Beijing
Mutianyu Great Wall Private Day Tour
Cable car to Tower 14, a 2-hour walk east along the ramparts, then the toboggan down. Departure timed to arrive before the coach groups.
From US$118/per person
View tourSame-day private tours
Day tours in China from any city with daily international flights
Landed for 12 hours, or free between meetings? Every tour below runs private, with hotel pickup, an English-speaking guide and a price you know before you board.
The short version
China day tours are private same-day tours with hotel pickup and an English-speaking guide, running in every Chinese city with daily international flights. Prices start at US$89 per person and top out around US$149 for long-distance routes such as Shenzhen to Hong Kong.
- Eight cities covered, all with daily non-stop international arrivals.
- Private vehicle and guide; pickup at your hotel or the airport.
- Timed to your flight: we track the number and wait.
- No shopping stops are written into every booking.
Who day tours are built for
- Travellers on the 240-hour visa-free transit, with 24–72 hours and no visa.
- Business travellers with one free day between meetings in Shanghai, Shenzhen or Guangzhou.
- Cruise passengers docking in Shanghai or Tianjin with one shore day.
- Anyone who has already seen Beijing and wants a day they could not arrange alone.
Choose a city
Day tours by city
Every city below has non-stop international arrivals every day of the week.
Beijing
PEK / PKX · 3 tours
Two airports, more than 90 international cities, and three day trips worth planning a stopover around.
Shanghai
PVG / SHA · 3 tours
Asia's busiest intercontinental hub, plus a classical canal village 60 minutes from downtown.
Guangzhou
CAN · 3 tours
The culinary capital of Guangdong Province, and the easiest city in southern China to fly into.
Shenzhen
SZX · 3 tours
A city of 40 years that shares a border with Hong Kong and a coastline with the South China Sea.
Xi'an
XIY · 3 tours
The eastern end of the Silk Road, and the only Chinese city where you can cycle a complete Ming city wall.
Chengdu
CTU / TFU · 3 tours
The capital of Sichuan, where the pandas are 30 minutes away and the afternoon belongs to teahouses.
Hangzhou
HGH · 3 tours
The capital of Zhejiang Province, where a 1,200-year-old lakeside garden is still the centre of town.
Guilin
KWL · 3 tours
The karst capital of Guangxi, where the landscape is the attraction and the river is the road.
Most-booked day tours
Beijing
Forbidden City & Jingshan Private Day Tour
Enter at the Meridian Gate, walk the central axis with a guide who knows the side halls, then climb Jingshan for the view back over 980 buildings.
From US$109/per person
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Beijing
Hutong Lanes & Peking Duck Day Tour
A rickshaw through the grey-brick alleys north of the Drum Tower, a courtyard-house lunch, and Peking duck carved at the table to finish.
From US$99/per person
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Shanghai
Zhujiajiao Water Town Private Day Tour
Sixty minutes from Shanghai, a still-working canal town of 36 stone bridges — arrive before the coaches, boat the canal, eat river shrimp for lunch.
From US$129/per person
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Shanghai
The Bund & French Concession Day Tour
The 1920s riverfront in daylight, the old town at the middle of the day, and plane-tree streets in the Concession — ending on the promenade at blue hour.
From US$109/per person
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Shanghai
Shanghai Museum & West Bund Art Day Tour
Bronzes and ceramics in the morning, a noodle lunch, then the riverside galleries of West Bund — China's best general museum plus the country's liveliest art district.
From US$99/per person
View tourWhat every day tour includes
Door-to-door pickup
Your hotel, the airport or the cruise terminal: the guide meets you where you actually are.
A licensed local guide
Tested in English at interview, and a specialist in their own city rather than a national escort.
All entrance fees
Pre-booked where queues exist, so you never stand in a ticket line.
A proper lunch stop
Chosen for the region, not the commission. Dietary needs passed on in advance.
Water and hotel drop-off
Bottled water in the vehicle, and we finish where you started.
No shopping stops
Written into the booking. If a shop appears, the day is refunded.
Frequently asked questions
Where does the guide pick me up for a day tour?
Your guide meets you in your hotel lobby at the confirmed time, holding a card with your name. We collect from central hotels free; hotels beyond the city centre cost US$20–40 extra, or we switch to a metro-station meeting point.
What time do day tours start?
City days depart at 08:00 and Great Wall trips at 07:00, timed to arrive 30–45 minutes ahead of the main crowds. Sunrise and evening departures are available on request at no extra charge, subject to site opening hours.
Is lunch included on a day tour?
All day tours include lunch, chosen on the day from two or three nearby restaurants we have already tested. Drinks and alcohol are not included. Tell us about allergies when booking and the kitchen will be briefed in Chinese in advance.
Are there child tickets for day tours?
Children under 1.2 m enter most sites free; 1.2 to 1.4 m pays around half price. Under-3s join our day tours free. Child seats are available on request at US$15 each, and we recommend one for any child under six.
What is the cancellation policy for a day tour?
Cancel 48 hours or more before pickup for a full refund; within 48 hours we refund 50%, because tickets and the vehicle are already committed. No-shows are not refunded. Cancellations we make for weather are refunded in full.
Can I bring my luggage on a day tour?
Yes. Our vehicles take up to four large suitcases plus hand luggage, and we routinely build airport or station transfers into a day tour. Tell us the bag count at booking so we send the right vehicle rather than a sedan.
What happens if the weather is bad?
In rain we run the same day with the order changed: museums first, outdoor sites during any break. If we cancel for safety — typhoon, ice, or air quality above 300 — you choose a full refund or another date at no charge.
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Day tours by city
Extend into a tour
Visa & transit
Tell us your dates.
We'll do the rest.
Free itinerary design, a revised plan within one working day, and nothing charged until you approve the final version.
- Tell us your flight number and we'll build the day around it
- Free cancellation up to 48 hours before
- Same-day booking is usually possible before 20:00 Beijing time