The 10-day China Golden Route strings the three headline cities — Beijing, Xi’an, and Shanghai — into one north-to-east sweep, with three or four nights each and fast trains between. Base in Wangfujing (Beijing, ~¥720 / US$100), the Bell Tower (Xi’an, ~¥450 / US$62), and the Bund (Shanghai, ~¥700 / US$97); all walkable to the icons and on a metro line.
Quick Answer
Ten days, three cities, ten nights, two long train rides. This is the classic first-timer’s China: imperial Beijing, ancient Xi’an, and modern Shanghai, stitched by G-trains that make the 4.5-hour Beijing–Xi’an and 6-hour Xi’an–Shanghai hops painless. I’d give Beijing four nights, Xi’an three, Shanghai three — enough to breathe, not so much you stall.
- Day 1–4 — Beijing: Forbidden City, Mutianyu Wall, Summer Palace, Temple of Heaven.
- Day 5 — Train to Xi’an (4.5 hrs).
- Day 6–7 — Xi’an: Terracotta Army, city wall, Muslim Quarter.
- Day 8 — Train to Shanghai (6 hrs).
- Day 9–10 — Shanghai: Bund, water town, depart.
- Bases — Wangfujing, Bell Tower, the Bund.
Day-by-Day Itinerary
Day 1 — Beijing: Forbidden City & Tiananmen
Land, settle in Wangfujing, and walk Tiananmen Square into the Forbidden City (book a timed ticket). Three hours minimum. Evening on Wangfujing snack street. The where to stay near the Forbidden City guide confirms why Dongcheng is the sweet spot — 15 minutes on foot to the gates.
WHERE TO STAY TONIGHT: Wangfujing / Dongcheng. Four nights total in Beijing.
Day 2 — Beijing: Mutianyu Great Wall
Day trip to Mutianyu (90 min each way by coach or car). Cable car up, toboggan down, back for a hotpot dinner. Don’t overthink the Wall section — Mutianyu beats Badaling for crowds and restoration.
WHERE TO STAY TONIGHT: Same Beijing hotel.
Day 3 — Beijing: Summer Palace & Temple of Heaven
Morning at the Summer Palace (Kunming Lake, long corridor), afternoon at the Temple of Heaven (through-ticket ¥34). Both are green, calm counterpoints to Day 1. Evening free — try a hutong dinner south of Tiananmen.
WHERE TO STAY TONIGHT: Same Beijing hotel.
Day 4 — Beijing: Optional Pandas or 798, Then Pack
A flex day: the Beijing Zoo pandas, the 798 Art Zone, or just a last hutong wander. Pack for the Xi’an move. The Beijing Subway map (Beijing Subway) covers the Airport Express if you fly out later.
WHERE TO STAY TONIGHT: Final Beijing night; store bags and train out next morning.
Day 5 — Beijing to Xi’an: High-Speed Train
G-train Beijing West → Xi’an North (4.5 hrs, ¥515 / US$72 second class). Settle near the Bell Tower inside the wall. Afternoon on the Ming city wall (bike the 14 km loop) and the Muslim Quarter.
WHERE TO STAY TONIGHT: Bell Tower / inside wall. Three nights in Xi’an. The where to stay near the Terracotta Army (Xi’an) guide notes most sleep downtown, not by the pits.
Day 6 — Xi’an: Terracotta Army
Morning at the Terracotta Army (Bus 306 or Didi, ¥120). Three pits and the bronze chariot. Back for lunch and a relaxed afternoon — the Big Wild Goose Pagoda fountains light up at dusk.
WHERE TO STAY TONIGHT: Same Xi’an hotel.
Day 7 — Xi’an: Markets & a Slow Day
The Shaanxi History Museum (free, book ahead) is the best primer on the Silk Road. Evening food crawl in the Muslim Quarter. If you’re tired of cities, this is the day to skip and add an hour to the Wall bike ride instead.
WHERE TO STAY TONIGHT: Final Xi’an night; train east tomorrow.
Day 8 — Xi’an to Shanghai: The Long G-Train
The Xi’an–Shanghai G-train is about 6 hours (¥750 / US$104 second class) — book a window seat, bring snacks, and enjoy the landscape shift from loess to Yangtze green. Arrive Shanghai, settle on the Bund (Huangpu). Evening walk the waterfront as Pudong lights up.
WHERE TO STAY TONIGHT: Bund / Huangpu. Three nights. The where to stay near the Bund (Shanghai) guide maps the Huangpu blocks.
Day 9 — Shanghai: Bund, Nanjing Rd, a Water Town
Morning on the Bund and Nanjing Road, afternoon a water town day trip (Zhujiajiao is closest, 40 min by metro+coach). Back for a Pudong skyline view from the Oriental Pearl or just the ferry across.
WHERE TO STAY TONIGHT: Same Shanghai hotel.
Day 10 — Shanghai: Museums & Departure
The Shanghai Museum (free) or a last stroll of the French Concession, then Pudong airport (Maglev + metro, ~40 min) or Hongqiao for a domestic hop. Build 2.5 hours; the cross-city transfer plus security adds up.
Where to Stay
| Base area | City | Nights | Nightly (¥ / US$) | Metro |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wangfujing / Dongcheng | Beijing | 4 | ¥700–950 / US$97–132 | Line 1, Line 5 |
| Bell Tower / inside wall | Xi’an | 3 | ¥420–650 / US$58–90 | Line 2 |
| Bund / Huangpu | Shanghai | 3 | ¥650–1,000 / US$90–139 | Line 2, Line 10 |
Three cities, three check-ins, three police scans — routine. The can foreigners book hotels in China rules are identical in all three; book listed properties to avoid the rare “no foreigner license” refusal. The trip-com-vs-booking-vs-agoda-china-hotels comparison helps you pick a booking platform before you commit.
Getting Between Cities
Two G-train legs: Beijing–Xi’an (4.5 hrs) and Xi’an–Shanghai (6 hrs), both on 12306 (China Railway (12306)) with your passport number exact. Seats sell out around holidays — book the Beijing–Xi’an leg first, then Xi’an–Shanghai, before hotels if you’re traveling in peak weeks.
Honest caveat: these are the busiest trains in China. During Spring Festival and National Day, the second-class cars are standing-room only unless you book 2–3 weeks out. I’ve watched tourists buy a same-day ticket and stand for six hours — not the memory you want.
Foreigner Check-in & Payment Tips on the Road
Three hotels, three deposits. Beijing held ¥500, Xi’an ¥300, Shanghai ¥800 at a 5-star — all released within a week. The China hotel deposit & foreign credit cards guide explains the pre-authorization if yours lingers. Shanghai is the most foreign-card-friendly; Beijing and Xi’an are fine at branded hotels but Alipay covers the rest. Book via book on Trip.com or check Agoda for English confirmations that match the desk.
When I ran this exact route last spring, every check-in took under five minutes once my passport was out — the trick is having it ready, not buried in a daypack. The how to use Trip.com as a foreigner walkthrough covers the passport-field quirk on the train booking.
When to Go & What It Costs
April–May and September–October are ideal across all three: mild Beijing, dry Xi’an, clear Shanghai. Avoid the July–August sauna and National Day week, when every sight is at capacity.
| Season | Beijing | Xi’an | Shanghai | Feel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 18°C | 22°C | 19°C | Best overall |
| Summer | 30°C | 31°C | 31°C | Hot, crowded |
| Autumn | 20°C | 21°C | 22°C | Best, book early |
| Winter | 2°C | 4°C | 7°C | Cheapest, cold |
Mid-range daily budget per person: hotels ¥420–1,000, trains ¥515–750, entries ¥200–350, food ¥180–300. Around US$180–260 a day, flights in excluded.
