City Guides for Foreign Visitors

Overview

China has dozens of cities worth visiting, each with distinct character. This page provides a quick-reference guide to the 20 most popular destinations for foreign tourists, organized by region.

Which cities are best for foreign visitors to China?

City	Region	Days	Highlights	Best Season
Beijing	North	4-5	Great Wall, Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace	Apr, Sep-Oct
Shanghai	East	3-4	The Bund, French Concession, Shanghai Tower, Yu Garden	Apr-May, Sep-Oct
Guangzhou	South	2-3	Dim sum capital, Canton Tower, Shamian Island	Oct-Mar
Shenzhen	South	2-3	Tech hub, Hong Kong border crossing, modern architecture	Oct-Apr
Chengdu	Southwest	3-4	Giant Panda Base, Sichuan hotpot, Leshan Buddha day trip	Apr, Oct
Chongqing	Southwest	2-3	3D mountain city, hotpot capital, Yangtze River cruises	Mar-May, Sep-Nov
Xi’an	Northwest	2-3	Terracotta Warriors, City Wall cycling, Muslim Quarter	Apr-May, Sep-Oct
Hangzhou	East	2-3	West Lake, Longjing tea plantations, Lingyin Temple	Apr, Sep
Nanjing	East	2-3	Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum, Ming City Wall, Qinhuai River	Mar-May, Sep-Nov
Suzhou	East	1-2	Classical gardens (UNESCO), water towns, canals	Apr-May, Sep-Oct
Guilin	South	2-3	Li River cruise, karst mountains, Reed Flute Cave	Sep-Oct
Yangshuo	South	2-3	Cycling karst countryside, rock climbing, river rafting	Sep-Oct
Lijiang	Southwest	2-3	UNESCO Old Town, Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, Naxi culture	Mar-May, Sep-Nov
Dali	Southwest	2-3	Erhai Lake cycling, Old Town, Bai culture, digital nomad hub	Mar-May, Sep-Nov
Zhangjiajie	Central	2-3	Avatar mountains, Bailong Elevator, Tianmen Mountain glass skywalk	Apr-May, Sep-Oct
Kunming	Southwest	1-2	Stone Forest, Green Lake, “Spring City” mild weather year-round	Year-round
Xiamen	Southeast	2-3	Gulangyu Island (UNESCO), beaches, Nanputuo Temple, seafood	Mar-May, Oct-Nov
Urumqi	Far West	1-2	Grand Bazaar, Heavenly Lake, Xinjiang cuisine, gateway to Silk Road	Jun-Sep
Kashgar	Far West	2-3	Old City, Sunday Market, Uyghur culture, Karakoram Highway	May-Oct
Lhasa	Tibet	3-4	Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Street (permit required)	May-Oct

Which cities match what you want to see?

If you don’t know where to start, pick by what you most want out of the trip. These group the cities in the table above by theme (all reachable by high-speed rail unless noted).

History & heritage — Beijing (Great Wall, Forbidden City) + Xi’an (Terracotta Warriors, city wall) + Nanjing (Ming city wall, Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum). The classic imperial-history arc; about 10–12 days for all three. If you want to go deeper, Datong (Yungang Grottoes) and Luoyang (Longmen Grottoes) are strong add-on / day-trip destinations rather than main bases.

Food — Chengdu (Sichuan hotpot, mapo tofu) + Chongqing (the spiciest hotpot) + Guangzhou (Cantonese dim sum). A spice-to-subtle tour of two of China’s great food traditions; about 8–10 days. Xi’an’s Muslim Quarter is a strong street-food add-on. See Food & Dining for ordering and spice-tolerance tips.

Big-city & modern China — Shanghai (the Bund, skyline) + Shenzhen (tech, modern architecture) + Beijing (capital energy alongside the history). For travelers who want contemporary China more than temples; about 8–10 days.

Nature & scenery — Guilin / Yangshuo (karst rivers) + Zhangjiajie (the “Avatar” sandstone pillars) + the Yunnan towns (Lijiang, Dali). Slower-paced and scenic; about 10–14 days, with some segments needing a domestic flight.

Pandas & family — Chengdu (Giant Panda Base) pairs naturally with either the food route or a short Beijing–Xi’an–Chengdu first-timer loop; easy and high-reward for kids.

These are starting points, not fixed packages — mix a theme with the multi-city routes below to build your own trip.

What are good multi-city routes for a China trip?

Classic First-Timer (14 days)

Beijing (4-5d) > Xi’an (2-3d) > Chengdu (3-4d) > Shanghai (3-4d)

Transport: High-speed rail between all cities. Fly into Beijing, out of Shanghai.

East Coast Express (7-10 days)

Shanghai (3-4d) > Hangzhou (2d) > Suzhou (1d) > Nanjing (2-3d)

Transport: All cities connected by 30-90 min HSR.

Southwest Nature & Culture (10-14 days)

Chengdu (3d) > Chongqing (2d) > Zhangjiajie (3d) > Guilin/Yangshuo (3-4d)

Yunnan Loop (10-14 days)

Kunming (2d) > Dali (3d) > Lijiang (3d) > Shangri-La (2-3d)

Silk Road (7-10 days)

Xi’an (3d) > Urumqi (2d) > Kashgar (3d)

Note: Requires domestic flights for western segments.

Practical Notes

• Metro apps: Each city has its own metro mini-program. Set up upon arrival (takes ~5 minutes).
• Language: English signage is good in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen. Limited elsewhere; translation apps essential.
• Permits: Tibet Permits required for Lhasa. Xinjiang cities (Urumqi, Kashgar) generally do not require a special travel permit, but visitors should expect heightened security checks and ID inspections; confirm current local conditions before travelling.
• Budget: Shanghai tends to be the most expensive Chinese city for visitors, with Beijing close behind; hotels, food and attractions both run noticeably higher than in tier-2 cities. Within either city, prices vary more by location and season than by exact city. Tier-2 cities (Chengdu, Xi’an, Nanjing) offer excellent value.
• Avoid: National holidays (Labour Day around May 1-3 and National Day / Golden Week Oct 1-7) bring extreme crowds to all destinations.

Which cities should I visit on a first trip to China?

• Beijing vs Shanghai first? Shanghai is easier to navigate and more international. Beijing offers deeper cultural immersion. Both are excellent starting points.
• Short trip (5-7 days): Pick Beijing + Shanghai (connected by ~4.5h HSR; second-class fare roughly CNY 553-673 / US$80-100 as of June 2026, after a ~20% fare-ceiling increase effective May 26, 2026).
• Nature focus: Guilin/Yangshuo or Zhangjiajie.
• Food focus: Chengdu (spicy) or Guangzhou (Cantonese dim sum).
• Off the beaten path: Kashgar, Dali, or Nanjing.