Destinations · China
Beijing, Shanghai & Guilin
Enormous, ancient, ultra-modern, and far easier than most people expect.
China is the single most underrated major destination for American travellers right now, and visa policy has loosened considerably, which changes the arithmetic. Beijing holds the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven and the Great Wall — go to a restored-but-quiet stretch, not the coach stop. Shanghai is a genuine world city with the Bund on one side and Pudong's skyline on the other. Then Guilin and Yangshuo, where the karst limestone peaks along the Li River look like the paintings because the paintings were made there. High-speed rail between cities is superb: 350 km/h, on time, and cheap.
What a week actually costs
Indicative shapes, not quotes — an advisor verifies real prices for your exact dates before anything is offered.
Under $4,000 for the week
Two people, good four-star hotels in Beijing and Shanghai, high-speed rail between them, a licensed English-speaking guide for the major sites, and street and local food that is one of the world's great cheap pleasures.
$14,000–32,000
A family or group, five-star hotels, a private guide and driver in every city, a quiet Great Wall section with a picnic, Xi'an and the Terracotta Army by air, and a Li River cruise from Guilin.
$70,000+
Suites throughout, private jet or first-class rail, a specialist historian, private after-hours access where it can be arranged, and Hong Kong or Chengdu added.
What to watch for
- Check the current visa position with us before you book flights — it has changed repeatedly and transit-free and short-stay rules depend on your passport and routing. We confirm it in writing, not from memory.
- Google, WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook do not work on Chinese networks without preparation. We set up what you need before you fly so you are not cut off from your family on day one.
- Alipay or WeChat Pay now runs daily life and both can be linked to a foreign card. Set it up before departure — it is the difference between a smooth trip and a frustrating one.
- A licensed guide is genuinely necessary, not a luxury. Signage, ticketing and queue systems assume Mandarin, and the guide is what turns a long day into a good one.