Cities
Start with the city that fits how you travel.
Some visitors want classic sights, some want food, some want a softer landing. Use these city snapshots to narrow your first China route.
Beijing
History, hutongs, museums, and a classic first China route.
Shanghai
Skylines, design, cafes, easy metro days, and a soft landing.
Chengdu
Pandas, spicy food, tea houses, and slower daily life.
Guangzhou
Cantonese food, warm weather, value, markets, and river nights.
Guilin
Karst scenery, Li River cruises, and the Yangshuo countryside.
Featured city
Featured City: Zhuhai
Zhuhai is the low-effort coastal add-on to a Macau or Hong Kong trip: a long seaside promenade, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge gateway, island waterfronts, and a noticeably slower pace than China's big inland cities.
Read the Zhuhai guideCity guides
Go deeper once a city catches your eye.
Beijing Travel Guide for First-Time Visitors: Forbidden City, Great Wall and Hutong Life
A practical and human Beijing travel guide for first-time visitors to China, covering the Forbidden City, Great Wall, hutongs, food, transport, reservations, where to stay and common mistakes.
Chengdu Travel Guide for First-Time Visitors: Pandas, Hotpot and Tea Houses
A practical and human Chengdu travel guide for first-time visitors to China, covering pandas, hotpot, teahouses, neighborhoods, day trips, transport, payment and common mistakes.
Guangzhou Travel Guide for First-Time Visitors
The best-value tier-1 city in China for travelers: world-class Cantonese food at budget prices, slow pace, tropical parks, and one of the easiest Chinese cities for first-time foreign visitors.
Guilin Travel Guide for First-Time Visitors
A practical Guilin guide for first-time China trips: Li River cruise vs bamboo raft prices, 3-day plans, rice noodle costs, Yangshuo bases and taxi scams.
Shanghai Travel Guide for First-Time Visitors: Skyline, Old Streets and Easy First Steps
A practical and human Shanghai travel guide for first-time visitors to China, covering the Bund, Yu Garden, French Concession walks, food, transport, payment, where to stay and common mistakes.
Xi'an Travel Guide for First-Time Visitors: Terracotta Warriors, City Walls and Street Food
A practical and human Xi'an travel guide for first-time visitors to China, covering the Terracotta Warriors, city wall, Muslim Quarter, food, reservations, transport and common mistakes.
Zhuhai Travel Guide for First-Time Visitors: Lovers' Road, Sun Moon Shells and Chimelong
A practical Zhuhai travel guide for first-time visitors to China: a no-backtracking three-day itinerary along Lovers' Road, the Sun Moon Shells opera house, old-town Xiangzhou, Chimelong Ocean Kingdom, seafood, hotels, Macau connections and common mistakes.
Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, or Chongqing: Which Chinese City Should You Visit First?
A practical comparison of Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, and Chongqing for first-time visitors choosing their first city in China.
Best Places to Visit in China for First-Time Visitors
A practical first-time guide to choosing where to go in China by travel style, trip length, and first-time difficulty.