How to Plan your China Travel?

How to plan your China travel? You plan it on your own, with your family or just leave all the troubles to your travel consultant?

You may think that booking a China tour can be an easy thing. You just need to click the button and send your inquiry then everything has been done perfectly by your China travel expert. However, before you get ready up on China, you still have to do some work. Don't worry. I'm here to help you make it simple with these easy steps to guide you in your China travel planning.

Matthew with his travel consulant wonder

1. Who is going with you?
China is an interesting country. And your trip here will be once in a lifetime. Will you come alone, come with your family or come with a group? No matter who will be with you, just come.

One thing to mention here, it is quite safe to travel alone in the hot destinations like Beijing, Xian, Shanghai, Guilin, Chengdu etc. If you travel in Tibet, you need to take the private Tibet tour or join the group tour. It is not allowed to travel alone in Tibet yet.

Cycling in Guilin with your family

2. Where will you go in China?
I do think you have known Great Wall, Terracotta Warriors, and Giant Panda etc. Do you want to see them? In fact, China is an enormous country with diverse options for travel. There may be certain things you absolutely feel you must see, or other places you didn't even know were in China. A good way to get a feel for China is to browse my China Destination Guide. A good way to find out more about classic china sites is to peruse the Top 10 China Tours and Classic China Tours.

Zhangjiajie National Park

3. Tour or self-guided? How do you want to see China?
I know it is a big decision to go to China. You may find it is an even bigger one to decide how you will travel. Here, I suggest you to choose a reliable travel agency and take the private and customizable China tour. It will save much time, budget and energy to get all the things done. Moreover, during the tour, you will have your own car and driver, tour guide...I believe everything will go smoothly and have great experience which is more than expected.

4. When to go to China?
Different places can be visited in different seasons. Usually, it is highly recommended to visit China in spring (March to May) and autumn (September to November).

If you want to reach the Roof of the World - Tibet, go during May to October. Please check the weather forecast, temperatures before you get started.
>>Best time to visit China

travel Longji Rice Terrace in spring

5. Get your travel documents ready
Before you even book your tickets, you'll want to make sure you've got your passport and visa all in order. You'll need a passport that is valid for at least six months at the time you apply for your visa and you'll need it to have a few empty pages. The Chinese visa takes up an entire page. Obtaining the visa through the Chinese embassy or Consulate in your area can take up to two weeks so you don't want to leave this until the last minute.

If you go to Tibet, you'll need the Tibet permit. Please ask your travel consultant to get this issue done for you.
>> Tibet Permit for your Tibet Travel

Get your Tibet Permit

6. Book your flights and accommodation
After you get the travel documents, the next step is to book your flights and accommodation. If you are going through a tour operator that is booking everything for you, there is no need to consider the accommodation.

7. Review your medical checklist
There are no required vaccinations for China but depending on what you'll be doing and where you'll be going. If you want to join the panda volunteer program, you need to provide you medical conditions.

8. Organize your money
Get acquainted with Chinese currency before you go and do a little budgeting. Also, figure out if you’d rather take traveler check, cash or and ATM card for your cash needs. When traveling with an ATM, find out from your bank if they charge an overseas withdrawal fee and find out the daily withdrawal limit.

Chinese money exchange

9. Traveling with children
If you'll be traveling with small children who have specific needs like diapers and formula, do some research before you go and make sure you have everything you absolutely need but haven't over-packed (e.g. you can get diapers in China!). Do some research on what they'd like to do so you have a good mix planned of adult-oriented touring mixed with kid-friendly stops.
>> China Family Tours
>> Family-friendly Activities in China

10. Start packing and Ready up on China
Packing is a big job. You may be touring many different parts of China, you need clothes for different seasons, different occasions. Bear in mind: take the necessities and travel as light as you can.
>> What to pack for your China trip?

Enjoy your China Trip

Now you have got all the things ready, it is time to start your exciting China trip. Enjoy your journey!