Tour Suggestions
A Guide to Our Southeast Asia and China Tour Packages
The overwhelming number of beautiful, fascinating, and stimulating places to visit in China, Taiwan, and Southeast Asia can make it difficult to decide where to go, especially when you have limited time. Here are a few suggestions to get you started. You might also find our photo galleries and photo itineraries helpful. Don’t forget that we’re also happy to help you arrange a custom tour to suit your specific needs—see our Custom Tours page for details.
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Most Popular DestinationsIf you want to focus on the most popular cities and attractions in China such as Beijing, Xi’an, and Shanghai, check out our China Highlights 11-Day and China Highlights 15-Day tours, our China Discovery Tour featuring Hong Kong, or our Ancient and Modern China Tour, which includes all of China’s 5 most popular destinations pictured below. Collectively, these places serve as an excellent introduction to the great variety of China’s historical, cultural, and modern attractions. |
China Highlights 11-Day Tour (CIT001): Beijing – Xi’an – Guilin – Shanghai [photo itinerary] China Highlights 15-Day Tour (CIT002): Beijing – Xi’an – Guilin/Yangshuo – Shanghai – Zhouzhuang – Suzhou – Wuxi – Hangzhou [photo itinerary] China Discovery 11-Day Tour (CIT011): Beijing – Xi’an – Shanghai – Hong Kong [photo itinerary] Ancient and Modern China 13-Day Tour (CIT012): Beijing – Xi’an – Guilin/ |
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| Beijing’s Forbidden City (photo by Richard Fisher) |
Xi’an’s terracotta soldiers (photo by Richard Fisher) |
The Li River near Guilin (photo by Cyril Bele) |
The Bund in Shanghai (photo by CIT) |
Downtown Hong Kong (photo by CIT) |
China’s Natural WondersIf you’re primarily interested in China’s stunning natural scenery, consider our Yunnan Highlands and Majestic Scenery tours, which will transport you to a world of transcendent beauty. Remote and well-preserved yet tourist-friendly, places like Lijiang and Zhangjiajie (an inspiration for the Pandoran landscapes in Avatar) are for many travelers the highlight of their China adventure. |
Yunnan Highlands Local Culture 11-Day Tour (CIT004): Kunming – Stone Forest – Jiuxiang Caverns – Dali – Lijiang – Tiger Leaping Gorge – Xianggelila (Shangri-la) [photo itinerary] Majestic Scenery 15-Day Tour (CIT010): Mounigou (Huanglong) – Jiuzhaigou – Chengdu – Leshan – Mount Emei – Zhangjiajie – Fenghuang [photo itinerary] |
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| Yunnan’s “Stone Forest” (photo by Mark Kao) |
A pristine lake in Xianggelila (photo by Zhengmao Hu) |
A waterfall at Jiuzhaigou (photo by Christopher) |
Emei’s Golden Summit (photo by Mark Kao) |
Zhangjiajie’s strange peaks (photo by Mark Kao) |
Culture and History in DepthThose who would like to explore China’s culture and history more deeply should try our Roots of Chinese Culture Tour, which will take you to see the Shaolin Monastery and the ancient Yungang Grottoes, or our Northeast China Tour, which will allow you to visit Confucius’ hometown and the spectacular Mount Tai. |
Roots of Chinese Culture 14-Day Tour (CIT006): Taiyuan – Wutai Mountain – Heng Mountain – Yingxian – Datong – Pingyao – Linfen – Yuncheng – Luoyang – Dengfeng (Shaolin Monastery) – Zhengzhou – Kaifeng Northeast China 15-Day Tour (CIT009): Harbin – Changchun – Jilin – Shenyang – Dalian – Lüshun – Yantai – Qingdao – Lao Mountain – Weifang – Ji’nan – Mount Tai – Qufu |
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| The Hanging Temple (photo by Steve Cadman) |
Kung Fu masters at the Shaolin Monastery (photo by Kevin Poh) |
Yungang Grottoes (photo by Steve Cadman) |
Temples at Wutai Mountain (photo by Tim Wang) |
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| Dalian (photo by Ashley Wang) |
Qufu, Confucius’ hometown (photo by Mark Tu) |
Mount Tai (photo by Charlie Fong) |
Qingdao (Tsingtao) (photo by Taylor and Ayumi) |
St. Sophia Cathedral, Harbin (photo by Ivan Walsh) |
The Fascinating Silk RoadTo journey to even more remote and exotic destinations in northwestern China, where for thousands of years Chinese culture has mingled with influences from the outside world, choose our Silk Road 16-Day Tour. |
Silk Road 16-Day Tour (CIT007): Ürümqi – Turpan – Dunhuang – Great Wall at Jiayuguan – Lanzhou – Xining – Xi’an |
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| Heavenly Lake (photo by Dave and Melody) |
Crescent Moon Spring (photo by “Fever Z.”) |
An ancient mural at Mogao (public domain photo) |
A bazaar at Ürümqi (photo by “29cm”) |
Luxurious Yangtze Cruise, Mysterious TibetThose who want to take a cruise through the famed Three Gorges of the Yangtze River (Chang Jiang) and also visit popular destinations like Beijing, Xi’an, and Shanghai should look at our Magnificent Yangtze/Ancient Capitals and Mysterious Tibet tours, the latter of which also features a three-day stop in Lhasa, Tibet, the most important center for Tibetan Buddhism. |
Magnificent Yangtze/Ancient Capitals Deluxe 15-Day Tour (CIT005): Beijing – Three Gorges – Xi’an – Guilin/Yangshuo – Shanghai [photo itinerary] Mysterious Tibet 16-Day Tour (CIT008): Beijing – Three Gorges – Xi’an – Lhasa – Shanghai [photo itinerary] |
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| The Yangtze River’s magnificent Qutang Gorge (photo by Gary Larson) |
A gorge dwarfs a container ship (photo by Gary Larson) |
Oriental Pearl Tower, Shanghai (photo by Tim Wang) |
The Great Wall at Badaling (photo by Mark Kao) |
Potala Palace, Lhasa (photo by McKay Savage) |
Dynamic, Spectacular, Extra-AffordableOur Jiangnan Gourmet Cuisine/Yellow Mountain Tour features a great combination of authentic local cuisine, relaxing environments, mountain scenery, traditional culture, and the fast-paced world of cosmopolitan Shanghai. |
Jiangnan Gourmet Cuisine/Yellow Mountain 10-Day Tour (CIT003): |
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| Shanghai’s ultramodern Pudong skyline (photo by CIT) |
The canals of Zhouzhuang (photo by Chen Zhao) |
West Lake in Hangzhou (photo by Preetam Rai) |
Sunrise from the top of Yellow Mountain (photo by Mark Kao) |
Misty cliffs of Yellow Mountain (photo by CIT) |
Budget Tour Packages
Hoping to travel to China on a little tighter budget? We also offer a number of discount tours that take you to many of the destinations above, as well as some destinations that are not featured in our standard tours. Please visit our Specials page for information about our latest discount tour packages.
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| Ice and Snow World, Harbin (photo by Mickey VDO) |
Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, Lijiang (photo by CIT) |
Guangdong’s “diaolou” fortresses (photo by Kevin Poh) |
Temple of Heaven, Beijing (photo by Saad Akhtar) |
Beyond Mainland ChinaDon’t forget that we also offer fantastic tour packages to places other than Mainland China, such as Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia. Check our homepage for announcements about our latest packages. |
Eastern Taiwan Essential Highlights 5-Day Tour: Taipei – Hualien – Taitung Western Taiwan Essential Highlights 5-Day Tour: Taipei – Nantou – Chiayi – Kaohsiung Thailand 5-Day Tour (CITTL1): Bangkok – Pattaya Vietnam/Cambodia Highlights 7-Day Tour (CITVC1): Hanoi – Ha Long – Siem Reap (Angkor Wat) – Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) |
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| Sunset at Sun Moon Lake, Taiwan (photo by Luhai Wong) |
Elephants in Thailand (photo by Steve Jurvetson) |
Ha Long Bay, Vietnam (photo by Thomas Hirsch) |
Angkor Wat, Cambodia (photo by “tylerdurden1”) |
CIT Itinerary Choice Chart for Popular Destinations
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Use this chart to choose the itinerary that’s most appropriate for you. Keep in mind that you can add Beijing, Guilin/Yangshuo, Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Xi’an tour extensions to any CIT itinerary. Check our Specials page for our current discount tours, which will also take you to some of these destinations. You can download a PDF version of the chart by clicking on the image to the left. If none of these options is quite what you’re looking for, please visit our Custom Tours page to see how we can help you plan the perfect tour. |
