Start with the situation you are planning for—arriving in China, bringing your own vehicle, or preparing for the mountains.
26guides in the field
Essentials, cities & regional trips
China arrival essentials
Set up data, two ways to pay, a reliable route and the first Shanghai handoff—plus what to do when any one of them fails.
ItineraryShanghai
A practical 24, 48 and 72-hour Shanghai guide for getting payment, navigation, airport transfers and a calm area-by-area itinerary working first.
ItineraryHangzhou
A realistic Hangzhou day built around one West Lake edge, either Lingyin or the tea hills, and a calm return to Shanghai.
ItineraryShanghai
A realistic Suzhou day trip built around one classical garden, one cultural layer and one unhurried canal district.
Arrival playbookShanghai
Choose the airport-to-hotel handoff, recover when data or payment fails, and keep the first night calm.
Payment survival guideChina
Know whether your foreign-card setup is truly ready—and what to do in the first 60 seconds after a payment fails.
2026 crowd calendarChina
Check your dates against the real 2026 travel-risk windows, then decide whether to move the trip, stay in Shanghai or rescue a fixed itinerary.
Place guideThe Bund
A practical first visit to Shanghai’s waterfront, balancing the historic facades, Pudong skyline and a walk that does not become a crowd-filled checklist.
Place guideLujiazui
A grounded route through Shanghai’s tower district: one optional high view, the public riverfront and a ferry finish that connects Pudong back to the city.
Place guideWukang & Anfu
A slower Shanghai walk through residential architecture, cultural addresses and contemporary street life, with a route that respects the people who live here.
Place guideYu Garden & Old City
A clear first-visit plan separating the ticketed classical garden from the surrounding commercial lanes, temples and older-city context.
Place guideShanghai Museum East
A collection-first plan for the large Pudong museum: choose a few galleries, understand current entry rules and keep enough energy to look closely.
Place guideZhujiajiao
A water-town day with realistic transport, a walk beyond the first bridge and clear choices around gardens, temples, boats and paid bundles.
ItineraryXinjiang
What to pack, what to check and how to prepare for northern villages, city days and the high Pamir road in autumn.
Place guideHemu
Give a village stay and a lake-and-river landscape different jobs, with a realistic pace for transfers, walking and autumn conditions.
Place guideSayram Lake
Make time for the lake, the road and the grasslands separately instead of treating them as one scenic stop.
Place guideKashgar
A little historical and cultural context, with enough time to notice living neighbourhoods, markets, food and music.
ItineraryPamir Plateau
Plan the eastern Pamir road around altitude, route permissions, long vehicle days and the people travelling it—not a chain of photo stops.
Bringing your own vehicle
Overland planning · Mainland China
High-altitude planning
Expedition field guide
Mountain guideMuztagh Ata
A practical expedition reference for the western routes, high camps, access, permits, Base Camp systems, and rescue planning.
Western routesExpedition teams
