7 days in China for the first time: Beijing, Xi'an, Shanghai

This is the classic first-week route: three cities, two high-speed train legs, and enough slack to recover from jet lag. It is not the cheapest or the most relaxing version, but it gives you the essential range of China without spending the week in transit.

Route at a glance

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

• Beijing–Xi’an: about 4.5–5.5 hours by high-speed train.
• Xi’an–Shanghai: about 6–7 hours by high-speed train, or a 2-hour flight.
• Book trains about 15 days out; popular morning departures sell out.

Day 1 — Land in Beijing

Arrive at PEK or PKX, activate your eSIM, test Alipay, and take the airport express or a DiDi to your hotel. Stay in Dongcheng or around Gulou for the first visit.

Keep the first evening small: a walk, a bowl of noodles, an early night. Jet lag from Europe or North America is real, and Beijing rewards early starts.

Day 2 — Imperial Beijing

• Morning: Forbidden City at opening. Enter from the south (Meridian Gate), exit north. Book with your passport in advance; it is closed on Mondays.
• Midday: Jingshan Park for the view over the palace roofs, then lunch in the hutongs.
• Afternoon: Walk from Gulou to Houhai, or visit the Temple of Heaven if you have energy.
• Evening: Peking duck. Book ahead; the famous places fill up.

Day 3 — The Great Wall

Go to Mutianyu rather than Badaling. Leave by 7:30am, take the cable car up, walk a section, and toboggan or cable car down. You will be back in the city by mid-afternoon.

Use the remaining time for the Temple of Heaven or a hutong tea house. Do not add another major sight; the wall day is more tiring than it looks.

Day 4 — Train to Xi’an

Take a morning high-speed train from Beijing West to Xi’an North (about 4.5–5.5 hours). Drop your bags at a hotel inside the city wall.

• Late afternoon: Walk the Muslim Quarter and graze: roujiamo, biangbiang noodles, persimmon cakes.
• Evening: Walk the South Gate section of the city wall at sunset.

Day 5 — Terracotta Army and the wall

• Morning: Terracotta Army. Leave by 8am; the site is 45–60 minutes from the city. See Pit 1 first, then the smaller pits and the museum.
• Afternoon: Back to the city for the Shaanxi History Museum (book ahead) or the Big Wild Goose Pagoda.
• Evening: Cycle the city wall if you did not do it yesterday, then eat near the Bell Tower.

Day 6 — Train or fly to Shanghai

Take a morning high-speed train (6–7 hours) or a short flight. Check in around the Former French Concession or Jing’an.

• Late afternoon: Walk the Bund from north to south, then take the ferry across to Pudong for the skyline.
• Evening: Eat xiaolongbao and walk the illuminated Bund again. It is worth seeing twice.

Day 7 — Shanghai and departure

• Morning: French Concession walk: plane trees, lane houses, coffee, maybe the Shanghai Museum if your flight is late.
• Afternoon: Yu Garden and the old bazaar, or West Bund if you prefer contemporary art.
• Departure: Pudong is about 45–60 minutes from the centre by metro or taxi. Leave three hours before an international flight.

Where to stay

• Beijing: Dongcheng hutong area, walkable to the Forbidden City.
• Xi’an: inside the city wall, near the Bell Tower or South Gate.
• Shanghai: Former French Concession or Jing’an, west of the river.

What to book ahead

• Forbidden City
• Mutianyu transfer or tour
• Beijing–Xi’an and Xi’an–Shanghai trains
• Terracotta Army ticket
• Shaanxi History Museum
• Shanghai Museum (if visiting)

What to skip if you are tired

• The Temple of Heaven and Jingshan can be swapped; do not try both on the Forbidden City day.
• The Shanghai Tower observation deck is optional; the Bund view is free.
• The Xi’an Tang show is optional; the wall at sunset is better.

Budget guide

Mid-range, excluding international flights: roughly $120–180 per person per day for hotels, food, transport and attractions. Lean travelers can do it for $70–100 by using hostels, local restaurants and second-class trains.