Question 1

How do you design a Curious East trip?

Accepted Answer

It depends on how you want to travel.

For a Curated Journey, start by arranging a time to talk to one of our travel designers. Tell us a little about your budget, how you travel, what you're drawn to, and what you're hoping to feel on this trip. From there, we build an itinerary around you: the regions, the rhythm, the kind of experiences and stays that suit your style. Most trips come together over a few exchanges and when you're happy, we handle everything from there.

For Curious Tours, we do the curation differently. Our tours are built around a theme and designed to bring the right people together. If something catches your eye, you can reach out directly and we'll talk through whether it's the right fit. Or join the Curious List and tell us what interests you, how you travel, and a little about your personality. We use that to match you to tours and travel companions that suit you, and give you early access when a new departure opens up. The goal is that when you show up, the trip feels like it was made for you and so does the group.

Question 2

Is China right for me if I've never been?

Accepted Answer

Almost certainly yes, and you're not alone in hesitating.

Our two founders came to China from opposite directions, and both perspectives shaped how we built Curious East.

Cam grew up in China. She has watched people arrive overwhelmed and leave completely transformed: by a meal they didn't expect, a landscape that stopped them, a moment of connection they couldn't have planned. She knows what China can give a traveller when it's experienced with the right context, and that knowledge is built into every itinerary we design.

Jessie grew up outside China and came to it as an outsider. She understands the curiosity and the hesitation in equal measure: the language barrier, the unfamiliar apps, the sense that you need to already know something just to navigate it well. She built the support side of Curious East for exactly that feeling, so that nothing practical gets in the way of the experience.

Together, that's what we offer: the insider knowledge of someone who grew up here, and the empathy of someone who arrived exactly where you are now.

First-time travellers often tell us it was easier than they expected. The infrastructure is excellent, the food is extraordinary, and the country has a way of surprising people who arrive open to it. The key is having the right support around you. That's what we're here for.

Question 3

Do I need a visa for China?

Accepted Answer

Most international travellers need a visa to enter China, though this is changing. China has expanded its visa-free access significantly, and depending on your passport, you may be eligible to enter without one for stays of 15 to 30 days. UK passport holders, for example, currently enjoy a 30-day visa-free policy.

We'll let you know exactly what applies to your nationality when we start planning together. For those who do need a visa, the process is straightforward, and we'll guide you through what's required and when to apply.

Entry requirements can update, so we always check the current rules specific to your trip dates and itinerary.

Question 4

Can I just use AI to plan my trip to China?

Accepted Answer

You can, and it'll do a decent job. Only thing is that everyone else using AI will get roughly the same trip. The same five restaurants that show up in every search or travel blog, the same viewpoints, the same route. That's a B grade trip: good, but indistinguishable from what a thousand other travellers are doing.

A genuinely A* trip comes from someone who has actually stood at the viewpoint, eaten at the best restaurants only the locals know, and knows which monument to see at 7am before the crowds arrive. That kind of knowledge lives in people, not in search results. We bring you that, tailored specifically to you, so the trip becomes a memory you keep rather than an itinerary you followed.

Question 5

Are your trips private or group departures?

Accepted Answer

Both, depending on what you're looking for.

Curated Journeys are entirely private. Your own itinerary, your own guide, your own pace. You won't share the trip with anyone you haven't invited.

Curious Tours are small-group departures built around a theme: a food journey through Sichuan, a wild landscapes retreat in Yunnan, an adventure trail through Tibet. Groups are intentionally small, and we select them with care, so the people you travel with add to the experience rather than detract from it.

If you've seen a Curious Tour that interests you but want private time around it, we can also build a Curated Journey before or after: a honeymoon extension, a family chapter, or just more time in a region you want to explore properly.

Question 6

When should I start planning?

Accepted Answer

For a Curated Journey, we recommend coming to us at least one to three months before you want to travel. Some things: certain stays, access experiences, the best guides, book out early, and the earlier we start, the more options we have to work with.

For Curious Tours, we publish departure dates in advance and spaces are limited. It's worth enquiring as soon as a trip catches your eye so we can start matching you with the right travel companions.

That said, if you have a trip in mind with a tighter timeline, reach out anyway. We've put together last-minute trips that worked beautifully. We'd rather tell you what's possible than have you not ask.

Question 7

When is the best time to visit China?

Accepted Answer

It depends on where you want to go and what you want to feel. China is so vast that no single season is right for everywhere.

Spring (March to May) is one of the most beautiful times to travel. Mild temperatures, cherry blossoms in the east, and the tea harvest season in Hangzhou and Yunnan. Crowds are manageable outside of public holidays.

Summer (June to August) is hot and humid across much of the country, with peak tourist numbers. That said, it's ideal for Tibet and the high-altitude regions of Qinghai and western Sichuan, where temperatures are cooler and the scenery is at its most dramatic.

Autumn (September to November) is the other sweet spot: clear skies, cooler air, and golden landscapes across the north and southwest. Yunnan and Sichuan are particularly stunning. Many travellers consider October the best month in the country, though Golden Week at the start of the month brings significant domestic travel crowds.

Winter (December to February) is quieter, cheaper, and underrated. Harbin's ice festival in January is unlike anything else. Hainan, China's tropical island in the south, is at its best in winter: warm, sunny, and ideal for surfing or a golf trip. The rest of the south: Yunnan, Guangxi, Guangdong, stays mild and is often at its most atmospheric when the rest of the world stays home.

We factor season into every itinerary we design. If you tell us when you're thinking of going, we'll tell you honestly whether it's a good match for what you want to see.

Question 8

What does a Curious East trip cost?

Accepted Answer

It depends on the trip: how long, which regions, the kind of stays you want, and whether you're travelling solo or with others. China is vast, and there's a way to do it for almost any need or budget.

Every Curated Journey is built around what matters most to you: your budget, the activities you enjoy, the standard of accommodation, and how you want to get around. All of these can flex up or down depending on what you tell us.

For Curious Tours, pricing is per departure and varies by itinerary. Estimated pricing is listed on each tour page, though the final cost can shift depending on time of year and hotel standard.

Once we understand what you're looking for, we'll give you a clear picture before anything is confirmed.

Question 9

Does Curious East Travel include international flights or have ATOL protection?

Accepted Answer

No, international flights are not included but there is a good reason.

We focus on what we do best: designing your itinerary and arranging everything once you're in-country. International flights are different. You probably know how to find a cheaper deal yourself or have miles, points, or airline status that works better than what we can source commercially.

Because we don't book your flight, ATOL is not necessary. If we hold ATOL, we end up marking up prices rather than passing on the flexibility and cost control you'd get booking directly.

We will handle the itinerary design and everything on the ground (as much or as little help as you need): internal flights, transfers, accommodation, activities, guides, online travel assistant. You just need to get to your starting point.

Question 10

What are the main challenges of travelling to China?

Accepted Answer

China is an extraordinary place to travel, but it does ask a little more of you than most destinations. Here's what to expect.

The internet: Google, Instagram, WhatsApp, and most Western apps don't work in China without a VPN. If you rely on Google Maps for navigation or WhatsApp to stay in touch, you'll need to plan ahead. Before your trip starts, we help you set up an eSIM or VPN so you stay connected from the moment you land.

The apps: Daily life in China runs on WeChat and Alipay: payments, reservations, transport, translation. Both typically require a Chinese phone number or a local bank link to set up fully. We help you get around this before you land, and our concierge is always available as a backup.

The language: Outside major hotels and tourist areas, English is limited. Menus, signs, and conversations often require help. This is one of the reasons having a City Fixer or a well-briefed guide makes such a difference: not just for translation, but for context.

The scale: China is vast. Travel days can be long even with high-speed rail. Cities are dense and fast-moving. If you're not used to it, the pace can be a lot. We build itineraries with this in mind: enough space to breathe, not so much that you feel you're missing things.

None of these are reasons not to go. They're reasons to go with someone who knows the terrain. That's what we're here for.

Question 11

Is China safe to travel in right now?

Accepted Answer

Yes. China is one of the safest countries in the world for travellers: low street crime, reliable infrastructure, and good medical facilities in major cities.

The main challenges are practical rather than safety-related: the language barrier, apps that require a Chinese phone number, internet access restrictions, and the pace and scale of cities if you haven't been before. That's exactly what we're here for.

Our concierge team is with you throughout, available on WhatsApp for anything that comes up. And if you want someone on the ground with you, our City Fixers travel alongside you in the cities: there if you need them, out of the way when you don't.

Question 12

Can you accommodate dietary needs and accessibility?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and we take both seriously.

Dietary requirements: vegetarian, vegan, allergies, religious restrictions, are factored into every part of the planning: restaurants, group meals, long travel days. China's food culture is extraordinary and varied enough that eating well with restrictions is genuinely possible. We just need to know upfront.

For accessibility, the answer depends on the trip. Some experiences and regions are easier to navigate than others, and we'll always be honest about what's practical. Share what you need when we speak and we'll design around it from the start.

Question 13

What happens if something goes wrong on the road?

Accepted Answer

We stay with you. Our concierge team is available throughout your trip: for the small things (a restaurant that needs rescheduling, a question about transport) and the bigger ones (an illness, a change of plan).

If you have a City Fixer travelling with you, they're your on-the-ground person in real time. If not, the concierge team is reachable on WhatsApp.

We also work with reputable ground operators and stays, which means the people around you know what they're doing. Things occasionally go sideways in travel. What matters is that someone who knows the place is in your corner when they do.

Why Curious East

The Curious East Way

The trip will feel like it was made for YOU

You will know what LOCALS know

Your days will FLOW

You will always be LOOKED AFTER

Your trip will be a VACATION, with room for the UNEXPECTED

You will love where you STAY, what you EAT, and where you wake up