# Cities & sights

Where to go in China, and how it feels on foot. For each place you can see its altitude, the best months to visit, how many days to allow and how many sights there are to fill them.

## Yunnan

- [Kunming](https://unclepandatravel.com/destinations/kunming) — 1,890 m · all year · 1–2 days · 3 sights. The "Spring City": mild all year, the gateway to Yunnan, with direct flights from Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.
- [Dali](https://unclepandatravel.com/destinations/dali) — 1,980 m · Mar–May, Sep–Nov · 2–3 days · 4 sights. Erhai Lake, Bai villages and an old walled town between the Cangshan mountains and the water.
- [Lijiang](https://unclepandatravel.com/destinations/lijiang) — 2,400 m · Mar–Jun, Sep–Nov · 2–3 days · 4 sights. Naxi old towns under Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, the base for the snow mountain and Lugu Lake.
- [Lugu Lake](https://unclepandatravel.com/destinations/lugu-lake) — 2,690 m · Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct · 1–2 days · 3 sights. A high mountain lake and home of the Mosuo people, about 4 hours from Lijiang by a winding road.
- [Shangri-La](https://unclepandatravel.com/destinations/shangri-la) — 3,300 m · May–Oct · 2 days · 3 sights. Tibetan highlands at 3,300 m with monasteries, meadows and Pudacuo National Park.

## Shanghai

- [Shanghai](https://unclepandatravel.com/destinations/shanghai) — 4 m · Mar–May, Oct–Dec · 2–3 days · 4 sights. Old Shanghai and new Shanghai across one river: the Bund, Yu Garden and the Lujiazui skyline.

## Jiangsu

- [Suzhou](https://unclepandatravel.com/destinations/suzhou) — 5 m · Mar–May, Oct–Nov · 1 day · 3 sights. Classical gardens, canal streets and the leaning pagoda of Tiger Hill.

## Zhejiang

- [Hangzhou](https://unclepandatravel.com/destinations/hangzhou) — 10 m · late Mar–May, mid-Oct–Dec · 2–3 days · 4 sights. West Lake, Lingyin Temple and the Xixi wetlands, with the city right next to the water.
- [Wuzhen](https://unclepandatravel.com/destinations/wuzhen) — 5 m · Mar–May, Oct–Dec · half day + evening · 1 sight. A canal town best seen at dusk, when the lanterns come on along the water.

## Beijing

- [Beijing](https://unclepandatravel.com/destinations/beijing) — 44 m · Apr–May, Sep–Oct · 3–4 days · 7 sights. China's capital for six centuries: the Forbidden City, the Great Wall at Mutianyu and the hutong lanes where people still live.

## Shaanxi

- [Xi'an](https://unclepandatravel.com/destinations/xian) — 400 m · Mar–May, Sep–Nov · 3–4 days · 8 sights. The old capital of 13 dynasties: the Terracotta Army, a complete Ming city wall and some of China's best street food.

## Hunan

- [Zhangjiajie](https://unclepandatravel.com/destinations/zhangjiajie) — 183 m · Apr–May, Sep–Oct · 2–4 days · 8 sights. 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.
- [Changsha](https://unclepandatravel.com/destinations/changsha) — 63 m · Apr–May, Oct–Nov · 2–3 days · 7 sights. Hunan's riverside capital, with a thousand-year-old academy, Han dynasty treasures and some of China's spiciest street food.
- [Fenghuang](https://unclepandatravel.com/destinations/fenghuang) — 350 m · Apr–May, Sep–Oct · 1–2 days · 8 sights. A riverside town of wooden stilt houses on the Tuo River, home of writer Shen Congwen and at its best by lantern light.

## Sichuan

- [Chengdu](https://unclepandatravel.com/destinations/chengdu) — 500 m · Mar–Jun, Sep–Nov · 2–3 days · 8 sights. 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.
- [Jiuzhaigou](https://unclepandatravel.com/destinations/jiuzhaigou) — 2,000 m · May–Jun, Sep–Oct · 2–3 days · 7 sights. A mountain valley of clear blue and green lakes, wide waterfalls and forest in northern Sichuan, with Huanglong's coloured pools nearby.

## Chongqing

- [Chongqing](https://unclepandatravel.com/destinations/chongqing) — 259 m · Mar–May, Sep–Nov · 2–3 days · 8 sights. A hilly river city where monorails run through buildings, a cable car crosses the Yangtze and the night views are spectacular.
- [Wulong](https://unclepandatravel.com/destinations/wulong) — 1,100 m · Apr–Jun, Sep–Nov · 1–2 days · 6 sights. Chongqing's World Heritage karst country: giant natural bridges, a deep fissure gorge and cool highland grassland around Xiannüshan.

## Guangdong

- [Guangzhou](https://unclepandatravel.com/destinations/guangzhou) — 21 m · Oct–Dec · 2–3 days · 7 sights. The old trading port of Canton, where morning dim sum, a former concession island and a lit-up Pearl River fill your days.

## How to choose where to go

- **Altitude:** Kunming, Dali, Lijiang, Lugu Lake, Shangri-La and Jiuzhaigou sit between 1,890 m and 3,300 m; the eastern and southern cities are all low.
- **Season:** most places are best in spring and autumn; Shangri-La is listed for May–Oct and Guangzhou for Oct–Dec.
- **Time:** some places work as a single day or half day (Suzhou, Wuzhen), while Beijing, Xi'an and Zhangjiajie reward 3–4 days.

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- Source page: https://unclepandatravel.com/destinations
- Language: English · Updated: 2026-10-22
- Operator: Hunan Panda International Travel Service Co., Ltd. (Uncle Panda Travel), licensed China travel agency, licence L-HUN-304745
- Contact: service@unclepandatravel.com · WhatsApp +8615580812229
- Site index for AI: https://unclepandatravel.com/llms.txt