If you are coming to China on an extended trip, then you will probably end up in Shanghai at some point. Adding Shanghai to your round the world trip itinerary is a great idea as it surely is a unique destination. The great thing about Shanghai is that it caters to every budget. If you have a bit higher of a budget, you’ll have options galore, from nice hotels rooms to high roller suites. But if you are more of a backpacker, you’ll be taken care of as well with hostels and cheap eats around every corner.

If you like indie travel experiences, then you’ve come to the right place as it doesn’t get more indie than China. You’ll be challenged each day. Hell, you’ll be challenged each time you step out the door of your hotel or hostel, as traveling in this country takes some getting used to. But if you have the patience and enjoy being thrown into sometimes uncomfortable scenarios, then this is the place for you.

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For those planning an around the world trip, adding China to your itinerary may be a good idea as you’ll have plenty of time to really dig into the country. If heading to China on your extended trip, you’ll no doubt find yourself in Beijing. Adding Beijing to your RTW itinerary will give you stories to last a lifetime as there really is no other place like it on Earth.

Beijing may be expensive compared to most of the rest of the country, but it would be a good introduction to the country and may prepare you for what’s to come. And compared to most western destinations, it’s still pretty cheap, and you can get by on a backpacker’s budget if that’s how you’re used to traveling. Many travelers in China go the packaged tour route because of the difficulty of traveling here. But for indie travelers who are a little braver, you can go at it on your own with the help of a few tips.

You can use Beijing as your starting point for China, and it can be the base for your exploration of one of the world’s great wonders – The Great Wall of China. Instead of going to the most popular places on the Great Wall, consider heading to further, more out of reach sections as there are far less tourists and you can have a much more authentic experience. And don’t be scared off by the food as it’s some of the best in the world. Sure, you may have to point and guess, and you never know what’s going to come out of the kitchen, but that’s all part of the fun!

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Whether you choose to travel independently or you want to travel in an organized way (tour), make sure to check out the highlights of Beijing . One of the most visited parts of the Great Wall of China is located near Beijing. Just look for information at the hotel and you’ll be able to book a tour to visit the wall. Another must-see place is the Forbidden City. It is the largest, best-preserved wooden-structure ancient architectural complex in the world. Other stunning places to visit include: the Temple of Heaven, the Summer Palace and the Ming Tombs.

But China is much more than just Beijing. Book one of the domestic flights in China and head to Xi’an, where you’ll find the Terracotta Army. It was discovered in 1974 and comprises four pits. Pit one is home to the main army, estimated at 8,000 figures.

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Very interesting round the world trip destinations include Egypt, Bali, Argentina, Peru, India, New Zealand and China.

You can plan to fly to Egypt and visit the Great Pyramids of Giza. They really do live up to their name. Thanks to the way most of the photos are taken, you’ll assume that are located well out into a barren desert, but they are just at the edge of the city of Giza, across the Nile from Cairo.

From Egypt you can hop on a flight to India. Undoubtedly, Taj Mahal is a must-see place in the vast country. It’s located in Agra, just south of Delhi. And while you are here, don’t miss the Red Fort in Delhi either. The holy village of Pushkar is also very popular among backpackers.

From here you can fly to China. A stop in Beijing is exactly what you need to be able to explore the Great Wall of China and the Forbidden City. Just make sure to book one of the hotels in China before you arrive in the country.

The Badaling section of the Great Wall is closest to Beijing (about 70 km or so) but it is also the most crowded. Still, it offers breathtaking views of the area. You can, however, plan to visit remote parts of the wall but you surely need to talk to locals to make that happen. For example, the Mutianyu section gets fewer visitors although it’s not very far from Beijing either.

Needless to say that no RTW trip is complete without experiencing the exciting cuisine each country has to offer.

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Spring (February to April) is an excellent time to plan your vacation in Beijing. The weather is dry and windy. But it’s low season so you won’t be bumping into endless crowds and you have the sights for yourself.

Since China is not exactly close to either Europe or North America, the bulk of the travel budget is going to be the flight. So it only makes sense to search for cheap flights to Beijing ahead of time and book your flight when you find the best deal. Of course, flying during the low season is a great choice to save on airfare.

If you fly from London to Beijing in early April, the non-stop RT flight starts at $978 (on Air China). Virgin Atlantic and British Airways also offer direct flights but the prices are much higher.

Should you want to fly from New York to Beijing during the same period, the non-stop RT flight starts at $898 (on Continental). Air China, United and US Airways also offer direct flights but the fares are more expensive.

Now that you have the flight secured, it’s time to look for hotels in China . In large cities, such as Beijing, it’s important to choose a place to stay close to the main sights. Depending on the location and the facilities offered, rates start at as low as $34 per night during the low season. With a bit of planning ahead you can stay in a 4-star hotel with just $64 per night, right in the heart of Beijing.

Tips

Make sure to always carry a map and be sure to know exactly where you want to go. Carry the name of the hotel with you and the name of the place where you want to go. It’s quite hard to find someone who speaks English so you need to be prepared.

Metered taxis and the metro are the two best choices for travelers. Buses are crowded and the names of the stations are only in Chinese so it can be a daunting task to figure out things.

Stay away from buying anything in China. Fake designer products are everywhere and we bet that’s not what you want to bring back as souvenir.

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What to Expect

There’s a reason Dali Gucheng is known as the backpacker’s paradise. The weather is generally temperate with an abundance of sunlight year round. Dali Gucheng is affected by the monsoon season, which lasts from June to October. It is wise to bring warm clothing along, as the city is sometimes cooled by monsoon winds.

Hours of Operation

As a residential district of Yunnan, the Ancient City is open at all times, but buses stop running in late evening.

Admission Cost

Tourists enjoy the affordable prices and lovely quality of hotels, cuisine, and souvenirs along the famous “Foreigner’s Street,” which features Western items. Be prepared to pay for attractions like the Three Pagodas, which is a fee of 120 yuan (approx. $18).

How to Get There

Dali Gucheng is about 12km away from Dali City, where tourists are likely to arrive. Buses, trains (8 hrs), and air flights (4 hrs) run between nearby Kunming and Dali City, but schedules for both train and air travel are affected by monsoon season. Regional buses typically operate between 6:30 AM and 9:30 PM from the two major bus terminals. Transportation into Dali Gucheng can be arranged with a tour service, often offered by hotels in Dali City, or by local bus. As rates and discounts vary between public and charter buses, it is best to check both options upon arrival.

What to Expect
The newly-built Daoying Park, just south of the pagodas, is considered one of the best places to take pictures of the stately Chongsheng Three Pagodas. Bring lunch and a blanket to have a picnic in the sight of the breathtaking beauty of the skyline. Or try to position yourself and your camera to make best use of the Juying Chi, or Reflection Pond, behind the pagodas for great, symmetrical pictures. Either way, make sure to bring your camera with you on your visit since the best part of the pagodas is the pictures they create.

Nearby on the marble street, there are plenty of workshops and craft shops selling a variety of marble and brick-painting memorabilia and keepsakes. A large number of pictures, postcards and statues of the pagodas, especially, are available here for souvenirs.

Average Costs
The admission fee for going to the Chongsheng Three Pagodas site itself costs 120 yen, but the pagodas are best enjoyed in conjunction with a tour of other historically important sites. There are walking tours of Dali that will take you past the three pagodas, as well as a number of other historical Dali attractions for as little as 160 yen a person.

Hours of Operation
The pagodas are open to the public from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. and an average visit is about two hours. When visiting at night, the pagodas are lit up to create an illumination skyline.

What to Expect
The gentle climate of Sanxingdui and surrounding cities makes touring to the Sanxing Dui Museum enjoyable anytime of the year. However, the most ideal time is September through November and March through May when temperatures are moderate. With beautiful surrounding features such as grasslands, lakes, hills, and gardens, beautiful scenery will add to the great climate to enhance the experience tourists receive when visiting the Sanxing Dui Museum.

Average Costs
Admission to the museum is 80 Yuan, an equivalent to $11.72 United States dollars. This is an inexpensive cost to view ancient display and ruins of former China culture.

Hours of Operation
There is a wide array of hours offered to view the displays at Sanxing Dui Museum. The current hours are 8:30 to 17:30. It is suggested that tourists, especially first time visitors, allow three to four hours to have the proper amount of time to enjoy the displays the museum has to offer.

How to Get to the Museum
The museum is located in the northeast of Sanxingdui display site. This museum is west of major city Guanghan and north of Chengdu. Tourist travel is normally reached by bus. Almost all bus stations in China offer a route to reach the Sanxing Dui Museum.

Hours of Operation
Ancient Culture Street (Gu Wenhua Jie) – China’s hours vary by each shop. Visitors should arrive from late morning to early afternoon to catch the maximum number of open shops. If planning to visit other locations, arrive as early as possible for maximum enjoyment. If visiting the nearby Confucius Temple (Wen miao), it’s hours are: Sunday-Saturday-9am-5pm.

Admission Cost
Admission to Ancient Culture Street is free; however, anything bought in the shops will cost money as well as any food offered. Admission to the Confucius Temple is RMB4 per person. The Tianhuo Temple (Tianhou gong), located on Ancient Culture Street offers free admission as well.

How to Get There
Ancient Culture Street (Gu Wenhua Jie) – China is located in the northeast corner of the city of Tianjin. The most reliable modes of transport to Ancient Culture Street are the railway system or by taking a taxi. From the railway station you can take a taxi to Ancient Culture Street, or it is also possible to walk there. It is located on Wenhua street (Wenhua jie), and a very short walk east from the Confucius Temple.

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The area is divided into six areas and you can plan around these so you can explore and enjoy this magnificent and lavish traditional Chinese garden:

Not to be Missed Sights

• Grand Rockery – made of huangshi stone that features winding caves, cliffs and gorges. This area also contains the Sansui Hall.
• Heralding Spring Hall (Dianchun) – this hall served as the base of the Society of Little Swords from September 1853 to February 1855. The hall is reflective of China’s unique architectural designs.
• Inner Garden – includes more rockeries, beautiful ponds, pavilions and towers with intricate windows.
• Jade Magnificence Hall (Yuhua) – furnished with rosewood pieces from the Ming Dynasty.
• Lotus Pool – with a zigzag bridge and mid-lake pavilion.
• Ten Thousand-Flower Tower

One of the highlights also includes the Jade Exquisite, which is considered one of the three famous jade stones in whole region of East China.

The garden also recently developed a shopping bazaar has which feature China’s best silks, jewelries and other trinkets. This is a great opportunity for bargain hunters as the products are locally made and the sellers are more than eager to sell their goods to patrons.

How to Get There
If you are taking public transportation, these bus routes can take you there: 11, 26, 64, 730, 962, 980, and 932.

Hours of Operation

The Garden is open from 8:30 to 5:00 p.m.

Admission fee is 40 CYN from April 1 to June 30 and September 1 to November 30. For the rest of the month, it is 30 CYN.