The 15 Spa Days in China Worth the Detour

1.Shanghai:Authentic Chinese Body/Foot Massage, Hair& Head SPA

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 76 reviews · 1 hour · from $2Our pick

Meet Bonnie from China Voyagers for a clear introduction to Shanghai wellness traditions, then choose Tui Na, foot massage, cupping, moxibustion, or a hair and scalp spa. Expect a one-hour treatment, optional add-ons, tea and snacks, and help with translation and local arrangements.

“I highly recommend the massage at the SPA! The ladies were careful, polite and took a good care of us. Bonnie was really sweet and explained everything about the massages in detail. Great experience!”

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2.Shanghai Guided Royal Banquet Photo (Incl) with Massage Opt

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 47 reviews · 3 hours · from $20Top rated

Meet Bonnie or Xi at Shanghai’s Royal Banquet for a three-hour Chinese cultural show with court dance, live instruments, tea ritual, and a multi-course meal. Add costume, makeup, front-row seating, or a traditional massage. Your guide explains each ceremony and takes photos throughout the evening.

“I really enjoyed the whole experience. I paid to get hair, makeup and dressed up which was amazing. The show was very entertaining and the food tasted great.”

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3.Beijing : SHUIGUO luxury SPA & Recreation Club day ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 27 reviews · 6 - 16 hours · from $60

Shuiguo Hot Spring gives you a full day of baths, high-temperature saunas, salt caves, volcanic rock rooms, hydrotherapy, and relaxation spaces. Your $60 ticket includes a locker, towel, sauna clothes, fruit, drinks, Haagen-Dazs, and Lavanila ice cream. Massages, meals, and overnight stays cost extra.

“I can’t recommend this highly enough. For people who aren’t used to this kind of thing, because it’s not common in our countries - just go for it. Super relaxing and cleansing experience. The guide provided all the information I needed and the staff were very helpful”

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4.7-Day TaiChi & Qigong Wellness Retreat in China

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 20 reviews · from $100

Spend seven days at FangYuan TaiChi Centre near Jieyang, studying Qigong and Tai Chi in English with Master Ping and other senior teachers. You will complete about 20 hours of beginner-level training, learn Eight Brocade Qigong and 10 simple Tai Chi forms, eat three meals daily, and stay seven nights on site.

“This was my second stay here and the first for my partner. Once agin it was a wonderful experience. The training, accommodation, food and welcome was amazing. It is not the cheapest of Tai Chi course in China, but you are pampered and everyone agreed it was great valRead more”

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5.Chengdu: Sichuan Opera Show & Covered Bowl Tea & Massage

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 13 reviews · from $28

Spend 80 minutes at Sufeng Yayun in Chengdu’s old Qingyang Palace area, watching Sichuan opera, puppetry, shadow play, rolling lights, fire breathing, and face-changing. Your ticket includes gaiwan tea, sunflower seeds, and one selected extra such as a massage, ear cleaning, ice dessert, or souvenir.

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6.Hot Pot Dining Experience with Hot Spring Bathing or River Cruise in Shanghai

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 13 reviews · from $135

Choose a soak at Gokurakuyu or a one-hour Huangpu River Cruise, then share a hot pot dinner with a private guide. May and Alana are praised for clear English, helpful food choices, photos, and extra assistance. Hotel pickup and return transport are included.

“Our quick trip to Shanghai was made complete by our night boat tour and hot pot dinner. Alana was so helpful during a very busy time of the year. The lights were impressive and the VIP SEATS great! Her English was very good and she coulRead more”

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7.Chongqing Luxury Hot Spring and Massage Luxury Meal Private Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 6 reviews · from $10

Spend 6 to 7 hours with a private English-speaking guide, driver, and car, visiting Bishan Hot Springs near Jinyun Mountain, enjoying more than 30 pools, a Chinese-style massage, and an unlimited meal of 30 luxury dishes, drinks, and desserts.

“This is a perfect trip, very enjoyable, comfortable, relaxing, with the best hot springs in Chongqing, unlimited delicious food, and what I think is the best massage I have experienced in more than ten countries. Hot springs are like a paradise Read more”

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8.Private Day Trip: Outdoor Hot Spring Experience and Mutianyu Great Wall

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 5 reviews · from $228

You’ll visit Mutianyu with a private English-speaking guide, ride a cable car or chair lift, descend by cable car or toboggan, eat a Huairou-style lunch, then spend about two hours in Jiuhua Resort’s outdoor hot springs. Pickup covers hotels within Beijing’s 4th ring road.

“Fantastic day out - our guide was so kind and knowledgeable. We were taken to an amazing local restaurant where we ate the best traditional Chinese food imaginable. We took our 12 month old daughter, which they were extremely accomRead more”

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9.Flexible Airport Layover Tour of Shanghai City Highlights with Spa Option

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4 reviews · from $158

Use your Shanghai layover to see Old Town, the Bund, Pudong, the Former French Concession, and Nanjing Road with a private guide and driver. The route can be adjusted to your time and interests, with optional local food and a foot or body spa. Guides have included Sammi and Anie.

“Such an amazing experience. Sammi was an incredible host / tour guide, who went out of her way to show the best of Shanghai. Her in-depth knowledge of her home city proved very valuable as she knew the best places to visit. I only had Read more”

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10.3-Day Beijing Tour Tai Chi, Peking Duck, Hotpot and Spa

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews · from $559

See Beijing’s imperial landmarks and modern art scene in a small group of up to 15. You’ll practice Tai Chi, tour the Forbidden City and Mutianyu Great Wall, paint a Peking Opera mask, eat Peking Duck and hotpot, and explore hutongs, Olympic Park, 798, and Qianmen.

“We took the Shanghai tour last month and it was very amazing so we booked for this Beijing tour again. Beijing does feels very different from Shanghai, I guess it's a little bit more political. However, we did enjoy the tour a lot. Again, the activities are the ones attracts us the most. It's really a lot of fun!”

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11.Sanya Half Day Private Tour of Nantian Hot Spring

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 3 reviews · from $199

Leave Sanya with a private guide and driver for a four-hour visit to Nantian Hot Spring. Your admission, air-conditioned transport, and downtown hotel transfers are included. Choose from more than 20 pools, including fish, tea, milk, constant-temperature, and high-temperature options. Lunch costs extra.

“Morgan was really friendly and helpful. We had a rich 6 courses lunch and then we headed to the SPA. The building itself is a little bit old but there are plenty of pools, it is the perfect place to relax and have fun.”

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12.Chongqing: Active Wellness, Monorail, and Hidden Gems Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2 reviews · 8 hours · from $166

Spend eight hours with a private multilingual guide, visiting Eling Park, a Chinese garden, Erchang creative park, Liziba Monorail Station, cliffside paths, and a Taoist sanctuary. Meet Tai Chi master Tian for Baduanjin, taste fresh tea, and see Chongqing beyond its usual landmarks.

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13.Private Distinctive Market Tour with Shaomai Lunch and Full Massage in Beijing

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2 reviews · from $231

Spend eight hours with a private guide and driver visiting Beijing’s Panjiayuan Ghost Market, Hongqiao Pearl Market, and Liulichang Culture Street. You’ll eat Qing Dynasty-style shaomai at Duyichu and enjoy a 40-minute foot massage plus a 60-minute full-body massage.

“Sorry for the late review. I booked several private tours via Viator in Beijing. All went smoothly. My guide, Serena, spoke excellent English and was very efficient. She was also very friendly, took a genuine interest in me and took time to explain to me a lot of things about Chine, her way of life, food....would happily book again.”

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14.Summer Palace and Hot Spring Private Tour from Beijing

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2 reviews · from $172

Spend a private day with a guide such as Jack or Linda touring the Summer Palace, its painted Long Corridor, imperial halls, Marble Boat, and Kunming Lake. After lunch, unwind at a hot spring resort before a hotel drop-off. Entrance, transport, lunch, and guide are included.

“Jack was an excellent tour guide and a fantastic source of cultural knowledge. Not only was the tour fun, exciting, and relaxing. I found his attention to detail and kindness refreshing. I highly recommend anyone interested in a tour to book with this company and ask for Jack.”

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15.Stone Spa Experience Package

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2 reviews · from $38

At Stone Spa Centre in Kwun Tong, you change into a cotton bathrobe, lie on a heated natural-ore bed at about 45°C for 40 minutes, then cool down with lemon water, tea, and a seasonal dessert. The private experience lasts about 90 minutes, with the detailed schedule running close to 1 hour 40 minutes.

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