The daily numbers
| Category | Budget | Mid-range | Comfortable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hotel (double, per night) | ¥250–400 | ¥600–900 | ¥1,200–2,000 |
| Breakfast | ¥10–20 | included | included |
| Lunch | ¥25–45 | ¥60–100 | ¥150–250 |
| Dinner | ¥50–80 | ¥120–200 | ¥300–500 |
| Metro / local transport | ¥10–20 | ¥30–60 | ¥100 (DiDi) |
| Attraction tickets | ¥50–100 | ¥120–200 | ¥200–300 |
| Daily total (excl. hotels) | ¥150–250 | ¥350–550 | ¥800–1,300 |
Transport between cities
| Route | Second class | First class | Flight equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beijing–Shanghai | ¥553 | ¥933 | ¥900–1,600 |
| Xi’an–Chengdu | ¥263 | ¥421 | ¥700–1,200 |
| Shanghai–Hangzhou | ¥73 | ¥117 | not worth flying |
| Guilin–Guangzhou | ¥137 | ¥220 | ¥600–900 |
| Beijing–Xi’an | ¥515 | ¥824 | ¥800–1,400 |
Guides and cars
- English-speaking guide: ¥990 per day, 8 hours, including their transport and meal allowance.
- Spanish, French, Japanese, Korean, German, Italian, Russian, Portuguese, Thai, Vietnamese, Indonesian: ¥1,590 per day.
- Arabic and rarer languages: ¥2,290 per day.
- 11+ consecutive days: 20% off. 21+ days: 40% off.
- Car with Chinese-speaking driver: 5-seat ¥980, 7-seat ¥1,780, 9-seat ¥2,480 per day, fuel and tolls included.
- Guide + 5-seat car bundle: from ¥1,970 per day.
Three sample budgets
| Trip | Style | Total per person |
|---|---|---|
| 10 days, Beijing–Xi’an–Shanghai, 2 people | Mid-range, no guide | ¥9,000–13,000 |
| 10 days, same route, 2 people | Mid-range + guide 5 days + transfers | ¥19,000–24,000 |
| 14 days, 4 cities, family of 4 | Comfortable + guide & car throughout | ¥70,000–95,000 |
Where money disappears
- Internal flights booked late, especially in holiday weeks — double the price.
- Hotel rates during Golden Week and Spring Festival.
- Airport taxis and last-minute transfers.
- Attraction add-ons: cable cars, elevators, shows, which add ¥200–400 per person per site.
- Buying “VIP” access from touts. There is no such thing; everything is real-name.
The most reliable saving is not a cheaper hotel — it is booking rail 15 days ahead and avoiding the three holiday weeks. Those two decisions are worth more than every coupon combined.
Frequently asked
How much does a trip to China cost per day?+
Budget ¥400–600 per day including hotel, mid-range ¥900–1,500, comfortable ¥2,000+.
Is China expensive for tourists?+
No. Food, transport and entry tickets are cheap. Internal flights and holiday hotels are the exceptions.
How much is a private guide in China?+
¥990 per day for English, ¥1,590 for most other languages, ¥2,290 for Arabic and rarer languages. Eight-hour days.