Itinerary · 14 days · balanced
First-timer China — 14 days with Yunnan loop
Two weeks covering the Beijing–Xi'an–Shanghai circuit plus a Yunnan extension through Kunming, Dali and Lijiang — the combination that most first-time visitors leave wishing they had done.
Fourteen days is the sweet spot for first-time visitors who want to see both the imperial north and the diverse southwest. The Yunnan block (days 8–12) slots naturally between Xi'an and Shanghai: fly Chengdu→Kunming, loop through Dali and Lijiang, then fly out to Shanghai. Yunnan's minority cultures, mountain scenery and altitude (Lijiang sits at 2,400m) make it feel entirely different from Beijing or Shanghai.
Day by day
Day 1 · beijing
Arrival, Forbidden City
Arrive Beijing PEK or PKX. Pre-booked Forbidden City tickets for mid-afternoon. Evening at Nanluoguxiang hutong.
Attractions: forbidden-city, nanluoguxiang
Stay in: Wangfujing or Dongcheng.
Day 2 · beijing
Great Wall at Mutianyu
Hired car to Mutianyu. Three to four hours on the wall. Back in Beijing by 3pm. Temple of Heaven late afternoon. Peking duck dinner.
Attractions: great-wall-mutianyu, temple-of-heaven
Day 3 · beijing
Summer Palace, Lama Temple
Morning Summer Palace — Long Corridor and Kunming Lake. Afternoon Lama Temple. Evening travel to Xi'an by HSR or overnight train.
Attractions: summer-palace, lama-temple
Evening HSR to Xi'an, 4h 30m, ¥515. Or Z-train overnight ¥300 sleeper.
Day 4 · xian
City Wall, Shaanxi History Museum
Arrive morning. Bicycle on the City Wall circuit. Afternoon Shaanxi History Museum (book online). Muslim Quarter for dinner.
Attractions: xian-city-wall, shaanxi-history-museum
Stay in: Inside the old city walls.
Day 5 · xian
Terracotta Army
Full morning at the Terracotta Army site. Afternoon: Small Wild Goose Pagoda. Evening departure to Chengdu by high-speed train.
Attractions: terracotta-army, small-wild-goose-pagoda
HSR Xi'an → Chengdu East, 3h 30m, ¥465.
Day 6 · chengdu
Panda Base, Jinsha Museum
Early Chengdu Panda Base (arrive before 9am for feeding). Afternoon: Jinsha Site Museum — Bronze Age Shu civilisation artefacts. Hot-pot dinner.
Attractions: panda-base-chengdu, jinsha-site-museum
Stay in: Jinli or Kuanzhai Xiangzi area.
Day 7 · chengdu
Wenshu Monastery, Kuanzhai Xiangzi
Leisurely morning at Wenshu Monastery. Afternoon in the Wide and Narrow Alley (Kuanzhai Xiangzi) — tea houses, Sichuan snacks, craft shops. Evening flight to Kunming.
Attractions: wenshu-monastery
Flight CTU → KMG, approx 1h, ¥300–500.
Day 8 · kunming
Stone Forest day trip
Morning rest and orientation in Kunming (the 'Spring City', mild year-round). Afternoon bus or driver to the Stone Forest (Shilin) — 90km southeast, remarkable limestone karst formations at ground level. Return to Kunming for the night.
Attractions: stone-forest
Stay in: Kunming city centre near Green Lake.
Day 9 · dali
High-speed train to Dali, Three Pagodas
Morning HSR Kunming → Dali (2h, ¥120). Arrive late morning. Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple after lunch. Wander the cobbled lanes of Dali Old Town. Erhai lakefront at sunset.
Attractions: dali-three-pagodas
Stay in: Dali Old Town — guesthouses on Renmin Lu or Fuxing Lu.
HSR Kunming → Dali, 2h, ¥120.
Day 10 · lijiang
Bus to Lijiang, Lijiang Old Town
Morning coach Dali → Lijiang (2.5h, ¥55). Lijiang Old Town is a UNESCO site of cobbled waterways and Naxi architecture at 2,400m elevation. Afternoon: wander the old town canals. Black Dragon Pool in the late afternoon for the jade peak reflection.
Attractions: lijiang-old-town, black-dragon-pool-lijiang
Stay in: Lijiang Old Town — near the central market square.
Coach Dali → Lijiang, 2.5h, ¥55.
Day 11 · lijiang
Jade Dragon Snow Mountain
Day trip to Jade Dragon Snow Mountain (cable car to 4,506m; hire a down jacket at the top). Tiger Leaping Gorge viewpoint on the return if time allows. Back in Lijiang for dinner at a Naxi restaurant.
Attractions: jade-dragon-snow-mountain, tiger-leaping-gorge
Day 12 · shanghai
Fly Lijiang to Shanghai, the Bund
Morning flight LJG → PVG (3h). Arrive mid-afternoon. Check in and walk the Bund in the early evening as the Pudong towers illuminate. French Concession dinner.
Attractions: the-bund, french-concession
Stay in: French Concession or near the Bund.
Flight LJG → PVG, approx 3h, ¥600–900.
Day 13 · shanghai
Yu Garden, Tianzifang, Shanghai Tower
Morning Yu Garden and Old Town. Afternoon Tianzifang for coffee and boutiques. Late afternoon: Shanghai Tower observation deck. Riverside dinner at a restaurant on the Bund.
Attractions: yu-garden, tianzifang, shanghai-tower
Day 14 · shanghai
Jade Buddha Temple, M50, departure
Morning: Jade Buddha Temple. A walk down Moganshan Road to the M50 art district. Lunch in Jing'an. Transfer to PVG for departure.
Attractions: jade-buddha-temple-shanghai, m50-art-district
Budget guide (CNY per day)
| Backpacker | ¥2800 |
| Mid-range | ¥7000 |
| Comfortable | ¥16000 |
Per person total 14 days including domestic flights (approx ¥2,500) and HSR. International flights excluded.
Attractions covered
- Forbidden City (Palace Museum)故宫
UNESCO
- Nanluoguxiang Hutong南锣鼓巷
- Great Wall — Mutianyu慕田峪长城
UNESCO
- Temple of Heaven天坛
UNESCO
- Summer Palace颐和园
UNESCO
- Lama Temple (Yonghe Gong)雍和宫
- Xi'an City Wall西安城墙
- Shaanxi History Museum陕西历史博物馆
- Terracotta Army兵马俑
UNESCO
- Small Wild Goose Pagoda小雁塔
- Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding成都大熊猫繁育研究基地
- Jinsha Site Museum金沙遗址博物馆
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