Itinerary · 14 days · balanced

Two weeks comprehensive — Beijing, Xi'an, Chengdu, Guilin, Shanghai

The expanded loop: adds the panda capital and the Li River karst landscape to the classic three.

14-day itinerary starting in Beijing — Beijing by CIA/NRO/USGS. Public domain · Source

Two weeks gives enough room to add Chengdu and Guilin/Yangshuo to the classic Beijing-Xi'an-Shanghai triangle — the five cities that collectively represent imperial, archaeological, contemporary, natural, and modern China. The routing flows geographically: Beijing north, Xi'an central, Chengdu southwest, Guilin south, Shanghai east — avoiding backtracking. Each city has three to four full days with comfortable pacing. The Guilin/Yangshuo portion is the most scenic deviation from the urban itinerary — the Li River cruise through karst limestone peaks is the most photographed landscape in China (the 20 yuan note). Yangshuo, 1.5 hours south of Guilin by bus, provides a more relaxed base than Guilin city for exploring the karst country by bicycle and raft. The domestic flights (Xi'an→Chengdu, Chengdu→Guilin) total approximately ¥2,000–¥3,000 per person; HSR alternatives exist but add significant time.

Day by day

Day 1 · beijing
Arrival, Tiananmen, National Museum
Arrive at PEK or PKX. Check in to hotel near Wangfujing or Qianmen — the most convenient areas for the imperial sites. Afternoon walk to Tiananmen Square and the National Museum of China (the world's most-visited museum; the history of China gallery requires at least 2 hours and is free with passport registration).
Attractions: tiananmen-square
Day 2 · beijing
Forbidden City and Jingshan
Pre-booked online tickets for the Forbidden City morning entry (book 3+ days ahead). Enter from Tiananmen; follow the central axis through the three main ceremonial halls. Climb Jingshan Park (Coal Hill) via the short northern path for the aerial view of the palace — 72 golden rooftops visible from the Wanshu Pavilion. Afternoon in Beihai Park or the hutong area north of the Drum Tower.
Attractions: forbidden-city
Day 3 · beijing
Great Wall day
Hired car to Mutianyu Great Wall (90 minutes from central Beijing). Cable car ascent; walk the 2 km restored section with watchtowers at intervals. The toboggan descent is an option (¥60 [VERIFY: current rate — May 2026]). Return by 4pm. Evening Peking duck dinner — Quanjude (founded 1864, the oldest Peking duck institution) or one of the newer specialist restaurants near Qianmen.
Attractions: great-wall-mutianyu
Day 4 · beijing
Temple of Heaven, hutongs, 798
Morning at the Temple of Heaven: the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, the Circular Mound Altar, and the Long Corridor where elderly Beijingers gather every morning for music, calligraphy, and exercise. Mid-morning walk through the hutongs around Houhai Lake — the traditional narrow-lane residential alleys that predate the modern city. Evening at the 798 Art District (Dashanzi) — factory buildings converted into galleries, cafés, and studios.
Attractions: temple-of-heaven, houhai-lakes, 798-art-district
Day 5 · xian
HSR to Xi'an, City Wall
Morning HSR Beijing West → Xi'an North (4.5 hours, ¥515 second class). Arrive mid-afternoon. Hire a bicycle at the South Gate and ride the top of the 14 km city wall — 1.5 hours for the full circuit. Dusk brings good light over the bell tower at the wall's centre. Dinner in the Muslim Quarter (Beiyuanmen food street) — roujiamo, paomo, cumin lamb.
Attractions: xian-city-wall, muslim-quarter-xian
HSR ¥515.
Day 6 · xian
Terracotta Army and Big Wild Goose Pagoda
Half-day at the Terracotta Army (Bingmayong) — 40 km east by taxi or tour bus. Pit 1 is the main spectacle; the Bronze Chariots Museum is in a separate building. Return by noon. Afternoon: Shaanxi History Museum (one of China's best collections of Tang-dynasty artefacts, free). Big Wild Goose Pagoda and the evening fountain show in the south plaza.
Attractions: terracotta-army, big-wild-goose-pagoda
Day 7 · chengdu
Fly to Chengdu, panda base prep, Wuhou Shrine
Short domestic flight Xi'an → Chengdu (1 hour, ¥600–¥1,000). Land at Chengdu Tianfu International Airport or Chengdu Shuangliu Airport. Afternoon at the Wuhou Shrine (武侯祠) — the Three Kingdoms memorial temple to Zhuge Liang, adjacent to the Jinli Street pedestrianised old commercial street. Evening hot pot — Chengdu is the hotpot capital; the numbing-spicy Sichuan variant is categorically different from Chongqing-style.
Attractions: wuhou-shrine
Domestic flight ~¥800–¥1,500.
Day 8 · chengdu
Pandas, then Leshan day trip
7am departure for the Giant Panda Breeding Research Base — arrive before 8am for the feeding. Return to the city by noon. Afternoon HSR to Leshan for the Giant Buddha — a 71m Tang-dynasty Maitreya carved into a cliff at the confluence of three rivers. The boat view from the water shows the full scale. Return to Chengdu by evening.
Attractions: panda-base-chengdu, leshan-giant-buddha
Day 9 · chengdu
Sichuan kitchen and free time
Morning Sichuan cooking class (dumplings, mapo tofu, dan dan mian) at a specialist school near the old town — ¥200–¥400 per person including ingredients and meals [VERIFY: current options — May 2026]. Alternatively: Dujiangyan Irrigation System (2,000-year-old water management, UNESCO, 1 hour from Chengdu by HSR) for a half-day engineering and history experience. Evening: final Chengdu hot pot dinner.
Attractions: dujiangyan-irrigation
Day 10 · guilin
Fly to Guilin, transfer to Yangshuo
Domestic flight Chengdu → Guilin Liangjiang International Airport (1.5 hours, ¥700–¥1,200). From Guilin airport, express bus south to Yangshuo (approximately 90 minutes, ¥45). Yangshuo is a small town at the southern end of the most scenic section of the Li River — surrounded by the characteristic karst peaks that appear on the ¥20 note. Check in and evening walk along the West Street area.
Stay in: Yangshuo town
Domestic flight ~¥800.
Day 11 · yangshuo
Yulong River bamboo rafting and cycling
Morning bamboo-raft ride on the Yulong River — a smaller, quieter tributary of the Li River with lower tourist density and dramatic karst peak reflections in the still water. Rafts are poled by local operators; the journey takes 1.5–2 hours. Afternoon bicycle ride through the Yangshuo countryside on the roads between Moon Hill, Big Banyan Tree, and the Impression Liu Sanjie outdoor performance area.
Attractions: yulong-river-bamboo-rafting
Day 12 · yangshuo
Li River cruise to Guilin
The Li River cruise (¥210–¥270 per person, 4 hours [VERIFY: current prices — May 2026]) runs upstream from Yangshuo jetty to Guilin city — or in reverse from Guilin south. The downstream direction (Guilin → Yangshuo) shows the most scenic sections of the river; the upstream direction (Yangshuo → Guilin) is less popular and slightly cheaper. The signature views: the 9-horse fresco hill, the Yellow Cloth Shoal reflection, and the Xilang Mountain section. Arrive Guilin city and take the afternoon flight to Shanghai.
Attractions: li-river-cruise
Cruise ¥270; flight Guilin KWL → Shanghai ~¥800.
Day 13 · shanghai
Bund and French Concession
Land at Pudong or Hongqiao. Check in to the French Concession or Bund-area hotel. Morning walk along the Bund waterfront — the kilometre-long colonial-era banking and trading facade on the west bank of the Huangpu, with the Pudong skyline (now including the three towers: Jin Mao, Shanghai World Financial Center, Shanghai Tower) directly opposite. Afternoon: French Concession walk — Wukang Mansion, Fuxing Park, Xintiandi. Yu Garden before closing.
Attractions: the-bund, french-concession, yu-garden
Day 14 · shanghai
Pudong and departure
Morning: Shanghai Tower observation deck — the second tallest building in the world, with views across the full Shanghai metropolitan area on a clear day. Shanghai Museum (free, pre-book timed entry) if time permits before the airport transfer. Depart from Pudong International Airport (PVG) by international flight.
Attractions: shanghai-tower, shanghai-museum

Budget guide (CNY per day)

Backpacker	¥750
Mid-range	¥1600
Comfortable	¥3800

Per day per person average. Add ¥4,000–¥6,000 total for inter-city domestic flights (Xi'an→Chengdu, Chengdu→Guilin, Guilin→Shanghai). HSR alternatives available but add 2–3 days.

Cities covered

Attractions covered

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Verified May 2026

Day by day

Day 1 · beijing

Arrival, Tiananmen, National Museum

Arrive at PEK or PKX. Check in to hotel near Wangfujing or Qianmen — the most convenient areas for the imperial sites. Afternoon walk to Tiananmen Square and the National Museum of China (the world's most-visited museum; the history of China gallery requires at least 2 hours and is free with passport registration).

Attractions: tiananmen-square

Day 2 · beijing

Forbidden City and Jingshan

Pre-booked online tickets for the Forbidden City morning entry (book 3+ days ahead). Enter from Tiananmen; follow the central axis through the three main ceremonial halls. Climb Jingshan Park (Coal Hill) via the short northern path for the aerial view of the palace — 72 golden rooftops visible from the Wanshu Pavilion. Afternoon in Beihai Park or the hutong area north of the Drum Tower.

Attractions: forbidden-city

Day 3 · beijing

Great Wall day

Hired car to Mutianyu Great Wall (90 minutes from central Beijing). Cable car ascent; walk the 2 km restored section with watchtowers at intervals. The toboggan descent is an option (¥60 [VERIFY: current rate — May 2026]). Return by 4pm. Evening Peking duck dinner — Quanjude (founded 1864, the oldest Peking duck institution) or one of the newer specialist restaurants near Qianmen.

Attractions: great-wall-mutianyu

Day 4 · beijing

Temple of Heaven, hutongs, 798

Morning at the Temple of Heaven: the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, the Circular Mound Altar, and the Long Corridor where elderly Beijingers gather every morning for music, calligraphy, and exercise. Mid-morning walk through the hutongs around Houhai Lake — the traditional narrow-lane residential alleys that predate the modern city. Evening at the 798 Art District (Dashanzi) — factory buildings converted into galleries, cafés, and studios.

Attractions: temple-of-heaven, houhai-lakes, 798-art-district

Day 5 · xian

HSR to Xi'an, City Wall

Morning HSR Beijing West → Xi'an North (4.5 hours, ¥515 second class). Arrive mid-afternoon. Hire a bicycle at the South Gate and ride the top of the 14 km city wall — 1.5 hours for the full circuit. Dusk brings good light over the bell tower at the wall's centre. Dinner in the Muslim Quarter (Beiyuanmen food street) — roujiamo, paomo, cumin lamb.

Attractions: xian-city-wall, muslim-quarter-xian

HSR ¥515.

Day 6 · xian

Terracotta Army and Big Wild Goose Pagoda

Half-day at the Terracotta Army (Bingmayong) — 40 km east by taxi or tour bus. Pit 1 is the main spectacle; the Bronze Chariots Museum is in a separate building. Return by noon. Afternoon: Shaanxi History Museum (one of China's best collections of Tang-dynasty artefacts, free). Big Wild Goose Pagoda and the evening fountain show in the south plaza.

Attractions: terracotta-army, big-wild-goose-pagoda

Day 7 · chengdu

Fly to Chengdu, panda base prep, Wuhou Shrine

Short domestic flight Xi'an → Chengdu (1 hour, ¥600–¥1,000). Land at Chengdu Tianfu International Airport or Chengdu Shuangliu Airport. Afternoon at the Wuhou Shrine (武侯祠) — the Three Kingdoms memorial temple to Zhuge Liang, adjacent to the Jinli Street pedestrianised old commercial street. Evening hot pot — Chengdu is the hotpot capital; the numbing-spicy Sichuan variant is categorically different from Chongqing-style.

Attractions: wuhou-shrine

Domestic flight ~¥800–¥1,500.

Day 8 · chengdu

Pandas, then Leshan day trip

7am departure for the Giant Panda Breeding Research Base — arrive before 8am for the feeding. Return to the city by noon. Afternoon HSR to Leshan for the Giant Buddha — a 71m Tang-dynasty Maitreya carved into a cliff at the confluence of three rivers. The boat view from the water shows the full scale. Return to Chengdu by evening.

Attractions: panda-base-chengdu, leshan-giant-buddha

Day 9 · chengdu

Sichuan kitchen and free time

Morning Sichuan cooking class (dumplings, mapo tofu, dan dan mian) at a specialist school near the old town — ¥200–¥400 per person including ingredients and meals [VERIFY: current options — May 2026]. Alternatively: Dujiangyan Irrigation System (2,000-year-old water management, UNESCO, 1 hour from Chengdu by HSR) for a half-day engineering and history experience. Evening: final Chengdu hot pot dinner.

Attractions: dujiangyan-irrigation

Day 10 · guilin

Fly to Guilin, transfer to Yangshuo

Domestic flight Chengdu → Guilin Liangjiang International Airport (1.5 hours, ¥700–¥1,200). From Guilin airport, express bus south to Yangshuo (approximately 90 minutes, ¥45). Yangshuo is a small town at the southern end of the most scenic section of the Li River — surrounded by the characteristic karst peaks that appear on the ¥20 note. Check in and evening walk along the West Street area.

Stay in: Yangshuo town

Domestic flight ~¥800.

Day 11 · yangshuo

Yulong River bamboo rafting and cycling

Morning bamboo-raft ride on the Yulong River — a smaller, quieter tributary of the Li River with lower tourist density and dramatic karst peak reflections in the still water. Rafts are poled by local operators; the journey takes 1.5–2 hours. Afternoon bicycle ride through the Yangshuo countryside on the roads between Moon Hill, Big Banyan Tree, and the Impression Liu Sanjie outdoor performance area.

Attractions: yulong-river-bamboo-rafting

Day 12 · yangshuo

Li River cruise to Guilin

The Li River cruise (¥210–¥270 per person, 4 hours [VERIFY: current prices — May 2026]) runs upstream from Yangshuo jetty to Guilin city — or in reverse from Guilin south. The downstream direction (Guilin → Yangshuo) shows the most scenic sections of the river; the upstream direction (Yangshuo → Guilin) is less popular and slightly cheaper. The signature views: the 9-horse fresco hill, the Yellow Cloth Shoal reflection, and the Xilang Mountain section. Arrive Guilin city and take the afternoon flight to Shanghai.

Attractions: li-river-cruise

Cruise ¥270; flight Guilin KWL → Shanghai ~¥800.

Day 13 · shanghai

Bund and French Concession

Land at Pudong or Hongqiao. Check in to the French Concession or Bund-area hotel. Morning walk along the Bund waterfront — the kilometre-long colonial-era banking and trading facade on the west bank of the Huangpu, with the Pudong skyline (now including the three towers: Jin Mao, Shanghai World Financial Center, Shanghai Tower) directly opposite. Afternoon: French Concession walk — Wukang Mansion, Fuxing Park, Xintiandi. Yu Garden before closing.

Attractions: the-bund, french-concession, yu-garden

Day 14 · shanghai

Pudong and departure

Morning: Shanghai Tower observation deck — the second tallest building in the world, with views across the full Shanghai metropolitan area on a clear day. Shanghai Museum (free, pre-book timed entry) if time permits before the airport transfer. Depart from Pudong International Airport (PVG) by international flight.

Attractions: shanghai-tower, shanghai-museum