ChinaStarter: Independent 2026 travel guide and 15 interactive calculators for China — Alipay & WeChat Pay Foreign Card Setup (0% Fee Under ¥200!), 12306 / Trip.com 350 km/h G-Train Calculator, 30-Day Visa-Free & 240-Hour Transit Checker, and 1,100+ Chinese cities.
Compare point-to-point China Railway fares in CNY (¥) against multi-day rail & transit passes.
Launch Calculator →Calculate realistic daily and total trip costs in CNY (¥) (¥) and USD.
Launch Calculator →Interactive phrasebook with phonetic pronunciation and full-screen kitchen allergy show-cards.
Launch Calculator →Generate a custom route across China matched to your trip duration and arrival airport.
Launch Calculator →Customizable seasonal packing checklist with plug adapter and document reminders.
Launch Calculator →Instant CNY to USD converter plus regional tipping and payment etiquette.
Launch Calculator →A streamlined 1-week itinerary pairing Beijing & The Great Wall (The Forbidden City (Palace Museum / 故宫) & Jingshan Park — CRITICAL: Tickets are NEVER sold at the gate! Book exactly 7 days in advance at 20:00 Beijing Time on the official Palace Museum WeChat Mini-Program or `bookingticket.dpm.org.cn` using your passport number (¥60 Apr–Oct / ¥40 Nov–Mar; closed Mondays). Afterwards, climb Jingshan Park hill right across the north moat (¥2) for the iconic golden-roof panorama!) and Shanghai, Suzhou & Hangzhou (The Bund (外滩), Nanjing Road & Lujiazui Skyline (Shanghai Tower 118th Floor) — Walk the 1.5 km riverside promenade at dusk as Pudong's Oriental Pearl and Shanghai Tower light up (cross the river on the ¥2 Dongjin Line ferry or Metro Line 2!).), linked via China Railway (12306) Fuxing 350 km/h High-Speed G-Trains (Your Physical Passport IS Your E-Ticket at the Manual/Passport Lane!) with a day trip to Guilin, Yangshuo & Li River.
Budget: ¥8211–¥13923 ($1,150–$1,950 USD per person excl. long-haul flights)
View Day-by-Day Route →Our most popular 10-day route combining Beijing & The Great Wall, Shanghai, Suzhou & Hangzhou, and Xi'an (Terracotta Warriors), optimized for China Railway (12306) Fuxing 350 km/h High-Speed G-Trains (Your Physical Passport IS Your E-Ticket at the Manual/Passport Lane!) schedules and open-jaw flights.
Budget: ¥11781–¥20349 ($1,650–$2,850 USD per person)
View Day-by-Day Route →A two-week grand tour spanning Beijing & The Great Wall, Guilin, Yangshuo & Li River, Shanghai, Suzhou & Hangzhou, Zhangjiajie & Fenghuang, Xi'an (Terracotta Warriors), and Chengdu, Giant Pandas & Chongqing.
Budget: ¥16422–¥27846 ($2,300–$3,900 USD per person)
View Day-by-Day Route →Every City / Prefecture (市 / 州) in China with population, regional transit hubs, local dishes, and budget estimates.
