Regions
Choose the geography before you choose the base.
Northern capitals, polished eastern circuits, southern food cities, or western mountain routes all create very different China trips. Use the regions first when the route shape matters more than a single city.
Top Regions
Current regional guides
Start with the regional layer when you are still deciding between city clusters, scenery, and route logic.
Beijing and beyond
North China
Beijing and the heavier ceremonial north for monument-first trips, old-capital logic, and stronger historical gravity.
Icy Landscapes
Northeast
Broader plains, colder cities, and a less expected urban branch when the trip needs contrast from the usual first-timer circuit.
Yangtze River Delta
East China
Shanghai, Hangzhou, and the polished eastern corridor where city comfort and classic scenery overlap cleanly.
River Middle
Central China
Inland connective territory for travelers who want river cities, central routes, and a less obvious branch than the coastal default.
Delta & Coast
South China
Southern trade cities, subtropical food routes, and looser urban rhythms than the northern or eastern first-trip staples.
Mountain Routes
Southwest
Chengdu and the mountain west, where altitude, food, scenery, and slower pacing start to dominate the trip.
Silk Road Scale
Northwest
Xi'an and the drier west for travelers who want frontier history, distance, and a route with more expedition logic.
Cities By Region