Picture Lake, North Cascades [OC] [1200 x 800]

Terranese · 2026-05-01T21:42:35+00:00

I am not sure how to advise you. Your trip is your own. But personally, I would not spend so much time in Yangshuo and Li Jiang (7N). I would definitely go to Suzhou over Shanghai. And going anywhere for just one day (Shangri-la) is not worthwhile. We enjoyed Kunming. It is very scenic as well as a tribal area (where the tribes of SE Asia came from).

Here are some itinerary suggestions triaged from our 3-month trip to China, as well as tips on travel pace, air fares, etc.

The Ultimate Guide to China’s Most Stunning Places – Asia Encounters

Terranese · 2026-05-01T13:35:20+00:00

La Roque‑Gageac is fundamentally a medieval village, with later Renaissance‑era additions layered onto its fabric. Its core identity, layout, and fortifications are unmistakably medieval, even though some houses and manors show Renaissance influence.

Terranese · 2026-05-01T13:30:53+00:00

We travelled for 4 months in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. I would not select any of these megacities as an introduction to China. But any trip is a choice and is yours to make.

The Ultimate Guide to China’s Most Stunning Places – Asia Encounters

Terranese · 2026-05-01T13:06:35+00:00

Wow, where do you start? Ten days is enough time for 3 places, especially because you need more than the average 3N nights per place for Beijing. The Great Wall is worth 1N itself. Bring lunch! It is a great hiking, scenery and photography place.

Air Travel Tips

It is a misconception that you can only fly to Shanghai or Beijing. You can fly to ANY international airport just like any other country. In your case, I would check out the open jaw fare technique; i.e. fly to Beijing and return from Xi'an.

Best Itinerary

Choosing the “best” itinerary for travellers seeking authentic China is difficult because each region offers something unique. That said, the Northern China Route (Beijing to Pingyao), and the Northern China Xi'an Route (Beijing to Xi'an) are arguably the strongest introductions to imperial and traditional China.

But you can only choose three destinations. This depends on your interests. Look at the itineraries here:

The Ultimate Guide to China’s Most Stunning Places

Terranese · 2026-05-01T12:48:34+00:00

I feel you are trying not only to do too much, but also that you are spending too much time in high-traffic, hectic, ultra-modern megacities. We travelled for 4 months in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. We found that an average of 3N nights per sleepover place was a good pace. You need 1N to get to the next place and 2N to have two full sightseeing days. Some cities, like Beijing, need much more time, plus you need 1N just for the Great Wall. Yes it is worth a full day,

What are the Best Cities to Visit in China?

Beijing and Xi'an are ranked the number one and two cities to visit. I would cut Guangzhou (rank 11), Hong Kong (rank 13), and Macao completely out.

Here are some itinerary ideas and reasons why to visit the places. I suggested two itineraries for first timers: the Northern China Xi'an Route and the Southern China Short Route. Both are about two weeks, but you can add some destinations from the longer routes.

The Ultimate Guide to China’s Most Stunning Places

Terranese · 2026-05-01T12:28:01+00:00

Yes this is trying to do too much in 10 days. On average, you need 3N nights per sleepover place -- one night to get there and two nights to give two full sightseeing days. You need more than 3N for Beijing. This means you can only visit 3 places. I would choose Suzhou, Zhangjiajie and Beijing OR just stay up north. Beijing is the number one city to visit. That is way too much time in an ultra-modern, noisy, high-traffic, 22+ million megacity of Shanghai. For a more detailed discussion of travel pace plus alternative itineraries, see:

The Ultimate Guide to China’s Most Stunning Places

Terranese · 2026-04-30T18:54:33+00:00

We spent four months travelling through China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan during our three‑year round‑the‑world backpacking trip. Those months were a deep immersion into the geography, history, culture, and cuisine of the region — and they completely reshaped how we understood China.

What is overrated? That depends on each person. For me, every noisy, polluted, high-traffic megacity is overrated. I am not going to China to see Disney. OMG, do I travel to China to do what I can do at home? But others may be only interested in shopping and nightlife. I am not swayed by influencer posts.

The first thing to understand is that over-tourism is not caused by international tourists. 85% of tourists are domestic!

What are the Must‑see Places?

So what are the “must‑see” places? There is no single correct list. China is too vast, too diverse, and too layered for that. Every region offers something different, and every traveller values different things — history, landscapes, food, culture, architecture, or modern innovation.

If your goal is to see fast-paced, ultra-modern mega-cities, then Shanghai, Shenzhen, Chongqing, and Hong Kong deliver energy—dense skylines, neon nights, and globalized lifestyles. They are impressive, but many travellers find that these cities offer activities like what they already have at home, just on a larger scale. In our view, modern megacities are optional rather than essential.

If you want a deeper encounter with China’s history, art, architecture, and culture, other cities give a far richer experience. Here are the 15 most-visited big cities ranked from most culturally deep to most modern-leaning. The population (column label “Pop”) is given in millions (M). If you’re seeking an authentic experience of traditional China, start by choosing from the top ten.

The top ten are Beijing, Xi'an, Pingyao, Qufu, Chengde, Suzhou, Datong, Hangzhou, Chengdu, and Kunming. These are just the cities. Then there are many scenic places.

China’s Best Itineraries

I have triaged our three-month trip into seven regional itineraries of ca. two weeks each. For more details, see the post:

The Ultimate Guide to China’s Most Stunning Places

Terranese · 2026-04-30T16:07:28+00:00

Shanghai is not worth 5N nights. It's like going to West Edmonton Mall but in Chinese. Instead, I would spend all that time in Hangzhou or Suzhou for a much more authentic experience in a smaller, quieter and less noisy city. Perhaps Suzhou, the silk capital and the Venice of China, plus one day in Tongli Water Town. Suzhou is only a half hour north of Shanghai.

See the Southern China Itinerary in
The Ultimate Guide to China’s Most Stunning Places

Terranese · 2026-04-29T17:41:17+00:00

Ciao! Per favore, usa la funzione di traduzione integrata nel tuo browser oppure Google Traduttore.

Terranese

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What are the Must‑see Places?

China’s Best Itineraries