China offers more than any single trip can cover. These are the experiences that consistently justify their place on an itinerary — the ones people remember.

Landmarks and History

Walk the Great Wall at Mutianyu

The single unmissable experience in China. Mutianyu is restored and manageable, with a cable car up and a toboggan down, and it is far less crowded than Badaling. Jinshanling is better if you want to hike unrestored sections. Go early, and avoid weekends.

Explore the Forbidden City

The imperial palace at the heart of Beijing — 900 buildings and a thousand years of court history. Tickets must be booked online in advance, and entry is from the south. Exit towards Jingshan Park for the classic view back over the rooflines.

See the Terracotta Army

Thousands of individual clay soldiers buried with China’s first emperor, near Xi’an. Pit 1 is the largest and most famous; the smaller pits and the bronze chariots are also worth the time. Go early and book ahead.

Cycle the Xi’an City Wall

One of the best-preserved ancient city walls anywhere, with a 14-kilometre circuit that takes about 90 minutes by bike. The best value experience in the city.

Visit the Longmen Grottoes

Tens of thousands of Buddhist carvings cut into riverside cliffs near Luoyang, dating from the 5th century onwards. Allow half a day.

Wander Pingyao’s Walled City

A complete Ming and Qing walled town, once the banking centre of China. Best experienced by staying overnight, after the day-trippers leave.

Landscapes and Nature

Cruise the Li River to Yangshuo

The classic four-hour boat trip from Guilin through the karst peaks, ending in Yangshuo. The scenery is genuinely as striking as the photographs suggest.

Cycle the Yangshuo countryside

Rent a bike and ride among the peaks, rice fields and villages. One of the most enjoyable low-key days in China.

Hike Zhangjiajie National Forest Park

Thousands of sandstone pillars rising out of forest. Getting around involves shuttle buses, cable cars, a cliff-face elevator and a lot of walking — plan at least two full days.

See the Longji Rice Terraces

Terraced hillsides built up over centuries, with traditional villages between them. Flooded and reflective in late spring, golden in early autumn.

Trek Tiger Leaping Gorge

One of the deepest gorges in the world, with a well-known two-day trail between guesthouses in Yunnan.

Wildlife and Food

Visit the Chengdu panda base

The best place in the world to see giant pandas, and the reason many people add Chengdu to an itinerary. Arrive at opening time — pandas are most active in the morning and largely asleep by midday.

Eat hotpot in Chongqing or Chengdu

Fierce, communal and unforgettable. Ask for a split pot if you want a milder option alongside the spicy broth.

Do dim sum properly in Guangzhou

Go for breakfast rather than dinner, to a busy traditional teahouse restaurant, and order more small plates than you think you need.

Eat your way through Xi’an’s Muslim Quarter

Lamb skewers, roujiamo, hand-pulled noodles and sweets, in narrow lanes that are at their best in the evening.

Cities and Culture

Cruise the Yangtze through the Three Gorges

A multi-day river cruise between Chongqing and Yichang, through scenery that is hard to reach any other way.

Watch the Bund light up in Shanghai

Arrive at dusk, when the Pudong towers come on, and walk the riverside promenade between the colonial waterfront and the skyline opposite.

Drink tea at a Chengdu teahouse

Sit in People’s Park with a cup of jasmine tea and watch the city slow down. A defining local experience and one of the cheapest things you will do.

See West Lake in Hangzhou

An hour from Shanghai by high-speed rail, and an easy, elegant contrast to the big cities. Walk the Su Causeway or take a boat.

See the Harbin Ice Festival

In January, Harbin builds an entire city out of illuminated ice. Bitterly cold, genuinely spectacular, and a good reason to travel to China in winter.

How Many of These Can You Fit In?

Realistically, a two-week trip can cover six to eight of these experiences without feeling rushed. Trying to do more usually means spending your holiday in transit.

For suggested routes that combine them sensibly, see our China itinerary ideas.