8 awesome things to do in China

20 January 2026

We don’t know about you, but while Chinese New Year festivities are brilliant in the UK, they also make us dream about wanting to go to China itself. A vast and hugely varied country, it has some incredible sights, whether you're a first-time visitor or a returning explorer. Join us as we reveal our top must-see destinations and unforgettable experiences in China.

Walk the Great Wall

It would take you about 17 months to walk the entire length of the Great Wall of China – at 21,196km, it’s roughly 1.5 times the distance between Singapore and Los Angeles! But you can walk as much or as little of it as you like, over a few hours or several days, experiencing both the evocative old parts and newer portions. One of the most popular sections, ideal for a day hike, is Jiankou to Mutianyu.

Wander Beijing’s Summer Palace

The world’s largest, best-preserved royal garden is actually a vast complex of landscaped gardens, palaces, lakes, and hills. Once known as the 'Versailles of the East’, it’s now a public park where you can wander amidst Jesuit-designed palaces and scores of Chinese, Tibetan, and Mongolian-style buildings. Among the highlights are the Eternal Spring Garden, the Great Fountain, and the remnants of the Haiyantang Reservoir.

See the Terracotta Army (Bingmayong)

Located close to Xi’an, capital of Shaanxi Province in central China, one of the country’s most iconic sights is this collection of terracotta sculptures depicting the armies of Qin Shi Huang, first emperor of China. The thousands of life-size, hand-moulded figures were buried with him in 210–209 BCE to protect him in the afterlife.

Tour Jiuzhai Valley National Park

Set in China’s Sichuan province, this network of valleys has several focal points: Nuorilang waterfall in the Shuzheng Valley, the Zharu Monastery, and the Rize Valley with its mountains clad by ancient forests. Best of all, perhaps, is the multicoloured Five Flower Lake in its shades of sapphire, emerald, jade, pale turquoise, and amber yellow, believed by locals to be a holy site.

Climb up to the Tian Tan Buddha

‘Big Buddha’ is indeed one of the world’s largest seated Buddha statues, made up of just over 200 bronze pieces and ensconced on a three-storey platform on Hong Kong’s Lantau Island. Completed in 1993 as an extension of the Po Lin Monastery, it’s accessed via 268 stone steps, or there’s vehicle access via a small road for disabled visitors.

Cruise the Yangtze River

A Yangtze River cruise is one of the most scenic and relaxing ways to experience China. Sailing along Asia’s longest river, you will glide through the famous Three Gorges, where dramatic cliffs, misty mountains, and calm waters create unforgettable views. The journey is enriched with guided shore excursions to riverside towns, temples and engineering marvels such as the Three Gorges Dam, offering insight into life shaped by the river.

Hike along the Dragon’s Backbone rice terraces

Known locally as Longji Rice Terraces, the Dragon’s Backbone terraces ripple across the hills of Guangxi province in a stunning display of beauty. Hiking trails wind through emerald-green paddies, traditional wooden villages and mountain viewpoints, offering an insight into rural life that has changed little over centuries. Visit in spring for mirror-like flooded fields or autumn when the terraces glow golden before harvest.

Meet giant pandas in Chengdu

One of China’s most heart-warming experiences, the world-famous research base outside Chengdu lets you see giant pandas in habitats that mimic their natural environment. Get there in the morning when pandas are most active playing, climbing, and munching bamboo, and don’t miss the Panda Nursery and kitten-like Panda Kindergarten where baby pandas tumble around in the grass.

To book your holiday in China, contact your Travel Counsellor today.

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