Beijing
China's capital blends imperial landmarks, contemporary culture, and the smoothest arrival experience for first-time visitors who want context as much as sightseeing.
3 to 5 daysExplore the city
Places with a point of view
City guides
Get to know the neighborhoods, flavors and everyday details that make each city its own.
The city collection
Find your next place.
14 city and regional guides, with local context for the days ahead.
Shanghai
Shanghai is China's easiest modern city for international visitors, ideal for stylish stopovers, food-focused trips, and east-coast itineraries that feel polished rather than rushed.
2 to 4 daysExplore the city
Chengdu
Chengdu works for travelers who want panda reserves, tea-house culture, and one of the country's most memorable culinary scenes without losing comfort or walkability.
3 to 4 daysExplore the city
Guangzhou
Guangzhou combines Lingnan heritage, Cantonese food, a modern Pearl River skyline, major trade links, and practical access to the wider Greater Bay Area.
3 to 4 daysExplore the city
Chongqing
Chongqing is a vertical river metropolis of hillside streets, rail lines, hotpot, night views, and dramatic access to Wulong's karst landscapes.
3 to 4 daysExplore the city
Zhangjiajie
Zhangjiajie is the dramatic landscape stop for travelers who want hiking, cable cars, and surreal mountain scenery rather than another city-heavy segment.
3 to 4 daysExplore the city
Yunnan
Yunnan is for travelers who want mountain scenery, minority culture, and a more atmospheric route through Lijiang, Dali, and Shangri-La.
5 to 7 daysExplore the city
Shenzhen
Shenzhen is a strong South China gateway for travelers who want modern city life, design, technology, coastal neighborhoods, and an easy route connection with Hong Kong and Guangzhou.
2 to 3 daysExplore the city
Hangzhou
Hangzhou is an elegant contrast to Shanghai, ideal for tea culture, lakeside walks, and a slower east-China stop that still feels refined and accessible.
2 to 3 daysExplore the city
Xi'an
Xi'an is the best second stop after Beijing if you want ancient history, compact logistics, and one of the strongest food scenes in the country.
2 to 3 daysExplore the city
Xiamen
Xiamen is a relaxed coastal stop for travelers who want island scenery, Minnan culture, walkable waterfront time, seafood, tea, and a slower contrast to China's larger gateway cities.
2 to 3 daysExplore the city
Suzhou
Suzhou is one of the easiest high-value additions to a Shanghai itinerary, combining classical gardens, canals, silk traditions, craft, and a slower Jiangnan city rhythm.
1 to 2 daysExplore the city
Nanjing
Nanjing is a strong history-led city break with imperial remains, city walls, museums, river landscapes, and a substantial local food culture that rewards two or three days.
2 to 3 daysExplore the city
Kunming
Kunming is the practical gateway to Yunnan for travelers who want a softer urban arrival, highland scenery, local markets, and a clear base before continuing to Dali, Lijiang, or beyond.
2 to 3 daysExplore the city
Looking for Guilin and Yangshuo? Explore the Guilin destination guide
Where to begin
Every journey starts
somewhere different.
Choose a first stop around what draws you in: history, food, city life or open landscapes.
Imperial history
Beijing
The Great Wall, imperial landmarks and hutong neighborhoods make a rich first chapter.
A softer landingShanghai
Modern neighborhoods, local food, design and easy east-coast side trips.
Food & slow afternoonsChengdu
Pandas, Sichuan flavors and tea houses, with time to settle into the city's rhythm.
Into the landscapeZhangjiajie
Dramatic national park scenery, with room for weather, walking and winding routes.
A journey of its ownYunnan
Dali, Lijiang and Shangri-La invite a slower route through mountain towns and local cultures.