China is one of those destinations that can completely change its scenery while you are still taking in the last one.
You might find yourself walking along the Great Wall surrounded by mountains, watching Shanghai’s skyline transform across the river, cruising past small towns and extraordinary landscapes, or discovering traditions that have been part of everyday life for centuries.
And perhaps that is one of the greatest reasons to travel to China with Europamundo: there is no single way to experience the country.
There is a wide variety of tours, with different lengths, starting points, and regions to explore. Some focus on China’s great historical icons, while others continue toward Sichuan, Guilin, Zhangjiajie, the Silk Road, or Tibet. There are even itineraries that combine China and Japan.
Included visits and experiences vary depending on the itinerary you choose, allowing each tour to reveal a different side of China.
When history no longer feels distant
There are places we know long before we ever travel to them.
The Great Wall of China is probably one of the best examples. But seeing it countless times in photographs does not fully prepare you for the feeling of actually standing there, following its path as it stretches across the mountains.
On Europamundo itineraries that include this experience from Beijing, the visit takes place at the Mutianyu section, with a cable car ride up and down. Afterward, some tours continue to the Temple of Heaven and add very different experiences: a Tai Chi class, a foot massage, and a Peking duck dinner.
It is a combination that perfectly illustrates what China can offer. Within just a few hours, you can go from standing before a structure with more than two thousand years of history to discovering traditional customs and ending the day with one of Beijing’s most iconic flavors.
Other itineraries allow you to explore the capital’s past even further through places such as the hutongs, the Summer Palace, and its great imperial landmarks.
And across different routes, you may also encounter experiences such as the Terracotta Army in Xi’an, where thousands of life-size figures can transport you back more than two millennia.
China is home to numerous places recognized as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, from the Great Wall to historic complexes, gardens, caves, and natural landscapes. Yet beyond the official recognition, what often stays with you is the feeling of standing before places that have witnessed centuries of history.
A China that changes before your eyes
One of the greatest pleasures of traveling through China is discovering how completely different worlds can coexist.
Shanghai represents the China that looks toward the future.
On the sightseeing tour included in many programs, the route reaches Pudong before continuing with a ferry crossing on the Huangpu River, offering views of the city’s contrasting skylines.
Then the atmosphere changes as you enter the Old City and the Yuyuan Garden, where travelers can also learn more about the Chinese tea tradition. Neighborhoods such as Xintiandi and Tianzifang, together with a walk along the Bund, complete the picture of a city where contemporary architecture and traces of the past constantly exist side by side.
And you do not have to travel far for the scenery to change again.
On itineraries that visit Suzhou, travelers explore the Humble Administrator’s Garden, one of the city’s famous classical gardens. Farther along, Tongli reveals a much quieter side of China, with traditional houses, bridges, and canals.
Some itineraries include a boat ride through its waterways, offering a completely different perspective of the town.
From the futuristic skyline of a major metropolis to the calm of an ancient water town, that contrast is part of the essence of traveling through China.
When nature takes center stage
Son escenarios que permiten descubrir una China completamente distinta a la imaginada desde sus grandes capitales.
China cannot be understood through its cities alone.
On some routes, buildings gradually give way to mountains, rivers, caves, and landscapes where nature completely changes the pace of the journey.
In Guilin, certain itineraries include a visit to the Reed Flute Cave, but one of the most memorable moments comes while cruising along the Li River to Yangshuo.
During the cruise, with lunch included, travelers pass riverside communities, lush vegetation, and dramatically shaped mountains.
For those choosing itineraries that reach Zhangjiajie, the scale of the scenery changes once again.
The route may include a boat ride on Baofeng Lake and a ride on the Bailong Elevator to Yuanjiajie, surrounded by the distinctive sandstone pillars of Wulingyuan.
On other programs, the experience continues at Tianmen Mountain, reached by cable car, with elevated walkways including the famous Glass Sky Walk, before approaching the natural formation known as Heaven’s Gate.
The day may then continue to Furong, a Tujia ethnic town built beside a waterfall.
These landscapes reveal a China that feels completely different from the image created by its major cities.
Pandas, mountains, and everyday life in Sichuan
In Chengdu, the journey takes on another rhythm.
Some itineraries include a visit to the Giant Panda Research and Breeding Center, followed by a walk through People’s Park, where teahouses, gardens, and locals practicing Tai Chi offer a glimpse into everyday life.
From Chengdu, certain routes also allow travelers to discover Dujiangyan, with its ancient irrigation system still in operation, and Qingcheng Shan, a mountain deeply connected to Taoist tradition.
Here, the journey combines forest trails, a short ferry crossing, and a cable car ride that brings you closer to temples and pavilions.
After great cities, walls, and imperial monuments, finding yourself among mountains and wooden temples adds another dimension to the trip
For travelers who want to go even farther
China also offers routes that take you far beyond the country’s most familiar highlights.
Some programs venture into the historic landscapes of the Silk Road.
In Dunhuang, the desert becomes the main attraction. Depending on the itinerary, you may experience part of the Mingsha Shan dunes by camel and approach the Crescent Moon Spring.
Nearby are the Mogao Caves, one of the great historic sites connected for centuries to cultural exchange along the Silk Road.
Routes may then continue toward areas such as Turpan, with ancient cities, desert landscapes, the traditional Karez underground irrigation system, and visits connected to local agriculture.
It is another China entirely: a land of oases, wide-open spaces, and ancient routes that linked cultures for centuries.
There is yet another dimension for travelers choosing itineraries that continue to Lhasa.
There, places such as the Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor, and Norbulingka offer an introduction to Tibetan culture and spirituality.
At the Sera Monastery, certain itineraries also offer the opportunity to experience its well-known debates on Buddhist scriptures.
You do not need to include all of these regions in a single trip. The variety of itineraries allows you to decide how far you want to go and which side of the country you most want to discover.
China can also be part of a bigger journey
The range of available tours also makes it possible to combine China with other Asian destinations.
Some programs travel through China first and then continue to Japan, while others follow the opposite direction, beginning in Japan before entering China.
That makes it possible to plan the journey in different ways and choose very different routes depending on the time you have available and the places you want to experience.
Because there is no single gateway to China, nor one itinerary capable of capturing a country of this scale.
Flavors that are also part of the journey
Discovering China also means discovering how dramatically its cuisine changes from one region to another.
And some culinary experiences are already included in Europamundo tours.
In Beijing, certain itineraries include a Peking duck lunch or dinner, while in Shanghai, the visit to Yuyuan Garden offers an introduction to the Chinese tea tradition. In other regions, some routes also include meals during excursions, such as lunch on the Li River cruise.
During your free time, the table offers another opportunity to keep exploring the destination.
In Shanghai, you can look for traditional xiaolongbao; throughout the country, you will find jiaozi, noodles prepared in countless ways, and an enormous variety of regional dishes.
And if your itinerary takes you through Sichuan, it is worth exploring its famously bold cuisine and trying specialties such as hot pot.
Because simply talking about “Chinese food” hardly captures the diversity of a country this vast.
A comfortable way to explore an enormous country
One of the defining features of traveling through China is the great distance between its different regions.
That is why, depending on the tour, transportation may combine road travel by coach, modern high-speed trains, and even domestic flights.
This combination makes it possible to make the most of your time and move from a major city to mountain landscapes, traditional towns, or regions located hundreds of miles away.
And throughout the tour, the guides help provide context for everything you encounter: a custom, a temple, a historic event, or a tradition that may be completely new to you.
Get inspired by our travelers’ photos on EuropamundoPhotos
Before choosing your itinerary, you can also begin imagining the journey through the eyes of those who have already been there.
On EuropamundoPhotos, you will find images shared by our own travelers: the Great Wall disappearing into the mountains, illuminated cities, temples, gardens, natural landscapes, and small moments that become part of every journey.
It is another way to get inspired and discover which of China’s many different sides sparks your curiosity the most.
Which China do you want to discover?
Perhaps that is the best question to ask when you begin planning your journey.
China can mean walking along the Great Wall, standing before the Terracotta Army, cruising through the canals of Tongli, watching pandas in Chengdu, sailing along the Li River between mountains, reaching the landscapes of Zhangjiajie, crossing dunes along the Silk Road, or discovering the spirituality of Tibet.
Not all of these experiences are included in every program. Each tour has its own route, visits, and services, and that variety is precisely what allows you to choose the travel experience that suits you best.
At europamundo.com, you can explore the available China itineraries and check which experiences are included in each one.
And for more destinations and inspiration for your next journey, follow @europamundovacations.
Now we want to hear from you: which experience would you most like to have first on a trip to China?
Tell us in the comments!