China Travel Guides

The stuff that actually breaks trips — visas, real-name bookings, payments — plus classic itineraries with the traps pre-flagged. Every guide ends one click from our AI planner, which re-checks the rules for your dates.

Getting in & getting around

• China Visa-Free Entry 2026: Full Country List & Rules
  57 nationalities can now enter China visa-free for up to 30 days. The full 2026 country list, what you need at the border, and what to do if your passport isn't on it.
• China's 240-Hour Visa-Free Transit: How US & Other Travelers Use It (2026)
  The 240-hour (10-day) visa-free transit lets 54 nationalities — including Americans — see China without a visa. The catch: you must exit to a third country. Here's how to plan it.
• How to Book China Attraction Tickets with a Foreign Passport (2026)
  Most big Chinese attractions now require real-name advance booking — often through Chinese-only WeChat accounts. What works with a foreign passport, and what to do when it doesn't.
• Buying China High-Speed Train Tickets as a Foreigner: 12306, Passports & Pitfalls
  China's bullet trains are the best way between cities — if you can get a ticket. How foreigners register on 12306, when tickets release, seat classes, and the $5 shortcut.
• Alipay & WeChat Pay for Tourists (2026): Set Up Before You Land
  China is nearly cashless — but since 2024 both Alipay and WeChat Pay accept foreign Visa/Mastercard. The 10-minute setup that makes everything work, and the traps that remain.
• Forbidden City Tickets: Booking Window, Monday Closures & Backup Plans (2026)
  Forbidden City tickets release 7 days ahead at 20:00 Beijing time and sell out fast. Exactly how to get one with a foreign passport — and what to do when you can't.

Classic itineraries — copy & optimize with AI

• 7 Days in China: The Classic Beijing + Xi'an Itinerary (2026)
  The proven first-timer route: 4 days of imperial Beijing, a bullet train, and 3 days of ancient Xi'an. Day-by-day plan with the booking windows and closure traps already handled.
• 10 Days in China: Beijing, Xi'an & Shanghai — The Golden Triangle (2026)
  The classic golden-triangle route done right: 4 days Beijing, 3 days Xi'an, 3 days Shanghai, connected by bullet trains. Day-by-day with booking windows pre-flagged.
• 2 Weeks in China: The Complete First-Timer Itinerary (2026)
  Beijing, Xi'an, Chengdu and Shanghai in 14 days — history, pandas, food and skyline in one loop. The full day-by-day plan with every booking trap flagged in advance.
• 5 Days in Chengdu: Pandas, Teahouses & Sichuan Food (2026 Itinerary)
  Chengdu rewards slowing down: giant pandas at dawn, bamboo-shaded teahouses, face-changing opera and the world's best spicy food. A 5-day plan locals would approve of.
• 7 Days in Yunnan: Kunming, Dali & Lijiang Itinerary (2026)
  Spring-weather Kunming, old-town Dali on Erhai Lake, and Lijiang beneath Jade Dragon Snow Mountain — the classic 7-day Yunnan arc, with altitude and transport notes built in.