7 days
Seven days in China means choosing. The temptation is Beijing, Xi'an, Shanghai and maybe Chengdu; the reality is that four cities in a week…
Ready-made China itineraries
Each itinerary below is built around real high-speed rail times, realistic opening hours and a sane pace. Take one as written, or use it as a skeleton and swap in the cities you care about.
Most popular
10 days
The Beijing–Xi'an–Shanghai triangle is the standard first China trip and it is standard because it works: the imperial capital, the ancient…
Best all-round
14 days
Fourteen days is the sweet spot for a first China trip. It absorbs a rainy day and a slow morning without wrecking the plan, and it adds…
21 days
Three weeks is where a China trip becomes a proper journey rather than a highlights reel. The route below keeps the classic four cities and…
Silk Road route
The Silk Road was never one road. It was a shifting network of routes carrying silk east to west and Buddhism, Islam, glass, horses and…
Southern landscapes
This route skips Beijing and Xi'an entirely. It is for a second China trip, or for a first trip by someone whose interest is scenery rather…