Sample 10-day itinerary for a first trip to China. Three cities, three very different sides of the country: imperial Beijing and the Great Wall, the Terracotta Army in Xi’an, and Shanghai’s waterfront. Each day has one main visit and time to rest, so it works for couples, families and small groups.
At a glance
- Route: Beijing (4 nights) · Xi’an (2 nights) · Shanghai (3 nights)
- Best for: first-time visitors, families with older children, small private groups
- Best season: March to May and September to November; possible all year
- Pace: moderate, with a free day in Shanghai
- Hotels: central 4-star or 5-star hotels, chosen to keep transfers short
Day by day
Day 1 · Arrive in Beijing. Your guide meets you at the airport for the private transfer to the hotel. Keep the evening free, or take a short walk and an easy dinner nearby.
Day 2 · Tiananmen Square and the Palace Museum. Spend the morning in the Forbidden City with your guide. In the afternoon, walk or take a rickshaw through the hutong lanes around Shichahai, with tea or a family-style lunch along the way.
Day 3 · The Great Wall at Mutianyu. Drive about 1.5 hours to Mutianyu, one of the best-restored sections. A cable car takes you up, so the walk can be as short or long as you like. Return to Beijing for a Peking duck dinner.
Day 4 · Temple of Heaven and the Summer Palace. Watch local residents exercise in the Temple of Heaven park in the morning, then spend the afternoon by the lake at the Summer Palace. Optional evening acrobatics show.
Day 5 · High-speed train to Xi’an. The train takes about 4.5 to 6 hours. In the evening, explore the food streets of the Muslim Quarter near the Drum Tower.
Day 6 · The Terracotta Army. Drive about an hour to the Terracotta Army and spend the morning in the excavation pits. In the late afternoon, cycle or walk a section of the Ming-dynasty City Wall.
Day 7 · Fly to Shanghai. The flight takes about 2.5 hours. In the late afternoon, walk the Bund and watch the Pudong skyline light up across the Huangpu River.
Day 8 · Old and new Shanghai. Visit Yu Garden and the old town in the morning. After lunch, walk the tree-lined streets of the former French Concession.
Day 9 · A free day or a day trip. Rest, shop or join an optional day trip to a canal town such as Zhujiajiao, or to Hangzhou’s West Lake, about an hour away by high-speed train.
Day 10 · Depart. Private transfer to Pudong or Hongqiao airport.
Getting between cities
- Beijing to Xi’an: high-speed train, about 4.5 to 6 hours
- Xi’an to Shanghai: domestic flight, about 2.5 hours (the train takes 6 hours or more)
Included in the sample quote
- 9 nights in hotels with daily breakfast
- Private guide and vehicle on touring days, and private airport and station transfers
- High-speed train tickets and the domestic flight in economy class
- Entrance tickets for the visits named above
- Three lunches and the Peking duck dinner
Not included
- International flights, visas and travel insurance
- Meals and drinks not listed, optional activities and tips
Adjust it for your group
Add a night in Hangzhou, swap Xi’an for Chengdu and its pandas, or finish with a few beach days in Sanya. The Palace Museum is closed on most Mondays and needs advance booking with passport details, so we set the order of the Beijing days around your arrival date.
Prices
Travelling yourself? Send us your dates and group size for a price based on your hotel choice. Travel agencies can request net rates by group size and hotel level.