City playbooks

Day-by-day itineraries, survival facts and local tips for China's iconic cities.

BJS

Beijing

Imperial capital of the Middle Kingdom

Great Wall hikes, hutongs, royal palaces and the best Peking duck on earth.

SHA

The city that never sleeps on the Bund

Skyline views, 1930s art-deco lanes, world-class dining and the smoothest digital payments in China.

CTU

Home of pandas and Sichuan spice

Giant pandas, firepot feasts, teahouses and mountain day-trips from the capital of Sichuan.

KWL

Karst peaks that inspired the postcards

Li River cruises, riverside cycling and the surreal karst landscape that defines southern China.

XIY

Ancient capital of terracotta warriors

The starting point of the Silk Road and home to the Terracotta Army, city walls and Muslim Quarter street food.

HGH

West Lake, tea hills and romance

UNESCO-listed West Lake, Longjing tea terraces and the coolest tea culture in eastern China.