How to Go to China
According to the Research Report on the Development Prospect of China's Tourism Market in 2020-2025 issued by China Institute of Business Industry, the number of inbound tourists going to China reached 145.31 million in 2019; the number of overnight inbound tourists going to China exceeded 65 million.
With the expansion of globalization and the increase of international flights, more and more international tourists will go visit China, to explore one of world’s oldest civilizations. If it is your first trip to go to China, make sure you have researched the destination and read through some useful travel tips as below.
Gateway Cities
For the first trip to China, most people take international flights and choose Beijing, Hong Kong or Shanghai as their entry cities. More cities like Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Kunming, Hangzhou, Xian, Nanjing, Xiamen & Qingdao, etc. can also be reached from many countries in the world (The top 10 inbound travellers' resource countries are Japan, Australia, South Korea, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Thailand, the Philippines, Cambodia and Malaysia). Hong Kong is usually the best choices for most international tourists. In Hong Kong you can get the longest visa there and fly tickets tend to be slightly cheaper to HK than to Beijing or Shanghai. The common practice is to arrive in one point and depart from another; check the itinerary and get advice from your travel agent.
Do I Need a Visa to Go to China?
Chinese government requires a visa for the western travelers to China.
How to get a visa to go to china?
Foreigners wishing to travel to China should apply to a local Chinese embassy or consulate for tourist visas (L). In the event of a group tour of more than nine persons, the organizer has to apply for group tourist visas (L). From Nov. 15th 2000, foreigners traveling to Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions (SAR) in tour groups organized by travel agencies registered in the above-mentioned SARs are exempted from visa requirements for a period of not exceeding 6 days when entering into the following Chinese mainland cities: Guangzhou, Shenzhen, zhuhai, Foshan, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Jiangmen, Zhaoqing, Huizhou. The premise is that the traveler shall have the citizenship of a country having diplomatic relations with the People Republic of China and carrying an ordinary passport.
Later in 2012 and 2019, China launched the 72-Hour Visa-free Transit Policy and the 144-Hour Visa-free Transit Policy for 53 counties and regions.
To have more practical information to get a visa, please read our article about China Visa, or visit the relevant websites:
How to Go to China from Different Countries
We list the basic information for going to China from some of the counties in the world (please feel free to consult your travel consultant of ETC for information if your country has not been listed), with how long it takes to go to China by flight, the suggested entry cities, and the useful advice for how to plan your first trip to China from different countries.
| Country | How Many Hours Needed (approximately) | Suggested Entry Cities | How to Plan & Recommended Tour Itineraries |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Go to China from Australia | 11.5h | Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Chengdu, Hangzhou, Kunming, Xian, Xiamen | China Tours from USA |
| 2. Go to China from Canada | 12-14h | Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Kunming | China Tours from Canada |
| 3. Go to China from Brazil | 25h 45m | Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hong Kong | China Tours from Brazil |
| 4. Go to China from France | 11h | Beijing,Shanghai, Xian, Chongqing, Kunming, Chengdu, Hong Kong | China Tours from France |
| 5. Go to China from Germany | 10-12h | Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Nanjing | China Tours from Germany |
| 6. Go to China from Hungary | 10h | Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong | China Tours from Hungary |
| 7. Go to China from Israel | 10h | Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong | China Tours from Israel |
| 8. Go to China from Malaysia | 2-5h | Shanghai, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Kunming, Xiamen | China from Malaysia |
| 9. Go to China from New Zealand | 11-13h | Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Chengdu | China Tours from New Zealand |
| 10. Go to China from Spain | 11-15h | Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Xian, Chengdu | China Tours from Spain |
| 11. Go to China from UK | 11h | Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai | China Tours from UK |
| 12. Go to China from USA | 12-15h | Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Chengdu, Xian, Hangzhou | China Tours from USA |
Where to Buy the Air Tickets to China?
1. Please consult your tour agent at home; they will give your some valuable guidance of air flights to China and usually offer some discounted air tickets.
2. It is more recommended and now more convenient to search the Internet for discounted air tickets to go to China, you can find a good bargain luckily. Recommended air ticket websites:
3. Contact your travel consultant at Easy Tour China, we can provide you with some useful information about international flights to China, based out your China tour itinerary.
How to Go Visit China Great Wall and other Must-visit Places
When planning a China tour, especially your first trip, you need to consider including the world-class attractions and must-visit places. Here are some useful travel tips.
For the Great Wall of China tour, make sure you add Beijing, China’s capital city, on your China holiday. You can enjoy the Great Wall walking, hiking, camping, night tour, the Great Wall sunrise, sunset, and picnic during your trip in Beijing. There is also airport layover tour to the Great Wall. Besides, the UNESCO-listed Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven and Summer Palace are also located in Beijing.
If you are wishing to visit the Terracotta Army, travel to Xian, once the starting point of the Silk Road and the center of the world during the Tang Dynasty. If Beijing is your first stop, take bullet train from Beijing to Xian (4.5 – 5 hours journey).
How to go to visit giant panda in China?
After visiting Terracotta Warriors in Xian, embark another bullet train to Chengdu (3 to 4 hours journey), where there is the Giant Panda Breeding Research Base in the city, and Dujiangyan Panda Base, Wolong Panda Base 2-3 hours’ drive from Chengdu city.
How to go to Lhasa from China?
After you arrive in Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu or Xian in China, you can choose either fly to Lhasa or take a train to Lhasa.
How to go to the Silk Road on a China tour?
After you arrive in Beijing or Xian, start your Silk Road journey, flying or riding a train to Dunhuang, Zhangye, Lanzhou, Jiayuguan, and further to Xinjiang, for exotic culture and landscape exploration.
