China in 10 days on a first visit: Beijing, Xi’an, Shanghai and Suzhou

Three cities tell most of the story on a first visit. Beijing holds the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven and the Great Wall at Mutianyu, an hour and a half from the centre. Xi’an, the old capital at the start of the Silk Road, has the Terracotta Army and a complete Ming city wall you can cycle. Shanghai is the modern country in one skyline, and Suzhou, half an hour away by train, keeps the classical gardens. The legs are short: four hours by high-speed train from Beijing to Xi’an, a flight or a day on the train to Shanghai, and a metro-short hop to Suzhou.

Day by day

Laid out by the atlas's trip planner from the stops below, with the trains and flights in its tables; open it on the map to change the days, the order or the stops.

1. Day 1 · Beijing

   • Forbidden City

2. Day 2 · Beijing

   • Temple of Heaven
   • Summer Palace

3. Day 3 · Beijing

   • Great Wall at Mutianyu

4. Day 4 · Xi'an

   • High-speed train Beijing West → Xi'an North, 4 h 10 min (G351, 38 a day); about 4½ hours door to door, ¥587. Compare ways

5. Day 5 · Xi'an

   • Muslim Quarter
   • Xi'an City Wall

6. Day 6 · Xi'an

   • Terracotta Army

7. Day 7 · Shanghai

   • Flight Xi'an Xianyang (XIY) → Shanghai Hongqiao (SHA), 2 h 20 min in the air; about 5 hours door to door, about ¥740. Compare ways

8. Day 8 · Shanghai

   • The Bund & Lujiazui Skyline

9. Day 9 · Suzhou

   • High-speed train Shanghai Hongqiao → Suzhou North, 21 min (G2, 234 a day); about ½ hour door to door, ¥40. Compare ways
   • Classical Gardens of Suzhou

10. Day 10 · Suzhou

    • Classical Gardens of Suzhou continued
    • Free

Why this order

Beijing first because most international flights land there and the Wall is the thing nobody wants to miss; Shanghai last because it flies everywhere and the Suzhou day fits on the way out.

When to go

April to May and September to October: mild in all three cities, the Wall clear of haze. Avoid the first week of October, when the whole country travels.

Good to know

• Book the Terracotta Army and the Forbidden City before you arrive; both sell out in high season and the Forbidden City closes on Mondays.
• In Beijing stay near a metro line inside the Second Ring Road; the Wall trip is a day tour or a private car, not public transport.
• The Beijing to Xi’an train leaves from Beijing West; the Xi’an to Shanghai train takes about six hours, the flight two, so the choice is yours.

Before you go

• Visas and visa-free entry Can I visit China without a visa?
• Paying for things How do I pay for things in China without a Chinese bank account?
• Internet and apps Will Google and my other apps work in China?
• Trains and 12306 How do I book train tickets in China with a foreign passport?
• Book popular sights early Which sights in China need booking in advance, and how?
• When to go When is the best time to visit China?

On the map

The map opens with these 9 stops in a trip; "Plan my days" lays out the same days and lets you move stops, change the days each gets, or choose where you arrive and leave.

Other trips

• Two weeks in China: Beijing, Xi’an, Chengdu, Guilin and Shanghai 14 days · Beijing, Xi'an, Chengdu, Leshan, Guilin and Shanghai
• North China’s heritage line: Beijing, Datong, Pingyao and Xi’an 9 days · Beijing, Datong, Pingyao and Xi'an
• Shanghai, Suzhou, Hangzhou and Huangshan in eight days 8 days · Shanghai, Suzhou, Hangzhou and Huangshan City