Choose your starting point
China Destinations: Choose Your Starting City
Use this China destinations directory to compare cities by travel style, suggested trip length and the experiences that matter to you. Start with Chongqing or Chengdu for a complete city guide.
Destination directory
Find the city that fits your trip
Use suggested stay lengths and travel-style tags to narrow the list. Chongqing and Chengdu are ready to explore, and more cities will follow.
Chongqing
Mountain-city routes, river views and practical first-trip planning.
View Chongqing guide
Chengdu
Pandas, teahouses, historic courtyards and a slower Sichuan city rhythm.
View Chengdu guide
Shanghai
Riverfront skylines, historic lanes and city neighbourhoods.
Coming next
Beijing
Imperial landmarks, hutong neighbourhoods and Great Wall routes.
Planned
Guangzhou
Cantonese food, riverfront architecture and southern city life.
Planned
Xi'an
City walls, historic sites and first-time route planning.
Future guide
Zhangjiajie
Mountain viewpoints, park routes and practical cable-car planning.
Future guideChoose a live city guide when you want route-level detail. Use the status labels for future cities as planning signals only; unfinished destinations are intentionally not linked.
Choose by travel style
Start with the kind of China trip you want
Use these themes to find the destinations that best match your priorities.
Need help choosing?
Tell us what kind of China trip you are planning.
Share your dates, cities and priorities, and the China Trip Brief team can suggest a practical starting route.