All routes
Every tailor-made China itinerary we run, with durations, seasons, regions and day-by-day plans.
| Route | Days | Region | Best season | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Qinghai–Gansu Grand Loop | 8–10 days | Qinghai · Gansu | May–Oct | Qinghai Lake · Chaka Salt Lake · Dachaidan Emerald Lake |
| Qinghai Lake & Chaka Salt Lake | 5–6 days | Qinghai | Jun–Sep | Kumbum Monastery · Qinghai Lake sunrise · Rapeseed fields |
| Xining, Kumbum & Qinghai Lake | 4 days | Qinghai | Year-round | The three arts of Kumbum · Qinghai Provincial Museum · Dongguan Mosque |
| Dunhuang & the Silk Road | 6 days | Gansu | Apr–Oct | Mogao Caves · Crescent Lake · Yumen Pass & Han Great Wall |
| The Hexi Corridor | 7 days | Gansu | May–Oct | Lanzhou Yellow River · Wuwei Leitai Han tomb · Zhangye Danxia |
| Qilian Grasslands & Menyuan | 6 days | Qinghai · Gansu | Jun–Sep | Menyuan rapeseed fields · Qilian grasslands · Gangshika snow peak |
| Lhasa & Namtso, Tibet | 8 days | Tibet | May–Oct | Potala Palace · Jokhang Temple & Barkhor · Namtso Lake |
| Kanas Lake, Xinjiang | 9 days | Xinjiang | Jun–Sep (autumn colour mid-Sep to early Oct) | Kanas Lake · Hemu village · Fish-watching Pavilion |
| Chengdu Pandas & Jiuzhaigou | 7 days | Sichuan | Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct | Chengdu Panda Base · Jiuzhaigou · Huanglong |
| Jiuzhaigou & Huanglong | 5 days | Sichuan | Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct | A full day in Jiuzhaigou · Five-Flower Lake · Nuorilang Falls |
| Zhangjiajie & Fenghuang | 6 days | Hunan | Apr–Jun, Sep–Nov | Yuanjiajie · Tianzi Mountain · Tianmen Mountain |
| Guilin & Yangshuo | 5 days | Guangxi | Apr–Oct | Li River cruise · Yulong River rafts · Longji rice terraces |
| Beijing, the Great Wall & the Forbidden City | 6 days | Beijing | Apr–May, Sep–Oct | Forbidden City · Mutianyu Great Wall · Temple of Heaven |
| Xi'an, Terracotta Army & the Silk Road | 5 days | Shaanxi | Apr–May, Sep–Oct | Pit No. 1, Terracotta Army · Ming city wall · Big Wild Goose Pagoda |
| Shanghai & the Jiangnan Water Towns | 6 days | Shanghai · Jiangsu · Zhejiang | Mar–May, Sep–Nov | The Bund · Wuzhen Xizha · Humble Administrator's Garden, Suzhou |
| China Essentials: 12 Days | 12 days | Beijing · Xi'an · Shanghai · Dunhuang | Apr–May, Sep–Oct | Beijing, 4 days · Xi'an, 3 days · Dunhuang, 3 days |
| Huangshan & Huizhou Villages | 6 days | Anhui | Apr–May, Sep–Nov | Sunrise over the cloud sea · Greeting Pine & West Sea Canyon · Hongcun |
Most popularQinghai–Gansu Grand Loop
Two provinces, six landscapes in one loop — the route our Hong Kong and Taiwan guests ask for most, and the one we know best.
Short tripQinghai Lake & Chaka Salt Lake
The shortest and gentlest Qinghai route: an alpine lake, a salt flat and a Tibetan monastery in five days.
CultureXining, Kumbum & Qinghai Lake
Four days: one great Tibetan monastery and one vast alpine lake. Perfect for a long weekend.
CultureDunhuang & the Silk Road
Murals, dunes, a frontier pass and wind-carved desert. Dunhuang compresses Silk Road history and geography tighter than anywhere else.
LandscapeThe Hexi Corridor
From Lanzhou to Dunhuang, one thousand kilometres west — the corridor the Han and Tang caravans actually walked.
GrasslandQilian Grasslands & Menyuan
Grasslands at 15–20°C in midsummer, with rapeseed fields running to the horizon. The cool-weather version of Qinghai.
Permit requiredLhasa & Namtso, Tibet
Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor and Namtso. Tibet is not an easy trip — which is exactly why it deserves proper planning.
Off the beaten pathKanas Lake, Xinjiang
Kanas is the kind of place that looks too good in photographs. In autumn it actually looks like that.
Best for familiesChengdu Pandas & Jiuzhaigou
Pandas for the children, Jiuzhaigou's water for the adults — our most requested family itinerary.
Water sceneryJiuzhaigou & Huanglong
If Jiuzhaigou's water is the point, five days is enough — no detours, no padding.
SceneryZhangjiajie & Fenghuang
The floating mountains from Avatar, plus an old riverside town.
SceneryGuilin & Yangshuo
'Guilin's scenery is the best under heaven' is not an exaggeration — and it is three hours from Hong Kong by high-speed rail.
ClassicBeijing, the Great Wall & the Forbidden City
Everyone visits Beijing. The difference is whether you queue at Badaling or walk a quiet stretch at Mutianyu.
HistoryXi'an, Terracotta Army & the Silk Road
Capital of thirteen dynasties and the eastern start of the Silk Road. The Terracotta Army deserves half a day, not two hours.
CitiesShanghai & the Jiangnan Water Towns
Shanghai for the city, Wuzhen for the water town, Suzhou for the gardens, Hangzhou for the lake. Four Jiangnans in six days.
Best first tripChina Essentials: 12 Days
If you are only visiting China once, do Beijing, Xi'an, Dunhuang and Shanghai in one go.
MountainsHuangshan & Huizhou Villages
China's most painted mountain, plus two World Heritage villages.