China 360°: Beijing, Shanghai, the Great Wall & Chengdu's Giant Pandas

This journey begins at Beijing. On the first day, we meet at 18:00.

Your Group Leader will add you to the WhatsApp group for your trip about 15 days before departure.
 It’s a great way to start getting to know your travel mates, receive more details about the first day’s meeting point, and ask any pre-departure questions you might have. If you expect to arrive later, let the Group Leader know through the group: we’ll make the necessary arrangements so you can join without any issues.

This journey ends at Shanghai. On the last day, you are free to leave at any time, so whether you need to book a flight, a train, or wish to continue the journey on your own, you can organize your return as you prefer.

For this itinerary, you can choose the type of luggage you prefer – we always recommend a backpack, but you can also travel with a duffel bag, a holdall, or (it breaks our heart to say it) a cabin trolley case or a checked suitcase, as long as it’s moderate in size. Our Group Leader will suggest the ideal luggage before departure in the WhatsApp group!

Return international flights are not included on our trips because we want to give you full autonomy and flexibility. You can choose your preferred airline, fly from the airport that works best for you, and decide how many stopovers you want to make along the way.

As flights are not included, you also have more flexibility with your travel dates: you could arrive at your destination a few days early or return home a bit later – or even continue independently to a nearby destination!

Yes, you can change your trip directly from your MyWeRoad personal area, up to 31 days before departure. If you purchased Flexible Cancellation, to give you maximum flexibility, you may cancel your trip up to 8 days before departure and receive a refund, whatever the reason.

How to change your trip from MyWeRoad

• Enter your booking
• Scroll to the “Change your trip” section at the bottom right
• Select a different date for the same trip or a completely different trip

Things to know

You can change your trip up to 3 times from your MyWeRoad personal area. Further changes must be requested by contacting our team at hello@weroad.com.
The new trip must depart within 12 months from the original departure date.
If your original booking included a private room, Flexible Cancellation, discount codes, gift cards, or vouchers, we will notify you before confirmation if they cannot be applied to the new trip.

You cannot switch to sold-out trips. For “On request” departures, we will check availability. For “Last spots” departures, availability in rooms of your same gender may not be guaranteed.
If there is a price adjustment: if the new trip costs less, we will refund the difference; if it costs more, you will need to pay the difference.

PLEASE NOTE: before cancelling, keep in mind that you can move your booking to another trip or a different date. Find out how!

In some cases – for example when a departure is not yet confirmed and it is your first unconfirmed booking – you can book without paying the €/£/$100 deposit upfront.

This means that you can secure your spot at zero cost: nothing will be charged until the departure is confirmed. Once the departure is confirmed, the €/£/$100 deposit will be automatically charged within 48 hours according to the terms agreed at the time of booking.

Yes, you can cancel on your own from MyWeRoad. If the tour is confirmed, amounts paid are non-refundable; if it is not confirmed, we refund everything you've paid. If your plans change, you can modify your trip free of charge up to 31 days before departure.

How cancellation works 
For confirmed tours, fees paid are not refundable in cash. You can move your booking to another trip free of charge, up to 31 days before departure. After this deadline, changes are no longer possible.
Please note: if it's your first unconfirmed booking, you will only be asked to provide a credit card, PayPal, or Revolut as a guarantee, but nothing will be charged. From the second unconfirmed booking onwards, a mandatory £/$100 deposit will be required.

Tour not confirmed 
If the tour is not yet confirmed and you cancel from MyWeRoad, we refund everything you've paid (excluding the cost of Flexible Cancellation, if you bought it). The same applies if WeRoad does not confirm the trip.

Flexible Cancellation
If you purchased the Flexible Cancellation option (available in the first step of the booking process), you may cancel your trip up to 8 days before departure and receive a refund, whatever the reason. The only non-refundable amount is the cost of the Flexible Cancellation option itself.

How to cancel your trip 
Go to your MyWeRoad Personal Area, open the trip management section and choose the option to cancel your booking. Before confirming, you'll see whether a refund applies. For any questions, write to hello@weroad.com.

PLEASE NOTE: before cancelling, keep in mind that you can move your booking to another trip or a different date. Find out how!

We offer several payment methods to fit every need:

1. Credit or debit card (Visa, Mastercard, American Express);
2. Instalment payment with Klarna (you’ll pay for the trip in three equal amounts);
3. PayPal (for selected destinations);
4. Revolut Pay to pay even faster straight from your Revolut account.

Yes, in two ways:

1. From your personal area
Once you've booked, every WeRoader can add their flight details in their personal area, and the rest of the group can see them anonymously. Just log in, open your booking, and you'll find the section there. The more people fill it in, the easier it is for everyone to match up.

2. From the trip messages
Every departure has its own message space on the WeRoad website: the best place to ask your future travel mates directly, or to read what they've already written.

You don't need to have booked to join in. If you're still deciding, you can already ask who's going, when, and on which flight. You can get there from the departures list, from the trip page, or from your personal area once you're logged in.

Your Travel Coordinator is in the conversation too, so if you have a question about that specific departure, that's where you'll get an answer.

And if you can't find what you're looking for, just write to us and we'll share whatever information we have.

If a departure is “Open to book”, it means that the trip is not yet confirmed and we are waiting for a few more bookings… maybe yours!

The good news? If it’s your first booking on an unconfirmed departure, you can book without paying anything! Just. leave your credit card details as a guarantee: no immediate charge, €/£/$0 deposit.
In the meantime, wait for the departure to be confirmed before purchasing your round-trip flights!

It depends on when you cancel, the status of your departure, and how much you have already paid. 
Here are all the cases.

If the tour is not confirmed (at any time)
You can cancel directly from your MyWeRoad Personal Area, without contacting support (see the FAQ “Can I cancel my booking directly from MyWeRoad?”).
If it was your first unconfirmed booking, nothing has been charged: no refund is needed.
If you paid the €/£/$100 deposit, it is fully refunded. If you bought Flexible Cancellation, the cost of the option is not refunded. The deposit is also fully refunded if WeRoad does not confirm the tour.

Tour confirmed – you paid only the €/£/$100 deposit
In case of cancellation, the deposit paid is not refunded. However, you can change your trip from your MyWeRoad Account and use the amount for another departure.

Tour confirmed – you paid the full amount
In case of cancellation, the amount paid is not refunded. However, you can change your trip from your MyWeRoad Area and use the amount for another departure.

If you cancel within 31 days of departure – Tour confirmed
You can cancel your booking at any time. However, in case of cancellation within 31 days of departure, no refund of the amount paid is provided, nor is it possible to change your trip, unless you have purchased Flexible Cancellation.
The private room fee, included in the price of your trip, is not refunded under any circumstances within this time frame, unless you have purchased Flexible Cancellation.

If you have Flexible Cancellation
With Flexible Cancellation, you may cancel your trip up to 8 days before departure and receive a refund, whatever the reason. The only amount not refunded is the cost of the Flexible Cancellation option itself.

PLEASE NOTE: before cancelling, keep in mind that you can move your booking to another trip or a different date. Find out how!

For any doubts about your specific situation, write to our team at hello@weroad.com: we'll help you!

Generally, our groups have an average of 11 people. Everyone on our trips speaks English, and travellers join us from across the US, UK, Europe and beyond. Our trips are open to travelers between 18 and 53 years old. The indicated age is meant to give you an idea of the type of group, but it's not a strict limit: it's possible to participate even with a few years more or less, as long as you can keep up with the pace and energy of the group you're traveling with.

Each group will be joined and led by one of our experienced Group Leaders, who’s there to ensure everything runs smoothly and the group feels well-supported. 

If you’d like to know more about our typical WeRoad groups do reach out to us on WhatsApp on +44 7716573700. 

Yes! If you're curious, you can take a sneak peek at the group before booking. 
You’ll find the info in the ‘Group’ section for each trip on the departures page, showing how many WeRoaders have already booked. 

Click the little arrow and you’ll even see their gender and ages – but hey, that’s exclusive info, so we’ll ask you to log in or sign up to see that!

For our trips we usually use locally owned accommodation instead of big hotel chains. It’s our favourite way to really experience the local culture and, whenever we can, support the local economy. Typically, you’ll stay in hotels, apartments, guesthouses and hostels with the same standard maintained across all trips in the same destination.

The list of accommodation for your trip will be shared with you by your Group Leader 2-5 days before departure, along with other useful details for your adventure!

For some trips, in the itinerary section, you’ll find the number of nights and the location (not the hotel) where you’ll be spending the night(s). The location shown is the one we usually go for on most trips, but in some cases, you might stay in a nearby town. This will depend on logistics or availability of accommodation. 

The list of accommodation for your trip (and therefore also the exact locations) will be shared by your Travel Group Leader 2-5 days before departure, along with other useful information for your adventure!

The WeRoad Travel Group Leader is an experienced and skilled traveler who will be the perfect companion for your trip. They will manage all the logistical aspects of the itinerary like transport, timings, accommodation, restaurant bookings and meeting points, so that you can enjoy the trip without this hassle. They’re there to support the group, ensure everything runs smoothly and will no doubt make the trip a lot of fun along the way too! 

The Group Leader will set up a WhatsApp group approximately 2 weeks before departure. This will be the moment to ask any pre-departure questions and get to know the rest of the group! If the trip you are interested in already has a Travel Group Leader assigned, you can contact them before booking. Their details will be on the trip page, or you can search for their name here. After booking, you will find their contact details in your My WeRoad account, under ‘Bookings and Trips’ > ‘Your Upcoming Trips’ > ‘Trip Details’.

When you set off on a WeRoad trip, you’re officially a WeRoader – and as we often say, 'once a WeRoader, always a WeRoader'. This means that once you’re part of the community, a little piece of WeRoad will always stay with you.

But you’re not just a WeRoader during your trips, far from it! The community is alive and active all year round: you can stay in touch by following and interacting on our social media channels, like the Facebook group or the Instagram profile. You can also come along to one of our many events that we run in different cities worldwide. Check out and sign up to our events by downloading the WeMeet app here. 

Yes, on all our trips you will share a room with other WeRoaders in your group. The bathroom will either be private or shared only with other travelers on the trip. The rooms might be twins, triples, quadruples or multi-share (up to 8 people in exceptional cases), depending on the destination and availability.

You will never share with people from outside of the WeRoad group, except in certain cases for local experiences, which are specifically mentioned in the itinerary or communicated before booking. These typically involve specific nights in unique accommodation like tents, homestays, or camping, offering a more adventurous travel experience in exchange for some comfort.

During the booking process, you can also choose to stay in a mixed-gender room. If needed, only travelers who have opted in to this option may share a room with travel companions of a different gender.

On some of our trips we can offer a private room for an additional cost. Just tick the ‘Private Room’ option at checkout to get this added. For some of our trips if you book as two travelers together you can add this private room free of charge. Look out for this option at checkout. 

Please note that if you do book a private room with a friend/partner this could be either a double or a twin room so please email hello@weroad.com if you have a preference on this. 

Find out the entry requirements for China, and, if needed, apply for your visa through our partner Sherpa.

Before traveling, always remember to check the government website of your country of origin for updates on the entry requirements for China – you wouldn’t want to stay home due to a bureaucratic detail!

• UK residents: review the FCDO Travel Advice.
• US residents: consult the US Department of State Travel Advice.
• Other residents: refer to your government or local consulate's travel advice.

China operates on China Standard Time, which is 8 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time. It does not observe daylight saving time. If it is 12pm in the UK, it will be 8pm in China. Keep this in mind when planning your calls or travel arrangements.

China's currency is the Chinese Yuan Renminbi (CNY or RMB). The daily exchange rate can vary, but as a rough guide:

• 1 GBP is about 8.8 CNY
• 1 USD is around 7.3 CNY
• 1 EUR is approximately 7.9 CNY

To exchange currency, you can visit banks, currency exchange counters at airports, or authorized hotels. Always check for the current rates before exchanging money.

In China, the most common payment methods are mobile payment apps like Alipay and WeChat Pay. You can also use credit and debit cards, especially in larger cities and tourist areas. Cash is still widely accepted, but it's becoming less common in urban areas. 

It's a good idea to download Alipay or WeChat Pay before you go, as they are widely used for everything from shopping to street food. Make sure your card is enabled for international use if you plan to use it.

Tipping is not a common practice in China and is often not expected. In most restaurants, hotels, and taxis, you won't need to tip. However, in some high-end places or those catering to international tourists, tips might be appreciated. If you feel the service was exceptional and you want to tip, a small token of appreciation is fine, but it is not necessary. Remember, if you do decide to tip, it’s always best to hand it directly to the person to ensure they receive it.

Internet access in China can be a bit different than what you're used to. Many popular Western websites and apps are restricted. Wi-Fi is available in major cities, hotels, cafes, and airports, but connections can be slow and unreliable.

For more stable and unrestricted access, we suggest you buy a local SIM card or an e-SIM data plan. Providers like China Mobile, China Unicom, and China Telecom offer various data packages. Just make sure your phone is unlocked before purchasing a local SIM.

In China, the official language is Mandarin Chinese. It's spoken by the majority of the population and is used in government and media. Here are some useful colloquial expressions you might hear or use:

• Hello: Nǐ hǎo (你好)
• Thank you: Xièxiè (谢谢)
• How much: Duōshǎo qián (多少钱)
• Yes: Shì (是)
• No: Bù shì (不是)

These phrases can be handy while traveling around the country.

In China, the power plugs and sockets mainly used are type A, C, and I. The standard voltage is 220 V, and the frequency is 50 Hz. Since these plugs might differ from those used in Europe or the USA, we recommend you bring a universal adapter to ensure all your devices can be charged during your stay. This way, you will be prepared for any plug type you encounter.

China does not have a single main religion, but rather a mix of several belief systems. 
The most practiced include Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism. It’s important to note that religious freedom is constitutionally protected, but the practice of religion is subject to government regulation. Important religious holidays include the Chinese New Year and the Mid-Autumn Festival, which are widely celebrated across the country.

Traveling to China is an exciting adventure, and packing smartly can make your trip more enjoyable. 
Here's what you should pack in your backpack for China:

• Clothing:
  • Lightweight clothing for the summer
  • Warm layers for the winter
  • A rain jacket
  • Comfortable travel pants
• Shoes:
  • Comfortable walking shoes
  • Sandals for warmer weather
  • Dress shoes if planning to dine out
• Accessories and Technology:
  • Power bank
  • Universal travel adapter
  • Camera or smartphone for photos
  • Travel guidebook or translation app
• Toiletries and Medication:
  • Basic toiletries like toothbrush and toothpaste
  • Sunscreen and insect repellent
  • Hand sanitizer
  • Common travel medication like pain relievers, motion sickness tablets, and stomach remedies

This list should have you covered for a great trip to China.

China is vast, so the weather can vary significantly across regions:

• North (Beijing, Harbin): Cold winters with snow, hot summers. Best time to visit is spring (April-June) and autumn (September-October).
• South (Guangzhou, Shenzhen): Mild winters, hot and humid summers. Best time to visit is from October to December.
• East (Shanghai, Hangzhou): Cold and damp winters, hot and humid summers. Best time to visit is spring and autumn.
• West (Tibet, Xinjiang): Harsh winters, cool summers in high-altitude areas. Best time to visit is from May to October.

Overall, the best time to explore China is usually in spring and autumn due to more moderate temperatures and less rain.