Want to see the acrobats? Enjoy a night cruise? Ride some rickshaws or go for a bike ride in the countryside? One of the smartest things you can do when planning your trip to China is booking activities and attraction tickets in advance. While spontaneity has its charm, pre-booking often saves significant time, money, and stress - especially during busy periods.
Activities can be booked separately for each city you wish to visit. It is easy to put your own program together.
Why Book Activities Ahead?
Advantages of Booking in Advance:
- Skip the Lines: This is the biggest benefit. Popular sites like the Forbidden City, Great Wall, and Terracotta Warriors can have extremely long ticket queues, especially on weekends and during holidays.
- Guaranteed Entry: Some attractions have daily visitor limits. Pre-booked tickets ensure you get in.
- Better Prices: Discounted tickets and combo packages are usually only available online.
- Peace of Mind: You can plan your days with confidence.
- Special Experiences: Night tours, private guides, or timed-entry slots are often only bookable in advance.
Downsides:
- Less flexibility if your plans change or the weather doesn't cooperate (though many platforms now offer free cancellation up to 24 hours before).
- You might miss spontaneous local discoveries.
Our Recommendation: Book major attractions (Great Wall, Forbidden City, Terracotta Warriors, Li River cruise, etc.) ahead of time. Leave smaller activities more flexible.
Best Platforms for Booking Tours, Activities and Discount Tickets in China
We have used and highly recommend GetYourGuide, Trip.com and Klook.com to book activities, train tickets, airport transportation, discount tickets to theme parks, etc.
These are excellent online resources (and our "go to" apps) with highly competitive prices that offer hundreds of adventure activities, city tours, off-the-beaten-path experiences, educational tours, family-friendly activities, day trips, airport transfers... you name it, in hundreds of different locations, not only in China.
| Platform | Best For | Strengths |
|---|---|---|
| Trip.com | Trains, Attractions, Tours, eSIMs, Domestic Flights | Best overall for China, English support, bundles with hotels/trains |
| Klook | Discount Tickets, Theme Park and Attractions Tickets, Experiences | Excellent Discounts, Skip-the-line options, fun activities |
| GetYourGuide | Guided Tours, unique experiences | High-quality tours, good English reviews, easy cancellation |
Popular Activities Worth Booking Ahead
1. Great Wall Day Tours
- Highly recommended to book a guided tour (especially to Mutianyu).
- Advantages: Transportation, entrance ticket, cable car/toboggan included, English-speaking guide.
- Klook and Trip.com often have excellent combo deals.
2. Forbidden City Tickets
- Book via Klook or Trip.com for timed entry slots.
- This saves hours of queuing, especially during peak season.
3. Night Boat Tours & Cruises
- Shanghai Bund night cruise
- Guilin Li River evening lights cruise
- Chongqing Yangtze River night views
- These are very popular and sell out book at least a couple of days ahead.
4. Other High-Demand Activities
- Terracotta Warriors (timed tickets)
- Zhangjiajie National Park (bus + cable car packages)
- Giant Panda Base in Chengdu (early morning tickets)
- Shanghai Disneyland or Beijing Universal Resort
Practical Booking Tips
- Book major attractions 3–14 days in advance.
- During Chinese holidays or peak summer, book even earlier.
- Look for combo tickets (attraction + transportation + lunch) - they often save money.
- Read recent reviews carefully — things change quickly in China.
- Most platforms allow free cancellation up to 24 hours before the activity.
For Families:
- Choose tours with smaller groups or private options when possible.
- Look for "family-friendly" or "kid-friendly" filters.
- Many tours include lunch and transportation, which simplifies the day with children.
Our Go-To Strategy:
This is what we do and recommend for most first-time visitors and families:
- Book your high-speed trains, domestic flights, attractions and eSim cards through Trip.com
- Use Klook for discounted attractions and theme park tickets, skip-the-line tickets and fun activities (night cruises, food eperiences)
- Use GetYourGuide when you want a high-quality private guide and for special experiences
- Attractions and tours are offered by all 3 platforms, all things being equal (price, etc) we go with GetYourGuide which has a free cancellation policy for most tours, you can cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
China offers incredible experiences, but many of the best ones require some planning. Booking ahead doesn't reduce the magic - it actually helps you enjoy it more fully.
On one of our latest trips, we booked a tour for a late afternoon / evening visit to the Badaling Great Wall. It was easy and convenient and about US$24 per person. The shuttle leaves from a couple of meet-up locations in town and on the way back we had the option of getting off at the Olympic Village for night views of the Bird Nest and Water Cube. It was a fantastic evening with fabulous views.
Practical Information for Your Trip to China
Most Popular Excursions
Book with confidence! Free cancellation: Cancel up to 24 hours in advance to receive a full refund
