8 days · Classic
China Essentials
Beijing, Xi'an and Shanghai linked by high-speed rail: the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, the Terracotta Army and the Bund.
Tours
China tours, 7 to 15 days
Eight itineraries that already work. Any of them can be shortened, lengthened or combined with another.
The short answer
Most first trips to China run 8 to 11 days and cover Beijing, Xi'an and either Shanghai or Chengdu. High-speed rail links all of them, so you do not need internal flights. Prices depend on your dates, your party size and the hotel grade you want, so we quote per date rather than publishing a figure that will be wrong for someone.
- 7–10 days covers two or three cities comfortably; 14–15 days adds the Silk Road or the south
- Everything is by high-speed rail unless the distance makes flying sensible
- Prices are land only — international flights from the UK are not included
- Departures are daily; you choose the date rather than joining a fixed group
10 days · Classic
Golden Triangle & the Giant Panda
Beijing, Xi'an and Chengdu. A morning at the panda breeding base and Sichuan cooking after dark.
7 days · Adventure
Zhangjiajie & the Avatar Mountains
The sandstone pillars that inspired Pandora, the glass bridge and the world's longest cable car.
11 days · Culture
Tibet: Roof of the World
Lhasa, the Potala Palace and Namtso Lake. We handle the Tibet entry permit for you.
14 days · Culture
Silk Road Odyssey
Xi'an, Dunhuang and Kashgar along the Hexi Corridor, with the Mogao Caves and Crescent Lake.
9 days · Food
Culinary China
Chengdu, Guangzhou and Shanghai, eating what people actually eat: dim sum at dawn, hotpot, wholesale markets.
12 days · Cruise
Yangtze River Cruise
Beijing and Xi'an, then three nights through the Three Gorges, finishing in Shanghai.
15 days · Grand tour
Grand China Odyssey
North, centre and south in one trip: Beijing, Xi'an, Chengdu, the Yangtze, Guilin and Shanghai.