China was a real surprise. At the beginning of our trip we had not planned to visit the yellow giant, we were more attracted to India, or perhaps Australia. But such a long trip cannot be planned in detail and little by little we have fallen in love with this incredible nation.

Too little time, and too big the country. We have left with the feeling of having only begun to know China and with the certainty that we will return because what we have seen has captivated us.

We enter south from the city of neons Hong Kong, to move on to Yangshuo, homeland of Goku hehe, uselessly travel to Zhangjiajie where we didn't see an avatar because of the fog, we went to Xian to contemplate its thousands of terracotta warriors and savor one of the richest gastronomic offerings in the country. We have gone through Pingyao with its medieval atmosphere, strolled through the Chinese wall, and used the last week of the trip in the incredible capital Pekin.

Here we bring our travel guide to China for backpackers. A complete guide to our trip through China. Visa, currency, when to go, travel, how much it costs, what is the best and the worst, reference prices, transport and more!

VISA

It is necessary to obtain a visa before arriving in China, which entitles you to a maximum stay 30 days and with only one entry. To obtain this visa, go to one of the embassies of China. Check out the website of the Chinese embassy in Madrid. The price is € 126.55 to complete the process (visa fee + embassy fee). You can see more details here.

If you plan to travel to Hong Kong or Macau from China and back you will need a two or multiple entry visa. For these two territories, being independent, you will need different visas. The visa price is approximately 60USD, plus the management fee of the company that does it. We take it out in Hong Kong.

CURRENCY

The official currency of China is the Yuan (CNY). You can calculate the exchange rate updated in the following table. Hong Kong and Macao have their own currencies.

WHEN TO TRAVEL

To generalize, since China is huge, the climate in China is influenced by monsoon seasons with cold and dry winters and hot and humid summers. Obviously from the north to the south there is a lot of difference, so better to look for areas when preparing the trip, but in general the best months to travel to China from april to october.

VACCINES

We are not in favor of getting vaccinated for vacation trips in areas where there really is no clear risk of contracting chungas diseases, as is the case. But if you want to go covered, the recommended vaccines To travel to China are: Hepatitias A and B, Typhoid Fever, Tetanos-Diphtheria, and Encephalitis and Cholera if rural areas are visited and in permanent contact with the local population.

• More recommendations from the Foreign Ministry for China
• More recommendations from the Ministry of Health

BUDGET

In total we have spent 17 days spending € 20.38 per person / day. Thus broken down:

• Accommodation: € 4.67. We have slept in the hotel for 11 nights (the others we have spent traveling by bus / train).
• Lunch: € 5.52
• Transport: € 7.71
• Tickets, activities, various: € 2.48

Some reference prices (€ 1 = 7.86Y)

• Shared bedroom: 30-40 Yuan (Y)
• Double room: 70-100 Y
• Vegetable ppal dish: 8-15Y
• Ppal meat dish: 18-40Y
• Ration of 10 dumplings: 5-15Y
• Bowl of rice: 2Y
• Beer (large bottle): 2,5Y in supermarket and 8Y in bar / restaurant
• Drinks: 3,5Y in supermarket and 5Y in bar / restaurant
• Water: 3Y in supermarket
• Menu mc donald: several things at 8Y, special menu 15Y, normal menu 25Y
• Urban bus: 1Y
• Metro ticket: 1-2Y

PLUG

The plugs that can be found in China are of three types: the C type, like the European two-round pins, A which is the typical Asian with two flat pins and the I rarer than the copon. You can buy a universal adapter or get a specific one as soon as you reach your destination.

ITINERARY

Our trip to China for free lasted 17 days and led us to know:

• Hong Kong (ok, we accept boat ...).
• Yangshuo
• Zhangjiajie (of which we have no information because we could not do anything).
• Xian
• Pingyao
• Pekin

HOW TO MOVE

We use for long journeys in most cases the train. What we did was, once we arrived at the city station where we would stay a few days, book the next train. We had no trouble finding a place except for a stretch, which we had to stop. In the seasons it is true that they do not speak almost English, but you can understand in the end with them. The night trains are sooo comfortable, with soft and clean berths. Here is our transportation guide in China, where we give you more details.

WHAT TO EAT

Chinese cuisine is immense and great! Do not think that there are only three rice delicacies (neither exist), the rolls (nor do they eat them), or the typical chicken with almonds or veal in oyster sauce (of this if there is, but it is not the best). It has been one of the countries where we have best eaten and where after 8 months we have left behind noodles and rice with pieces of meat, to eat meat with bits of noodles and rice! We tell you something more about our experience in the post "China Food Guide".

THE BEST AND THE WORST

This is one of our favorite sections, here we tell you anecdotes of the trip, personal sensations of the place, things that we have loved but also that we have not liked anything ... in short summary of our passage through China.

The best

• Travel on Chinese trains: we have found the best way to cover long distances, comfortable, fun and quite cheap.
• The incredible landscapes of the south, Yanghsuo looks like a fairytale town!
• How fun it is to enter a Chinese supermarket, we floated everything they have in packaging, yes look and not touch hehe.
• The skyline of Hong Kong, from the Victoria Peak views are the ones that take the hiccups off!
• We loved Chinese food and its abundance, also coming from the Philippines where the portions are tiny, mmm festival for our guts!
• Beijing, we don't know if it was because of the good weather we found, but the capital fell in love with us! Very different from all major cities and with thousands of attractions!
• After the initial shock, the surreal and fun situations of the Chinese baths ...
• Transport us in medieval China in Pingyao.
• Step on the Great Wall of China, awesome!
• The swamp!

Worst

• Knowing that the end of the trip was getting closer every day.
• The gray, wet and ugly weather we have found in the south.
• We are dumplings-dependent.
• Hit us one night by train and transfer to reach Zhangjiajie and be greeted by a fog that did not let us see anything.
• Find a picture of Berlusconi-Terracotta Warrior, even in China do I have to put up with it?
• The hysteria of the silk market.
• The little time we had to visit the country.
• The language barrier, because we believed that the universal language was that of the signs, but even these are different in China!

OUR ITEMS

These are the posts we have written:

• 20 THINGS TO SEE AND DO IN MACAO
• HOW TO GO FROM HONG KONG TO MACAO: FERRY, BUS AND TOUR
• TIPS FOR TRAVELING TO HONG KONG (AND DON'T FALL IT)
• HOW TO GET TO HONG KONG CENTER FROM THE AIRPORT
• TIPS FOR TRAVELING TO CHINA (AND DON'T FELL IT)
• 25 THINGS TO SEE AND DO IN SHANGHÁI
• THE BEST 20 THINGS TO SEE AND DO IN CHINA
• 25 THINGS TO SEE AND DO IN BEIJING
• CULTURAL SHOPS: COUNTING IN CHINA
• OF CULTURAL SHOPS: THE PERFECT ROLLITE RECIPE!
• WHAT TO EAT IN CHINA: TYPICAL DISHES
• OF CULTURAL SHOCK: THE CONTAINER
• TRANSPORTATION GUIDE: HOW TO MOVELSE POL CHINA
• OF CULTURAL SHOPS: THE CHINESE BATH
• OF CULTURAL SHOCK: THE "PANTAÑAL"
• TRAVEL GUIDE TO CHINA FOR BACKPACKERS
• TIPS FOR VISITING THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA FOR FREE AND ON TOUR
• HOW TO SURVIVE THE BEIJING SILK MARKET
• E-TAPAS PEKINESAS (THE BEST OF BEIJING)
• WHAT TO SEE AND DO IN PINGYAO: THE MOST BEAUTIFUL CHINESE MEDIEVAL PEOPLE
• THE BEST THINGS TO SEE AND DO IN XIAN
• NEXT STOP: YANGSHUO, CHINA IN PURE STATE
• 25 THINGS TO SEE AND DO IN HONG KONG

OUR PICTURES

Here are the best photos of China: ALBUM FACEBOOK

And remember that at the end of each post there is useful information about each place!

We hope ourtravel guide to China for backpackers be useful to you For any doubt, question or curiosity do not hesitate to write to us and we will be happy to help you.

Video: Exploring Beijing, China. Travel Vlog 1. Budget Backpackers (April 2024).