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Beijing 4 · Xi'an 2 · Shanghai 4. The classic first-trip route.
By Armando Pacheco, who lives in Shanghai ·
Only 8 days? See the short variant →
42 s · No sound · Shows the same as the text
Once you use it, you can add or remove days and cities, and we will remind you of every booking.
Metro line 1, Tiananmen East · 3-4 h
Mubus from Dongzhimen, or DiDi in 80-100 min · 4-5 h
Metro line 5, Tiantan Dongmen · 2-3 h
Tourist coach from the Bell Tower, 1 h · 5-6 h
Metro lines 10 and 14, Yuyuan Garden · 1,5 h
Metro line 2, Pudong · 3-5 h
The classic route at an easy pace. Four nights in Beijing and four in Shanghai leave room for a special hotel in each, like The PuXuan, facing the Forbidden City, or the 1929 Peace Hotel on the Bund. Only two bullet trains and no domestic flights.
Honeymoon in ChinaThree hotels and two bullet trains, nothing more. Children under 6 ride the train for free, one per adult and without their own seat. In Xi'an you can ride a bike around the city wall.
China with kidsThe Forbidden City, the Great Wall, the Terracotta Army and the Bund, with two bullet trains. Fly into Beijing and out of Shanghai, so you never go back the same way. It is the base of most first trips.
First trip to China, tips and what to knowWith two more days, Beijing and Shanghai feel relaxed. Four nights in each leave time for the Summer Palace or a water town near Shanghai.
All routes · Short on timePer person, in a double room and without your flight to China.
It covers hotels, trains in second class (first class for Special), domestic flights, main entry tickets, food and getting around town. Two bullet trains, Beijing-Xi'an and Xi'an-Shanghai.
KOI hotels checked on Trip.com for a night in November 2026, with trains, flights and food from 2026 sources. How it is worked out, in China trip cost
It is three cities and two bullet trains. Four days in Beijing, two in Xi'an and four in Shanghai. Look for an open-jaw flight into Beijing and home from Shanghai, so you never backtrack. It is the route that works best on a first trip, with China's big sights and few hotel changes. Many agencies also sell it as the Great Capitals tour.
You can buy most things on the day, but three things sell out. Set a reminder for each one and keep your passport handy, because every ticket carries your name.
The same three cities with one day less in Beijing and one less in Shanghai. The Forbidden City, the Terracotta Army and the Bund in eight days, by bullet train.
Best months. April, May, September and October.
Estimated budget. Per person, in a double room and without your flight to China. Budget €500 to €700, Comfortable €700 to €1,250, Special €1,750 to €2,700. Two bullet trains, Beijing-Xi'an and Xi'an-Shanghai.
Avoid Golden Week, 1 to 7 October, and Chinese New Year, 6 February 2027. Which route to do each month
Checked on 14 October 2026.
Yes. It is the classic route with only two journeys, both by train. Kids love the Great Wall, cycling Xi'an's city wall and the Maglev. For couples, four days in Shanghai leave time for a good hotel and slow dinners.
Beijing to Xi'an by bullet train, about 4 h 30 from Beijing West. Xi'an to Shanghai takes about 6 hours by train. If you would rather save time, fly that leg instead.
April to May and September to October suit all three cities. November works too, and some tickets get cheaper in winter. Avoid July and August for the heat, and the first week of October.
If you add a day, give it to Xi'an for the Shaanxi History Museum, or to Beijing for the Summer Palace. If you cut one, take it from Shanghai, which works fine with 3 days.
Per person, in a double room and without your flight to China, €600 to €850 with simple hotels, €900 to €1,550 with comfortable hotels and €2,250 to €3,400 with special hotels. That covers hotels, trains, domestic flights, tickets, food and getting around town.
Either works, the route runs just as well in reverse. What matters is to fly into one city and out of the other. Beijing has two airports, Capital and Daxing, so check which one is on your booking.