China Tailor-made Holidays

Great holidays to the Great Wall of China and beyond

Bespoke journeys to China in 2023 & 2024

A complete checker board of history, culture, sights and experiences, where old meets new literally around every corner, China has something for everyone and is a fascinating place to explore. Tell us where you want to go and what you want to see and we’ll recommend activities that perfectly complement your chosen itinerary on a Tailor-made holiday whether it’s spending a night by the Great Wall, visiting the pandas in Chengdu, cruising down the Yangtze River or heading to the summit of Emei Shan Mountain. See the very best of China on a Tailor-made journey with On The Go Tours.

Popular Tailor-made Holiday itineraries for China

Such a vast and varied country like China has plenty to offer though for a first-time visit there's a few classic itineraries that tick off the major sites including Chengdu to see the pandas, the beautiful south for the stunning scenery of Guilin and Yangshuo, and a journey between Beijing and Shanghai for China's historic cities. Here's a selection of our favourite China itineraries but you can find plenty more inspiration by using our interactive map below.

Private Range
Beijing & Hangzhou to ShanghaiBeijing & Hangzhou to Shanghai - 13 days Map

Beijing & Hangzhou to Shanghai

13 days | FROM R126,775

PRIVATE TOUR: Discover the highlights of China on this 13-day private itinerary, from Beijing’s...

Private Range
Beijing & Hangzhou to ShanghaiBeijing & Hangzhou to Shanghai 4-5 star - 13 days Map

Beijing & Hangzhou to Shanghai 4-5 star

13 days | FROM R133,175

PRIVATE TOUR: Discover the highlights of China on this 13-day private itinerary, from Beijing’s...

Private Range
Beijing to Guilin & Hong KongBeijing to Guilin and Hong Kong - 13 days Map

Beijing to Guilin and Hong Kong

13 days | FROM R116,235

PRIVATE TOUR: Experience the essence of China, starting in Beijing with visits to Tiananmen Square, the...

Private Range
Beijing to Guilin & Hong KongBeijing to Guilin and Hong Kong 4-5 star - 13 days Map

Beijing to Guilin and Hong Kong 4-5 star

13 days | FROM R124,795

PRIVATE TOUR: Experience the essence of China, starting in Beijing with visits to Tiananmen Square, the...

Private Range
Beijing, Chengdu, Lijiang & DaliBeijing, Chengdu, Lijiang & Dali - 14 days Map

Beijing, Chengdu, Lijiang & Dali

14 days | FROM R122,155

PRIVATE TOUR: This 14-day private tour takes you through China’s iconic destinations, starting in...

Private Range
Beijing, Chengdu, Lijiang & DaliBeijing, Chengdu, Lijiang & Dali 4-5 star - 14 days Map

Beijing, Chengdu, Lijiang & Dali 4-5 star

14 days | FROM R129,525

PRIVATE TOUR: This 14-day private tour takes you through China’s iconic destinations, starting in...

Private Range
Beijing, Xi’an, Lhasa & ShanghaiBeijing, Xi’an, Lhasa & Shanghai - 13 days  Map

Beijing, Xi’an, Lhasa & Shanghai

13 days | FROM R141,845

PRIVATE TOUR: Embark on a unique private journey through China, beginning with Beijing's iconic...

Private Range
Beijing, Xi’an, Lhasa & ShanghaiBeijing, Xi’an, Lhasa & Shanghai 4-5 star - 13 days  Map

Beijing, Xi’an, Lhasa & Shanghai 4-5 star

13 days | FROM R146,985

PRIVATE TOUR: Embark on a unique private journey through China, beginning with Beijing's iconic...

Private Range
China to LaosChina to Laos - 16 days Map

China to Laos

16 days | FROM R124,275

PRIVATE TOUR: Embark on an epic adventure through China and Laos, retracing the historic routes of the...

Private Range
China to LaosChina to Laos 4-5 star - 16 days Map

China to Laos 4-5 star

16 days | FROM R138,275

PRIVATE TOUR: Embark on an epic adventure through China and Laos, retracing the historic routes of the...

Private Range
China to TibetChina to Tibet - 11 days  Map

China to Tibet

11 days | FROM R122,415

PRIVATE TOUR: Experience China's history, culture, and breathtaking landscapes on this 11-day journey...

Private Range
China to TibetChina to Tibet 4-5 star - 11 days  Map

China to Tibet 4-5 star

11 days | FROM R126,105

PRIVATE TOUR: Experience China's history, culture, and breathtaking landscapes on this 11-day journey...

The best places to visit on a Tailor-made Holiday to China

China is a place you can return to time and again and impossible to see all of in just one visit. Most first time visits to China start in Beijing and generally head south ending in Shanghai. However there is so much more to see and do. Harbin in the north holds the annual Ice Festival spectacular, the east is home to the beautiful canals of Suzhou and the west home to some stunning natural wonders plus so much more inbetween! Below are some of our top picks on what to do with your time in China.

Forbidden City in Beijing - On the Go Tours

Beijing

Dive into the epic history of China's capital from the grand palaces and quiet temples, to the imposing...

Shanghai skyline - web ready highlight image

Shanghai

Shanghai is where history meets the future with the former French concession and traditional Chinese buildings...

Great Wall Highlight

Great Wall

An enduring symbol of Chinese genius, the UNESCO protected Great Wall was built as a defensive structure to...

Souzhou Highlight - Web Ready

Suzhou

Suzhou is a 2,500-year-old cultural city and is located in the south of Jiangsu, a province that hugs the...

Hong Kong Highlight - Web Ready

Hong Kong

Whether you've got days to explore the different sides of Hong Kong or just passing through on an...

Xian city walls - China Highlight - On the Go Tours

Xi'an

Known as Chang’an in ancient times, Xi’an’s illustrious history spans more than 3,000 years having...

Guilin landscape - China Highlight - On the Go Tours

Guilin

Considered the pearl in the crown of China's thriving tourism industry, the attractive landscaped city of...

Snow sculpture

Harbin

Situated in the far north of China close to the vast sub-Siberian plains, Harbin is the pleasant capital of...

Useful tips for planning your Tailor-made Tour to China

How long would you like to holiday in China for?

China is a vast country spread across a wide range of topography and getting from one place to another can eat into your travel time. If you only have a week to spend in China it's best to concentrate on a smaller region whereas if you have two weeks or more you will have more time to move around the country and explore different regions. You can visit the major attractions of Beijing and Xi'an in a week and with an extra 7-10 days cover the highlights of the south including Guilin and the Yangtze alongside the pulsating city of Shanghai on the eastern coast.

What sort of accommodation would you prefer?

The majority of hotels in China tend to be of the large, non-descript variety built in the plain yet functional architectural style of Communism. This suits domestic Chinese tourists just fine but for foreign travellers can be rather uninspiring so consider including a few nights' stay at boutique properties such as courtyard hotels in the hutongs of Beijing or Tibetan-inspired guesthouses in the southwest of the country. These boutique properties are often more expensive than regular hotels but will have bundles of character and offer something a little special. A growing range of international brand hotels operate in China so accommodation offerings improve year on year with great choices across 3, 4 and 5 star standard hotels.

Would you like to be accompanied by a guide throughout your trip?

So that you can get the most out of the sites you visit we include the services of local English-speaking guides at your chosen destinations as well as private transfers to get you from your hotel to these sites. For any train journeys or flights the guide or driver will assist you through boarding or check in and you will then be met at the other end by a new local guide or driver. If you would prefer to be accompanied throughout then this is possible but will greatly increase the cost of your holiday as you will be paying for another person's transport alongside your own and accommodation at the other end.

What internal transport options would you prefer?

The vast distances in China often require domestic flights especially if you're looking to cover different areas of the country. Domestic flights in China are reasonably priced but will add to your budget, however, this is often the quickest means of travel. The train system in China is superb with cities all over the country linked by rail. Trains are a safe, comfortable and civilised way to travel around China with four classes of train - hard seat and soft seat, suitable for short distances, and hard sleeper and soft sleeper for longer, overnight journeys. We only use soft sleeper class (where available) for overnight train journeys as these are far superior with 4-berth compartments, a lockable door and bedding provided.

What pace of travel would you be comfortable with?

This will depend on how long you have to spend in China and how many destinations you wish to include but if you prefer a slower pace then it's best to include fewer destinations and spend more time in each. This will also allow you to include a mix of touring and free time to explore at leisure. If you are happy with a fast pace seeing as much as possible then you can forgo some free time for touring and the obligatory check-in and check-out time that comes with moving between destinations.

Are there aspects of China that you are particularly interested in?

With such a long and colourful history influenced by a host of cultures and religions China offers a wealth of unique experiences. Nature lovers may want to include visits to wildlife reserves, keen hikers may want to include trekking in the mountainous regions while foodies may be interested in cooking classes and culture vultures looking to see Peking opera and theatre. If there's any aspect of Chinese culture that interests you, let us know so we can work it into your holiday.

How you can make the most of your budget

As most of China's population spend their holidays travelling around their home country, services in China are very much affected by public holidays so it's worth avoiding events such as Chinese New Year and National Week when prices sky rocket and availability plummets. Travelling outside of peak tourist seasons can make your budget go further so consider visiting in the shoulder seasons when the weather is still decent yet crowds not at their peak. The standard of accommodation will also greatly affect the cost of your holiday as will the number of domestic flights required. It's always a good idea to have a budget in mind when planning a tailor-made holiday so that we can deliver the best value for your money and make adjustments where best suited.

Explore China with our interactive map