China has eight recognised regional cuisines, and they’re as different from each other as Italian food is from Thai. A Cantonese dim sum brunch and a Sichuan hotpot are not versions of the same thing — they come from completely different culinary philosophies, different flavour profiles, different techniques. Eating well across China is a genuine adventure.
This 14-day itinerary is built around the food. The destinations are chosen for what you can eat there, not the reverse. Each city contributes something irreplaceable to China’s culinary landscape, and the route makes geographic sense too — flowing south and west before coming back east.
Table of contents
Open Table of contents
The Route Overview
Day 1–3: Beijing — Northern Chinese flavours, Peking duck, street breakfast culture Day 4–5: Xi’an — Northwestern Muslim cuisine, lamb, noodles, bread Day 6–8: Chengdu — Sichuan hotpot, spice, numbing heat Day 9–10: Chongqing — The original hotpot city, Yangtze River flavours Day 11–12: Guangzhou — Cantonese cuisine, dim sum, roast meats Day 13–14: Shunde or Foshan (Guangdong countryside) — The secret culinary heartland of Cantonese food
Days 1–3: Beijing
Beijing food doesn’t get the global reputation it deserves. It’s not flashy or spicy, but it’s serious — a cuisine built around wheat, lamb, cured meats, and careful technique.
Must Eat in Beijing
Peking Duck (北京烤鸭) The classic. Go to either Da Dong (大董) or the old Quanjude (全聚德) — both are institutions. A full duck serves 2–4 people and costs ¥200–400. The ritual: crispy skin and meat rolled with green onion, cucumber, and sweet bean sauce in a thin pancake. Duck soup comes last.
Jianbing (煎饼) Beijing’s street breakfast: a crepe wrapped around a fried egg, crispy wafer, hoisin sauce, chili paste, and scallions. ¥8–12. Find a jianbing cart early morning (7–10am) on any busy street. This is what Beijing eats before work.
Zhajiang Noodles (炸酱面) Ground pork simmered with fermented soybean paste, served over wheat noodles with cucumber, radamame, and scallions — you mix it all together. ¥25–45. The local comfort food.
Roast Lamb at a Night Market Wangfujing Night Market is touristy; Ghost Street (鬼街, Guijie) in Dongcheng is where locals go for late-night lamb skewers, crayfish (小龙虾), and beer. Budget ¥100–150 per person.
Where to eat breakfast: The alley behind Nanluoguxiang or any hutong street market near Drum Tower.
Days 4–5: Xi’an
Xi’an was China’s capital for over 1,000 years, and its food reflects centuries of Silk Road influence — the Muslim minority (Hui) population brought lamb, cumin, and flatbread traditions from Central Asia. The Muslim Quarter (回民街) is a food street unlike anywhere else in China.
Must Eat in Xi’an
Rou Jia Mo (肉夹馍) — The Chinese “Burger” Braised pork (or lamb) stuffed into a fluffy flatbread baked in a clay oven. Get the lamb version (羊肉夹馍) in the Muslim Quarter. ¥10–18. Eat it fresh and hot.
Biang Biang Noodles (biángbiáng面) Hand-pulled, belt-wide noodles dressed with chili oil, vinegar, garlic, and toppings. The character for “biang” has 57 strokes and doesn’t even exist in standard dictionaries. The dish is as dramatic as the name. ¥20–35.
Lamb Paomo (羊肉泡馍) Crumbled flatbread soaked in rich lamb broth with meat and glass noodles. You break the bread yourself, hand it to the kitchen, and they reassemble the dish. A participation ritual. ¥35–60. Best at 同盛祥 (Tongshengxiang) restaurant.
Hulatang (胡辣汤) A thick, peppery soup with lamb, wood ear mushrooms, and starch noodles. Xi’an’s breakfast of choice. ¥10–15 from any Muslim Quarter stall in the morning.
Muslim Quarter eating tip: Walk the full length of Beiyuanmen Street before buying anything — compare all the stalls. It gets progressively better as you go north.
Days 6–8: Chengdu
Sichuan cuisine is the most internationally famous of China’s regional styles — and Chengdu is its capital. The cuisine’s signature combination of chili heat (辣) and Sichuan peppercorn numbing (麻) creates the 麻辣 (mala) sensation that’s unlike anything else in world food.
Must Eat in Chengdu
Hotpot (火锅) The social ritual of Sichuan. A cauldron of spiced broth at the table, into which you dip thin slices of meat, vegetables, tofu, offal, and whatever else you like. The broth in Chengdu style is made with tallow (beef fat), dried chilies, Sichuan peppercorns, and a hundred spices.
Recommended: Pao Pao Pao (泡泡泡) in Jinli area, or Big Lucky Hotpot for a more approachable tourist-friendly experience. Expect ¥80–150 per person including drinks.
For a gentler introduction, ask for “mild” (微辣, wēi là) broth — it’s still flavoured and complex but won’t devastate. You can also ask for a split pot (鸳鸯锅) with both spicy and non-spicy sides.
Mapo Tofu (麻婆豆腐) Silken tofu braised in a sauce of fermented black beans, ground pork, chili bean paste, and Sichuan peppercorns. The real version is 花椒-laden, searingly spicy, and transformative. ¥30–45 at most proper Sichuan restaurants. The version you’ve had outside China is nothing like this.
Dan Dan Noodles (担担面) Thin noodles with a sauce of sesame paste, chili oil, preserved vegetables, and minced pork. ¥15–25. A perfect quick lunch.
Chengdu-style Rabbit Head (兔头) A Chengdu speciality that looks alarming until you try it. Rabbit heads braised in mala spices, eaten by sucking out the brain and cheek meat. Popular with beer. ¥8–15 per head. Shuangliu area is the best place for rabbit head.
Twice-Cooked Pork (回锅肉) Pork belly that’s first boiled, then stir-fried with leeks and fermented black bean paste until the skin gets crispy. One of Sichuan’s best home-style dishes. Order it everywhere; the best version you’ll have is probably at a tiny restaurant you can barely find on a map.
Days 9–10: Chongqing
Chongqing is where Sichuan hotpot began and where it’s most extreme. The local version uses more beef tallow, more peppercorns, and more heat than the Chengdu version — significantly more. The city is also home to some unique street food that hasn’t spread to other cities.
Must Eat in Chongqing
Chongqing Hotpot: Take the cable car across the Yangtze River at night for views, then eat hotpot at Dezhuang or any local restaurant near Jiefangbei. The broth here is darker, more complex, and more brutal than Chengdu’s version.
Xiaomian (小面): Simple noodles with chili oil, peanuts, and preserved vegetables. Chongqing’s breakfast bowl. ¥8–12.
Chongqing-style Grilled Fish (烤鱼): Whole fish grilled over charcoal, served in a wok of boiling spiced broth with an absurd quantity of dried chilies. ¥60–100 per fish serving 2.
Days 11–12: Guangzhou
From spice to refinement: Cantonese cuisine is the opposite pole from Sichuan. The philosophy is restraint — let the freshness of the ingredients speak, use minimal seasoning, achieve complexity through technique rather than condiment.
Must Eat in Guangzhou
Dim Sum (饮茶 / 点心) The Cantonese breakfast/brunch ritual, called 饮茶 (yum cha, “drinking tea”) — a ceremony of steamer baskets and small plates arriving continuously. Essential dishes: har gow (shrimp dumplings), siu mai (pork and shrimp dumplings), char siu bao (BBQ pork buns), cheung fun (rice noodle rolls), egg tarts.
Best traditional teahouse for tourists: Panxi Restaurant (泮溪酒家) in Liwan District or Lian Xiang Lou (莲香楼) on Dishipu Street. Arrive at 8–9am. Expect ¥80–150 per person.
Roast Goose (烧鹅): Guangzhou’s roast goose is a revelation — lacquered, crispy-skinned, with gamy, juicy meat. Bingsheng Pinwei in Tianhe serves excellent versions. Half a goose: ¥80–120.
Clay Pot Rice (煲仔饭): Rice cooked in a clay pot over charcoal until the bottom develops a crispy crust, topped with Chinese sausage, salted fish, or preserved meats. A perfect winter dish. ¥35–60.
Wonton Noodle Soup (云吞面): Cantonese wonton soup — shrimp wontons in a clear pork broth with spring onion oil, served over thin egg noodles. Simplicity at its best. ¥25–40.
Days 13–14: Shunde (順德) — Cantonese Culinary Heartland
Shunde is a city within Foshan, 30 minutes from Guangzhou by metro. Among Chinese food people, it’s legendary as the true birthplace of modern Cantonese cuisine. The local chefs are obsessive about ingredient quality and technique. Three of Guangdong’s most famous traditional dishes originated here.
Why go: The restaurants in Shunde operate at a standard that Guangzhou itself can’t match for the local classics.
Must eat: Raw fish rice (鱼生), Shunde milk curd (双皮奶 — a steamed milk dessert of exceptional delicacy), scrambled eggs with milk (大良炒鲜奶), water snake soup (水蛇羹).
Practical logistics: Take the Guangfoshan Metro or Guangfo intercity rail from Guangzhou, about 40 minutes to Ronggui or Daliang station. Have lunch in Shunde, then return to Guangzhou for your flight.
Practical Food Tour Notes
Booking Flights and Trains
This route works well by high-speed train and domestic flight:
- Beijing → Xi’an: High-speed train (5 hours, ¥400–500 second class)
- Xi’an → Chengdu: High-speed train (3.5 hours, ¥350–450)
- Chengdu → Chongqing: High-speed train (1 hour, ¥100–150)
- Chongqing → Guangzhou: Fly (2 hours) or high-speed train (5 hours)
Book on Trip.com with your international credit card.
Budget
| Category | Per Day |
|---|---|
| Street food and local restaurants | ¥100–200 |
| Mid-range: mix of street food and proper restaurants | ¥200–400 |
| Special occasions (Peking duck, formal dim sum) | ¥300–600/dinner |
A 14-day food tour with serious eating at good restaurants but minimal luxury-level spending: budget approximately ¥3,000–4,500 for food alone, or roughly €400–600.