10 days in China: Beijing, Xi'an, Chengdu and Shanghai

Ten days is enough for four cities if you resist the urge to add a fifth. This route keeps the long train legs to the morning and gives Chengdu two full nights, which is where the trip slows down in a good way.

Route at a glance

Beijing (3 nights) → Xi’an (2 nights) → Chengdu (2 nights) → Shanghai (2 nights)

• Beijing–Xi’an: 4.5–5.5 hours by train.
• Xi’an–Chengdu: 3–4 hours by train.
• Chengdu–Shanghai: 11–12 hours by train, or a 3-hour flight. Fly this leg.

Day 1 — Arrive in Beijing

Land, activate your eSIM, and get to your hotel in Dongcheng or Gulou. Keep the evening light.

Day 2 — Forbidden City and the hutongs

• Forbidden City at opening (book ahead, closed Mondays).
• Jingshan Park for the view.
• Hutong lunch, then the Temple of Heaven in the afternoon.
• Peking duck for dinner.

Day 3 — Great Wall at Mutianyu

Leave early, walk the wall, and be back by mid-afternoon. Use the evening for a hutong walk or a low-key dinner.

Day 4 — Train to Xi’an

Morning train to Xi’an. Check in inside the wall.

• Muslim Quarter food walk.
• City wall at sunset.
• Early night before the Terracotta Army.

Day 5 — Terracotta Army and Xi’an

• Terracotta Army in the morning.
• Shaanxi History Museum or Big Wild Goose Pagoda in the afternoon.
• Dinner near the Bell Tower.

Day 6 — Train to Chengdu

Morning train to Chengdu (3–4 hours). Check in around Chunxi Road or Wuhou.

• People’s Park teahouse in the afternoon.
• Sichuan hotpot for dinner. Order a split pot if you need it.

Day 7 — Pandas and Chengdu

• Panda Base at opening. Leave by 10:30.
• Wuhou Shrine or the Chengdu Museum.
• Kuanzhai Alley in the evening, or a Sichuan opera show if you want the spectacle.

Day 8 — Fly to Shanghai

Morning flight to Shanghai (about 3 hours). Check in around the Former French Concession.

• Afternoon walk in the French Concession.
• The Bund at dusk, ferry to Pudong, skyline at night.

Day 9 — Shanghai

• Shanghai Museum or West Bund in the morning.
• Yu Garden and the old bazaar, or a half-day trip to Suzhou if you are ambitious (23–35 minutes by train).
• Final dinner: xiaolongbao or a proper Shanghainese restaurant.

Day 10 — Departure

Morning coffee, last walk, and off to PVG. Leave three hours before an international flight.

Where to stay

• Beijing: Dongcheng hutong area.
• Xi’an: inside the wall, near Bell Tower.
• Chengdu: Chunxi Road or Wuhou.
• Shanghai: French Concession or Jing’an.

What to book ahead

• Forbidden City
• Mutianyu transfer
• Beijing–Xi’an, Xi’an–Chengdu trains
• Terracotta Army
• Panda Base
• Chengdu–Shanghai flight
• Shanghai Museum

Pace notes

• Days 4 and 6 are travel days; do not schedule a major attraction on both.
• If you want a slower trip, cut Shanghai to one night and add a day in Chengdu.
• If you want nature, swap Shanghai for Guilin/Yangshuo, but add two days.

Budget guide

Mid-range, excluding international flights: $120–180 per person per day. The Chengdu–Shanghai flight is the main variable; book early.