Itineraries in China
1-week across Northern China by train
Go discover the cradle of the Chinese civilization.
1-week itinerary from Shanghai to Wuyuan by bus and train – China
Explore China's hinterland and country side.
2-week itinerary on the Silk Road – China
Travel along the famous Silk Road.
Planning a trip to China ?
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You feel like you need more space and you are tired of your day-to-day routine ? Well come on then, let’s go to China ! 🇨🇳
Founded around its conservative past, China has so many different aspects : everyone will find something they like. Be sure to check out the Great Wall of China, the legendary Forbidden City and the many monuments showing the though past of the Chinese Empire.
But China is also the home to technological prowess and improvements that helped us make our lives more modern. I’m pretty sure you’ll come back home with some kind of gadget you found over there.
So, ready ? Let’s go !
What to see in China ?
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- Beijing
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- Huangshan
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- Pandas
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- The Great Wall of China
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- The Forbidden City
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- Shanghai
What to do in ?
Live Chinese experiences
- Get to know the Chinese history when visiting the Forbidden City in Beijing
- Stroll around the streets of Shanghai up to Yu Garden.
- Discover the impressive architecture of the Suzhou museum.
- Climb up the top of Tai Shan and you will maybe get to live a 100 years (if not at least you will have lived a wonderful experiences).
- Panda lovers, this is for you ! Go meet your friends at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda.
- Perfect your photography skills when trying to get the best angle of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain.
But wait for it … China also know how to celebrate !
You will find many national holidays all year long :
- Get a little cold at the Snow Festival of Hā’ěrbīn in the middle of January.
- Do not miss the Chinese New Year, get to eat traditional raviolis and exchange hóngbão (red envelopes) in the beginning of February.
- Light up at the Lantern Festival during February.
- In March, take pictures of the gorgeous yellow rapeseed fields.
- April is the months of two celebrations : Water-Sprinkling Festival and Peony Festival.
- For the runners, why not take part in the Great Wall Marathon during the whole month of May !
- Eat some zòngzi (dish made of rive and bamboo leaves) in June during the Dragon Boat Festival.
Languages in China
We speak Chinese !
As you probably expect, the official language is Chinese, well more specifically Mandarin Chinese. But don’t worry if you don’t speak Chinese, English is widely spoken across the country.
Chinese 101 :
- Hello : Zǎoshang hǎo/xiàwǔ
- Goodbye : Zàijian
- Please : Qing wen
- Thank you : Xièxiè ni
- Sorry : Shèmian
- Yes : Shì
- No : fou
Official currency in China
Money, money, money
The official currency is called renminbi (¥). Better get a money converter on your phone to make managing your expenses easier.
You will easily find banks in big cities, but its takes quite a long time to get anything done there because you need to show your passport and fill out many forms. For a faster solution just go to ATMs, you won’t have any difficulties finding one. And don’t count on using your credit/debit card … they are not commonly used.
Be sure to warn your bank that you are traveling so that they won’t block your card for suspect abroad transactions.
Traveling in China
Is the steering wheel on the left or right ?
Traveling in China is best by plane, train or bus. Driving is not the best idea because you would have to be able to read the signs in Chinese… And besides thaï you would need to pass a written test to get a valid driver’s licence … because the International Driving Permit is not valid in China.
About the planes and high speed trains, they will make you save some time and let you travel further than if you took a “normal” train or a bus.
Overall cost of a trip to China
Thanks for all the information but how much will this actually cost ?
Transportation :
- Many Chinese airlines have domestic flights and you will find all types of prices. For example : Xi’an/Shanghai will be about 1 500 ¥ / person. Well, yes flights are not cheap but it is really convenient because of the long distances between the different steps. You will get to see more of the country !
- Train trip prices fluctuate a lot. The slower trains are of course cheaper than the high speed trains. Here’s a concrete example : For a 1200 km / 745 miles trip from Shangai to Beijing, a high speed train 6 hour trip will be about 535 ¥ as for a slower (much slower) train trip of22 hours it will be about 150 ¥ … So you choose !
- Bus tickets on average cost lest than 7.66 ¥.
Accommodation :
- Accommodations are much more expensive in big cities. Expect about 76 ¥/night in a youth hostel and 460 ¥/night for hotel room for 2. Outside big cities, just slip these prices by two !
Eating :
- It is easy to eat for just a few bucks in China. Restaurants are a little more expensive, about 76 ¥ / person.
For a trip longer than 90 days you will need to get a VISA, it costs about 437 ¥/person.
Useful contact information in China
If you need to join / go to you embassy while in China, go to this website for the address, phone number, email address and website : https://embassy.goabroad.com/embassies-in/china
In case of emergency, call :
- Police : 110.
- Medical center : 120
- Firefighters : 199
Réservez votre voyage en Chine
On vous laisse les différents sites internet pour réserver votre trip.
Pour les avions :
Pour les trains :
Les bus sont à réserver directement sur place quelques jours avant.
Practical information in China
Tips to travelers :
- Get a universal adapter so you can charge your devices.
- Giving a tip to people who helped you is highly recommended.
- Beware of Chinese traditions : bring a gift to your host, do not put the teapot’s beak towards your the person you are speaking to, to not stick your chopsticks in rice and do not talk about politics.