How much does a trip to China cost in 2026?

Short answer: a 10-day trip to China from the US is estimated at US$1,500-2,300 per person on a budget or US$2,400-4,000 mid-range, including flights. Inside China, plan roughly US$50-100 or US$120-250 per day respectively. These are route-dependent estimates; hotels, train journeys and season change the total.

⚠️ Read first: all figures are estimates (updated October 5, 2026), not quotes. Rates used: 1 USD ≈ 6.7 CNY and 1 CNY ≈ 3,930 VND on October 1, 2026. Flights and hotels swing a lot with season and Chinese public holidays.

How much does a trip to China cost in 2026?

For a 10-day trip from the US, I estimate US$1,500-2,300 per person on a budget and US$2,400-4,000 mid-range, including international flights. The two-person column is a total for two people sharing, not a per-person amount.

Trip style	10 days, solo	10 days, 2 people sharing	What it looks like
Budget	$1,500-2,300	$2,700-4,100 total	Hostels or basic hotels, metro, cheap eats
Mid-range	$2,400-4,000	$4,200-7,000 total	3-4 star hotels, high-speed trains, major sights
Comfort / luxury	$5,000-9,000+	$8,500-16,000+ total	5-star hotels, private guides, domestic flights

Estimates per trip from the US, including international flights.

Example: 10 days Beijing - Xi'an - Shanghai, mid-range

• Round-trip flight from the US: $800-1,300 (economy fares commonly run $700-1,400)
• Hotels: $600-1,500 solo, or $300-750 each if two share
• Food: $200-600
• High-speed trains and domestic transport: $150-350
• Attractions and tours: $150-500
• Visa (US citizens): $140
• eSIM, local transit, extras: $100-300

The overall planning range is $2,400-4,000 per person; these line-item ranges describe different booking choices and should not be combined arbitrarily. Add the prices you actually select to build your own total. See the 10-day China itinerary for how the stops fit together.

What are typical daily costs inside China?

Excluding international flights, I estimate US$50-100 per day on a budget or US$120-250 mid-range. These daily estimates help compare routes, rather than predict an exact booking total:

• Budget: about $50-100 per day
• Mid-range: about $120-250 per day
• Luxury: $400+ per day

Beijing and Shanghai cost more than Xi'an, Chengdu or Chongqing. Food is where China is kindest to your wallet: in Shanghai, a tight food budget is around 100-150 CNY a day (roughly $15-22), according to shanghaitourism.org.

How much is the high-speed train from Beijing to Shanghai?

Published July 2026 examples put second class at 576-697 CNY one way. Check your date and train in the high-speed rail booking guide; the table is a reference, not a live ticket quote.

Trains are the biggest transport cost if you cover several cities. On Beijing - Shanghai (1,318 km, about 4h18 to almost 8 hours depending on the train), travelchinaguide lists these one-way G-train fares, updated July 7, 2026:

Class	Fare	In USD
Second class	576-697 CNY	about $86-104
First class	967-1,115 CNY	about $144-166
Business class	1,995-2,427 CNY	about $298-362

Short hops like Shanghai - Hangzhou cost far less, so a two-city trip keeps this line small.

How much is the China visa?

It depends on your passport:

• US citizens: a regular visa costs $140, plus $25 for express service; the embassy states the reduced-fee policy continues until December 31, 2026 (Chinese Embassy in the US).
• French ordinary passports: visa-free entry for up to 30 days until December 31, 2026, per France Diplomatie.
• Vietnamese passports: check whether your itinerary needs a visa or qualifies for an exemption; if applying, a single-entry visa at the Hanoi visa centre costs 45 USD + 725,000 VND service fee in normal processing (express 70 USD + 1,100,000 VND; urgent 82 USD + 1,450,000 VND), per the Hanoi fee schedule. The service fee is not refunded if the visa is refused.

More in my China visa guide.

How much does a 5- or 7-day China trip cost from Vietnam?

For departures from Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City or Da Nang, I estimate 12-17 million VND per person on a budget for 5 days/4 nights, or 12-18 million for 7 days. These estimates include return flights and a visa allowance when needed:

Trip length	Budget	Mid-range	Comfort
5 days / 4 nights	12-17 million	18-25 million	28-40+ million
7 days	12-18 million	20-30 million	30-40+ million

Guangzhou and Shenzhen are the cheapest from Vietnam; Beijing and Shanghai cost more. For reference, the Beijing - Shanghai second-class fare works out to about 2.26-2.74 million VND one way.

How much cash should I bring to China?

I suggest 1,000-2,000 CNY per person as backup for 5-7 days with mobile payments prepared. This is advice rather than a required amount; plan more carefully if paying mostly in cash or travelling to smaller towns.

China runs on QR payments (Alipay, WeChat Pay), so cash is your backup for small taxis, tiny shops or a payment app that fails. My rule of thumb: 1,000-2,000 CNY per person for 5-7 days.

Shanghai's inbound customs guide lists 20,000 CNY or more in cash, or foreign currency worth 5,000 USD or more, among items to declare when entering China. This is not an outbound cash allowance; check departure procedures separately if carrying a large sum. See also the customs guide.

Foreigners can exchange money at banks or airports, or withdraw RMB from ATMs with an international card in many places. Tell your bank before you travel so your card is not blocked.

Where should I exchange money for China?

Compare the CNY you receive after all fees, rather than assuming one exchange location is always cheapest. The Chinese government lists banks, airports and international-card ATMs as options in the source above. Ask your bank about exchange and withdrawal fees; the historical conversion rates in this guide are not guaranteed transaction rates.

Prepare Alipay or WeChat Pay as well as backup cash.

Should I hire a private guide and driver in Beijing?

Consider both for the Great Wall or family days with elderly parents; central city days may only need a guide or neither service. Market examples for a Vietnamese-speaking guide are roughly 800-1,650 CNY per 8-hour day, usually excluding cars and tickets. See guide costs and inclusions, with the original rate-card sources below.

Quỳnh Nguyễn is based in Beijing's Chaoyang District and speaks Vietnamese, English and Mandarin. She accompanies 1-8 guests across China and quotes per trip with no public daily rate: services, request a quote.

How can you spend less?

Avoid Chinese holidays (May 1-5 and October 1-7 in 2026), book trains and refundable hotels early, use the metro, and set up Alipay or WeChat Pay with your card before you fly.

Sources

• Beijing - Shanghai trains, fares and times (July 7, 2026): travelchinaguide.com

• Chinese Embassy in the US, visa fees: us.china-embassy.gov.cn

• Hanoi visa centre fee schedule: visaforchina.cn

• France Diplomatie, entry rules: diplomatie.gouv.fr

• Cash declaration rules: en.thnet.gov.cn

• Money exchange for foreigners: english.www.gov.cn

• Shanghai food costs: shanghaitourism.org

• Budget tables: the author's estimates, not quotes.

• Inbound cash declaration list: Shanghai government

• Guide market rate cards: hdvlocal.com, dulichchina.com