China

China, in a few days

From the Great Wall outside Beijing to the Terracotta Army of Xi'an, the Shanghai skyline and the karst peaks of Guilin, linked by high-speed train: the map, what is worth booking, everything that costs nothing, and where to sleep at three budgets.

Day by day

1

Beijing

Days 1-3

The imperial capital of the Ming and Qing. The Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square sit at its centre, and the Great Wall runs along the hills about ninety minutes north.

🎟️ Worth booking

• The Great Wall at Mutianyu, guidedFull day · from €65
  A restored stretch of the Ming wall, quieter than Badaling, with a cable car up and a toboggan down if you want one.
• The Forbidden City and Tiananmen SquareHalf day · from €30
  The palace of twenty-four emperors, walked from south to north, after the square that fronts it. Tickets are timed and must be booked ahead with your passport.

✦ Free to visit

• The Temple of Heaven park, with tai chi at dawn
• The hutongs, Beijing's old lanes
• Wangfujing snack street
• Jingshan Park and its view over the Forbidden City

📲 Book things to do in Beijing on GetYourGuide

2

Xi'an

Days 4-5 · 🚄 High-speed train 4h30

The eastern end of the Silk Road and capital of a dozen dynasties. Outside town, the Terracotta Army has guarded the tomb of the first emperor since around 210 BC.

🎟️ Worth booking

• The Terracotta Army, guidedHalf day · from €45
  Thousands of life-size clay soldiers, each face different, standing in the pits where farmers found them in 1974.
• Cycling the city walls2h · from €15
  Fourteen kilometres of Ming ramparts, wide enough to ride the whole loop around the old city.

✦ Free to visit

• The old city walls, lit up at night
• The Muslim Quarter and its street food
• The Big Wild Goose Pagoda, from outside

📲 Book things to do in Xi'an on GetYourGuide

3

Shanghai

Days 6-7 · 🚄 High-speed train 6h

The old banks and trading houses of the Bund face the towers of Pudong across the Huangpu, and the plane trees of the former French Concession shade the streets behind.

🎟️ Worth booking

• Huangpu River cruise1h30 · from €30
  An evening on the river between the lit-up Bund and the towers of Pudong.
• Shanghai Tower observation deck2h · from €35
  The observation floor of China's tallest building, more than 500 metres above the river.

✦ Free to visit

• The Bund
• Yu Garden
• The former French Concession
• The Pudong skyline at night

📲 Book things to do in Shanghai on GetYourGuide

4

Guilin and Yangshuo

Days 8-10 · ✈️ Domestic flight 2h30

Karst peaks rise along the Li River all the way to Yangshuo, the landscape printed on the back of the 20 yuan note.

🎟️ Worth booking

• Li River cruiseHalf day · from €45
  Down the river from Guilin towards Yangshuo, between the karst peaks of the 20 yuan note.
• Cycling the Yangshuo countrysideHalf day · from €20
  Back roads through rice fields and villages along the Yulong River, under the peaks.

✦ Free to visit

• The karst peaks in the mist
• The Longji rice terraces
• The riverside villages
• Sunset over the river and the peaks

📲 Book things to do in Guilin and Yangshuo on GetYourGuide

Worth sorting before you go

High-speed trains · China's high-speed network runs at up to 350 km/h and links all four stops. Book with your passport, and keep it on you: it is your ticket at the gate.

📶 eSIM data
Online the moment you land, no roaming bill.
Get one · Holafly

🛡️ Travel insurance
Health, luggage, cancellation.
Cover it · Ekta

🚗 Car hire
Compare the agencies before you land.
Compare · Booking

💳 Fee-free card
Pay at the real rate, with no exchange markup.
Open one · Revolut

🚐 Airport transfer
A private car at a fixed price from the moment you land.
Book it · GetTransfer

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Flavours & local habits

🍽️ Worth tasting

• Dim sum: small steamed and fried dishes shared over tea, a Cantonese morning ritual.
• Peking duck: lacquered, roasted until the skin cracks, and carved at the table.
• Hot pot: a simmering pot of broth, often fiercely spiced in the Sichuan style, to cook your own meat and vegetables.
• Jiaozi and hand-pulled noodles: dumplings and noodles made to order, cheapest and best in the north.
• Tea and baijiu: green, oolong or pu'er depending on the region, and a very strong grain spirit for toasts.

⚠️ Best avoided

• Google, WhatsApp and most Western apps are blocked: sort out a roaming eSIM or a VPN before you arrive.
• Set up Alipay or WeChat Pay with your foreign card before you go: cash is accepted less and less.
• Carry your hotel's address written in Chinese characters for taxi drivers.
• Stay away from political topics in conversation.

Words that help

English ↔ Mandarin

✈️ Flight delayed by 3 hours or more, or cancelled? You may be owed up to €600. Check your flight on AirHelp.

The practical page

Scan to open this guide online, always up to date.
https://offwegooo.com/en/guides/china

Packing checklist

Have a good trip.
Guide made on offwegooo.com · Photos via Pexels · Details are indicative, check before you leave.