7 days = one region done well · 10 days = the classic trio · 14 days = add the west · 21 days = the grand tour. Pick by days off, not ambition.
By trip length
The full itineraries
Beijing deep-dive with a Great Wall side trip. For short trips that don’t want to be a blur.
Beijing → Xi’an → Shanghai. The most-used first-timer route, trains included.
Chengdu, Guilin, and the Yangshuo countryside on top of the classics — still humane pacing.
Three weeks, five regions, one direction. The full China experience without rushing.
By style
Route guides for how you travel
Beijing → Pingyao → Xi’an → Chengdu → Yangshuo on hostels and night trains. Budget-style route with costs.
Month-by-month weather, crowds, and price ratings — pick the season first, then the route.
Spring Festival, National Day, Mid-Autumn — how each one changes crowds, prices, and your route.
First steps
Before you pick a route
Quick answers
FAQ
10 days. Beijing + Xi’an + Shanghai with travel days. Below that, do Beijing alone.
Yes — every itinerary lists its city days separately, so swap or trim freely. That’s the point of the day-by-day format.
Still planning? Get the checklist first
The free printable pre-trip checklist covers documents, apps, and packing — the stuff every route shares.
Continue your planning
Practical first-trip China guides — visas, VPN, eSIM, Alipay, trains, and city routes.