Visas & entry
Entry rules are unusually fluid; verify with the Chinese embassy/consulate and your airline before ticketing. As stated in the dossier, citizens of many countries—including the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea and much of Europe—may enter visa-free for eligible stays up to 30 days, while U.S. citizens ordinarily need a tourist visa; the 240-hour transit-without-visa scheme requires onward travel to a third country or region, not a round trip home.
Getting in
- Beijing Capital International Airport: Best gateway for a first trip centered on Beijing, the Great Wall and Xi’an. Use it as one end of an open-jaw itinerary with Shanghai where flight prices and schedules cooperate.
- Beijing Daxing International Airport: Beijing’s newer long-haul airport; equally viable for the northern historic corridor, but check the airport-to-hotel transfer before choosing a cheaper flight.
- Shanghai Pudong International Airport: The logical eastern gateway for Shanghai and the Jiangnan rail belt—Suzhou, Hangzhou and beyond. It pairs particularly well with Beijing as an open jaw.
- Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport: The main southern gateway for Guangzhou, the Pearl River Delta and Guangxi. Better than Beijing or Shanghai for a food-led south-China itinerary.
- Chengdu Tianfu International Airport: The useful western gateway for Sichuan and connections toward Yunnan, western China and scenic regions that sit beyond the main east-coast rail spine.
Getting around
Use high-speed rail by default in the Beijing–Xi’an–Shanghai–Suzhou–Hangzhou core: it is usually less stressful than flying once airport transfers and security are counted. Fly for the big geographic jumps—especially Chengdu to Yunnan or Guilin, and for Zhangjiajie, Hainan, Gansu and Xinjiang—rather than losing full days on long rail connections. Scenic regions often need a car, driver, local bus or park shuttle after the train ends; a fast train does not make mountain transfers fast.
Money
China uses renminbi/yuan (RMB, CNY, ¥). International cards are more usable than they were, but daily life is still heavily QR-payment based: set up Alipay or WeChat Pay with a foreign card before arrival and keep some cash as backup, especially outside major cities. Tipping is generally not expected in restaurants or taxis.
Daily budget · Chinese renminbi (RMB/CNY, ¥)
- Value
- ¥700–1,200 per day
- Mid-range
- ¥1,500–3,000 per day
- High-end
- ¥5,000+ per day
- Bands exclude international flights but include lodging, food, local transport, routine admissions and an averaged allowance for intercity travel.
- Value means clean budget hotels or simple guesthouses, local meals, metro/buses, second-class rail and selective paid sights.
- Mid-range covers good three- or four-star hotels, taxis/rideshares, better restaurants, high-speed rail, and occasional guides or drivers.
- High-end means luxury or top boutique hotels, private drivers/guides, business-class rail, convenient domestic flights and premium scenic-area transport.
- The cost traps are holiday dates, hotel-heavy Beijing/Shanghai/Sanya/Lijiang, domestic flights, private drivers in scenic regions, and cable cars or elevators inside major parks.
- May Day, National Day and Lunar New Year push hotel and transport prices sharply upward. Avoid one-night hops: repeated transfers cost both money and usable travel time.
Eating well
- Breakfast is early; lunch usually runs around noon–1 pm, and dinner peaks from roughly 6–8 pm.
- Reserve popular Friday/Saturday dinner spots, especially serious Peking duck, hotpot and destination restaurants in Shanghai/Jiangnan.
- The Muslim Quarter in Xi'an is a useful sampler, but nearby neighborhood lanes often serve better food. Likewise, do not assume the most famous duck restaurant is the best one.
- Mala combines chile heat with the numbing, floral effect of Sichuan pepper; order mild if you are unsure.
- Use markets for fruit, snacks and people-watching, rather than automatically choosing them for your most ambitious meal.
- Wild mushrooms in Yunnan are seasonal and excellent, but eat them at reputable restaurants only. For Uyghur food, seek it in Kashgar or Turpan rather than settling for a generic version in Beijing.
Book before you land
Forbidden City, Beijing — timed tickets can disappear well ahead, especially weekends and holidays. · Mogao Caves, Dunhuang — daily visitor numbers are capped; book ahead rather than gambling on the limited emergency-ticket system. · Zhangjiajie National Forest Park/Wulingyuan — real-name timed reservations are required, and peak dates can fill. · Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival — reserve accommodation and key admission/transport well ahead for the winter peak.
- Avoid planning around Lunar New Year, the May Day break around May 1, and National Day/Golden Week from October 1: trains sell out, hotel prices rise and major sights become punishingly crowded.
- Download Alipay or WeChat Pay, DiDi, Amap/Baidu Maps and a reliable translation tool before landing; many services, menus and ticket systems are app-first and Chinese-language interfaces remain common.
- Carry your passport. Hotels need it for registration, rail and flight tickets are tied to it, and many attractions use real-name entry.
- Expect airport-style security at rail stations and major sights. Arrive early for trains, and do not treat a two-hour rail journey as a two-hour door-to-door transfer.
- Tap water is not for drinking. Buy bottled water or use boiled water/tea, including in budget accommodation unless it explicitly provides treated drinking water.
- Hong Kong and Macao have separate immigration controls, currencies and transport systems. Crossing from either into mainland China requires the correct mainland entry permission; do not treat them as domestic stops.
Entry rules change — verify visa requirements for your passport before booking this country.
Season by season
March–May
China’s most versatile spring: Beijing and Xi’an thaw out, Jiangnan gardens and tea hills are at their best, and Yunnan is excellent before summer rains; Shanghai, Hangzhou, Guilin and Guangzhou can still be wet, while the far south turns hot by late spring.
Beijing and Xi’an history tripsShanghai, Suzhou and HangzhouYunnan landscapesGuilin and Yangshuo before peak heat
Temperatures are variable in the north, rain can disrupt the southeast, and the May Day holiday makes transport and famous sites punishingly crowded.
June–August
Eastern and southern China are hot, humid and rainy, with Shanghai, Guangzhou and Guilin often steamy and typhoons possible along the southeast coast and Hainan; higher western areas including Yunnan, western Sichuan, Qinghai and parts of Gansu/Xinjiang are the better seasonal bet.
Yunnan highlandswestern Sichuan and QinghaiGansu and Xinjiangearly-morning Beijing sightseeing
Summer heat is serious in the lowland east and south, while mountain rain, landslides and weather delays can complicate western scenic routes.
September–November
The strongest all-round season: Beijing and the Great Wall are often crisp and clear, Jiangnan loses its oppressive humidity, Sichuan and Yunnan are pleasant, and the northwest is excellent before winter closes in.
First-time Beijing–Xi’an–Shanghai tripsGreat Wall visitsJiangnan cities and gardensSichuan, Yunnan and the Silk Road northwest
National Day Golden Week begins around October 1 and brings extreme crowds, scarce rail seats and inflated hotel prices.
December–February
Northern China is cold, dry and often clearer, with lower crowds; Shanghai is damp-cold, while Guangzhou, southern Yunnan, Hong Kong/Macao and Hainan offer the country’s warmer escapes.
Harbin winter travelBeijing and Xi’an with thinner crowdsHainan beach breaksGuangzhou and southern Yunnan
Subzero conditions are normal in the north, Sanya is expensive in peak winter, and Lunar New Year can bring closures, reduced restaurant hours and sold-out transport.
Events worth planning around
Lunar New Year / Spring Festival · Late January or February; dates vary annually. · Nationwide
China’s largest annual domestic migration fills trains and flights, pushes up hotel prices, and can mean closures or reduced restaurant hours; book far ahead or avoid independent cross-country travel during the peak movement days.
May Day holiday · Around May 1, usually with an extended public-holiday break. · Nationwide
Rail seats disappear, hotels surge and major sights become exhausting; avoid the period unless crowds are part of the plan.
National Day Golden Week · Begins October 1, usually lasting about a week. · Nationwide
The year’s other major travel crunch: expect inflated rates, full trains and dense crowds at every headline attraction; shift travel to before or after the holiday.
Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival · Usually late December through February, with the main ice displays typically strongest in January. · Harbin, Heilongjiang
This is the reason to choose Harbin in deep winter, but it brings high demand and genuine subzero weather; reserve central accommodation and flights or rail early.
What to eat
Treat China as a collection of regional cuisines, not one national menu: noodle-and-wheat country in the north, delicate Jiangnan cooking on the east coast, chile-and-peppercorn intensity in Sichuan and Chongqing, and seafood-led Cantonese food in the south. Eat the local specialty where it belongs, reserve destination meals in Shanghai and for serious duck or hotpot, and use small neighborhood restaurants as well as famous markets.
Peking duckZhajiangmian noodlesJianbing breakfastsDumplings and lamb skewersBiangbiang noodlesRoujiamo flatbread sandwichesLiangpi cold noodlesXiaolongbao soup dumplingsShengjian pan-fried bunsHairy crab in season and braised pork in Jiangnan cities and towns around Shanghai, Suzhou and Hangzhou; Longjing tea in Hangzhou's tea country; freshwater fish in Suzhou/Hangzhou cooking; refined Jiangnan cuisine across the Shanghai–Suzhou–Hangzhou belt; reserve sought-after meals here rather than treating the region as only a dumpling stop; Sichuan and Chongqing: mapo tofu, kung pao chicken in its home form, fish-fragrant dishes, dry pot, Chengdu snacks, and Sichuan or Chongqing mala hotpot; Guangzhou and the Guangdong south: dim sum, Cantonese roast meats, congee, steamed seafood, claypot rice and late-night eating; Guangzhou is one of the country's strongest eating cities; Guangxi: Guilin rice noodles, sour-spicy dishes, Yangshuo beer fish and minority-upland rice dishes; Yunnan: crossing-the-bridge rice noodles, mushroom hotpot, ham, Dali goat cheese, Dai-style grilled fish and herb-heavy dishes; Northwest/Silk Road: hand-pulled noodles, cumin lamb skewers, naan-like breads, pilaf, raisins and melons, with Kashgar and Turpan the places to seek Uyghur cooking; Hainan: Wenchang chicken, Hainanese rice, seafood, coconut and tropical fruit.
Beijing and the north: Peking duck · Zhajiangmian noodles · Jianbing breakfasts · Lamb skewers · Dumplings and hearty wheat-based food
Xi'an and Shaanxi: Biangbiang noodles · Roujiamo flatbread sandwiches · Liangpi cold noodles · Cumin lamb · Pomegranate juice
Shanghai, Suzhou and Hangzhou (Jiangnan): Xiaolongbao soup dumplings · Shengjian pan-fried buns · Hairy crab in season · Braised pork · Freshwater fish dishes and Longjing tea
Sichuan and Chongqing: Mapo tofu · Kung pao chicken in its home form · Fish-fragrant dishes · Dry pot · Sichuan hotpot and fiercer Chongqing mala hotpot
Guangzhou and Guangdong: Dim sum · Cantonese roast meats · Congee · Steamed seafood · Claypot rice
Guangxi: Guilin rice noodles · Sour-spicy flavors · Yangshuo beer fish · Minority-upland rice dishes
Yunnan: Crossing-the-bridge rice noodles · Mushroom hotpot · Ham · Dali goat cheese · Dai-style grilled fish
Northwest and Silk Road cities: Hand-pulled noodles · Lamb skewers with cumin · Naan-like breads · Pilaf · Uyghur dishes, raisins and melons