Bespoke travel agency in China

China is so vast that it's best to think in terms of regions rather than global seasons. For Yunnan, which we know inside out, the most pleasant window runs from March to June, then September to November: mild temperatures in Kunming, flooded rice terraces in Yuanyang in winter, green terraces in Honghe in spring. Beijing and the Great Wall are best savored in autumn, when the skies clear. Sichuan and Guizhou struggle with the July-August rains. For a trip across multiple Chinese provinces, April-May and October remain the most balanced periods. It's best to avoid Chinese New Year holidays and the Golden Week in early October, when sites become overcrowded.

The budget for a trip to China mainly depends on the pace you choose and the comfort level of your accommodations. For a two to three-week itinerary with English-speaking guides, private transfers, high-speed trains and upper-mid-range hotels, expect generally between €3,500 and €5,000 per person, excluding international flights. Travelers who prefer staying with local families in villages of Yunnan or Guizhou can significantly reduce costs, while a trip including more demanding stops — Tibet, a Yangtze River cruise, charming lodges — will increase your budget. On the ground, meals and internal transportation remain affordable; entrance tickets to major sites weigh more heavily on expenses than one might imagine.

Traveling in China requires precise logistics: specific apps, mobile payments, train tickets opening at very short notice, and sometimes restricted access to certain regions. Working with an English-speaking local agency based in Kunming radically changes the experience. At China Roads, Paul, Ingrid and our correspondents have lived here for many years; we book trains the moment they open, negotiate directly with our guides and drivers, and adapt the itinerary on the go if a village festival or weather change warrants it. It's also a mark of authenticity: our partners are chosen one by one, often met over a meal, and we donate a share of each trip in Yunnan to local associations in the province.

A first trip often combines Beijing, Xi'an and Shanghai: the Forbidden City, the Terracotta Army, then the striking contrast of a megacity turned towards the future. But China truly reveals itself once you venture off this beaten path. Yunnan, our home region, unfolds Lijiang, Dali, Lugu Lake, the Yuanyang rice terraces and the Tibetan villages of Shangri-La. The neighbouring Guizhou is home to the Miao and Dong peoples, in still-preserved valleys. Further west, Sichuan opens the road to Tibetan monasteries and the landscapes of Jiuzhaigou. For returning travellers, the Xinjiang desert, the karsts of Guangxi or a Yangtze River cruise offer another perspective on the country.