If you are looking for a destination that is exotic, packed full of new sights and experiences, stimulating, and over all different, China is best in the world.
China isn't a place where you just go to enjoy a vacation — it is a destination where you can discover a country that's vastly different from your own.
Here are the eight reasons why China should be at the top of your must-visit list.

We are pleased to inform you that China has officially announced the resumption of all kinds of visas, including tourist visas (L Visa), from March 15th, 2023. If you possess a 10-year China Visa obtained before COVID-19, and it remains valid, you can enter China without applying for a new one.
China Highlights takes pride in being the most highly-rated China travel agency on TA with over 10,000 reviews and winning the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence year-on-year. Despite the pandemic, we have maintained healthy business operations in China and served more than 4,000 China expats with customized travel services from 2020 to 2022.
We would be honored to tailor-make your flexible private China tour. Please do not hesitate to contact us at any time to discuss your travel plans.
1. The World's Richest Breadth of Culture

China is one of the Four Ancient Civilizations, with a history of over 3,000 years. It boasts the world's richest breadth of culture.
China's language supersedes others in originality and complexity. Kung fu and tai chi similarly surpass karate, taekwondo, and Thai boxing.
Also consider China's food and tea cultures, Chinese medicine, poetry, calligraphy, opera, costume, festivals, and porcelain, before even considering the hundreds of ethnic minorities.
Recommended tour: 11-Day Classic Wonders (Beijing – Xi'an – Guilin/Yangshuo – Shanghai)
2. Most Impressive Ancient Heritage

China's awesome and monumental ancient treasures exceed all other countries for size and number — from ancient palaces to the Great Wall, city walls, buried armies, canals, pagodas, temples, and giant Buddhas. See:
Recommended tour: 6-day tour of Beijing and Xi'an (Time Travel in Two Ancient Chinese Capitals)




98.8% positive customer reviews among 10,000+
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Amazing Great Wall tour with Helen
We did the great wall tour from Jiankou to Mutianyu with Helen.The tour was very well organized from the begining until the end.The treckking through the great wall was amazing and challenging. Helen took very good care of us and took as many stops as we needed to rest, drink water,have a snack or take pictures. She also explained us many things about the great wall and helped us with all our questions. After the long walk Helen took us to a local restaurant where the food was delicious! She managed everything perfectly so could have all the food ready when we got to the restaurant. Very recommended experience! more
May 2023,
Marta
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Great tours!
I had an amazing two trips on the Great Wall and the Forbidden City with the guide Ivy during my stay in China. She was very helpful and answered all of our questions with an enthusiastic approach. I have nothing to say but to highly recommend the trips they offer on the Great Wall hiking/camping and also the in-depth Forbidden City tour! Thank you Ivy and China Highlights. more
May 2023,
Serhat Altay
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Amazing First Time to Beijing with China Highlights
Tom, my private tour guide was there when I landed and accompanied me all the way through to sending me off at the airport after check-in at the end of my trip. Zhao the driver, who also did all the driving during my trip, was calm, confident and knowledgeable in taking us around. Both Tom and Zhao were punctual too. The Great Wall of China Hike I wanted to do started in a very remote, unrestored part of the wall. This would not had been possible without Tom problem solving many issues we had on the way up and I could not have done this on my own a a foreigner. It was well worth the effort and probably the highlight of my trip.The remainder of the tour around Tiananmen Square, Forbidden Kingdom and The Temple of Heaven was paired with a detailed commentary by Tom of which I learnt a lot. more
May 2023,
Munsie
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Beijing - city of surprises
A fantastic guide was waiting for us - Jack, who told all the stories with passion and commitment. He also fulfilled those wishes that were not in the plan. I highly recommend visiting Beijing with this guide. more
May 2023,
Joanna i Piotr Kuzebscy
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Liu Yuan was a superb guide and a lot…
Liu Yuan was a superb guide and a lot of fun to spend time with during my first visit to Beijing. It was a wonderful intensive three days. more
May 2023,
Pam S.
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Great weather and a good trip out with Lily!
Many thanks to my guide Lily for customising the trip to make it as efficient and enjoyable as possible. She arranged to start an hour earlier to beat the crowd and I got to enjoy the Great Wall before the crowd streamed in and while the weather was cool. I requested to switch the next attraction to visit from Temple of Heaven to Ming Tomb and she not only accommodated the prompt request, but made all the necessary arrangements even before the trip coordinator managed to reply! Kudos! Our driver was jovial and friendly, always on top of traffic conditions and took detours to beat slow moving traffic. Hassle free day and I wouldn’t have been able to cover the two attractions so easily and comfortably without them! more
May 2023,
Meibao
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This was our first time traveling to Beijing
This was our first time traveling to China, so we really wanted to experience some of the major historical sights of Beijing together with a tour guide. Our itinerary was very carefully planned out according to our interests and tailored to our needs. First, we went camping on the Great Wall and hiked from Jiankou to Mutianyu, and the next day we got an in-depth tour of the Forbidden City as well as a tour of the Temple of Heaven and a taiji experience in the gardens. Our tour guide, Ivy, was truly wonderful in preparing and organizing our personalized itinerary. She is very friendly and knowledgeable, and she was always able and willing to answer all of our questions. Ivy provided us with a truly amazing first visit to China and I would warmly recommend China Highlights for everyone who wishes to travel to China and I would especially recommend Ivy as a tour guide for your trips! more
May 2023,
Annalina Wheeler
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Tom is the BEST tour guide EVER!
Just had the most AMAZING tour with Tom. He was beyond knowledgeable, so generous with his time and made me feel so at ease which was super important as I am travelling by myself. Thank you Tom for the best day-you have totally made my China trip a fabulous experience, one I will never forget! more
May 2023,
SHARRYN HINCHLIFFFE
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Superb service and wonderful time in Beijing
Superb service from Jack who were with us for 4 wonderful days in Beijing. Jack was clearly knowledgeable about the history and able to deliver insight information to us about places. He was also kind and accommodating to my mother who has bad knees. Both China Highlights and Jack were flexible about the itinerary to ensure that we enjoy the best of Beijing. We'll definitely use China Highlights' services again for our next trip to China. more
May 2023,
Chani
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Amazing Trip
First time booking a trip with China Highlights and was fortunate to have Sunny as my private tour guide. We went to the Jinshanling section of the Great Wall, then arrived and walked around Gubei Water Town, and then visited the Simatai portion of the Great Wall at night. Was a very enjoyable trip as we were able to see a night time drone show in the sky, ride a private boat through the canals of the Gubei Water Town, and eat a delicious lunch at a local restaurant along the way. Sunny is super knowledgeable when it comes to the history of the Great Wall and took the time to explain various interesting facts and stories which made the trip very meaningful. The driver we had was also a very nice man who was always on time and eager to help. Was an unforgettable experience and would highly recommend Sunny and China Highlights :) more
May 2023,
Allen C
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Tour to the great wall from the airport
My guide Tom was ver kind and knowlegable, he explained everything to me about the great wall and even went out of his way to help me the next day at Bejings downtown! amazing service!!! thank you so much Tom! more
May 2023,
Fer Villasefior
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Great tour, fantastic guide!
This tour was fantastic! I loved hearing about the history of the Forbidden City and admiring the views at the Great Wall. William was a fantastic tour guide. We were a group of families with several young children, and he was very accommodating and flexible with timing and arrangements. I totally recommend this tour and William as a guide! more
May 2023,
Ryan Corless
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Four excellent sightseeing days in Beijing
We had wonderful four days in Beijing. The entire trip was tailored exactly to our wishes. From experiencing local food, to exploring the major sites of the city up to hiking the great wall of China. Additionally, we had two amazing guides Ina and Fan taking care of all the tickets and coordination required. Also, they could not only tell us everything about the sights we visited and give us an insight to local customs and traditions, but they did so in perfect German. The chauffeur service from Mr Chang was also excellent, getting us from A to B without any hazzle. The past couple of days were one of the most carefree trips we have had so far. more
May 2023,
Katha
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Great tour from William
Great tour organized by China highlights, our tour guide was William - his knowledge was impressive, his English was great and he was always on time. We did the four day tour including the wall and forbidden city - would definitely recommend to anyone looking for an English tour guide. more
Apr 2023,
Lawrence
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Beijing 2 day private tour
The tour itself was great, private driver to and from, my guide Ivy was great English speaking guide. She was very knowledgeable and passionate about her country. Was a great time exploring the Great Wall of china and then my second day did a city tour (forbidden city, hutong tour, summer palace). Felt extremely safe, and was confident having an English guide. Thank you china highlights. (Provide them what you want and they’ll make it happen). Prices are reasonable as I looked at a few places but for private tour, my own schedule, and confidence of getting around safely you can’t go wrong. more
Apr 2023,
Mark
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Very enjoyable
Everything was to the vest standard, the history all very well explained by the Tour Guide in Beijing, Ivy. Really enjoyed it, and appreciated the time. more
Apr 2023,
Jonathan
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Amazing Beijing Experience
I had an amazing time in Beijing and glad Tom was my tour guide. He went above and beyond and I’m truly grateful. Tom did all that he could to ensure my stay in Beijing for two days was pleasant and thanks to him, I say that it was. The driver was also nice and courteous, I called him Jon. The company is blessed to have a good tour guide like Tom on their team so if you are planning to come down to Beijing, make sure you ask for Tom. Thank you Christy and Kimmy for replying all my emails with questions that I had. more
Apr 2023,
Pedro V
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Great experience
We had a great experience with China Highlights and Roger was highly efficient and helpful planning our itinerary exactly how we needed. more
Apr 2023,
Brenda Sarmanho
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Excellent service and tour guide!!
Excellent service and communication from the travel agent Roger Li and amazing tour and experience of Great Wall of China from our tour guide Amber. Highly recommended! more
Apr 2023,
Evangelos Athanasopoulos
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Maggie was such a tremendous help for…
Maggie was such a tremendous help for our recent Beijing trip. Very prompt and helpful in helping us plan and adjust/amend to our requests. more
Apr 2023,
Hi
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3. Most Varied and Spectacular Natural Wonders
As far as natural beauty goes, China goes bigger and more-varied and spectacular than any country in the world, if you count everything.

For example, the legendary Yellow Mountains, with their seas of cloud and charismatic rocks and pines, the rainbow lakes of Jiuzhaigou, Pandora's floating pinnacles in Zhangjiajie, Guilin's charming karst, hikers most-loved gorge — Tiger Leaping Gorge, and the world's highest and most majestic plateau in Tibet. See:
Our China Nature Tours can be customized to include the natural wonders that capture your imagination.
4. The World's Greatest Variety of Cuisine

Chinese food is famous worldwide. However, it's doubtful you'll discover the delights of Chinese food, and sample its surprising variety of ingredients, until you try it in China.
Each region has its own unique dishes. Some specialties you should try are Beijing roast duck, Shanghainese soup dumplings, spicy hotpot in Chengdu, rice noodles in Guilin, and dim sum in Hong Kong.
Recommended tour: 13-Day A Broad Taste of China (Beijing – Xi'an – Chengdu – Guilin – Hong Kong)
5. Adorable Giant Pandas

The adorable giant panda lives nowhere else in the world outside captivity. It is the world's most treasured endangered species. "China's national treasure" woos with its round features and uniquely cuddly appearance.
Our Panda Tours allow you to get up close and personal with the lovely pandas. Be a panda keeper. You can even go with our panda specialists to try to meet wild pandas in their natural habitat.
Recommended tour: 13-Day China Essence and Panda Tour (Beijing – Xi'an – Chengdu –Yangtze Cruise – Shanghai)
6. Fascinating Ethnic Cultures and Customs

There are 55 ethnic minorities in China and over 500 people groups, practicing a multitude of different cultural customs.
Four major places to experience colorful minority culture are Yunnan, Guilin, Guizhou, and Tibet:
- Go to Lugu Lake in Yunnan to explore "the world's last matrilineal society" — the Mosuo people. (3-Day Lugu Lake Tour)
- See the Zhuang people's traditional wooden stilted houses and record-breaking long-haired Yao women, and try local bamboo-tube rice in Guilin's Longji Rice Terraces. (6-Day Guilin, Yangshuo and Longji Terraced Fields Tour)
- Visit a Miao village, hear their mountain songs, and see their silver crowns and a traditional way of making paper from trees in Guizhou. (6-Day Diverse Minority Adventure)
- Walk through Lhasa's pilgrim streets and mountain monasteries to meet the devout people of Tibet. (8-Day Lhasa to Everest Base Camp Private Tour)
7. Greater Travel Convenience and Traditions Retained

China has been entering its digital era with its highly-developed four modern innovations: shared transport, high-speed rail, mobile communication/payment, and Internet shopping.
Travel in China is easier than ever before. With a smartphone in China, you can board a high-speed train from Beijing to Shanghai running at 250-350 km/h, buy a coffee with your digital wallet, and ride a shared bike to explore the city.
However, China is thankfully not so "developed" in other areas — it's still a country full of intriguing traditions, a love for fresh ingredients, ready hospitality, and a strongly-held cultural identity.
Recommended tour: 5-Day Shanghai, Hangzhou and Suzhou Bullet Train Tour
8. Easily Accessible: Direct International Flights, Free-Visa Policies
Even though China may be thousands of miles away, it is easily accessible. Many direct international flights connect major cities around the world with Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Guangzhou...
The 72/144-hour visa-free transit policies in major cities allow you to enjoy a short tour without a visa.
Read more about China Travel Restrictions.
Discover Authentic China with Local Experts

Can't wait to explore this incredible country? Contact a local expert here for a more authentic experience to enrich your once-in-a-lifetime China tour.
Our specialists have explored all the country's facets and can help plan your holiday as an individual tailor-made trip to match your preferences.
Here are some sample itineraries for your inspiration:
- Classic Wonders (11-day) — the highlights in Beijing, Xi'an, Guilin, and Shanghai
- The Golden Triangle (8-day) — just the big three: similar to the above, without Guilin
- Find inspiration on our China tours.
- Or visit our tour page for more interesting tour itineraries.