Tourist Itineraries in China – Index
In this article you’ll find a collection of itineraries for visiting China. Keep in mind that China is extremely vast and diverse, so trying to visit it all in just a few weeks makes no sense.
This is why we have divided the itineraries into three main sections; something for those planning a trip of 6-8 days, those planning to stay 12-15 days or, why not, 18-21 days.
For each section, we have also specified if it is a “historic” itinerary (or designed for visiting mainly sites of archaeological interest, such as Xi’an for example), “natural” (or designed for those who want to be immersed in nature, such as Jiuzhaigou), or “contemporary” (or designed for visiting modern realities such as Shenzhen or recurring festivals, like the Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival of Harbin).
Moreover, for each itinerary we have also added a difficulty rating based on the necessary movements to complete it and the best time to visit each zone or province.
Lastly, for more general information on traveling in China I recommend that you also read the following articles:
Itineraries (the complete list)
Click on one of the links on the table below to directly see the itinerary that interests you the most:
Itineraries from 6-8 days
Note that, even if the majority of the itineraries in this section can be completed in about 6 days, if you’re one of those people that likes to take one or two afternoons free just to lose themselves in a city or sit and observe people passing by (one of my favorite hobbies), then I recommend that you figure on at least 8 days.
Beijing – Discover the appeal of Imperial China
- Itinerary Type: Historic.
- Movement difficulty: Very low, since you can land directly in the city, get around mainly by subway and leave the city just to visit the Great Wall of China.
- Best time to travel: The best time to visit is the autumn when the weather is dry and temperate. That said, it’s possible to visit Beijing at almost any time of the year.
- Recommended hotels: Click here to read our reviews on the best luxury & budget hotels in Beijing.
- Tour operator: If you’re interested in an organized your, as a group or in private, click here to learn more and get a free estimate.
Itinerary:
Day 1: Arrive in Beijing and visit the Summer Palace and the university area of Haidian;
Day 2: Visit the Ming Tombs and the Great Wall at Mutianyu, or the “Wild” Great Wall at Gubeikou;
Day 3: Visit the Temple of Heaven and the shopping area of Wangfujing;
Day 4: Visit Tian’An Men Square, the Forbidden City and Coal Hill;
Day 5: Visit to the Temple of the Lama, Temple of Confucius, the Bell Tower, Drum Tower, in the Gulou neighborhood and the few Hutong left in the city;
Day 6: Walk in the international quarters of Sanlitun and Dongzhimen.
- Other attractions that might interest you: Silk Market at Guomao, Street of Artisans (Liu Li Chang), Beijing Opera, Olympic Stadium, shopping area of Xidan, Beihai Park, Lake Houhai, Lake Xihai, Beijing Zoo.
- Visits outside the city: If you want to get our of the city for 1/2 days, I recommend a day trip to Tianjin, 2 two days of Trekking on the Great Wall of Simatai at Jinshanling, or a visit, still for 2 days, to the Ice and Snow Festival of Harbin (which is only open in late winter).
Beijing-Xi’An – Discovering ancient China
- Itinerary Type: Historic.
- Movement difficulty: Medium, if you decide to take the Beijing-Xi’An night train; low if you decide to take a direct flight.
- Best time to travel: The best time to visit is the autumn when the weather is dry and temperate. That said, it’s possible to visit the two cities at almost any time of the year.
- Hotel consigliati:Click on the links below to read our reviews on the best luxury and budget hotels in Beijing e Xi’An.
- Tour operators: If you’re interested in an organized tour, as a group or in private, click here to learn more and get a free estimate.
Itinerary:
Day 1: Arrive in Beijing and visit the Summer Palace and the university area of Haidian;
Day 2: Visit the Ming Tombs and the Great Wall at Mutianyu, or the “Wild” Great Wall at Gubeikou;
Day 3: Visit the Temple of Heaven and the shopping area of Wangfujing;
Day 4: Visit Tian’An Men Square, the Forbidden City and Coal Hill; Beijing-Xi’An night train;
Day 5: Visit the archaeological site of the Terracotta Warriors and the Xi’An city center (Muslim quarter and old city walls);
Day 6: Excursion to Mount Hua;
Day 7: Return to Beijing with the fast train and visit the a Gulou neighborhood;
Tibet: Lhasa-Lake Namtso-Shigatse – Visit to the roof of the world
- Itinerary Type: Historic/Natural.
- Movement difficulty: High. Besides getting to Tibet (which is 45 hours by train or 4 hours by air from Beijing), unless you want to stay in Lhasa you’ll be forced to spend long hours on a bus, with the greatest problems due to the altitude. Click here to read our guide on traveling in Tibet.
- Best time to travel: The best time to visit Tibet is the autumn, when the weather is dry and relatively mild. Avoid the winter, when many passes are closed due to the snow. You should also make sure that Tibet is open to foreign travelers during the period you intend to travel, since the Province is often closed to tourists.
- Recommended Hotels: This will be handled by the tour operator you go with (see below).
- Tour operators: To visit Tibet, it is mandatory to be accompanied by an authorized tourist guide. Click here to learn more and get a free estimate.
Itinerary:
Days 1 and 2: Train Beijing-Lhasa. If you have the time, I recommend that you arrive in Tibet by train. Not just because it’s a unique experience, but also so that your body can gradually acclimate to the change in altitude. If you only have six days, then it’s best to arrive by air: it would be a sin to go all the way to Tibet to stay only 4 days!
Day 3: Visit Potala Palace, the Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Street and the historic center of Lhasa;
Day 4: Visit Lake Namtso;
Day 5: Visit Lake Yamdrok, at the Kharola Glacier, and the city of Shigatse (staying the night in Shigatse);
Day 6: Visit the Monastery of Tashilhunpo (near Shigatse) and the Palcho Monastery, situated in the city of Gyantse, or way back to Lhasa.
Day 7: Visit the Monasteries of Drepung and Sera, near Lhasa.
Yunnan: Kunming-Dali-Lijiang-Shangri-La – Multi-ethnic China at the foot of the Himalayas
- Itinerary Type: Natural.
- Movement difficulty: Medium; once you’ve arrived in Kunming, where flights coming from all major Chinese cities land, the other cities are well connected both by train (except for the Stone Forest and Shangri-La) and bus. Considering Lijiang’s popularity among Chinese tourists, finding train tickets is often complicated which means that you may have to settle for the bus.
- Best time to travel: Despite not being an extremely vast province, the climate in Yunnan varies from sub-tropical in the southern area to alpine in the region of Shangri-La. In my opinion there isn’t one specific time to visit that’s better than others; besides of course not going during Chinese holidays when the Province is invaded by Chinese tourists.
- Recommended Hotels:Click on the links below to read our reviews on the best luxury and budget hotels in Kunming, Dali and Lijiang.
- Tour operator: If you’re interested in an organized tour, as a group or in private, click here to learn more and get a free estimate.
Itinerary:
Day 1: Arrive in Kunming and visit the city;
Day 2: Get up very early to visit the Stone Forest before the hordes of Chinese tourists arrive; bus for Dali;
Day 3: Visit the Old City of Dali;
Day 4: Excursion to Mount Cang (you can get there on foot from the Old City of Dali), and bus for Lijiang;
Day 5: Visit the Old City of Lijiang, then take a bus for Shangri-La;
Day 6: Visit the village of Shangri-La and the Tibetan Monastery of Songzanlin, near Shangri-La (even though Shangri-La geographically speaking is located in Yunnan, the local population are ethnic Tibetans and the monastery has no reason to envy those geographically found in Tibet);
Day 7: Return to Kunming.
- Recommended trekking: 2 day excursion to Tiger Leaping Gorge, located between Lijiang and Shangri-La.
Shanghai-Suzhou-Nanjing-Hangzhou – The Cities on the Yellow River Delta
- Itinerary Type: Historic/Modern
- Movement difficulty: Low; the four cities are connected by fast trains.
- Best time to travel: As is often the case in China, the best time is in the autumn, or the dry and mild season. That said, the area can be visited in any time of year.
- Recommended Hotels:Click on the links below to read our reviews on the best luxury and budget hotels in Shanghai, Hangzhou, Suzhou and Nanjing.
- Tour operator: If you’re interested in an organized tour, as a group or in private, click here to learn more and get a free estimate.
Itinerary:
Day 1: Arrive in Shanghai; visit the Yuyuan Gardens, the Shanghai Museum, the Bund, and Nanjing Road;
Day 2: Visit the Oriental Pearl TV Tower financial district of Lujiazui (where you’ll find all of Shanghai’s major skyscrapers);
Day 3: Arrive in Suzhou and visit the city; overnight there;
Day 4: Arrive in Nanjing and tour the city, overnight there;
Day 5: Visit Nanjing (morning) then the Nanjing-Hangzhou train in late afternoon;
Day 6: Arrive in Hangzhou and tour the city (West Lake is not to be missed!);
Day 7: Return to Shanghai; visit the Old French Concession.
- Recommended trekking: 2 day excursion to the Yellow Mountain (or Huang Shan).
Hong Kong-Macau-Shenzhen – Modern and Colonial China
- Itinerary Type: Modern, since Hong Kong and Macau are two relatively “modern” cities (compared to Beijing or Nanjing), while Shenzhen up until a few decades ago was little more than a fishing village.
- Movement difficulty: Low; Hong Kong and Shenzhen are linked by metro, while all you have to do get to Macau is take the ferry from Hong Kong (the crossing lasts about an hour).
- Best time to travel: The best season for visiting Guangdong Province and the cities of Hong Kong and Macau is the winter, when there isn’t too much heat (it’ll be about 15-20 degrees C) with little rainfall.
- Recommended Hotels:Click on the links below to read our reviews on the best luxury and budget hotels in Hong Kong, Macau and Shenzhen.
- Tour operator: If you’re interested in an organized tour, as a group or in private, click here to learn more and get a free estimate.
Itinerary:
Day 1: Arrive in Hong Kong, visit Central, Causeway Bay and Victoria Peak;
Day 2: Visit Landau Island(for the Giant Buddha and village of Tai-O); dinner at Lan Kwai Fong (LKF);
Day 3: Visit Kowloon peninsula; don’t miss the free show “A Symphony of Lights” on the Avenue of Stars, which takes place at around 8 every evening;
Day 4: Visit Macau on day trip (you can catch the ferry from Hong Kong Island);
Day 5: Arrive in Shenzhen; visit the Nanshan District;
Day 6: Visit the Districts of Futian and Luohu, still in Shenzhen;
Day 7: Return to Hong Kong.
Guangxi: Guilin-Yangshuo-Longsheng – The karst hills on the shores of the Li River
- Itinerary Type: Natural.
- Movement difficulty: Low, since almost all hotels can help you arrange transport either by bus or boat.
- Best time to travel: The best time to travel is May if you want to see the newly watered rice paddies of Longsheng. That said, it is possible to visit Guilin and the rest of Guangxi Province in almost any time of the year.
- Recommended Hotels:Click on the links below to read our reviews on the best luxury and budget hotels in Guilin, Longsheng and Yangshou.
- Tour operator: If you’re interested in an organized tour, as a group or in private, click here to learn more and get a free estimate.
Itinerary:
Day 1: Arrive in Guilin and tour the city;
Day 2: Cruise on the Li River and arrive in Yangshuo; visit the city center;
Day 3: Take a ride on the Yulong River and return by bicycle; fishing with cormorants show;
Day 4: Transfer to Longsheng (by bus) and visit the terraced rice paddies;
Day 5: Return to Guilin and visit “Reed Flute Cave” and “Elephant Trunk Hill”.
Sichuan: Chengdu-Emei Shan-Leshan – Visit the heart of Sichuan
- Itinerary Type: Historic/Natural.
- Movement difficulty: Low, since all destinations can be easily reached by bus from Chengdu.
- Best time to travel: Summer is very hot while the winter is cold, so the best times are the Spring and autumn.
- Recommended Hotels: Click here to read our reviews on the best luxury and budget hotels in Chengdu.
- Tour operator: If you’re interested in an organized tour, as a group or in private, click here to learn more and get a free estimate.
Itinerary:
Day 1: Arrive in Chengdu and tour the city center;
Day 2: Visit the Chengdu Panda Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding and get to Mount Emei, or Emei Shan, by bus;
Day 3: Climb Emei Shan with an overnight stay in one of the many monasteries that can be found along the way;
Day 4: Arrive at the top of Emei Shan and descend (by bus); arrive in Leshan by bus;
Day 5: Visit the Giant Buddha of Leshan and the surrounding park;
Day 6: Return to Chengdu.
Sichuan: Chengdu-Jiuzhaigou-Huanglong – The most spectacular parks of China
- Itinerary Type: Natural
- Movement difficulty: Medium, considering that in the Jiuzhaigou region, public transport is virtually nonexistent (which is why it’s much simpler to visit this region of China with an organized tour).
- Best time to travel: The autumn, when it’s not too hot and the leaves of the trees turn breathtaking colors. That said, Sichuan can be visited anytime of the year (but winters in Jiuzhaigou are very rough).
- Recommended Hotels: Click here to read our reviews on the best luxury and budget hotels in Chengdu.
- Tour operator: If you’re interested in an organized tour, as a group or in private, click here to learn more and get a free estimate.
Itinerary:
Day 1: Arrive in Chengdu and tour the city center;
Day 2: Visit the Chengdu Panda Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding and get to Jiuzhaigou (by bus or plane);
Days 3-4: Visit Jiuzhaigou National Park (spending just one day would be a sin);
Day 5: Visit Huanglong National Park;
Day 6: Return to Chengdu or, directly to Beijing from the airport in Huanglong.
- Recommended trekking: 2 day horseback excursion to Sonpang, near Jiuzhaigou.
Henan: Luoyang-Tempio Shaolin-Xi’An – Visit the birthplace of Kung Fu
- Itinerary Type: Historic.
- Movement difficulty: Medium, because unless you visit with an organized tour, you’ll have to get around by train and/or bus in Henan Province where the use of English is not very widespread.
- Best time to travel: The best time is the autumn, as is the case with the majority of China.
- Recommended Hotels: Click here to read our guide on Henan Province, where we indicate a few hotels in all areas of interest to tourists; and here to read reviews of the best hotels in Xi’An.
- Tour operator: If you’re interested in an organized tour, as a group or in private, click here to learn more and get a free estimate.
Itinerary:
Day 1: Arrive in Luoyang (by air or fast train from Beijing) and visit the Cave of Longmen;
Day 2: Visit the Temple of Baima and the Luoyang Museum;
Day 3: Arrive in Dengfeng, visit the Shaolin Temple and the Mount Song National Park;
Day 4: Return to Luoyang, and move on to Xi’An by fast train; visit the Xi’An Muslim Quarter;
Day 5: Visit the archaeological site of the Terracotta Warriors and the old city walls of Xi’An;
Day 6: Excursion to Mount Hua.
- Recommended activity: Kung Fu lessons in Dengfeng.
Hunan and Guangxi: Zhangjiajie-Fenghuang-Guilin-Yangshuo
- Itinerary Type: Natural
- Movement difficulty: Medium, since you will always have to take a bus or train to reach various destinations.
- Best time to travel: The best time is the autumn, as is the case with the majority of China.
- Recommended Hotels: Click here to read our guide to hotels in China.
- Tour operator: If you’re interested in an organized tour, as a group or in private, click here to learn more and get a free estimate.
Itinerary:
Days 1 & 2: Arrive in Zhangjiajie by air or fast train and visit Zhangjiajie National Forest Park (it would be a sin to spend only one day);
Day 3: Excursion to Mount Tianmen, near Zhangjiajie;
Days 4 e 5: Visit the city of Fenghuang; train or bus for Guilin;
Day 6: Cruise on the Li River and arrive in Yangshuo; visit the city center;
Day 7: Ride on the Yulong River and return by bicycle; fishing with cormorants show.
- Recommended trekking: 1 or 2 day excursion to the terraced rice paddies of Longsheng.
Itineraries from 12-15 days
In this section, I will illustrate various itineraries for trips of about two weeks. Obviously, you can create a different itinerary by simply combining two of the one-week itineraries I laid out in the previous section.
Beijing-Luoyang-Dengfeng-Xi’An-Shanghai
- Itinerary Type: Historic/Modern.
- Movement difficulty: Medium, considering that unless you travel on an organized tour, you’ll have to get around by train and/or bus through Henan, or the Luoyange Dengfeng Province, where English is not widely spoken.
- Best time to travel: Autumn, when the weather is dry and mild. However this itinerary can be traveled any time of year.
- Recommended Hotels: Click on the links below to read our reviews on the best luxury and budget hotels in Beijing, Xi’An and Shanghai.
- Tour operator: If you’re interested in an organized tour, as a group or in private, click here to learn more and get a free estimate.
Itinerary:
Day 1: Arrive in Beijing and visit the Summer Palace and Haidian university area;
Day 2: Visit the Ming Tombs and the Great Wall at Mutianyu, or the “Wild” Great Wall at Gubeikou;
Day 3: Visit the Temple of Heaven and the shopping area of Wangfujing;
Day 4: Visit Tian’An Men Square, the Forbidden City and Coal Hill;
Day 5: Visit the Temple of the Lamas, the Temple of Confucius, the Bell Tower, the Drum Tower, Gulou quarter and the few remaining Hutongs left in the city;
Day 6: Walk through the international quarters of Sanlitun and Dongzhimen; arrive in Luoyang (by air or fast train);
Day 7: Visit the Cave of Longmen, visit the Baima Temple and Luoyang Museum;
Day 8: Arrive in Dengfeng, visit Shaolin Temple and Mount Song National Park;
Day 9: Return to Luoyang, then travel on to Xi’An by fast train; visit the Xi’An Muslim Quarter;
Day 10: Visit the archaeological site of the Terracotta Warriors and the ancient city walls of Xi’An;
Day 11: Excursion to Mount Hua;
Day 12: Arrive in Shanghai (by train); visit Yuyuan Gardens, Shanghai Museum, the Bund, and Nanjing Road;
Day 13: Visit the Oriental Pearl TV Tower and Lujiazui financial district (where you’ll find all of Shanghai’s major skyscrapers);
Day 14: Visit the Old French Concession.
Beijing-Pingyao-Datong-Xi’An-Guilin-Yangshuo
- Itinerary Type: Historic/Natural.
- Movement difficulty: Medium if you travel by train since you’ll have to cross half of China! Lower if you decide to get around by air.
- Best time to travel: The best season is the fall, when the weather is dry and mild. You can however visit the destinations listed at any time of year.
- Recommended Hotels: Click on the links below to read our reviews on the best luxury and budget hotels in Beijing, Datong, Pingyao, Xi’An, Guilin and Yangshuo.
- Tour operator:If you’re interested in an organized tour, as a group or in private, click here to learn more and get a free estimate.
Itinerary:
Day 1: Arrive in Beijing and visit the Summer Palace and Haidian university area;
Day 2: Visit the Ming Tombs and the Great Wall at Mutianyu, or the “Wild” Great Wall of Gubeikou;
Day 3: Visit the Temple of Heaven and the shopping district of Wangfujing;
Day 4: Visit Tian’An Men Square, the Forbidden City and Coal Hill;
Day 5: Visit the Temple of the Lamas, the Temple of Confucius, the Bell Tower, the Drum Tower, Gulou quarter and the few remaining Hutongs left in the city;
Day 6: Walk through the international quarters of Sanlitun and Dongzhimen; arrive at Datong (by air or fast train);
Day 7: Visit the Yungang Cave and Hanging Temples of Datong;
Day 8: Arrive in Pingyao (by train); visit the walls of the Old City, visit the residences of the Wang ande Qiao families;
Day 9: Arrive in Xi’An (by train) and tour the city center of Xi’An (Muslim quarter and ancient city walls);
Day 10: Visit the archaeological site of the Terracotta Warriors; arrive in Guilin (by air);
Day 11: Cruise in the Li River and arrive at Yangshuo; tour the city center;
Day 12: Ride on the Yulong River and return by bike; fishing show with cormorants;
- Recommended trekking: Excursion to Mount Hua (near Xi’An) and/or the terraced rice paddies of Longsheng, near Guilin.
Beijing-Xi’An-Chengdu-Chongqing-Cruise on the Yangtze-Yichang
- Itinerary Type: Historic/Natural.
- Movement difficulty: Medium if you travel by train since you’ll have to cross half of China! Lower if you decide to get around by air.
- Best time to travel: The best season is the fall, when the weather is dry and mild. You can however visit the destinations listed at any time of year.
- Recommended Hotels: Click on the links below to read our reviews on the best luxury and budget hotels in Beijing, Xi’An and Chengdu.
- Tour operator: If you’re interested in an organized tour, as a group or in private, click here to learn more and get a free estimate.
Itinerary:
Day 1: Arrive in Beijing and visit the Summer Palace and Haidian university area;
Day 2: Visit the Ming Tombs and the Great Wall at Mutianyu, or the “Wild” Great Wall of Gubeikou;
Day 3: Visit the Temple of Heaven and the shopping district of Wangfujing;
Day 4: Visit Tian’An Men Square, the Forbidden City and Coal Hill;
Day 5: Visit the Temple of the Lamas, the Temple of Confucius, the Bell Tower, the Drum Tower, Gulou quarter and the few remaining Hutongs left in the city;
Day 6: Walk through the international quarters of Sanlitun and Dongzhimen; arrive in Xi’An (by air or train);
Day 7: Visit the archaeological site of the Terracotta Warriors;
Day 8: Visit the city center of Xi’An (Muslim quarter and ancient city walls); arrive in Chengdu (by air or train);
Day 9: Visit the Chengdu Panda Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding and the city center;
Day 10: Arrive in Chongqing and depart on a Yangtze River Cruise (or Blue River);
Day 11: Cruise on the Yangtze;
Day 12: Arrive, via cruise, in Yichang, where you’ll find the Three Gorges Dam (Three Gorges Dam).
Beijing-Zhangjiajie-Fenghuang-Guilin-Yangshuo
- Itinerary Type: Historic/Natural.
- Movement difficulty: Medium since you’ll be crossing half of China, and especially in the regions of Zhangjiajie and Guilin, where you’ll have to get around by train, bus or boat.
- Best time to travel: The best season is the fall, when the weather is dry and mild. You can however visit the destinations listed at any time of year.
- Recommended Hotels: Click on the links below to read our reviews on the best luxury and budget hotels in Beijing, Guilin and Yangshuo.
- Tour operator: If you’re interested in an organized tour, as a group or in private, click here to learn more and get a free estimate.
Itinerary:
Day 1: Arrive in Beijing and visit the Summer Palace and Haidian university area;
Day 2: Visit the Ming Tombs and the Great Wall at Mutianyu, or the “Wild” Great Wall of Gubeikou;
Day 3: Visit the Temple of Heaven and the shopping district of Wangfujing;
Day 4: Visit Tian’An Men Square, the Forbidden City and Coal Hill;
Day 5: Visit the Temple of the Lamas, the Temple of Confucius, the Bell Tower, the Drum Tower, Gulou quarter and the few remaining Hutongs left in the city;
Day 6: Walk through the international quarters of Sanlitun and Dongzhimen; arrive in Zhangjiajie (by air or fast train);
Days 7 and 8: Visit Zhangjiajie National Forest Park (it would be a sin to only spend one day there);
Day 9: Excursion to Mount Tianmen, near Zhangjiajie;
Days 10 and 11: Visit the city of Fenghuang; train or bus for Guilin;
Day 12: Cruise on the Li River and arrival in Yangshuo; visit the city center;
Day 13: Ride on the Yulong River and return by bike; fishing show with cormorants.
- Recommended trekking: 1 or 2 day excursion to the terraced rice paddies of Longsheng.
Beijing-Tianjin-Qingdao-Mount Tai-Qufu
- Itinerary Type: Historic/Natural.
- Movement difficulty: Medium, because in Shandong Province (or the second half of the trip), you can only get around by train or bus.
- Best time to travel: The best season is the fall, when the weather is dry and mild. You can however visit the destinations listed at any time of year.
- Recommended Hotels: Click on the links below to read our reviews on the best luxury and budget hotels in Beijing, Tianjin and Qingdao.
- Tour operator: If you’re interested in an organized tour, as a group or in private, click here to learn more and get a free estimate.
Itinerary:
Day 1: Arrive in Beijing and visit the Summer Palace and Haidian university area;
Day 2: Visit the Ming Tombs and the Great Wall at Mutianyu, or the “Wild” Great Wall of Gubeikou;
Day 3: Visit the Temple of Heaven and the shopping district of Wangfujing;
Day 4: Visit Tian’An Men Square, the Forbidden City and Coal Hill;
Day 5: Visit the Temple of the Lamas, the Temple of Confucius, the Bell Tower, the Drum Tower, Gulou quarter and the few remaining Hutongs left in the city;
Day 6: Walk through the international quarters of Sanlitun and Dongzhimen; arrive in Tianjin (by fast train);
Day 7: Tour the city center of Tianjin;
Days 8-9: Arrive in Qingdao (by train) and tour the city;
Day 10: Arrive on the slopes of Mount Tai (or Taishan, by train), climb Mount Tai and spend the night up top;
Day 11: Descend Mount Tai and arrive in Qufu, the birth city of Confucius;
Day 12: Visit the Confucius Family Mansion.
- Recommended activity: Beer Festival in Qingdao, if you go in August.
Tibet: Lhasa-Lago Namtso-Shigatse-Everest Base Camp-Kathmandu
- Itinerary Type: Historic/Natural.
- Movement difficulty: High. Besides having to get to Tibet (which is 45 hours by train or 4 hours by air from Beijing), unless you stay in Lhasa you’ll be forced to spend long hours on buses, with the greatest problems due to the altitude. Click here to read our guide to traveling in Tibet. Note that besides a Chinese visa and Tibet Permit, if you intend to arrive in Kathmandu you will also need a Nepalese visa.
- Best time to travel: The best time to visit Tibet is in the fall, when the weather is dry and relatively mild. Avoid the winter when many passes are closed due to the snow. Furthermore, make certain that Tibet will be open to foreign tourists in the period you intend to visit, since the Province is often closed to tourists.
- Recommended hotels: This will be handled by your tour operator (see below).
- Tour operator: To visit Tibet, you are obligated to be accompanied by an authorized tour guide. Click here to learn more and get a free estimate.
Itinerary:
Days 1 and 2: Train Beijing-Lhasa. If you have the time, I recommend that you get to Tibet by train. Not only is it a unique experience, but you can also acclimate your body to the gradual change in altitude.
Day 3: Visit Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Street and the historic center of Lhasa;
Day 4: Visit Lake Namtso;
Day 5: Visit the Monasteries of Drepung and Sera, near Lhasa;
Day 6: Visit Lake Yamdrok, Kharola Glacier, and Palcho Monastery, situated in the city of Gyantsee; arrive in Shigatse and overnight there;
Day 7: Visit the Tashilhunpo Monastery (near Shigatse), visit Sakya Monastery, arrive in Lhatse and overnight there;
Day 8: Arrive in Rongbuk and visit the “highest”, in terms of altitude, monastery in Tibet. Trekking at Everest Base Camp (about 6 Km and two hours of walking); overnight in Rongbuk, in a tent;
Day 9: After admiring the sunrise from the Base Camp, move on to Zhangmu via Old Tingri and Nyalam; overnight there;
Day 10: Arrive at Kodari, at the border between Tibet and Nepal; walk the border and arrive at Kathmandu; overnight there;
Days 11 and 12: Visit Kathmandu, in Nepal.
Xinjiang: Urumqi-Kashgar-Tashkurgan-Kanas
- Itinerary Type: Historic/Natural.
- Movement difficulty: High if you get around by train or bus, since Xinjiang is the vastest province in China. Medium if you take flights for the largest sections, since several locations can only be reached by bus or in the case of Karakorum, only with a private car and driver (see the details in the itinerary).
- Best time to travel: The best time is the fall, when the weather is dry and mild and you can taste the seasonal fruits (grapes, figs, melons and more). Winter is not recommended since some parts of the itinerary can not be traveled due to the snow.
- Recommended Hotels: Click on the links below to read our reviews on the best luxury and budget hotels in Urumqi and Kashgar.
- Tour operator: If you’re interested in an organized tour, as a group or in private, click here to learn more and get a free estimate.
Itinerary:
Day 1: Arrive in Urumqi, capital of the province, by air; move on to Kashgar by overnight train (about 20 hours of traveling) or by air;
Day 2: Visit the Mosque of Id Kah and the Old City of Kashgar;
Day 3: Visit the tomb of Abakh Khoja and the night market of Jie Fang Bei Road;
Day 4: Visit the Desert of Da Wa Kun (with camel ride) by bus;
Days 5 and 6: Excursion Kashgar-Tashkurgan along the Karakorum Highway, the highest paved international highway in the world – in terms of altitude – which connects Pakistan and Cina. Note that there are no bus lines here; I recommend that you ask at your hotel about renting a private car and driver (cost: about 1,500 Yuan);
Day 7: Return to Urumqi then a night bus to Burjin, a city found at the feet of the Altai Mountains, north of Urumqi;
Days 8 and 9: Bus for Hemu, visit the village (“cowboy” style) and beautiful nearby hills; overnight there;
Days 10 and 11: Bus for the Tourist Complex of Kanas and a visit to the park;
Day 12: Return to Urumqi.
- Recommended trekking and activities: Excursion to Lake Tianchi, 110 Km from Urumqi; visit the Kashgar livestock market (open only on Sundays); excursion from Hemu to Kanas, in the Altai Mountains.
Kunming-Dali-Lijiang-Lake Lugu-Emei Shan-Leshan-Chengdu
- Itinerary Type: Natural.
- Movement difficulty: Medium; once you arrive in Kunming, where flights arrive from all teh major cities of China, the other cities are well connected by train and bus lines. Considering the popularity of Lijiang among Chinese tourists, often finding train tickets in Yunnan is complicated and you’ll have to settle for the bus.
- Best time to travel: Despite not being an extremely vast province, the climate in Yunnan varies from sub-tropicale in the south to alpine in the region of Shangri-La. In my opinion there’s no one period when it’s better to visit than another; with the obvious exception of not going during Chinese holidays when the Province is invaded by Chinese tourists. For Sichuan, on the second part of the trip, the best time to visit is without a doubt the fall.
- Recommended Hotels: Click on the links below to read our reviews on the best luxury and budget hotels in Kunming, Dali, Lijiang and Chengdu.
- Tour operator: If you’re interested in an organized tour, as a group or in private, click here to learn more and get a free estimate.
Itinerary:
Day 1: Arrive in Kunming and tour the city;
Day 2: Get up very early to visit the Stone Forest before the crowds of Chinese tourists; bus for Dali;
Day 3: Visit the Old City of Dali;
Day 4: Excursion to Mount Cang (you get there on foot from the Old City of Dali), and bus for Lijiang;
Day 5: Visit the Old City of Lijiang; overnight there;
Days 6-7: Bus for Lugu Lake, homeland of the almost matriarchal tribe of the Mosuo; visit the various places around the lake; overnight in the Village of Lige;
Day 8: Bus from Lugu to Xichang; night train from Xichang to Emei Shan;
Day 9: Climb Emei Shan with an overnight in one of the many monasteries along the route;
Day 10: Arrive at the top of Emei Shan and descend (by bus); arrive in Leshan, by bus;
Day 11: Visit the Giant Buddha of Leshan and the surrounding park; bus for Chengdu;
Day 12: Visit the Chengdu Panda Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding and the city center of Chengdu;
- Recommended trekking: 2 day excursion to Tiger Leaping Gorge.
Itineraries of 18-21 days
In this section I will illustrate several itineraries suitable for trips of about three weeks. Obviously, you can create a different itinerary by simply combining itineraries of one and two weeks from the previous sections.
Beijing-Luoyang-Dengfeng-Xi’An-Shanghai-Xiamen-Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Macau
- Itinerary Type: Historic/Modern.
- Movement difficulty: Medium, because unless you travel with an organized tour, you’ll have to get around by train and/or bus through Henan, or the Province of Luoyange Dengfeng, where English is not widely spoken.
- Best time to travel: The best season is the fall, when the weather is dry and mild. You can however visit the destinations listed at any time of year.
- Recommended Hotels: Click on the links below to read our reviews on the best luxury and budget hotels in Beijing, Xi’An and Shanghai, Xiamen, Shenzhen, Hong Kong and Macau.
- Tour operator: If you’re interested in an organized tour, as a group or in private, click here to learn more and get a free estimate.
Itinerary:
Day 1: Arrive in Beijing and visit the Summer Palace and Haidian university area;
Day 2: Visit the Ming Tombs and the Great Wall at Mutianyu, or the “Wild” Great Wall of Gubeikou;
Day 3: Visit the Temple of Heaven and the shopping district of Wangfujing;
Day 4: Visit Tian’An Men Square, the Forbidden City and Coal Hill;
Day 5: Visit the Temple of the Lamas, the Temple of Confucius, the Bell Tower, the Drum Tower, Gulou quarter and the few remaining Hutongs left in the city;
Day 6: Walk through the international quarters of Sanlitun and Dongzhimen; arrive in Luoyang (by air or fast train);
Day 7: Visit Longmen Caves, Baima Temple and the Luoyang Museum;
Day 8: Arrive in Dengfeng, visit Shaolin Temple and Mount Song National Park;
Day 9: Return to Luoyang, move on to Xi’An by fast train; visit the Muslim Quarter of Xi’An;
Day 10: Visit the archaeological site of the Terracotta Warriors ancient city walls of Xi’An;
Day 11: Excursion to Mount Hua;
Day 12: Arrive Shanghai (by train); visit the Yuyuan Gardens, Shanghai Museum, the Bund, and Nanjing Road;
Day 13: Visit the Oriental Pearl TV Tower financial district of Lujiazui (where you’ll find Shanghai’s major skyscrapers);
Day 14: Visit the Old French Concession; train for Xiamen;.
Day 15: Visit the city center of Xiamen train for Shenzhen;
Day 16: Arrive in Shenzhen; visit the Nanshan District;
Day 17: Visit the Futian and Luohu Districts; pass the border and arrive in Hong Kong;
Day 18: Visit Central, Causeway Bay and Victoria Peak in Hong Kong;
Day 19: Visit Landau Island (or the Giant Buddha and the village of Tai-O); dinner at Lan Kwai Fong (LKF);
Day 20: Day trip to Macau (you can take the ferry from Hong Kong Island);
Day 21: Visit Kowloon peninsula; don’t miss the free show “A Symphony of Lights” on the Avenue of Stars, which is held every day at around eight in the evening;
The Silk Road: Beijing-Xi’An-Dunhuang-Urumqi-Kashgar
- Itinerary Type: Historic/Natural.
- Movement difficulty: High if you intend to get around by train and/or bus, since Xinjiang is the largest province in China. Medium if you take flights for the largest portions, though some places can only be reached by bus or in the case of Karakorum, only with a private car and driver (see details in the itinerary).
- Best time to travel: The best season is the fall, when the weather is dry and mild. Winter is not recommended since some parts of the itinerary – especially in Xinjiang, cannot be reached due to the snow.
- Recommended Hotels: Click on the links below to read our reviews on the best luxury and budget hotels in Beijing, Xi’An, Dunhuang and Urumqi e Kashgar.
- Tour operator: If you’re interested in an organized tour, as a group or in private, click here to learn more and get a free estimate.
Itinerary:
Day 1: Arrive in Beijing and visit the Summer Palace and Haidian university area;
Day 2: Visit the Ming Tombs and the Great Wall at Mutianyu, or the “Wild” Great Wall of Gubeikou;
Day 3: Visit the Temple of Heaven and the shopping district of Wangfujing;
Day 4: Visit Tian’An Men Square, the Forbidden City and Coal Hille; night train Beijing-Xi’An;
Day 5: Visit the archaeological site of the Terracotta Warriors and the city center of Xi’An (the Muslim Quarter and ancient city walls);
Day 6: Excursion to Mount Hua;
Day 7: Air or train Xi’An-Dunhuang (by train it takes about 24 hours);
Day 8: Visit Mogao Caves and the Dunhuang Museum;
Day 9: Train Dunhuang-Jiayuguan (about 6 hours) and and visit the westernmost part of the Great Wall of China;
Day 10: Train Jiayuguan-Urumqi (about 7 hours); visit the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region Museum;
Day 11: Visit Turpan (or Turfan) and return to Urumqi;
Day 12: Travel by auto from Urumqi to Korla (about 6 hours) through Tianshan mountain;
Day 13: Travel by auto from Korla to Kuqa (about 3 hours) and visit the ruins of Subash;
Day 14: Travel by auto from Kuqa to Aksu (about 5 hours) with a stop at the Cave of the Thousand Buddhas of Kizil;
Day 15: Travel by auto from Aksu to Kashgar (about 6 hours);
Day 16: Visit the Mosque of Id Kah and the Old City of Kashgar;
Day 17: Visit the tomb of Abakh Khoja and the night market of Jie Fang Bei Road;
Day 18: Visit the Desert of Da Wa Kun (with camel ride) by bus;
Days 19 and 20: Excursion Kashgar-Tashkurgan along the Karakorum Highway, the highest paved international road in the world- in terms of elevation – which connects Pakistan and Cina. Note that there are no bus lines; I recommend that you ask at your hotel for help in arranging a private car and driver (cost: about 1,500 Yuan);
Day 21: Return to Beijing (by air).
Frequently asked questions
If you want to explore the bigger cities and see some of China’s old history, you can visit Beijing and Xian over a period of 7 days. If you want to see most of the East coast, including cities like Beijing, Hangzhou, Suzhou, and Shanghai, you’ll need at least 10-14 days.
If you want to experience China’s beautiful nature and visit minority groups, the Southern and Southwestern parts should be on the top of your list. Set aside at least 14 days if you visit Guilin and Yunnan. Add a week if you plan going to Tibet as well.
Photo Credits: Cover Photo by Felix Mittermeier on Pexels
Himmelstempel_Beijing20120926_073 by Thomas Fischler
白居寺 Palcho Monastery by Yuen Yan
How much do you think will I spend if I do that 12-15 day itinerary?
Hi, it really depends on the itinerary, the way you travel (moving by plane and sleeping in 5 stars hotels will be more expensive than moving by train and sleeping in a Youth Hostel), etc