Culinary China

• Three regional kitchens in nine days: Sichuan, Cantonese and Shanghainese
• Cantonese dim sum breakfast at 07:00, ordered from the card by a guide who eats there
• A market walk and a two-dish cooking session in a Chengdu kitchen
• Shanghai wet-market morning, then soup dumplings made in front of you
• Vegetarian, halal and reduced-chilli versions arranged in all three cities

Day by day

1. Day 1 · Chengdu Arrival in Chengdu

   Arrive in Chengdu and transfer to a hotel near Chunxi Road. An easy first evening at a Sichuan restaurant, with the heat dialled down if that helps you settle in. Your guide maps the week's meals and takes note of any allergies.

2. Day 2 · Chengdu Market walk and Sichuan cooking class

   Start in a neighbourhood market with the cook, buying peppercorns, chillies, doubanjiang and seasonal greens. Back in the kitchen, cook two dishes — usually mapo tofu and a twice-cooked pork — and eat what you make. About three hours, hands-on throughout.

3. Day 3 · Chengdu Pandas, teahouse and hotpot

   Visit the panda base at opening, about 07:30, before the coaches arrive. In the afternoon, a bowl of jasmine tea at the People's Park teahouse. Dinner is a proper Chengdu hotpot, with a mild broth on request, followed by Sichuan opera face-changing.

4. Day 4 · Guangzhou Flight south to Guangzhou

   Fly to Guangzhou, the capital of Cantonese cooking. Spend the afternoon in the Liwan district, around the Chen Clan Ancestral Hall, where the older teahouses still serve morning and afternoon tea. An early night, because dim sum starts at dawn.

5. Day 5 · Guangzhou Dim sum breakfast and Qingping market

   Sit down to dim sum at 07:00, working through har gow, siu mai and rice rolls ordered from the card. Afterwards walk Qingping market, a warren of dried seafood, herbs and medicinal roots. Dinner is Cantonese roast — goose, char siu and crisp pork belly.

6. Day 6 · Guangzhou Shunde, the home of Cantonese food

   Day trip to Shunde, an hour from Guangzhou and considered the cradle of Cantonese cooking. Try double-skin milk pudding, steamed fish at a river restaurant and the local raw-fish preparation. Return to the city for a last Cantonese dinner.

7. Day 7 · Shanghai Flight to Shanghai

   Fly to Shanghai and check in near People's Square. The afternoon is for the Yu Garden and the old town, with a first taste of soup dumplings at a specialist shop. Evening walk on the Bund, best about half an hour after sunset.

8. Day 8 · Shanghai Wet market and soup dumplings

   A morning in a working wet market with your guide, looking at river shrimp, freshwater crab and the greens of the season. Watch xiaolongbao being pleated in a kitchen, then eat a steamer of your own. The afternoon is free for the French Concession.

9. Day 9 · Shanghai Departure

   A free morning for last shopping on Nanjing Road or a final bowl of noodles, then transfer to Pudong or Hongqiao. Direct services to LHR leave in the afternoon, arriving in the UK the same evening.

What stands out

Practical

Cities	Chengdu, Guangzhou, Shanghai
Internal flights	Two: Chengdu–Guangzhou and Guangzhou–Shanghai
Dim sum start	About 07:00, when the morning-tea kitchens open
Dietary options	Vegetarian, halal and reduced-chilli in all three cities
Best months	March–May and September–November
Group size	2–8 travellers
Trip length	9 days / 8 nights
Walking per day	6–9 km (4–5.5 miles), mostly on flat streets

Common questions

I do not eat chilli. Is that a problem?

No. Sichuan dishes are cooked with reduced or no chilli when asked, and Guangzhou and Shanghai food is largely mild already. Tell us your limits when you book and the guide builds every meal around them.

Can you cater for vegetarians and halal diets?

Yes, in all three cities. Chengdu has good Buddhist vegetarian restaurants, Guangzhou and Shanghai have both vegetarian and halal options, and the cooking class can be run meat-free.

How much of the trip is eating?

Two to three meals a day are built into the plan, with markets, a cooking class and a factory visit in between. There is free time each day too, so you are not eating from morning to night.

Do I need internal flights?

Yes, two short ones: Chengdu to Guangzhou and Guangzhou to Shanghai, each about two to two-and-a-half hours. Both are included in the price of the trip.

Where to next

• Chengdu and Sichuan
• Sichuan province guide
• Golden Triangle & the Giant Panda
• The Journal
• Plan a food trip