Is this route right for you?
The big sights, at your own pace 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
Start with 3–4 nights in Beijing
Choose Beijing if the Great Wall and imperial history are high on your list. Three nights provide a focused visit; four give you a gentler arrival and another city day.
Continue with 2–3 nights in Xi’an
Add Xi’an for the Terracotta Warriors and a compact old-city stay. Keep an out-of-town sightseeing day separate from the transfer into or out of the city.
Finish with 3 nights in Shanghai
Finish in Shanghai if your international flights work well there. Explore the Bund, gardens and neighborhoods, with departure logistics checked before adding an excursion.
Use extra nights to slow the route down
Use extra nights for rest, a deeper city visit or one additional destination. Adding a fourth city costs transfer time, so compare that tradeoff with staying longer in the places already on your route.
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.
- Shanghai: local guide for a day, for the old city, gardens and food, if you want the stories behind them.
- 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.