Beijing 4 · Xi'an 2 · Zhangjiajie 3 · Shanghai 3. The triangle plus Zhangjiajie.
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 7Day 8Few people know thisWulingyuan east gate, eco-bus to the Bailong lift · 1 día
Day 9Forest Park gate, free eco-bus · 2-3 h
Day 10
Day 11Metro lines 10 and 14, Yuyuan Garden · 1,5 h
For a honeymoon it is spectacular, with the Avatar pillars in the mist. With kids it works if they are good walkers, as Zhangjiajie has lots of steps. Under-14s go free at Tianmen.
Beijing to Xi'an by bullet train, about 4 h 30. Xi'an to Zhangjiajie by plane, 1 h 30. Zhangjiajie to Shanghai by plane, about 2 hours, or a direct train of about 7 hours if you would rather not fly.
April to May and September to October. In Zhangjiajie summer brings rain and crowds, and in winter some cable cars can close because of the weather. Avoid the first week of October, when the park is packed.
Give an extra day to Zhangjiajie, as a buffer for fog, or to Shanghai. If you cut one, take it from Beijing, never from Zhangjiajie, which feels short with fewer than 3 days.
The Beijing to Xi'an train is 587 yuan, and the two flights depend on the date. High-season tickets are Forbidden City 60, Mutianyu 180, Terracotta Army 120, Tianmen 288 and the glass bridge 178, plus the 4-day park pass. Hotels depend on your dates and level.
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.