r/chinatravel

Hello! I'm planning a trip to China from Sept. 17th-Oct. 5th this year. Here's my current itinerary:

Hong Kong Sept. 17-20 (2 Full Days, 3 Nights)

Zhangjiajie Sept. 20-23 (2 Full Days, 3 Nights)

Chongqing Sept. 23-26 (2 Full Days, 3 Nights)

Xi'an Sept. 26-28 (1 Full Day, 2 Nights) - thinking of removing Xi'an and flying right to Bejing...?

Beijing Sept. 28-Oct. 2 (3 Full Days, 4 Nights)

Shanghai Oct. 2-5 (2 Full Days, 3 Nights)

Is this too fast-paced or just right? I'm worried with the train times between Chongqing-Xi'an and Xi'an to Beijing being 5+ hours each trip will consume a lot of the time I have in China just on sitting on a train, which I don't mind, but figure if I remove Xi'an from the itinerary I can add an extra day to Beijing and Chongqing or Shanghai.

Is removing Xi'an the right idea or a bad one, and has anybody done a route similar to this?

First time in China for me as well travelling from Canada and I'm not fluent in Mandarin so I'm not 100% sure what to expect and how difficult getting from place to place will be for me.

Thanks for the advice!

As some of you might know, the current visa regulations (visa-free for up to 30 days from most EU countries) expire on 2026-12-31.

What would be advisable if the trip extends into 2027? Also, would it be possible to have the trip longer than 30 days if we go from Shenzen to Hong Kong over New Year's Eve?

I want to go to China with some friends, and we don't know if it's better to organise our trip on our own, or if it's better to contact a travel agency (which I think is the best option).

I contacted chinatravelseducation.com, I already received the itinerary, I've been contacted by one of the members, but I'm wondering if it's a scam or not. Have you ever tried it? Can I continue with it, or do I have to look for something else?

Thank you in advance.

I am two weeks away from my first trip to China! After asking around, I believe getting a WISE app and card might be the way to go. Now I would like to transfer money to my accounts.

How much money should I transfer to safely accommodate 3 days in Zhangjiajie, 1 day in Wulong, and 3 days in Chongqing?

How much physical cash should I bring with me to convert to yuan while in China?

Thank you very much!

Hello everyone!

As our China trip approaches, I’m tempted to order items from taobao to our hotel. I’ve seen so much content of other travellers doing this. I think I have the process figured out but am a little concerned because I will be on a data eSIM and won’t be able to text/call if clarification is needed.

The return process is also a little vague to me. Wanted to hop on here to see if anyone else has attempted this and how it went for them.

Thanks!

Hello everyone, I need your advice on my upcoming trip to China in late October. I'm arriving and departing from Shanghai. It's a 17-day trip (15 nights). There are so many cool places and I honestly can't decide where to go. I've already visited Beijing, Changsha, and Fujian, but this time I'm going solo. I love nature, urban cities, history, and food.

Here's my rough plan so far. I want to stay in Shanghai for a few days and do a day trip to Hangzhou or Suzhou. Then I want to head to Chengdu and Chongqing and take my time exploring these cities. There are so many cool day trips from there, like Wulong Karst, Leshan Giant Buddha, Project 816, and Mount Emei. These three cities would take me around ten or eleven nights, but this is flexible.

The thing is, I can't decide what to do with the remaining days because everything sounds so interesting. I'm considering Xi'an for the Terracotta Army, Zhangjiajie for the Avatar mountains and hiking, Guilin and Yangshuo for the Li River and karst peaks, or even flying to Seoul since I've never been to Korea. I'm already taking a long flight from home to East Asia, it feels like a good opportunity to visit another country while I'm in the region.

What are your thoughts? Should I add one of these places, go to Seoul, or just spend more time in Chengdu and Chongqing with more day trips?

About me: I walk a lot and use the day to its maximum. I'm fast-paced but still like to pause and enjoy the scenery. I also love street food and local restaurants, and I don't mind taking domestic flights or high-speed trains.

Thanks in advance for your help 🙏🏼

Hi all!

I need some help figuring out what to pack for my upcoming trip and what to expect weather-wise.
I’ll be travelling on these dates:

Sept 13–18: Beijing
Sept 18–22: Shanghai, Suzhou and Hangzhou
Sept 22–23: Guilin
Sept 23–24: Yangshuo
Sept 24–27: Chongqing

I’ll be doing quite a lot of walking and sightseeing, including the Great Wall, temples, palaces, gardens, city walks and the Li River cruise.

I usually wear a lot of dresses in summer, but I’m not sure if the weather will still be suitable for them in mid-to-late September.

What are the must-have items I should bring?
Is it advisable to bring sandals?

Should I expect mostly hot weather, or should I also pack some warmer layers and a light jacket?

Any advice on shoes, rain gear, humidity or anything else that would be particularly useful for this itinerary would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you!

She and I met in College and have stayed in contact since. When she visited me this past April she brought a bunch of snacks from her hometown and gave me one everytime we met up during her visit. She also kept having me rank my favorites and seemed to get always get a laugh out of the expressions I made when trying them, especially the more spicy ones.

It was such a heartwarming series of gifts that I want to do the same when it's my turn to visit her this fall. But the issue is that I'm not quite sure what snacks/candies, China has access to and whats more is that I'm pretty sure a place like Shenzen has the classics like Hershey's, Pringles, Airheads etc. I also want to surprise her so asking for her advice isn't one of my options. So far I only have Takis and sourpatch kids only because that's what I remember her eating more of when we were in school.

Does anyone currently living in Shenzen know what American candies the locals have been wanting to try?
Do any Americans living there have a favorite snack they miss eating, since they can't find it in the city?

Please and thank you!

For those who have traveled to China, what was the hardest part of planning your trip?

I’m curious about this especially for people who traveled independently rather than as part of a tour group.

Was it:
figuring out where to go beyond the obvious cities?
booking trains/tickets?
language barriers?
understanding Chinese history/culture?
planning a route between cities?
finding good local experiences?
something else?

I’m interested in hearing about things that genuinely frustrated you, rather than what you think might be a problem for other travelers :)

Hi. I've been trying to register on the China train website 12306 and kept having the same problem: I never received the email confirmation. I

l explain how I solved it; it might have been just luck, but I got it working.

I read on the 12306 website that tickets couldn't be purchased between midnight and 5:00 AM due to website maintenance. So I figured that once the maintenance was over, the system would be up and running and it would be easier to register.

I registered at 5:01 AM China time (11:01h PM in Spain), and voila, the email arrived instantly. I registered on the website and, just to test it, bought a €1 ticket using the webchat to pay, without any problems.

That's my experience; I hope it's helpful for travelers. (Please excuse my English...)

I’m staying in Shanghai from 9-13th October prior to going to Beijing via high speed train from 13th-18th October. I’m planning a side trip to Hangzhou mainly as a city escape to see the tea fields. Is it better to remain based in Shanghai & do a day trip out to Hangzhou say on 11th or 12th October? Or is it better to stay overnight in Hangzhou 12th October & then catch the high speed train to Beijing from there?

I’m from India and currently in China with a Samsung Android phone. I’m unable to install or use Alipay, DiDi, or WeChat. Google Play isn’t working, and even the official Alipay APK won’t install.
Has anyone faced this? What’s the easiest fix while in China? Or how is it exactly done? Am I missing something?

Hi everyone! I’m trying to plan my first trip to China and would really appreciate some advice from people who have traveled these places.

I’m flying from Houston (IAH) to China in late October/early November, most likely on United. I’m pretty flexible with the total length of the vacation, so I’m not trying to squeeze everything into a fixed number of days. I’d rather spend the right amount of time in each place and avoid rushing.

The places I’m currently considering are:

Shanghai
Zhangjiajie
Fenghuang Ancient Town
Furong Ancient Town
Chengdu
Chongqing

What I’m trying to figure out:

1. How many days would you recommend for each place?
For example, is Shanghai worth 3–4 full days, or is 2–3 enough? How about Chengdu and Chongqing?
For Fenghuang and Furong, would you stay overnight in both, or would you visit one as a day trip from the other?

2. What order makes the most sense geographically?
I’m thinking something along the lines of:
Shanghai → Zhangjiajie → Furong → Fenghuang → Chongqing → Chengdu
…but I’m not sure if this is the most efficient and economical route.

3. I’m also considering Seoul.
I may add Seoul before China or after China, then fly back to Houston.
Would it make more sense financially/logistically to do:
IAH → Seoul → China → IAH
or
IAH → China → Seoul → IAH

4. Which places exceeded expectations, which felt overrated, and where do you wish you had stayed **longer/**shorter?

I’d especially love recommendations from people who have actually done this route.

Thanks!

I am going in this order: Shanghai, Zhangjiajie, Chongqing, Xian, Beijing

Appreciate some advice.

Hi everyone! I’m planning my first trip to China from September 13–27 and would really appreciate some advice.

🇨**🇳Beijing | Sep**t 14–18
Hotel: HanTing Hotel (Beijing Wangfujing Xiehe Hospital), Wangfujing area.
I arrive at around 5:40 AM on Sept 14, so after getting to the hotel and resting a little, I should still have the afternoon.
Sept 14:
Temple of Heaven in the afternoon → Wangfujing in the evening.
Sept 15:
Mutianyu Great Wall (already booked).
Back in Beijing in the afternoon/evening, with the possibility of exploring Wudaoying Hutong / Guozijian Street or the Lama Temple area.
Sept 16:
Tiananmen Square → Forbidden City → Jingshan Park.
Afterwards possibly Nanluoguxiang, other hutongs or Beihai Park.
Sept 17:
Summer Palace. Possibly Old Summer Palace afterwards, otherwise some free time for hutongs, shopping or anything else worth seeing.
Question: Is this a good way to structure the four days, and is Wangfujing a good base?

🇨**🇳Shanghai | Sept 18-2**2
Hotel: JI Hotel (Shanghai The Bund Jiujiang Road), East Nanjing Road / Bund.
Sept 18:
High-speed train Beijing → Shanghai, arriving around 14:35. Check-in and explore Nanjing Road / Bund in the evening.
Sept 19:
Yu Garden → possibly Tianzifang → Pudong / Lujiazui / Shanghai Tower in the afternoon/evening.
Sept 20:
Day trip to Suzhou: Humble Administrator’s Garden → Pingjiang Road → canals → Shantang Street in the evening. Possibly Lingering Garden or Tiger Hill if there’s enough time.
Sept 21:
Day trip to Hangzhou: West Lake → Three Pools Mirroring the Moon → Leifeng Pagoda → Yue Fei Temple → possibly Longjing Tea Cultural Village.
Sept 22:
Morning flight Shanghai → Guilin.
Is the East Nanjing Road/Bund area a good base for this plan?
And I have some free time in Shanghai, so I’d also love suggestions for things that aren’t just sightseeing, for example a good massage, spa, tea house, hair salon/barber, shopping, nightlife or some interesting local experience. What would you recommend?

🇨**🇳Guilin | Sep**t 22–23
Hotel: Venus Royal Hotel (Guilin Elephant Trunk Hill Sun and Moon Twin Towers), central/Shanhu Lake area.
Arrive around 13:40. The idea is to explore Shanhu Lake, Sun & Moon Pagodas, Zhengyang Road, Elephant Trunk Hill and possibly Jingjiang Princes’ Palace in the afternoon/evening.
Sept 23:
Li River cruise to Yangshuo, around 4 hours.
Does this make sense for just one night in Guilin, and is the hotel location convenient for the cruise?

🇨**🇳Yangshuo | Sep**t 23–24
Hotel: Guilin Yangshuo West Street Drum Tower Tour Hotel, West Street area.
After the cruise, the plan is to explore Yangshuo and possibly do Yulong River bamboo rafting, visit Silver Cave / Gold Water Cave, cycle around the countryside, and/or see the Impression Sanjie Liu show.
Sept 24:
Morning in Yangshuo → train to Chongqing at 14:30.
Would you use the time differently? Is there anything I absolutely shouldn’t miss in Yangshuo?

🇨**🇳Chongqing | Sep**t 24–27
Hotel: Chongqing HongyaCave ChaotianmenGate Atour Light Hotel, Hongyadong / Chaotianmen area.
Sept 24:
Arrive around 19:00 → Hongyadong / Qiansimen Bridge / Chaotianmen at night.
Sept 25:
Yangtze River cable car → Longmenhao → Luohan Temple → Raffles City / Chaotianmen → Hongyadong. Possibly an evening river cruise.
Sept 26:
Ciqikou → Testbed 2 → Eling Park.
Alternative options: Three Gorges Museum, Danzishi Old Street or Jiefangbei.
Sept 27:
Early morning flight home.

Is Hongyadong/Chaotianmen a good area to stay, or would Jiefangbei be better?
What would you change?
I’d really appreciate advice on:
Anything I’m missing in any of these cities
Things you’d remove because they’re overrated
How you’d use the free time in each city
Whether the hotel locations make sense
Any neighborhoods worth simply wandering around
Good food, tea, massage/spa, hair salon or other local experiences
Anything that would make the trip feel more like experiencing China rather than just visiting tourist attractions.

Thanks! :)

Hi all, I have encountered several times when I was asked to clear the outstanding fares from my last ride before I can proceed to book for my next ride.

Is these common in Didi apps?

I thought the price we accepted at Didi when booking the ride would be the final price...and if this outstanding fares is legit, what would be the reason for the additional cost?

Thanks everyone in advance for sharing. 🙏🏼

Hi all,

After research I realised many people recommend meltuan and dianping for finding gyms etc. It is not letting me make an account due to not having one lf tje phone numbers required.
Do people know if I can show up to the gym and pay at door via wechat/ali pay?
I will be visiting cities.

Hi! I’m visiting Beijing soon and I’m a bit confused about what I actually need to book in advance 😅

I’ve read that foreigners can buy tickets on site for many attractions. Is that true?

I’m mainly thinking about the Forbidden City, Great Wall, Summer Palace, Temple of Heaven, Tiananmen Square, etc.

Has anyone been there recently? What should I definitely book in advance and what can I just buy there?

Already have Express VPN and Nomad ESIM data.
Currently stuck in hotel right now trying to figure out how to order things with Dianping Taobao and Meituan without a Chinese phone number. Logging in on the apps themselves or using them through Alipay do not work, it has a login popup in which I can login with WeChat BUT WeChat verification requires a phone number.

Hotel WiFi is incredibly slow , or it's my VPN, so using ESIM data now, which is still quite slow for me. Should I just get a Chinese number? This feels like it's getting way over complicated, nothing is working very smoothly...

First time in China, we arrive on the 2nd of October in Chengdu, visiting the city

3rd: Chongqing daily by train

4th: Panda sight and more Chengdu

5th: Huanglong park daily by train+bus

6th: train to Xi An , visit city

7th: more Xi An visit

Then the more packed destinations like terracotta army, Longmen Luoyang, Beijing and Shanghai.

Does it make sense? We chose this itinerary hoping to avoid the crowds.