Slow travel China — 14 days, fewer cities, deeper neighbourhoods

Day by day

1. Day 1 · xian

   Arrival Xi'an, Muslim Quarter wander

   Arrive Xi'an. Check in to a guesthouse inside the City Wall. Afternoon walk to the Muslim Quarter — not for the tourist stalls, but for the morning pastry shops (still open in the afternoon). A quiet introduction to the city before the main sites.

   Stay in: Inside the City Wall, near the South Gate or Defu Lane area.

2. Day 2 · xian

   Terracotta Army

   Full morning at the Terracotta Army (allow three hours minimum). Afternoon back in the city: Shaanxi History Museum for the broader context of Qin and Tang dynasty China.

   Attractions: terracotta-army, shaanxi-history-museum

3. Day 3 · xian

   City Wall cycle and local streets

   Hire a bicycle on the City Wall and ride the full 13.7km circuit (1.5h). Spend the afternoon walking the residential streets inside the Wall — quieter lanes behind the tourist axis. Small Wild Goose Pagoda and Tang Paradise garden in the late afternoon.

   Attractions: xian-city-wall, small-wild-goose-pagoda

4. Day 4 · xian

   Famen Temple day trip

   Day trip west to Famen Temple (1.5h by coach or hired car) — a Tang dynasty Buddhist complex holding finger bone relics of the Buddha. The underground crypt museum contains gold and silver vessels; the modern reliquary building by Andrew Berman is architecturally notable. Return to Xi'an for dinner.

   Attractions: famen-temple

5. Day 5 · xian

   Huaqing Palace, free afternoon

   Morning: Huaqing Palace and hot springs east of the city — Tang emperor Xuanzong's retreat, and the setting for the Xi'an Incident of 1936. Return by noon. Afternoon completely free — explore the Baxian Temple area or simply sit in a tea house near the Drum Tower.

   Attractions: hua-qing-palace

6. Day 6 · chengdu

   HSR to Chengdu, Wenshu Monastery

   Morning HSR Xi'an → Chengdu (3h 30m). Check in to a guesthouse near Kuanzhai Xiangzi. Afternoon at Wenshu Monastery — active Buddhist temple, tea house in the courtyard. No hurry today.

   Attractions: wenshu-monastery

   Stay in: Kuanzhai Xiangzi or Jinli area.

   HSR Xi'an → Chengdu East, 3h 30m, ¥465.

7. Day 7 · chengdu

   Panda Base and city markets

   Early Panda Base visit (leave by 11am before peak crowds). Afternoon: local Chengdu — the Qingyang Palace Taoist temple, a tea house in People's Park, and a leisurely stroll through the Yulin neighbourhood.

   Attractions: panda-base-chengdu

8. Day 8 · chengdu

   Leshan Giant Buddha

   Full day trip to Leshan (2.5h by tourist bus or 1.5h by fast train). The giant cliff Buddha and the riverside monastery complex. Return by early evening.

   Attractions: leshan-giant-buddha

9. Day 9 · chengdu

   Sanxingdui Museum, cooking class

   Morning: Sanxingdui Museum (40km north — Bronze Age Shu Kingdom masks). Afternoon: a Sichuan cooking class (several reputable English-language options near Kuanzhai Xiangzi). Hot-pot dinner is optional given the cooking class.

   Attractions: sanxingdui-museum

10. Day 10 · lijiang

    Fly to Lijiang, Old Town lanes

    Morning flight CTU → LJG (1h 40m). Arrive early afternoon. Drop bags at a guesthouse inside the old town. Spend the afternoon walking without purpose — the stone-paved waterway lanes reveal more slowly than rushing will show. Dinner at a small Naxi restaurant.

    Attractions: lijiang-old-town

    Stay in: Lijiang Old Town — a courtyard guesthouse (naxi-style) is the appropriate choice.

    Domestic flight CTU → LJG, 1h 40m, ¥350–500.

11. Day 11 · lijiang

    Jade Dragon Snow Mountain

    Cable car to 4,506m — hire a down jacket at the base (¥30 deposit). Two hours at altitude. Return to Lijiang by noon. Afternoon at the Black Dragon Pool — the jade peak reflection across the water.

    Attractions: jade-dragon-snow-mountain, black-dragon-pool-lijiang

12. Day 12 · lijiang

    Shuhe Old Town, Tiger Leaping Gorge viewpoint

    Morning at Shuhe Old Town — a quieter satellite of Lijiang's UNESCO zone, less commercialised. Afternoon drive to the Tiger Leaping Gorge lower viewpoint (45 min) for the river gorge scenery.

    Attractions: shuhe-old-town, tiger-leaping-gorge

13. Day 13 · lijiang

    Slow day — tea, market, reading

    A day with no fixed plan. The morning market off the main square sells local vegetables and Naxi medicinal herbs. Sit in a tea house and read. Naxi traditional music performance at the Naxi Ancient Music Hall in the evening (ticketed).

14. Day 14 · lijiang

    Depart Lijiang

    Fly LJG → Kunming or directly to a hub city for an international connection. If time allows before the flight, a final walk through the northern quarter of the old town — quieter and more residential than the central market.

    Flight LJG → Kunming (45 min) or LJG → Chengdu/Beijing/Shanghai for connection.

Budget guide (CNY per day)

Per person total 14 days including HSR (¥465) and domestic flights (approx ¥900). Slow travel reduces transport costs but extends accommodation spend. International flights excluded.