17 days in China would allow you to have an in-depth travel experience.
You could cover the most popular cultural and natural destinations, including China's top landmarks and some relaxing outdoor activities.
You could also choose to visit some off-the-beaten-track routes for more unique experiences.
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1. The Most-Chosen 17-Day China Itinerary
If it is your first time to visit China and you want a highlight-rich and leisurely travel experience, this itinerary is suitable for you.
This itinerary covers major destinations in Chinese cities such as Beijing, Xi'an, and Shanghai. Additionally, it doesn't miss out on the best scenic cities like Guilin and Zhangjiajie.
Furthermore, for those interested in delving deeper into Chinese culture and exploring ancient towns, Pingyao Ancient Town is also included.
- Days 1‒2: Shanghai
- Day 3: Suzhou
- Day 4‒6: Guilin
- Days 7‒10: Zhangjiajie
- Days 11‒13: Xi'an & Pingyao
- Days 14‒17: Beijing
You will first experience the collision of modern and traditional China in Shanghai through a visit to the Bund. Next, you will proceed to Suzhou. Suzhou's gardens are classic representatives of Chinese gardens.
At the next stops in Guilin and Zhangjiajie, you will appreciate the beauty of China's landscapes. In Guilin, you could slow your pace and enjoy stunning countryside views while doing some relaxing outdoor activities with your kids or partner, such as taking a bamboo raft and walking between the paddy fields.
In Zhangjiajie, you could see Hallelujah Mountain and other pillars that helped provide the inspiration for Avatar. Its gorgeous steep trails are excellent for hiking.
The highlight of Xi'an is visiting its top attraction — the Terracotta Warriors, which could be complemented with a special hands-on experience of making your own clay warrior. It would allow you to better understand the history and artisan-ship behind the Terracotta Army.
With a trip to Pingyao Ancient Town, you could see many ancient buildings and also find the earliest bank in China.
Finally in Beijing, leave your footprints on the Great Wall and explore China's imperial past in the Forbidden City. For more authentic ways to experience local life, taking a rickshaw to visit the hutongs, visiting a local market, or visiting a local family and chatting with the host are all good ideas. We could arrange them for you.
2. 17 Days in China with a Panda Experience
If you want pandas on your 17-day-in-China to-do list, you could consider this itinerary. This itinerary also includes a short trip to Lhasa.
- Days 1‒4: Beijing sightseeing with must-see landmarks, a hutong tour, and some cultural experiences
- Days 5‒6: Xi'an (the Terracotta Warriors, museums, and a food tour)
- Days 7‒8: Lhasa (monasteries, the Potala Palace, and Barkhor Street where to see Tibetan life)
- Day 8: Chengdu with a panda trip
- Days 10‒12: Shanghai (the Bund, Yu Garden, and a water town exploration)
- Days 13‒15 Yangtze River cruise with shore excursions
- Days 16‒17: Guilin sightseeing with a relaxing countryside lifestyle experience
With this 17-day itinerary, you could enjoy a leisurely Yangtze River cruise to slow down and appreciate the stunning natural scenery and other attractions along the Yangtze River.
You could also go to Chengdu to see the adorable pandas. If you want to encounter them closely, we could arrange a panda keeper program for you. You may need to add one more day for that where you could go into pandas' bedrooms for daily cleaning duties, make their favorite cakes, watch them being fed, and get a souvenir certificate.
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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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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Chengdu with friends
Bella, our tour guide in Chengdu, was excellent and very thoughtful. She picked us up from the train station (despite it being a free and easy day we wanted). She shared options for afternoon tea, places of interest around our hotel and helped us make dinner reservation at a local premium szechuan hotpot restaurant. During our stay in Chengdu, she took us to see the adorable pandas at the Panda Breeding Base, the beautiful Renmin Park (Chengdu People’s Park), the lively Jinli Old Street (pedestrian mall) and the Chengdu Opera (a must see - world famous face changing show). Bella is very attentive to our needs and preferences, and always made sure we were well taken care, comfortable and happy. We had so much fun together, laughing, joking and sharing stories. Food was excellent (best left the ordering to her). She is one of the best guide we had in China. more
Jan 2024, DLiew
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Excellent
Helen is the best! She is super knowledgeable and helpful with everything. Will definitely be using China Highlights and Helen when I bring my family back to Chengdu. more
Jan 2024, Riley
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Chengdu a great city
We had a great time visiting the Pandas, Michael was punctual, organized. He showed us around the great city of Chengdu,its museum,the Old Town, The Tea House,and while we were in the city park we saw a Chinese old lady in a wheelchair singing an Chinese Peking Opera Tune loudly and clearly.She said she is 90 years old and she comes to the park often just to sing and we asked her if she knows any song in English,she said yes and belted out a classic (you raised me up over the mountain) in perfect English. Absolutely amazing.She lived through the Civil War,Japanese Invasion, the Cultural Revolution,You can't plan an experience like this. more
Jan 2024, Peter W
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We went on a tour guided by Helen…
We went on a tour guided by Helen around Chengdu to see many cultural highlights. We were excited with the extensive knowledge. She speaks English very well. She was also always in a good mood and make us comfortable and we could see she is very passionate about her job. She gave us some gifts on Xmas day. Overall we are very grateful to have had Helen as our guide. Not to mention the great day we spent with the pandas. She took very good pictures for us and it's just a memorable day. more
Jan 2024, Monica
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Our tour led by Helen from Chengdu was amazing
Helen guided my family and I around Chengdu to see many cultural highlights. Her extensive knowledge and proficient English speaking skills enhanced our experience greatly. The historical facts that she shared with us made us even more excited to see the landmarks and left us in awe at every visit. She was also always smiling and her kind attitude during the tour made us feel that she was very passionate about her job and valued our experience a lot. She was very thoughtful, even giving us presents on Xmas day. She also recommended the best dishes in interesting restaurants that catered to my family’s taste. Overall we are very grateful to have had Helen as our guide because we know our holiday was so so much better due to her thoughtful pre-planning and positive demeanour! more
Jan 2024, Nicole
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Awesome trip in Chengdu guided by Helen
Our tour guide, Helen is superb and amazing. She is very knowledged and detailed with all the details and history of the destination. She is able to navigate through the attraction places easily, making the whole experience less tiring and easy to access.She is also very caring and detailed with taking care of us, making the trip very comfortable and enjoying. more
Jan 2024, 文文
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Fun Experience!
We had a lot of fun in ChengDu. The trip was nicely planned and organised. We had Helen as our guide in ChengDu. She was very friendly and knowledgeable, explained everything well. It was a great experience and would definitely recommend to anyone who is interested in travelling to China. more
Jan 2024, AdLee
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Helen was the best tour guide I’ve experienced! Can’t recommend her enough for anyone visiting Chengdu!
Helen was the best tour guide that my family and I have had on our international holiday trips so far! We were always kept entertained and fascinated by Helen’s extensive knowledge about Chengdu’s cultural highlights and fluency in both English and Mandarin. Helen was extremely personable and empathetic, always going out of her way to cater to our needs and ensure we always felt safe and comfortable. more
Jan 2024, Rachel
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Chengdu splendida città
Siamo stati a Chengdu città molto bella e vivace. Accompagnati da Helen guida molto attenta precisa cordiale e simpatica…the top!!! Con lei siamo stati a conoscere il panda gigante e il panda rosso. Poi abbiamo gustato il tè in una tipica casa da tè e fatto una piacevole passeggiata prima nel bel parco cittadino molto frequentato e poi per la città. Siamo stati molto bene!! Grazie Helen sei stata splendida. The top!!! more
Jan 2024, Trisia
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Excellent New Year's vacation in Chengdu! Happy memories!
Great thanks to our guide Sandy, who accompanied us tirelessly! He knows a lot about the city and every corner of Chengdu, as well as the culture of Sichuan: he lead us to amazing places and knew how to make excellent recommendations for the Opera and restaurants.The vehicle was very comfortable and Sandy was very generous to bring snacks for everyone and organize the best meals during the trips, to conclude memorable holidays! more
Jan 2024, Pioneer02494454516
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Wonderful Times in Chengdu with Aaron Huang
With the help of our tour guide, Aaron Huang, we were able to see many tourist attractions in Chengdu. We went to the famous Panda Research centre located a short distance away from the city . Our grandchildren loved the sight of so many cute pandas. We also went up to a mountain by cable car, the children had a good time playing with snow.Last but not least, we would like to thank our tour guide Aaron Huang who impressed us with his very excellent and fluent English, and he always answered our questions clearly and patiently. He is indeed a very professional tour guide and we highly recommend him to anyone who intends to visit Chengdu!Thank you Aaron again for going all the way to make our holiday in Chengdu such a memorable experience!Hope we will meet again! more
Jan 2024, Inspire39398
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Fanstric trip to Chengdu with Helen!
Helen brought me to some amazing hidden restaurants I would not be able to try otherwise. Helen was a top photographer and I really appreciate the photos she took during my time there. If you are going to Chengdu make sure to go with Helen! more
Jan 2024, David
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The Best Trip to Chengdu
Fifi is a super guide. She handled all ticket purchases and car orders professionally. I felt respected and very welcomed by her and the car driver. Fifi could recommend VEGETARIAN and VEGAN meal options for me. She even sought after restaurants that I had recommendations for, then did planning to fit them into our day schedule. I’m so happy!! more
Jan 2024, Blake
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Chengdu con Pablo 🇨🇳
Toda la experiencia fue muy agradable y se supieron sortear los problemas con el mal tiempo, los retrasos, la baja movilidad de mi mamá, y los itinerarios muy apretados.Seguramente recomendaremos a China Highlights a nuestros amigos y familiares, pues tanto en Chengdu como en otras 3 ciudades que hemos visitado, siempre han superado nuestras expectativas. more
Jan 2024, Kolombian_traveller
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Helen you are our STAR! Thanks
Our perfect honeymoon!When we decided to visit China for our honeymoon our first desire was making it the trip of a lifetime.China Highlights made it absolutely perfect!The itinerary was incredible and we could personalize and improve our experience - thanks Helen!! more
Jan 2024, Luca
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Our perfect honeymoon!
All the tour guides and the drivers provided an amazing service and they went out of their way to help us throughout all the stages of our journey. Particularly, we want to say a HUGE thank you to:Helen in Chengdu: you are a STAR! All your kindness, explanations about panda’s life and tips on the best places in more
Dec 2023, Sara
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An unforgatable experience
Dear Helen! We are slowly relaxing from the fatigue of our wonderful three-week trip to China, and all that remains are the unforgettable memories and experiences. These include the experiences I spent with you in Chengdu; the Panda Breeding and Research Center, Chengdu Kuanzhai Lane, Jinli Old Street and Shufengyayun Opera House. Thank you very much for your attitude, your attentiveness, more
Dec 2023, Geza
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3. A 17-Day China Itinerary with Tibet
If you want to make your 17-day itinerary more focused on Tibet, you could see this option.
With this 17-day itinerary, you could spend 8 to 10 days exploring Tibet in combination with "the Golden Triangle":
- Days 1‒4: Beijing with iconic landmarks and cultural experiences
- Days 5‒6: Xi'an with a visit to the Terracotta Warriors
- Days 7‒15: Tibet with Lhasa highlights and Everest Base Camp
- Days 16‒17: Shanghai with a Bund trip and free time activities
In Tibet, go to the iconic Potala Palace, visit famous and less-traveled monasteries, meet locals and see their daily life in Barkhor Street, have a picnic by on a Yamdrok lakeside, and go to Everest Base camp, leaving your footprints on "the roof of the world".
If you are interested in the Tibetan lifestyle, we can arrange for you to visit a local Tibetan family. You could talk to the host (with our guide's interpreting) about the family's life and help them with farming work.
Please note: Tibet Entry Permits are a must for foreign travelers to visit Tibet. They should be applied for at least 2 weeks in advance. We can handle it for you when you book a tour with us.
The tour can be combined with the 8-Day Golden Triangle Tour and the 8-Day Lhasa to Everest Base Camp Private Tour.
4. A 17-Day China Tour of the Silk Road
The Silk Road is a great choice if you prefer an off-the-beaten-path route, especially if you are interested in ancient grottoes, deserts, and Xinjiang with its exotic culture and unique landscapes.
10 to 11 days would be on the Silk Road with 5 to 6 days in Beijing and Xi'an:
- Days 1‒2: Urumqi sightseeing with a cruise on the Heavenly Lake
- Days 3‒4: Turpan (ancient ruins and cities, caves, and a visit to a local family)
- Days 5‒6: Dunhuang (Buddhist grottoes, dreamy desert, and a remote section of the Great Wall)
- Days 7‒9: Jiayuguan & Zhangye (see the end of the Great Wall and the "rainbow mountains" — a unique Danxia landform)
- Days 10‒12: Xi'an sightseeing
- Day 13: Pingyao Ancient Town
- Days 14‒17: Beijing sightseeing
The highlights of this itinerary are absolutely the scenery and cultural vibe along the Silk Road.
In Zhangye and Dunhuang, you would see marvelous landscapes with unique Danxia landforms and a beautiful oasis. Ride a camel through dunes in the pristine desert. Visit the old Mogao Caves to see fine murals and learn about how Buddhism entered China.
In Xinjiang, enjoy stunning scenery at Heavenly Lake and go to Urumqi's largest bazaar to feel the buzz of exotic life in the city furthest from the sea.
In Turpan, explore the ancient Gaochang Ruins, an important Silk Road city founded in the first century B.C. Discover the charming Tuyoq Village, with its vineyards and ancient mudbrick houses. Don't miss tasting the sweet grapes and melons — regional specialties.
You can find more itinerary ideas on our 17 Days in China: Top 9 Tours and Itineraries
How Much Does 17 Days in China Cost?
For a private tour of 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, for a couple, a 17-day private tour may cost about US$7,500–12,000 in total. You could also invite your friends and their partners to join the trip. The cost would become more affordable with a larger group.
For a family of four, it may cost about US$14,000–19,000. Kids under 10 usually get 30–50% off. (International airfares are not included.)
The cost of flights from the U.S. or Europe to China varies a lot depending on when you fly and which airline you use, from around US$1,200 to US$3,000 for an economy round trip.
The Peak Season May Increase the Cost
Peak tourist times in China are the first weeks of May and October (China's two golden weeks), summer holidays, and Christmas and New Year holidays.
The biggest price difference between the off and peak seasons is in the price of hotels and airfares. Their prices can go up by 50 to 100%.
Our refund policy minimizes the monetary risk to you when booking: you'll receive a 100% refund of any payments made to China Highlights if you cancel up to three weeks before departure. (See more details)
Tour China with Us
Our tours are personalized. We would create an itinerary according to your travel duration, interests, group size, and any other requirements.