How to Plan a 3-Week Itinerary in China (Best 3 Options & Costs)

张家界是一个美丽的和真正特别的地方for nature lovers. Be forewarned that it's super busy though, so we were really glad to go as early as possible (the park opens at 7), and we were glad to book with China highlights as they helped us with all of the ticketing and helped us dodge the lineups and many of the crowds. Our guide Lee was knowledgeable and with great English, and they gave me a number of great hiking recommendations to make sure I got the outdoor experience I was dreaming about. I traveled here with an aging parent, and I'm super grateful to Lee for juggling both our needs and being super flexible with our schedule to make sure I got in some solo hiking time while also catching all the most important sights inside the park.

We’ve been to Luoyang for the first time as a part of our large trip to China. In this city we visited all significant sights, including the Longmen Grottoes, where we had an amazing walk and saw Buddhas. Thanks to our tour guide Lisa, who accompanied us during the whole trip. We got to know a lot about Luoyang, learnt useful phrases and were treated with great kindness and care. At first, we had only a couple of places to visit, and there was plenty time left before the train. We discussed our wishes with Lisa and made a great route ?? thanks China Highlights for amazing trip! It was incredible pleasure. Best city and stay so far)

We arrived at Lijiang on 9/8. We enjoyed the time in Lijiang a lot with good hotel selection and a well planned program. We went onto Shaxi for the local singing festival of the local minority groups. It was a fantastic experience. What makes the trip most memorable is our guide Alice. She took excellent care of us, anticipating our every need. She was personable, warm and very knowledgeable. We shared many laughters and traded stories. She brought smiles to us during the entire trip. We will specifically ask for her again when we come back to Yunnan. Five star service.

This was our first time ever visiting Shanghai so we wanted to see good places to go to and good food to eat in Shanghai. That's why we booked with China Highlights. They're very responsive and quick to arrange our 3 day trip. Our guide name is Qi and she is a very sweet and helpful person. She knew we wanted to explore many local foods, so she brought us some local breakfast foods when she picked us up from our hotel, just so we can try everything! She was knowledgeable as well about the culture and history of the places we went to. Will definitely recommend this tour and use China Highlights again for our next trip to China!

Had a great tour of Zhangjiajie with our guide,Tony. Each day was filled with activities that smoothly flowed from one to another with little to no wait time. We saw everything that was advertised and more. Lunches were delicious and filling. Tony is very engaging with tremendous local knowledge. He knew the best spots to take pictures and how to get away from the crowds. He was also very good about taking photos of our family and sending them to us.

My tour guide Jennifer made this quick one day trip to Beijing great! The day started out a bit overcast and rainy when I landed, but Jennifer’s positive attitude and kind communication (along with her being able to keep up/put up with my jokes) made it fine.Despite this, Jennifer and our driver Chen were able to swing an extra photo shoot stop at the Olympic Stadium. I guess it gives me an excuse to come back to visit again, and when I do - I will use China Highlights and this great fantastic team.

Mervyn is what we call a perfect tour guide! She is extremely informative all the way through. She knows hers stuff and she is also enthusiastic, knowledgeable, personable and very willing to help. The whole day was perfect. A great amount of walking and a lots of physical activity ( hiking) and she was all smiling, accommodating and keeping us informative. She was absolutely the best tour guide we've ever encountered in China. Her English is perfect! Everything was so well organized. Her knowledge of the local culture and history is impressive. Fantastic

Used China Highlights for a private all-day tour of Jinshanling portion of the Great Wall. One of the best days of my life! Tour guide Alan and a driver met me at my hotel and the ride was very comfortable. Alan was extremely knowledgable and friendly, I really enjoyed talking with him. The scenery was astoundingly beautiful; this is a less touristy portion of the Wall. The hiking was fun, Alan brought plenty of water, and showed me things I would not have noticed by myself. On the way back to the hotel, we stopped at a local restaurant for lunch that Alan had arranged - delicious! Once in a lifetime experience.

Our tour guide was Mervyn, and she was amazing! She had great knowledge of Xi'an and the silk road, and we learned so many things we didn't know before. The Muslim quarter is a must-see, with so many streets of food. Terracotta warriors were breathtaking. We did a Hanfu experience and enjoyed walking the city at night in our tang Dynasty outfits. We wish we spent more than 2 days here as there's so much to do. Definitely recommend this tour and will be visiting again!

I booked a 4 weeks private China tour with ChinaHighlights covering landscapes and cultural sites between Beijing, Xian, Guilin, Zhangjiajie, Hangzhou and Shanghai. The entire tour was set up accurately, very fast and in the light of all relevant personal preferences by Mrs. Carol Wang, an expert in organizing hand made voyages in China. Due to her knowledge and immediate responses the tour was scheduled comfortably and straightforward, including all transfers and authentic hotel bookings. I highly recommend ChinaHighlights and in particular Carol Wang for organizing any extraordinary, non-mainstream travel to China.

We enjoyed an incredible two day trip in Guilin, taking a brief half-day boat cruise on the Li River and cycling around Yangshuo in the afternoon with our guide Gary. Gary met us at the airport and made us feel very welcome, providing us with five-star service. He gave us a lot of insight about Guilin and the Guangxi region and even gave us a tai chi lesson on the boat. He provided us excellent dining suggestions for the evening as well as suggestions of things to do. Thank you Gary for making our trip to Guilin so memorable!

We were paired with great guides on every city, very knowleadgeble and hardworking people that made our trip fabulous. Jack in Beijing was brilliant and very resourceful making sure we enjoyed the city even when he wasn't with us. In Xi'An we were paired with Crystal that was incredibly smart and made sure we felt we had not only a guide but a friend to rely on in Xi'An, we loved how she made sure we tried the best food and fruit available and helped us from arrival to departure from Xi'An. Finally, kudos to Gary (Wei Li) that worked with us in Guiling and Yangshuo. Gary is a local to Guiling and truly proud of his city and origins. We learned a lot from him and he trully went above and beyond to ensure we had a great time in Guiling adjusting the itinerary to our liking and taking time to explain everything. On our flight out of Guiling we had a bit of an issue with our tickets (booked by ourselves) and Gary promptly lent a hand to help us sort it out with the airport staff, trully a champion. If you are heading to Guiling with Chinahighlights, make sure to have Gary as your guide.

Our guide, Linda, was by far the best person to have for our tours of The Forbidden City, Tianamen Square, and Mutianyu Great Wall. She was an encyclopedia with great knowledge of Chinese History and was able to explain every detail of what we were seeing. She picked us up with a very nice car and driver from our hotel both days, at the time most convenient to us, and dropped us back off wherever we wanted at the end of our tours. Both the Forbidden City and the Great Wall are marvels of human and Chinese achievements and are a must to see in Beijing. Visiting them both with a tour guide that feels more like a friend was certainly helping enjoying it even more.

We had the most fantastic experience with our tour guide, Jack Fan, who is very knowledgeable about the Yellow Mountain and was able to get us quickly to the most stunning highlights. He was our "photographer" anytime we wanted a photo and that was very often. We made the most of our time having him guiding us. He was truly the mountain man as he is a local there. He is very passionate about what he does. He loves history, nature, and travel, which is a must for a guide. He provided historical facts about the stunning Ancient villages at Hong Cun and Xidi. He answered any questions we had about history, nature, and current things we had. I felt like he was a professor, and we were his students in a very good way. He was NEVER late, and neither was our driver. They never bought us anywhere to "sell" us things. He took us to buy tea only when we asked to buy a specific tea, staying much later than he should have! I wanted to check out lotus and rice fields, which was not on the itinerary, but he squeezed it in for us. We were very well taken care of. I highly recommend Jack for a tour guide who speaks English.

I recently embarked on an unforgettable journey to Tibet, a land steeped in mysticism and rich cultural heritage. My train trip on the famous scenic Qinghai route on train Y971 Lhasa played a significant role in making this trip an extraordinary experience.Upon my arrival in Lhasa via an overnight train, I was warmly welcomed by the guide assigned Tenzin Lhatse. He had waited for more than 3 hours as he was not informed there was a change in the train schedule. Nontheless, it did not dampen his warm attitude and the seamless transferfrom the train station to the hotel set a positive tone for my stay.The highlight of my stay was undoubtedly the visit to the iconic Potala Palace. The sheer grandeur and architectural brilliance of this historic site left me in awe. The guidance of my knowledgeable tour guide, who revealed the stories behind each shrine, enriched my experience. However, the strict visitor limits and rules underscored the importance of preserving this ancient marvel. The Old Barkhor Street Walking Tour was a journey through time. From Jokhang Temple to the bustling local market, each stop offered insights into Tibetan daily life and folk customs. The Pandatsang Compound's history and the cup of Tibetan sweet tea at Ani Tsangkhung Nunnery added unique flavors to the tour.Overall, my journey through Tibet was an incredible odyssey into a world of spirituality, culture, and natural beauty. I'm glad to have taken this step with my wife to challenge the train ride which was totally worthy of this lifetime.

Special shout out to our guide for the Gansu leg, Helen, who was the most caring guide we have come across in all of our travels. Make sure you ask for her!

We would like to thank China Highlights Travel for planning and organizing our China hiking trip. Roger Li (Trip Planner) was really prompt in all correspondences and helped us to fine tune our travel details. We are a party of 4 and had multiple hiking destinations in mind in the beginning. Roger gave us details of each option and we finally decided to go hiking in the famous Tiger Leaping Gorge. In addition, Roger helped us to add itinerary in Lijiang and Shangri-la after the hiking. Really looking forward to our China hiking trip in October!

My recent experience with China Highlights, with Roger Li as liaison on my inquiry for Yunnan tour, confirms to the overwhelming positive reviews posted here, about their excellent prompt services, flexible accommodation for tour itineraries, and hardworking tour guides. I am very impressed and will most definitely look up to China Highlights for future tours to China and beyond. Thank you Roger Li for your personal attention, hard work and prompt services. Bravo!

My partner and I were visiting China for the first time. Our tour guide was Martin, who was friendly and very knowledgeable. He adjusted the tour to our needs and gave us an extensive tour of Shanghai as well as many fascinating insights on China. He also went above and beyond and offered us plenty of recommendations on what to do in the evenings, how to get there, and even made bookings for us. Martin, thanks again!

Our tour guides in the three cities Mr. Ethan, Mr. Mark and Ms. Lisa, respectively, were amazing. They extended their help beyond all expectations and worked tirelessly to ensure the best utilization of the time. All our drivers were timely, courteous and tentative to our needs.

We had the most fantastic experience with our tour guide, Jack Fan, who is very knowledgeable about the Yellow Mountain and was able to get us quickly to the most stunning highlights. He was our "photographer" anytime we wanted a photo and that was very often. We made the most of our time having him guiding us. He was truly the mountain man as he is a local there. He is very passionate about what he does. He loves history, nature, and travel, which is a must for a guide. He provided historical facts about the stunning Ancient villages at Hong Cun and Xidi. He answered any questions we had about history, nature, and current things we had. I felt like he was a professor, and we were his students in a very good way. He was NEVER late, and neither was our driver. They never bought us anywhere to "sell" us things. He took us to buy tea only when we asked to buy a specific tea, staying much later than he should have! I wanted to check out lotus and rice fields, which was not on the itinerary, but he squeezed it in for us. We were very well taken care of. I highly recommend Jack for a tour guide who speaks English.

Our tour guide Tony was indeed very knowledgeable and helpful the entire trip. His explanation and description of the villages in English is very good. Tony is very accommodating to our requests too. The hike up in the mountains was really good and exciting and Tony managed to bring us to most of the recommended viewpoints and waited for us to catch our breath when we’re too exhausted hiking. I fully recommend getting Tony as your guide.

我和我的女朋友去黄山the Labor Day Holiday in China, and honestly were amazed by the actual beauty of it all. Our tour guide Sunny (thank you so much for your exquisite work) made our trip even better. The hotels that were chosen by the China Highlights agency were perfect, the Shanshui Boutique in the heart of the Huangshan city was so convenient to walk from, and the Xihai Hotel on the mountains was a perfect stop for the hiking we did for two days. The tour that we did was not enough to see everything of course so we shall be returning in the near future. We were so lucky about the weather and the crowds (holiday) that the perfect visit was even more marvelous as I proposed to my girlfriend on the Flying Rock peak during a breathtaking sunset. This will always be our rock and for that I am very grateful since Sunny the tour guide made it perfect for us.

In April 23 China Highlights organised a 3 day, 2 night trip for us from Shanghai to Huangshan. From the Bullet Train to the scenery at the World Heritage Yellow Mountains to the Tea ceremony - It's a must visit for anyone visiting China, however, not often on Western Tourist Programs.

In April 23 China Highlights organised a 3 day, 2 night trip for us from Shanghai to Huangshan in the Anhui Province. From the Bullet Train to the scenery at the World Heritage Yellow Mountains, the meals and the Tea ceremony - It's a must visit for anyone visiting China, however, not often on Western Tourist Programs. Liberman who arranged the trip, and Tony who was our guide were always available to assist us. 10/10 - Thanks very much. Adam Liaws, "Destination Flavour China"(S1 Episode2 visits the Anhui province - worth a watch to see how beautiful the region is.

We three ladies took a three-day trip away from our families to enjoy the peace of the countryside and the inspiring beauty of Huangshan. China Highlights and our tour guide, Jack Fan, made the trip everything we had hoped for an even more. We started the first day with bicycle and foot tours in Bishan Village- absolutely charming! We then moved to Huangshan and… wow! It’s easy to see what artists and poets have been inspired throughout the centuries. Jack has spent years on the mountain and knows every corner of it. He made sure to take us to the best places in the limited time we had and made it all extra special by sharing the history and stories. He also knew exactly how long every path would take and planned to maximize our time with a steady pace. Early rain quickly passed and left us with the views of the moving “sea of clouds” that everyone talks about. We are all so glad we didn’t miss Huangshan- there’s a reason everyone says it’s the most beautiful mountain in China. Thanks, Jack, for a wonderful tour!

Tony was an enthusiastic and knowledgeable guide, who skillfully dealt with any issues as they arose to make sure the days passed seamlessly and enjoyably.

My husband and I were in awe of the natural beauty of the Yellow Mountain. Our guide Phillip Tong, with China Highlights, gave us an exceptional experience at our pace. (As an older couple this was greatly appreciated.) He shared his vast knowledge of history and cultural significance as we trekked over and around the mountain, touring Bishan, and Hongcun. We concluded our trip by making fish lanterns. China Highlights has once again provided us with great memories.

I did a 4 day trekking in the Yellow Mountains with China Highlights and it was even more stunning than I thought it would be. Spend two nights in the mountains and one in Huangshan, totally worth is. This is a place you must visit and according to my guide every season had it’s own beauty. I will definitely come back! Coco planned the whole trip according to my wishes and Tony was a perfect guide being very knowledgeable and supportive. If you don’t have 4 days I’m sure a three, or even two, day trip will be very nice as well!

We had a memorable experience hiking the Yellow Mountain in Huangshan. Our trip was complicated by the typhoon that hit the area and we had to have a flexible itinerary, China Highlights helped with this. Once we arrived, Tony was very helpful & was able to tailor the experience for the different fitness levels in the group.

Our guide for the 3 days was Tony, who was very knowledgeable, friendly, polite and spoke good english. Tony even went out of his was last minute to organize a birthday cake for my wife. He was a terrific guide. --Travel 73002

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Great tour arrangement by Coco Yang. We had a fabulous time with April Yao. She is courteous, knowledgeable about Huangshan and spoken excellent English. She is very caring and very patient especially during our hike to ensure we enjoy the scenery with no rush at all. She goes beyond her duty and is always helpful to take group photos of us including short video clips of the amazing scenery. THANK YOU April Yao for an amazing and unforgettable trip with you. Would definitely recommend China Highlights for a customized private tour. Money well spent! Make sure you ask for April Yao as your guide in Yellow Mountains. -----fongsherina Sydney, Australia

最近,我参观了传说中的黄山又名Yellow mountain in my second visit to China. I had seen pictures when I was researching my trip but the place simply took my breath away. Amazing rock formations and trees growing out of granite create a surreal landscape! The place is simply a natural wonder. We first visited Tunxi (Huangshan city) which is pretty special in itself as it has merely 100,000 people and offers a little old town with fabulous handicrafts (wood carvings, bags etc.) and local eats (try hairy tofu!....it may look daunting but it tastes delicious!) Next day we started our exploration of Huangshan mountain. Huangshan offers many many hiking trails in the different scenic areas. The hiking path is man-made steps and based on one‘s ability and appetite there are many to choose from. One can take a comfortable cable car ride up to the mountain that offers stunning vistas so be ready to snap some amazing scenery. Then one starts hiking down the mountain. There is a monorail to take you back up the mountain should you be staying in one of the hotels on the mountain. We ourselves did various hikes with our fantastic guide Tony who is very knowledgeable and really took care of us starting from preparing snacks for the day and showing us the most spectacular views. We spent about 2.5 days exploring the mountain and if I had an extra pair of legs I would have done more! ;-) We stayed two nights on top of the mountain. While the accommodations offered all the basic creature comforts, the mountain itself retains an unspoilt aura which makes the experience just perfect. So one gets to enjoy almost unadulterated nature without sacrificing on the essentials. Finally, in our China trip, we visited four other mountains and my personal recommendation is that if one had to choose one mountain to visit in China, then it should be Huangshan! It is less than 2 hours from Shanghai by bullet train and there is no other place like it! I for sure would love to visit again and this time for longer! ---36debim

我们booked a 2 day trip Huangshan / Yellow Mountains with China Highlights. April Yao was our guide and she reallly could read our wishes and feelings.... Before I start: "Hiking" in the Yellow Mountains means walking on a paved path and "climbing" up and down steps. The main routes are very, very crowded. There is no "wild" or natural path hiking like Europeans use to do... She guided us quickly away from the chinese tourist masses to some spectacular "lonley" points (you will never be alone in China). The late afternoon hike with breathtaking views and a beautiful sunset on the eastern side of the park was a highlight. Especially after 4pm most of the tourists go back down and the place becomes calmer. However, there are still many people on the mountain in the various hotels. We were in the Xihai Hotel 5*- very comfortable, quite a good level. Be aware: go for dinner early, we collected the food left after 7.30 pm and at 8 they started to clean (officially open till 8.30 pm). Next Morning: watch the sunrise - our one was not as spectacular as sunset. After breakfast we did a tour to the highest point, some more spectacular views and headed back for an excellent lunch to the valley. On the way back we visited a village close by (forgot the name) and in the evening we took a massage in Haungshan City - I felt like a cooked noodle afterwards... but great program. What would I do different? Next time I would ask for an extended tour including the cable train on the backside of the mountain. This seemed to be quite spectacular but would probably require 2 -3 more hours of hiking. And I would probably not go up there on a weekend or in highseason. --Patrick.Teufen

I had the pleasure of staying in the most wonderful 10-bedroom hotel called the Pig's Inn in Bishan and Bishan itself is a lovely village to explore and to go cycling. The Huangshan Mountains are spectacular and I would definitely recommend to spend the better part of three days or more hiking there and not just a day trip as you will miss so much if limited to one day. I have also been hiking in the Huashan Mountains with China Highlights and they are also spectacular too, but if you have been to Huashan do not think it is more of the same in Huangshan.