Local Living Tours & Trips in China

Try authentic Chongqing hot pot in a converted WWII air raid shelter and take the public cable car across the Yangtze River to see the city from above. In Changsha, a local master teaches you about Nvshu script, the world's only women-exclusive writing system. Later walk the tree-lined streets of Shanghai's French Concession.

Drift along the Li River on a bamboo raft as karst peaks rise around you in Yangshuo, then stop for lunch at Jia Community Restaurant where local women cook fresh dishes with ingredients from nearby farms. Later head to Qixianfeng Tea Plantation for a tea ceremony, watching farmers use hand-frying methods passed down for generations.

Bike through Yangshuo's karst hills along Yulong River with a local guide, passing rice paddies and small villages. Later you'll try Chongqing hot pot and walk Xi'an's Muslim Quarter where locals shop and eat. Stay in 4-star hotels in Beijing, Shanghai, and Chengdu, then cruise the Yangtze River on a 5-star ship.

The tour takes you to Drepung Monastery, once home to 7,700 lamas and Asia's largest monastery, where you'll watch traditional monk debates at Sera Monastery founded in 1419. See the birthplace of Tibetan civilization at Tsedang with ancient royal tombs along the Yarlung River, try local food, and meet pilgrims circling Jokhang Temple.

Do a tea ceremony at the Ming Dynasty Yuyuan Garden in Shanghai's Old City, then wander through Tianzifang's craft shops and galleries. In Beijing, ride a tricycle through Hutong neighborhoods and check out a Siheyuan courtyard house, then stay overnight at Wutai Mountain's monastic area with 40+ monasteries.

Take part in a traditional tea ceremony at UNESCO-listed Yuyuan Garden in Shanghai's Old City, then head to Lhasa's Barkhor Market around Jokhang Temple where Tibetan tribes gather. Join locals doing Tai Chi in Chengdu's People's Park and ride a tricycle through Beijing's Hutong neighborhoods.