Travel advice for China
From travel safety to visa requirements, discover the best tips for traveling to China
Book your individual trip, stress-free with local travel experts
written by Stuart Butler
updated 21.05.2019
The ‘roof of the world’ has exerted a magnetic pull over travellers and adventurers for centuries. This vast, high altitude desert has spawned myths and legends since the dawn of time. Its mountains are home to the Hindu Gods, the scenery is awe-inspiring, its Buddhist monasteries are filled with art and treasure and the religious devotion of its people is humbling.
Put simply, visiting Tibet is a travel experience you will remember forever. But it’s not one that comes without obstacles and moral dilemmas. Read on for our how to guide to explore Tibet.
8 days / from2208 USD
Sichuan Specialities: Chengdu, Temples and Pandas
Discover the Buddhist history and the natural wonders of Sichuan. From bustling Chengdu and its giant pandas, to the national parks and lake districts of Sichuan Province, to the giant Buddha statue at Leshan, this trip is perfect for those who want to discover this culturally rich part of China.
customize ⤍5 days / from838 USD
Family Time in Guilin and Yangshuo
This 5-day family trip is a magnificent opportunity to experience the beautiful outdoor settings of Guilin and Yangshuo. Walk, cycle and raft through awe-inspiring scenery, including dramatic limestone karst mountains, and learn about the everyday lives of the Zhuang and Yao ethnic groups.
customize ⤍8 days / from1962 USD
Sichuan Family Adventure
Sichuan is home to a rich and vibrant culture, stunning scenery and wildlife, and delicious cuisine. Spend time with Chengdu's giant pandas, trek around Mount Qingcheng, stand in awe of the world’s largest Buddha at Leshan, and much more, all with this exciting trip, which is perfect for families!
customize ⤍8 days / from2479 USD
Tantalising Tibet
Tibet, known as the Rooftop of the World, is one of the most spiritual and atmospheric places on earth: ancient monasteries are carved into the mountain and festooned with colourful prayer flags. Discover the secrets of this uniquely spiritual land with this once-in-a-lifetime trip.
customize ⤍5 days / from1992 USD
Hong Kong Deluxe
Hong Kong makes a memorable introduction to the Chinese world. Glamorous, hectic, exciting and spectacular, with fabulous food, nightlife and shopping, this is a place like no other. Explore the city at your own pace, enjoying life’s little luxuries at every turn.
customize ⤍4 days / from535 USD
Hong Kong in a Nutshell
A teeming, exotic and alluring metropolis, Hong Kong is uniquely rich in both cultural diversity and contrasts. In fact, there is so much packed into Hong Kong, it can be hard to know where to start, which is where this unique trip comes in.
customize ⤍9 days / from2137 USD
The People and Cultures of Guizhou
Discover the fascinating people and cultures of Guizhou, one of China's most diverse regions. Learn about the everyday lives of the Zhuang and Yao ethnic groups, whilst you enjoy their colourful customs and traditions, and pass through awe-inspiring scenery such as otherworldly rice terraces.
customize ⤍14 days / from3346 USD
The Mystical Worlds of Shangri-La & Tibet
A perfect introduction to the mystical worlds of Shangri-La and Tibet. From the breathtaking plateaus and valleys, to the historical Buddhist monasteries and villages, this trip provides a unique insight into the culture and traditions of the Tibetan people.
customize ⤍16 days / from5521 USD
Along the Silk Road
Travel along the Silk Road, and discover the best of China with this fascinating in-depth trip. Starting in Beijing, experience the Forbidden City, the Yellow River, the Great Wall of China, Heavenly Lake, the Terracotta Army of Warriors and much more, all with this unique, detailed trip.
customize ⤍11 days / from3462 USD
The Best of China
From well-preserved tombs to The Great Wall, this tour of China packs in all the essentials. From the bright city lights of Beijing and Shanghai to breathtaking rolling landscapes, meandering rivers and ancient treasures, there’s much to delight all visitors to China.
customize ⤍7 days / from1465 USD
China's Old Water Towns
The area around Shanghai is home to some of China's best-kept travel secrets. Ancient water towns – picturesque towns constructed on a network of canals, featuring classical weeping gardens and romantic arched bridges – grace the area. Explore China's old water towns on this unique trip.
customize ⤍12 days / from2436 USD
Cultural China and Majestic Yangtze River Cruise
China is a vast and varied land, seemingly full to the brim of mega cities, dramatic limestone mountains and endless countryside. This trip takes in the best the country has to offer, visiting the historic cities of Beijing, Xian and Shanghai, before cruising down the Yangtze River.
customize ⤍11 days / from2841 USD
Incredible Yunnan
Culturally rich and ethnically diverse, Yunnan is one of China’s most fascinating regions. Explore this scenic southwestern province, great to travel to year round, from the capital Kunming to the well-preserved ancient city of Jianshui, famous for its old walls.
customize ⤍5 days / from1355 USD
Hong Kong Highlights
Hong Kong is a vibrant and appealing city, with its waterside location and towering skyscrapers, it offers the visitor modernity and tradition, the exotic and efficient. Perfect for a family break, there’s plenty to keep everyone entertained from Central to the New Territories and beyond.
customize ⤍9 days / from2560 USD
Beijing and The Great Wall of China
Following a short stay in Beijing, with its awe-inspiring Forbidden City, you will venture through the majestic Great Wall lands of Changping and Simatai, and marvel in the vibrancy of the water town of Gubei, a magnificent collage of Great Wall, mountains, lakes and ancient villages.
customize ⤍13 days / from4686 USD
Complete China: Beijing, Xi'an and Shanghai
Following a stay in resplendent Beijing, visit the awe-inspiring Forbidden City, Great Wall, and the Terracotta Army of Xi’an. Travel into the Himalayas, before hiking to the Tiger Leaping Gorge. Continue to Chengdu, home of the giant panda, before entering the mythical valley of Shangri-La.
customize ⤍5 days / from1830 USD
Hong Kong Island Insights
The bustling and dynamic city of Hong Kong is brimming with opportunities to explore its colonial past and rich Chinese heritage and culture. The perfect destination for the intrepid explorer, this unique trip won’t leave you disappointed.
customize ⤍11 days / from3360 USD
China and Tibet – An Unforgettable Adventure
From tombs and monasteries to world-famous squares and walls, this trip takes in both China and Tibet for an unforgettable journey. Explore Beijing and all its spectacular attractions and take in the stunning natural surroundings around Chengdu and on into Tibet.
customize ⤍Tibet has always had a complicated, and often down-right fraught relationship with its massive neighbour China, and over the centuries the level of Chinese involvement in Tibet has varied. At times it has been consumed by the Chinese empire, at others Tibet has been completely independent, and on occasion it has been the dominant power over China. Since the 1950s, though, Tibet has been controlled by Beijing.
For some this has felt like liberation from a feudal system where power and wealth rested in the hands of a few and everyone else was uneducated and poor until the Chinese came along and brought modernisation, education and a degree of wealth to the high plateau.
On the other hand, it can also be seen as a military occupation by a brutal dictatorship where criticism and freedom of speech are not tolerated, religious, cultural and linguistic identity is suppressed and the mineral and hydrological wealth of Tibet is pumped out of the region and into the hands of Han Chinese. In reality there are elements of truth to both sides of the coin.
© Stuart Butler
This is something that only you can answer. Any visit to Tibet will put money into the coffers of Beijing, but there is no major tourism boycott as happened in Myanmar. In fact, the exiled Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists, actually suggests foreign tourists should visit in order to see for themselves the suffering ordinary Tibetans are living under.
If you do go though then use only a Tibetan tour company employing local staff and try to frequent locally owned guesthouses and hotels.
Tibet has a reputation among travellers as being a logistically very complicated place to visit and in some ways it is. But in other ways it’s an absolute breeze.
Firstly, let’s get this straight: Tibet is an organised tour only kind of place. Without exception you cannot travel here independently. You cannot travel around Tibet by public transport and you are not totally free to choose where you go and when. All visitors must be in possession of a travel permit. You cannot board a plane or train to Tibet without this permit (and you cannot travel to Tibet any other way) and this permit is only issued if you have booked an organised tour.
In order to get a Tibet travel permit you must submit a list of places that you wish to visit, and you cannot change your mind and add new places after the permit has been issued. Norwegian passport holders are completely forbidden from travelling in Tibet.
If this all sounds like a hassle then that’s because it is – it’s also a very expensive hassle, but on the flip side once you get to Tibet travelling around couldn’t be easier. You merely climb into your compulsory tour company jeep each morning and get driven to your next destination and hotel while your compulsory guide soothes any hiccups.
© Stuart Butler
Yes, Tibet is very safe so long as you avoid any political discussions or events and protests. Altitude sickness, though, is a very real issue and almost every visitor suffers mild altitude sickness on arrival in Lhasa.
People do trek in Tibet but this is no Nepal. Most of the better known treks are fairly short (2–4 days) and there are no Nepali-style tea houses. In general you need to be prepared to camp and be self-sufficient.
The big issue with trekking in Tibet is cost. The standard rules governing travel here continue to apply even when you’re trekking and this means that you must have a guide, and a tour agency jeep and driver throughout the duration of your trek. Of course the jeep and driver won’t actually be with you while you trek. They’ll be having a nice rest back in Lhasa – but you’ll still be paying a couple of hundred dollars a day for this non-service.
© Rat007/Shutterstock
Ironically, if you want to see fairly traditional Tibetan culture then the Tibet autonomous region is no longer that great a place to go. For an easier, and more traditional, cultural immersion it’s better to try the Tibetan regions of neighbouring Qinghai and Sichuan provinces of China, where there are far fewer restrictions. Perhaps even easier are the Tibetan regions of Nepal such as Mustang and Dolpo.
Explore more of Tibet with The Rough Guide to China.
Top image © Shutterstock
written by Stuart Butler
updated 21.05.2019
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