Itinerary · 7 days · balanced
Beijing + Xi'an + Shanghai — 7-day first-timer circuit
The canonical first-time China loop: two days in imperial Beijing, one day in Xi'an for the Terracotta Army, and two days in Shanghai. Linked by HSR throughout.
This is the route that most first-time visitors settle on when they have a full week. Beijing is the imperial capital; Xi'an holds the Terracotta Army and the Muslim Quarter; Shanghai is the modern face of China. The HSR connections are simple — Beijing to Xi'an is 4h 30m, Xi'an to Shanghai is 6h on the G-train. A week covers the headlines at a reasonable pace without forcing early starts every day.
Day by day
Day 1 · beijing
Arrival, Tiananmen, Forbidden City
Land at PEK or PKX. Hotel near Wangfujing. Pre-booked Forbidden City tickets (book online at least a week ahead). Allow three to four hours. Evening: rooftop view from Jingshan Park, dinner in Qianmen.
Attractions: forbidden-city, jingshan-park
Stay in: Wangfujing or Dongcheng — convenient for the imperial axis.
Day 2 · beijing
Great Wall, Temple of Heaven
Hired car to Mutianyu (1.5h). Three to four hours on the wall. Back in Beijing by 3pm. Temple of Heaven in the late afternoon — early morning is busier but the light is better at 4pm. Nanluoguxiang hutong for the evening.
Attractions: great-wall-mutianyu, temple-of-heaven, nanluoguxiang
Day 3 · beijing
Summer Palace, Lama Temple
Morning at the Summer Palace — a full two hours is enough to cross the Long Corridor and take a boat on Kunming Lake. Afternoon: Lama Temple (Yonghe Gong). Evening HSR or overnight train to Xi'an.
Attractions: summer-palace, lama-temple
Evening G-class HSR to Xi'an, 4h 30m, ¥515 second class. Or overnight Z-train (¥300 hard sleeper).
Day 4 · xian
City Wall and Muslim Quarter
Arrive Xi'an morning or noon depending on train. Rent a bicycle on the City Wall and ride the 13.7km circuit (1.5h). Afternoon: Shaanxi History Museum (free, book ahead). Evening: Beiyuanmen Muslim Quarter food street — liangpi, roujiamo, hand-pulled noodles.
Attractions: xian-city-wall, shaanxi-history-museum
Stay in: Inside the City Wall, near South Gate or East Gate.
Day 5 · xian
Terracotta Army
Full morning at the Terracotta Army complex — Pits 1, 2, 3, and the Bronze Chariots Museum. The display is spread over a large site; allow three hours minimum. Afternoon: small Wild Goose Pagoda and the surrounding Tang Paradise garden. Evening: Datang Everbright City pedestrian street for Tang-dynasty street theatre.
Attractions: terracotta-army, small-wild-goose-pagoda
Day 6 · shanghai
HSR to Shanghai, the Bund
Morning G-train Xi'an North → Shanghai Hongqiao (6h, ¥670 second class). Arrive early afternoon. Walk the Bund as the light changes. Dinner in the French Concession.
Attractions: the-bund, french-concession
Stay in: French Concession or Jing'an — both practical and atmospheric.
G-class HSR Xi'an North → Shanghai Hongqiao, 6h, ¥670 second class.
Day 7 · shanghai
Yu Garden, Pudong, departure
Morning at Yu Garden and the Old Town bazaar. Afternoon: cross to Pudong, Shanghai Tower observation deck, then the waterfront esplanade back to the Bund side. Transfer to PVG or SHA for departure.
Attractions: yu-garden, shanghai-tower
Budget guide (CNY per day)
| Backpacker | ¥1100 |
| Mid-range | ¥2800 |
| Comfortable | ¥6500 |
Per person total 7 days including HSR fares (approx ¥1,200 total rail). International flights excluded.
Cities covered
Attractions covered