China 3 Week Itinerary: Ultimate Guide for First Time Visitors

Preparing for Your China Trip

China Travel Requirements

Most nationalities need a visa to travel to China even for short stays. Make sure to research beforehand whether you qualify for an exemption.

Complete list of countries that can visit China visa-free for 15 days

Updated list of countries included in China’s new unilateral visa-free policy + FAQ on how to take advantage of it

Baba goes China!Magda Sawyer

You should apply for your visa 1-2 months in advance in a Chinese visa centre. Do it as soon as possible in within that timeframe to make sure you have enough time in case you need to collect some additional documents. From our personal experience visa centres tend to be very thorough when checking travel documents.

You will need to provide a full itinerary with booking confirmations to apply for a visa. I recommend making cancellable bookings for 3-5 destinations in well-known international hotels (Hilton, Ibis etc.) as it will make visa process smoother. You are by no means tied to your planned itinerary so you can rebook the trip as it suits you.

One of the things you need to consider is whether or not you will require a single or double-entry visa - remember that visiting Hong Kong and Macau along the way require a double-entry visa.

How to Get to China

Beijing Capital Airport (PEK) is the main gateway to China, though Shanghai Pudong Airport (PVG) also serves many international routes. The main airlines in China are Air China and China Airways, with good reputations and affordable prices. Flying from Europe, Beijing flights tend to be much cheaper than Shanghai, making it a great option for budget travelers.

When to Travel China

The best time to visit China is during spring (April to May) and autumn (September to October), with mild temperatures and fewer tourists. Avoid summer (July and August) and festive holidays, such as the Chinese New Year, for smaller crowds. While travelling peak season guarantees that there are many fun attractions on offer and summer everywhere tends to be a more relaxed period, trains and popular hotels tend to sell out and tourist attractions are unbearably busy.

Internet and Language in China

Consider getting a prepaid SIM card as you need to use WeChat or AliPay for payments, I would not recommend going out without having access to the Internet. For some purposes like buying tickets to tourist attractions you often need a local phone number.

If you are using a local SIM card you will need to use a VPN to access some Western sites, Google search engine and social media.

However, if you do have a data plan on your SIM card ALL THE WEBSITES WILL WORK WHEN USING ROAMING so you don't need a VPN - in fact, when we tried to use a VPN while connecting to wifi it never worked.

Probably your best option is to have a data plan and optional local SIM card.

People generally don't speak English, even in big cities very few people speak any. This is another reason to stay online as translator apps that can scan text and give you directly a translation, while faulty, are your best option if you don't speak fluent Mandarin. When using translators, make sure to type or speak only simple, to the point sentences as Mandarin conceptually and grammatically is very different from English or other European languages so translations are awful, most of the time.

Street signs and some announcements at trains stations and in the metro are often in English.

Taste of China: 2 week travel itinerary

Perfect itinerary to get a taste of China and take advantage of the new 15-day visa-free policy

Baba goes China!Magda Sawyer

Creating Your China Itinerary

Planning Your China Trip

Don’t feel overwhelmed by the complexity of planning a China itinerary. As China has a lot to offer, you need to focus of what is your priority and try not to over plan. It is better to do fewer things and enjoy them. Don't forget to include some time for shopping in cities like Shanghai and Beijing to experience the local culture.

The Ultimate 3-Week China Itinerary

What makes an ultimate travel itinerary? It differs from person to person, but to me it is one that combines very famous unmissable places, like Beijng and Great Wall of China with lesser knowns that gives you a sense of adventure. I built the itinerary so that it covers some of the variety that China has to offer while making it suitable for an overland trip which is always our preference and something we encourage other people to consider.

This itinerary also includes visits to Chengdu and Xi'an, two of China's most culturally rich cities. Chengdu is known for its pandas and spicy cuisine, while Xi'an is famous for the Terracotta Warriors. Both cities offer a glimpse into China's ancient history and are must-see destinations on any world traveler's list.

While it might not be the “ultimate” itinerary (let a blogger have their catchy title they need for clicks) - this is how I would plan my first time to China itinerary, if I had 3 weeks in China. Feel free to take as much inspiration from it as you want and swap whatever you see fits!

Beijing and the Great Wall of China - 4 days

China's capital has a lot to offer and it is a must-see you should include in your China travel itinerary. For many travellers it is the gateway to China, where the big adventure starts. As many other Chinese cities it has abundance of delicious street food.

There are many must-see attractions in Beijing - Forbidden City, Tiananmen square, summer palace to name a few.

I would not be myself if I didn't mention that tourist attractions shouldn't be your main focus. Yes, Forbidden City is impressive for sure, and you should aim to include some most famous attractions in your travel itinerary, but in the end it is not what you will remember at the end of your trip - it is more about your own random findings and accidental friendships that make trips memorable.

You can find our favourite spots here:

What to do in Beijing

Explore Beijing like a local: hutongs, Houhai Lake, 798 Art District and more!

Baba goes China!Magda

From Beijing you can take a day trip to the Great Wall of China - the closest part of the Great Wall is only 20 minutes away on the high speed train from the China's capital.

Zhaoxing, a gateway into rural China - 3 days