China in 7 days: Beijing, Xi'an and Shanghai

Open this route in the trip planner to fit it to your dates, with booking reminders.

Seven days in China with three cities is fast, but it is the classic first look at the country: imperial Beijing, the Terracotta Army in Xi’an and modern Shanghai. This route suits first-timers who want the headline sights, don’t mind early starts and two travel days, and will book the timed tickets before they fly. If you would rather travel slowly, drop Xi’an and give its days to Beijing and Shanghai.

The route at a glance

Fly into Beijing and out of Shanghai (“open-jaw”) so you never backtrack. Seven days fits inside 30-day visa-free entry and inside 240-hour visa-free transit, as long as your route meets the conditions; check yours with the visa checker.

Beijing on the 7-day route: days 1 to 3

Beijing opens the seven-day Beijing, Xi’an and Shanghai route with an arrival day and two full days of sightseeing. Check whether your flight lands at Beijing Capital or Beijing Daxing: the two airports are far apart, and each has its own airport express metro line into the city. Stay near Line 1, 2 or 5 so the central sights are one change away. See the Beijing city guide for areas and transport.

• Day 1, arrival: check in, set up Alipay or WeChat Pay and your data, and take a first walk near the hotel. The first 24 hours guide covers the order to do things in.
• Day 2: Tiananmen Square, the Palace Museum, then Jingshan Park for the view. Tiananmen Square and the Palace Museum both need a reservation under your passport, and the Palace Museum usually closes on Mondays, so if day 2 falls on a Monday, swap it with day 3.
• Day 3: the Great Wall. Badaling is the easiest to reach, including by train, and the most crowded; Mutianyu is restored and scenic, with a cable car and a toboggan, and makes a good first choice. Leave early and avoid weekends if you can.

Xi’an on the 7-day route: days 4 and 5

Xi’an is the middle stop on the seven-day Beijing, Xi’an and Shanghai route. On day 4, take a morning high-speed train from Beijing; many services run from Beijing West to Xi’an North and take around four to six hours, depending on the train. Book on 12306, the official rail channel, and check the station on your ticket. The best base is inside the city wall near Metro Line 2. See the Xi’an city guide.

• Day 4, evening: the Bell Tower and the Muslim Quarter, for lamb skewers, roujiamo and noodles. The Muslim Quarter is halal, so don’t bring pork or alcohol.
• Day 5: the Terracotta Army and Huaqing Palace, about an hour east of the city. Terracotta Army tickets are real-name, booked with your passport through the official channel; go early. Get there by official tourist bus, the metro toward Lintong plus a short onward ride, ride-hailing or a licensed tour, and ignore touts at the railway station.

Shanghai on the 7-day route: days 6 and 7

Shanghai closes the seven-day Beijing, Xi’an and Shanghai route. Xi’an to Shanghai is a long train ride or a short flight, and most travelers on a tight week fly. Flights land at Shanghai Pudong or Shanghai Hongqiao, on opposite sides of the city, so check which one your ticket uses. The easiest base is near Metro Line 2 or Line 10. See the Shanghai city guide.

• Day 6, evening: the Bund, East Nanjing Road and a ferry across the Huangpu to Lujiazui for the skyline at night.
• Day 7: Yu Garden and the Old City in the morning, then the former French Concession in the afternoon, best on foot. Yu Garden has ticketed entry.

Most international flights leave from Pudong. The maglev runs from Pudong Airport to Longyang Road, and Metro Line 2 also reaches the airport; allow plenty of time either way. If your flight leaves on day 7, keep the afternoon short or stay a night and fly the next morning.

Bookings to make before you go

The seven-day Beijing, Xi’an and Shanghai route only works if the timed tickets are in place. Book in this order:

1. Your entry route with the visa checker, and flights into Beijing and out of Shanghai.
2. The Palace Museum, the hardest ticket on the route. Booking opens a set number of days ahead and popular days sell out within hours. Book Tiananmen Square for the same day.
3. The Terracotta Army for day 5, and Badaling if you choose it, which uses timed entry slots. Mutianyu is less pressured but worth booking in busy seasons.
4. The Beijing–Xi’an train on 12306 or Trip.com, and the Xi’an–Shanghai flight or train. See how to book train tickets.
5. Hotels for all six nights, at places that accept foreign guests, with each address saved in Chinese characters.

The sight bookings tool lists the channel, window and closing day for every sight on this route, and Booking sights explains how real-name booking works.

Check before you go: Booking windows for sights and trains change, and holidays sell out fastest. Confirm each window on the official channel (12306 for rail, each sight’s official website or WeChat mini program) shortly before your trip.

Make it your own

The seven-day Beijing, Xi’an and Shanghai route is tight, so change it to suit your pace:

• Cut Xi’an for a calmer week: four days in Beijing, then the high-speed train to Shanghai, a few hours on one of China’s busiest lines.
• Add an eighth day in Beijing for the Temple of Heaven in the morning and the hutongs and Shichahai in the afternoon, or in Xi’an for the City Wall by bike and the Shaanxi History Museum.
• Add Shanghai days for the Shanghai Museum, Jing’an Temple and Suzhou Creek, or a day trip to a water town, Suzhou or Hangzhou.
• Going further? The 10-day route adds Chengdu and its pandas.

Check your dates against Chinese public holidays in When to go, then put the route on a calendar with the trip planner, which keeps Monday-closed museums off Mondays and sets booking reminders.