Where to go for your first trip back to your country: Choose destinations based on the number of days and companions

The answer to "Where to go on your first return to the country" depends on two variables: how many days you have and who you are going with. Once these two conditions are determined, options narrow from more than twenty to just two or three.

By Number of Days

4—5 Days

Choose only one city cluster and do not cross regions. Beijing (Forbidden City and Great Wall), or Guilin-Yangshuo, or Hangzhou-Suzhou, or Xiamen. Crossing regions will waste all your time on transportation.

7—8 Days

You can follow a well-trodden route: Jiangnan (Hangzhou—Suzhou—Wuzhen—Shanghai), Yunnan (Kunming—Dali—Lijiang), or Xi’an—Silk Road Hexi Corridor. These three routes are all well-connected by high-speed rail or flights, with daily travel time manageable.

10 Days or More

You can consider Tibet, the Northwest Grand Circuit, or Sichuan—Yunnan combinations. These routes involve long daily travel distances and require stamina and flexibility.

By Travel Companions

Solo or Couples

Highest flexibility; you can choose places like Zhangjiajie, Huangshan, or Tibet that require stamina, and can handle uncertainties in mountains and plateaus.

Traveling with Children

Prioritize destinations where they can "participate": Chengdu (pandas), Sanya (sea), Guilin (bamboo rafting), grasslands (herding activities). Avoid high-altitude areas and long travel times.

Traveling with Elderly

Prioritize low-altitude places with sightseeing vehicles and cable cars: Jiangnan, Beijing, Guilin, Xiamen. If elders have ancestral or emotional reasons, dedicate half a day to that place—it is more important than adding another attraction.

Three Generations Traveling Together

Choose a “one base—short daily trips” structure: stay in one place in Sanya, Hangzhou, or Guilin, visiting one site per day and returning to the hotel for rest. Avoid changing hotels every day.

Three Recommendations for First-Time Returnees

• Beijing: The name is most familiar but the contrast is greatest (imperial capital regulations vs. Hutong daily life), with the lowest adaptation cost.
• Jiangnan Route: The pace is most relaxed, food is most acceptable, high-speed rail connections are most convenient, suitable for traveling with elders.
• Yunnan Route: Offers the greatest variation in landscapes and ethnic cultures, with gradually increasing altitude—it’s a choice to "see many kinds of China in one trip."

Not Recommended for the First Trip

• Tibet: High altitude and permit requirements are significant; it is recommended to visit on the second or third trip.
• Northwest Grand Loop: Long daily driving distances, few supply points.
• Zhangjiajie: Large amounts of walking and queuing.