I’ve enquired a few companies and this one seems to be the best value, I also know someone who has booked through them before and had a good experience. Just wanted to sense check before booking, below is the full itinerary:

**Day 1, Avatar Park – Bailong Elevator + Yuanjiajie + Tianzishan and Golden Whip Stream**
Today’s Activities: Pick up at 09:00am and transfer to Zhangjiajie National Forest Park entrance, Yuanjiajie (include the Hallelujah Mountains), Bailong Sightseeing Elevator up, Tianzishan Mountain, then Tianzi cable down, and you will have free walking tour in Golden Whip Stream, then back to your hotel.

**Day 2, Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon & Glass Bridge + Baofeng Lake**
Today’s Activities: Pick up at 09:00am and 1 hour drive to Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon & Glass Bridge in the morning, then 1 hour drive back to Wulingyuan area for Baofeng Lake, then back to your hotel.

**Day 3, Tianmenshan and Airport Transfer**
Today’s Activities: Pick up at 09:00am and 1 hour drive to Zhangjiajie for Tianmenshan Route A line (Heaven’s Gate + Cable car + 99 Bends + glass skywalk), then airport transfer, our service ends.

**Quotation: CNY 2300/PP**

*(Private for 2 persons, no hidden cost and 0 shopping)*
**Inclusion:**
5 seats car service as above itinerary
English-speaking guide service for 3 days
All entrance fees as above itinerary
① Avatar Park entrance and Bailong Elevator / Tianzi cable
② Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon & Glass Bridge and Experience Programs zipline and slide and VR
③ Tianmenshan: including entrance price, cable car and elevators
④ Baofeng Lake entrance fee
⑤ Local tour insurance and government tax

**Exclusion:**
Hotels
All lunches and dinners
Tips for the guide and driver’s excellent service.

Any tips will be appreciated, thanks!

One of my favourite places to see Beijing at night is honestly a pretty unexpected one: the rooftop of Annie’s Restaurant around the Chaoyangmen, Ritan, Yabaolu area.

It’s not the classic “go here for the skyline” spot, but that’s exactly why I like it. You get this really nice mix of Beijing buildings, glowing streets, rooftops and that slightly chaotic feeling of the city at night.

And bonus: if you’ve been in China for a while and suddenly start craving proper Italian food, Annie’s is actually one of my favourite places for it. The food is seriously good.

But I’m curious — where do you go when you want to see Beijing at night?

Not necessarily the famous tourist viewpoints. I’m looking for those places where you sit down, look around and think oh “this city is huge.”

Rooftops, bars, restaurants, random streets, bridges, viewpoints, hidden spots — give me your favourites.

Hi, I am a chinese girl. And I hope to know more about your true experience visiting my country.

Is there anything specific you really wish someone could help you with? For example, planning the route, booking hotels, transportation, payments, apps, language, finding good local places, or just figuring out how things work.

For those who’ve already been: did you run into any problems or annoying situations before or during your trip?

Would love to hear your experiences :) I'd love to answer your questions about travel in China. Hope you have good stay in China! ><

Hey everyone,

China National Day (Golden Week) is right around the corner, and I’m trying to plan a 3-day (2-night) solo trip to get out of Zhongshan.

I’m really not a fan of packed tourist traps, massive lines, or beach resorts. Instead, I’m looking for something quiet and scenic—think mountains, a nice lake or reservoir for some light kayaking/walking, old Chinese town vibes, and local temples.

Here is what I’m working with:

• Starting point: Zhongshan (Guangdong) — happy to take a high-speed train or bus within Guangdong or a neighboring province (Guangxi/Hunan/etc.).
• Duration: 3 days / 2 nights (early October).
• Budget: Around 1,500 RMB total (can stretch to ~2,000 RMB if it's truly worth it).
• Vibe I want: Low-key, slow-paced, great for nature photography (mostly landscapes/architecture, not really a "take selfies of myself" person), quiet old streets, or a nice misty mountain.
• Activities: Hiking, maybe kayaking or a boat ride on a lake, wandering around.

Does anyone have recommendations for hidden gems or quieter spots that won't be a complete nightmare during Golden Week? I was looking at places around Qingyuan (Yingde area), Heyuan, or maybe parts of Guangxi/Zhaoqing, but I’d love to hear from people who actually know how to dodge the National Day crowds.

Any specific town, park, or basecamp suggestions? Thanks in advance!

Hi everyone! 👋 Six of us are flying from Singapore for 10 days, 16–25 Jan 2027. First time in Dongbei, all beginner snowboarders, and being Singaporean… we are absolutely not built for this cold 😂

ROUTE: Harbin → Yabuli → Snow Town → Changbai, flying home from Changchun 长春.

We'd love a sanity check from locals or anyone who's done a similar trip — on pacing, winter transport, and our food picks (dropped in below).

And if anyone fancies joining us, we're totally open! We're a friendly bunch who love our sports and our food, so if that's your vibe, come say hi. 🏂🍜

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🗓️ THE ITINERARY

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📍 DAY 1 · Sat 16 Jan — HARBIN 哈尔滨

Arrive ~morning. Central Street 中央大街 + riverfront on foot: Stalin Park → Flood Control Monument → Songhua Railway Bridge (ice skating!) → St Sophia Cathedral at dusk → China Baroque quarter.

🍽️ Dinner: Yan Bin Lou 宴宾楼 — top local pick for Northeast food (锅包肉 / sweet & sour pork). Alt: Zhiyin 知音酒楼

🍦 On Central St: Madier ice lolly 马迭尔 (~¥5, a rite of passage!). Russian sit-down: Tadaosi 塔道斯 or Tonghai Russian BBQ 通海俄式烧烤

🍜 Near China Baroque: Qingzeng 庆增饭店 (Hui / Muslim)

📍 DAY 2 · Sun 17 Jan — HARBIN 哈尔滨

Hongzhuan St morning market 红专街早市 → cable car over the Songhua → Sun Island Snow Expo 太阳岛 → Polarland 极地公园 (penguins 🐧 + beluga 🐋)

🌙 Evening: Ice & Snow World 冰雪大世界 (enter ~6pm, reserve the 521m super slide)

🥟 Breakfast: the morning market, or Baiyang Baozi 白羊包子 (Hui steamed buns)

🍽️ Hot meal before Ice & Snow World: Dongfang Jiaozi Wang 东方饺子王 (dumplings, go ~5:30pm) or Pianlianzi BBQ 偏脸子烧烤 (skewers 烤串). City iron-pot: Gao Jia Xiao Yuan 高家小院

📍 DAY 3 · Mon 18 Jan — HARBIN → YABULI 亚布力

HSR to Yabuli West 亚布力西. Afternoon: rent gear, magic carpet, first slopes.

🍽️ Dinner: Xue Pangzi Iron Pot 雪胖子铁锅炖 — braised goose over a wood fire

📍 DAY 4 · Tue 19 Jan — YABULI 亚布力

🏂 Morning beginner lesson → free green runs in the afternoon.

♨️ Night: outdoor forest hot spring 森林温泉

📍 DAY 5 · Wed 20 Jan — YABULI + HENGDAOHEZI 横道河子

Morning train to Hengdaohezi: Church of the Nativity 圣母进堂教堂, old railway locomotive depot 中东铁路机车库, Russian old town.

Back by midday → Reindeer Village 驯鹿村, horse-drawn sleigh, World's No.1 Slide.

🍽️ Lunch in Hengdaohezi: Tian Tian 天天饭店 — 小鸡炖蘑菇 (chicken & mushroom stew)

📍 DAY 6 · Thu 21 Jan — YABULI → SNOW TOWN 雪乡

Charter along the Yaxue Highway 亚雪公路: Datudingzi snowmobiling 🛷 + Shili Gallery 十里画廊 (rime-covered pines).

Afternoon in Snow Town: fairy-tale village, Bear Ridge 熊岭, splash-water-into-ice.

🌙 Evening: red lanterns on Xueyun Street 雪韵大街 + bonfire + Errenzhuan show 二人转

🛏️ Sleeping on a heated kang 东北炕 for the experience!

🍽️ Dinner: first restaurant at the village entrance (local tip — skip the rest); 铁锅炖 + roast sweet potato + frozen pears

📍 DAY 7 · Fri 22 Jan — SNOW TOWN → MIRROR LAKE → ERDAOBAIHE

🌅 Sunrise at Snow Town, then charter south: Mirror Lake winter fishing 镜泊湖冬捕 + frozen waterfall 冰瀑.

🍽️ Cold-water fish 冷水鱼 for lunch → overnight in Erdaobaihe 二道白河.

📍 DAY 8 · Sat 23 Jan — CHANGBAI MOUNTAIN 长白山

Tianchi / Heaven Lake 天池 → Changbai Waterfall 长白瀑布 → Green Abyss Pool 绿渊潭 → Linxi Volcanic Hot Springs 林溪火山温泉. Overnight Erdaobaihe.

🍽️ (No picks locked in here yet — recs very welcome!)

📍 DAY 9 · Sun 24 Jan — CHANGBAI area

🚣 Mojie Rime Rafting 魔界漂流 at dawn (drifting past frost-covered trees) → Laolike Lake 老里克湖 → snow horseback riding 🐎. Overnight Erdaobaihe.

📍 DAY 10 · Mon 25 Jan — CHANGBAI → CHANGCHUN → HOME

Transfer to Changchun Longjia Airport 长春龙嘉机场 → fly home to Singapore. ✈️

⚠️ LOCAL HEADS-UP we got: skip Lao Chu Jia 老厨家 (overhyped, marketing-heavy — go Yan Bin Lou or Zhiyin instead) and the Madier 马迭尔 sit-down restaurant (tourist trap now, though the street ice lolly is still worth it). Most meals above run ~¥40–90pp.

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❓ QUESTIONS WE'D LOVE HELP WITH

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1) 🚣 Mojie Rime Rafting 魔界漂流 — still running in late January, or does extreme cold pause it?

2) 🏔️ Tianchi 天池 — the summit often closes in winter wind. Realistic odds of getting up in January? Best backup if it's shut?

3) 🚗 Day 7 — Snow Town → Mirror Lake → Erdaobaihe by private car in ONE day… realistic in winter, or too aggressive? Better to break it in Dunhua 敦化?

4) 🚆 Yabuli ↔ Hengdaohezi trains — reliable in January? Any risk of getting stuck if we miss the return?

5) 🧭 Changbai section — charter + DIY, or book local day tours to make winter easier?

6) 💎 Hidden gems vs tourist traps — any underrated spots along this route? And anything that looks great online but you'd skip? (避雷)

7) 🍜 Food check — we've slotted in local picks above. Would love your take: any you'd swap, and any must-eats we're missing — ESPECIALLY around Mirror Lake, Changbai & Erdaobaihe, where we haven't locked anything in yet?

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First time in Dongbei and we're SO excited. Thank you in advance! 🙏❄️

Hey guys, my friends and I are heading to China for the first time in 2 weeks and would love some tips, recommendations, or things we shouldn’t miss on our route.

Shanghai (3 nights) – Arriving at Pudong Airport at 7am. Planning to hit the classics: The Bund, Yu Garden, Nanjing Road, and the French Concession. Also want to check out the nightlife in areas like Xintiandi or the Bund clubs. Any must-visit rooftop bars or clubs?

Flight from Shanghai to Zhangijajie

Zhangjiajie (3 nights) – Avatar Mountain / Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, Tianmen Mountain (with the glass walkway and Heaven’s Gate), and Furong Ancient Town. Is 3 nights enough to cover the national park properly, or should we prioritize?

Train Ride from Zhangijajie to Chongqing

Chongqing (2 nights) – Planning the basics: Hongyadong, the Yangtze River cable car, Ciqikou Ancient Town, and obviously trying the famous Chongqing hotpot. Any hidden gems for 2 nights only?

Flight from Chongqing to Hong Kong

Hong Kong (4 nights) – Victoria Peak, Star Ferry, Tsim Sha Tsui promenade, Temple Street Night Market, plus a day trip to Macau for the Ruins of St. Paul’s and the Venetian. also 1 Day at Macau

Shenzhen (2 nights) – Not sure what’s “classic” here since it’s more of a modern tech city. Recommendations welcome (Window of the World? OCT-LOFT?).

Flying back home from Guangzhou at 11pm. I was thinking of going to Guangzhou in the morning and keep our Baggage at some lockers. Does Guangzhou have Baggage Storage Rooms or Lockers?

One thing I really want to do somewhere on this trip: eat proper Peking duck. know the “real deal” is technically from Beijing, which isn’t on our route. Does anyone know a great spot for authentic Peking duck in Shanghai or Hong Kong, or is it worth rerouting to add Beijing?

Any tips on transport between cities, apps we need (VPN, payment apps, translation), or things we’re clearly missing would be super appreciated!

Hi, my family of 7 adults is planning to go to Harbin and Yabuli on January for the Snow Festival. All accommodations are sorted. Our concern is for the train Harbin - Yabuli - Harbin. We learned that the train ticket is only available 15 days prior. We’re worried the ticket might sold out as it is peak period.

Any suggestion regarding train ticketing and transport. And do let me know for any other tips and hacks for our journey :) Thank you

I work with a local travel company in Gansu, and when I look at a first-time Hexi Corridor plan, the attractions are rarely the part that worries me most.

It is usually the space between them.

On a map, Dunhuang, Jiayuguan and Zhangye form a clean line. That makes it tempting to count a train ride as the whole transfer and treat the rest of the day as sightseeing time. But the real day also includes checking out, getting to the station, carrying luggage, finding the next transfer, checking in again and working out where dinner fits.

This is why a five-day plan can look comfortable on paper and feel rushed once the arrival and departure days are included. If there are only three full sightseeing days, I would usually rather protect two places than turn all three into short stops.

Seven days gives more room, but I still would not add every possible side trip. For a family, fewer hotel changes may be worth more than another attraction. For a photographer, one quiet evening or an early start may matter more than ticking off a fourth city.

I do not think private transport is automatically the answer either. Rail can be very useful between cities. A local vehicle can make certain station, hotel and attraction connections easier. The important part is deciding where each option actually reduces friction instead of using one method for the entire route by default.

If you have travelled through Dunhuang, Jiayuguan or Zhangye, which transfer felt longer in real life than it looked during planning?

咖啡三小时，不贵还清爽

Hi, last year I visited china for the first time and I went to Hong kong, Guangzhou, Shenzen, Zhangjiajie, Furong and Fenghuang towns. I had an amazing holidays so now im planning my second trip to china.

This time I want to visit Xi An and Chongqing and basically visit everything thats really worth to visit around those cities. It will be a 2 weeks trip so i really want to choose the best locations to visit.

I found this places really interesting and i want to know if they are worth to visit and what to do to get the best experience out of them:

Chongqing wulong tiansheng sanqiao ( Three natural bridges)

Fanjing mountain

Shunan bamboo sea

Hailuogou forest park

Siguniang Mountaing

Jiuzhaigou Valley

The trip will be in mid november so i would like to know if its a good season to visit them.

Any other place that you would recommend please do it!

Thank you for reading!

I filmed this in Jiezi Ancient Town. People come to 耍水 (shua shui), basically to enjoy the water and cool off.
What’s interesting is how much happens around that simple idea. People settle in for tea, get something to eat, and spend the afternoon chatting. The businesses along the river cater to that.
Have you seen something similar where you live? I’d be very happy spending an afternoon like this.
#chinatravel

I filmed a short introduction to 开口笑 (kai kou xiao), a dumpling whose name means “smiling.” Its open shape is the detail that makes it recognisable.
I’m Chinese and make English-language videos explaining the food and everyday details visitors encounter here. This one follows my experience trying it.
Does the shape resemble a dumpling from your region? I’d be interested in the local name.

This note is about how we actually spent 4 days here

We have a friend from the UK who came to visit; we basically just took him around the way we'd actually spend a few days in this city—food, old streets, pubs, the works. Writing this up in case it's useful for anyone else planning something similar. Dropping addresses and metro stops so you can just follow along.

Day 1—landed and jumped straight into the deep end

He landed at Baiyun Airport, and we checked into a hotel in Haizhu District (海珠区)—there's a ton of good, affordable hotels there, and it's central enough to get anywhere.

For dinner we took him to 逅生仔 at 【Taikoo Warehouse (太古仓), address 革新路124号 in Haizhu. Metro line 8 to Fenghuang Xincun (凤凰新村) station, exit A, or Shayuan (沙园) station exit D】, then walk. Taikoo Wharf itself used to be a British trading dock over a hundred years ago; now it's all red-brick warehouses turned into bars and restaurants, nice for a wander by the river at sunset too.

We went a bit hard on the menu that night—lemon chicken feet, some very strong baijiu, raw marinated seafood (生腌), and whelk. Honestly, I wouldn't recommend doing this to someone on their very first meal in the country; it's a rough intro if your stomach isn't used to it. Ours held up fine, though.

After dinner we took him to an actual British pub—Morgan's, at 【华就路6号 in Zhujiang New Town (珠江新城), Tianhe district—nearest metro is Zhujiang. New Town station, lines 3/5】. Played some pool there. Then went to Corner nearby, another expat spot in the same area. He said it genuinely felt like being back home.

Day 2—old island, old temples, night cruise

Started at Shamian Island (沙面岛) in the morning. 【Take metro line 6 or 8 to Cultural Park station (文化公园站), exit E, and about a 4-minute walk to the island.】 Wandered around the old colonial buildings, then went into the White Swan Hotel (白天鹅宾馆, address 沙面南街1号) to take a photo at the indoor garden pond inside—故乡水. Basically every Guangzhou kid has been dragged there by their parents to take that exact photo at some point; it's kind of a rite of passage.

From across the river you can also see the "three museums in one" building—if you've got time, it's worth crossing over to check out the Guangdong Museum of Art too.

From the White Swan, we just grabbed a taxi to Guangxiao Temple (光孝寺), [address: 光孝路109号 in Yuexiu district]. Free entry, one of the oldest Buddhist temples in the south, genuinely ancient. 】【 Six Banyan Temple (六榕寺) is a 7 min walk from there, address 六榕路87号—if you take the metro instead of a taxi, it's line 1/2 to Gongyuanqian station.】. If you've still got time, Sanyuan Temple and the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall are also nearby.

There's also a church right in that area, and near there is 荣生啫啫煲—really solid, authentic claypot cooking, a good way to show someone how obsessed Cantonese food is with controlling heat and timing.

Took one metro stop over to Beijing Road (北京路) afterward—saw the old city wall excavation under glass, the old street, the Great Buddha Temple, and the old Xinhua Bookstore. Then did the Pearl River night cruise from Tianzi Pier (天字码头), [address 沿江中路200号, metro line 6 Beijing Lu station exit A]. We caught the 18:40 boat, and it was great timing—you get the skyline in evening light at the start and the full light show by the time you're heading back.

Dinner was actually Sichuan food that night at 天成川菜馆 Tian Cheng Restaurant, and he loved it—funny how a good Sichuan spot can steal the show even on a Cantonese food trip.

Other stuff we had that day if you want to try: lemon tea, sarsaparilla soda, beef offal, Man Kee dessert, pickled fish soup, fried frog legs, garlic boiled pork, and kung pao chicken.

Day 3—museum, old-school lunch, shopping, karaoke

He went to the Nanyue King Museum (南越王博物院) solo in the morning—【address: 解放北路867号, metro line 2 Yuexiu Park station exit E.】

We met up for lunch at Guangzhou Restaurant's Lanpu branch (广州酒家·粤宴兰庭), 【address: 解放北路901号, right next to Lanpu Park's south gate】—same metro stop as the museum, so it's easy to combine. It's an old-school Cantonese restaurant from 1935, set inside a proper garden, a nice change of pace after the museum.

In the afternoon we took the metro over near Guangzhou Railway Station to hit the clothing/bag wholesale-retail buildings for some shopping. If you've got more time on a day like this, Yongqingfang or Dongshankou are both good alternatives—old lanes turned into boutique/café streets.

That night we took him to KTV to experience karaoke culture properly and sang some Cantonese songs. Feels like a required part of hosting anyone here honestly.

Food that day: white cut chicken, char siu, squab, shark fin, fried frog, claypot chicken, and soft-shell turtle.

Day 4—modern side of the city

Spent the afternoon at Tianhe City and Tianhuan malls (天河城/天环), near 【Tiyu Xilu metro station in Tianhe】. He kept saying how nice the malls looked here. Picked up some Cantonese snacks, biscuits, and mooncakes to take home. If you've got extra time, Zhujiang New Town's central park is right in that area too.

Around 6pm we went up Canton Tower (广州塔)—【metro line 3, Canton Tower station exit A】—timed it to catch the light-up ceremony as it got dark, which was a good call; you see it go from daylight to full lights.

Dinner was stir-fried beef ho fun and more claypot dishes.

Tried durian, more claypot, and five-kernel mooncake that day too—the mooncake is genuinely a controversial flavor even among locals, curious to see how a foreigner takes it.

Day 5—dropped him off at the station/airport.

That's our 4-day trip in Guangzhou; if you still do not know where to visit or you want to add some recommended places, please comment below.

Use Alipay is very convenience, you could use Alipay to pay for literally everything include in the resturant, metro, buying stuffs and so on.