The Great Wall, the Terracotta Army, pandas in Chengdu, a cruise down the Yangtze and the neon skylines of Shanghai and Hong Kong. There's no simple flight and hotel package to China, so here's exactly how I book it, what the three real tour options cover and what they cost.
China is a country people ask me about a lot, but it's one of the trickier ones for me to actually book. TUI is currently the only one of my three main operators, TUI, Jet2holidays and easyJet holidays, that sells China at all, since neither Jet2holidays nor easyJet holidays flies this far east yet. And even through TUI, China isn't sold as a pick your own hotel package, it's three separate fully escorted tours, each with its own route, flights, hotels, local guide and a long list of included experiences built in.
That's actually good news for a country this size. China is vast, the language and transport system take some getting used to, and trying to piece together Beijing, Xi'an, a river cruise and Shanghai yourself would be a serious undertaking. An escorted tour means every flight, hotel, high speed train and entrance ticket is arranged for you, with an English speaking guide throughout.
I always explain upfront that China isn't a beach holiday or a one hotel stay, it's a fully escorted group tour covering several cities. If a client wants to see China, the first conversation is always about which of the three routes fits them best, not which hotel they fancy.
All three tours run between 11 and 13 nights (12 to 15 days including the flight days), with a minimum tour age of 12 on every route, so this isn't a holiday for young families. Each is classed as a moderate to active pace tour, with early starts, some long days on high speed trains or coaches, and a fair amount of walking at the major sights. They suit couples, friends travelling together, and anyone who has always wanted to properly see China rather than just pass through it on business. They're less suited to anyone wanting a slower, more relaxing pace, travelling with children under 12, or needing reduced mobility access, since none of the three routes is recommended for that.
TUI flies into China from a choice of UK departure airports depending on the tour, including Birmingham, Edinburgh, Gatwick, Heathrow, Manchester and Stansted for the Beijing entry routes, or Manchester, Gatwick and Heathrow for the Hong Kong entry route. All flights are indirect, with routing via a connecting hub, and flight time is upwards of 11 hours even before the connection. All flights, transfers, high speed trains and coach transport between each stop are included in the TUI tour price and protected under TUI's ATOL licence (ATOL 2524).
On entry requirements, China currently has a unilateral visa free scheme for UK ordinary passport holders, allowing stays of up to 30 days for tourism, business or visiting family and friends, with no visa application needed in advance. As things stand, that scheme is due to run until 31 December 2026, and China has extended it more than once before without much notice, but no extension beyond that date had been confirmed at the time of writing. Since every current TUI departure for all three tours falls in 2027, I always flag this honestly to clients booking now, check the official position closer to your travel date at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/china, and TUI's own visa partner, Sherpa, can also confirm what's needed if a visa does turn out to be required by then.
Don't assume China is visa free just because it has been for UK visitors recently. I always tell clients booking a 2027 departure to treat a visa as a real possibility until the scheme is confirmed extended, and to budget a little time and money for one just in case.
Beijing is the starting and finishing point of all three tours, so it's the most useful reference for weather, though you'll feel a real range of climates across a route this size, from Xi'an's dry continental air to the subtropical warmth of Hong Kong and Guilin on the southern routes.
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | What to expect in Beijing |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 2°C | -10°C | Very dry and cold, clear skies, little rain |
| February | 4°C | -7°C | Still dry and cold |
| March | 11°C | -1°C | Mild days, nights still cold |
| April | 20°C | 7°C | Pleasant and a popular departure month |
| May | 27°C | 13°C | Warm with low humidity, a comfortable month |
| June | 30°C | 18°C | Rain picks up, moderate heat and humidity |
| July | 31°C | 22°C | Wettest month, high heat and humidity |
| August | 30°C | 20°C | Still wet, high heat and humidity |
| September | 26°C | 14°C | Rain eases, comfortable temperatures |
| October | 19°C | 7°C | Cooling down and drier |
| November | 10°C | -1°C | Cold and dry |
| December | 3°C | -7°C | Coldest and driest period |
Average high and low temperatures for Beijing, via weather2travel.com (long term averages).
Each tour only runs in a handful of months, so the best time to go is really whichever window fits the route you pick. The Grand Tour of China departs April, May, June, August, September and October, from around £3001pp in June up to £3232pp in October. The Icons of China & Avatar Peaks Tour runs a narrower window of May, June and September only, from around £2754pp in June up to £2878pp in September. Charming China & Vibrant Hong Kong departs April, May, August, September and October, from around £3018pp in May up to £3657pp in October. None of the three currently run over the winter months, in July, or in November, so if a client's heart is set on seeing snow at the Great Wall or China's autumn colour, I have to be upfront that none of these routes can currently get them there.
Prices and months move around between TUI's own seasons, so I always check live availability and pricing for a client's exact dates rather than quoting these figures as fixed. June tends to be the best value month across the board, while October carries a premium.
China is a natural multi centre destination, since every TUI route strings several cities and regions together in one booking. Here are the three real, bookable tours, so you can see which route actually fits what you want to see.
13 nights. Beijing, Xi'an, Chengdu and the pandas, a Yangtze River cruise through the Three Gorges, and Shanghai. The fullest of the three routes, with 24 included experiences and a half board basis. From £3001pp, flying from a wide choice of UK airports. Max group size 30.
11 nights. Beijing, Xi'an and the otherworldly sandstone peaks of Zhangjiajie, the national park that inspired the floating mountains in Avatar. 14 included experiences, bed and breakfast basis. From £2754pp, flying from a wide choice of UK airports. Small group tour, up to 25 people.
13 nights. Hong Kong, Beijing, Xi'an, Chongqing and a cruise down the Li River to Guilin's limestone peaks. The slowest paced of the three, mixing big city energy with scenic countryside. From £3018pp, flying from Gatwick, Heathrow or Manchester.
Prices shown are the lowest advertised per person fare found for each tour across its current departure months, correct at the time of writing and subject to change. All three are ATOL protected under TUI's licence (ATOL 2524).
Because these are escorted tours rather than pick your own hotel holidays, TUI chooses the hotels for location rather than naming them in advance, in the same way as its Japan tour. What TUI does confirm is the standard. The Grand Tour of China splits its 13 nights between five hotels of a 5 star, 4 star plus and 4 star standard, plus a night or two aboard a Yangtze River cruise ship for the river leg. The Icons of China & Avatar Peaks Tour uses three hotels of a 4 star standard across its route. Charming China & Vibrant Hong Kong spreads its 13 nights across six hotels of a 4 star standard, covering Hong Kong, Beijing, Xi'an, Chongqing and Guilin. I'll confirm the exact named hotels with you once a specific departure date is booked.
Everything on all three tours, high speed trains, coaches, internal flights where needed and transfers between each stop, is arranged and included as part of the TUI package, with a local English speaking guide throughout, so there's genuinely nothing to organise yourself once you've booked. China's high speed rail network is one of the best in the world, and it's how the Grand Tour of China and Icons of China & Avatar Peaks Tour move between Beijing and Xi'an. If you extend your own time in a city before or after the tour, most major sights and hotels are easily reachable by taxi or metro, though do note that some apps and websites UK travellers rely on, including WhatsApp, Spotify and Netflix, can be restricted in mainland China.
WeChat is the app almost everyone in China uses for messaging, payments and even booking things day to day. It's worth downloading before you travel, since it can be genuinely useful even just as a translation and payment tool.
Beyond each tour's own included experiences, these are some of the best rated extra things to do in Beijing, worth adding on if you extend your stay there before or after your tour.
Further along the routes, popular extras include a hutong rickshaw tour and dumpling making class in Beijing, a Tang Dynasty dinner show in Xi'an, and a Peking duck dinner wherever your tour happens to be, all bookable locally through your tour guide or in advance through GetYourGuide.
Thousands of life size clay soldiers, buried for over two thousand years to guard the tomb of China's first emperor. Included on every tour that passes through Xi'an, and every bit as awe inspiring in person as the photos suggest.
A close up look at China's most famous resident, included on the Grand Tour of China on its way to the Yangtze River. A genuinely lovely morning, best visited early when the pandas are most active.
A boat trip through some of the most photographed scenery in China, limestone karst peaks rising straight out of the water. Included on the Charming China & Vibrant Hong Kong route on its way into Yangshuo.
Old meets new along the Bund, with the futuristic towers of Pudong lit up across the river after dark. The final stop on the Grand Tour of China, and a proper contrast to the ancient sights earlier in the trip.
China uses the Chinese Yuan, also known as the Renminbi. Flights, hotels, most meals and the included experiences are already covered in the TUI tour price, but these are typical everyday costs for extra meals, drinks and taxis in Beijing, converted to pounds sterling at a rate of roughly £1 to ¥8.91.
| Item | Typical price |
|---|---|
| Meal for one at an inexpensive restaurant | £3.37 (about ¥30) |
| Cappuccino | £2.74 (about ¥24) |
| Domestic draught beer, a pint | £0.90 (about ¥8) |
| Bottled water, small | £0.21 (about ¥2) |
| Taxi, start tariff | £1.46 (about ¥13) |
Sources: crowd sourced averages via Numbeo (Beijing), checked at time of writing. Yuan to pound sterling conversion is approximate and moves around day to day, so treat these as a guide rather than an exact figure.
The essentials, at a glance.
| Currency | Chinese Yuan, also known as the Renminbi (CNY) |
| Plug type | Types A, C and I are all used, different from the UK's Type G, so you'll need a travel adaptor, and China runs on 220V against the UK's 230V |
| Language | Mandarin, plus Cantonese in Hong Kong |
| Flight time from the UK | Upwards of 11 hours on an indirect routing |
| Time difference | 8 hours ahead of the UK in winter, 7 hours ahead during British Summer Time |
| Entry requirements | UK passport holders can currently enter visa free for stays of up to 30 days under a scheme due to run until 31 December 2026, not yet confirmed extended beyond that. Check gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/china closer to your travel date |
| Minimum tour age | 12, so none of the three tours is suited to young families |
| Driving | Right hand side, though all three tours are fully guided with no need to drive yourself |
Photos: William Olivieri, Rafik Wahba, logojackmowo Yao, TONY SHI HOU TANG, Robynne O, Manson, Andy Wang, Aaron Greenwood, Theodor Lundqvist, Camillo Corsetti Antonini, Zhou Xian and Chris Slupski via Unsplash.
I can talk you through all three TUI tours, check real departure dates and pricing, and help you work out honestly which route fits what you actually want to see.
