Beijing
The imperial axis, hutong mornings, the wall an hour from town. Begin where China explains itself.
Journeys · Directions & destinations
Where should your China begin?
China is not one trip. It is thirty. This page is where the conversation starts.
Five directions
Begin with the reason, not the map.
Most journeys start as a feeling — a honeymoon, the children’s first Asia, a week added to a Shanghai meeting. Pick the one that sounds like yours; each opens a fuller conversation.
Concept visualHoneymoon & proposal
Rivers at dawn, cities after dark, one moment planned to the minute.
Concept visualFamily with children
Pandas, river towns and days paced for small legs and early nights.
Concept visualBusiness + leisure
Your meetings stay on time. The city after them is yours.
Concept visualChengdu & Sichuan
Pandas before breakfast, teahouses by noon, mountains within reach.
Concept visualJiuzhaigou
Alpine water, quiet boardwalks, and a valley that empties by dusk.
Destinations
Twelve places, plainly put.
Not a complete map of China — the anchors most first and second journeys are built around. Each pairs naturally with one of the directions above.
Concept visualShanghai
The skyline at dusk, the old concessions on foot. The easiest landing in China.
Concept visualChengdu
Pandas before the city wakes, teahouses after. The place that taught China to slow down.
Concept visualChongqing
Stacked streets, river fog, neon after dark. A city that does not quite feel possible.
Concept visualGuilin & Yangshuo
Karst peaks in the mist, a river that moves at your pace. The oldest landscape painting, in person.
Concept visualZhangjiajie
Three thousand sandstone pillars in cloud. Walkways above the drop, cable cars through it.
Concept visualHangzhou
West Lake at first light, tea fields an easy drive out. Refinement without effort.
Concept visualXi’an
The Terracotta Army, city walls by bicycle, noodles worth the queue. Ancient capital, straightforward days.
Concept visualYunnan
Old towns, high valleys, long lunches. Where journeys slow down and stay slowed.
Concept visualTibet
The Potala in thin, bright air. Permits and pacing handled — altitude taken seriously.
Concept visualXinjiang
Turquoise lakes under 7,000-metre ice. The far west, for travellers who want the far west.
Concept visualHainan
China’s island south: warm sea, slow mornings. The soft landing after a big route.
Seasons at a glance
When to go matters as much as where.
The same route changes character by month. Dates first, then the map.
Spring · Mar–May
Blossoms & mild walking
Gardens and old towns at their gentlest. Book April early.
Summer · Jun–Aug
Highlands & long light
Cities run hot; the high valleys do not. The season for Yunnan, Jiuzhaigou and late dinners.
Autumn · Sep–Nov
Clarity — the classic window
Crisp air and the year’s best colour. Everyone knows it; plan furthest ahead.
Winter · Dec–Feb
Quiet, pandas & the south
The famous sights nearly to yourself, and pandas in their element.
How it works
Four steps, start to touchdown.
01 · Listen
The people, the dates, the reason behind the trip.
02 · Shape
Route, stays and rail, tested against the real map and season.
03 · Add
The one detail — a table, a photographer, a surprise — placed exactly once.
04 · Hold
One clear plan and one local WhatsApp thread, through arrival.
Operated by 成都光大国际旅行社 — licensed since 1987Travel licence L-SC-CJ00008See the paperwork →
Good to know
Questions we hear often.
How many cities fit in ten days?
Fewer than most first drafts assume. Two cities feel generous; three is the sensible ceiling. Every extra city costs half a day in stations and check-ins — we would rather give that half-day back to the place you came for.
High-speed rail or domestic flights?
Rail wherever it is under about five hours — city centre to city centre, on time, and part of the experience. Flights earn their place on the long jumps: into Yunnan, Zhangjiajie or Jiuzhaigou. We book and hold both.
Can you plan regions not on this page?
Yes. We plan across the whole of China — Gansu, Guizhou, the Tibetan borderlands and quieter corners besides. This page is where conversations tend to start, not where they have to stay.
Your brief
Not sure where to begin?
Tell us the people, the dates and the feeling you are after. We will send back a first direction — a few lines, no itinerary yet, no obligation.
Received — thank you.
A real person will reply within 24 hours, usually much sooner. If it’s easier, continue on WhatsApp:
Open WhatsAppStart the conversation
Begin with a conversation,
not an itinerary.
No pitch, no pressure — just a considered first reply from someone who plans China for a living.