China Highlights: Beijing, Xi'an & Shanghai
The Great Wall and Forbidden City, the Terracotta Army and Shanghai's Bund by high-speed train.
Trip at a glance
- Duration8 days / 7 nights
- Starts inBeijing
- RouteBeijing · Xi'an · Shanghai
- Places3 destinations
- CountryChina
- Ideal forCultural holidays
- Trip stylePrivate, customisable
- Package codeNX-LS431A
Best time to visit: April to May and September to October




Trip overview
The Great Wall and Forbidden City, the Terracotta Army and Shanghai's Bund by high-speed train.
The route spends 3 nights in Beijing, 2 nights in Xi'an and 2 nights in Shanghai, so you get time for the main sights without changing hotels every day. It suits cultural holidays, and every day can be shortened, swapped or extended.
Highlights
Day-by-day itinerary
Day 1Arrive in Beijing
- Arrive via Beijing Capital (PEK) and Daxing (PKX) airports and transfer to your hotel
- Check in and settle in
- Later: Forbidden City: Imperial palace complex
Day 2Beijing: Temple of Heaven and Summer Palace
- Temple of Heaven: Ming temple and park
- Summer Palace: Imperial gardens and lake
Day 3Beijing: Great Wall (Mutianyu) and Tiananmen Square
- Great Wall (Mutianyu): Restored section with cable car
- Tiananmen Square: Vast public square
Day 4Beijing to Xi'an
- Fly from Beijing to Xi'an (flight timings confirmed in your quote)
- Check in at your Xi'an hotel
- Terracotta Army: Thousands of life-size warriors
Day 5Xi'an: Xi'an City Wall and Big Wild Goose Pagoda
- Xi'an City Wall: Cycle on the Ming walls
- Big Wild Goose Pagoda: Tang dynasty pagoda
Day 6Xi'an to Shanghai
- Fly from Xi'an to Shanghai (flight timings confirmed in your quote)
- Check in at your Shanghai hotel
- The Bund: Colonial waterfront
Day 7Shanghai: Shanghai Tower and Yu Garden
- Shanghai Tower: Observation deck
- Yu Garden: Classical garden and bazaar
Day 8Depart from Shanghai
- Breakfast and hotel check-out
- Transfer to Pudong International Airport (PVG) for your journey home
How this version is planned
- Licensed local guides at the major heritage sites
- Timed tickets booked for sites that need them
- Craft, music or cooking experiences added where they fit
- Time built in to explore old quarters on foot
This is a suggested itinerary. Sightseeing order may change with opening days, weather and local conditions; your final plan is in your written quote.
Good to know
- Beijing: Book Forbidden City tickets online with your passport number; there are daily caps.
- Xi'an: Hire a guide at the Terracotta Army; the pits make much more sense with context.
- Shanghai: See the Bund at night when Pudong's towers light up.
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ChinaBeijing
Beijing has been China's capital for most of the past eight centuries.
ChinaXi'an
Xi'an was the eastern end of the Silk Road and capital of thirteen dynasties.
ChinaShanghai
Shanghai is China's most international city, with the colonial Bund facing the futuristic Pudong skyline, the classical Yu Garden and Shanghai Disneyland.
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