Destination Guides

Where to go in China

Matching China's regions and cities to trip types — first-timers, beach weeks, food trips and family holidays.

6 min read · Updated 2026-08-01

China spans roughly 5,000km east to west and covers subarctic forest in the northeast, arid desert and grassland in the northwest, subtropical rivers and karst in the south and tropical beaches on Hainan — so there is no single national climate or season. What makes it unusually easy to travel is infrastructure: the high-speed rail network is the largest in the world and links most major cities faster than flying door-to-door. Classic first trips combine Beijing, Xi'an and Shanghai, adding Chengdu or the karst landscapes around Guilin and Yangshuo. Payment and booking run through domestic mobile apps, which is the main practical adjustment for visitors.

The places worth building a trip around

Each of these has its own page with timing, budget and getting-around notes.

Beijing (City) — Imperial capital of the Forbidden City, hutong lanes and the Great Wall on its doorstep.
Shanghai (City) — Riverfront skyline, art deco Bund, contemporary art and the country's best restaurant range.
Xi'an (City) — Terracotta Army, an intact city wall and the Muslim Quarter food streets.
Guilin & Yangshuo (Region) — Karst peaks along the Li River — cycling, bamboo rafting and terraced rice fields.
Chengdu (City) — Teahouse pace, Sichuan cooking and the giant panda breeding base.
Yunnan — Lijiang & Shangri-La (Region) — Old towns, gorges and Tibetan-influenced highlands in the southwest.
Zhangjiajie (Park) — Sandstone pillar forest and glass walkways in Hunan's national forest park.
Hong Kong (City) — Harbour skyline, hiking trails and dense food culture in the special administrative region.