Introduction
China is such a big countries with so much to offer and to see, that planning your first trip can make you feel overwhelmed - I know that this is how we felt. Mountains, deserts, grasslands, beaches, vibrant megacities, cultural heritage... China has it all, so you can definitely feel a bit of a FOMO planning your trip. So how do you go about planning your first trip?
Magda
Magda
Make sure you know the climate
To state the obvious: China is big. For that reason, in every month you might decide to travel in, you can expect the weather to be vastly different between locations. Deserts of Xinjiang, high altitudes of Tibetan plateau, Arctic Harbin and Mohe, cool Yunnan, humid Hong Kong, tropical Hainan... There is a lot to choose from and each destination requires different travel clothes, so our advice, that we don't always follow ourselves is to try to limit yourself to places with similar temperatures - otherwise you might discover that your backpack or suitcase simply cannot fit it all!
Know what kind of temperatures and weather in general are you willing to handle (think extremes: hot, cold, rain) and decide accordingly!
Magda
Don't rush the cities!
The biggest mistake we made on our first trip to China was not to have enough time to explore the cities. And it is mainly my fault. When asked by my husband what I would like to do and see the most - as he has already been in China - without hesitation I said that I am not interested in the cities at all, that those are just transition points for me and I want to see the nature and "the way people live".
I didn't realise somehow that life in the cities IS HOW PEOPLE LIVE. Cities in China have been by far the most interesting thing we have experienced - there is always something going on (think old ladies dancing in the park or exercise bikes for kids that blow bubbles and play music). And the best food can also be found in the cities!
I would strongly advice to allocate enough time to spend around each city you decide to visit as it is not the tourist attractions that are a real draw, but the atmosphere and the local hangouts - and it does take time to find those!
Less is more when it comes to sightseeing - while 2 days in a city will get you nowhere, double it and you can be sure to find exciting things to do and amazing things to eat - and you will probably still wish you had more time!
Magda
Use only latest resources to research your trip
China is changing at an incredible pace - going there made me realise what it means when country's GDP is growing by 10% per year. China in 2024 is not comparable to China in 2015 so if you have an old guidebook or blog posts, you can be sure the information are outdated - especially the "How to" types of information. Public transport, railway network, the way to get tickets or buy mobile SIM cards - all of that is evolving quickly, so make sure you use the latest resources available!
Try to connect your itinerary overland
China is big - so big that it might sound like a crazy idea to travel it overland. However, if there is one place in the world where that is in fact possible it is China. With its extensive high speed train network, no destination is too far off.
Travelling by train is an adventure in its own right and we always choose train over plane when feasible. Only train travel lets you appreciate the ever-changing landscape and the distance you travel. Only overland travel gives you the sense of a real journey rather than hopping from one tourist attraction to another.
With the prices and quality of Chinese trains, there should be no need to do much convincing. Why would you choose a plane if you can relax in the business class seat for the same price.
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