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7 Days in China: Beijing → Xi

7 Days in China: Beijing → Xi'an → Shanghai

The most-searched 7-day China first-timer itinerary: Beijing Great Wall, Xi'an Terracotta Warriors, Shanghai Bund. High-speed train routes, hotels, costs, and visa-free entry tips.

By Daniel Park, Itineraries & Cities Editor 9 min read

Seven days is the standard “first-time China” itinerary. It covers China’s three most iconic cities — Beijing, Xi’an, and Shanghai — and links them with high-speed trains, the most efficient transport system in the world. The Beijing-Xi’an leg takes 4.5–5.5 hours by train; Xi’an-Shanghai takes 6–7 hours or 2 hours by flight. This itinerary assumes you fly into Beijing and out of Shanghai (the most common routing). Plan ¥6,000–10,000 ($840–1,400) per person for the week excluding international flights, or ¥9,000–16,000 ($1,260–2,240) with mid-range hotels.

Day 1: Beijing arrival + Forbidden City

Land at Beijing Capital (PEK) or Beijing Daxing (PKX). Immigration is fast (15–30 min) thanks to the dedicated 240-hour transit lanes. Pre-arrange a hotel transfer via Trip.com (¥200–400) or use the airport express subway (¥25 to downtown, 30 min).

Drop your bags at the hotel, then head to the Forbidden City (¥60 / $8.50, closed Mondays). Buy tickets online in advance. Allow 3 hours. Exit through the north gate, climb Jingshan Park (¥2) for the iconic photo, then dinner in the Wangfujing area — Peking duck at Quanjude or Da Dong (¥300–500 / $42–70 for a whole duck).

For booking platforms and lodging advice, see our Trip.com vs Booking.com comparison.

Day 2: Great Wall (Mutianyu) + Olympic Park

Full day to Mutianyu Great Wall (¥40 / $5.50 entry). Take the MuBus from Wangfujing (¥80 / $11 round-trip, departs 7:30 AM) or a DiDi (¥200–250 / $28–35 one-way). Take the cable car up (¥100 / $14), walk east to Tower 23 (the highest point, 2 km), then return for the toboggan down (¥100 / $14). Back in Beijing by 6 PM, dinner in Houhai lake area.

Day 3: Beijing landmarks + overnight train to Xi’an

Morning: Temple of Heaven (¥35 / $5, open 6 AM) — see locals doing tai chi. Then Tiananmen Square (free) and the National Museum of China (free, but book a slot in advance).

Afternoon: high-speed train from Beijing West Railway Station to Xi’an North Railway Station (G-series train, 4.5–5.5 hours, ¥623 / $87 second-class). Trains depart every 20–30 minutes from 7 AM to 7 PM. Book through Trip.com at least 3 days in advance. On the train, dinner is a boxed meal (¥40–80) or buy at the station.

Arrive Xi’an by 7–9 PM. Check into a hotel inside the City Wall (¥400–800/night).

For visa-free entry to Xi’an, see our 240-hour visa-free guide.

Day 4: Terracotta Warriors + Muslim Quarter

Morning: Terracotta Warriors (¥120 / $17, book online). Take Tour Bus 5 from Xi’an Railway Station (¥7 / $1, 1 hour) or a DiDi (¥200 / $28). Spend 2.5–3 hours at the three pits and the Bronze Chariot exhibition.

Afternoon: return to Xi’an for Shaanxi History Museum (free, book online in advance) and the Big Wild Goose Pagoda (¥50 / $7, plus the fountain show at 9 PM).

Evening: Muslim Quarter for yangrou paomo (¥40), biang biang noodles (¥20), and rou jia mo (¥10). Try Lao Sun Jia or Tong Sheng Xiang.

For a more in-depth Xi’an experience, see our 4-day Xi’an itinerary.

Day 5: Xi’an City Wall + overnight train to Shanghai

Morning: climb or bike the Xi’an City Wall (¥54 / $7.50, 13.7 km around). Rent a bike at the South Gate (¥45 / 2 hours). Then Bell Tower and Drum Tower at the city center.

Afternoon: high-speed train from Xi’an North to Shanghai Hongqiao (G-series, 6–7 hours, ¥669 / $94 second-class). Or fly — 2 hours, ¥400–800 ($56–112). Book the train 3+ days ahead; flights 2+ weeks ahead in peak season.

Arrive Shanghai by 8–10 PM. Check into a hotel near The Bund or Xintiandi.

For more Shanghai options, see our 5-day Shanghai itinerary.

Day 6: Shanghai highlights

Morning: Yu Garden (¥40 / $5.50) and the Yu Garden Bazaar for xiaolongbao at Nanxiang Xiaolongbao (since 1900, ¥30–50/st steamer). Then walk the Bund and the colonial architecture.

Afternoon: Shanghai Museum (free, book online) and the French Concession walk (Fuxing Park → Wukang Road → Anfu Road → Tianzifang).

Evening: Huangpu River night cruise (¥120–180 / $17–25, 1 hour) for the illuminated Pudong skyline. Dinner at Lost Heaven (Yunnan) or Ultraviolet (book months ahead, ¥6,000+).

Day 7: Pudong + departure

Morning: Shanghai Tower observation deck (¥180 / $25, tallest in China, 632 m). Then Zhujiajiao water town if you have time (1.5-hour metro ride, see our Shanghai itinerary for details).

Afternoon: depart from Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG). Maglev train from Longyang Road to the airport (¥50, 7 minutes, 431 km/h).

High-speed train routes and prices

RouteDurationSecond-class priceFrequency
Beijing West → Xi’an North4.5–5.5 hours¥623 / $87Every 20–30 min, 6 AM–8 PM
Xi’an North → Shanghai Hongqiao6–7 hours¥669 / $94Every 30 min, 7 AM–7 PM
Beijing → Shanghai4.5–6 hours¥553 / $78Every 15 min, all day

Book through Trip.com (English interface, accepts foreign credit cards) or 12306.cn (Chinese interface only, more options). For full train booking advice, see our China high-speed rail guide.

Sample 7-day budget (per person, mid-range)

  • Hotels: ¥1,200 × 6 nights = ¥7,200 ($1,008)
  • Trains: ¥1,292 ($181)
  • Entry tickets: ¥500 ($70)
  • Food: ¥1,200 ($168)
  • Local transport: ¥300 ($42)
  • Alipay/WeChat top-up: ¥1,000 ($140)
  • Total: ¥11,500 / $1,610

Budget travelers can do it for ¥5,000–7,000 ($700–980) with hostels and slower transport. Luxury travelers can do it for ¥25,000+ ($3,500+) with business-class trains and 5-star hotels.

Visa-free entry

Citizens of 47+ countries can enter China visa-free for up to 30 days (tourist visa-free agreements) or transit through Beijing/Xi’an/Shanghai for 240 hours. See our 240-hour visa-free guide and visa-free countries 2026 for eligibility.

Extending your trip

If you have more time, add:

  • Day 8–9: Guilin — karst mountains, Li River cruise, 2.5-hour flight from Shanghai
  • Day 8–10: Chengdu — pandas, Leshan Buddha, 2.5-hour flight from Shanghai
  • Day 8–10: Zhangjiajie — Avatar mountains, 2.5-hour flight from Shanghai
  • Day 8–14: Tibet (Lhasa) — requires special permit, 4-hour flight from Shanghai

For multi-city extensions, see our city guides for Beijing, Xi’an, Shanghai, and Chengdu.

Booking essentials

  • 240-hour visa-free transit: confirmed eligibility before booking — see our visa guide
  • Alipay setup: do this before arrival — see our Alipay guide
  • High-speed train tickets: book 3+ days ahead on Trip.com
  • eSIM data: see our eSIM guide so you’re online from minute one
  • VPN if needed: see our VPN guide

Book this classic China route

Everything in this 7-day itinerary — Beijing, Xi’an, and Shanghai hotels, all three high-speed train legs, Forbidden City and Terracotta Warriors tickets, and the Huangpu River cruise — can be booked on these three platforms. Click through to compare prices for your dates.

Trip.com

All 3 cities + 2 HSR legs

The single best platform for this itinerary: book hotels in all three cities AND both high-speed train legs (Beijing → Xi'an, Xi'an → Shanghai) in one cart. English interface, foreign cards accepted.

Hotels from $35/night · HSR from $78

Visit Trip.com →

Plan your trip — verified tools

These free tools are built on real, monthly-verified data and help you skip the trial-and-error phase of China trip planning:

  • China 240-Hour Visa-Free Transit Checker — 55 countries, 24 provinces, 65 ports. See if you qualify for 10-day visa-free transit, which cities you can visit, and the 5-step process.
  • China 6-City 5-Day Budget Calculator — Real 2026 prices for 5 days in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Xi’an, or Hangzhou. Budget / mid-range / comfort tiers, broken down line by line.

Verified August 2026 by TravelHubChina Editorial. We re-check prices and policy details monthly so the data doesn’t drift.

Step by step

  1. Book flights and HSR between cities

    Fly into Beijing (PEK or PKX), out of Shanghai (PVG). Reserve HSR Beijing West → Xi'an North (4.5-5.5 hr, ¥623 / $87 second class) and Xi'an North → Shanghai Hongqiao (6-7 hr, ¥669 / $94) on Trip.com at least 3 days ahead. Alternative: 2-hr flight Xi'an → Shanghai (¥400-800 / $56-112).

  2. Days 1-3: Beijing - Forbidden City + Wall

    Day 1: Forbidden City (¥60 / $8.50, closed Mondays) and Jingshan Park (¥2). Day 2: Mutianyu Great Wall via MuBus (¥80 / $11) with cable car (¥100 / $14). Day 3: Temple of Heaven (¥35 / $5) in the morning, then overnight HSR to Xi'an (5 hr, ¥623 / $87).

  3. Days 4-5: Xi'an - Terracotta + City Wall

    Day 4: Terracotta Warriors (¥120 / $17) via Tour Bus 5 (¥7 / $1) and the Muslim Quarter for rou jia mo. Day 5: City Wall bike ride (¥54 / $7.50 + ¥45 bike) and overnight HSR or flight to Shanghai.

  4. Days 6-7: Shanghai - Bund + departure

    Day 6: Yu Garden (¥40 / $5.50), The Bund, and a Huangpu River night cruise (¥120-180 / $17-25). Day 7: Shanghai Tower at sunrise (¥180 / $25) and a Maglev ride from Longyang Road to PVG (¥50 / $7, 7 min at 431 km/h).

FAQ

  • Yes, 7 days is the standard first-timer length. The Beijing-Xi'an-Shanghai trio covers imperial history, ancient capitals, and modern life. With 5 days, drop Xi'an. With 10+ days, add Chengdu (pandas) or a Huangshan hike. 7 days lets you see the highlights without burning out on transit.
  • The HSR takes 6-7 hours (¥669 / $94 second class) and uses Shanghai Hongqiao Station, which connects directly to the metro. The flight takes 2 hours plus 2 hours of airport buffer (¥400-800 / $56-112). For most travelers, the HSR is more comfortable and the same total time once you count airport overhead. Fly only if you're tight on time or hunting for the cheapest tickets.
  • April-May and September-October are ideal (15-25°C, low humidity, clear skies, autumn foliage in Beijing). Avoid Chinese New Year (late Jan/Feb, dates vary) and National Day Golden Week (Oct 1-7) when prices are 2-3x higher and attractions are packed. Summer (Jun-Aug) is hot and humid in Shanghai. Winter (Dec-Feb) is cold in Beijing but cheaper and less crowded.

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