How Much Does It Cost to Visit China for 1 Week

• How to Spend Your Money
   
• How Much does It Cost to Visit China for 5 Days
   
• How Much does It Cost to Visit China for 7 Days
   
• How to Cut down China Trip Cost
   
• How Much Money to Bring to China
   
• China First, Second and Third Tier City

Top China Travel, a senior travel agency dedicated to inbound tourism, knows much about China trip from itinerary to cost, and thoughtful and considerate towards our clients. Here rather than just giving you a rough number of China trip cost, Top China Travel also tells you how to spend your money on China travel, and how to save your money.

 

How to Spend Your Money

(Lugu Lake/Lijiang)

For a China trip, you spend your on transportation, accommodation, dining, shopping, attractions, and tips for tour guide and driver.
 

• Great expenses are on TRANSPORATION, ACCOMMODATION.
   
• Small expenses are on attractions and tips.
   
• Dining and shopping are variable according to your needs and preferences.

1. Transportation


(Beijing Capital Airport)

Transportation consists of international flights to China and off China, and transportation in China.

For travelers who travel on your own, transportation in China includes China domestic flights, China train, taxi, bus, metro or transfer service(charter a car).

For a single flight to China(connecting flight, economy class), it would cost $ 600 more or less, like from New York to China. but flight back to your country from China would cost more, like $ 1,000 from China to New York.

For a single flight in China, it would cost from $ 150 to $ 350, or more, like $ 300 for a first class ticket from Beijing to Shanghai, not in travel peak.

For China train, high speed train has business class, first class and second class. A short distance may cost $ 30. For example, high speed train from Shanghai to Hangzhou, a second class ticket costs $ 34.


2. Accommodation fare

It is variable according to city you stay, hotel location(downtown, close to attraction), hotel class, and room type. For instance, in Shanghai(first tier city in China), a deluxe room in a 5 star hotel for 1 night would cost $ 350 or more, while a deluxe room in a 4 star hotel would cost $ 250 or more.


3. Dining

Dining bill is composed of your eating and drinking. The most of it would go to dining in fancy restaurants or special restaurants. Usually, $ 100 is enough for three meals dining not in fancy restaurants.


4. Shopping. 

There could be no shopping bill, but also could be a large note. If you have shopping needs in wares like china, silk, jade, tea, Qipao, electronics & appliances, etc.


5. Attraction price


(Great Wall/ Beijing)

For an attraction in China, except theme parks and cruise, whether it is a natural or historical and cultural site, the entrance fee is from $ 10 to $ 50.

In an attraction, there would be extra fare if you want to use certain facilities or some services, like tour guide service for thorough explanation. Tour guide is often needed in historical and cultural sites. For example, in Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon, extra fare is needed for the glass bridge. In Great Wall, cable car fare is not included in the entrance ticket. The fare for an extra service would be from $ 20 to $ 100.

Theme parks like Shanghai Disneyland, and Guangzhou Chimelong would cost much for a entrance ticket and have extra ticket fare for special programs. Cruise, like Liver Cruise, and Huangpu River Cruise, would cost over $ 100.


6. Tips

Giving tips to  service-offers is to show your respect and thanks, please go with your praises. Usually it is $ 5.

 

How Much does It Cost to Visit China for 5 Days

China trip cost is affected by the above 6 factors, also how many days you plan to visit, and how many of you, and where you want to visit.
 

For 5 days in China, you could stay 5 days in 1 city, or in 2 cities. City consumption level will definitely affect your trip cost. Trip cost in a first tier city, is higher than that in a second tier city.

CHINA TRAVEL COST given here is only for reference, because it is variable from time to time.

► For your travel in a first tier city, please refer to Beijing.


(Forbidden City/ Beijing)
 
If you are 2 pax  from New York and visit Beijing for 5 days,  the trip cost of 2 persons would be at least $ 7,550 in total, not in holidays and big event days.

Details:
 

• Round trip international flights to Beijing and off Beijing($ 600 * 2, and $ 1000 *2, connecting flight, economy class )
• Other transportation($ 100 * 6)
• Accommodation of 4 star hotel(a deluxe room, $ 300 * 5)
• Dining($ 200 * 6)
• Attractions($ 50 *10 * 2, excluding extra service fare)
• Tips($ 50)
• No shopping

► For your travel in a second or third tier city, the trip cost would lower, please refer to Guilin


(Longji Rice Terrace/ Guilin)

For your travel in a second or third tier city, the trip cost would lower, mainly in dining and accommodation, but it may have higher fare in transportation, cause you need to get it from a major entry city.

If you are 2 pax from New York, want to visit Guilin for 5 days from Shanghai, the cost of visiting Guilin would be at least $ 3,655, excluding international flights to and off China( round trip flights would cost $ 3,200). It happens not in holidays and big event days.

Details:
 

• Round trip ticket for high speed train between Shanghai to Guilin( $ 170 * 2 * 2)
• Transportation in Guilin($ 100 * 5)
• Accommodation of 5 star hotel for 5 nights( $ 135 * 5, deluxe room)
• Dining ($ 150 * 5)
• Attractions($ 50 * 10 * 2, excluding extra service fare)
• Tips($ 50)
• No shopping

Notes: CHINA TRAVEL COST given here is only for reference, because it is variable from time to time.

 

How Much does It Cost to Visit China for 7 Days

For 7 days in China, you could visit 2 cities like 7 days Beijing- Xian, 7 days Shanghai-Huangshan, 7 days Guilin-Zhangjiajie. Or you could visit 3 cities close to each other, such as  7 days Shanghai- Suzhou-Hangzhou, 7 days in Yunnan, 7 days in Sichuan.


(Ancient City Wall, Xian)

If you are 2 pax from New York, and want to have 7 days Beijing-Xian tour, the trip cost would cost at least $ 8,120 for two of you, not in holidays and big event days.

Details:
 

• Round trip international flights( $ 600 * 2, $ 1,000 * 2, connecting flights, economy class)
• Round trip Highs speed train ticket between Xian and Beijing($ 130 * 2 * 2, first class)
• Other transportation( $ 100 * 7)
• Accommodation of 4 star hotel for 5 nights( $ 300 * 4 , $ 150 * 3 , deluxe room)
• Dining ($ 200 * 5)
• Attractions($ 50 * 10 * 2, excluding extra service fare)
• Tips($ 50)
• No shopping

How to Cut down China Trip Cost

► Top 1 Rule-have 1 or more tour partners to split bill.

► Top 2 Rule- join a group tour 

Top China Travel has best China tour packages for you, including private tour and group tour, private day tour, and coach day tour.


(Mount Huangshan/ Huangshan)

1. Private tour
 

• Advantages-go as you like, perfect itinerary for you, and all-inclusive services
   
• Price reference: 7 Days Tour from Shanghai to Huangshan, price from $ 719, and it may be covered by $ 1500. 5 Days Shanghai and Hangzhou Tour, price from 371, and it would be covered by $ 1,000.( Special requests could be solved, but price would be different)

(Yuyuan Garden/ Shanghai)

2. Group tour
 

• Advantages: cut down trip cost to the minimum, visit with several travelers, 4 start hotel, needs to be met, and no bothers by anything.
   
• Price reference:  6 Days Beijing-Xian Group Tour, price from $ 641 for 1 person, and it may be covered by $ 1,000. 8 Days Beijing-Xian-Shanghai Group Tour, price from $ 977, and it may be covered by $ 1,400. ( Special requests could be solved, but price would be different).

► Top 3 Rule – cut down China trip cost little by little

1. Flight
 

•  International flight, please buy in your own country, which is usually cheaper than buying in other countries.
   
•  Book as earlier as possible.
   
• pay attention to first class, business class, economy class. Pick economy class.

2. China train


(High speed train)

• Ticket fare of China train is pretty cheap, and fixed, and it won’t change no matter when you buy. China train, especially high speed train, and high speed bullet train would be your favorites. Second class has a very reasonable price.
   
• Pick train instead of China domestic flights.

3. Taxi fare

From airport to city down, take metro or shuttle bus instead of taxi. Shuttle bus is usually $ 4, while metro is about $ 2.

4. Accommodation
 

• Pick 4 star hotel in downtown but not very close to business center and famous attractions, or pick 3 star hotel.
   
• Do not pick deluxe room.

5. Dining


(Chenghuangmian Old Street/ Shanghai)
 

• Eat Chinese food and snacks if you don’t have special request, delicious and cheap.
   
• Do not pick expensive restaurant, but pick the ones with authentic taste and full of local people.

6. Attractions

Cutting is not advisable, for your great visiting experience.

7. Tips

No cutting would be better.


 

How Much Yuan to Take to China

• According to regulation, you shall not bring more than 20,000 RMB, or over 5,000 USD to enter China.
   
• 1,000 RMB to 2,000 RMB would be enough. If you are travelling alone, you could exchange money in banks in China when in shortage of cash. If you have booked a group tour, it is enough for your extra spending, like tips.
   
• If you want to use cash only, the total China trip minus online booking fares for flights and hotel, the amount of money to bring would be from $ 1, 000 to $ 4,000, accordiing to your expense.
   
• For money change, no matter which entry cities you land in China, there are exchange machines and bank counters available at airport.
   
• Your credit card, like MaserCard, VISA, and American Express, is accepted in China.

China First, Second, and Third Tier City 

► China city consumption from high to low: first tier city, second tier city, third tier city:


(Guangzhou city view)
 

• First tier cities(4): Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, Guangzhou.
   
• New first tier cities(15): Chengdu, Hangzhou, Chongqing, Wuhan, Suzhou, Tianjin, Nanjing, Xian,Zhenzhou, Changsha, Shenyang, Qingdao, Ningbo, Dongguan, Wuxi.
   
• Second tier cities(30): Kunming, Xiamen, Harbin, Nanning, Urumqi, Lanzhou.
   
• Third tier cities(70): Zhuhai, Guilin, Sanya, Haikou, Luoyang.

►  Hotel price


( Shenzhen Sheraton)

In holidays or big event days, price of hotel in China has no up limit.

1. Prices of 5 star hotel and 4 star hotel are almost the same in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen.

Except in holidays or big event days in one city, price of 5 star hotel  in those four cities is usually from $ 350 to $ 800, while price of 4 star hotel may be from $ 250-$ 500.

2. Prices of 5 star hotel and 4 star hotel are almost the same in second tier cities and third tier cities.

Except in holidays or big event days, price of 5 star hotel in second tier cities and third tier cities may be from $ 250-$ 500, while price of 4 star hotel may be from $ 125-$ 250.