Beijing
The Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven at dawn with the people who actually use it, and the Wall at Mutianyu.
East Asia
China
Three thousand years, four cities
From Delhi
≈6 h Delhi–Beijing when a direct is flying; otherwise one stop
Visa
Advance visa with in-person biometrics — allow four weeks; we prepare the file and the appointment
Currency
Renminbi (CNY), and mobile payment almost everywhere
Language
Mandarin; English is limited outside hotels — our guides are the difference
China rewards restraint. The country is the size of a continent and the temptation is to add a fifth and sixth city; what actually makes the trip is giving Beijing three full days, Xi’an two, and then letting the landscape at Yangshuo undo the museums.
The high-speed rail is the reason this works. Beijing to Xi’an is under five hours, Xi’an to Shanghai six, both city centre to city centre — no airport, no queue, and a window worth looking out of. We book the trains before anything else.
Where you will go
Where you will go
The places this country is actually about, and what each one is for.
Xi’an
The Terracotta Army, the Muslim Quarter after dark, and a city wall you can cycle the whole way round.
Shanghai
The Bund, the French Concession on foot, and the best modern dining in the country.
Guilin & Yangshuo
Karst peaks along the Li River. Two nights here is what stops the trip being all museums.
Chengdu
Pandas at feeding time, a teahouse afternoon, and the spiciest food you will eat all year.
Know before you go
- Cash is almost gone — everything runs on WeChat Pay and Alipay, and both now take foreign cards if they are set up before you land. We do that with you rather than leave it to the airport.
- Golden Week in early October and Spring Festival in January or February fill every train and every site. We will move your dates rather than fight them.
- Many Western apps and sites do not work without preparation; we brief you on what to set up before departure, not after.
Gallery — China
Journeys
Journeys in China
No fixed route yet — this one is always built from scratch.