Short answer: A first 10-day trip to China works best as Beijing (4 days), Xi’an (2 days) and Shanghai (4 days), linked by high-speed train. That gives you the Great Wall and the Forbidden City, the Terracotta Army, and modern Shanghai, with one slower day in each city so the trip does not turn into a checklist. Book trains as soon as tickets go on sale, about 15 days before departure, and book the Forbidden City 7 days ahead at 20:00 Beijing time. Prices and times below are ranges and examples, not fixed fares — seasonal variation and timetable changes apply.
Last updated: 29 October 2026. Train times, ticket prices, booking windows and opening hours change — check the live timetable and the official booking page on the day. Real-device screenshots will be added later; this guide is text-only for now.
At a glance: the 10-day route
| Days | City | Main sights | Move |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–4 | Beijing | Forbidden City, Great Wall, Temple of Heaven, hutongs | Arrive; metro and taxi in the city |
| 5–6 | Xi’an | Terracotta Army, city wall, Muslim Quarter | Beijing–Xi’an high-speed train, about 4–6 hours |
| 7–10 | Shanghai | The Bund, Yu Garden, French Concession, day trip | Xi’an–Shanghai high-speed train, about 6–7 hours, or a flight |
Why this order? Beijing first makes sense because its biggest sight, the Forbidden City, needs the strictest booking. Xi’an in the middle breaks up the long journey, and Shanghai last is the easiest city to relax in before flying home — and a good place to use up any remaining cash or shopping time. If you fly into Shanghai and out of Beijing, simply reverse the route; the day-by-day pacing still works. For the full city guides, see Beijing for first-timers, Xi’an and the Terracotta Army and Shanghai for first-timers (the last two are published alongside this itinerary; if a link ever fails, start from the homepage).
Before you go: the five things to sort first
- Visa or visa-free entry. Check the visa-free list first; if you are not covered, follow the tourist (L) visa guide.
- Payments. Set up Alipay before you fly, with WeChat Pay as a backup, and carry some small-bill cash — see money in China.
- Trains. Read how to book train tickets and seat classes before you book. Your passport is your ticket on most high-speed trains.
- City transport. Metro, DiDi and taxis are covered in getting around Chinese cities. Save every hotel address in Chinese characters.
- Food. You will eat out almost every meal. How to order food in China covers menus, delivery and dietary phrases.
Day by day
Day 1 — Beijing: arrive and settle in
Land, get to the hotel by metro, airport express or DiDi, and do nothing ambitious. Walk the neighbourhood, find a small restaurant, try your first Alipay payment, and go to bed early. Jet lag plus a big sight on day 1 is how first trips go wrong. Stay near a metro station in central Beijing — Dongcheng or Xicheng, near lines 1, 2 or 5 — so the next days start easily.
Day 2 — Beijing: Forbidden City and Tiananmen area
Book the Forbidden City in advance: tickets are released 7 days ahead at 20:00 Beijing time through the official Palace Museum booking site, are real-name (passport) tickets, and the museum is closed on Mondays except on national holidays. Allow 3–4 hours for the central axis from the Meridian Gate to the Imperial Garden, longer with the Treasure and Clock Galleries. Entry is about 40–60 CNY depending on season, with gallery extras on top — confirm the current price when you book, as seasonal prices change. In the afternoon, walk to Jingshan Park for the classic rooftop view over the palace, then eat in a hutong restaurant in the evening.
Day 3 — Beijing: Great Wall day
Give the Wall a whole day. For most first-timers, Mutianyu is the best section: well restored, less crowded than Badaling, with a cable car, chairlift and toboggan down. Entry is roughly 40–45 CNY, with cable car or chairlift roughly 100–140 CNY round trip and the toboggan about 100 CNY one way — treat these as ranges, as published prices differ by source and season. Leave early, wear firm shoes, bring water, and expect 1.5–2 hours each way by road. Badaling is the fallback if time is very tight: it is closer, reachable by high-speed train in under 30 minutes, but it is the most crowded section. Do not attempt an unrestored section on a first trip.
Day 4 — Beijing: Temple of Heaven, hutongs and food
Morning at the Temple of Heaven, where locals practise tai chi and play games in the park — arrive early for the atmosphere, not just the Hall of Prayer. Afternoon in the hutongs around Nanluoguxiang and the Drum and Bell Towers: walk, snack, and shop slowly. Evening: Peking duck. Book a well-known duck restaurant in advance in peak season, and budget roughly 150–300 CNY per person for a duck dinner as an example, not a fixed price.
Day 5 — Train to Xi’an, city wall and Muslim Quarter
Take a morning high-speed train from Beijing West to Xi’an North, about 4–6 hours, second class roughly 550–620 CNY as a range (check the live fare for your train; floating fares vary). On arrival, check in, then walk or cycle part of the Xi’an city wall in the late afternoon — the full loop is about 14 km, so most first-timers do one section and return by the same gate. Evening in the Muslim Quarter: street food, snacks and souvenirs. Save the Terracotta Army for a fresh morning.
Day 6 — Xi’an: Terracotta Army without the crowds
Go early, on a weekday if you can, and book in advance. The museum ticket is 120 CNY and covers the pits and Lishan Garden, with a free shuttle between them. Arrive at opening (8:30), go straight to Pit 1 before tour groups build up, then Pit 3, Pit 2 and the exhibition hall, and finish at Lishan Garden if you still have energy. Allow 2.5–4 hours at the site plus about 40–60 minutes each way from central Xi’an. Back in the city, spend the evening on the wall or in the Muslim Quarter again — second visits to a food street are usually better than the first. Full tactics are in the Xi’an Terracotta Army guide.
Day 7 — Train to Shanghai, the Bund at night
Xi’an North to Shanghai Hongqiao by high-speed train takes roughly 6–7 hours; a flight is about 2–2.5 hours in the air but add airport transfers and check-in, so the total time is closer than it looks. Choose the train if you want a relaxed day with scenery and no luggage-liquid rules, and the flight if you want the afternoon free. On arrival, check in and walk the Bund in the evening, when Pudong’s towers are lit. Eat on the Bund side or in the French Concession, not in the most tourist-priced Bund restaurants unless you have checked the menu first.
Day 8 — Shanghai: Yu Garden, Old City and French Concession
Morning at Yu Garden and the Old City bazaar — arrive at opening to avoid the midday crowd, and allow 1–2 hours for the garden itself. Afternoon in the French Concession: tree-lined streets, cafes, small shops and the former residence area around Tianzifang and Xintiandi. Evening: a food street or a local restaurant, using the food-ordering tips from how to order food in China.
Day 9 — Shanghai: day trip or modern Shanghai
Pick one, not both. Option A, day trip: Suzhou (about 30 minutes by high-speed train) for classical gardens and canals, or Hangzhou (about 1 hour) for West Lake — leave early and be back for dinner. Option B, stay in Shanghai: Pudong skyscrapers and observation decks in the morning, a museum or shopping street in the afternoon, and a river cruise or rooftop bar in the evening. If you have already walked a lot, option B is the kinder choice.
Day 10 — Shanghai: slow morning, fly home
Keep this day deliberately light: a late breakfast, last shopping, and a relaxed trip to the airport. Do not plan a major sight on departure day — a delayed metro or a long airport queue can undo it. Shanghai has two airports, Pudong (PVG, most international flights) and Hongqiao (SHA, mostly domestic): confirm which one your flight uses before you book the transfer, and allow extra time for Pudong.
Pacing rules for first-timers
- One big sight per day, plus one small one. Two big sights in one day means you remember neither properly.
- Book the three hard things first: Forbidden City tickets, intercity trains, and the first hotel in each city. Everything else can be decided on the day.
- Build in a rest afternoon. Days 4 and 10 in this plan are the pressure valves; do not fill them with extra sights.
- Carry the backup plan. If a sight is closed or sold out, the fallback is always the same: a park, a food street and a neighbourhood walk — all three are free or cheap and all three are genuinely good in these cities.
What to skip if you are short on time
| If you have… | Keep | Skip first |
|---|---|---|
| 7 days | Beijing (3 days) + Shanghai (3 days) + 1 travel day, or Beijing + Xi’an only | The Shanghai day trip; the second Beijing food day |
| 8–9 days | The full route, but cut Xi’an to 1 full day (Terracotta Army only) or Shanghai to 3 days | Lishan Garden; Pudong observation decks if heights are not your thing |
| 5 days or fewer | One city properly, plus one day trip at most | Trying to cover all three cities — you will spend the trip in stations |
Budget examples (per person, excluding international flights)
These are planning ranges for a mid-range first trip in 2026, not quotes. Hotels vary far more than food or transport, so check your dates.
| Item | Example range |
|---|---|
| Hotel, mid-range, per night | About 300–700 CNY in Beijing and Xi’an; about 400–900 CNY in Shanghai |
| Food, per day | About 100–250 CNY (street food and local restaurants at the low end, duck dinner or Bund restaurant at the high end) |
| Intercity trains, total for this route | About 1,100–1,500 CNY second class for Beijing–Xi’an plus Xi’an–Shanghai, depending on train and floating fare |
| Main sight tickets, total | About 300–500 CNY (Forbidden City, Great Wall entry plus lift, Terracotta Army, Yu Garden and one observation deck) |
Frequently asked questions
Is 10 days enough for Beijing, Xi’an and Shanghai?
Yes, for a first trip focused on the highlights. It is not enough to add a fourth city comfortably — that is the most common first-timer mistake.
Should I fly or take the train between cities?
Take the train for Beijing–Xi’an. For Xi’an–Shanghai, the train is the relaxed option and the flight is the time-saving option; total door-to-door time is closer than the flight time alone suggests. See how to book train tickets.
What if the Forbidden City is sold out on my dates?
Shift your Beijing days if you can, since the release is 7 days ahead and peak dates sell out fast. If you cannot shift, spend the day at the Temple of Heaven, the Summer Palace and the hutongs instead, and do not pay an inflated reseller price for a ticket that may not match your passport.
When is the best time for this route?
Spring (April–May) and autumn (September–October) are usually the most comfortable across all three cities. Summer is hot and crowded; winter is cold in Beijing and Xi’an but quieter and cheaper. Avoid the first week of October (National Day holiday) and Chinese New Year week if you can — crowds and prices peak then.