pudong skyline at night

Shanghai

The Bund, French Concession walks, soup dumplings, and the metro system foreigners find easiest to use.

 Limestone karst peaks rising above the Li River near Guilin

Guilin

Li River cruise to Yangshuo, Yulong River cycling, and Longsheng rice terraces — China's classic landscape.

 West Lake with pagodas and willow trees in Hangzhou

Hangzhou

West Lake, Longjing tea villages, Lingyin Temple — 45 minutes from Shanghai by bullet train.

 Suzhou canal with traditional whitewashed buildings and stone bridges

Suzhou

UNESCO classical gardens, Pingjiang Road canals, and Tongli water town — 25 min from Shanghai.

 Hongyadong night lights and Chongqing river skyline

Chongqing

Mountain hotpot capital, Hongyadong lights, Yangtze cruises — China's most vertical city.

 Stone Forest karst formations near Kunming in Yunnan Province

Kunming

Spring City climate, Stone Forest, and gateway to Dali, Lijiang, and Yunnan's ethnic diversity.

 Erhai Lake water forest and Bai boat near Dali

Dali

Bai minority culture, Erhai Lake cycling, Three Pagodas — relaxed stop on the Yunnan route.

 Lijiang Old Town canals with Jade Dragon Snow Mountain backdrop

Lijiang

UNESCO Old Town, Naxi heritage, Jade Dragon Snow Mountain — Yunnan's northern gem.

 Yangshuo karst countryside with bicycles along the Yulong River

Yangshuo

Li River scenery, bamboo rafting, countryside cycling — Guilin's backpacker paradise.