How Much Does It Cost to Travel to China from US?

How much does it cost to travel to China from US? Is traveling to China from US expensive? How much cash should I take to China? We guess you may have a bunch of questions about the travel costs to China from US. Obviously, it depends on many factors, including food, level of hotels and transportation. Read on to know more about cost to travel China.

Reading Guideline:

Is traveling to China from US expensive?
How much will a flight from US to China cost?
Food Costs in China
Transportation Costs in China
Accommodation Costs in China
Attraction Costs in China
Other Expenses
How much cash should I take to China?

Is traveling to China from US expensive?

Is traveling to China from US expensive? Generally speaking, China is not that expensive for Americans to travel, it depends on how you spend your money. For example, hostels will be much cheaper than brand hotels, that goes the same to different meals you want to have. Many backpackers consider China an ideal destination for them, because it won’t cost too much money. And they prefer to choose youth hostels and go around the city by public transportation, by this way they could cut down the travel expenses.

A Family from the US

How much will a flight from US to China cost?

The international airfare will be different according to dates and airlines you pick, it will be cheaper during low season. Based on your exact departure city and entry city, the price will be different. Usually a round trip to China from US is about 1,500 USD, traveling during summer will be more expensive than in winter.

Food Costs in China

Food costs in China mainly depends on what kind of dishes you have, and places you choose to have a meal. Compared to restaurants in the United States, it’s much cheaper in China, especially in third tier cities.

Muslim Street in Xi'an

Western Fast Food. For a meal in KFC or McDonald’s, approximately 5 to 15 USD per person.
Chinese Fast Food, street food and some snacks are really cheap, usually 1 to 5 USD, or even less. In some cities like Guilin, a bowl of rice noodles is less than one US dollar.
In the restaurant. It depends on number of people, different restaurants you choose and dishes you order, basically 20 to 80 USD.

Transportation Costs in China

The costs of transportation in China vary from ways you choose to travel. Usually you can take domestic flights, regular trains and bullet trains to transfer between different cities in China. It’s worth mentioning that airfares change each day, you may have a lower price during low season, meanwhile, you’d book earlier.

Domestic Flight. For one-way economy flight from city to city in China, the airfare is from 70 to 280 USD, mostly depends on your distance, travel dates and airlines you choose.
High Speed Train. For most cities in China, it costs 10 to 40 USD for a trip within 3 hours, 50 to 100 USD for longer traveling time. For example, it’s about 8 hours to Guilin from Beijing, costs around 800 yuan (110 USD).
Taxi. Short trip for 3 to 8 USD, charged according to the distance.
Metro. It’s not available in every city, and it won’t cost a US dollar per trip, usually 2-5 yuan.
Bus. It’s the cheapest way for traveling around the city, just 1 to 5 yuan per trip.

Accommodation Costs in China

According to cities you visit, the price for accommodation will be extremely different, that goes the same to areas and types of accommodation you pick in each city. For big cities like Beijing and Shanghai, the price will be higher, especially near central areas. Meanwhile, your traveling time is important as well, the price is different between high season and low season. Don’t worry, accommodation costs in China is much lower than in the US.

Jolie Vue Boutique Hotel in Guilin

Hotels. For economy hotels, generally from 30 to 70 USD per night, add 30%-50% for more luxury hotels. 5-star hotels in big cities are about 250 USD per night, price differs from room types you choose.
Hostels. It’s really cheap to stay in a hotel, usually ranges from 5 to 25 USD, according to different cities and districts. The price of some shared rooms of youth hostels is even lower than 5 USD.

Attraction Costs in China

The tickets for most attractions in China are not expensive, actually much cheaper than in the US. For regular attractions in each city, it costs CNY 5 to CNY 200 ($1-$30), price will be higher if you visit national parks like Zhangjiajie and Mt. Huangshan. What’s more, there are free public parks in some cities for you to relax. In general, you won’t spend too much money on attractions in China.

Zhangjiajie National Forest Park

Other Expenses

Except for those essential expenses, you might spend your money on other things. If you are planning to bring some Chinese souvenirs back to the US, or try some interesting activities during your China tour, so you should prepare for that.

Learn to Write Chinese Calligraphy

Shopping. You may do some shopping for characteristic Chinese gifts and souvenirs, such as tea, chopsticks, opera masks and silk products. Or you may buy some clothes or other things you need. The expense of shopping depends on what kind of things you buy, but you can find really cheap souvenirs in China.
Tickets for shows. You may need extra money on your favorite shows, but various shows in different cities of China are really excellent, such as Kungfu Show, Impression West Lake and some opera shows.
Other activities. For cultural activities and some other crazy stuff, you need to make your budget ahead of time. We could arrange cultural activities for you to explore the real China, including cooking class, making mini terracotta warriors and learning Chinese Calligraphy.
Tipping. Even though there is no tipping culture in China, it’s necessary to tip your guide if you join a tour, how much you tip is usually based on the service.

How much cash should I take to China?

Based on days you’re planning to stay in China, you should bring enough money, not more than 5,000 USD, or CNY 20,000. It’s not really necessary to carry too much cash, because you can withdraw money in China. By the way, the exchange rate in China is better. If you’ve already booked a tour, no need to bring too much cash with you.

Travel independently or join a tour?

Traveling independently can be amazing if you have a good planning for your tour, including all the arrangements for hotels, attractions to visit and touring route. However, you’ve got so many things to search before traveling to China from US, and that will be annoying.

Our Customers in Guilin

If you’re not good at planning, maybe you will waste plenty of time and money during your trip. In another word, you won’t really enjoy your trip well because of some unknown issues. On the contrary, joining a tour seems quite easy and worthy.

What kind of tour is better for you? Choose one of our group tours if you worry about your budget, you may enjoy good service with lower price. For a private tour, you can have a more flexible schedule based on your preference for attractions, food and activities, and the price is also affordable with excellent tour service.

China Tours with Best Value and Quality

Want to join a tour but worry about your budget? It won’t be a problem if you join Top China Travel, we will provide you the best tour service for you, with a totally affordable price. Compare our group tours with private tours to make a decision.

Customers from Top China Travel