How to Plan a Trip to China
China is one of the world’s largest countries as well as the world’s most populous country … so how do you even go about planning a trip to China?
It’s not easy. China is huge, diverse and complex to the point of being impenetrable. Ultimately, you may have to call in outside resources to plan your trip. But assuming you go it alone, we’ll help you through the process.
Planning A Trip To China: What You Need To Know
Effectively planning a trip to China is a step-by-step process that requires:
- Getting a handle on the country.
- Narrowing down where and when you’re going to travel.
- Understanding how you’re getting around.
- Making the arrangements.
- Understanding the cultural norms.
- Knowing where you can’t go and what you can’t do.
- Buying travel insurance.
Getting A Handle On China
China is vast and varied. Its regions range in climate from tropical to arid to frigid. Its geography goes from near-jungle to high deserts to the literal top of the world. China recognizes 56 ethnic groups, and more than 300 different languages are spoken in the country – not including English.
At least five Chinese cities – Shanghai, Beijing, Chongqing, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen – are twice as big as New York City. Pull up a map and you’ll get an idea of China’s vastness. You’re not going to drive around China, and you’re probably not going to take trains all the way around the country, either.
If you’re doing more than just the basic Beijing-to-Shanghai-to-Hong-Kong route you’ll have to fly or take the train, and then somehow figure out ground transportation to get you to your hotel.
It’s okay if after reading this you think, “I can’t do this.” It’s also okay if you read some of the entry and exit requirements for visitors to China at the State Department website and come to the same conclusion. That’s why tours to China are so popular.
Getting a handle on China … is hard. It’s a little like visiting the U.S. would be if the cities were three times larger and every facet of the country, from the climate to the languages spoken, were taken to their absolute extremes.
Narrowing Down What To See In China And When To Go
When to go
This is also hard because some of China has four seasons, other parts have a rainy season and a dry season, and still other parts don’t have discernible seasons at all.
- If you’re visiting Beijing and Xi’an or other places in the country’s north, expect four seasons, with cold, dry winters and humid summers.
- Southeastern China (Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hong Kong) has very hot and humid summers with the occasional typhoon, and damp winters and springs.
- Not many Americans visit western and northwestern China, but if you do, expect a climate similar to Nevada’s, with hot summers, cold winters and little precipitation.
- The Tibetan Plateau, another area not often visited by Americans, has a climate like the Canadian Rockies, with harsh winters and short summers.
Air quality also plays a role in deciding when to visit China. December-February are the months to avoid, especially if you’re visiting Beijing. The use of coal for heat combined with auto exhaust and cold-related air inversions can result in air that’s almost chewy.
IQAir is a good resource for air-quality checks of Chinese cities.
If this sounds like there aren’t a lot of pleasant times to visit China, you’re not wrong. And with the country having very little “shoulder season” pricing, you’re best to go between late September and early November, when temperatures and precipitation are at their most moderate countrywide.
What to see
In terms of what to see, the most popular tourist attractions are:
- Beijing and the Forbidden City
- The Great Wall
- The clay soldiers of Xi’an
- The bustle of Hong Kong and Shanghai
However, what many Americans don’t fully grasp is how scenic parts of China are. If you’re looking for pure scenery, don’t sleep on:
- Guilin: Lush scenery and good air, best toured by boat
- Zhangjiajie National Forest Park: The famous “Avatar” peaks
- Jiuzhaigou Valley: Fall colors, calcified lakes and waterfalls
- Huangshan: Iconic mists, clouds and pine trees, reachable by high-speed rail
However, many people visit China for reasons other than scenery. Food tourism is popular, as are other forms of cultural tourism.
Taking A Tour In China
This brings us back to the concept of making your first trip to China a tour.
For most travelers visiting most places around the world, a tour might not be the first recommendation. In China, it is, for some very good reasons:
- The language barriers can be immense, and a low percentage of Chinese speak English.
- Payment systems are often mobile-only, and this may not be clear.
- Train stations and airports can be huge and hard to navigate.
- Advanced tickets for attractions can be necessary but hard to obtain.
- There’s only so much time, and so much to see.
If you decide on a tour, here’s what to keep in mind:
- Local tour operators may know the lay of the land better but may struggle communicating in English.
- Western tour operators cost more but are better attuned to western norms and attitudes.
- Niche tour operators – food tours, for instance – can combine the best of local and Western tour companies, but may have limited dates and/or availability.
The best way to find the right tour operator is to work with a travel specialist who knows you and has booked multiple tours in China. Otherwise, checking reviews on TripAdvisor or consulting the AI tool of your choice can help you zero in on your preferred tour operator.
And if that’s not your thing, Intrepid Travel, G Adventures, China Highlights, and Audley Travel offer well-respected (but expensive) China tours. Finally, consider “hybrid tours” – taking individual tours of cities and attractions and arranging your own transport between cities. It can be a real money-saver.
Getting Around China If You’re Not Taking A Tour
If you’re not on a tour and plan on seeing as much of the country as possible, you have two real choices:
- Fly
- High-speed rail
Of the two, high-speed rail is actually the easier way to go, because getting to the train station in China is easier than getting to the airport. Flying from Beijing to Shanghai takes a couple hours in the air, but airport transport on either end adds three to four hours.
Meanwhile, a Beijing-Shanghai train takes four and a half to six hours and deposits you in the heart of the city. High-speed rail’s advantages dissipate once distances get past 1,200 kilometers (750 miles), but it’s a good way to go from Beijing to Xi’an and cities to the south.
If you take the train, remember to:
- Arrive 45-60 minutes early
- Bring your passport
- Be prepared to go through security
- Take your assigned seat
If you fly, keys include:
- Arriving at the airport two-plus hours early
- Adding time to get from the city to the airport
Making Arrangements For China Travel
There are lots of people in China. Things sell out quickly. If you’re planning a trip to China, starting a year ahead of time is reasonable. If you’re booking hotels, trains, and attractions, six months out is not too early.
Cultural Norms In China
China is nothing like the U.S., and that’s most apparent in the country’s cultural norms.
There’s a long list of no-nos when it comes to etiquette in China, but most of them are built around three key principles:
- Respect
- Humility
- Community over individuality
Oh, and death, too. Death plays a role.
Respect
Respecting elders in China is more than lip service. It means that:
- You show deference to older people
- You let them speak first
- You let them seat themselves first at meals
- You defer politely to authority figures
Respect also means not correcting or contradicting someone directly in public. In China, telling someone to their face that they’re wrong is a major etiquette breach. (It’s all right to be silent in those circumstances.)
Humility
Humility goes hand-in-hand with respect – remember that whole deferring-to-elders thing. However, in China humility also means:
- Politely refusing a gift before accepting it (and accepting it with both hands)
- Waiting until the host is seated before seating yourself
- Taking small portions from communal dishes
- Dressing and behaving modestly
On the other hand, humility does not mean talking quietly. One of the first things you may notice about China is that people speak LOUD. It’s not impolite; it’s just how Chinese conversation operates.
Community over individuality
In China, group harmony is more important than individual expression. You may not notice this much as a tourist, but you’ll certainly run into it if you travel to China on business.
The one place you may notice this is at meals, which often are communal. In a restaurant, you may order dishes for the table that everyone will share. It’s okay to order the lobster; it’s less okay if you’re the only one of your group who likes lobster.
Death
Several unexpected things are considered symbols of death, funerals or mourning in China and should be avoided. They include:
- Giving clocks as gifts (because the Chinese word for “clock” sounds like “attending a funeral”)
- Giving sharp objects as gifts (because they symbolize cutting ties, as in death)
- Wrapping presents in white (because white is a mourning color)
- Sticking chopsticks upright in rice (associated with funerals)
Knowing What You Can’t Do In China
Just a reminder: China is an authoritarian country. It’s controlled, regulated and policed to a high degree. Avoid behaviors like:
- Operating drones (they’re heavily regulated)
- Publicly criticizing the government
- Talking about opposition movements in Hong Kong or Tibet, or speaking favorably about Taiwan
- Taking pictures of people without their permission
- Taking pictures of temples or military installations
One more thing you can’t do in much of the country: Pay with cash. China is practically a cashless society that runs on mobile phones. If you don’t know how to pay for things with your phone, learn before you leave the U.S.
Buying Travel Insurance For A Trip To China
It should be obvious that a trip to China needs travel insurance. Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection has an industry-leading array of plans that can cover you whether you take a cruise or tour or decide to go the DIY route.
You can get a quote in a flash and get covered in a matter of minutes.
Planning A Trip To China: The Bottom Line
With an understanding of China’s vastness, its cities and beautiful places, its cultural differences, and its transportation systems, and with travel insurance in hand, you’re ready for your adventure in China. Have a great time!
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