Planning Your First Trip to China
How long you need, where to start, and the three mistakes most first-timers make.
China is not difficult. It is unfamiliar — which is different. Most of the anxiety first-time visitors feel comes from not knowing what to expect, not from any actual obstacle. This guide tells you what to expect.
The single most useful thing we can tell you: give yourself more time than you think you need. The destinations are further apart than they look on the map, the experiences are slower than a tourist itinerary, and the moments worth remembering are not the ones on the schedule.
The most common mistake: trying to see five cities in eight days. You will see none of them properly. Start with two cities and stay long enough to leave and come back.
How Much Time Do You Need?
5-7 days: One city in depth, or two very close cities (Beijing + Xi'an, or Shanghai + Hangzhou). This is enough to understand one place properly. Not enough for a north-to-south journey.
8-12 days: The most common and often the best choice for first visits. Two to three cities, one train journey between them. Enough time to slow down and let a place settle.
13-18 days: A genuine China arc — four to five regions. For this to work, you need a clear focus: culinary, historical, natural, cultural. Without a focus, 18 days can feel exhausting rather than rewarding.
19-28 days: A proper crossing. North to south or east to west. Only for travellers who are comfortable with sustained uncertainty and the kind of fatigue that feels like richness.
Where to Start
Beijing is the right starting point for most first visitors. It has the strongest infrastructure for international visitors, the most historically significant sites, and a range of experiences — hutong neighbourhood walks, Forbidden City, Great Wall — that give you a clear sense of what China is and was.
Shanghai is easier in some ways but less representative. It is cosmopolitan in a way that can make China feel more familiar than it actually is.
If your primary interest is nature, minority cultures, or food, consider starting elsewhere. Yunnan, Sichuan, and Guizhou reward visitors who arrive already comfortable with some unfamiliarity.
What to Expect on the Ground
Language: English is spoken in international hotels, major tourist sites, and by younger people in large cities. Outside these contexts, assume Mandarin only. This is not a problem if you have a guide — and you should have a guide for at least your first few days.
Internet: Google, WhatsApp, Instagram, and most Western social media are inaccessible without a VPN. Download your VPN before you arrive. We recommend setting it up and testing it in your home country — it is much harder to set up once you are inside China.
Payment: China is almost entirely cashless. Alipay and WeChat Pay are universal. Since 2024, foreigners can link international credit cards to Alipay — we send all guests instructions before they arrive.
Transport: The high-speed train network is extraordinary. Between major cities, it is almost always faster and more comfortable than flying when you include airport time. Trains run on time.
The Three Most Common Mistakes
1. Over-scheduling: China offers so much that the natural impulse is to add more. Resist it. Every extra city means less time in each place, more transit fatigue, and a diminishing return on experience. The guests who come back are always the ones who slowed down.
2. Skipping the guide: China rewards context. The Forbidden City without a guide who can explain what the spatial hierarchy meant, or what the symbolism of each building communicated, is just a series of large buildings. The guide does not just translate — they transform.
3. Treating it like Europe: The distances are longer, the cultural adjustment is deeper, the pace of life is different. China is not a destination you tick off. Plan for it to change you slightly. Give it room to do that.
Practical First Steps
Visa: Most Western nationalities require a tourist visa (L-type) obtained in advance. The application process is straightforward. Some nationalities now qualify for visa-free entry or the 144-hour transit exemption — check the current rules for your passport.
Health: No specific vaccinations are required for most of China, but check with your doctor if you are visiting Tibet or remote regions. Travel insurance with medical evacuation is strongly recommended — the quality of private hospital care in major cities is high, but costs can be significant.
Currency: The Chinese Yuan (RMB) is available at airport exchange counters and ATMs. Bring a small amount of cash for markets and rural areas. For everything else, your Alipay-linked card will work.
Tell us your dates and interests. We will take it from there.
We plan around 40 journeys a year. We have seen the questions and know the answers. Ask us anything.
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