Is this route right for you?
The essential China trio This route is a starting point for travelers who want a manageable mix of sightseeing and time to explore. Tell us if food, hiking, museums or family time should lead the plan.
Your journey, day by day
Days 1–3 · Beijing
Use Beijing for imperial landmarks and a Great Wall day. Decide which sights genuinely interest you, then group the city activities to avoid repeated cross-city transfers.
Day 4 · intercity travel
Compare Beijing-to-Xi’an trains and flights for your dates. Check the station or airport location at each end and how you will get between the station and your hotels.
Days 5–6 · Xi’an
Visit the Terracotta Warriors on a dedicated excursion, then explore the old city on a separate day. A central hotel makes evening food stops easier.
Day 7 · intercity travel
Continue to Shanghai with room for schedule changes. Keep an evening stroll optional and avoid a nonrefundable restaurant booking shortly after arrival.
Days 8–10 · Shanghai and departure
End with a mix of the Bund, gardens and quieter neighborhoods. This route works best with arrival in Beijing and departure from Shanghai when flights allow; reverse it if that fits your tickets better.
How the route fits together
The proposed order is Beijing → Xi’an → Shanghai. Compare rail and air options by door-to-door travel time, not just time on board. Avoid a demanding activity immediately after a long international flight.
Help you can add
You book hotels and most tickets yourself, and your personal travel concierge is on WhatsApp for questions along the way. If some days feel harder than others, have us arrange help just there:
- Arrival in Beijing: airport transfer, so you are met at arrivals instead of working out taxis and apps after a long flight.
- Forbidden City: attraction tickets, because entry needs a passport-based reservation that often sells out.
- Great Wall day: private driver, to reach Mutianyu or Jinshanling on your own schedule, without a tour bus.
- Beijing to Xi’an: train tickets, if you would rather not book through a Chinese app.
- Terracotta Warriors day: local guide for a day, who explains the pits and handles the transport out of the city.
- Xi’an to Shanghai: train tickets, if you would rather not book through a Chinese app.
- The whole trip: personal travel concierge, $9 a day: a real person to message when an app, a menu or a plan stops working.
Each add-on is quoted and booked on its own. Nothing here is a package.
Make it yours
Add rest days, shorten walks, change hotel style or focus on a special interest. Your concierge can adapt the route to your dates and pace with you.
Planning to follow this route? Get a free quick check of your version, or travel it with a personal concierge on WhatsApp for $9 a day.