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7 days in China: an itinerary by city

The Hall of Supreme Harmony on its triple marble terrace in the Forbidden City, with visitors in the courtyard in frontThe restored Great Wall at Mutianyu with watchtowers winding along green forested ridges north of BeijingThe round, triple-roofed Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests on its white marble terrace at the Temple of Heaven, Beijing

The essentials in 10 seconds

Entry
15 of 26 free; 11 paid — see “Cost”
Duration
7 days, 9:30 to 18:12 each day
Start and finish
Forbidden City → Jade Buddha Temple
On foot
≈ 1 h 43 min in total
Transport
10 rides, ≈ 5 h 13 min; 2 transfers between cities
Lunch
around 13:00
With kids
fine: short walks
Best time
April–May and September–October. Beijing and Xi'an are cold in winter, hot in summer.

Cities in order

  1. Beijing3 days · 8 places
  2. ≈ 4.5–6 hhigh-speed train
  3. Xi’an2 days · 7 places
  4. ≈ 2.5 h by airflight or high-speed train
  5. Shanghai2 days · 11 places

Day-by-day plan

Times include walking and lunch. Drag a stop by ≡, remove it with the cross or add one nearby — the plan updates.

Day 1 · Beijing09:30–17:38 · 3 places · 8 h 10 min

  1. Forbidden City

    · 3 h 30 min · ¥40 Nov–Mar, ¥60 Apr–Oct

  2. Lunch · 1 h
  3. 22 min · transport or taxi

  4. Beijing hutongs

    · 1 h 30 min · Free

  5. 16 min on foot

  6. Houhai Lake and Shichahai

    · 1 h 30 min · Free

Day 2 · Beijing09:30–13:30 · 1 place · 4 h

  1. Great Wall at Mutianyu

    · 4 h · ¥40–45 entry; cable car ¥100–140

Day 3 · Beijing09:30–16:42 · 4 places · 7 h 10 min

  1. Temple of Heaven

    · 2 h · ¥10–15, ¥28–34 with halls

  2. 33 min · transport or taxi

  3. Nanluoguxiang

    · 1 h · Free

  4. Lunch · 1 h
  5. 19 min · transport or taxi

  6. Confucius Temple and Imperial Academy

    · 1 h 15 min · ¥30, one ticket with the Guozijian

  7. 5 min on foot

  8. Lama Temple (Yonghe Temple)

    · 1 h · ≈ ¥25, booked in WeChat

Day 4 · Xi’an09:30–17:45 · 3 places · 8 h 20 min

Morning transfer: high-speed train · ≈ 4.5–6 h

  1. Terracotta Army

    · 3 h · ¥120, passport booking ahead

  2. Lunch · 1 h
  3. 116 min · transport or taxi

  4. Great Mosque of Xi’an

    · 45 min · ¥25, ¥15 in winter; Muslims free

  5. 4 min on foot

  6. Muslim Quarter

    · 1 h 30 min · Free

Day 5 · Xi’an09:30–17:16 · 4 places · 7 h 50 min

  1. Small Wild Goose Pagoda

    · 1 h · Free

  2. 21 min · transport or taxi

  3. Shaanxi History Museum

    · 2 h 30 min · Free

  4. Lunch · 1 h
  5. 17 min on foot

  6. Giant Wild Goose Pagoda

    · 1 h · ≈ ¥10; pagoda climb ≈ ¥25 extra

  7. 8 min on foot

  8. Datang Everbright City

    · 1 h 30 min · Free

Day 6 · Shanghai09:30–18:12 · 6 places · 8 h 40 min

Morning transfer: flight or high-speed train · ≈ 2.5 h by air

  1. Shanghai Tower

    · 1 h 30 min · ¥180; students and 60+ ¥120

  2. 9 min on foot

  3. Lujiazui

    · 45 min · Free

  4. 18 min on foot

  5. The Bund

    · 1 h · Free

  6. Lunch · 1 h
  7. 17 min on foot

  8. Yu Garden

    · 1 h 15 min · ¥30–40 by season

  9. 9 min on foot

  10. Shanghai Old City

    · 1 h · Free

  11. 19 min · transport or taxi

  12. Nanjing Road

    · 1 h · Free

Day 7 · Shanghai09:30–17:03 · 5 places · 7 h 30 min

  1. Former French Concession

    · 2 h · Free

  2. 19 min · transport or taxi

  3. Tianzifang

    · 1 h · Free

  4. Lunch · 1 h
  5. 22 min · transport or taxi

  6. Wukang Road

    · 45 min · Free

  7. 21 min · transport or taxi

  8. Jing'an Temple

    · 40 min · ≈ ¥50

  9. 21 min · transport or taxi

  10. Jade Buddha Temple

    · 45 min · Free

Go · start

Add nearby

Places near the plan — Yes puts one into the day and the times update.

What the route costs

15 of 26 are free; 11 charge entry — prices below, check them on site.

1Forbidden City613 h 30 min¥40 Nov–Mar, ¥60 Apr–Oct
4Great Wall at Mutianyu194 h¥40–45 entry; cable car ¥100–140
5Temple of Heaven522 h¥10–15, ¥28–34 with halls
7Confucius Temple and Imperial Academy331 h 15 min¥30, one ticket with the Guozijian
8Lama Temple (Yonghe Temple)361 h≈ ¥25, booked in WeChat
9Terracotta Army513 h¥120, passport booking ahead
10Great Mosque of Xi’an4445 min¥25, ¥15 in winter; Muslims free
14Giant Wild Goose Pagoda411 h≈ ¥10; pagoda climb ≈ ¥25 extra
16Shanghai Tower581 h 30 min¥180; students and 60+ ¥120
19Yu Garden461 h 15 min¥30–40 by season
25Jing'an Temple3640 min≈ ¥50
Other 15 places19 hFree
Total38 h 40 min15 of 26 free

Who this route is for

Good for
  • A first trip to China
  • Independent: trains, metro, DiDi
  • History and a modern city in a week
Not for
  • Nature — Zhangjiajie and Guilin — needs 3–4 more days
  • Without Alipay or WeChat Pay China is hard work
Best time

April–May and September–October. Beijing and Xi'an are cold in winter, hot in summer.

How the week works

The route never doubles back: Beijing — Xi'an — Shanghai. Each day is a YesGo city itinerary: three days in Beijing, two each in Xi'an and Shanghai.

Fly into Beijing and out of Shanghai — or the other way round; it works both ways.

The cities on the route

Beijing is the capital of the last dynasties: the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, the hutongs and the Great Wall 60–70 km away. Xi'an is the ancient Qin and Tang capital where the Silk Road began: the Terracotta Army, the Ming city wall and the Wild Goose pagodas. Shanghai is modern China: Pudong's towers facing the Bund and quiet plane-tree streets.

What to set up before you go

Install Alipay and WeChat and link a foreign card — without them paying, hailing taxis and booking museums is hard. The Forbidden City, the Terracotta Army and the Shaanxi museum admit visitors only by passport booking, the palace usually 7 days ahead. Buy train tickets in the 12306 app or on Trip.com with your passport.

Getting around independently

Beijing to Xi'an is 4.5–6 hours by high-speed train. Xi'an to Shanghai is about 2.5 hours by air, or a train. In cities, use the metro and DiDi taxis in Alipay.

China itinerary for 5 or 10 days

Five days: Beijing for 3 and Shanghai for 2, skipping Xi'an — they are 4.5–6 hours apart by train. Ten days: add Hangzhou near Shanghai, Chengdu for the pandas or Chongqing.

How to do it right

  • Book the Forbidden City the moment slots open, 7 days ahead.
  • On Mondays the palace is closed — make that your Great Wall day.
  • High-speed train tickets sell out on holidays — book early.
  • China runs on Alipay and WeChat Pay — link a foreign card before you go; keep some cash yuan as a backup.
  • Many museums and parks in China admit visitors only with a passport booking — via WeChat, the website or a mini-app, usually 1–7 days ahead. Carry your passport.

Questions

What is a good 7-day China itinerary?

Beijing for 3 days, Xi'an for 2 and Shanghai for 2.

Can you travel around China independently?

Yes: high-speed trains, metros and DiDi taxis; you need Alipay or WeChat Pay.

How long from Beijing to Xi'an?

4.5–6 hours by high-speed train.

How do I get from Xi'an to Shanghai?

About 2.5 hours by air, or by train.

What can I see in China in 5 days?

Beijing for 3 days and Shanghai for 2.

When is the best time to visit China?

Spring and autumn.

How do I pay in China?

China runs on Alipay and WeChat Pay — link a foreign card before you go; keep some cash yuan as a backup.

Do museums need booking?

Many museums and parks in China admit visitors only with a passport booking — via WeChat, the website or a mini-app, usually 1–7 days ahead. Carry your passport.

Is it good with kids?

Yes; Chengdu has the panda base and Shanghai has Disneyland.

How do I buy train tickets?

In the 12306 app or on Trip.com with your passport.

Sources and fact-check

  • Prices, opening hours and time on site come from each place's page, with its own sources and check date
  • China Railway (12306)
  • Wikipedia: China
YesGo editorial team ·
How we checkedEach day is a YesGo city itinerary of 2–3 days: the main sights, the order with the shortest transfers, lunch. Trains and flights are rough times; check schedules in 12306 or Trip.com.

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