China Travel Guide: Beijing, Shanghai, Xi'an & Where to Go in 2026
China is a country of contrasts. Ancient temples and futuristic megacities coexist here, as do street food stalls and Michelin-starred restaurants. LocalsInsider shares the most interesting places and experiences with you!
China is the country that contains entire civilizations within its borders, and where most American travelers underestimate the planning required. Beijing has the Great Wall (skip Badaling, head to Jinshanling at sunrise), the Forbidden City, and the hutongs that haven't been demolished. Shanghai is the financial megalopolis with the best skyline on Earth, the Bund's colonial architecture, and a food scene that ranges from $1 xiaolongbao stalls to Paul Pairet's three-Michelin-star Ultraviolet. Beyond the megacities: Zhangjiajie's Avatar pillars, Suzhou's I.M. Pei-designed museum, Chengdu's pandas and Sichuan intensity.
Our China coverage focuses on Beijing and Shanghai for first-time visitors, plus the trip-planning practicalities (WeChat, Alipay, VPN, high-speed rail) that make the country dramatically easier when you understand them.
The travel personality: The Civilization Traveler
Quick facts
Live right now
Best time to visit
| Season | Why go |
|---|---|
| April-May | Mild, blossom season, perfect for Beijing and northern travel |
| September-October | Cool, dry, autumn colors in the north, peak travel month |
| November-February | Cold north but cheaper, southern China comfortable, fewer crowds |
Top cities to visit
Experiences you'll probably love
- Walk the Great Wall at Mutianyu — less touristy than Badaling, dramatic mountain section
- Forbidden City visit at opening time (8:30am) before the tour groups
- Terracotta Warriors at Xi'an's Lintong site — one of archaeology's greatest discoveries
- Bamboo forest in Chengdu's panda research base — pandas eat for 14 hours daily
- Li River cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo — the karst landscape from the 20 yuan note
Not many tourists know about…
- WeChat and Alipay are required for almost everything — set up before you arrive
- Beijing hutongs: stay in Wudaoying or Nanluoguxiang for old-Beijing courtyard hotels
- Sichuan food is genuinely spicy in a way Chinese restaurants abroad rarely replicate
- High-speed rail (CRH) is excellent — Beijing to Shanghai in 4.5 hours, book on Trip.com
- VPN before you arrive — Google, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp all blocked
If you visit only once, make it this
Skip Badaling (touristy) and Mutianyu (still touristy) — head to Jinshanling, 130 km northeast of Beijing, where the wall is restored just enough to walk safely but mostly left as it crumbles dramatically across the ridges. Sunrise from a watchtower with no other people around is one of Asia's defining experiences.
2.5 hours from Beijing. Hire a driver or take the 8:30am bus from Wangjing West. Best April-June and September-November.
Where to walk & breathe
The vertical sandstone pillars that inspired Avatar's Hallelujah Mountains — 3,000+ peaks rising from forest in Hunan Province, the world's first national forest park. The glass bridge above the Grand Canyon adds vertigo if you want it.
Fly to Zhangjiajie Hehua Airport. Park entry ¥225, valid 4 days. Skip rainy June-July.
Museums worth your time
Atelier Deshaus-designed vaulted-concrete museum on the Huangpu River. Billionaire collector Liu Yiqian's contemporary Chinese art — arguably Asia's most important private museum.
Visit website →UCCA in the 798 Art District is China's most ambitious contemporary art center — Ai Weiwei has shown here. Combine with a 798 gallery crawl.
Visit website →I.M. Pei's final building — completed 2006 in his ancestral Suzhou, a modern interpretation of the city's classical garden architecture. The garden flows directly into the gallery spaces.
Visit website →The Insider's Edit
A few additions for travelers planning Beijing or Shanghai deeper:
New entry at #14 on the World's 50 Best Hotels 2025 and named Best New Hotel — a collection of restored siheyuan courtyards in old Beijing.
An urban resort in Jing'an — long, narrow, layered, deeply Chinese in feel. The understated alternative to Shanghai's skyline hotels.
A David Chipperfield building partnered with the Centre Pompidou — major French collections rotate into Shanghai through this collaboration.
The hotel's hidden gate opens directly into the Imperial Summer Palace gardens after public hours — Aman's most quietly extraordinary access perk.
Where to eat
Three-Michelin-star avant-garde restaurant — chef Paul Pairet seats just 10 guests per night, each course paired with synchronized projections, sound, and scent. Reservations open quarterly; book months ahead.
Chef Dong Zhenxiang's modern interpretation of Peking duck — sliced tableside with the famous 'super-lean' bird, served with house-made pancakes and the original 12-condiment plate. Multiple locations across Beijing.
Paul Pairet's casual French bistro on the Bund — open until 4am, late-night Shanghai legend. The dessert trolley and the Bund views in equal measure.
Taiwanese xiaolongbao specialist, multiple Shanghai locations Michelin-recommended. Each soup dumpling pleated 18 times exactly.
Where to stay
Aman's Beijing property — restored Qing Dynasty pavilions directly outside the Summer Palace's east gate, private access through a hidden side gate to the palace gardens after public hours close.
55 shikumen lane house villas in the French Concession — Pritzker laureate Jean-Michel Gathy-designed, the only resort-style property in central Shanghai. Le Comptoir de Pierre Gagnaire restaurant onsite.
Aman's countryside Shanghai resort built around 50 transplanted antique Chinese houses (50-minute drive from city center). Surrounded by 10,000 ancient camphor trees, the Aman Spa is one of the largest in the world.
House Collective's Shanghai property — Piero Lissoni-designed in central Jing'an. Long-stay residences alongside hotel rooms, the rooftop pool, the Italian restaurant Frasca. Refreshed 2025.
Realistic daily budget
Per person, per day. Excludes flights. Peak season can run 20-40% higher.
Travel safety & inclusivity
Safety scores reflect UK FCDO & US State Department travel advisories. LGBTQ+ scores reflect Equaldex and ILGA-Europe rankings. Both refreshed quarterly.
Major festivals
Need a visa for China?
Most travelers need an eVisa or travel authorization to enter China. Apply online in minutes through our trusted partner:
Apply for your China eVisa →Powered by evisas.com · We'll open your nationality-specific requirements page in a new tab.
Partner link — Locals Insider may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Always confirm the latest requirements with the official embassy.
Not sure if China is right for your next trip? Take our country matcher quiz → and we'll compare 53 destinations against your travel style.
Articles in this section are written by Locals Insider editorial team. Want to share your experience about China? Email us at hello@localsinsider.com.
