Trip Planning

China Travel Itinerary Guide 2025

From 1 week to 1 month — tested itineraries with transport, budget, and insider tips.

1 Week

Classic Highlights

The must-see trio for first-time visitors. Beijing's imperial grandeur, Xi'an's ancient army, and Chengdu's pandas.

Route

Beijing (3 days)Xi'an (2 days)Chengdu (2 days)

Transport

  • Beijing → Xi'an: High-speed train (4.5h, ~$80)
  • Xi'an → Chengdu: High-speed train (3.5h, ~$65)

Highlights

  • •Great Wall at Mutianyu
  • •Terracotta Warriors
  • •Giant Panda Base
  • •Forbidden City
  • •Muslim Quarter food tour
$800-1,200 per person(flights, hotels, food, attractions)

💡 Insider tip: Book Great Wall tickets 3 days ahead on WeChat. Xi'an train station is 30 min from city center — allow extra time.

2 Weeks

Deep Dive

Add Shanghai's skyline and Guilin's karst mountains. The perfect balance of cities and nature.

Route

Beijing (3 days)Xi'an (2 days)Chengdu (2 days)Shanghai (3 days)Guilin/Yangshuo (2 days)

Transport

  • Beijing → Xi'an: High-speed train (4.5h, ~$80)
  • Xi'an → Chengdu: High-speed train (3.5h, ~$65)
  • Chengdu → Shanghai: Flight (3h, ~$120)
  • Shanghai → Guilin: Flight (2.5h, ~$100)

Highlights

  • •All 1-week highlights plus
  • •The Bund at night
  • •Li River cruise
  • •Yangshuo countryside cycling
  • •Shanghai food tour
  • •Jade Dragon Snow Mountain view
$1,500-2,200 per person(flights, hotels, food, attractions)

💡 Insider tip: Fly Chengdu → Shanghai (don't take the 12h train). Book Li River cruise tickets on Trip.com 2 weeks ahead.

3 Weeks

Explorer Route

Add Hangzhou's West Lake and Zhangjiajie's Avatar mountains. For those who want to go beyond the obvious.

Route

Beijing (3 days)Xi'an (2 days)Chengdu (2 days)Shanghai (2 days)Hangzhou (2 days)Guilin/Yangshuo (2 days)Zhangjiajie (2 days)

Transport

  • Beijing → Xi'an: High-speed train (4.5h)
  • Xi'an → Chengdu: High-speed train (3.5h)
  • Chengdu → Shanghai: Flight (3h)
  • Shanghai → Hangzhou: High-speed train (1h, ~$15)
  • Hangzhou → Guilin: Flight (2h)
  • Guilin → Zhangjiajie: Flight (1.5h)

Highlights

  • •All 2-week highlights plus
  • •West Lake sunrise
  • •Zhangjiajie glass bridge
  • •Longji Rice Terraces
  • •Hangzhou tea villages
$2,000-3,000 per person(flights, hotels, food, attractions)

💡 Insider tip: Zhangjiajie needs 2 full days minimum. Book the glass bridge online — same-day tickets sell out. Hangzhou is only 1h from Shanghai by train.

4 Weeks

Grand Tour

The full China experience: add Lhasa (Tibet), Lijiang's old town, and Harbin's ice festival (winter only).

Route

Beijing (3 days)Xi'an (2 days)Chengdu (2 days)Lhasa (3 days)Lijiang (2 days)Shanghai (2 days)Hangzhou (2 days)Guilin/Yangshuo (2 days)Zhangjiajie (2 days)Harbin (2 days, winter only)

Transport

  • Beijing → Xi'an: High-speed train
  • Xi'an → Chengdu: High-speed train
  • Chengdu → Lhasa: Flight or Qinghai-Tibet train (36h)
  • Lhasa → Lijiang: Flight
  • Lijiang → Shanghai: Flight
  • Shanghai → Hangzhou: High-speed train (1h)
  • Hangzhou → Guilin: Flight
  • Guilin → Zhangjiajie: Flight
  • Zhangjiajie → Harbin: Flight (winter route)

Highlights

  • •All 3-week highlights plus
  • •Potala Palace
  • •Jokhang Temple
  • •Lijiang Old Town
  • •Jade Dragon Snow Mountain
  • •Harbin Ice Festival (Dec-Feb)
  • •Tibetan monastery visits
$3,000-4,500 per person(flights, hotels, food, attractions)

💡 Insider tip: Tibet requires a special permit — book through a licensed tour operator at least 20 days ahead. You cannot enter Tibet independently. Acclimatize in Lhasa (3,650m) for 24h before exploring.

Chinese Holidays to Avoid

China's national holidays create massive domestic travel waves. During these periods, attractions are packed, trains sell out, and hotel prices double or triple. If you can, avoid these dates:

Chinese New Year (Spring Festival)

7 days

Jan/Feb (varies)

EVERYTHING is packed. Trains sell out weeks ahead. Many businesses close. Avoid if possible.

National Day Golden Week

7 days

October 1-7

Second-busiest travel week. Major attractions have 2-3 hour queues. Hotels double in price.

Labor Day

5 days

May 1-5

Popular tourist spots are extremely crowded. Short-haul trains sell out.

Qingming Festival

3 days

April 4-6

Moderate crowds. Some attractions busier than usual.

Dragon Boat Festival

3 days

May/June (varies)

Moderate crowds. Good time to visit if you avoid the holiday itself.

Mid-Autumn Festival

3 days

Sep/Oct (varies)

Moderate crowds. Beautiful moon-viewing events.

Get the Full City Guides

Each city in these itineraries has a detailed guide with attractions, food, transport, and hotel tips.

Browse All Guides