Complete independent travel guides. Pick a city for a step-by-step planning guide.
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Dali (大理, Dàlǐ) is Yunnan's answer to the question every traveler eventually asks themselves: what if I just stayed here a little longer?
Lijiang (丽江, Lìjiāng) is what happens when a medieval trading town meets a 5,596m snow mountain at 2,400m of altitude — and the Naxi people have been holding that line for 1,400 years.
Xiamen is China's most liveable coastal city — a place where colonial architecture, Minnan temple culture, and a laid-back island vibe coexist without the chaos of bigger cities.
Chongqing (重庆, Chóngqìng) is China's 8D Mountain City — a megacity of stairs and neon where the metro runs through an apartment block, the hotpot is beef-tallow lava and the night skyline looks like a cyberpunk film set.
Zhuhai is China's cleanest, calmest planned city — a palm-lined seafront you can actually breathe in, with the easiest border crossing to Macau on the planet. Come for the coast, the seafood and the theme park.
Warm water in January, visa-free entry for dozens of nationalities, and seafood you pick yourself from the tank — Sanya is the beach holiday China does best.
China's capital rewards independent travelers with imperial scale, hutong alley life, a Great Wall section for every fitness level, and the best Peking duck on earth.
Chengdu is the rare Chinese megacity that refuses to rush. Pandas, mala hot pot and bamboo-chair teahouses, all reachable on a cheap, immaculate metro.
The karst peaks along the Li River are what you see on the ¥20 bill — and they are even better in person.
Shanghai is China's most international city — art deco concession architecture on one bank, LED skyscrapers on the other, and the best street food in the delta.
Xi'an (西安, Xī'ān) is more than the terracotta warriors — it's a walled Silk Road capital where you can bike ancient ramparts and eat lamb bread soup for breakfast.
Guangzhou is China's most underrated big city — 2,200 years of trade history, the best dim sum on earth, and almost no tour groups. Pick the pieces that fit your trip.