China’s Most Beautiful Landscapes: How to Plan Zhangjiajie, Guilin and Yunnan
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…
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Why a Private Tour Beats a Group Tour in China
By the iL Compass team | 20 years of crafting journeys across China China is five time zones wide, with thousands of years of history,…
Seven Travelers, Two Families, Six Days: A Custom Zhangjiajie Adventure
By Tanya, Travel Expert at IL Compass On September 25, a message arrived from a traveler asking if I could plan a Zhangjiajie trip for…
Five French Travelers, Three Cities, One Unforgettable Journey: Behind the Scenes of a Custom China Trip
By Tanya, Travel Expert at IL Compass Some messages make my day before I’ve even finished my coffee. This one arrived a month before July…
Your First Trip to China: What to Know Before You Go
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…
How to Pay in China: Mobile Payments, Cards, and Cash for Foreign Visitors
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…
The Best Time to Visit China: A Season-by-Season and Region-by-Region Guide
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…
Is China Safe for Travellers? What You Need to Know Before You Go
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…
Useful Apps for Travelling in China: The Complete First-Timer’s Guide
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…
Southwest China Highlights: Pandas, Old Towns & Erhai Lake
Chengdu · Lijiang · Dali | 10 Days, 9 Nights | A Flexible Reference Itinerary Southwest China is where the country feels most colorful. In…