See the Terracotta Army in Xi'an
Thousands of life-sized clay soldiers buried to guard China's first emperor, discovered by farmers digging a well in 1974 and still being excavated.
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East Asia
Things to do in China
The Great Wall unspooling across mountain ridges, ancient dynasties layered under hyper-modern megacities, and landscapes, karst peaks, high plateaus, bamboo forests, too varied for one trip to cover.
Explore China on the map →Budget$
Best for10-14 days
CapitalBeijing
VisaCitizens of 50 countries, including the UK, Canada, Australia, and most of Europe as of February 2026, can enter visa-free for up to 30 days. US citizens aren't on that list but can use China's 240-hour visa-free transit policy in eligible cities without a full tourist visa.
CurrencyChinese yuan / renminbi (CNY)
LanguagesMandarin Chinese (English limited outside major cities)
InternetRestricted: Google, WhatsApp, and Instagram are blocked; a VPN installed before arrival is standard practice
Typical lodging$20–$55/night
Driving sideRight
Power & voltage220V / 50Hz (Type A/I plug)
Time zoneUTC+8 (single nationwide zone)
Emergency number110 (police) / 120 (ambulance) / 119 (fire)
Dialing code+86
★★★★★ Culture★★★★★ Adventure★★★★★ Photography
Visa rules and emergency numbers can change without notice. Confirm the specifics for your nationality and dates before you travel.
Travel smart
Boil or use bottled water. Check locally. Not customary, and can be declined or seen as awkward.
China's recorded history runs back further than almost any other country's, from 2,000-year-old terracotta armies to a wall built across two millennia of dynasties. It's now also home to the world's largest high-speed rail network, connecting cities the size of entire countries in a few hours.
When to go
SpringMarch–May
Mild and blooming, though Beijing sees occasional spring sandstorms blowing in from the Gobi Desert.
SummerJune–August
Hot and humid across most of the country with a wet monsoon in the south, though the Tibetan plateau is at its most accessible.
AutumnSeptember–November
Widely considered the best season: clear skies and comfortable temperatures, though the National Day holiday (early Oct) brings heavy domestic crowds.
WinterDecember–February
Cold and dry in the north, with Beijing regularly below freezing; the south around Guangzhou stays mild.
20 things to do
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Culture & history
10Explore the Forbidden City in Beijing
Nearly 1,000 buildings across 180 acres, home to Chinese emperors for five centuries: book tickets online in advance, as walk-up sales are limited.
Wander Shanghai's Bund and old French Concession
Colonial-era architecture facing off against a futuristic skyline across the Huangpu River, with tree-lined former concession streets a few blocks inland.
Wander Lijiang's old town in Yunnan
A UNESCO-listed Naxi minority town of canals and cobbled lanes at the foot of the Himalayas, liveliest and most atmospheric after dark.
Visit the Summer Palace in Beijing
An imperial retreat built around Kunming Lake, with a 728-metre covered walkway painted with thousands of individual scenes.
Take a night cruise on the Huangpu River, Shanghai
The Bund and Pudong skylines lit up on opposite banks, best from a boat rather than the crowded riverside walkways.
Wander Pingyao's preserved Ming-dynasty walled town
An intact 14th-century walled city and the birthplace of China's first banks, with far fewer crowds than Beijing or Xi'an.
Visit the Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet
The former winter residence of the Dalai Lamas, over 1,000 rooms across 13 stories, requiring a permit arranged through a licensed tour operator.
See the Bund skyline from Victoria Peak-style viewpoints in Hong Kong
Many China itineraries pair the mainland with a Hong Kong stopover for its harbor skyline, night tram ride, and dim sum culture.
Wander the ancient water town of Wuzhen
Canal-side stone bridges and wooden buildings near Shanghai, preserved (and partly rebuilt) as a showcase of classic Jiangnan water-town architecture.
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Adventure & outdoors
4Walk the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall$6–9
A restored, less-crowded stretch outside Beijing with cable car access and watchtowers spaced along a genuinely dramatic ridgeline.
Hike among Zhangjiajie's sandstone pillar forests
Thousands of quartz-sandstone pillars draped in mist, the landscape that inspired the floating mountains in Avatar.
Trek Tiger Leaping Gorge in Yunnan
One of the world's deepest river gorges, with a multi-day trail along the high route offering views down to the roaring Jinsha River.
Hike sacred Mount Huangshan
Granite peaks, twisted pines, and a sea-of-clouds effect that's inspired Chinese landscape painting for centuries. Stay overnight on the mountain for sunrise.
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Nature & scenery
3Cruise the Li River past karst peaks near Guilin
Limestone pinnacles rising straight out of the water between Guilin and Yangshuo, the landscape that's appeared on the back of the 20-yuan note.
See pandas at the Chengdu Research Base
Purpose-built breeding and research center where giant pandas are genuinely visible up close, busiest and most active in the morning feeding hours.
Walk the Longji rice terraces near Guilin
Hand-carved terraces climbing steep hillsides, green in summer and gold at harvest, with Zhuang and Yao minority villages along the ridgelines.
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Food & drink
3Eat Peking duck in Beijing
Crisp-skinned roast duck carved tableside and wrapped in thin pancakes with scallion and hoisin, Quanjude and Da Dong are the classic rival institutions.
Eat Sichuan hotpot in Chengdu
A bubbling, numbing-spice broth you cook ingredients in tableside: order the half-spicy, half-mild split pot if it's your first time.
Try soup dumplings (xiaolongbao) in Shanghai
Delicate dumplings filled with broth and pork, best eaten fresh with a spoon to catch the soup rather than losing it to a bitten hole.
Common questions
▾Do I need a visa for China?
As of February 2026, citizens of 50 countries including the UK, Canada, Australia, and most of the EU can enter visa-free for up to 30 days. US citizens still need a visa for a standard tourist trip, though a 240-hour visa-free transit policy covers short stopovers in eligible cities.
▾Do I need a VPN in China?
Yes for most travelers: Google, Gmail, WhatsApp, Instagram, and most Western social media and news sites are blocked. Install and test a VPN before you arrive, since VPN provider websites are often blocked too.
▾Which Great Wall section should I visit?
Mutianyu is the best balance of restored, scenic, and less crowded than Badaling, which sees the heaviest tour-bus traffic. Jinshanling and Simatai offer wilder, unrestored stretches for a more adventurous day.
▾Is China safe for tourists?
Yes, generally, violent crime against tourists is rare and petty theft is low by global standards. As with any destination, check current travel advisories for specific regions before booking, particularly around Tibet and Xinjiang, which have additional travel permit requirements.
▾How do you get around a country this large?
High-speed rail connects nearly every major city at speeds up to 350 km/h, making it the practical backbone of most itineraries; domestic flights fill the gaps to more remote regions like Tibet or Yunnan.
▾How much does it cost to visit the Great Wall?
Entry to the most-visited sections, like Badaling and Mutianyu, typically runs ¥40-65 (about $6-9) in peak season and somewhat less off-season. That's separate from transport to and from Beijing, which for the more remote, less crowded sections can cost more than the entry ticket itself.
