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China travel insights from real local sources.
Pingyao has no airport: getting in from Taiyuan Wusu
Pingyao has no airport of its own. The nearest is Taiyuan Wusu, 90 km away — here is the metro, train and taxi sequence that gets you to the old city gates, with fares.
How Many Days in Nanjing? Three, and Here's Why
Three full days is right for Nanjing. Two forces you to drop the Nanjing Museum or the massacre memorial, and every big ticketed sight closes on Mondays — here is how to lay the days out and what must be booked ahead.
Nanjing Lukou airport to the city centre: metro, bus or taxi
Metro Line S1 now runs through onto Line 6, so you reach central Nanjing without changing at Nanjing South. What it costs, when the last train leaves, and when a taxi is worth it.
How many days in Luoyang: two, unless you add a day trip
Two days covers the Longmen Grottoes, White Horse Temple and the old city without rushing; a third only makes sense for a Shaolin or Laojun Mountain day trip.
Luoyang Beijiao airport to the city centre: bus or taxi
No metro reaches Luoyang Beijiao, so the run into town is a ¥1 city bus from outside the terminal or a ¥20–30 metered taxi 20–30 minutes south.
How many days in Lijiang? Two nights minimum, three is better
Two nights covers the old town and the snow mountain; a third buys you Shuhe, Baisha and a spare morning for when the summit clouds over. What each night actually gets you.
Lijiang Airport to the Old Town: the ¥20 Bus and Its 3 Stops
A ¥20 airport express bus leaves Lijiang Sanyi for the Old Town's south and north gates and the new town, takes 40–50 minutes, and runs until the last flight lands. Taxis cost around ¥80–120 for the 28 km.
How many days in Lhasa? Four, and here's what each covers
Four days is the number that works: one to arrive, two for the Potala, Jokhang and monasteries, one to leave. Three is the floor, six only if you're heading out to the lakes.
Lhasa Gonggar Airport to the city centre: the 30 yuan coach
The civil aviation coach from Lhasa Gonggar to the city centre costs 30 yuan and takes about 70 minutes. Where to catch it, which stops to ask for, and when a taxi is worth the extra.
How many days do you need in Kunming?
Two full days covers Kunming, three gets you Stone Forest without rushing, and one is only enough if the city is a stop between a flight and a train.
Kunming Airport to the City Centre: Metro Line 6 for CNY 6
Metro Line 6 connects Kunming Changshui Airport with Tangzixiang in the city centre in roughly 33 minutes for CNY 6. Here are the hours, the taxi meter rates and the late-night bus.
How many days in Kaifeng? Two is the honest answer
Two days covers Kaifeng properly; one is rushed and three is for eating. What each length of stay actually buys you, plus train times from Zhengzhou.
Kaifeng has no airport: getting in from Zhengzhou Xinzheng
Kaifeng has no airport — you land at Zhengzhou Xinzheng, 70 km west. The intercity train from under Terminal 2 reaches Kaifeng in under an hour for ¥43.
How many days in Huangshan? Two, with a night on the summit
Two days with one night on the summit is the right length for Huangshan; a third day buys you the West Sea Grand Canyon and a Huizhou village. Here is what the tickets, cable cars and transfers actually cost.
Huangshan airport to the city centre: ¥1 bus or ¥20 taxi
Huangshan Tunxi airport is only about 7 km from downtown Tunxi. Taxis cost ¥15–20, buses 18 and 19 cost ¥1, and no bus goes to the mountain — you connect in the city.
How Many Days Do You Need in Harbin?
Three full days covers Ice and Snow World, Sun Island and the old city; two is enough for the ice park alone, and a fourth buys you a day of skiing at Yabuli.
Harbin airport to the city centre: the ¥20 bus, no metro
The ¥20 airport bus reaches Central Street and Harbin Railway Station from Gate 7 at Terminal 2, and there is no metro. Here are the lines, hours and the taxi alternative.
How many days in Hangzhou: two is enough, three is better
Two full days covers West Lake and Lingyin without rushing; a third day buys either the Longjing tea hills or Xixi Wetland. Here is what fits in one, two and three days, plus the reservation Lingyin now requires.
How many days do you need in Guilin?
Three days is the minimum, four is comfortable, and five gets you the Longji terraces without a twelve-hour day. What each version actually fits.
Guilin airport to the city centre: shuttle bus, taxi or DiDi
The ¥20 airport shuttle bus takes 50–60 minutes to the Civil Aviation Building on Shanghai Road. There is no metro or rail link, so the only other options are a metered taxi (roughly ¥80–100) or a ride-hailing app.
How many days do you need in Guangzhou?
Three days covers Guangzhou properly; two works if you are passing through, and four to five buys you Baiyun Mountain and a day trip. Here is what actually fits, with opening hours and ticket prices.
Guangzhou Airport to City Centre: Metro, Train, Taxi and Bus
T1 closed, T2 and T3 operating — here is every confirmed way from Baiyun Airport into Guangzhou in 2026, with fares and journey times for each option.
How many days in Fuzhou? Two is enough, three is better
Two full days covers Fuzhou's core: Three Lanes and Seven Alleys, the Fujian Museum and the river. A third day is worth it only for Pingtan or Drum Mountain.
Fuzhou airport to the city centre: metro, bus or taxi
The Binhai Express Line metro reaches Airport Station in about 30 minutes for ¥17, but it stops running at 22:30. Here is what to do if you land after that.
How many days in Dunhuang? Two minimum, three for the desert
Two full days covers Mogao Caves and Mingsha Mountain; a third day is needed for the western Silk Road line. Here is what each day costs and which ticket to book first.
Where to Stay in Dunhuang: City Center vs Desert Edge
Dunhuang has two distinct places to base yourself: the city center near Shazhou Night Market, or the desert edge near Mingsha Mountain. The right choice depends on how you plan to use your days.
Dunhuang Airport to the City Centre: Bus, Taxi and Costs
Dunhuang's airport is 13 km from the centre. The shuttle costs CNY 10 and a taxi CNY 30–40, and the last bus leaves about 30 minutes after the final flight of the day.
How many days in Dali? Three, and here's what fills them
Three days covers Dali's old town, a half-day on Cangshan and a full day on the Erhai shoreline. Two is tight; five lets you slow down and add an overnight further out.
Dali airport to the city centre: shuttle bus, taxi or DiDi
The airport shuttle costs ¥15 to Xiaguan and ¥25 to Dali Old Town and meets every landing; a taxi or DiDi is about ¥50–60 to Xiaguan and ¥80–110 to the Old Town.
How many days in Chongqing? Three, plus a day trip
Three days covers central Chongqing and one day trip; two days is a highlights sprint and four or five let you add both Dazu Rock Carvings and Wulong Karst.
Chongqing airport to the city centre: metro, bus or taxi
Metro Line 10 from T3 is ¥5–7 and about 50 minutes to Jiefangbei with one change. The K01 bus is ¥15 and runs until the last flight; taxis are metered with no flat airport rate.
How many days in Chengdu? Three is the floor, four is comfortable
Three days is the minimum for Chengdu, four is comfortable and five buys you one day trip. Here is what each extra day actually gets you, with panda base booking rules and train times.
Chengdu airport to the city centre: metro, bus or taxi
Chengdu Tianfu (TFU) sits 50 km from the centre and Shuangliu (CTU) about 16 km. Here is what each metro line, the airport buses and a taxi actually cost and how long they take.
How many days do you need in Changsha?
Two days covers Changsha's headline sights; three is the honest number once you factor in the Hunan Museum's five-day booking window. Here is what each length actually gets you.
Changsha airport to the city centre: metro, maglev or taxi
Metro Line 6 runs from the basement of Huanghua airport's T1/T2 to central Changsha for about ¥6. The maglev only makes sense if you are connecting at Changsha South — and the taxi meter changes at 22:00.
How many days in Beijing: 3 minimum, 5 to do it properly
Three days covers the Forbidden City, the Great Wall and the Temple of Heaven; five is the version most people leave happy with. What each extra day actually buys you, and the one weekday that wrecks a short trip.
Beijing Airport to City Centre: Which Transport to Take
Beijing has two international airports, each with its own express train. Here's what each option costs, how long it takes, and when a taxi makes more sense.
Emergency numbers and hospitals in China: who to call
China has no 911. Dial 120 for an ambulance, 110 for police, 119 for fire, 122 for traffic accidents. Here is what happens next, what it costs, and which hospitals treat foreigners in English.
Search 新世界庄园, not New World Manor, in Changsha
新世界庄园 in Changsha comes attached to one tag — 破笼之宴 — and an English search for it returns a different manor entirely. Hours, tickets and transport for the real one aren't published.
How to order food in China without speaking any Chinese
Set up WeChat and Alipay before you land and you can order, customise and pay for a meal in China by tapping a QR code on the table — no Mandarin required.
China travel apps: seven to install before you fly
Seven apps do most of the work in China: Alipay and WeChat Pay for money, AMap Global for maps, DiDi for cars, Railway 12306 for trains, plus a VPN and an offline translator. Set them up before you fly.
Best time to visit China by region: a month-by-month comparison
Shanghai's plum rains, the south's typhoon months, Tibet's monsoon and two national holiday weeks fall in different months. Match the region to the calendar before you book.
Should you travel China during Golden Week?
Mainland China's 2026 public holidays with exact dates, make-up workdays and the two windows worth avoiding. Golden Week runs October 1 to 7; Spring Festival stretches to nine days.
How to book Forbidden City tickets with a passport
Every Forbidden City visitor needs an advance reservation — there is no same-day sale. Tickets cost 60 yuan April to October and 40 yuan November to March, released at 20:00 Beijing time exactly seven days before your visit.
Booking China attraction tickets with a passport, not a Chinese ID
Chinese attractions run on real-name booking, but a passport works at almost all of them — through the official English site, an Alipay travel portal or an authorised platform. Here is the order to try, and the two Beijing venues where you cannot buy at the gate.
Hotel registration rules for foreigners in China
Chinese hotels register foreign guests themselves and must file your details with the local police within 24 hours. What to bring, what changes if you stay outside a hotel, and what to do if a front desk refuses you.
Getting from Beijing's airports to the city: PEK vs Daxing
Capital Airport's express train runs ¥25 to Dongzhimen in about 25 minutes; Daxing's runs ¥35 to Caoqiao in 19. Fares, taxi meters, last trains and night buses for both Beijing airports.
Shanghai airports to the city: metro, Maglev or taxi
Both Shanghai airports sit on the metro, so the cheap answer is ¥7–8 and an hour from Pudong, ¥5 and half an hour from Hongqiao. The fast one is the ¥50 Maglev.
Domestic Flights in China on a Foreign Passport
You can fly anywhere in China on a foreign passport — no residence permit, no separate application. What decides your trip is having the passport number in the booking and knowing which counter to use at the airport.
How to pay for the metro in China: cards, QR codes, tickets
Foreign contactless cards now open metro gates in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chengdu, and an Alipay QR code covers most other cities. Here is what each method requires, and how to set one up before you land.
DiDi in China without a Chinese phone number
DiDi's mainland app accepts foreign phone numbers and international cards, so you can book cars without a Chinese SIM. The one thing you need is a single verification SMS, plus a payment route that actually works.
China train classes and sleepers: which berth to book
Second class is fine for a few hours; overnight you want a berth with a door. What each class costs, how the berths are laid out, and how to choose a specific tier when you book.
Hong Kong to Shenzhen: which border crossing to use
Hong Kong has nine land control points into the mainland, three of them rail. Which one you pick depends on where you're sleeping in Hong Kong and where you're going in Shenzhen — but whether you get through at all depends on your passport.
China train station gates: when they close, when to arrive
The ticket gate closes 2 to 7 minutes before your train leaves, and it does not reopen — even if the train is still at the platform. Arrive 25 to 30 minutes early and you will never have a problem.
Booking China HSR with a passport: verify before you buy
A foreign passport works on the official 12306 site and app, but the identity check has to clear before you can buy anything, and station ticket machines won't read a passport at all. Here's the order to do it in.
China airport SIM cards: prices, hours, and when to skip them
You can buy a local SIM in the arrivals hall at Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen airports — with your passport and about ¥100–300. Here is where the counters are, when they close, and the one reason to buy an eSIM instead.
Which Apps Are Blocked in China — and What to Use Instead
Google, WhatsApp, Instagram, YouTube, X and Uber are blocked across mainland China at network level. Here is what replaces each one, and why the workaround has to be installed before you fly.
eSIM in China: buy and install it before you fly
An international eSIM works across mainland China and sidesteps the Great Firewall on mobile data — but it has to be installed before you leave. Here is the order that works.
Can you use cash and foreign cards in China?
Cash must be accepted for face-to-face payment since 1 February 2026, and foreign cards still work in Chinese ATMs at 3,000 yuan per withdrawal. Here's how each payment route works, including the 3% fee on Alipay and WeChat Pay.
How to set up WeChat Pay with a foreign card
Link a Visa or Mastercard to WeChat Pay without a Chinese bank account — the exact in-app steps, the passport check, and the 3% fee you only pay above ¥200.
Alipay setup for China: linking a foreign card, step by step
You don't need a Chinese bank account or a +86 phone number to pay by QR code in China. Here's how to install Alipay, verify your passport, link a foreign Visa or Mastercard, and what it costs.
Hainan visa-free rules: 61 countries, 30 days
Hainan runs its own visa-free policy: ordinary passports from 61 countries get 30 days inside the province, with no agency registration and nothing to file in advance.
China airport arrival: the steps from gate to taxi
The order things happen in when you land in China, from the online arrival card to the green customs channel — and the one form you should finish before you fly.
China's L tourist visa: the six steps, in order
China's L visa is applied for online through COVA and then finished in person — four business days' processing, $140 for US citizens, fingerprints waived for short stays until 31 December 2026.
China 240-hour visa-free transit: who qualifies and who doesn't
Nationals of 57 countries can spend up to 10 days in mainland China without a visa — but only on a genuine A → China → B route, and many European and Australian passport holders already get 30 days anyway.
China's 240-hour visa-free transit: 57 countries, 65 ports
Citizens of 57 countries can enter China visa-free for up to 240 hours with an onward ticket to a third country. Where it works, how the clock runs, and the rules that void it.
How to Pay in China as a Foreigner in 2026
Cash is dead in China. Foreign credit cards barely work. Here's exactly how to set up Alipay and WeChat Pay before you go — the 15-minute version.
Best eSIMs for China — VPN Included
In China, you need an eSIM with a built-in VPN to access Google, Instagram, WhatsApp. Three options compared.
Ultimate China Travel Guide 2025
The Only Guidebook You Need Before Coming to China 🇨🇳 ✅ Not Your Average Guidebook This isn’t another dusty travel manual written by people who flew in for 2 weeks, ate at hotel buffets, and left. This is the Ultimate China Travel Guide 2025, created by the team behind @ChinaInsider (1.2M+ followers) and China Travel […]
Best eSIMs for Traveling in China🌐(2025 Edition)
Let’s be honest — staying connected in China can be… tricky. Between the Great Firewall, blocked apps, and confusing SIM card kiosks, it’s not exactly plug-and-play. But if you're reading this, you're smart — you're going with an eSIM, and that’s already the easiest move you can make. So here’s a no-fluff breakdown of the […]
The Best VPNs for China 2025
VPNs for China that are working. Last updated October 1, 2025: Looking for the perfect VPN to use in China? After putting more than 80 VPN services to the test, we've handpicked some VPN champions for your journey in China. If you're in a hurry and want a quick verdict, here's the conclusion: *little trick: […]