'How much does a trip to China cost?' is the question we hear most often and the hardest to answer without context, because the price depends on three variables: days, season and level of service. With those three pieces you can get a fairly tight range. These are the figures we work with for 2026, line by line. Prices are given in euros, and US, UK and Australian travellers can convert them roughly at the current rate.
Before the numbers, one useful warning: the international flight is usually between 20% and 35% of the total budget, and it is the line that swings the most depending on when you book. Everything else is steadier than people assume, above all if you travel outside Chinese New Year.
What a serious quote includes (and what it does not)
A usable quote itemises, at minimum, the international flight, hotels by name and category, trains and internal flights, monument tickets, the English-speaking guide, the private driver, included meals and the visa. If you only receive a total, you cannot compare anything or see where the saving sits.
Some lines almost always sit outside and are worth asking about up front: tips, personal spending, meals not included, the single-room supplement and travel insurance. Knowing these are excluded matters as much as knowing the total, because they can add several hundred euros.
Cost by length of trip: 8, 10, 14 and 16 days
The ranges below are per person, in a double room, with mid-to-upper hotels, an English-speaking guide and the main trains included. The 'with flights' column assumes a departure from a major hub in economy, mid-season.
| Length | Land only (per person) | With international flights | What's included |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 days · 3 cities | €1,150 – €1,900 | €1,850 – €3,000 | 4★ hotel, trains, English-speaking guide and main tickets |
| 10 days · 4 cities | €1,450 – €2,400 | €2,150 – €3,500 | As above, with one local experience included |
| 14 days · 5–6 cities | €2,000 – €3,200 | €2,700 – €4,300 | More internal flights, private guide and driver |
| 16 days · with extension | €2,300 – €3,700 | €3,000 – €4,800 | Extension to Guizhou, Yunnan or the Tibetan plateau |
These are ranges, not fixed prices: within each one there is room for a private two-person tour and a small group of six sharing a car. The bigger the group, the lower the cost per person, above all on the guide and driver share.
The international flight: the line that moves most
The return leg from London, New York or Sydney to Beijing or Shanghai is the most volatile item. In economy and low season (January to March, November), returns can be found for €550–€800; in summer and on public holidays (July, August, Christmas, Chinese New Year) the same flight climbs to €1,000–€1,600. From Australia, add 20% to 35% for the distance.
Three tips that genuinely work: book three to four months ahead, avoid departing around Chinese New Year (a moving feast between late January and mid-February) and consider flying into one city and out of another — into Shanghai and home from Beijing, for instance — which also saves you an internal leg.
Accommodation: where a large slice of the money goes
In China, hotel categories do not map neatly onto Western ones: a Chinese 4★ often equates to a European or American 3★, and only the big international chains keep the standard. An international 4★ in Beijing or Shanghai costs €90–€150 a night; a 5★, €180–€350. A decent local 3★, €45–€70.
The usual trap is the 'boutique hotel' with no official category at five-star prices. A serious agency gives you the exact name and category before you pay; an opaque quote does not. Location matters as much as category: a central hotel saves you hours of taxi and metro every single day.
High-speed trains and internal transport
China has the world's largest high-speed rail network and it is the best way to link the classic axis. Beijing–Shanghai (1,318 km) costs CNY 553 in second class, about €70, and takes four and a half hours. Beijing–Xi'an, CNY 515. Tickets sell out days in advance in high season.
One practical detail for foreign travellers: on the high-speed network you board with your passport, not a printed ticket, and the passport is also what you scan at the gate. Keep it in your pocket, not in the suitcase, and remember that changing or refunding a ticket online requires the same passport number you booked with.
It is worth flying when a leg runs past about six hours: an internal flight usually costs €60–€120 and saves you half a day. The expensive mistake is stringing together overnight trains 'to save a hotel night': you arrive wrecked and lose the whole next day.
Tickets, guides and tours: the line that surprises people
This is where most 'cheap' quotes fall apart. The Forbidden City costs CNY 60 but must be booked with a daily quota; the Great Wall at Mutianyu, CNY 45 plus the cable car; the Terracotta Army, CNY 120; the Potala Palace, CNY 200 and only with a special permit. Added up, the main tickets on a two-week tour run to CNY 1,500–2,500 per person.
On top of that, many sights require advance timed-entry booking, and without a licensed guide or an agency with access to the booking system, the visit can collapse. At ChinaTour.es, timed-entry tickets are locked in as soon as the itinerary is closed, something only possible with a team on the ground in China.
Food: from €8 to €80 a day
Eating in China is cheap or very expensive depending on where you go. A bowl of noodles at a street stall costs CNY 15–30 (€2–€4); a meal at a neighbourhood restaurant, CNY 60–120 per person (€8–€16); a high-end restaurant in Shanghai, CNY 300–600. A comfortable budget is €25–€40 a day per person, alternating between the two.
If the trip includes hotel breakfast, the spend drops sharply. And if you travel with a local guide, you will eat better for less: they know which market stall is worth it and which tourist restaurant to avoid.
Visa, insurance and smaller costs
The Chinese tourist visa (type L) costs, for a UK or US passport, roughly €126 including fees and service, and is handled at the visa centre by appointment. Travel insurance with medical cover in China runs from €40 to €90 depending on days and age. Add €100–€150 for tips, city transport and small purchases.
The 240-hour transit visa-free rule can remove the visa cost entirely if you qualify: an eligible passport, entry through an authorised port and onward travel to a third country. It is set out in detail in the visa guide on this site.
Where it is worth spending more
There are four lines where spending more translates directly into a better trip:
- A licensed English-speaking guide: it transforms how much of the country you actually understand.
- Well-located hotels in Beijing and Shanghai: they save you hours of taxi every day.
- First-class high-speed rail on long legs: more space and less noise.
- One real local experience (a family home, a workshop, cooking) instead of three tourist shows.
On the first two points, ChinaTour.es includes licensed English-speaking guides and central hotels by default, because these are the lines where a bad saving ruins the rest of the trip.
Where you can save without spoiling the trip
- An internal flight instead of a train when the leg runs past six hours.
- Free dinners instead of a hotel buffet every night.
- Well-placed 3★ hotels in cities where you only sleep.
- A free museum or a park instead of a third show.
- Travelling in the shoulder season (April to June, September and October).
None of these cuts change what you remember about the trip. What does change it — for the worse — is saving on the guide, the hotel location or the timed-entry tickets, because those are exactly the lines that hold up the rest.
Want a real quote for your dates?
Tell us how many days, how many people and which season, and an English-speaking adviser sends you a breakdown with 2026 prices on WhatsApp.
Message us on WhatsAppWe're the destination agency behind ChinaTour.es. JoyoTour has been designing tailor-made trips since 1999 and has 150 itinerary designers across China, Southeast Asia, Europe and the Americas. More than 100,000 travellers have set off with us. Everything we write about here, we've travelled first.