By the iL Compass team | 20 years of crafting journeys across China Most first-time visitors start with Beijing, Xi’an and Shanghai. But if you are drawn to mountains, rivers and open skies, southern China offers some of the most…
By the iL Compass team | 20 years of crafting journeys across China China is five time zones wide, with thousands of years of history, regional cuisines that barely resemble one another, and landscapes ranging from karst peaks to desert…
China can feel like a lot for a first-time visitor. The country is huge, the culture is rich and layered, and a few everyday things work very differently from what you are used to. But with some preparation, it is…
China is one of the most cashless societies in the world. Locals pay for everything with a quick scan of a QR code, from a bowl of noodles to a metro ticket. For years, this left foreign visitors stuck at…
China is huge. It spans frozen northern plains, subtropical river valleys, and snow-capped mountains, so there is no single “best” time to visit. The right month depends on where you are going and what you want to do. That said,…
It is one of the first questions we hear from first-time visitors: “Is China safe?” The short answer is yes. For the vast majority of travellers, China is a very safe destination. Violent crime against tourists is rare, cities are…
China runs on your phone. Hailing a taxi, paying for noodles, buying a metro ticket, and finding your way through a hutong all happen through apps. That might sound intimidating, but with a little preparation, it makes travelling here smoother…
Chengdu · Lijiang · Dali | 10 Days, 9 Nights | A Flexible Reference Itinerary Southwest China is where the country feels most colorful. In Chengdu, giant pandas nibble bamboo and teahouses hum with unhurried conversation. In Lijiang, cobbled lanes…
Zhangjiajie · Fenghuang · Guilin | 8 Days, 7 Nights | Private & Fully Tailored Some of China’s most breathtaking scenery has nothing to do with skylines or palaces. It is found among towering sandstone pillars wrapped in cloud, in…
Beijing · Xi’an · Shanghai | 8 Days, 7 Nights | Private & Fully Tailored China is a country of layers: imperial grandeur, ancient dynasties, and a skyline that looks like the future. This journey connects three cities that, together,…