China is a country that offers a wealth of unique and unforgettable experiences for travelers.
With 10 days to spare, you could explore 3 or 4 cities. In this article, we'll provide you with five of the best options for a 10-day itinerary in China, including popular combinations and off-the-beaten-path destinations.
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1. A Classic 10-Day China Itinerary for Couples and Families
For first-time visitors, we recommend visiting Beijing, Xi'an, Guilin, and Shanghai. These four cities offer the best opportunities to explore China's top attractions, rich culture, and stunning natural scenery:
- Days 1‒3: Beijing
- Days 4‒5: Xi'an
- Days 6‒8: Guilin
- Days 9‒10: Shanghai
In Beijing, explore the most authentically-restored section of the Great Wall — the Mutianyu Great Wall. For a special experience, pay a night visit to the Simatai section, which is the only part open at night. If you love hiking, we can also arrange a Great Wall hike for you — Jinshanling to Simatai is best for hiking.
If you're traveling with kids and want to give them some cultural experience, we can arrange a family tai chi exercise in the morning with a master or you could learn Chinese calligraphy together.
In Xi'an, visit the Terracotta Warriors and try to make your own clay warrior with local artisans. You'll learn about how the Terracotta Warriors were made 2,000 years ago and create your own unique warrior to take home as a souvenir. Enjoy a food tour of the Muslim Quarter and bike around the old city on the ancient city wall.
In Guilin, relax on a Li River Cruise and enjoy its stunning karst landscapes, and the Li River cruise is the best way to enjoy the spectacular limestone peaks. Go to Yangshuo, the tourism-magnet town near Guilin.
There you could go bamboo rafting, cycle around the village, and meet the local people. If you're celebrating a special occasion, we could arrange a romantic riverside candlelit dinner for you.
In Shanghai, enjoy an in-depth culture discovery tour of the Bund. Step into the Bund's old buildings, where you could touch and feel their charm and learn about the history behind them.
The rest of your time in Shanghai is flexible according to your preferences, whether it's shopping malls, spa treatments, or a visit to some of Shanghai's iconic skyscrapers…
Our tours are ready to be personalized. We can craft a trip based on your interests and needs. Just contact us.
Discover real reviews of Highlights Travel Family's best-rated service across trusted platforms.
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Best Tour Ever
Other highlights are too many to mention but here are a few Ken taking us to the Terracotta Warriors and our food tour in Xian was amazing, more
Feb 2024, Liz Hickson
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Amazing Time in Xi'an
On our way to our hotel Jenny arranged dinner to be delivered by the hotel robot (an experience that was a must on the kids list!) before we even checked in, nothing was a problem, everything quickly solved!Jenny's knowledge of Xi'an and its history was also amazing. No question went unanswered, it was such an interesting trip! We'd definitely like to come back and spend a little longer here to see what else there is to do. more
Feb 2024, JenB
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Thank you, Shannon. Thank you, Xi,an.
We met our tour guide Shannon in Xi,an and we enjoyed very much our stay. Her good English level and her knowledge of the history of the city made our jorney very memorable. Kind, flexible and patient, she attended all our wishes. We will always be grateful for her work. more
Feb 2024, Man B
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Historical Xi'an
Our guide in Xi'an was Ken. Ken's knowledge of Chinese history is excellent so we were well entertained with the history of Xi'an and China while we were driving to various sites. The main attractions we went to were the Terracotta Warriors, The City Wall and The Big Goose Pagoda. The history behind the sites were well explained to us by Ken and he could answer all our questions. It made the site visits so much more interesting. Ken also assisted us in ordering food and introduced us to local dishes which were all great recommendations. Wish we could have spent more time in Xi'an. Thanks Ken for a memorable trip. more
Feb 2024, ChumSA
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Historica Xian
Mi esposo y yo, tuvimos la oportunidad de visitar la hermosa ciudad de Xian, la muralla de la ciudad, los guerreros de terracota, el barrio musulmán, todo esto con la mejor guia del mundo mundial!!! Susana, quien aparte de ser super simpática, tiene un gran conocimiento de la ciudad, la historia de los lugares y monumentos y aparte está siempre al pendiente de cualquier cosa que necesites y va más allá par hacerte tener una experiencia excelente, nos quedamos con ganas de regresar. Gracias x todo!! more
Feb 2024, Betty A
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Memorable and Great Trip!
Our guide, Jenny, was extremely knowledgeable of the area, history and culture. She addressed our questions and provided additional insights and recommendations for our free time. She was an amazing guide that always checked in and took the extra steps to make the trip special. Jenny definitely made our trip to Xi’an memorable and very special! more
Feb 2024, karolX8974SV
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China highlights Xi’An.
I had a wonderful trip to China. Susan was my guide. The history and sights picked were wonderful. The Terracotta Warriors were the highlight of me trip. Susan even helped me get some of the authentic replicas shipped home that arrived at my house just two weeks later. The making of dumplings with Susan’s aunt and neighbor was most memorable as well. Susan also sent pictures of the Chinese New Years Lanterns to me after I arrived home. They were in construction when I was there. more
Feb 2024, Megan S
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China Highlights is Excellent
Jenny was the tour guide in Xian, showed us the terracota warriors found in 1974 by a farmer behind a mountain masoleum, with projected ongoing excavations for next 100 years. Made clay model terracota warriors.Jenny is very enthusiastic and bubbly, helped us all the way, from picking up us from train station to dropping us off at the airport. more
Jan 2024, Brahma P
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Excellent 2-day Xi'an trip
Xi'an was my last stop in Northern China with China highlights. I have had great experiences with all of my guides but Mervyn was exceptional. Really easy to talk to, wonderfully knowledgeable and was really on top of the details. The timings for entry to and moving venues were really smooth.While in Xi'an, I visited the Terracotta army, the Xi'an museum & , the Muslim quarter and the city walls. All great to see if you come to the city.Mervyn chose some great restaurants with delicious local dishes as well as helping me to try really good snacks and street food in the Muslim quarter.Highly recommended! more
Jan 2024, Sherpa325441
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Xian the city where all began!
Our guide (Ken) speak very good English and know a lot, he was very patient and he had no problems with plan changing.We really recommend the private tour, it is very convenient and time saving. You can visit all the places using your private driver without having to wait. more
Jan 2024, Maria V
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Great Guide Made Xi’an Extra Special
Our tour guide Jenny was excellent and made our time in her city extra special. Not only was she a wealth of knowledge about Xi’an’s ancient history, she also had insights and great recommendations for local restaurants and places to see based on her own experience. We saw Teracotta Soldiers, the Muslim quarter, a shadow puppet show, the Xi’an museum, and had a dumpling banquet!! Highly recommend China highlights who coordinated our trip to multiple cities in China. more
Jan 2024, Rose A
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Memorable Trip with Rocky
Our tour guide was Rocky and he reached early at the train station to wait for us on the first day when we travelled down from Beijing. In fact, every morning, he will be super early to wait for us at the hotel....he will not rush us. He is definitely someone with good work ethic and someone who takes his work very professionally.Rocky was very helpful and together with the driver Li Shifu, helped us with our luggage. Rocky filled us in with so much history and was always ready to answer our questions on anything about China. He ordered very nice local food for our meals and also showed us other nice local food. We are so fortunate to have Rocky as our guide. more
Jan 2024, Celia L
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Our trip to Xi'an was incredible.
Our trip to Xi'an was incredible. We had Ken as our tour guide for a few days and we loved all the experiences. He is a very capable guide and knows a lot about history. We needed him to translate many things in the city and he was very patient with us. He speaks very good English and is punctual. He took many pictures for us and was very calm dealing with my father who walked sometimes slowly. more
Jan 2024, Monica L
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What a perfect stay
At each location the local guide (Nina in Beijing, Mervyn in Xi’an and Jack in Lijiang) together with their drivers was amazing and really helpful and helped us to organized additional visits or gave us very appreciated recommendations about where to go or eat in the evening. The drivers were always on time and brought us safely everywhere we went. What a perfect stay! more
Jan 2024, RC
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Lots to see and experience! We had a blast!
Jenny (from China Highlights) was a fantastic guide in Xi’an and gave great local entertainment and food recommendations - special mention to the Empress of the Great Tang show and Muslim Quarter local cuisines!She was also very knowledgeable of Xi’an history and really brought to life the stories behind the famous Museum of Terracotta Warriors and Horses, other local attractions like the Wild Goose Pagoda and more!My husband and I really enjoyed our 1.5 days in Xi’an and would highly recommend. Thanks Jenny! more
Jan 2024, a_raptor
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Susan was our guide and she was really helpful and highly prepared. She gave us all the information about places visited and organized everything in evergreen single details.I highly suggest to choose China Highlights and Susan to discover this Amazing city. more
Jan 2024, Alessandra
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What a perfect stay!
What a perfect stay! We were nicely picked up at the train station by Mervyn and the driver on the day of the arrival and given some good suggestions for the dinner. The day after, first stop was the Terracotta army. On the way Mervyn told us many interesting things about the history of China and the various capitals, dynasties and the mausoleums and walked us through the Terracotta museum. Very good food for dinner’s at the resteurant recommended. We then took a funny bicycle ride on the city wall and visited the super nice streefood and the mosque in the Muslim quartier. Then a tasty dinner with a huge variety of dumplings and a nice dance opera show. Finally the drum tower, the bell tower and the wild goose pagoda. Mervyn was very well organised and would explain all the nice background information. more
Jan 2024, rnt200120
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Xi’an with Juan!
From the beginning at the airport drive to the hotel, Juan explained us in a perfect Spanish the history of Xi’an. His seemly inexhaustible knowledge about culture and history let us truly enjoy places such as the city wall and the terracota warriors, places whose potential we could have only overseen if gone by ourselves. more
Jan 2024, Diego Gorrón
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This is the way to see China
We travelled to China in September/October to visit a relative who lives in Shanghai. He was too busy to show us the sights of China so we decided to use China Highlights. I am so pleased we did. Carol arranged a trip for us to X'ian and back to Shanghai. It wasn't cheap, but it was well worth it. We caught the bullet train to X'ian. more
Jan 2024, LDreviews
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Susan is great!
Susan is great!She is very knowledgeable about Xi An city and history. We really enjoyed and learned a lot about that city. more
Jan 2024, Tiong-Oen
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2. A 10-Day China Itinerary with Pandas
If pandas are a must-see for you, and you want to get the most out of your 10-day first China trip, you should check out this itinerary:
- Days 1‒3: Beijing
- Days 4‒5: Xi'an
- Days 6‒7: Chengdu
- Days 8‒9: Guilin
- Day 10: Shanghai
This itinerary is more varied and adds a trip to Chengdu to see pandas.
We can arrange a Panda Keeper Program to let you observe them closer. In the program, you will clean the panda enclosures, see them being fed, and make their favorite cakes.
If you want to experience the laid-back lifestyle of Chengdu, go to People's Park, where you can relax in a teahouse, see local people dancing and singing, and explore its interesting "marriage market".
If you are interested in this itinerary, check out our 12-Day Beijing–Xi'an–Chengdu–Guilin/Yangshuo–Shanghai Tour.
3. A 10-Day China Itinerary with Holy Tibet
If you have a passion to see Tibet on your first trip to China, then this itinerary is recommended for you. This itinerary covers China's top cities (Beijing and Shanghai) and the heart of Tibet — Lhasa:
- Days 1‒3: Beijing
- Days 4‒8: Lhasa
- Day 9‒10: Shanghai
In this itinerary, besides visiting the top famous cities, you would go to Tibet. The four days in Tibet will allow you to visit its essential highlights.
There, you could visit the famous Potala Palace, the emblem of Tibet. Go to Barkhor Street, where you can watch pilgrims doing their prostrating obeisances. And appreciate a different way of life in a Tibetan folk house.
If you want to explore more unique places in Tibet, you may need 2 or 3 weeks. See our 2-Week China Itineraries for Couples and Families and How to Plan a 3-Week Itinerary in China (Best 3 Options & Costs).
4. 10 Days in China, including Hong Kong, for Families
If you want a more relaxed pace of travel, you could consider this combination. This itinerary is especially suitable for families with kids:
- Days 1‒4: Beijing
- Days 5‒8: Guilin
- Days 9‒10: Hong Kong
All these three destinations are kid-friendly. It not only covers the cultural experience like visiting China's top attractions — the Forbidden City and the Great Wall in Beijing, but the itinerary also offers more opportunities to enjoy the outdoors with children in Guilin.
Hong Kong, an international transit hub, besides having many kid-friendly attractions, can also facilitate greater flight choices.
5. 10 Days on the Silk Road — Explore West China
If you have been to first-tier cities like Beijing and Shanghai and want an off-the-beaten-track route this time, you could consider exploring the Silk Road:
- Days 1‒2: Lanzhou
- Day 3: Xiahe
- Days 4‒5: Zhangye
- Day 6: Dunhuang
- Days 7‒10: Xinjiang (Turpan & Urumqi)
In this itinerary, you will explore deeper into West China to see its ancient caves, and various landscapes, and learn about its minority culture.
In Lanzhou, you could visit the Bingling Temple Grottoes, which can only be accessed by boat. In Xiahe, the less-visited destination along the Silk Road, you could enjoy the stunning grassland view. In Zhangye, you would enjoy its unique danxia ('red-cloud') landforms.
In Dunhuang, you could see a section of the Great Wall built in the Han Dynasty era (206 BC – 220 AD), which is as old as today's extant Great Wall gets, and visit the most famous Mogao Caves.
For something a bit special, we could arrange a practical experience for gaining greater insight into the celebrated Buddhist cave art: recreating a Mogao mural on a mud slab with your own hands.
In Xinjiang, you could see the pure mountain views and learn about Uyghur culture and the architectural features of West China by visiting its old towns and bazaars.
Costs for 10 Days in China
For a private tour in China, the average cost per day is about US$220–350 per person, including flights/trains within China, 4- or 5-star hotels, lunches, attractions, guides, and private transport.
Thus, a 10-day tour for two people would cost about US$4,500–7,000. A tour for a family of four may cost US$8,000–10,000 (kids under 10 get 30–50% off). These prices do not include international flights.
Discover real reviews of Highlights Travel Family's best-rated service across trusted platforms.
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Chengdu at it`s best
We made a private tour through South China in January 2024. Altogether Chengdu was the highlight. We had an incredible day at Emeishan. In Chengdu our guidewas Helen. She was the diamond of all. Speaking fluently English, full of interesting stories, laughing and talking all the time. We missed her the rest of our tour. We highly recommend to go to Chengdu for 3 days when visiting China, especially with Helen. more
Feb 2024, peter
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Best Tour Ever
Other highlights are too many to mention but here are a few Ken taking us to the Terracotta Warriors and our food tour in Xian was amazing, more
Feb 2024, Liz Hickson
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Chengdu and Volunteer program Panda base
Our day volunteering at the Panda Base was truly unforgettable. Helen, our guide, provided us with invaluable insights about Chengdu and the pandas, enriching our tour with her knowledge and expertise. We're grateful to Helen for accompanying us throughout the day and showcasing the highlights of China. more
Feb 2024, Eliaquim
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Chengdu at it`s best
We had a booking with China Highlights through Silvia Ye who guarenteed a perfect organisation. In Chengdu our guide was Helen. She was the diamond of all. Speaking fluently English, full of interesting stories, laughing and talking all the time. We missed her the rest of our tour. We highly recommend to go to Chengdu for 3 days when visiting China, especially with Helen. more
Feb 2024, Peter
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Shanghai tour with Kris
We traveled to China during the Chinese new year and we had Kris as our guide and he is simply knowledgeable,helpful and great. more
Feb 2024, Maria C
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Guilin 2024
We visited Guilin for 2 days and stayed in the Guilin Waterfall hotel. Guilin was absolutely beautiful! Our guide, William, was very knowledgeable and kind! He taught us so much about Guilin and the surrounding area! We really enjoyed trying the specialty rice noodles of Guilin. Our highlight was the Li river cruise. more
Feb 2024, Explore
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Excellent service
Amazing tour and the guide Mr. 贺霄 was very accommodating with our needs and request as we have bought our 2 years old with us. Well explained for all the place we visited. Any additional cost were informed well ahead and didn't felt any pressure if we opt not to go for additional detour. The trip was relaxing/ laid back/no rushing with zero shopping! more
Feb 2024, JJC
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We had an amazing to China
We had an amazing to China. Our tour guide Martin in Shanghai was super knowledgeable, caring and very flexible with our itinerary. When my wife got sick in the Shanghai, he was able to arrange an English-speaking doctor on the spot and took us to the clinic. On top of the that, Martin and the driver stayed with us at the clinic for the whole duration and drove us back to the hotel afterwards. His genuine concern for our welfare and willingness to go the extra mile did not go unnoticed, and we were deeply touched by his kindness and compassion. more
Feb 2024, Ray Luan
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Amazing trip to China
We had an amazing to China. Our tour guide Martin in Shanghai was super knowledgeable, caring and very flexible with our itinerary. When my wife got sick in the Shanghai, he was able to arrange an English-speaking doctor on the spot and took us to the clinic. On top of the that, Martin and the driver stayed with us at the clinic for the whole duration and drove us back to the hotel afterwards. His genuine concern for our welfare and willingness to go the extra mile did not go unnoticed, and we were deeply touched by his kindness and compassion. more
Feb 2024, Ray L.
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Beautiful Beijing with Ethan & Mr. Chen
Ethan, our wonderful guide, whose praises we can not sing loudly enough, was compassionate, caring, and overall endearing! His sense of ease and familiarity with each sight, which were unfamiliar wonders to us, provided a sense of peacefulness that facilitated full enjoyment - helped too by his punctuality and attention to detail. more
Feb 2024, apisn2023
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The Highlights and High Life of Beijing with Ethan & Mr. Chen
Ethan, our wonderful tour guide, made our entire trip an absolute joy for us as he was extraordinarily caring, considerate, and generous. Having had the pleasure of taking in the sights of Beijing previously with another lovely guide, Angela, it was spectacular not only to show the family how fantastic the city is but also how high the quality of services provided by China Highlights are. Each day unveiled a new treasure, helpfully detailed by Ethan, and punctuated by delicious and varied local food. Our driver, Mr. Chen, was also a delight, and was equally as key to the overall experience as he was both attentive and almost mystically punctual! more
Feb 2024, Apis
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Shanghai 2024
We had an amazing to China. Our tour guide Martin in Shanghai was super knowledgeable, caring and very flexible with our itinerary. When my wife got sick in the Shanghai, he was able to arrange an English-speaking doctor on the spot and took us to the clinic. On top of the that, Martin and the driver stayed with us at the clinic for the whole duration and drove us back to the hotel afterwards. His genuine concern for our welfare and willingness to go the extra mile did not go unnoticed, and we were deeply touched by his kindness and compassion. more
Feb 2024, Venture33530492375
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Beautiful Yangshuo
Guilin, but mostly Yangshuo was at the tail end of our China adventure so there was a lot to live up to. Having a guide like Gary Wei meant that our trip ended on a high! We arrived in Guilin very late from an 11 hour train journey. Gary met us with gifts of fruit, sweet bread and cakes which was so unexpected and thoughtful.Gary's knowledge of the area was exceptional and his attention to us the same. He really took our children under his wing - even tuning in to annoying sibling rivalry and managing to keep the peace very well! Gary was our personal photographer at times and even our Taiji instructor, making a beautiful video of us all doing Taiji in a scenic setting :)The cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo is definitely worth taking and we enjoyed our few nights in the area, riding bikes along the river, doing a cooking class and enjoying the scenery more
Feb 2024, JenB
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Vincent was a fantastic guide !
Vincent was a fantastic guide !Vincent is a wonderful & warm guide. He is extremely knowledgeable and his explanations are excellent. He showed us around Guilin & Yangshuo. He attended to all of our needs and really made the tour very special more
Feb 2024, David
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Great Time in Beijing
Our 4-day experience in Beijing was unforgettable. Our guide, Selinda, opened the doors to the city's millennia-old history and culture with her knowledge, kindness, and courtesy. We discovered magnificent places, tasted delicious food, and stayed in clean hotels, all accompanied by safe and reliable transportation service. We recommend traveling with China Highlights. more
Feb 2024, Nicola B
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Alice was a fantastic tour guide
Alice was a fantastic tour guide. She took us to many places in and around Lijiang including Jade Dragon Snow mountain and the old town. She is knowledgeable and very warm & friendly and very helpful with everything more
Feb 2024, 文文
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Thank you, Shannon. Thank you, Xi,an.
We met our tour guide Shannon in Xi,an and we enjoyed very much our stay. Her good English level and her knowledge of the history of the city made our jorney very memorable. Kind, flexible and patient, she attended all our wishes. We will always be grateful for her work. more
Feb 2024, Man B
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3rd time the charm, is being charmed for the 3rd time.
This is my 3rd tour of Beijing in the last 18 months and I think that speaks a little to the quality of service you get with China Highlights. Each time the sites are the same but each tour guide managed to present them in new and wonderful ways. Also some attractions that were undergoing renovations have been completed, so there were new things to see as well.A big thanks to Mr. Michael, our tour this time around. He was very gregarious and knowledgeable about all the sites. more
Feb 2024, Jonathan Mueller
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3rd time the charm, is charmed for the 3rd time
The sites stay the same but each time we have done this tour, the tour guides manage to make it feel like it is the first time you are experiencing it. And, with the constant renovations, this time we were able to see previous areas that were unavailable the last time we came. more
Feb 2024, Jonathan M
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Great trip and experience!
From beginning to end, China Highlights was very courteous, responsive and attentive in planning and executing a great trip!Aspects and execution of the trip was as discussed and was an overall great experience. Our guide, Michael, was very kind and knowledgeable throughout the tour and would address all questions and help us take lots of photos. Would definitely travel with China Highlights again! more
Feb 2024, Karol
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How to Travel Around China
Air travel and high-speed rail are the main modes of travel and also the most convenient options for intercity connections. Almost every major city is connected by high-speed rail and an airport.
When booking with us, let us know your travel preferences, and we will arrange the best travel routes for you, seamlessly booking the flight/train tickets you need.
Tour China with Us
Whether you're interested in history, culture, or natural beauty, there's something for everyone in China. Let's create your dream trip! All our tours can be customized. Just contact us.
- 11-Day Beijing, Xi'an, Guilin, and Shanghai — the TOP itinerary for first-timers
- 12-Day Panda Keeper and Classic Wonders — the above plus pandas
- 8-Day Beijing–Xi'an–Shanghai Highlights Tour — the classic Golden Triangle itinerary