r/chinaexplorer

Hey all,

So I'm heading to Yunnan at the end of October this year (for 8 days). It's my first time in China and honestly my first time doing a trip like this, so I'm equal parts excited and clueless.

The thing I care about most is actually meeting people and getting a feel for how folks live, rather than just running around photographing stuff. I've read a bit about the Naxi and Bai communities and I'd love to spend real time learning about their culture — food, music, crafts, everyday life, whatever.

My main problem is I don't speak any Chinese, so I'm hoping to find an English-speaking guide, or maybe a small local outfit, who can help me connect with people without it being awkward or purely transactional.

A few things I'd love input on:

(1) Anyone know a good guide you'd personally vouch for?

(2) Which places are worth it and which are tourist traps? I keep seeing Lijiang, Dali, Shaxi come up but not sure what's genuine anymore.

(3) Any homestays, workshops, or festivals happening around then that are worth catching?

I really want to do this respectfully and put money in local hands where I can, so if you've got tips on that too I'm all ears.

Appreciate any help. Thanks!

I’m planning my first trip to China and I’m trying to work around the National Day Golden Week.
My current idea is to arrive in either Hong Kong or Beijing on October 4, and then continue travelling around China (possibly heading to Zhangjiajie around October 7).
I’ve read a lot of posts saying Golden Week is incredibly crowded, but I’m struggling to understand whether arriving on October 4 is still a bad idea, or if the worst of it is mainly during the first few days (October 1–3).
For those who have travelled during Golden Week:
Is arriving in Hong Kong or Beijing on October 4 manageable?
Will attractions and transport still be overwhelmingly crowded, or is it tolerable with advance bookings?
Would you recommend delaying the trip until after October 7 instead, even if it means losing a few days?
I’d really appreciate hearing from people with first-hand experience. Thanks!

Hi everyone! I'll be visiting China, on my own, for the first time, in the last 2 weeks of Oct 2026 and have about 9 solid days. I definitely want to visit Chengdu and Chongqing, and a 3rd city that is in the area, if possible Other than that, I'm really clueless on how to start. For example, do I go Chengdu first, then Chongqing, or vice versa. Which airport in Chengdu should I fly to? etc.

I've been combing through Reddit posts but the amount of information is overwhelming, and not all are relevant to my ideal vacation, so if y'all can provide me guidance and tips, I would be most grateful.

What I'm looking for in this vacation is:

1. slow paced
2. lots of exploring, especially areas with beautiful scenery
3. want to soak up the culture of China and learn new things and lifestyle
4. to be able to play pickleball with some locals or expats there! (haha purely optional though - I just love the game)

What I'm not looking for:

1. pandas (haha I know quite counterintuitive since I'm going Chengdu, but I really have no interest in that animal.

To be frank, I don't know enough to really know what I want - and not want - out of trip yet, so will update my posts as I research more.

Thank you all in advance! 😃

I’m travelling from England to China in August. It's my first trip outside Europe, going on a G Adventures group tour.

I’ve travelled in Europe before and mainly used my Monzo card, but I know China is quite different for payments so I’m not sure what to expect.

A few questions:

How much cash should I realistically take for a ~2 week trip? Is it still possible to use UK cards (like Monzo) at all in China, or is it mostly cash / mobile payments? Is it worth setting up Alipay or WeChat Pay as a tourist? Any advice on the best setup so I don’t get stuck without payment options?

Most accommodation and transport are covered by the tour, so I mainly need spending money for food, drinks, tips, and extras.

Any advice from people who’ve been would be really appreciated!

i’m doing a summer school in shanghai from 13th july to 7th august, i’ll be in classes (Mon/Tues/Thurs 13:00–15:35 and Mon–Thurs 15:45–17:20, Fri 13:00–14:40) but other than that I’m free!!

I would welcome any advice on how I may structure to my trip to both appreciate Shanghai but also what else is a must see in china that is also feasible while being in a summer school. i’m happy to travel / stay in hostels etc during the weekends but would love any advice possible! i’ve never been to china or even asia before so plz assume i am a total newbie to all places / things :)

thanks in advance!!

I am a bespoke travel planner from China with five years of experience in the tourism industry. Starting this year, I have focused on inbound tourism clients, primarily marketing through Facebook. However, I have run into a major issue: I have invested heavily in Facebook ads but secured zero bookings. I would like to ask everyone a question—would you readily sign up for a travel tour via Facebook? We are a fully licensed and legitimate travel company with complete official business credentials.

I just back from my trip, and I need to talk about how insane the hotel value is here. Back home in US or when I travel to places like Tokyo and London, my budget usually gets me a tiny, basic room with barely enough space to open my suitcas.

But in china ? A regular middle class budget turns you into royalty.

I decided to splurge a little bit and spend around $130 to $150 USD a night. For that price, I was getting a hotel room that felt like getting a high end luxury suite in in las vegas.

We are talking massive beds, beautiful views, amazing modern designs and even some giant tub right in the room. In New York a room like this would easily cost $700+ a night.

Even when I drop down to $50 USD a night the rooms were spotless super modern and felt way nicer than a standard western hotel.

If you add in the fact that you can book premium business class seats on the trains with private lounge access for next to nothing yiu realize you don't need to be rich to experience absolute luxury here. It's easily the best kept travel secret in the world right now.

Hi All, I'll be visiting China for the first time at the end of this year and have curated a 10 days "must see" itinerary.

Shanghai (3 days) -

• Tianzifang, Nanjing pedestrian street, Bund cruise
• Yu Garden, Shanghai Film City, Haus Nowhere, 1000 trees mall, Warehouse no.3, Shopping( LV ship, Adidas)
• Maling Sky

Yangshuo (1 day) -

• Yulong RIver bamboo rafting, Impression Liu Sanjie show

Zhangjiaje (2 days) -

• Zhangjiaje National Park, 72 Strange buildings
• Tianmen mountain, Golden whip Stream, Furong town

Chongqing (2 days) -

• Liziba Station, Kuixinglou park, Hongya Cave, Hangtze cable car
• Chongqing zoo, Ciqikou ancient town, Chongqing 1949 show, hotpot

Beijijng (2 days) -

• Tiananmen Square, Forbidden city, Night market
• Great Wall, China World mall

I'm not sure whether this feels rushed or doable. Any suggestions would be very appreciated. I'm open to any hidden gem recommendations as well. Thanks!

Hi everyone,

I’m planning a 12-day family trip to China at the end of August/early September and would really appreciate your feedback on whether this itinerary is logical or if you’d recommend any changes.

Current plan:

Days 1–3: Hong Kong + Macau
Days 4–6: Shanghai
Days 7–9: Zhangjiajie
Days 10–12: Beijing

I’m planning to fly back to Bengaluru (India) from Beijing because I have 3 days of work in Beijing, so that part of the itinerary is fixed.

I’ll be travelling with my wife and my 12-year-old son, who has some difficulty walking So we’d like to keep the trip enjoyable without constantly rushing or changing hotels.

Our interests are:

Nature and scenic landscapes
Shopping
Iconic attractions
Good vegetarian food
A relaxed pace rather than trying to see everything

Questions:

Is this route logical, or would you change the order?
Is Zhangjiajie worth the extra domestic flight with a child who has some mobility limitations?
Would Xi’an or another destination be a better fit
Any tips on domestic flights, accessibility, or hotels that would make this itinerary easier with a child who has limited mobility?

Most people take the high-speed train or the subway when they want to cross the border from Hong Kong into Shenzhen. But if you want the absolute most peaceful and coolest experience you have to take the ferry.

I took the boat from Hong Kong (Sheung Wan) straight to Shenzhen (Shekou Port) yesterday, and it was such a good experience. You get to cruise right past the massive sea bridges and watch the container ships which is so surreal.

When you land at the ferry port in Shenzhen the border control line is practically empty. You breeze right through in five minutes. The ferry drops you right off at Shekou, which is a beautiful, tropical resort area full of great restaurants and bars right by the water.

It takes about an hour and costs roughly $140 HKD (about $18 USD). It is easily the most simplest way to travel between the two cities!

There is this misconception that life here is all work. But look at how people spend their off-hours. The public space usage, the parks, the riverside walks, the late-night street food gatherings, it’s an incredibly vibrant public life. We think of work-life balance as spending time at home alone. Here, life happens in public. It’s a community-based existence.

Before I arrived in China, I had no idea that Gai Zhang was such a massive trend here. Everywhere you go museums, subway stations, temples, and little souvenir shops people are lining up to stamp notebooks in an effort to collect them all.

You have to buy a special blank notebook at any local shop, and to begin the hunt. Some stamps are completely free, some require you to buy a small postcard, and some are incredibly complex.

My favourite ones are called multi-color stamps. You use a plastic guide tool and press five or six different stamps on top of each other, one by one. Each stamp adds a new color and layer, and at the end, you suddenly have a beautiful, detailed painting of a temple or a city skyline.

It is such a fun, cheap way to collect memories. Instead of buying useless plastic souvenirs, I now have a notebook filled with art from every single place I visited. If you are coming here, you absolutely have to buy a stamp book on your first day.