Best China Itinerary for First-Time Visitors: 10 Days (2026)

Short answer: for a first trip to China, choose Beijing, Xi'an, Shanghai and Hangzhou. Together they give you imperial palaces and the Great Wall, the Terracotta Army, a modern skyline and West Lake, all linked by bullet train. Ten days is enough: 3 days in Beijing, 2 in Xi'an, 3 in Shanghai, 1 in Hangzhou and 1 for your flight home.

ℹ️ Updated 05/10/2026. Train times are estimates; Forbidden City booking rules come from the official sites (see Sources). Check again before you book.

Which cities should you visit on a first trip to China?

Pick the cities that match what you most want to see. The table lists the cities with their own guide on this site and how many days I suggest:

City	Why go	Suggested days
Beijing	Forbidden City, Great Wall, hutongs	4 to 5 days
Shanghai	The Bund, Pudong, Yu Garden	3 to 4 days
Xi'an	Terracotta Army, city wall, Muslim Quarter	2 to 3 days
Hangzhou	West Lake, Lingyin Temple, Longjing tea	2 to 3 days
Chengdu	Pandas, Sichuan hotpot, Leshan Giant Buddha	4 to 5 days
Chongqing	Mountain city, Hongya Cave	2 to 3 days
Zhangjiajie and Fenghuang	Sandstone peaks, glass bridge, old town	5 to 7 days
Guangzhou	Dim sum, wholesale markets	3 to 4 days

For a first visit, I choose Beijing, Xi'an, Shanghai and Hangzhou because all four sit on the bullet train network and each shows a different China: the imperial capital, the ancient capital, the modern city and the classic landscape. For a lighter trip, drop Xi'an and follow my 7-day Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou and Suzhou itinerary.

The 10-day itinerary at a glance

Day	City	Highlights
1	Beijing	Arrival, hutong walk, Peking duck
2	Beijing	Mutianyu Great Wall, Summer Palace in the afternoon
3	Beijing	Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven
4	Beijing → Xi'an	Bullet train, cycling on the city wall, Muslim Quarter
5	Xi'an	Terracotta Army, Big Wild Goose Pagoda or Bell Tower
6	Xi'an → Shanghai	Bullet train, evening on the Bund
7	Shanghai	Yu Garden, French Concession, Tianzifang
8	Shanghai	Pudong, soup dumplings, Nanjing Road
9	Hangzhou day trip	West Lake, Lingyin Temple, Longjing tea
10	Shanghai	Flight home

Pick your start day: the Forbidden City is closed on Mondays (except public holidays), so day 3 must not fall on a Monday. Book an open-jaw flight, into Beijing and out of Shanghai, so you never backtrack.

Days 1-3: Beijing

Day 1. Check in, walk the hutongs in the afternoon, Peking duck for dinner.

Day 2. Leave early for the Great Wall: the Mutianyu section is usually less crowded and has an enclosed cable car. In the afternoon, the Summer Palace, with its Long Corridor along Kunming Lake.

Day 3. Forbidden City in the morning, Temple of Heaven in the afternoon. Allow at least half a day for the central axis from the Meridian Gate to the Imperial Garden, a full day with the Treasure Gallery and the Gallery of Clocks.

⚠️ Forbidden City: no tickets at the gate. Tickets go on sale at 20:00 Beijing time, 7 days before the visit; book with your passport on bookingticket.dpm.org.cn. Closed on Mondays except public holidays (intl.dpm.org.cn). Booking steps in my Beijing guide.

Days 4-5: Xi'an

Day 4. Morning bullet train to Xi'an. In the afternoon, cycle on the ancient city wall, one of the most complete city walls in China, then eat in the Muslim Quarter.

Day 5. The Terracotta Army of Emperor Qin Shi Huang lies outside the city, so go early. In the afternoon, the Big Wild Goose Pagoda or the Bell Tower; for dinner, biangbiang noodles or roujiamo. More in my Xi'an guide.

Days 6-10: Shanghai and Hangzhou

Day 6. Bullet train to Shanghai, evening walk on the Bund facing the Pudong skyline.

Day 7. Yu Garden and its bazaar in the morning, the French Concession and Tianzifang in the afternoon.

Day 8. Pudong and the Oriental Pearl Tower, soup dumplings, shopping on Nanjing Road. See my Shanghai guide.

Day 9. Bullet train to Hangzhou and back: West Lake, Lingyin Temple, Longjing tea in the hills. See my Hangzhou guide.

Day 10. Depending on your flight, a last breakfast or some shopping before the airport.

How long are the bullet trains between cities?

Leg	Estimated time
Beijing → Xi'an	4.5 to 6 hours
Xi'an → Shanghai	about 6 hours
Shanghai → Hangzhou	45 minutes to 1.5 hours

How do foreigners book high speed train tickets? With your passport on the official 12306 app or website (in English) or on Trip.com. Your original passport is your ticket at the gates (12306.cn). Book early for weekends and holidays. Step by step: booking China's bullet trains.

What to add with 15 days

Keep the 10-day core and add one cluster of cities rather than spreading yourself thin:

• Chengdu and Chongqing (5 days): after Xi'an, go to Chengdu for the pandas and the Leshan Giant Buddha, take the bullet train to Chongqing (about 1 to 1.5 hours, estimated), then fly to Shanghai.
• Zhangjiajie and Fenghuang (5 days): sandstone peaks and an old river town; how to get there is in my Zhangjiajie guide.
• Suzhou (1 day): an easy day trip from Shanghai, as in my 7-day itinerary.

Days	15-day route (panda version)
1-3	Beijing
4-5	Xi'an
6-8	Chengdu
9-10	Chongqing, then fly to Shanghai
11-13	Shanghai, with a day in Suzhou
14	Hangzhou day trip
15	Fly home from Shanghai

When is the best time for this route?

April to May and September to October are the most comfortable months for all four cities. Summer is hot and wet, and northern winters are very cold. In 2026, avoid the Labour Day holiday (May 1 to 5) and National Day week (October 1 to 7) set by the State Council, when trains and Forbidden City tickets sell out fast. Month by month: best time to visit China.

What to prepare before a 10-day trip

• Visa: entry rules depend on your passport. French ordinary passport holders can enter mainland China visa-free for up to 30 days until 31/12/2026 (diplomatie.gouv.fr). Vietnamese travellers need a tourist (L) visa for a return trip (visa guide); since 20/08/2026 the 240-hour visa-free transit applies to them only with an onward ticket to a third country (en.nia.gov.cn).
• Payments: set up Alipay or WeChat Pay before you fly: payment guide.
• Data: eSIM or local SIM: SIM, eSIM and VPN.
• Budget: how much a China trip costs.

Should you travel with a guide for the whole trip?

Not necessarily. Many travellers go independently most of the time and book a guide only for the harder days: the Forbidden City, the Great Wall, the Terracotta Army. See travel independently or hire a guide.

I'm Quỳnh Nguyễn, a Beijing-based guide speaking Vietnamese, English and Mandarin. I plan whole trips, guide groups of 1 to 8 across China, and arrange airport pickup, a private driver, a Chinese SIM and interpreting. There is no fixed day rate: I quote per trip. See services or request a quote.

Sources

• Palace Museum, opening hours: intl.dpm.org.cn
• Palace Museum, official booking: bookingticket.dpm.org.cn
• Trains: 12306.cn
• State Council, 2026 public holidays: english.www.gov.cn
• Entry rules: diplomatie.gouv.fr, en.nia.gov.cn