Ready-made plans combining the guides in this section. Adjust days to your pace.
7 days: First-time classic
- D1–3 Beijing: Forbidden City, Great Wall, Temple of Heaven, hutongs
- D4–5 Xi'an: High-speed rail (4.5h) → Warriors, City Wall, Muslim Quarter
- D6–7 Shanghai: Rail (6h) or flight → the Bund, French Concession, Yu Garden
10 days: Classic + nature
- D1–3 Beijing → D4–5 Xi'an → D6–8 Zhangjiajie (fly or rail via Changsha) → D9–10 Shanghai
14 days: The deep dive
- D1–3 Beijing → D4–5 Xi'an → D6–8 Chengdu (pandas + Leshan) → D9–10 Guilin/Yangshuo → D11–12 Shanghai → D13–14 Hangzhou or Suzhou day trip
Family with kids
- Beijing (Great Wall with cable car + toboggan) → Xi'an (Warriors + wall cycling) → Chengdu (pandas!) → Shanghai (Disneyland day). Build in pool time and keep one sight per day.
Honeymoon / slower pace
- Shanghai (2) → Hangzhou West Lake (2) → Guilin/Yangshuo (3) → Yunnan: Dali + Lijiang (5) — scenery, cafes, and old towns over museums.
Rail legs cheat-sheet
| Route | High-speed rail time |
|---|---|
| Beijing → Xi'an | 4.5–6 h |
| Xi'an → Chengdu | 3–4 h |
| Chengdu → Guilin | 5 h |
| Guilin → Guangzhou | 3 h |
| Beijing → Shanghai | 4.5–6 h |
Book trains 15 days ahead (see Train guide), and reserve the Forbidden City, Shaanxi History Museum, and panda base as soon as your dates are fixed — everything sells out in high season.