Planning your route · 13 min read
How much does a trip to China cost? Budget and tour comparison
In short: an independent 10–14-day trip to China costs about €1,300–1,800 per person on a budget and about €2,200–3,000 in comfort, including a return flight from Europe. The flight is usually €600–1,200. On the ground you'll spend about ¥500 (about 290 PLN) a day on a budget, or about ¥1,000 (about 581 PLN) if you pick better hotels, first class on trains and proper restaurants. Citizens of 50 countries, including most of the EU, the UK, Canada and Australia, currently need no visa. An organised tour of similar length costs about €1,700–2,700 with flights, plus fees and tips on the spot.
What surprised us most in China was the food: incredibly varied and cheap at the same time. A bowl of dan dan noodles in Chengdu costs about ¥15 (about 9 PLN), less than a coffee in most European cities.
Correct as of 10 October 2026. Flight, tour and ticket prices change often, so treat them as estimates. Amounts in yuan are converted at the National Bank of Poland rate into the currency you pick in the site menu.
China trip cost at a glance
Prices per person. Hotels are counted as half of a double room.
| Expense | Budget | Comfort |
|---|---|---|
| Return flight from Europe | €600–800 | €900–1,200 |
| Hotel (per night) | about ¥160 (about 93 PLN) | about ¥400 (about 232 PLN) |
| Food (per day) | about ¥110 (about 64 PLN) | about ¥250 (about 145 PLN) |
| Train Beijing – Xi'an (4.5–5.5 h) | from ¥515 (about 299 PLN) (2nd class) | about ¥825 (about 479 PLN) (1st class) |
| Entry tickets (per sightseeing day) | about ¥100 (about 58 PLN) | about ¥150 (about 87 PLN) |
| Metro and taxis (per day) | about ¥30 (about 17 PLN) | about ¥65 (about 38 PLN) |
| Internet (unlimited eSIM, 10 days) | about ¥82 (about 48 PLN) | about ¥168 (about 98 PLN) (with hotspot) |
| Travel insurance (10–14 days) | €25–35 | €45–70 |
| Visa (most of Europe) | free | free |
The flight is the biggest single cost. On the ground, hotels and intercity trains take the most money, while food and city transport are cheaper than in most of Europe.
Flights to China
Chinese and European airlines fly direct between Beijing or Shanghai and most major European hubs, and Chinese airlines can cross Russian airspace, so their flights are shorter. From Warsaw, for example, Air China flies direct to Beijing in about 9–10 hours. For cities like Chengdu, Chongqing or Guangzhou you'll usually change planes in Beijing, Shanghai or a hub such as Istanbul, Dubai or Doha.
How much it costs:
- Usually €600–1,200 return in economy from a big European airport. Fares we checked from Frankfurt to Beijing and Shanghai started at about €680–980.
- From Warsaw to Beijing, flight search sites showed an average of about 3,200–3,600 PLN (€730–820) return in recent weeks, with deals from about 2,100 PLN (€480).
- Peak season (July, August, Christmas) and direct flights can cost much more, sometimes over €1,200.
TipCheck an open-jaw ticket: fly into one city and out of another, for example into Beijing and out of Shanghai or Hong Kong. It usually costs about the same as a normal return, and you don't waste a day and a few hundred yuan getting back to where you started. Many of our routes are built this way.
Spring and autumn outside Chinese holidays are usually cheapest. Prices go up in the summer holidays, around Christmas and during Chinese holidays: Lunar New Year (January or February), 1–5 May and 1–7 October (Golden Week). Hotels in China get pricier then too, and train tickets sell out fast.
Hotels
In our budgets we count:
- budget: about ¥320 (about 186 PLN) for a double room, so about ¥160 (about 93 PLN) per person. That's clean, modern chain hotels in a good location, such as Hanting, Ji Hotel or Atour,
- comfort: about ¥800 (about 464 PLN) per room, so about ¥400 (about 232 PLN) per person. That's 4–5-star or boutique hotels, often with a view or right in the old town.
Shanghai and Beijing are the most expensive cities on the mainland, and Hong Kong and Macau are in another league: a similar room there can cost 2–3 times more. Smaller cities and inland regions such as Sichuan and Yunnan are cheaper.
NoteNot every hotel in China accepts foreign guests. Check the listing before you book or message the hotel. More on that in Hotels, trains and flights.
Trains and domestic flights
High-speed rail is the most comfortable way to travel between cities: trains are punctual, clean and run at up to 350 km/h. Second class is perfectly fine. First class costs about 1.6 times as much, and business class about 3 times as much.
Sample second-class fares:
| Route | Journey time | 2nd class |
|---|---|---|
| Beijing – Shanghai | 4.5–6 h | about ¥600 (about 348 PLN) |
| Beijing – Xi'an | 4.5–5.5 h | from ¥515 (about 299 PLN) |
| Xi'an – Shanghai | 6–7 h | about ¥700 (about 406 PLN) |
| Chengdu – Chongqing | 1–1.5 h | about ¥100 (about 58 PLN) |
| Shanghai – Hangzhou | about 1 h | about ¥75 (about 44 PLN) |
On the Beijing – Shanghai line fares depend on the train and departure time, so the same trip can cost a few hundred yuan more or less. For a 10–14-day route through several cities, budget about ¥750–1,550 for trains in second class.
On long legs, such as Beijing to Kunming or Shanghai to Chengdu, a domestic flight is often faster and not much more expensive than the train. You can buy train and plane tickets in the Trip.com or 12306 app, with your passport number.
Food
Food in China is cheap, and very good. Typical prices:
| What | Price |
|---|---|
| street breakfast (baozi buns, jianbing pancake) | about ¥10 (about 6 PLN) |
| bowl of noodles in a canteen | about ¥20 (about 12 PLN) |
| lunch in an ordinary restaurant (per person) | about ¥60 (about 35 PLN) |
| hotpot or Peking duck (per person) | about ¥150 (about 87 PLN) |
| coffee in a chain café | about ¥20 (about 12 PLN) |
| 0.5 l of water in a shop | about ¥3 (about 2 PLN) |
In our budgets we count about ¥110 (about 64 PLN) a day per person on a budget (noodle bars, canteens, the odd restaurant) and about ¥250 (about 145 PLN) in comfort (restaurants, hotpot, cafés).
Tipping isn't customary in mainland China, so the bill is the final amount. In Hong Kong and Macau restaurants often add a 10% service charge.
Entry tickets
Tickets to the big sights usually cost from a few dozen yuan up to about ¥200. National parks are the most expensive, because buses and cable cars come on top of the ticket.
| Sight | Price |
|---|---|
| Forbidden City, Beijing | ¥60 (about 35 PLN) (¥40 (about 23 PLN) in winter) |
| Great Wall at Mutianyu | ¥40 (about 23 PLN) + cable car about ¥140 (about 81 PLN) |
| Terracotta Army, Xi'an | ¥120 (about 70 PLN) |
| Giant Panda Base, Chengdu | ¥55 (about 32 PLN) |
| Shanghai Tower observation deck | about ¥180 (about 105 PLN) |
| Mount Emei: entry, bus and cable cars | about ¥370 (about 215 PLN) |
| Zhangjiajie: Heaven's Gate, national park, lift, canyon | about ¥900 (about 523 PLN) |
Many big museums, such as the National Museum of China in Beijing, are free: you just book a slot with your passport number. Book tickets for popular sights in advance, because in high season they sell out.
Internet, insurance and other costs
- Internet: an eSIM bought in Alipay costs about ¥82 (about 48 PLN) for 10 days of unlimited data. eSIMs from European apps cost more but work too. What to choose and how to set it up: Internet in China.
- Insurance: not required for entry, but medical care in China has to be paid for, often upfront. A 10–14-day policy in Europe usually costs €25–70, depending on the medical cover and extras (baggage, liability, sports).
- Payment fees: Alipay and WeChat Pay add 3% to payments over ¥200 made with a foreign card. You can avoid it, and we explain how in How to pay in China.
- Visa: free for citizens of 50 countries, for stays of up to 30 days, until 31 December 2026. US citizens need a visa or can use the 240-hour visa-free transit. Details and the full country list: China visa-free 2026.
- Cash: you pay by phone almost everywhere, but keep ¥500–1,000 in cash just in case.
Sample budget: 11 days in Beijing, Xi'an and Shanghai
This is the budget for our first-trip itinerary, China's Golden Triangle+: Beijing with the Great Wall, the Terracotta Army in Xi'an, Shanghai and Ningbo. Amounts per person.
| Expense | Budget | Comfort |
|---|---|---|
| Return flight from Europe | €700 | €1,000 |
| Hotels (10 nights) | ¥1,600 (about 929 PLN) | ¥4,000 (about 2322 PLN) |
| Intercity trains (2nd / 1st class) | ¥1,550 (about 900 PLN) | ¥2,500 (about 1452 PLN) |
| Great Wall: transport, ticket, cable car, toboggan | ¥350 (about 203 PLN) | ¥550 (about 319 PLN) |
| Other tickets (palaces, Terracotta Army, Shanghai Tower…) | ¥750 (about 435 PLN) | ¥1,100 (about 639 PLN) |
| Food (11 days) | ¥1,300 (about 755 PLN) | ¥2,800 (about 1626 PLN) |
| Metro, taxis, airport transfers | ¥350 (about 203 PLN) | ¥700 (about 406 PLN) |
| eSIM and insurance | about €40 | about €80 |
| time4china itinerary | €16 (69 PLN) | €16 (69 PLN) |
| Total | about €1,550 | about €2,650 |
We converted the totals at the National Bank of Poland rate of 9 October 2026 (¥1 = €0.133). That's about €140 a day on a budget and about €240 in comfort.
What each of our routes costs
On-the-ground costs from the budgets in our itineraries: per person, without the flight to China, including hotels, trains, tickets, food and transport.
| Itinerary | Days | Budget | Comfort |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sichuan Deluxe | 14 | ¥7,200 (about 4180 PLN) | ¥12,700 (about 7374 PLN) |
| From the Avatar Mountains to Hong Kong | 13 | ¥6,600 (about 3832 PLN) | ¥12,850 (about 7461 PLN) |
| China's Golden Triangle+ | 11 | ¥5,900 (about 3426 PLN) | ¥11,650 (about 6764 PLN) |
| Dim Sum & Palm Trees | 11 | ¥5,900 (about 3426 PLN) | ¥11,700 (about 6793 PLN) |
| Along the Yangtze | 11 | ¥5,150 (about 2990 PLN) | ¥10,100 (about 5864 PLN) |
| Emperors & Hotpot | 10 | ¥4,850 (about 2816 PLN) | ¥9,950 (about 5777 PLN) |
| The Road to Shangri-La | 10 | ¥4,600 (about 2671 PLN) | ¥8,750 (about 5080 PLN) |
| Cyberpunk & Pandas | 8 | ¥2,800 (about 1626 PLN) | ¥5,500 (about 3193 PLN) |
| Pandas, Buddha & a Sea of Clouds | 6 | ¥2,350 (about 1364 PLN) | ¥4,450 (about 2584 PLN) |
| Shanghai in 5 Days | 5 | ¥1,700 (about 987 PLN) | ¥3,900 (about 2264 PLN) |
| Spicy Chengdu | 4 | ¥1,400 (about 813 PLN) | ¥3,050 (about 1771 PLN) |
The most expensive routes include Hong Kong and Macau (pricey hotels) or national parks such as Zhangjiajie, Jiuzhaigou and Mount Emei. The cheapest days are in Sichuan, Chongqing and Yunnan.
Organised tour or independent trip?
Package tours with flights from Europe cost roughly €1,700–2,700 per person for 9–16 days. That's what the big Polish tour operators (Itaka, Rainbow) charge for China departures from November 2026 to autumn 2027, usually including flights, hotels, some meals and a tour leader. Small-group operators such as Intrepid start at about US$2,200–2,400 for 12 days, without flights.
On top of the brochure price come fees on the spot. Example: Itaka's 9-day "Chinese Express" tour (Beijing, Suzhou, Shanghai) costs from 7,289 PLN (about €1,665). That includes flights, 3-star hotels, 6 breakfasts and 1 lunch, a tour leader and insurance. On the spot you must pay about €210 for entry tickets, local guides and high-speed trains, plus tips of about €5 a day, and dinners are a 500 PLN supplement. That's about €2,050 in total, or about €225 a day.
| Organised tour | Independent, with our itinerary | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost per day (with flight) | about €225 | about €140 on a budget, €240 in comfort |
| Dates | fixed, pick from a list | any |
| Pace and route | set for the whole group | yours: stay longer where you like it |
| Hotels | chosen by the operator, usually 3–4 stars | your choice: from budget chains to 5 stars |
| Bookings and tickets | handled by the operator | you book in the Trip.com app; the itinerary tells you what and when |
| Help on the ground | tour leader all the time | addresses in Chinese, step-by-step instructions and email contact with us |
| Language | the guide translates | apps (translator, maps) and Chinese cards from the itinerary |
To be fair: a tour gives you convenience and support. You don't have to book anything, and the tour leader sorts out problems on the spot. It's a good choice if you don't enjoy planning, or it's your first trip far from home.
Travelling independently gives you freedom and usually a lower cost. For the price of a tour you can travel in comfort: better hotels, first class on trains and restaurants of your choice. On a budget you'll spend about a third less. China today is easy to explore on your own: it's safe, has a superb rail network and you pay with your phone.
How to cut the cost of a trip to China
- Book flights early (2–4 months ahead) and compare several dates. Check open-jaw tickets too.
- Avoid Chinese holidays: Lunar New Year, 1–5 May and 1–7 October. Hotels and trains are pricier and packed.
- Travel second class. The difference in comfort is small, and it's about 40% cheaper.
- Stay in chain hotels in a good location, near the metro. You'll save on taxis.
- Eat where locals eat: noodle bars, mall food courts, night markets.
- Use the metro: a ride usually costs a few yuan, and it goes almost everywhere. For longer trips across town, DiDi (China's Uber) is good value.
- Split bigger payments into amounts up to ¥200 to avoid the 3% fee (how to do it).
- Visit free places: many museums, parks, old towns and waterfronts, such as the Bund in Shanghai, cost nothing.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a week in China cost?
For 7–8 days, budget about €1,050–1,850 per person including a return flight from Europe. Example: our Cyberpunk & Pandas route (8 days, Chongqing and Sichuan) costs about ¥2,800 (about 1626 PLN) on the ground on a budget and about ¥5,500 (about 3193 PLN) in comfort. More one-week routes: One week in China.
How much does a trip to China cost for two?
Roughly twice as much as for one, because our budgets already count hotels as half of a double room. For 11 days in Beijing, Xi'an and Shanghai, a couple will spend about €3,100 on a budget and about €5,300 in comfort. Taxis (you pay per ride, not per person) and an eSIM with a hotspot for two phones come out cheaper. You only buy one itinerary: it covers everyone travelling with you.
How much money should I take to China?
Budget about ¥500 (about 290 PLN) a day per person on a budget and about ¥1,000 (about 581 PLN) in comfort, not counting the flight. You'll pay most of it by phone (Alipay, WeChat Pay) with your card linked, or upfront when you book hotels and trains. ¥500–1,000 in cash is enough for emergencies.
Is China expensive to visit?
For most Europeans, no. Food, the metro, taxis and trains are cheaper than at home, and hotels cost about the same or less. Hong Kong and Macau are expensive, and so are national parks, where buses and cable cars come on top of the ticket. The flight is usually the biggest cost.
Is an organised tour or an independent trip cheaper?
An independent budget trip is about a third cheaper than an organised tour once you add the on-site fees and tips to the tour price. In comfort the cost is similar, but you get better hotels and your own pace.
Sources
- Itaka: China tours and the "Chinese Express" programme (in Polish, checked 10 October 2026)
- Rainbow: China tours (in Polish, checked 10 October 2026)
- Fru.pl: Warsaw – Beijing fares (in Polish, October 2026)
- National Bank of Poland exchange rates, table A (9 October 2026)
- 12306: China Railway's official website
- Budgets from our 11 itineraries (October 2026)
Want it all worked out for you?
Every itinerary has a "What it costs" chapter with a budget in two versions, like the tables above, plus a day-by-day route, intercity connections with prices and addresses in Chinese to show taxi drivers. Itineraries cost 49–109 PLN (about €11–25), a fraction of your trip budget. See our China itineraries.
