10 Days in China: The Perfect First-Timer Itinerary (Beijing → Xi'an → Shanghai)
A realistic 10-day China itinerary — 4 days Beijing, 2 in Xi'an, 3 in Shanghai — with day-by-day plans, booking order, budget math and visa-free notes.
Plan at a glance
- Best time
- April–May & September–October
- Suggested stay
- 10 days
- Region
- The classic golden route
- Visa shortcut
- Most nationalities can enter visa-free for up to 240 hours in transit — see the guide
Ten days is the sweet spot for a first China trip: enough for the golden triangle — Beijing, Xi’an, Shanghai — with high-speed rail connecting them and no wasted backtracking. This is the route we recommend to friends, with the day-by-day below built around real opening hours, jet lag, and ticket-release windows.
The route at a glance
| Stop | Days | Base | Transport in/out |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beijing | D1–D4 | Wangfujing / Qianmen | Fly in |
| Xi’an | D5–D6 | Bell Tower area | HSR 4.5–6 h from Beijing West |
| Shanghai | D7–D9 | People’s Square / Bund | HSR ~5.5–6 h or 2 h flight |
| Fly home | D10 | — | From PVG/SHA |
Deep-dive each stop in our destination guides: Beijing, Xi’an, Shanghai.
Day by day
Day 1 — Arrive Beijing
Land, set up payments if not done at home, metro or taxi in. Keep it gentle: an early dinner near Qianmen, first glimpse of Tiananmen Square lit at night, sleep early to fight jet lag.
Day 2 — Imperial Beijing
Temple of Heaven at opening (locals’ morning scene included), then the Forbidden City (pre-booked — tickets release 7 days out) south-to-north, exit into Jingshan Park for the rooftop sunset view. Peking duck dinner.
Day 3 — The Great Wall
Mutianyu, self-guided: Didi or tourist bus out (90 min), cable car up, walk east from tower 14 toward 20 (the quiet dramatic stretch), toboggan down. Evening back in the city — hutong stroll around Nanluoguxiang.
Day 4 — Beijing, deeper
Summer Palace morning (lake + Long Corridor), hutong rickshaw or walk in the Drum-Tower area, then the night train of the culinary kind: a hotpot or zhajiangmian dinner. Alternatively swap in the 798 Art District if that is your scene.
Day 5 — Bullet to Xi’an
Morning HSR from Beijing West (book via passport). Afternoon in Xi’an: City Wall bike ride at golden hour, then dive into the Muslim Quarter for the food crawl — roujiamo, biangbiang noodles, pomegranate juice.
Day 6 — The Terracotta Army
Early start for the Terracotta Warriors (arrive near the 8:30 opening), Pit 1 first with a guide. Back by mid-afternoon: Shaanxi History Museum or the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, and a Tang-show evening if you fancy spectacle.
Day 7 — Bullet to Shanghai
HSR to Shanghai (~5.5–6 h) — use the morning for Xi’an’s Bell Tower square, take an early-afternoon train, check in near People’s Square, and finish at the Bund at nightfall, skyline lights across the river.
Day 8 — Old and new Shanghai
Yu Garden before the crowds → former French Concession (Wukang Road → Anfu Road café circuit) → up the Shanghai Tower at sunset → dinner in Pudong or back on the Bund.
Day 9 — Day trip
Choose: Zhujiajiao water town (1 h by taxi/bus, canals and stone bridges) or Suzhou (25 min by HSR, classical gardens). Evening back in Shanghai for last-night shopping on Nanjing Road or a jazz bar on the Bund.
Day 10 — Fly home
Maglev from Longyang Road to PVG is the victory lap — 430 km/h to the departure gate.
The booking order (do it in this sequence)
- International flights (open-jaw: into PEK/PKX, out of PVG)
- Forbidden City tickets — 7 days ahead, sells out (details)
- Train tickets — open ~15 days out (booking guide)
- Terracotta Army + Shanghai Tower slots — days ahead is fine, weekends sell out
- Hotels — foreigner-accepted properties only (how to check)
Budget math (mid-range, per person)
| Item | Cost (CNY) |
|---|---|
| Hotels, 9 nights (comfortable chains) | ¥3,600–5,400 |
| High-speed rail (both legs, 2nd class) | ¥1,100–1,300 |
| Attractions & shows | ¥800–1,200 |
| Food (generous, everyday + splurges) | ¥2,200–3,600 |
| Local transport & Didi | ¥500–900 |
| Total | ~¥8,200–12,400 (~$1,150–1,750) |
Checklist before takeoff
- Visa status confirmed (30-day list or 240-hour transit)
- Alipay + WeChat linked to your card (setup guide)
- Travel eSIM installed (connectivity guide)
- Apps downloaded: Amap, Trip.com, Didi, translation app
- ¥300–500 cash withdrawn as backup
- Forbidden City + train tickets calendared for their release windows
Where this fits
Ten days is the route the other two itineraries are measured against: the 7-day week drops Xi’an to keep the pace humane, and the 14-day line pushes south to Chengdu and the karst country once your entry paperwork allows more than ten days.
Ten days, three cities, zero visas for most nationalities — this is the trip that used to take months of paperwork, now doable in an afternoon of planning.
Frequently asked questions
Is 10 days enough for a first trip to China?
Yes — it covers the golden triangle (Beijing, Xi'an, Shanghai) at a humane pace with two travel days. Resist adding a fourth city; transit overhead eats whole days.
Can I do this itinerary visa-free?
Often yes. If your nationality is on the 30-day visa-free list, no paperwork is needed at all. Otherwise the 240-hour transit policy covers this exact route: enter Beijing, exit Shanghai, stay under 10 days — see our visa-free transit guide for the rules.
What does 10 days in China cost?
Mid-range per person: roughly ¥9,000–14,000 (about $1,250–2,000) excluding international flights — covering comfortable hotels, high-speed rail, attraction tickets and generous meals. Budget travelers do it under ¥6,000; five-star versions run ¥25,000+.
Which city should I fly into?
Beijing in, Shanghai out (or reverse) — open-jaw tickets avoid backtracking. Shanghai's Pudong has the broader long-haul coverage for the return.
