Forbidden City and Great Wall in Beijing, Terracotta Warriors in Xi'an, and The Bund in Shanghai — 15 days backpacker for $1,684.
West Lake Scenic Area and Xixi National Wetland Park in Hangzhou — 14 days for $2,911.
Hong Kong Disneyland and Victoria Peak in Hong Kong, Shenzhen Safari Park and Window of the World in Shenzhen, then Chimelong Ocean Kingdom in Zhuhai — 14 days for $4,625.
Chimelong Resort and Canton Tower in Guangzhou, then Zhongshan Film and Television City and Sun Yat-sen's Hometown Tourist Area in Zhongshan, then Shenzhen Safari Park and Window of the World in Shenzhen — 14 days for $5,160.
Shanghai's Oriental Pearl Tower and The Bund, then Hangzhou's West Lake Scenic Area and Thousand Island Lake, then Nanjing's Zhongshan Scenic Area and Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum — 14 days for $5,674.
Tiger Beach Ocean Park, Jinshitan Resort, and Lushun Submarine Museum in Dalian — 7 days for $687.
Orange Isle and Yuelu Mountain in Changsha — 7 days for $1,136.
Yellow Crane Tower and East Lake in Wuhan — 7 days for $1,208.
Terracotta Warriors Museum, Huaqing Hot Springs, and Xi'an Ancient City Wall — 7 days for $1,136.
Zhongshan Scenic Area and Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum in Nanjing — 7 days for $1,171.
Dujiangyan Irrigation System and Mount Qingcheng in Chengdu — 7 days for $1,220.
Wulong Three Natural Bridges and Dazu Rock Carvings in Chongqing — 7 days for $1,123.
Most China trips string together two to four cities linked by high-speed rail. Pick your entry and exit airports, set how many nights each city gets and a comfort tier, and the planner prices the whole route — hotels, meals, trains and tickets — in your own currency.
Build your own route →First time in China? The Beijing–Xi'an–Shanghai line is the classic two-week run — imperial capital, Terracotta Army and the Shanghai skyline on one high-speed rail spine. Southern loops through Guangzhou, Guilin and Hong Kong trade history for karst scenery and Cantonese food.
How far your money goes depends on the cities and the comfort level. Backpacker routes under $1,000 cover two weeks across a couple of cities on 2-star stays and trains; $1,000–2,000 buys mid-range hotels and a domestic flight or two; above that opens up longer grand tours with 4-star comfort.
Short on time? A 7–10 day route covers one region well — Beijing with a day trip, or a Shanghai–Hangzhou–Suzhou triangle. Two weeks lets you cross the country; three adds Chengdu's pandas, a Yangtze cruise or Yunnan. Filter routes by length to match your dates.