Beijing 4 · Xi'an 2 · Shanghai 4. The classic first-trip route.
Hotels at the lowest price we found, one room per two adults and children with their parents. Fastest train in second class and official adult tickets. Checked on 11 October 2026.
Once you use it, you can add or remove days and cities, and we will remind you of every booking.
Day 1
Day 2Metro line 1, Tiananmen East · 3-4 h
Day 3Mubus from Dongzhimen, or DiDi in 80-100 min · 4-5 h
Day 4Metro line 5, Tiantan Dongmen · 2-3 h
Day 5Day 6Tourist coach from the Bell Tower, 1 h · 5-6 h
Day 7
Day 8Metro lines 10 and 14, Yuyuan Garden · 1,5 h
Day 9Metro line 2, Pudong · 3-5 h
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.
Trains add up to 1,343 yuan in second class, 587 Beijing to Xi'an and 756 Xi'an to Shanghai. Key tickets in high season are Forbidden City 60, Mutianyu 180, Terracotta Army 120 and Yuyuan 40. Hotels depend on your dates and the level you choose.
Book an open-jaw ticket, into Beijing and home from Shanghai. You avoid backtracking and save most of a day. Beijing has two airports, Capital and Daxing, so check which one is on your booking.