How Much Does a 10 Day Trip to China Cost?

How much does a trip to China cost?

If you’ve followed my affordable travel finance blog for a while, you know that sharing how much I spend on trips around the world is one of my favorite things to do. If this is your first time visiting my blog, welcome! You probably stumbled on this article while searching for how much to budget for a trip to China or maybe you’re curious to see how much things generally cost. Before we dive in, I wanted to put it out there that my China trip was extremely affordable. I snagged a phenomenal 10-day trip to China for $299 USD per person (including airfare, hotels, daily breakfast etc). While your trip to China will look drastically different than mine, use my budget as a spending guide for planning your own trip.

Press play and listen to this podcast episode where Kyle and I share additional tips for planning a trip to China.

How Much Does a Trip to China Cost?

Our China Vacation Budget For 2 People

10-Day Tour Cost: $960 USD for two people (or $480 USD per person)

I first saw this vacation package to China on TravelZoo’s Top 20 Deals in early December 2018.

My partner and I spent $299 USD per person on this 10 day vacation package with UTO Vacation including round-trip airfare from New York City to Beijing (return from Shanghai), breakfast, some lunch, transportation, activities and accommodation. Along with the 10 day tour, we also had to pay mandatory gratuity of $180 USD per person.

Our $299 USD China trip with UTO Vacation included:

  • One-way economy flights from New York City to Beijing
  • One-way economy flights from Shanghai to New York City
  • One-way economy flights from Beijing to Shanghai
  • Professional English speaking tour guide
  • Ground transportation
  • 4-Star hotel accommodations in 5 cities (Beijing, Suzhou, Wuxi, Hangzhou and Shanghai)
  • Daily breakfast buffet at each hotel
  • Admission to the Great Wall of China
  • Visit the Jade Store in Beijing
  • Visit Chinese Herbal Institute in Beijing
  • Suzhou Master of the Nets Garden (classical Chinese garden)
  • Silk Spinning Factory
  • Dragon Well Tea tasting at the Longjing Green Tea village

Total Chinese Visa Cost: $280 USD

Our Chinese tourist visas cost $280 USD total ($140 USD per 10-year visa).

There are only six Chinese consulates in the United States. In addition to an Embassy in Washington D.C., there are consulate offices in New York City, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Houston. Each state is assigned to one of these consulates. If you don’t live near an embassy, here are additional tips for getting a Chinese visa.

The Chinese Consulate only accepts Visa and MasterCard. No cash.

Total Transportation Cost: $92.54 USD

Transportation to/from NYC Chinese Consulate

Taxi to NYC Chinese Consulate: $20.76 USD

Taxi from NYC Chinese Consulate: $18.36 USD

Taxi to NYC Chinese Consulate (Second Attempt): $20.16 USD

Taxi from NYC Chinese Consulate (Second Attempt): $17.76 USD

As you may have guessed, I got turned away the first time I tried to pick up our visas because I was missing the receipt. I successfully picked up our visas during the second attempt.

Transportation to NYC Airport:

(2) AirTran fares to JFK Airport: $15.50 USD ($7.75 USD each)

Total China Food Costs for 2 People: $300 USD

How much do meals cost in China?

I recommend conservatively budgeting $30 USD or 211 CNY per day for meals in China. However, I think you’ll end up spending a lot less than that, especially if breakfast is complimentary at your hotel. To give you a sense of how much I spent on meals in China, here are some of my specifics.

Dinner for two at NYC JFK Airport: $24.07 USD ($12.03 USD per person)

Day 2 Meals: $18.17 USD or 128 CNY

Dinner for two at Beijing Chunhui Garden: $18.17 USD or 128 CNY

  • (2) Singapore-style Noodles: $14 USD or 99 CNY (48 CNY per person)
  • Beer: $3 USD or 20 CNY

Day 3 Meals: $ 21.49 USD or 151 CNY

(2) Hot chocolate at the Great Wall of China: $9.94 USD or 70 CNY

Lunch for two: $11.55 USD or 81 CNY

  • 20 pieces of pork and cabbage dumplings: $4 USD or 28 CNY
  • 20 pieces of shrimp dumplings: $6.55 USD or 46 CNY
  • Beer: $1 USD or 7 CNY

Day 4 Meals: $17.25 USD or 122 CNY

KFC: $3.90 USD or 28 CNY

  • Popcorn chicken: $1.77 USD or 12.50 CNY
  • French fries: $2.13 USD or 15 CNY

Starbucks at Beijing airport: $13.35 USD or 94 CNY

  • Medium latte: $4.97 USD or 35 CNY
  • Black coffee: $2.55 USD or 18 CNY
  • 2 sweet treats: $5.11 USD or 36 CNY

Day 6 Meals: $8.51 USD or 60 CNY

Beer: $3.97 USD or 28 CNY

Starbucks hot chocolate: $4.54 USD or 32 CNY

Day 7 Meals: $13 USD or 92 CNY

McDonalds for two people: $13 USD or 92 CNY

  • 5 piece chicken: $1.63 USD or 11.50 CNY
  • Cheese burger meal (includes drink and large french fries): $5.25 USD or 37 CNY
  • Fish fillet meal (includes drink and large french fries): $6.17 USD or 43.50 CNY

Day 9 Meals: $2.27 USD or 16 CNY

Danish apple pie in Shanghai: $2.27 USD or 16 CNY

Day 10 Meals: $7.16 USD or 50 CNY

Starbucks at Shanghai airport: $7.16 USD or 50 CNY

  • Medium latte: $4.58 USD or 32 CNY
  • Sweet treat: $2.58 USD or 18 CNY

Total Activities Cost for 2 People: $490 USD

1-hour couples massage: $80 USD

Optional half-day Beijing tour with UTO Vacation: $150 USD ($75 USD per person)

  • Tiananmen Square
  • Forbidden City Admission
  • Man-powered pedicab ride of Hutong
  • Homemade Chinese lunch
Tips for booking cheap flights with CheapOair.
Can’t contain my excitement!
Things to do in Beijing
Great Wall of China!

Climb the Great Wall of China: $0 USD included in UTO tour

Traditional rickshaw around historic hutong in Beijing: $3 USD or 20 CNY tip

Foot massage at Herbal Institute: $3 USD or 20 CNY tip

Boat ride on Grand Canal in Suzhou: $60 USD total ($30 USD per person)

How much does food cost in China?

Dragon Well Tea tasting at the Longjing Green Tea village: $0 USD included in UTO tour

Shanghai Huangpu River Night Cruise: $90 USD ($45 USD per person)

  • Shanghai night cruise upgrade (beer and cookies): $14 USD or 100 CNY

Optional half-day Shanghai tour with UTO Vacation: $90 USD ($45 USD per person)

  • Shanghai Maglev train (~ $11 USD or 80 CNY)
  • Shanghai China Town
  • Shanghai Knock Off Market

Listen to this podcast episode where we share our experience climbing the Great Wall of China!

Total Souvenir Cost: $536 USD

Group photo at the Great Wall of China: $15 USD

Jade bracelet from Jade Factory in Beijing: $130.57 USD (hers) and $235 USD (his)

(2) Pearl bracelets: $90 USD ($45 USD each)

Dragon Well Tea: $40 USD

Other souvenirs: $25 USD

Final Thoughts

Danielle Desir is the author of Iceland: Nature, Nurture & Adventure

How much did our trip to China cost?

In summary, we spent approximately $3,000 USD (~ $1,500 USD per person) for our 10 day trip to China. That’s approximately $150 USD per person/day. This included tour costs, airfare, accommodation, food, souvenirs and plenty of activities. To be honest, we did not skimp out on much during this trip.

We shopped and ate really delicious food without batting an eye. Shopping and food are really affordable in China so take advantage. While we could have bought less gifts and opted out of the half-day tours offered by our tour company, we don’t regret our financial decisions at all. We enjoyed the conveniences and paid extra for certain luxuries. That’s the great thing about traveling to more affordable travel destinations. You can spend without regrets.

Out of the 27 countries I have visited so far, China is one of the most affordable. To compare, I spent approximately $1,300 USD during a four day trip to Iceland. Again, while a lot of costs were already accounted for in my tour like breakfast, ground transportation and 4-star hotels, I still recommend China as an affordable travel destination for financially savvy travelers.

Would I visit China again? Yes, absolutely! China is so large, incredibly diverse and there’s still so much we haven’t seen yet! We hope to return one day.


Want to find the best airfare deals around? Get email alerts for international flight deals with Thrifty Traveler Premium!

Also, read my book Affording Travel for my top money-saving strategies for making travel a financial priority in your life. This is an easy read, less than 10,000 words!

Check out some of my other trip cost breakdowns:

How Much Does a Trip to Lisbon Cost?

How Much Does a Trip Cost to Dublin?

My heart goes out to all those affected by the corona virus in China.

Please follow the recommendations of the CDC before booking a trip.

How Much Does a 10 Day Trip to China Cost?
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