A little more prepared for China.
Explore Beijing’s imperial courtyards, Shanghai’s riverfront, Xi’an’s ancient sights, Chengdu’s gardens and Guilin’s limestone scenery. Choose a city for local outings, practical transport advice and twelve monthly packing guides, then adapt the list to your dates and plans.
Explore ChinaExplore China by city
Beijing
Beijing has cold, generally dry winters and hot summers with most rain concentrated in the warmer months. Spring and autumn bring useful walking weather, with layers needed for cooler mornings and evenings.
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Chengdu
Chengdu has cool, often grey winters and hot, humid summers. Summer rain can be heavy; spring and autumn generally make garden visits and river walks more comfortable.
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Guilin
Guilin has cool, damp-feeling winters and hot, humid summers. Rain builds through spring and is especially heavy in early summer; autumn usually offers a drier balance for lakeside walks and river outings.
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Shanghai
Shanghai has cool, damp winters and hot, humid summers. Spring and autumn suit longer neighbourhood walks; rain protection remains useful throughout the year, and summer outings need shaded breaks.
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Xi’an
Xi’an has cold winters, hot summers and a marked day-to-night temperature change in spring. Spring and autumn generally suit wall walks; late-summer and autumn rain still calls for a light waterproof layer.
Open city guideBefore you zip the bag
Prepare for the actual region
- Beijing’s cold, dry winter calls for very different clothing from its hot, rainy summer.
- Use the city’s monthly guide and check the forecast before deciding on layers.
Keep travel documents handy
- Carry the original identity document used for attraction reservations.
- Save ticket details and Chinese destination names for use when your connection is unavailable.
- Currency
- Chinese yuan (CNY / RMB)
- Plug types
- A / I · 230 VCheck your adapter →
- Emergency number
- 110 (police); 119 (fire); 120 (ambulance)
China — plugs and voltage · Chinese government — country calling code · Shanghai government — national emergency numbers
Stay connected
Mobile data for your trip. Check what your current plan includes for roaming. If you need another option for maps, messages and booking details, compare NXTL eSIM coverage and rates. Check that your phone supports eSIM and is unlocked, and check coverage for every stop. Download important maps and confirmations for offline use too.
Useful reads for China
A first weekend in Beijing: palace courtyards and a lakeside day
Spend a first Beijing weekend around the Palace Museum and Jingshan, then choose the Summer Palace for a separate lakeside day with time for meals and travel.
The Forbidden City: booking, courtyards and a sensible route
Plan Beijing’s Palace Museum with advance booking, a south-to-north courtyard route, separate galleries and an optional Jingshan view after the visit.
Jingshan: Wanchun Pavilion and the palace moat
Use Jingshan for a focused Beijing outing: climb to Wanchun Pavilion if the steps suit you, then choose a lower-level palace-moat walk or a tea break.
Summer Palace: the Long Corridor and Kunming Lake
Plan a Beijing Summer Palace outing around the Long Corridor and Kunming Lake, with optional hill climbs, separate tickets and a shorter lakeside route.
Temple of Heaven: the blue-roofed hall and ritual axis
Explore Beijing’s Temple of Heaven through the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, Danbi Bridge and Circular Mound, with clear park-versus-building ticket advice.
Anshun Bridge: a short Chengdu riverfront evening
Use the covered bridge as the anchor for a flexible riverbank stroll. Go for the architecture and reflections, keeping dinner, weather and the return journey separate from the walk.
Du Fu Thatched Cottage: gardens, doorways and poetry
Give this western Chengdu museum a focused garden visit. Memorial halls, a cottage reconstruction and framed views make more sense when you pause to connect the place with Du Fu’s writing.
A first weekend in Chengdu: pandas, poetry and tea
Build a weekend around one Panda Base outing and one garden day. Leave space for a long tea break and treat the riverfront as an optional evening, with time for meals and travel between districts.
Elephant Trunk Hill: Water Moon arch and river views
Guilin’s best-known silhouette is worth seeing slowly. Focus on the arch and the way the limestone hill meets the Li River, then pair the visit with a central noodle stop instead of adding a long excursion.
A first weekend in Guilin: city lakes and the Li River
Spend the first day among Guilin’s central hills and lakes, with a rice-noodle stop between walks. Give the second day to the Li River towards Yangshuo, or choose a shorter city alternative when sailing conditions are unsuitable.
A Li River cruise from Guilin: piers, scenery and onward travel
The Li River cruise is a separate outing from Guilin’s city lakes. Plan the right pier, enjoy the karst scenery on the way towards Yangshuo, and decide where you will go after disembarking before you book.
Guilin’s central lakes: Shanhu, Ronghu and pagoda views
Make a flexible walk around Guilin’s central water: begin with Shanhu Lake’s twin-pagoda view, then continue towards Ronghu’s bridges and trees. Keep tower entry separate from the public lakeside outing while upgrade works affect the pagodas.
The Bund: Customs House, Peace Hotel and Waibaidu Bridge
Follow Shanghai’s Bund from the Customs House clock tower towards the Peace Hotel and Waibaidu Bridge, with time to read the façades and look across the Huangpu.
A first weekend in Shanghai: gardens, riverfront and Wukang Road
Spend a first Shanghai weekend around Yu Garden and the Bund, then slow down on Wukang Road. Choose a museum branch carefully and leave space for dumplings and coffee.
Shanghai Museum: choose the right branch before you go
Shanghai Museum’s People’s Square and East branches offer different visits. Check the current exhibition restriction before choosing where to go for Chinese art and archaeology.
Wukang Road: the mansion, Ferguson Lane and Anfu Road
Walk from Wukang Mansion along a residential street of brick façades and balconies, pause at Ferguson Lane, then continue towards Anfu Road if you want more.
Yu Garden, the bazaar and a xiaolongbao stop
Separate Shanghai’s ticketed Yu Garden from the surrounding bazaar, then pair pavilions and pond views with a practical dumpling stop at Nanxiang.
Xi’an’s Bell and Drum Towers: a central walk with a paomo stop
Pair the Bell Tower’s compact silhouette with the Drum Tower’s broad façade, then make time for paomo and a short walk into the Muslim Quarter.
Xi’an City Wall: Yongning Gate and a shorter battlement walk
Start at Yongning Gate and choose a comfortable section of Xi’an’s battlements. Watchtowers, brick paths and views across the old town reward a slower walk without a full circuit.
A first weekend in Xi’an: city walls and the Terracotta Army
Use one day for Xi’an’s old town and another for the Terracotta Army. Keep the pagoda district optional so meals, transport and time at the pits do not become an afterthought.
Giant Wild Goose Pagoda: Da Ci’en Temple and the surrounding squares
Choose between a temple visit and a lighter walk around Xi’an’s Giant Wild Goose Pagoda. Keep the climb, fountain programme and evening district as separate decisions.
The Terracotta Army: pits, reservations and the Lintong outing
Give the Terracotta Army time beyond the first photograph of Pit 1. Reserve through a verified channel, bring the right passport and leave room for the other open pits and the journey to Lintong.