https://privatechinajourneys.com/guides/ Honest, dated, first-hand guides to travelling China as a European. Written on the ground, updated when rules change. en-gb Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0800 https://privatechinajourneys.com/guides/tiananmen https://privatechinajourneys.com/guides/tiananmen Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0800 The gate where edicts descended by golden phoenix, twice burned and twice renamed, the dawn flag ceremony — plus how to reserve the square and climb the tower. https://privatechinajourneys.com/guides/forbidden-city https://privatechinajourneys.com/guides/forbidden-city Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0800 9,999.5 rooms, the courtyard with no trees, thresholds cut for a bicycle, why there is no Cold Palace — plus how to actually book tickets as a foreigner. https://privatechinajourneys.com/guides/beijing-hutongs https://privatechinajourneys.com/guides/beijing-hutongs Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0800 The last empress's childhood lane, the street bent like a pipe, a 0.7-metre alley of Qing money houses — the stories behind Beijing's famous hutongs, plus a one-morning walking route. https://privatechinajourneys.com/guides/china-ground-handling-dmc https://privatechinajourneys.com/guides/china-ground-handling-dmc Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0800 Real-name ticketing, the +86 wall, hotel acceptance letters, licensed partners — and the five-line Ground-Work Standard for any China DMC. https://privatechinajourneys.com/guides/private-china-tour-cost https://privatechinajourneys.com/guides/private-china-tour-cost Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0800 Published per-person prices, what's in and out of the land price, why 4 travellers pay less than 2, and the Quote Test for any operator. https://privatechinajourneys.com/guides/china-visa-free-entry-europeans https://privatechinajourneys.com/guides/china-visa-free-entry-europeans Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0800 The 35 European countries, the exact conditions, what happens at the border, and the first-24-hours rule everyone misses. https://privatechinajourneys.com/guides/paying-in-china-foreign-cards https://privatechinajourneys.com/guides/paying-in-china-foreign-cards Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0800 Alipay + WeChat Pay with your Visa/Mastercard, the limits that matter, the cash buffer, and the three classic failure modes. https://privatechinajourneys.com/guides/internet-esim-vpn-china https://privatechinajourneys.com/guides/internet-esim-vpn-china Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0800 What's restricted, what works, and the two clean solutions (roaming + travel eSIM) — plus honest words on VPNs. https://privatechinajourneys.com/guides/is-china-safe-for-tourists https://privatechinajourneys.com/guides/is-china-safe-for-tourists Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0800 What's genuinely safer than Europe, the real risks, and how to travel so the question never comes up. https://privatechinajourneys.com/guides/first-time-china-itinerary https://privatechinajourneys.com/guides/first-time-china-itinerary Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0800 How many cities, which route for your days and season, our five pacing rules, and a realistic 14-day sketch. https://privatechinajourneys.com/guides/china-for-japan-lovers https://privatechinajourneys.com/guides/china-for-japan-lovers Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0800 An honest China–Japan comparison for your next big trip — including the parts where China loses. https://privatechinajourneys.com/journeys/classic-china-worked-example https://privatechinajourneys.com/journeys/classic-china-worked-example Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0800 Every day of the Classic China journey planned to the hour — see exactly how we build a trip, before you commit to anything.