The full first-timer grand tour: emperors in Beijing, warriors in Xi'an, pandas and hotpot in Chengdu, then Shanghai's skyline to finish. Two weeks, four worlds.
Route
Estimated budget per person, excluding international flights. Actual costs may vary.
Morning
Land, Airport Express in, check in near the hutongs.
Afternoon
Nanluoguxiang alleys, Drum & Bell Towers.
Evening
Peking duck, early night.
Food: Peking duck (¥100–160/person)
Transport: Airport Express ¥25
Est. cost: $90–160
Two weeks means laundry: pick hotels with service or find a local 洗衣店.
Morning
Tiananmen + Forbidden City (booked ahead).
Afternoon
Jingshan Park, Qianmen snacks.
Evening
Houhai lakes bars.
Food: Street snacks (¥50)
Transport: Metro Lines 1/8
Est. cost: $15–30
Your passport is your ticket — carry it daily.
Morning
Mutianyu, cable car up, first towers.
Afternoon
Full wall walk, toboggan down, late lunch.
Evening
Ghost Street hotpot.
Food: Sichuan hotpot (¥90)
Transport: Private driver ¥400–600/car
Est. cost: $70–120
Sunscreen even in October — the wall has no shade.
Morning
Temple of Heaven with the morning crowds of locals.
Afternoon
Lama Temple, then 798 Art District galleries.
Evening
Beijing opera excerpt or acrobatics.
Food: Imperial snacks (¥30)
Transport: Metro + DiDi
Est. cost: $20–40
798 is huge — pick two galleries and a coffee rather than sprinting.
Morning
G-train Beijing West → Xi'an North (4.5 h).
Afternoon
City Wall bike ride at golden hour (14 km loop).
Evening
Muslim Quarter crawl #1.
Food: Biangbiang noodles (¥35)
Transport: Metro Line 2
Est. cost: $95–140
Bike the wall counter-clockwise for the best light on the towers.
Morning
Pits at 8:30am: 3 → 1 → 2 with audio guide.
Afternoon
Huaqing Palace; return for a nap (you've earned it).
Evening
Big Wild Goose Pagoda fountain show.
Food: Yangrou paomo (¥45)
Transport: Bus 306 ¥8
Est. cost: $35–60
The warriors are 40 min out — leave 9am at the latest and you'll still beat most tours.
Morning
Shaanxi History Museum (free, book days ahead).
Afternoon
Great Mosque and the quiet lanes behind it.
Evening
Pack; night market snacks on the way home.
Food: Muslim Quarter round 2 (¥50)
Transport: Metro/bus, mostly walking
Est. cost: $10–20
Museum closed Mondays — plan day order accordingly.
Morning
G-train Xi'an North → Chengdu East (3–4 h, ¥263).
Afternoon
Check in at Chunxi Road; Kuanzhai Alleys stroll.
Evening
First Sichuan hotpot — order the yuanyang split pot.
Food: Hotpot (¥90–120)
Transport: Metro from Chengdu East
Est. cost: $70–110
Xi'an→Chengdu crosses the Qinling mountains through insanely long tunnels — a fun trivia ride.
Morning
Panda Base at 7:30am opening — pandas eat breakfast at 8.
Afternoon
Return; People's Park teahouse, optional ear-cleaning experience.
Evening
Sichuan opera face-changing show.
Food: Mapo tofu + dan dan noodles (¥60)
Transport: Metro Line 3 + shuttle
Est. cost: $30–70
Pandas sleep by 10:30am in summer. Non-negotiable early start.
Morning
Train/bus to Leshan (1.5 h); board river cruise.
Afternoon
Walk the cliff-path beside the 71-metre Buddha's head-to-toe.
Evening
Back in Chengdu for chuan chuan skewer hotpot.
Food: Leshan bobo chicken skewers, chuan chuan (¥80)
Transport: High-speed train ¥55 each way
Est. cost: $40–70
The river cruise sees the Buddha whole; the cliff path sees it close. Do both.
Morning
Wenshu Monastery vegetarian lunch or last tea session.
Afternoon
Flight Chengdu → Shanghai (2.5–3 h, ¥450–800) or the all-day train (10 h, ¥300 — scenic but long).
Evening
Check in near the Bund; nightcap with a skyline view.
Food: Monastery vegetarian buffet (¥40)
Transport: Metro to airport, flight
Est. cost: $80–150
Chengdu's Tianfu/Shuangliu airports are far — allow a full afternoon.
Morning
Yu Garden + bazaar early.
Afternoon
Nanjing Road → Bund → ¥2 ferry river loop.
Evening
Bund at night + xiaolongbao dinner.
Food: Xiaolongbao (¥40)
Transport: Metro Lines 10/2, ferry
Est. cost: $15–25
You know the drill by now: early beats empty.
Morning
French Concession by bike; coffee on Anfu Road.
Afternoon
Tianzifang, then Shanghai Tower deck at dusk.
Evening
Farewell banquet: hairy crab (autumn) or Dongpo pork + river shrimp.
Food: Shanghainese feast (¥120)
Transport: Bikes, metro, DiDi
Est. cost: $40–90
Buy tea in Chengdu instead of Shanghai — better provenance and price.
Morning
Last stroll; souvenir check (tea? tea.).
Afternoon
Maglev to PVG (300 km/h goodbye) and fly home.
Evening
—
Food: Breakfast (¥30)
Transport: Maglev ¥50
Est. cost: $10–20
Fourteen days in China goes fast — you'll be planning trip two on the flight home.
Recommended
Reserve bullet-train seats with an English interface — much easier than the official 12306 app for first-time visitors.
Book Train TicketsRecommended
English-guided tours for the Great Wall, Terracotta Army and more — reserve now, pay later, free cancellation.
Browse China ToursNot even close — but it IS the sensible maximum for a first trip on a classic route. Beyond this, add depth (Guilin, Hangzhou, Chongqing) rather than more sprinting.
Chongqing is 1.5 h by train from Chengdu — swap in 2 days if you love night skylines. Guilin needs 3 days of its own; better saved for trip two.
About $2,500/person mid-range including all internal transport, hotels, food and entries — excluding international flights.