Is this route right for you?
This route starts in Beijing, continues to Xi’an and ends in Shanghai. It works best when Xi’an’s Terracotta Army is a priority: adding that stop means changing hotels twice during a ten-day trip. You get six full sightseeing days—days 2, 3, 5, 6, 8 and 9—while arrival, departure and both intercity transfers have their own space.
The plan assumes three nights in each city: Beijing on nights 1–3, Xi’an on nights 4–6 and Shanghai on nights 7–9. An inbound flight to Beijing and an outbound flight from Shanghai can avoid returning to your starting city, provided the flights you actually find fit your dates. If the archaeology matters less than a relaxed pace, consider a seven-day Beijing and Shanghai route or use all ten days for those two cities. For more time across China, see the 14-day itineraries.
| Day | Night | Main priority |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Beijing | Arrive and settle in |
| 2 | Beijing | Imperial Beijing |
| 3 | Beijing | Great Wall excursion |
| 4 | Xi’an | Transfer from Beijing |
| 5 | Xi’an | Terracotta Army |
| 6 | Xi’an | Old city |
| 7 | Shanghai | Transfer from Xi’an |
| 8 | Shanghai | Puxi |
| 9 | Shanghai | Pudong or a neighborhood day |
| 10 | — | Depart Shanghai |
Day-by-day plan
Day 1 — Arrive in Beijing. Go to your hotel, eat nearby and keep the evening light. Choose a base that makes your next two days practical; the Beijing neighborhood guide can help. If this is your first arrival in China, use the first-day checklist for the small tasks that are easiest to handle before sightseeing.
Day 2 — Imperial Beijing. Give the Forbidden City the main part of the day, then add one nearby stop only if you have the energy. Check Forbidden City ticket arrangements before fixing this day in your schedule. Do not count on buying admission at the gate if your reservation falls through; use another Beijing city day and revisit your dated plans.
Day 3 — The Great Wall. Pick the section and excursion style that suit your group using the Wall comparison. Keep this as a full outing rather than trying to pair it with a major city attraction. If weather calls for a swap with day 2, check the Wall arrangements and Forbidden City booking first; the two days are interchangeable only when those details allow it.
Day 4 — Beijing to Xi’an. Reserve the day for the complete hotel-to-hotel move: checkout, station or airport access, waiting, the journey, onward transport and check-in. Compare a dated rail option using the Beijing–Xi’an train guide with flights available for your trip. A gentle evening walk is a bonus, not a scheduled sightseeing commitment.
Day 5 — Terracotta Army. Make this a separate excursion after sleeping in Xi’an. Use the Terracotta planning guide to work out admission and transport for your date. Protecting the day from an incoming transfer gives you room for the journey to the site and a visit at your own pace.
Day 6 — Xi’an old city. Walk the historic center and choose stops according to your stamina. The Xi’an guide helps you shape a route; there is no need to make every landmark compulsory. Keep the evening flexible so packing for tomorrow does not turn a good walking day into a rush.
Day 7 — Xi’an to Shanghai. Compare rail and air using the actual departures you can book, then add baggage rules and transport at both ends before deciding which is easier hotel to hotel. Give the transfer the whole day in your plan. Once checked in, stay close to your hotel for dinner.
Day 8 — Shanghai’s Puxi side. Spend your first full day on this side of the river, choosing a walkable cluster instead of crossing the city repeatedly. Your Shanghai base will affect the easiest starting point. Leave time for an unhurried evening rather than trying to cover both sides in one day.
Day 9 — Choose your Shanghai day. Go to Pudong if its skyline and modern cityscape are your priority. Otherwise, spend the day exploring a neighborhood in more depth. Check the Shanghai transport guide for the journeys your choice requires, and keep the last evening convenient for departure preparations.
Day 10 — Depart. Match checkout and the airport journey to your actual flight. Treat this as a departure day; any final outing should fit around the time you must leave the hotel.
Make the route work for your trip
For a family that would benefit from fewer hotel changes, remove Xi’an unless the Terracotta Army is the reason for the trip. If you keep Xi’an but remove another city, check that the resulting arrival and departure flights work before rebuilding the days. Avoid adding a fourth city to this ten-day route: it would take time from the six full days that make the three stops worthwhile.
Budget for the whole party across two intercity legs and nine hotel nights, multiplying the nightly accommodation cost by the number of rooms you need. Then add local transport, admissions and meals. A generic daily estimate hides the cost of moving between cities. The trip cost guide and hotel guide can help you compare the choices that drive your total. Seasonal conditions may also change how you use outdoor days; check the timing guide when choosing dates.
What to book first
Check your entry eligibility and document requirements before buying flights you cannot readily change. Next, choose workable arrival and departure flights, then price the two dated transfers and nine hotel nights together. Confirm the actual station or airport, hotel location, passenger document details and baggage conditions before paying. Use the train ticket guide and transport overview as you compare.
Finally, secure any dated sightseeing arrangements and keep your city days adjustable where bookings permit. If a delay disrupts the route, protect departure commitments and time to rest. Prioritize the Terracotta excursion if it is your main reason for visiting Xi’an, and drop optional stops—or a city if necessary—rather than assuming all six full sightseeing days can still fit. Reversing the route can work, but recheck flights, transfers and dated admissions before treating the reverse plan as booked. Browse other itineraries if those tradeoffs no longer suit your trip.