China Travel Planning 101: Your First Trip to the Middle Kingdom

This 101 guide gives you the foundational knowledge you need to start building your unforgettable itinerary, whether you have 10 days or 3 weeks.

Part 1: Scale Check

China is huge — similar to the size of the U.S. So don’t underestimate travel time. Traveling from Beijing (North) to Guilin (South) is roughly the same distance as flying from London to Istanbul. You must be selective.

1. The Golden Triangle (Recommended for 10-14 Days)

For first-time visitors, focus on the three major hubs that connect history, present, and future: Beijing, Xi'an, and Shanghai.

2. Pick Your Travel Theme: Classic vs. History vs. Nature vs. Mordern

Once you have the 'Golden Triangle' foundation, you can slot in other destinations based on your interest:

• The Wildlife Lover: Add Chengdu (Sichuan Province) for the Giant Panda Research Base and the spicy local cuisine.
• The Landscape Chaser: Guilin, Zhangjiajie, Huangshan, Jiuzhaigou. Add Guilin/Yangshuo (Guangxi Province) for the stunning Karst mountains and Li River cruise. Or, add Zhangjiajie (Hunan Province) for the 'Avatar' mountain peaks.
• The Culture Deep-Diver: Extend your route west along the historic Silk Road to Dunhuang (Mogao Grottoes) or explore the ethnic diversity of Yunnan Province (Lijiang, Shangri-La).

3. Choose Your Travel Length

• 5–7 days: Pick one region (e.g. Beijing + Xi’an)
• 10–14 days: Combine one north + one south (e.g. Beijing + Shanghai + Guilin)
• 3+ weeks: Add nature + culture (e.g. Beijing + Chengdu + Yunnan)

Note: For more about travel routes, check it out here at 7 Classic Travel Routes.

Part 2: Essential Pre-Trip Setup & Logistics

Here is an updated look at the unique logistics of traveling in modern China.

1. When to Go

Spring (Mar-Jun) and autumn (Sep-Nov) are unarguably the best times to visit China. The first five days of May and the first week of October are best avoided, however, due to the Labour Day and National Day holidays, two major national holidays in China. During this time, everywhere will be busy. Go mid-month instead, when most places will be deserted.
Jul-Aug: The summer months are a good time to travel to Gansu, Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Inner Mongolia in the north, where you can marvel at the eroded landforms in the Yardang National Park, explore deserts and lakes, and enjoy the grasslands at their greenest. These months are also suitable for travel to Yunnan and Guizhou, two culturally diverse south-western provinces.
Nov-Feb: The weather is bitterly cold in the north and only warm in the far south. This is a good season to travel to Hainan, Hong Kong, Guangdong, Yunnan, and Fujian in the south. But if you can brave the cold, it’s also a great time to visit the winter wonderland that is Jilin Province and join the crowds who flock to the famous Harbin Ice Festival in Heilongjiang.

Note: For more about the best seasons to travel, check it out at Best Seasons

2. Shopping and Payments: Embrace Cashless

China is overwhelmingly cashless. Locals use Alipay (支付宝) or WeChat Pay (微信支付) for nearly everything.
Foreign tourists can now directly link their international credit/debit cards (Visa, Mastercard, etc.) to their Alipay and WeChat Pay wallets. Download the apps, complete identity verification, and you can pay like a local.

3. China's Departure Tax Refund Policy

Tax refund policy: Visitors from overseas or Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan leaving mainland China via a designated port of departure can receive a refund of the VAT paid on tax-refundable goods the visitor purchased in tax-free shops while in mainland China.
Eligibility: Foreigners and visitors from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan who have been in mainland China for no more than 183 consecutive days before their date of departure may claim the refund.
Requirements: The visitor must have spent at least 200 RMB in one tax-free shop in a single day.
Tax-refundable goods must be new and unused.
The purchase date of the tax-refundable goods must be no more than 90 days ahead of the departure date.
Refund rate: Tax will be refunded at a rate of 11% of the total price of the item (including VAT). From this, the tax refund agency processing the refund will deduct a 2% administration fee.
Tax refund method: The tax will be refunded in RMB and can be paid either in cash or by bank transfer. If the tax refund exceeds 20,000 yuan, however, it must be paid by bank transfer.
For more information, see the State Taxation Administration website: https://www.chinatax.gov.cn/eng/c101280/c5240195/content.html

4. Language Barrier: Prepare Your App

Outside of major hotels and international business districts, most Chinese people do not speak English. Don't rely on finding English speakers.
Download and practice using a robust translation app (e.g., Google Translate or Baidu Translate, ensuring they work with your VPN). Be ready to use the camera translation feature for menus, signs, and directions.

5. 5A Tourist Attractions

In China, tourist attractions are given a quality rating between 1A and 5A, where 5A represents the highest quality.
By 2025, China has 358 of them. In fact, many 5A sites are too crowded, commercial, or dull.
I'll recommend you to check out the revised 5A China, a selected list based on my own travel experiences and checking real reviews. So you can focus on the truly best ones.

6. Health and Medical Advice

It is generally a good idea to bring common medicines (e.g., painkillers and digestive medicines). If you take a regular prescription medicine, it is advisable to stock up before departure and bring doctor's certificates and medical records in case they are necessary.
If you do fall ill, you are recommended to visit the international medical department of a general hospital or a foreign-funded hospital, as they are generally able to provide services in English.
Travellers should purchase medical insurance before departure and keep records of any diagnosis certificates, outpatient medical records, receipts, prescriptions, and invoices if intending to make a claim.

Note: For more details, check it out at Travelling to China with Prescription Medication

7. Cultural Taboos

China is a multi-ethnic country and different ethnic groups can have very different customs and habits. Please be aware of cultural taboos, especially when traveling in minority areas. For example, you should take your shoes off when you enter a Dai bamboo building. You should not order or eat pork in a Hui restaurant. In Xizang (Tibet), you should not touch Buddha statues, scriptures, Buddha beads or other sacred objects. Please listen carefully to the introduction given by your tour guide to ensure that you are aware of how to respect local culture and customs.

8. Tips

Dialling Chinese Numbers
When you dial a landline number in China from a foreign mobile phone, enter the China area code (+86) and city area code (for example, +10 for Beijing) before the landline number.
When you use a foreign mobile phone to make a call to a Chinese mobile phone, you’ll need to enter the China area code (+86) before the mobile number.

Emergency Number
Police: 110
Fire: 119
Traffic police: 122
Medical emergencies: 120

Tap Water
Foreign visitors should boil tap water or buy bottled drinking water. Drinking the tap water directly is not recommended.

Voltage and Plugs
The electricity supply in China is 220V, 50 Hz. Some of the newer Western hotel chains provide adapters for American and European plugs in the rooms.