Before you go
Three things to handle first. Check whether you qualify for visa-free entry or need a tourist visa in our China visa & entry guide. Sort connectivity: a travel eSIM with a working VPN is the single most important thing for using Google, WhatsApp, Instagram and the gay apps — see what’s blocked in China and how Grindr works behind the firewall. And read the honest word on whether China is safe for LGBTQ+ travellers — the short answer is yes, with a “don’t ask, don’t tell” caveat.
Days 1–3 · Beijing
Start with the icons: a day on the Great Wall (Mutianyu is the easiest gateway from the city), the Forbidden City and the Temple of Heaven, then street food and bars around Sanlitun. Beijing’s gay nightlife is centred on a handful of long-running venues — the city’s landmark gay club among them. See the live scene in our gay bars in Beijing guide and book a base from our gay-friendly hotels in Beijing.
Days 4–6 · Shanghai
Take the high-speed train south. Shanghai is China at its most cosmopolitan: the Bund, the Pudong skyline, the French Concession’s plane-tree streets, and the most stylish gay nightlife in the country. Plan your evenings with our gay bars in Shanghai guide, and stay central with our gay-friendly hotels in Shanghai. (Saunas are thin on the ground here — the honest word is worth a read.)
Days 7–9 · Chengdu
Fly southwest to Chengdu for the trip’s easy finale. See the giant pandas at the breeding base, eat your way through Sichuan hotpot, and spend your nights in “Gaydu” — the most relaxed, openly fun gay city in mainland China. Our gay bars in Chengdu guide has the line-up, and gay-friendly hotels in Chengdu put you walking distance from it.
Day 10 · Wrap & fly home
Use the last day for whatever you under-budgeted — a teahouse afternoon, a massage, last-minute shopping — before flying out of Chengdu (or routing back through Beijing/Shanghai for your long-haul).
Want it longer, or hands-off?
Add Hong Kong (skyline, an established gay scene and the region’s most reliable saunas), Guangzhou or Xi’an’s Terracotta Army to stretch this to two weeks. Prefer not to plan it yourself? We can build a private, tailor-made gay China tour around exactly these stops. Compare destinations first in our Greater China Destination Index and our take on the best Chinese city for gay travellers.
Plan a tailor-made gay China trip →
Sights and opening details change — confirm bookings and hours locally before you travel.
