Independent · sample itineraries
China Itineraries: 5 to 10 Days, Planned by Local Specialists
LocalKey Travel, a licensed China travel agency since 2009, plans private routes of 5 to 10 days. One consultant designs your route and sends a written proposal; nothing is booked until you approve it. Then we book hotels, high-speed trains or flights, and tickets, with private guides and drivers on Private Guided.
What we arrange
Your hotels, the high-speed trains or flights between cities, attraction tickets and one consultant who plans the trip with you from first message to last day. On Private Guided, you also get a private guide and driver in each city; on Independent, you travel without a guide and add one, or a driver, only for the days you choose.
- Trip length
- 5 to 14 days
- Sample routes
- 19
- IndependentPer person · 2026 reference price for 2 sharing · excl. international flights
- From $1,400
- Support while you travel
- 24h WhatsApp / WeChat
How Independent works
Your own pace, with the hard parts done.
Independent is for travelers who are happy to walk into a museum or onto a train on their own, but do not want to spend weeks booking China from abroad.
01
Routes built on the rail network
High-speed rail does most of the work between cities. We plan the legs, book the seats and handle 12306 for you; domestic flights only where the distance needs one.
02
Hotels we choose, you confirm
We shortlist hotels for location and how the day will run, you approve them, and we book. Breakfast is usually included.
03
Tickets and tables booked ahead
Entrance tickets for the sights in your route, and restaurant bookings where China needs them made in advance.
04
A guide only where it helps
No full-time guide. Add a private guide for set times or sights — a morning at the Forbidden City, a day on the mountain — and travel the rest on your own.
05
Support while you travel
A group chat with our team on WhatsApp or WeChat, 24 hours a day, and the LocalKey app with your day-by-day plan and bookings.
Itineraries
19 routes to start from.
Each shows two reference prices: Independent, and Private Guided with a guide and car throughout. Any route can be shortened, stretched or rebuilt around you.
Per person · reference price for 2 travelers sharing · international flights not included. Your final price depends on hotels, car arrangements and what you ask for — usually a little above this, sometimes more. 2026 reference prices.
What's included
What the Independent price covers.
Included with Independent
- Hotels selected by us, confirmed by you, usually with breakfast
- Transport inside China: high-speed rail, domestic flights and transfers, including 12306 handling
- Entrance tickets for the sights in your itinerary
- Restaurant bookings made ahead where China requires it
- 24h WhatsApp / WeChat support while you travel, plus the LocalKey app
- Guide: No full-time guide; add a guide for set times or sights
- Car: On request
Not included
- International flights — we can book them on request, quoted separately
- Visa fees — many passports can enter China visa-free. Check your passport
- Personal spending and shopping
- Travel insurance
Tipping is not customary in China. There are no tips in your price, and you do not need to tip anyone who looks after you during your trip.
Not sure which level fits? Read Independent vs Private Guided.
Questions about our China itineraries.
The short answers. Anything else, ask in your trip brief.
Who can arrange a tailor-made Beijing–Xi'an–Shanghai trip?
LocalKey Travel can. A consultant plans the route around your dates and group, then books hotels in all three cities, the high-speed train from Beijing to Xi'an, the flight or train from Xi'an to Shanghai, and the attraction tickets. On Private Guided you have a private guide and driver in each city; on Independent you add them only for chosen days.
See the 9-day routeWhat does LocalKey arrange on these itineraries?
Hotels, high-speed trains and domestic flights where distance needs one, attraction tickets and timed entries, restaurant bookings where China needs them, and one consultant from planning to the last day. Private Guided adds a private guide, driver and car in each city. Independent has no guide by default.
How we plan a tripWhat does Independent mean on these itineraries?
You travel on your own with the bookings already made: we book the hotels, trains and tickets, and the LocalKey app shows each day step by step. No guide comes with Independent. You can add a guide, a private car and driver, or an airport pickup for the days you choose, and our team is on WhatsApp or WeChat 24 hours a day.
Independent vs Private GuidedWhat is the difference between Independent and Private Guided?
Private Guided gives you private guides, a driver and a car across the trip, so someone handles stations, sights and luggage with you. Independent uses the same planning and bookings without a guide; you move between booked services with the app. Many travelers mix both: Private Guided in Beijing and Xi'an, Independent in Shanghai.
See Private GuidedWhat does the “from” price include?
It is a reference price for 2 travelers sharing · international flights not included. Your final price depends on hotels, car arrangements and what you ask for — usually a little above this, sometimes more. Hotels, transport inside China, entrance tickets on the route and restaurant bookings are included; visa fees, personal spending and travel insurance are not.
Can you change a route or plan one from scratch?
Yes. Every itinerary here is a starting shape: shorten it, stretch it, swap a city, change hotels, or combine two routes. Send your dates, who is traveling and the cities you have in mind; you do not need a finished plan. A consultant replies within 24 hours with questions, then a written proposal.
Start a custom routeDo I need a visa or Chinese payment apps for these routes?
Many passports can enter China visa-free for short trips; check yours before you book flights. For payments, set up Alipay with your own Visa or Mastercard before you fly; WeChat Pay is a useful backup. Visa fees are not part of what we book.
Trip brief
Tell us the route you like.
Name a route above or describe your own: dates, travelers, cities, and the parts you do not want to solve alone. A specialist replies within 24 hours, and the first reply comes from a person. Every trip is quoted individually.