Comfy bed • Local dumplings • No guesswork
China travel, made easy.
For gals who travel in the middle: somewhere between a comfy hotel bed and a local dumpling spot away from the crowds.
Departures · Beijing
Boarding now
Pick a ticket. Every guide comes with one tip I’d tell a friend first.
Is hiring a private driver the best way to see Mutianyu Great Wall?
Straight past the shuttle bus, a shaded walk down and lunch at the hotel. What a private driver actually changes.
- Date
- 21 Sep 2026
- Area
- Huairou
- Suits
- Everyone
Nic’s tip
Arrive by 8:30. There was no line.
Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City: how to do them without the meltdown
Two of Beijing’s biggest walks. How to see the good bits and keep your feet.
- Date
- 8 Aug 2026
- Area
- Dongcheng
- Suits
- First-timers
Nic’s tip
Book tickets ahead with your passport.
Beijing in 5 days: the itinerary I give my friends
Great Wall, Forbidden City, hutongs and Universal, day by day, from someone who lives here.
- Date
- 7 Jan 2026
- Area
- Day 1–5
- Suits
- First-timers
Boarding
Universal Studios Beijing: is it worth a day of your trip?
Which lands are worth your time, and whether the ticket stacks up.
- Date
- 6 Feb 2026
- Area
- Tongzhou
- Suits
- Couples · families
Nic’s tip
Prams are for hire inside.
Legoland Korea: an easy escape from Beijing
Our second visit. Updated tips and what we would skip.
- Date
- 27 Aug 2026
- Area
- Chuncheon
- Suits
- With kids
Boarding
Best VPNs for China in 2026: what I actually use
Get it set up before you land. What works, what doesn’t, and the backup plan.
- Date
- 28 May 2026
- Area
- Anywhere
- Suits
- Everyone
Boarding
Summer travel bonus: Korea 2-Week Itinerary
Our full two weeks in Korea, day by day. Free when you drop your email.
- Date
- Summer 2026
- Area
- Day 1–14
- Suits
- With kids
Free bonus
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Where to?
01BeijingWhere I live. The Wall, hutongs and dumplings. 02ShanghaiFive easy days, plus a water town day trip. 03HangzhouWest Lake, done in a day. 04Escapes from ChinaKorea and Japan, from a Beijing base.Beijing private driver
Skip the bus queue. Go straight to the Wall.
English-speaking drivers we use for our own family and friends, for the Great Wall and airport pick-ups and drop-offs.
Mutianyu return · ¥1,200 for the whole van
“What a wonderful host Shanshan was. She made the experience so easy and enjoyable, especially with an 18 month old baby.”
“We hired ShanShan for airport pickup and drop off, a separate day trip to the Great Wall in August. She is a great driver and friend now.”
Kia ora
I’m Nicola, a Kiwi living in Beijing.
This is everything I wish I’d known before my first trip around China: the comfy hotels, the dumpling spots down side streets and the apps that make it easy.
Free download
Beijing in 3 days, made easy
The plan I’d hand a friend: where to stay at three budgets, hour-by-hour days and real prices. Drop your email and it’s yours.