Beijing
The imperial capital: the Forbidden City, the Great Wall, and hutong lanes that survive between the ring roads.
Ideal stay:4–5 days
Destinations
Destinations in China
The places international visitors ask about most, with honest notes on timing and crowds.
Xi'an
The Silk Road's eastern terminus, the Terracotta Army, and a Ming city wall you can cycle end to end.
Ideal stay:2–3 days
Shanghai
China's most navigable mega-city, with a riverfront skyline and two classical towns within an hour by rail.
Ideal stay:3–4 days
Chengdu
Giant pandas, Sichuan food and teahouse afternoons — the unhurried gateway to western China.
Ideal stay:3 days
Guilin and Yangshuo
The karst river scenery printed on the ¥20 note, best seen by cruising downstream and staying in Yangshuo.
Ideal stay:3–4 days
Zhangjiajie
The sandstone pillar forest that inspired Avatar, best done slowly from the park gate rather than the city.
Ideal stay:3–4 days
Yunnan
A province-sized highland region of old towns, snow mountains and terraced hillsides — Kunming, Dali, Lijiang and the Tibetan edge at Shangri-La.
Ideal stay:7–10 days
Harbin
China's ice city: a frozen river, Russian-era streets, and an ice-and-snow theme park that exists for two months a year.
Ideal stay:3–4 days
Hangzhou and Suzhou
West Lake, classical gardens and canal lanes — the Jiangnan pairing that works as an easy add-on to Shanghai.
Ideal stay:3–4 days
Tibet (Lhasa)
The Potala Palace, the Jokhang and the Barkhor pilgrim circuit — a destination foreign visitors can only see on an organised, guided trip.
Ideal stay:4–5 days