Travel Tips

Here are the essential travel tips for your trip to China, referenced from China Highlights, to help you have a smooth and enjoyable journey.

1. Trip Planning Tips

For your first trip to China, we have some practical planning advice:

• Trip Duration: We suggest you take at least 7 days for your first trip to see the core highlights: 3-4 days in Beijing, 2 days in Xi'an, and 1-2 days in Shanghai. If you have 2 weeks, you can add more destinations like Chengdu (for pandas) or Guilin (for natural scenery) for a deeper, less rushed experience.

• Accommodation:

￮ International chain hotels (Hyatt, Marriott, Hilton, etc.) are perfect for first-timers, with English-speaking staff and familiar services.

￮ Boutique hotels in old towns or Beijing's hutongs can offer unique cultural experiences, like traditional courtyard stays.

￮ Note: Not all small hotels in China are licensed to host foreign visitors. We can help you choose suitable, certified accommodations to avoid check-in issues.

2. Visa & Entry Tips

Entering China is now much easier than before, with many visa-free policies:

• 144/30-day Visa-free Entry: Visitors from most European countries, Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand can enter China visa-free for up to 30 days.

• Visa-free Transit: For visitors from the US, Canada, the UK, and other 52 countries, you can enjoy 144-hour visa-free transit in most major cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Guangzhou, etc.

• Longer Stay: If you plan to stay longer than the visa-free period, you can apply for a tourist (L) visa, or we can help you apply for a China Port Visa, which doesn't require a visit to the embassy.

3. Transportation Tips

China has one of the most developed transport systems in the world, making travel between cities easy:

• High-speed Train: China's high-speed train network is the largest globally, connecting most major cities with speeds up to 350km/h. It's the top choice for inter-city travel, cutting travel time significantly (e.g., Beijing to Shanghai only takes 4.5 hours).

• Local Transport: Within cities, metro systems are clean, efficient, and have English signs. Ride-hailing apps and taxis are also convenient, and most now support international payments.

4. Dining & Food Tips

Chinese dining has its own customs, here's what you need to know:

• Communal Dining: Unlike Western individual meals, Chinese dining is communal. All dishes are placed in the center of the table (usually on a rotating lazy Susan) for everyone to share, while each diner has their own small rice bowl.

• Regional Cuisines: Chinese food varies a lot by region: northern China focuses on wheat noodles, while southern China prefers rice. There are many different flavors, from spicy Sichuan food to light Cantonese food.

• Table Manners:

￮ Chopsticks are used instead of knives and forks. Avoid sticking chopsticks upright in a bowl of rice, as this is considered disrespectful.

￮ Tips are not required in Chinese restaurants, the service fee is already included in the food prices.

￮ If your local friend puts food on your plate, it's a sign of friendliness and care, not that they don't want the food.

5. Shopping Tips

Shopping in China can be a fun experience, here are some tips:

• City Specialties: Don't buy all souvenirs in the first city! Each city has its own unique specialties:

￮ Beijing: Cloisonné, freshwater pearls

￮ Shanghai: Silk carpets, traditional qipao dresses

￮ Hangzhou: Longjing green tea, silk products

￮ Guilin: Scroll paintings, South China Sea pearls

￮ Xi'an: Terracotta Warrior replicas, Tang Dynasty crafts

• Bargaining: Bargaining is a common practice in local markets, don't hesitate to negotiate for a better price, it's part of the local shopping culture.

• Shopping Warnings:

￮ For antiques: Make sure they have official export certificates, otherwise you may have trouble with customs when you go back home.

￮ Avoid pirated goods (fake branded items, pirated DVDs/software), they are illegal to bring back to your home country.

6. Payment & Connectivity Tips

China is a leading cashless society, and the internet environment is a bit different:

• Mobile Payment: WeChat Pay and Alipay are the main payment methods here, used for everything from street food to metro tickets. Now foreigners can easily link their international credit cards (Visa/Mastercard) to these apps, so you can pay just like locals.

• Cash & Cards: Cash is still accepted in some traditional places, but it's not very convenient. International credit cards work in large hotels and high-end stores, but not in most small local shops.

• Internet & Connectivity:

￮ Many global websites and apps (Google, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp) are blocked in China. We recommend you prepare a reliable VPN before you arrive to access these services.

￮ You can also buy a local SIM card or rent a pocket Wi-Fi at the airport, to get fast 4G/5G data during your trip. We can help you arrange this before your arrival, so you can stay connected as soon as you land.