China
Ancient paths, modern journeys
Use the rail network to connect imperial landmarks, megacities, karst landscapes and regional food cultures that change at every stop.
The honest overview
Get to know China before fixing the route.
Known as the Middle Kingdom, China is famed for the sheer scale of its ancient history, a food scene that changes completely from province to province and cities that leap from ancient hutongs to some of the fastest trains on the planet, attracting culture-focused travellers, foodies and rail enthusiasts alike from every corner of the world. China is known for rewarding travellers who've already got a country or two of independent Asia travel under their belt, thanks to the language barrier away from major hubs, a payment system that runs almost entirely on two apps, and a scale that makes rushing pointless, making it a country that repays patience and planning over a loose, wing-it itinerary.
Part of the joy of backpacking in China is deciding what deserves more time. Keep space for weather changes, longer travel days and recommendations from people you meet on the road.
China is close to a cashless society – Alipay and WeChat Pay cover almost every transaction, from street food stalls to hostel bills, and linking a foreign card to either app is the single most useful thing to sort before you land. Carry a small amount of cash (a few hundred RMB) as backup for rural areas and small vendors who don't take card at all.
There isn't one obvious route through a country this size, and trying to cover all of it in one trip is the classic first-timer mistake – it helps to pick two or three regions and go deep rather than skim the whole map. A common first loop links Beijing, Xi'an and Shanghai by high-speed rail, covering the Great Wall, the Terracotta Army and the Bund in one manageable line. From there, many backpackers head southwest into Sichuan and Yunnan for pandas, Tibetan-influenced towns and a slower pace, or south to Guangxi for Yangshuo's limestone-peak scenery and on towards the Vietnam border. Those continuing overland into Southeast Asia typically exit via Kunming towards Laos or Vietnam, while a Trans-Mongolian or Trans-Siberian leg out of Beijing is a real (if slow) route north into Mongolia and Russia for anyone with the time.
Season by season
What each season means for your trip
China's weather can change sharply by region and elevation. These are planning patterns, not guarantees.
Cooler-season travel
Genuinely cold in the north, with Beijing and Harbin regularly dropping below freezing (Harbin's Ice Festival leans into it), while the south stays far milder – Guangzhou and Yunnan sit around 12–18°C and are a good winter escape from the cold snap further north.
Shoulder-season balance
A shoulder season with rising temperatures nationwide, roughly 10–20°C depending on latitude. Beijing and the north shake off winter, while spring sandstorms occasionally roll through the capital from the Gobi.
Wetter travel conditions
Warm and increasingly humid in the south (24–30°C), with the Yangtze basin's "plum rain" season bringing persistent drizzle to Shanghai and the central river cities. The north and west stay drier and more comfortable.
Wetter travel conditions
Hot and humid nationwide, hitting 30–35°C in the south and along the coast, with monsoon rains and occasional typhoons affecting the southeast coast (Fujian, Guangdong, Shanghai). This is also peak domestic travel season alongside summer school holidays, so trains and sights get busy.
Wetter travel conditions
The best all-round window, with warm, drier days (20–28°C) settling in across most of the country. National Day (1 October) triggers Golden Week, when the entire country travels at once – avoid booking trains or major sights in this window if at all possible.
Cooler-season travel
A short, pleasant autumn in the south and central provinces before winter sets in, while the north and Tibetan plateau turn cold fast – Beijing can already be below 5°C by late November.
Check the forecast for the exact region and elevation on your route, then leave room to change outdoor plans when conditions move.
Cost of day to day travel
Build a budget around the route
China is still excellent value once you're moving slowly, with £25–35 a day covering a hostel dorm, street food and canteen meals, metro and bus travel, and one paid sight most days in second-tier cities like Chengdu, Xi'an, Kunming or Guilin.
China is still excellent value once you're moving slowly, with £25–35 a day covering a hostel dorm, street food and canteen meals, metro and bus travel, and one paid sight most days in second-tier cities like Chengdu, Xi'an, Kunming or Guilin.
Long transfers, specialist tours and headline activities can change the daily total quickly.
China is close to a cashless society – Alipay and WeChat Pay cover almost every transaction, from street food stalls to hostel bills, and linking a foreign card to either app is the single most useful thing to sort before you land.
Average the full trip rather than forcing every day into the same number. Keep emergency funds separate from daily spending.
Key backpacker routes
Find the route that feels right for you
There is no single route you need to follow. Let your timeframe, interests and season shape the journey through China.
Start with the natural route Core journey
There isn't one obvious route through a country this size, and trying to cover all of it in one trip is the classic first-timer mistake – it helps to pick two or three regions and go deep rather than skim the whole map. A common first loop links Beijing, Xi'an and Shanghai by high-speed rail, covering the Great Wall, the Terracotta Army and the Bund in one manageable line.
Add the region that earns your time Build depth
From there, many backpackers head southwest into Sichuan and Yunnan for pandas, Tibetan-influenced towns and a slower pace, or south to Guangxi for Yangshuo's limestone-peak scenery and on towards the Vietnam border. Those continuing overland into Southeast Asia typically exit via Kunming towards Laos or Vietnam, while a Trans-Mongolian or Trans-Siberian leg out of Beijing is a real (if slow) route north into Mongolia and Russia for anyone with the time.
Main destinations and attractions
Where to spend your days
Pick a connected group and leave room for hostel friendships and changing plans. China rewards depth more than a checklist of stops.
Northern China. Photo: AdeRussell / flickr, BY-NC-ND 2.0.Northern China
Beijing and Shanxi – Beijing anchors any first trip, with the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square and a day trip out to the Great Wall (Mutianyu is quieter and better preserved than the heavily touristed Badaling section) as the essentials.
Northeast China (Dongbei). Photo: timquijano / flickr, BY 2.0.Northeast China (Dongbei)
Harbin, Shenyang and Dalian – Best known for Harbin's Ice and Snow Festival (January–February), when entire buildings are carved from ice and lit from within – worth the cold if your dates line up.
Eastern China. Photo: NASA Goddard Photo and Video / nasa, BY 2.0.Eastern China
Shanghai, Suzhou and Hangzhou – Shanghai's Bund waterfront and the neon sprawl of Pudong across the river are the obvious draws, alongside the French Concession for a quieter, leafier side of the city.
Central China. Photo: Nick Kenrick.. / flickr, BY-NC-SA 2.0.Central China
Zhangjiajie and Wuhan – Zhangjiajie's sandstone pillars (the inspiration for the floating mountains in Avatar) are the standout, best explored via the Tianmen Mountain cable car and glass skywalk.
Southern China. Photo: AdeRussell / flickr, BY-NC-ND 2.0.Southern China
Guilin, Yangshuo and Guangzhou – Yangshuo's limestone peaks and the Li River are one of China's most photographed landscapes, and live up to the reputation – renting a bike and getting lost in the countryside around town is the better version of the tourist boat cruise most people default to.
Western China. Photo: See-ming Lee (SML) / flickr, BY-NC 2.0.Western China
Chengdu, Yunnan and Tibet – Chengdu is the easiest place in the world to see giant pandas up close at the research base, and doubles as the jumping-off point for Sichuan's spicier food scene.
China is too large to summarise properly in one article, but here's a regional starting point: Book a walking tour through a tip-based platform like Guruwalk in the bigger cities to get your bearings fast. Our Outpacker chatbot can help you build a realistic regional itinerary rather than trying to cover the whole country in one trip.
Getting around
Compare time, comfort and cost
China's high-speed rail network is enormous and excellent, connecting most major cities at speeds up to 350km/h – Beijing to Shanghai takes around 4.5 hours.
Rideshare
Uber doesn't operate in China. Didi is the equivalent and has an English-language app that works reasonably well for foreign travellers, or can be accessed as a mini-program inside Alipay or WeChat Pay.
Train
Beyond high-speed rail (G and D-prefixed trains), slower overnight sleeper trains still connect more remote regions cheaply, useful for reaching places the high-speed network hasn't reached yet.
Metro
Every major city has a modern, cheap and easy-to-navigate metro system, usually with English signage and announcements alongside Mandarin.
Plane
Domestic flights make sense for covering the largest distances (into Yunnan, Tibet or the far northeast) where even high-speed rail would eat a full day.
Download offline maps, keep key booking details available without data and avoid placing an international departure immediately after a fragile overland transfer.
Culture and events
Events worth knowing about
Dates can shift, so verify the current programme before building a trip around an event in China.
China's biggest holiday by far: a lunar new year festival marked by family reunions, fireworks, red decorations and the world's largest annual human migration as hundreds of millions travel home.
A light festival marking the end of the Spring Festival period, with candlelit paper lanterns released or displayed in elaborate public shows, alongside lion dances and sticky rice dumplings (tangyuan).
A remembrance festival where families visit and tend ancestors' graves, burning paper offerings and sweeping tombstones.
A river festival commemorating the poet Qu Yuan, with dragon boat races drawing big crowds along rivers and lakes in cities like Yueyang and Guilin, and sticky rice dumplings (zongzi) sold everywhere.
A harvest festival built around family reunions, mooncakes and lantern displays under the year's brightest full moon – Hangzhou's West Lake and Beijing's parks are popular spots to watch it.
Confirm the official programme, accommodation pressure and transport changes before committing non-refundable plans.
Chinese food
Discover the flavours that make China memorable
China's food culture is regional to the point that "Chinese food" barely means one thing – what you eat in Sichuan bears little resemblance to Cantonese or Xi'an cooking, and that variety is one of the best reasons to move around slowly.
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Peking Duckthe Beijing classic, crisp skin wrapped in thin pancakes with spring onion and hoisin.Photo: towodo / flickr, BY 2.0 -
XiaolongbaoShanghai's soup dumplings, best eaten with a spoon to catch the broth without burning yourself.Photo: Wilson Hui / flickr, BY 2.0 -
Mapo TofuSichuan's numbing, chilli-heavy tofu dish, a good introduction to the region's signature málà (numbing-spicy) flavour.Photo: preetamrai / flickr, BY 2.0 -
Hot Pota communal simmering broth you cook your own meat, vegetables and noodles in, hugely popular in Chengdu and Chongqing.Photo: joeywan / flickr, BY-NC-ND 2.0 -
Biang Biang Noodlesthick, hand-pulled Xi'an noodles named for the sound the dough makes when slapped on the counter.Photo: jennikokodesu / flickr, BY-NC-ND 2.0 -
RoujiamoXi'an's "Chinese burger," shredded braised pork stuffed into a flatbread.Photo: jam343 / flickr, BY 2.0 -
Yangshuo Beer Fisha Guangxi speciality, whole fish cooked with local beer, tomatoes and chilli.Photo: Augapfel / flickr, BY 2.0 -
Guotie (potstickers)pan-fried dumplings sold everywhere as a cheap, filling snack.Photo: See-ming Lee (SML) / flickr, BY 2.0
Visible turnover is a useful guide. Explain allergies carefully and carry a translated note when an ingredient could cause a serious reaction.
Hostels
Choose the atmosphere, not just the bed
Hostels in China are generally excellent value and well set up for foreign travellers in the major backpacker cities, though they thin out fast once you're off the well-trodden route – book ahead in smaller towns rather than turning up and hoping.
Dayin Hostel
Shanghai, ChinaProperty image from Hostelworld's official HOSCAR record.View photos and details →POSHPACKER | Chengdu Mix
Chengdu, ChinaProperty image from Hostelworld's official HOSCAR record.View photos and details →Only Cafe And Backpacker
Chongqing, ChinaProperty image from Hostelworld's official HOSCAR record.View photos and details →CyanBox Hostel
Guilin, ChinaProperty image from Hostelworld's official HOSCAR record.View photos and details →Peking International Youth Hostel
Nanluoguxiang, Beijing, ChinaIncluded as a specific Outpacker recommendation. Its hutong setting and access to the subway make it a practical Beijing base; compare current facilities and recent reviews before booking.
Property image from the linked Hostelworld listing.View photos and details →What you need to pack
Pack for the route, not every possibility
Run your dates and route through our trip planner chatbot – with a country this size, the kit list depends heavily on which regions you're covering.
Climate and clothing
China's real packing challenge is range, not a single climate: Beijing in January is well below freezing while Guangzhou or Yunnan the same week sit in the mild teens, and if your route touches the Tibetan plateau or western Sichuan, altitude adds a serious cold layer even in summer.
- A VPN app, downloaded and set up before you arrive – essential for Google, WhatsApp, Instagram and most Western apps and sites, which are blocked inside China.
- A basic first aid kit – plasters, rehydration sachets and something for an upset stomach.
Rain and terrain
Choose footwear and weather protection for the terrain and season on your route.
- A universal travel adapter and a power bank – China runs on Type A/C/I sockets at 220V.
- A reusable water bottle – tap water isn't drinkable, but boiled water (and hot water dispensers) are available almost everywhere, including on trains.
Hostels and travel days
Hostel laundry services are widely available and cheap in the bigger cities, less reliable the further you get off the main route, so build in laundry days around your bigger stops rather than assuming it's always an option.
- A physical phrasebook or offline translation app – English drops off fast outside major tourist sites and hostels.
- A warm buff or scarf – doubles as neck warmth in the cold north and sun protection on long train platforms.
Activities and health
Add specialist equipment only for booked activities and current health guidance.
- Padlocks – for hostel lockers and securing bags on long train journeys.
- Run your full route through the trip planner chatbot for a kit list built around your specific regions and season.
Language
A few Mandarin phrases go a long way
China's official language is Mandarin, and it's the language you'll need almost everywhere outside Hong Kong, Macau and parts of the far south and west where regional languages and dialects (Cantonese, Tibetan, Uyghur) are more common day to day.
| English | Say it in Mandarin | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Hello | Nǐ hǎo | nee-how |
| Goodbye | Zàijiàn | dzai-jyen |
| Yes / No | Shì (shrr) / Bù shì | boo-shrr |
| How much? | Duōshǎo qián? | dwor-shao chyen |
| How are you? | Nǐ hǎo ma? | nee-how-ma |
| Please | Qǐng | ching |
| Do you speak English? | Nǐ huì shuō yīngyǔ ma? | nee hway shwor ying-yoo ma |
| Help, please | Qǐng bāngmáng | ching bahng-mahng |
| Where are you from? | Nǐ shì nǎ lǐ rén? | nee shrr nah lee ren |
| What is your name? / My name is... | Nǐ jiào shénme míngzì? / Wǒ jiào... | nee jyaow shen-mer ming-dzuh / wor jyaow... |
| Thank you | Xièxie | shyeh-shyeh |
| Use the phrases respectfully: Tones matter more in Mandarin than in most languages backpackers encounter – the same syllable can mean completely different things depending on pitch, so don't be discouraged if you're not understood first time. Pointing at a translation app screen works fine as a backup. | ||
Visa requirements
Check the rule for your passport
Entry rules depend on nationality, journey and length of stay. Confirm the current rule before booking, then check it again shortly before departure.
Check your exact requirements
Use Sherpa to review entry requirements for your passport and journey. Also confirm passport validity, permitted stay, proof of onward travel and any current arrival-form requirements.
Vaccinations
Make the advice fit your route
Vaccination and health advice depends on your route, duration, medical history and activities.
Review current CDC guidance
Read the current CDC China traveller guidance, then discuss personal recommendations with a qualified clinician.
Arrange appropriate travel insurance and keep policy details available offline. Consider the practical risks created by climate, altitude, insects, animals, water activities and road travel on your specific route.
Safety and common scams
Standard caution, specific habits
China is a low-crime destination for travellers – violent crime against tourists is rare, and most cities feel safe to walk around, including at night.
The tea house / art student scam
Friendly strangers, often presenting as students wanting to "practise English," strike up conversation near major sights (Wangfujing in Beijing, the Bund in Shanghai) and invite you to a nearby tea house or art gallery. The bill or sales pressure that follows can run into hundreds or thousands of yuan. Never follow someone you've just met to a venue they've chosen – suggest your own place instead, or simply decline.
Taxi meter refusal
Particularly around airports and stations, some drivers claim the meter's broken and quote a flat, inflated fare. Use Didi instead where possible, or insist on the meter.
Counterfeit currency
Fake notes occasionally turn up in change from informal vendors or unofficial money changers. Stick to bank ATMs and official exchange counters, and lean on Alipay or WeChat Pay wherever you can to avoid handling cash at all.
Overpriced tourist-trap restaurants
Venues right next to major sights sometimes leave prices off the menu or in Chinese only. Always ask to see prices before ordering, particularly for anything involving tea, seafood or "specials."
None of it should put you off the trip
just don't be the one who follows a stranger to their choice of tea house on day one.
One region-specific note worth building into your route planning rather than a scam list: Tibet and Xinjiang carry a heavier security presence, tighter photography restrictions and, in Xinjiang, more frequent identity checks than the rest of the country – current FCDO advice covers both in detail, and it's worth reading before you go if either is part of your plan, rather than after you land.
Sources and feedback
Help us keep this guide useful
Travel information changes. Verify current entry, health, safety and transport guidance before booking or travelling.
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