INDEPENDENT CHINA TRAVEL GUIDES
China, unlocked.
Field-tested itineraries for first-time visitors — free to read online, $2.99 to take offline. No ads, no sponsored rankings.
FEATURED ITINERARIES
Start with a city
Day-by-day plans built for walking and the metro — with the logistics first-timers actually get stuck on.
Beijing in 3 Days — The First-Timer's Itinerary
A practical 3-day Beijing itinerary for first-time visitors: the Forbidden City, the Great Wall at Mutianyu, and old hutong Beijing — plus how to pay, get around, and stay connected.
Shanghai in 7 Days — The First-Timer's Week
A practical 7-day Shanghai itinerary for first-time visitors: the Bund, French Concession, water towns, day-trip options, plus how to pay, get around, and stay connected.
THE MODEL
Free to read. $2.99 to take with you.
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Read everything free
Every guide on this site is free, forever. No paywall, no account, no "premium tier" holding the good stuff hostage.
The offline pack
The same guide as a printable PDF — day plans, phrase cheat-sheets, emergency numbers. For the days in China with no signal and no VPN.
Reader-supported
Pay what you want, from $2.99. Your support — not advertisers — keeps every guide free and independent.
TRAVEL TOOLKIT
Before you book anything
The unglamorous stuff that decides whether your trip works: money, visas, connectivity.
How to Pay in China as a Foreigner
Alipay, WeChat Pay, cash, and cards — the complete plain-English setup guide for paying in China as a first-time visitor.
Read the guide →Visas & entry
Tourist visas, transit exemptions, and what to prepare at the border.
In the worksStaying connected
eSIMs, VPNs, and the apps to install before you land.
In the works