Has your client always dreamed of China, but never been sure where to begin? Here is your ticket to tailoring China to all manner of traveller.

CLIENT TYPE: A LUX LUSH

Sell them: The high end.

Tour of duty: Abercrombie & Kent China and the Yangtze.

Price point: $6995

Length: 14 days

Well done. You’ve hit the client jackpot, and this is a traveller that should keep coming back now you’ve targeted their fondness for all things extravagant.

Pull out the Abercrombie & Kent (A&K) brochure and watch them froth at the mouth over hotel brands whose reputation precedes them. Four Seasons, Shangri-La and The Peninsula are sure to have them drawing out the credit card.

This indulgent expedition also offers the opportunity to take a cable car to the Great Wall, if your client is too posh to walk. There’s even a therapeutic tai chi class at the Temple of Heaven – one could not imagine a more serene place to practise the ancient art.

The closest to slumming it on this trip is a very sedate activity – riding like a local with a pedicab through a Beijing neighbourhood where only the narrowest of vehicles can pass.

There’s also noodle and dumpling making sessions, cycling and a local family visit.

A&K tries to incorporate philanthropy into its trips and this comes to the fore in Chengdu, the home of pandas. The tour company supports a conservation project here. There’s even an extension to Hong Kong to round off the trip with a spot of luxury shopping.

CLIENT TYPE: ALL-IN 

Sell them: The comprehensive.

Tour of duty: China Bestours China Panorama

Price point: From $5480 land only and $6280 including flights.

Length: 23 days

This client wants it all and the luxury of time to take it in. So recommend this little gem of a tour from China Bestours, which kicks off in an unexpected way.

Instead of the big cities, you will be immersed in the Stone Forest on the second day, the highest limestone area in the world.

There are temples, bird and flower markets, as well as a visit to the mystical Shangri-la. Your clients will see it all, from the plateaus and plains of high altitude Tibet, to the river and ravines of the Yangtze and Tiger Leaping Gorge. There are also visits to Lijiang, Guilin and Yangshuo before hitting the highs of Shanghai on day ten.

Clients will be enthralled at the prospect of Suzhou – all you need say is that it is the Venice of the East, and their interest will be piqued.

This trip is anything but rushed and will suit the traveller who wants to meander and soak the destination up. This experience is especially encapsulated by the four-night cruise along the Yangtze. Then comes the hefty whack of history found in Xian, with the tour rounding off in Beijing for four nights.

Standouts in this most expansive of cities include lunch with a local Chinese family.

CLIENT TYPE: THE FOODIE

Sell them: An all-you-can-eat experience.

Tour of duty: Insider Journeys’ (formerly Travel Indochina) China Culinary Discovery.

Price point: From $4470.

Length: 11 days.

Right, you have zoned into a weakness that is fairly universal. Rare it is to find a client who doesn’t get excited by the prospect of an authentic culinary escapade. This sell is the best of both worlds because it ticks off all the sights you would want in a trip to China, but offers added depth in the form of cooking classes and taste tests.

The history and culture of China can be exemplified in its food and the guide will tap into this vein throughout the eleven-day journey.

It kicks off in Beijing, an overwhelming swirl of hawker stalls and markets that sell every animal that you would never want to eat. But the opportunity is there, if your client is brave and strong-stomached.

The first foodie tour takes place in Beijing’s hutongs, ancient alleyways where clients can sample everything from the area’s home cooking to Beijing custard. You cannot come to Beijing and not have Peking Duck, and those at Insider Journeys say they have found the best in the city.

In Xian, clients will get to visit and taste the markets in the Muslim Quarter. In Chengdu, it’s all about the sizzling Sichuan cuisine, which will be tasted at a local home, with the chance to help prepare the meal. The tour wraps up in Shanghai with its signature soup dumplings. Delicious.

CLIENT TYPE: THE SPIRITUAL SEEKER

Sell them: Into the mystic.

Tour of duty: Travman’s Tibet and Beyond.

Price point: $4581.

Length: 14 days.

The land of colourful prayer flags flapping in high altitude winds and ruddy-cheeked children in bright robes, Tibet is a destination that will ignite your client’s passion for meaning and peace. The former home of Buddhism’s spiritual leader, the great Dalai Lama, Tibet is a religious experience for every visitor regardless of his or her personal beliefs.

This tour starts in the capital, Beijing, and continues to Xian before reaching the transcendent terminus of Lhasa, the capital of Tibet. Known as the Roof of the World, there is plenty of time for reflection, with the first day free.

Then it’s time to appreciate the striking temples and monasteries and the reverence that people show to these monuments.

Potala Palace is an icon of Tibet while the Jokhang Temple offers an opportunity to mingle with local pilgrims. At the Sera Monastery your client may see monks debate before a visit to a local family with a home cooked meal.

The last day in Tibet also incorporates free time to interact with the locals, practise yoga and meditate.

The tour is bookended by the two big cities, and Shanghai ends the itinerary, taking in the Bund and nearby Suzhou.

CLIENT TYPE: THE HIPPIE

Sell them: The nature lover.

Tour of duty: Wendy Wu Dreams of Nature.

Price: From $5090.

Length: 19 days.

You’re going to need the brochure for this one. The stunning photography of the destinations on this 19-day tour will be enough to sell the nature lover in, and sell them fast.

Shanghai might be the starting point but there are still nature experiences, including a river cruise. Next stop Mt Huang, where craggy granite mountains are met by massive trees with branches on the horizontal, of the style normally seen in bonsai. Two nights are spent here, one at the foot of the mountain and one at the peak.

After that it’s onto Zhangjiajie, which was the inspiration for the floating mountains in the film Avatar. There are 3000 sandstone pillars here but the beauty lies in the contrast of forest growing amongst the rock, mingled with morning mists that do make the peaks appear to hover in the air.

Then it’s on to Wulong, with its natural three bridges, fissures and caves. Nine Villages Valley is next, with its crystalline teal lakes and lime vegetation. There’s also the rainbow pools in Huanglong.

The tour wraps up with what is sure to delight this Attenborough fan: a trip to the panda breeding centre of Chengdu.