This classic 10 day China itinerary is best suited for those on a time crunch in Mainland China and looking to see many of the "hot spots," which includes Shanghai, Beijing, and Xi'an as the "epicenters" of your trip. This itinerary is also of course customizable, with optional extension days for you to make it your own. You can easily extend your stay to 14 days or more with this itinerary, and if you can- I highly suggest that you do.
When should you travel to China?
I would recommend going to China in Spring, if possible. More precisely, after the Chinese New Year and before the Dragon boat festival to avoid holiday travel. The weather is nice, flowers are in bloom, and you can still miss the summer tourist season. Of course, if summer is your only option, then you absolutely should still go! I even went to some of the places on this itinerary over winter and still had a blast, so there really isn't a "wrong" time to go.
Summary of the 10 Day China Itinerary
Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China
This China itinerary is essentially split up as: 3/3/3 and an extra day: 3 days in/around Shanghai; 3 days in/around Beijing; 3 days in/around Xi'an; and an extra floating travel day as day 10. However, as you go, if certain areas pique your interest more, I of course suggest that you customize your 10 days to where you would like to focus.
Shanghai: The Foreign City (2 days)
Shanghai is a perfect starting point to your China trip because there are a ton of international flights to Shanghai and it's a good way to "ease yourself in" to China.
Local Shanghai folks are known throughout the rest of China as a bit stuck up and very proud of their local dialect. However, Shanghai is also very foreigner-friendly, and since parts of it used to be divided up by foreign powers during and after the Qing dynasty, there are lots of competing architecture and styles of food to enjoy.
For this 10 day China itinerary, I chose two days in Shanghai because I would really recommend you check out either nearby Suzhou or Hangzhou as a day trip.
Shanghai Hot Spots
The French Quarter: Tianzifang and Xintiandi
The French Quarter of Shanghai is, unsurprisingly, the area of Shanghai that had previously been colonized by the French. Tianzifang and Xintiandi are two famous shopping areas in the French quarter, that contain lots of small alleys, artwork and boutique shops. They're both worth it to check out, but if you have to choose I enjoyed Tianzifang more than Xintiandi.
The Bund
View of Shanghai from the Bund, including the famous TV tower.
The Bund is the old British part of Shanghai, and features the famous TV tower that Shanghai is so well known for. I recommend coming here at night, after spending the day elsewhere. It's gorgeous when it's lit up. You can stroll up Nanjing Road to get to the Bund; it's always crowded, but still fun. You can also go up the Shanghai tower here, which is the second tallest building in the world.
YuYuan Garden and Surrounding Streets
YuYuan Garden is the only surviving Ming Dynasty garden in Shanghai, and isn't too far from the Bund. You could come here first and then go to the Bund after. There are lots of pedestrian streets around YuYuan Garden as well that I found just as interesting. It's definitely worth a visit, although expect crowds of local tourists at pretty much anytime.
Shanghai Old Street: Fangbang Road
Shanghai Old Street was one of my favorite parts of Shanghai, but many of the old buildings were abandoned and seemed to be set for demolition, so I'm not sure how much longer it will be around. I honestly thought I was in the wrong area at first, but the traditional Chinese architecture is stunning, even though some of the buildings have fallen into disrepair. Wandering the deserted back streets in such a crowded city was such a pleasure. Apparently, this part of the city used to be where lots of movies were filmed in the early 1900s.
A fascinating juxtaposition of buildings on Fangbang Road
YuYuan Garden
Shanghai Extension: Huangshan, the Yellow Mountain
Huangshan or, in English, Yellow Mountain, is an easy day trip from Shanghai by high speed train. You can visit China Highlights for more information about Huangshan. I didn't end up going here, but my friend did. At first, she thought she needed two days for it, but she was able to ascend and descend all in a days work. If you're in decent physical shape, a day trip is likely all you need. If you'd rather take it easy, there are some hotels on the mountain you can stay at, or you can stay in the nearby town. When the weather's nice, you can also usually camp out near the top of the mountain.
Day Trip to Suzhou or Hangzhou (1 day)
Another quick trip from Shanghai is both the small water town of Suzhou, known as the "Venice of China," and Hangzhou, a much larger city that houses the famous Xihu, or West Lake. If you have to choose one, I'd choose Suzhou, but that's based on my own preference. Both are lovely in different ways.
Exploring Suzhou
One of the best things you can do in Suzhou is to just wander the streets in Pinjiang district and cross the many bridges over the water. You can also take a boat ride for pretty cheap (180 yuan when I went), although the ride isn't too long, around 40 minutes, and just goes up and down the main canal.
Suzhou also is home to the Humble Administrator's Garden (70 yuan admission), close to the Suzhou Museum (free). I went to both. I went during winter, so it wasn't as beautiful as it would be during spring and summer, but it was still really cool. The museum was, I thought, a bit too large, but even if it wasn't free (it is) it still would be worth a visit.
Guanqian street is the newer section of Suzhou, and features many sprawling malls. There are lots of well-priced hotels and hostels here, so it's a convenient area to stay. My friends and I stayed at Ming Ya Youth Hostel, and had no problems there.
A boat ride in Suzhou
The famous West Lake in Hangzhou
Wandering in Hangzhou
The main attraction in Hangzhou is Xihu, or West Lake. There are Chinese folklore stories about Xihu, the most famous being about the white snake. Situated on the lake is the beautiful Leifeng pagoda, where you can enter for about 40 yuan. There are also lots of small hikes around Xihu, including Jade Emperor Hill and Mount Fenghuang. We chose to hike Jade Emperor Hill; my friend and I walked to the entrance from the lake area, and proceeded to climb. The hike was pretty short and decent, but didn't have great views from the top.
You can continue to explore the area around Xihu, which includes Qing Hefang street, which is a great area for souvenirs and situated next to Wu Hill.
Another famous option in Hangzhou is to hike the Meijiawu tea plantation. I didn't end up having the time to fit this in, but my two friends that lived there went and thoroughly enjoyed it.
If you have a lot of additional time in China, you can also check out Wuzhe water town, which is about 50 miles from Hangzhou and very famous in China.
Travel to Beijing, China's Capital (3 days)
Ah, Beijing. The capital of China. The place that houses tons of Chinese architecture and the world-renowned Forbidden City. I went here quite late during my time living in China, and it did not disappoint.
Beijing Hot Spots
Dashilan Pedestrian Street
This is where our hostel was located, and it's an awesome area. An easy metro ride from the city, you walk down twisting pedestrian streets. There's lots of beautiful buildings and fun shops. It's a great place to stay and a wonderful place to explore.
The Forbidden City and Jingshan Park
The Forbidden City in Beijing as seen from Jingshan Park
Yes, you all know about the Forbidden City. The poor man's alternative, or, if the Forbidden City is sold out and you don't have tickets, is to hike nearby Jingshan Park, which overlooks the Forbidden City and you can get some nice views of it. This is what we did. Worth it. We did still have to make reservations at Jingshan, and as foreigners we had to call, but it was a very informal system and simple to do. This can be paired easily with Tiananmen Square.
The Great Wall of China
Yes, another must-do in Beijing. If you are short on time, you can go to the Badaling section of the Great Wall, which is the most popular and well-known. If you have more time, I highly suggest taking a two-day hiking trip and hiking the Wild Great Wall, which is the unrestored section. The hike my friend and I did was through Beijing Hikers, and it started on the very old Qi section of the wall, which had been reduced to rubble; proceeded to the unrestored part of the Ming dynasty wall; and then finished at the restored part of the wall at "haohanpo," which, if you talk to a Chinese person, will get you some credit.
Summer Palace, Temple of Heaven, and Yuanmingyuan
The Temple of Heaven is centrally located, but the Summer Palace and Yuanmingyuan are a bit further out, so they either require you to have more time in Beijing, or to hop on one of those tour buses that carts you around the city for the day. They are all worth a visit if you have the time.
Peking roast duck
Lastly, you should try the Peking roast duck (if you aren't vegetarian, that is). You can find Peking roast duck in pretty much any city, but it isn't the same as stuffing it down in the city that it originated from.
Beijing Extension: Tianjin
Tianjin is a city that's very close to Beijing, only about an hour and a half by high speed train. You can check out Exploring Tianjin attractions for options to do in Tianjin if you're sticking around the Beijing area.
Xi'an, the Ancient Capital (3 days)
Xi'an is where the famous terracotta warriors are located and much further west into China. Xi'an is great to visit as part of a 10 day China itinerary, not just because of the terra-cotta warriors, but because it has a completely different vibe to coastal and northern China. If you must go here during a Chinese holiday, you can read my tips on surviving Xi'an during a holiday.
Xi'an Hot Spots
Terracotta Warriors
Yes, the classic tourist destination at Xi'an, so of course this is a must-see. Go as early as you can for this attraction to avoid wait times. I also suggest purchasing a guided audio tour (they have ones available in many languages) to add context and information to your trip.
Huaqing Palace
Not far from the terracotta soldiers, Huaqing Palace is beautiful and much less crowded. There is a small hill, Lishan, you can climb up, or you can just hang around and view the beautiful rooms of the palace and outdoor gardens. If you took the bus to the terracotta warriors, you can take the same bus (306- can also take 307) to Huaqing Palace on the way back to Xi'an.
Muslim Food Corridor
A great option for foodies (and really everyone), the Muslim food corridor in Xi'an not only has delicious food, but has beautiful architecture and is a pleasure to walk through (so long as you don't go during a holiday, seriously). Make sure to try biang biang mian, a type of thick noodle dish, and rou jia mo, or the Chinese hamburger.
Xi'an Extension: Huashan
Huashan is one of the many sacred mountains in China. Either you will love or hate that it has a cable car option, but if you're only able to be there for one day, then it is worth it to try to take the cable car. You can still do lots of hiking at the top to get to the "five peaks" of Huashan. However, if you can and enjoy hiking, take two days and take your time. I knew one coworker who was able to zip up and down all in one day without the cable car, but he seemed to be an exception and not the norm.
Xi'an Extension: Longmen Grottoes
The Longmen Grottoes in Luoyang, although almost a 5 hour drive from Xi'an, are only 1.5 hours away by high-speed train! You can find more information here through China Travel Guide about a day trip to Longmen grottoes from Xi'an.
Floating Travel Day (1 day)
And there you have it- your 10 day China itinerary is complete. This floating day can be applied anywhere, but here I applied it to the last day for international travel out of the county. There are plenty of extension options, so if you'd like to fill this day instead, you can certainly do so.
Happy travels! If you want to consider other areas in China beyond this itinerary, I recommend you check out my following blog posts, or you can go to the China Homepage for all posts:
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