Cities & sights

Where to go in China, and how it feels on foot

Altitude, best time, how many days and how much walking for each place.

Yunnan

1,890 m

Kunming

The “Spring City”: mild all year, the gateway to Yunnan, with direct flights from Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.

🗓 All year⏱ 1–2 days📍 3 sights

1,980 m

Dali

Erhai Lake, Bai villages and an old walled town between the Cangshan mountains and the water.

🗓 Mar–May, Sep–Nov⏱ 2–3 days📍 4 sights

2,400 m

Lijiang

Naxi old towns under Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, the base for the snow mountain and Lugu Lake.

🗓 Mar–Jun, Sep–Nov⏱ 2–3 days📍 4 sights

2,690 m

Lugu Lake

A high mountain lake and home of the Mosuo people, about 4 hours from Lijiang by a winding road.

🗓 Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct⏱ 1–2 days📍 3 sights

3,300 m

Shangri-La

Tibetan highlands at 3,300 m with monasteries, meadows and Pudacuo National Park.

🗓 May–Oct⏱ 2 days📍 3 sights

Shanghai

4 m

Shanghai

Old Shanghai and new Shanghai across one river: the Bund, Yu Garden and the Lujiazui skyline.

🗓 Mar–May, Oct–Dec⏱ 2–3 days📍 4 sights

Jiangsu

5 m

Suzhou

Classical gardens, canal streets and the leaning pagoda of Tiger Hill.

🗓 Mar–May, Oct–Nov⏱ 1 day📍 3 sights

Zhejiang

10 m

Hangzhou

West Lake, Lingyin Temple and the Xixi wetlands, with the city right next to the water.

🗓 Late Mar–May, mid-Oct–Dec⏱ 2–3 days📍 4 sights

5 m

Wuzhen

A canal town best seen at dusk, when the lanterns come on along the water.

🗓 Mar–May, Oct–Dec⏱ Half day + evening📍 1 sights

Beijing

44 m

Beijing

China’s capital for six centuries: the Forbidden City, the Great Wall at Mutianyu and the hutong lanes where people still live.

🗓 Apr–May, Sep–Oct⏱ 3–4 days📍 7 sights

Shaanxi

400 m

Xi’an

The old capital of 13 dynasties: the Terracotta Army, a complete Ming city wall and some of China’s best street food.

🗓 Mar–May, Sep–Nov⏱ 3–4 days📍 8 sights

Hunan

183 m

Zhangjiajie

Thousands of sandstone pillars rise from the forest in Wulingyuan, a UNESCO World Heritage site and the real-life inspiration for Avatar's floating mountains.

🗓 Apr–May, Sep–Oct⏱ 2–4 days📍 8 sights

63 m

Changsha

Hunan's riverside capital, with a thousand-year-old academy, Han dynasty treasures and some of China's spiciest street food.

🗓 Apr–May, Oct–Nov⏱ 2–3 days📍 7 sights

350 m

Fenghuang

A riverside town of wooden stilt houses on the Tuo River, home of writer Shen Congwen and at its best by lantern light.

🗓 Apr–May, Sep–Oct⏱ 1–2 days📍 8 sights

Sichuan

500 m

Chengdu

Sichuan's relaxed capital: giant pandas in the morning, tea in a park in the afternoon and some of China's best food at night.

🗓 Mar–Jun, Sep–Nov⏱ 2–3 days📍 8 sights

2,000 m

Jiuzhaigou

A mountain valley of clear blue and green lakes, wide waterfalls and forest in northern Sichuan, with Huanglong's coloured pools nearby.

🗓 May–Jun, Sep–Oct⏱ 2–3 days📍 7 sights

Chongqing

259 m

Chongqing

A hilly river city where monorails run through buildings, a cable car crosses the Yangtze and the night views are spectacular.

🗓 Mar–May, Sep–Nov⏱ 2–3 days📍 8 sights

1,100 m

Wulong

Chongqing's World Heritage karst country: giant natural bridges, a deep fissure gorge and cool highland grassland around Xiannüshan.

🗓 Apr–Jun, Sep–Nov⏱ 1–2 days📍 6 sights

Guangdong

21 m

Guangzhou

The old trading port of Canton, where morning dim sum, a former concession island and a lit-up Pearl River fill your days.

🗓 Oct–Dec⏱ 2–3 days📍 7 sights

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