Start in China’s capital and second largest city, Beijing, home to the Imperial Palace, also known as the Forbidden City. Marvel at the Temple of Heaven, take a glimpse at Mao Zedong’s embalmed body on Tian’anmen Square and stroll around the beautiful Summer Palace complex.

Read here about our two to three day itinerary for Beijing. 

From Beijing take a day trip to the Great Wall of China. The restored part of the wall at Mutianyu is c.. 1.5 hours drive from Beijing.

Head to Xi’an, where you can walk on the beautifully restored old city walls and visit the marvellous, world famous Terracotta Army.

Next, make your way to Chendgu,famous for its Giant Pandas, which you can see close up at the excellent Giant Panda Breeding Research Base. A little further afield is Leshan, famous for the largest Buddha sculpture in the world.

Planning a trip to China? Here are my top tips!

After experiencing city life head to the countryside in Yangshuo, via Guilin, a popular tourist destination near the stunning and incredibly scenic Yulong and Li river valleys.

For ultimate contrast, make your way south to the former Portuguese colony of Macau, also known as the Las Vegas of China. Enjoy egg tarts, the unique mix of Chinese and Portuguese culture and architecture, and the occasional dip in the sea. In the evening,head to Cotai strip to experience the fake yet magical madness of the world’s largest casino and surrounding hotels.

Cross the world’s longest bridge to finish your China adventure in the Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong, with its famous sunset skyline.

Keen to know more? I’ve written a full and detailed review of our two week China itinerary.