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Travel to China

ir a china

Travel to China is becoming increasingly fashionable as one of the best destinations in Asia. People think it is very expensive and somewhat difficult because of its remoteness. But in this article we will show you that traveling to China is easier than you think, and even cheaper than going to other more touristic Asian destinations.

What cities in China to visit?

Which provinces in China to travel to?

Why travel to China?

China is currently the world’s leading economic power. That is why it is a country where we can see cosmopolis like Beijing or Shanghai.

pekin trip

In addition, Chinese civilization is one of the most important civilizations on the planet for world history. When visiting it we can find historical elements of great importance such as the Great Wall of China or the Terracotta Warriors.

great wall china travel

If what you like is nature, China is varied in its climate and therefore in its flora and fauna.

In China we can visit deserts, rice fields or large mountains such as the Tian Shan or Mount Everest in the Himalayan mountain range, which is in Tibet.

travel china tibet

It would also be interesting to cross the mighty Yellow River by boat.

For art lovers we can visit pottery museums or see the famous opera in Beijing.

Chinese culture has that ancient millennial air that is very attractive to everyone who visits the country.

What to see in China? 🐲

It depends on what you are looking for when visiting China there will be different provinces and cities that you will have to visit. Well, the People’s Republic of China is a very large and diverse country.

You will have to go to Beijing or Shanghai if you want to see Chinese cities with a very dense population and full of contrasts between modern and traditional.

You can find high skyscrapers as well as a traditional Chinese garden full of flowers, each with its own meaning.

If you want to see a more futuristic city that mixes Eastern and Western culture, then you should visit Hong Kong, full of colour at nightfall.

hong kong travel

If you want to travel to the Chinese past you can go to Xian, Fenghuang or Pingyao.

On the other hand, if you like the natural aspect you can visit Yangshuo, Zhangjiajie National Park or “Avatar Park“.

travel zhangjiajie
The mountains of South China inspired the movie “Avatar”.

If you are interested in Buddhism you should visit the Great Buddha of Leshan, the Potala Palace in Tibet and the caves of Mogao in Dunhuang.

If you want to make a general visit you can choose one or several places of each aspect and make a tour of China.

buddha leshan
The Great Buddha of Leshan is one of the greatest in the world.

How to travel to China?

It all depends on your country of origin. The cheapest is the airplane. However, there are other possibilities such as the boat, or the train.

A very picturesque and adventurous route to China is to take the Trans-Siberian train from Moscow to Beijing.

Best time to travel to China 💺

Spring and autumn are the best seasons to travel to China. There is a better climate since in summer and winter the precipitations abound, especially in the south of the country.

Be careful if you go when there are holidays in China, as people go out more and you may not be able to visit all the monuments and sights you have planned.

What to do in China? 🌄

Apart from visiting places and monuments, there are many activities you can do. For example, make excursions to China through rural areas and picturesque villages in the interior of the country.

You can taste traditional Chinese food, travel by bamboo boat to Yangshuo or along the Grand Canal.

Go to the markets to haggle and learn Chinese, or hiking in the countryside.

You can also see traditional Chinese dance shows, learn tai qi in the parks, do a Chinese calligraphy workshop and endless other things.

Where can I find cheap flights to China? 🛫

When planning trips to China we always have the problem of where to find cheap flights, as Asia is quite far from Europe and America.

flights to china

But quiet, because nowadays, searching for and finding cheap flights to China has never been so easy. There are multiple online flight price comparators.

We recommend the following online platforms to find cheap flights to China:

  • Skyscanner: Currently it is the most used online platform to search for cheap flights anywhere in the world. There are options from 580€ roundtrip per person.
  • eDreams: Another great search engine for flights to Asia and all over the world. The cheapest flights to and from China are usually 600€.
  • Logitravel: A flight and hotel search engine for any kind of trip. Your holiday to China can cost you at least €750 per person (roundtrip flights only).

What tourist places to visit in China?

In Beijing we can visit the most famous places such as the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square and the Great Wall of China. But there are many places that although they are less well known, have a great beauty and tourist interest.

forbidden city travel

An example is the Great Pagoda of the Wild Goose in Xi’an and its famous ancient wall, or the Yuyuan garden in Shanghai.

Also impressive are the views of Mount Emei in Sichuan or the beautiful village of Suzhou, known as the “Venice of the East” (described by Marco Polo).

China Tours ✌

One of the best websites to get cheap and quality China tours is Get your Guide. In this search engine of attractions of China you can filter the content by prices, cities and dates totally personalized.

Here we show you some of the most famous and visited activities in China on the Asian continent.

Travel to China What documentation is needed? 📃

Passport, ID and visa are required (unless you are going to Hong Kong, Macao and, with certain requirements, to Hainan).

Also, if you’re from Spain, you’ll need a fingerprint presentation. The good news is that you won’t need to get this fingerprint visa every time you travel to China, just once every 5 years.

If you have a student card, you can get discounts if you show it. It is highly recommended to take out travel insurance.

Finally, it would be advisable to register with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Do I need a visa to go to China?

Yeah. But if you’re just going to Hong Kong or Macao, you don’t have to.

You don’t need to go to Hainan if you meet these requirements: Go with a group of at least 5 people through a travel agency and that the stay does not exceed 15 days.

If you go to a big city in China on your way (up to 6 days) and then go to another country, you don’t usually need a visa either.

Can you travel to China with children?

Yes, but they also need a visa and a national identity document (DNI).

Can you travel to China with your pet? 🐶

Yes, but every airline and every Chinese city has its own pet regulations. You’d better find out about the law depending on your destination city and airline when you’re traveling to China or any other pet country.

Do you need to be vaccinated to go to China?

It is recommended, but not mandatory, to be vaccinated against tetanus and polio.

How to choose a good hotel in China? 🛌

Choosing a good hotel when travelling to China is just as important as buying the right plane ticket. Rest is a priority to be able to enjoy correctly in mind and body of any tourist trip.

china hotel

Luckily, hotels in China are usually very cheap, an extra reason to go to China on a trip. But there are also up to 6 and 7 stars, the most luxurious in the world.

Here we recommend the best hotel search engines in China.

  • Booking: Without a doubt, the most used online hotel platform on the internet. In its website you can find hotels on trips to China from 13$ per night and person in good accommodation scores.
  • HotelsCombined: A new hotel comparator in which you can find accommodation from 16$ a night per person.
  • Skyscanner: Although it focuses mainly on flights, it also serves as a price comparator of hotels to China and other countries.
  • Hoteles.com: The good thing about this site is that you can accumulate nights in hotels contracted by them. For every 10 nights in a hotel, they give you another one totally free.
  • Trivago: Who hasn’t heard of this hotel search engine? I have come to find hotels in China from 8€ per night in 4 star hotels.

How to move within China 🚕

To get around in a big city like Beijing, the cheapest thing is to take the bus, but it will be full of people and you’ll need someone to help you off at the right stop. The ticket is usually worth about 10-20 euro cents.

The metro is very similar, as it is very cheap, but not very comfortable.

To move from one city to another the best thing is to use the train with bunk beds, although you can also use the bus. You must buy the ticket a few days in advance so that there are places available.

If you want a different experience you can use a tuk tuk. It’s a kind of motorcycle with several seats behind and a roof. You’ll have to agree on the price with the man who’s racing you, and show him the address you’re going to write to in Chinese.

The most expensive thing is to use a taxi, but it’s not as expensive as in Western countries. It usually costs about 3€ if it is a taxi with an official state taximeter.

Travel to China All Inclusive What’s the price? 💰

Traveling on your own on a “tour of China” plan, the budget to stay about 7 days for 1300 dollars, 13 days would be about 1900 dollars, and 17 days would be about 2400 dollars per person.

This is only a rough estimate of all expenses during the trip: flight, stay, transportation, food, visits and others.

travel to china

Depending on the cities you visit and the hotel you choose, the budget for a trip to China can vary greatly.

With a travel agency to China, the price would be more expensive (about 1500€ for 7 days), although you would not have to worry about anything. The same happens with the tours to China organized by agencies, in the end it is cheaper to plan them yourself.

Shopping in China 🎁

In China there are many markets where they sell all kinds of handicrafts at good prices: Chinese pottery, Chinese knots, bronzes, wood carvings, etc.. By bargaining you will get an even better price.

There are also flea markets where they sell big brands of handbags and clothes, but most of them are counterfeits. To buy authentic branded items, you’d better go to a store or mall.

Is food cheap in China? 🍜

Yes, eating in a cheap restaurant can cost you 3€ (bowl of rice and plate of food), drink apart. In a more expensive one 2 people can eat for about 15-20 € with a drink.

You can also eat very cheaply in the street stalls. A classic savings are noodles.

If you want to save even more on food you can go to the supermarket from time to time.

How to use the Internet in China? 📶

To use the Internet in China bypassing the censorship of applications such as Whattsapp, YouTube or Facebook you will have to buy a SIM card with VPN.

Or you can buy a mobile VPN application, there are free, but they are usually of very poor quality.

chinas vpn

Using a SIM card with VPN is very easy. Just install it on your mobile and you’re done. When you arrive you will be able to access the Internet and all the applications of your mobile or laptop. In Hong Kong there is no censorship on the Internet.

What currency is used in China? 💱

In China they don’t use the euro or the dollar. Their currency is called the yuan. A Yuan is equivalent to 0.14 $ and 0.13 €. One dollar, therefore, is 7.12 yuan and one euro, 7.82 yuan.

To change your currency to yuan the best option is in a bank of China as ICBC or Bank of China.

If you need yuan before finding a bank at your destination, then choose to exchange your money at the airport in China where you arrive.

At your country’s airport you will be charged more currency exchange fees and at your bank it’s only logical that they don’t change to yuan.

Useful tips when travelling to China

1- Use the N26 card to withdraw money without commissions when you travel to China.

2- Use taxis with a meter. They have a cheaper price.

3- Take some addresses in Chinese. Essential for good tourism in China, as there are very few people there who know English.

4- Install a Chinese dictionary on your mobile. This way you will have much less trouble communicating when you travel to China. An example is the mobile application “me no speak”.

5- It is highly recommended to get a pocket travel guide to China. These usually bring additional useful information about the country of destination.

6- If you are originally from Spain, your electrical appliances will work in China without problems. If you are traveling from South America, you will need a power regulator for your electronic devices to function normally.

If you are from another country, don’t forget to inform yourself before using an electronic device in China.

7- In China the plugs are type A, C and I. So it is best to take an adapter plugs. If you don’t have it you can find it here: