10 Days in China: Beijing & The Great Wall, Shanghai, Suzhou & Hangzhou, Xi'an (Terracotta Warriors) & Guilin, Yangshuo & Li River
Our most popular 10-day route combining Beijing & The Great Wall, Shanghai, Suzhou & Hangzhou, and Xi'an (Terracotta Warriors), optimized for China Railway (12306) Fuxing 350 km/h High-Speed G-Trains (Your Physical Passport IS Your E-Ticket at the Manual/Passport Lane!) schedules and open-jaw flights.
Route Overview: Beijing & The Great Wall (3N) → Shanghai, Suzhou & Hangzhou (3N) → Xi'an (Terracotta Warriors) (3N)
Budget Estimate: ¥11781–¥20349 ($1,650–$2,850 USD per person)
Arrive via Beijing Capital (PEK) & Daxing (PKX) Airports + Beijing South / West High-Speed Rail Hubs, transfer to Beijing & The Great Wall Historic Center & Old Quarter, and settle in with an evening walk.
Tour The Forbidden City (Palace Museum / 故宫) & Jingshan Park — CRITICAL: Tickets are NEVER sold at the gate! Book exactly 7 days in advance at 20:00 Beijing Time on the official Palace Museum WeChat Mini-Program or `bookingticket.dpm.org.cn` using your passport number (¥60 Apr–Oct / ¥40 Nov–Mar; closed Mondays). Afterwards, climb Jingshan Park hill right across the north moat (¥2) for the iconic golden-roof panorama! and Mutianyu Great Wall (慕田峪长城) or Jinshanling Great Wall — Skip overcrowded Badaling; take the Mubus direct shuttle from Dongzhimen (¥80 round-trip) to Mutianyu (¥40 entry + ¥140 cable car up & toboggan slide down between Watchtowers 14 and 6!). with pre-booked morning slots.
Day trip to Guilin, Yangshuo & Li River (Li River Cruise from Guilin (Mopanshan / Zhujiang Pier) to Yangshuo (4 Hours) — Sail 83 km past Nine-Horse Fresco Hill and Yellow Cloth Shoal (the exact view on the ¥20 RMB banknote—bring a physical ¥20 bill for the photo! 3-Star Boat ¥245 / 4-Star Boat ¥390).) via Beijing & The Great Wall Central Station.
Morning China Railway connection to Shanghai, Suzhou & Hangzhou; afternoon walk through Shanghai, Suzhou & Hangzhou Historic Center & Old Quarter.
Visit The Bund (外滩), Nanjing Road & Lujiazui Skyline (Shanghai Tower 118th Floor) — Walk the 1.5 km riverside promenade at dusk as Pudong's Oriental Pearl and Shanghai Tower light up (cross the river on the ¥2 Dongjin Line ferry or Metro Line 2!)., Former French Concession (Wukang Road, Anfu Road & Fuxing Park) — Plane-tree-shaded boulevards lined with 1930s lane houses (shikumen), specialty coffee bars, and the flatiron Wukang Mansion., and sample Zhajiangmian.
Explore Hangzhou West Lake (西湖 (45–75 mins by regional transit) and enjoy dinner in Shanghai, Suzhou & Hangzhou Waterfront & Cultural District.
Transfer to Xi'an (Terracotta Warriors) (Xi'an (Terracotta Warriors) Central Station / Xi'an Xianyang Airport (XIY) & Xi'an North High-Speed Rail Station) and check into Xi'an (Terracotta Warriors) Historic Center & Old Quarter.
Full day discovering Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum (Terracotta Army / 兵马俑) — Take Xi'an Metro Line 1 → Line 9 to Huaqingchi + Bus 613 (or direct tourist shuttle) to see Pits 1, 2, and 3 plus the remarkable new Bronze Chariots Museum (¥120 flat ticket; visit Pit 1 → Pit 3 → Pit 2). and Cycling the 13.7 km Ming Dynasty City Wall (西安城墙, 1370 CE) — Rent a bike atop the 12-meter-wide stone ramparts at South Gate (Yongningmen) at 16:30 to complete the full loop as red lanterns illuminate at dusk (¥54 wall entry + ¥45 bike rental)., with Copper-Pot Mutton Hotpot for lunch.
Relaxed morning at Giant Wild Goose Pagoda (大雁塔, 652 CE) & Grand Tang Mall — Built to house Buddhist scriptures brought from India along the Silk Road by the monk Xuanzang. followed by a farewell dinner in Xi'an (Terracotta Warriors) Waterfront & Cultural District.
Connect to Xi'an Xianyang Airport (XIY) & Xi'an North High-Speed Rail Station or express transit for your onward flight.