# China Tailor Made

> Independent, source-checked China travel guides, an interactive city map, and human trip planning for first-time visitors.

Independent China travel desk for foreign visitors. Free, source-checked city guides, practical guides and itineraries; paid route reviews and itinerary planning. Not a tour operator, visa agency or booking marketplace.

Last source check: 28 October 2026. Rules change; confirm visa, entry and payment details with the official source before booking.

## For AI agents

- Agent guide: https://chinatailormade.com/agents/
- MCP endpoint: https://chinatailormade.com/mcp
- Structured data: https://chinatailormade.com/agent/content.json
- Agent skill: https://chinatailormade.com/skills/china-tailor-made/SKILL.md
- Sitemap: https://chinatailormade.com/sitemap.xml
- The MCP endpoint is read-only. It does not collect payment, book travel or store conversations.
- Always link to the page you used and include the last-checked date when quoting a rule.

## Social

- [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/33watermelon/): @33watermelon
- [TikTok](https://www.tiktok.com/@etha.lh): @etha.lh

## City guides

- [Beijing](https://chinatailormade.com/cities/beijing/): Imperial scale, hutong mornings. Suggested stay 4–5 days; best time April–May, September–October.
- [Shanghai](https://chinatailormade.com/cities/shanghai/): Art deco lanes, neon skyline. Suggested stay 3–4 days; best time March–May, September–November.
- [Xi’an](https://chinatailormade.com/cities/xian/): Terracotta army, midnight noodles. Suggested stay 2–3 days; best time April–May, September–October.
- [Chengdu](https://chinatailormade.com/cities/chengdu/): Pandas, teahouses, slow afternoons. Suggested stay 3–4 days; best time March–June, September–November.
- [Chongqing](https://chinatailormade.com/cities/chongqing/): A city stacked on hills and neon. Suggested stay 2–3 days; best time March–May, September–November.
- [Hangzhou](https://chinatailormade.com/cities/hangzhou/): Lake light, tea hills, slow paths. Suggested stay 2–3 days; best time March–May, September–November.
- [Suzhou](https://chinatailormade.com/cities/suzhou/): Gardens, canals, quiet precision. Suggested stay 1–2 days; best time April–May, September–November.
- [Guilin & Yangshuo](https://chinatailormade.com/cities/guilin-yangshuo/): Karst peaks and river light. Suggested stay 3–4 days; best time April–October (green); September–October (clear).
- [Zhangjiajie](https://chinatailormade.com/cities/zhangjiajie/): Sandstone pillars above the clouds. Suggested stay 3 days; best time April–May, September–November.
- [Guangzhou](https://chinatailormade.com/cities/guangzhou/): Dim sum mornings, subtropical nights. Suggested stay 2–3 days; best time October–December, March–April.
- [Shenzhen](https://chinatailormade.com/cities/shenzhen/): China’s newest city, at full speed. Suggested stay 1–2 days; best time October–April.
- [Nanjing](https://chinatailormade.com/cities/nanjing/): Ming walls and leafy avenues. Suggested stay 2 days; best time March–May, September–November.
- [Qingdao](https://chinatailormade.com/cities/qingdao/): Sea air, red roofs, cold beer. Suggested stay 2–3 days; best time May–October.
- [Xiamen](https://chinatailormade.com/cities/xiamen/): Island breezes and Fujian flavour. Suggested stay 2–3 days; best time March–May, September–November.
- [Kunming](https://chinatailormade.com/cities/kunming/): Spring weather, Yunnan gateways. Suggested stay 1–2 days; best time Year-round; March–April and September–November.
- [Dali & Lijiang](https://chinatailormade.com/cities/dali-lijiang/): Old towns under Yunnan mountains. Suggested stay 4–5 days; best time March–May, September–November.
- [Harbin](https://chinatailormade.com/cities/harbin/): Ice city, Russian echoes. Suggested stay 2–3 days; best time December–February.

## Practical guides

- [240-hour visa-free transit in China: the rules that actually matter](https://chinatailormade.com/guides/240-hour-visa-free-transit/): Who qualifies for China's 10-day transit waiver, which ports and regions you can use, and the onward-ticket mistakes that get travelers denied boarding.
- [Alipay and WeChat Pay for foreigners: set up both before you fly](https://chinatailormade.com/guides/alipay-wechat-pay-foreigners/): A practical setup guide for foreign cards, the fees that surprise people, limits, verification, and what to do when a QR code will not scan.
- [China train travel for foreigners: 12306, passports and station survival](https://chinatailormade.com/guides/china-train-travel-foreigners/): How to book high-speed rail with a foreign passport, which seat class to choose, and why you need to arrive at the station earlier than you think.
- [China visa-free entry in 2026: who can go, and for how long](https://chinatailormade.com/guides/china-visa-free-entry/): The two visa-free routes most tourists use: 30-day unilateral entry for 50 passports, and 240-hour transit for 57. Official rules, traps, and how to check your case.
- [Internet in China: eSIM, local SIM and VPNs without the guesswork](https://chinatailormade.com/guides/china-esim-internet-vpn/): How to stay connected in China: which eSIMs bypass the firewall, when you need a local number, and how to set up a VPN before you land.
- [The apps that actually make China easier (and the ones that do not)](https://chinatailormade.com/guides/essential-apps-china/): A short, tested stack for payments, maps, taxis, trains, translation and food — plus what to install before you lose Google.
- [The China trip checklist: six weeks out to arrival day](https://chinatailormade.com/guides/china-trip-checklist/): A realistic pre-departure checklist for visas, payments, connectivity, bookings, health and the first 24 hours in China.

## Itineraries

- [5 days in Beijing: one city, no rush](https://chinatailormade.com/itineraries/5-day-beijing-first-landing/): 5 days, easy pace. A five-day Beijing route for a first China trip: the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, hutong mornings and enough slack for jet lag.
- [6 days in Qingdao: coast, beer and a slower pace](https://chinatailormade.com/itineraries/6-day-qingdao-coast/): 6 days, easy pace. A six-day Qingdao route for sea air, red roofs, beer and a city that is easier to like when you stop rushing between sights.
- [7 days in China for the first time: Beijing, Xi'an, Shanghai](https://chinatailormade.com/itineraries/7-day-first-trip/): 7 days, balanced pace. A realistic one-week first trip with high-speed rail, the Great Wall, the Terracotta Army and enough time to actually eat.
- [The 240-hour transit trip: Shanghai, Suzhou and Hangzhou](https://chinatailormade.com/itineraries/240-hour-shanghai-layover/): 8 days, easy pace. How to use China's 10-day transit waiver for a Yangtze Delta trip — legally, realistically, and without crossing outside the permitted area.
- [8 days in the Yangtze Delta: Nanjing, Suzhou and Shanghai](https://chinatailormade.com/itineraries/8-day-nanjing-suzhou-shanghai/): 8 days, balanced pace. A slower eight-day route through Nanjing, Suzhou and Shanghai, with short high-speed trains and enough time for gardens, museums and neighbourhoods.
- [10 days in China: Beijing, Xi'an, Chengdu and Shanghai](https://chinatailormade.com/itineraries/10-day-classic-china/): 10 days, balanced pace. The classic 10-day route with pandas, hotpot and high-speed rail — paced so you are not changing hotels every night.
- [10 days in western China: Chengdu, Chongqing and Xi'an](https://chinatailormade.com/itineraries/10-day-chengdu-chongqing-xian/): 10 days, balanced pace. A ten-day western China route built around pandas, hotpot, hill cities and the Terracotta Army, with realistic rail days and two-night bases.
- [11 days in Yunnan: Kunming, Dali and Lijiang](https://chinatailormade.com/itineraries/11-day-yunnan-kunming-dali-lijiang/): 11 days, easy pace. An eleven-day Yunnan route with spring weather, Erhai Lake, old towns and mountain views, paced for altitude and slow travel.
- [14 days in China: the grand tour without the death march](https://chinatailormade.com/itineraries/14-day-china-itinerary/): 14 days, balanced pace. Two weeks across Beijing, Xi'an, Chengdu, Guilin and Shanghai, with realistic transit days and room to breathe.

## Trip Desk

Flat-fee planning: Route Check $49 per trip; Custom Itinerary $149 per trip; Full Trip Desk $349 per trip; Family & Group Desk from $499 per group. Planning fees are separate from optional supplier services.

- [Compare planning levels](https://chinatailormade.com/plan/)
- [Contact](https://chinatailormade.com/contact/) · hello@chinatailormade.com