This itinerary moves through four cities by a mix of HSR and domestic flights, with no overnight trains (which disrupt young children's sleep). The Chengdu Panda Base is frequently cited as the highlight of China trips by children. Shanghai Disneyland is included as an optional extra on day nine — families should decide in advance whether that replaces the city sightseeing or adds a full day.

Day by day

Day 1 · beijing

Arrival Beijing, Tiananmen

Arrive Beijing. Wide, open Tiananmen Square for the first afternoon — low effort, high impact. Dinner near Wangfujing.

Stay in: Wangfujing or Dongcheng — central, family room availability good.

Day 2 · beijing

Forbidden City and Jingshan

Pre-booked tickets, half-day at the Forbidden City (south courts and main halls). Jingshan Park after lunch. Rest in the afternoon.

Attractions: forbidden-city, jingshan-park

Day 3 · beijing

Great Wall, toboggan

Hired minivan to Mutianyu. Cable car up, wall walk, toboggan descent — the highlights for most children. Back by 4pm. Beihai Park paddle boats if energy allows.

Attractions: great-wall-mutianyu, beihai-park

Day 4 · xian

HSR to Xi'an, City Wall

Morning G-train (4h 30m). Arrive lunchtime. Afternoon bicycle circuit on the City Wall. Dinner: Muslim Quarter street food.

Attractions: xian-city-wall

Stay in: Inside the City Wall.

G-class HSR ¥515 second class.

Day 5 · xian

Terracotta Army

Full morning at the Terracotta Army. Back by 2pm. Afternoon: Shaanxi History Museum (book free tickets online). Early dinner and rest.

Attractions: terracotta-army, shaanxi-history-museum

Day 6 · chengdu

Fly to Chengdu, Jinli Street

Morning flight XIY → CTU (1.5h). Afternoon settle in. Jinli Old Street for snacks and craftwork — good browsing for children. Hot-pot dinner (mild broth options available for children).

Attractions: wenshu-monastery

Stay in: Jinli area — good central location.

Domestic flight XIY → CTU, 1.5h, ¥300–600.

Day 7 · chengdu

Panda Base, Sanxingdui Museum

Early 8am Panda Base visit — feeding at 9am is the draw. Back in town by noon. Afternoon: Sanxingdui Museum (40km north, worth the trip — the Bronze Age masks are extraordinary for children who like ancient mysteries).

Attractions: panda-base-chengdu, sanxingdui-museum

Day 8 · chengdu

Leshan Giant Buddha day trip

Day trip to Leshan (2h by coach or river boat). The giant stone Buddha carved from a cliff face is 71m tall — the scale is genuinely arresting for children. Return to Chengdu by early evening. Flight to Shanghai overnight or early morning.

Attractions: leshan-giant-buddha

Day 9 · shanghai

Fly to Shanghai — Bund and Old Town

Morning flight CTU → PVG (2.5h). Check in. Afternoon at Yu Garden Old Town — manageable for children, good street snacks. The Bund walk in the early evening for Pudong lights. Optional: replace with Shanghai Disneyland (book tickets and shuttle from the hotel in advance).

Attractions: yu-garden, the-bund

Stay in: Pudong or French Concession — both have family-friendly hotel options.

Domestic flight CTU → PVG, 2.5h, ¥600–900.

Day 10 · shanghai

Shanghai Natural History Museum, departure

Morning at the Shanghai Natural History Museum — genuinely excellent for children, with well-labelled English displays and a dinosaur skeleton hall. Afternoon: Tianzifang browsing. Transfer to PVG for departure.

Attractions: shanghai-natural-history-museum, tianzifang

Per adult total 10 days including domestic flights (approx ¥1,500) and HSR. Children under 1.2m travel free on HSR and enter most state museums free.

Backpacker	¥2000
Mid-range	¥5500
Comfortable	¥13000

Family China classic — 10 days Beijing, Xi'an, Chengdu, Shanghai