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The Great Wall, karst mountains, Buddhist temples, bullet trains, and 5,000 years of civilisation to explore.
Huge, chaotic, overwhelming and utterly extraordinary. China is the country that consistently exceeds expectations — the scale of everything from the Great Wall to the bullet train network to the street food scenes is genuinely staggering.
Each region has a completely different character. Here is what to expect.
The Great Wall (Mutianyu section — far fewer crowds), the Forbidden City (book timed entry in advance), the Temple of Heaven, and the hutong alleyway neighbourhoods. Beijing duck from a proper roast duck restaurant is mandatory.
The most modern city in China — the Bund waterfront at night, the French Concession's tree-lined streets, the Yu Garden, and an extraordinary food scene from xiaolongbao soup dumplings to contemporary Chinese restaurants.
The karst limestone landscape of the Li River — the mountains on the 20-yuan note are real and more extraordinary in person. Rent a bicycle in Yangshuo and cycle the rice paddies independently.
The Terracotta Warriors (2,000-year-old life-size clay army) plus the Muslim Quarter — the best street food in China (yangrou paomo, roujiamo). Xian is the eastern start of the ancient Silk Road.
China requires planning — set up a VPN before arrival.
Alipay or WeChat Pay is needed for most payments (link to a foreign card before arrival).
Street food 50p-£2.
Hostel dorm £8-15.
The high-speed G-train network is spectacular and covers the whole country at reasonable prices..
China's air quality varies by city and season — check AQI before travelling. High-speed trains are vastly lower carbon than domestic flights. In Yunnan, ethnic minority communities benefit more from staying in family guesthouses in traditional villages than large hotel complexes.
Tell us where you want to go and your budget — we'll build a personalised quote with routes, hostels, and transport sorted.
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