For a first two-week trip, use Beijing → Xi’an → Chengdu → Shanghai: 14 days and 13 nights, split 4 / 2 / 4 / 3. This keeps the Great Wall, Terracotta Warriors and pandas in one route, with three full days reserved for intercity moves. Prefer fewer hotel changes? Skip Xi’an and keep Beijing, Chengdu and Shanghai.
Is this the right two-week route for you?
Choose it if you want imperial landmarks, archaeology, pandas and contrasting city life, and are comfortable packing up three times. The extra four nights beyond a ten-day classic route give Chengdu a proper stay: a panda day, an ancient-Shu culture day and time to sit over tea. If recovery time matters more than a fourth city, use the three-city alternative below.
Count 13 nights, including arrival and transfer days
Stay in Beijing on nights 1–4, Xi’an on nights 5–6, Chengdu on nights 7–10 and Shanghai on nights 11–13. Day 1 means arrival in China; day 14 means departure from China. Overnight international flights may use another date at home. Compare flights into Beijing and out of Shanghai, or reverse the whole route.
Days 1–4: Beijing, four nights
- Day 1 — Arrive in Beijing. Allow for immigration, baggage and the hotel journey before deciding on dinner or a short neighbourhood walk. Keep timed attractions off this day. Beijing night 1.
- Day 2 — Make the Forbidden City your main visit. Take time with the courtyards and palace details instead of rushing through for photographs. It normally closes on Mondays, except statutory holidays: swap this with day 4 when needed. Add Tiananmen Square only after checking its separate entry arrangements. Beijing night 2.
- Day 3 — Give Badaling Great Wall a full outing, including both journeys. Agree on a comfortable turnaround point and leave pauses for the views. Return for dinner rather than adding another large attraction. Beijing night 3.
- Day 4 — Pair the Temple of Heaven with a hutong neighbourhood, allowing lunch and travel between them. This is also your chance to rearrange a Beijing visit around confirmed reservations. Pack tonight. Beijing night 4.
Days 5–6: Xi’an, two nights
- Day 5 — Travel from Beijing to Xi’an. Compare available trains and flights by the complete hotel-to-hotel journey. Reserve the day for checkout, station or airport access, the trip and settling in. Dinner and a nearby walk are optional extras. Xi’an night 1, trip night 5.
- Day 6 — Visit the Terracotta Warriors, giving the site and return journey the main share of your day. Decide whether guided interpretation would help you enjoy the details. This is your only full Xi’an day; a complete city-wall visit or another major museum needs time taken from elsewhere. Xi’an night 2.
Questions about this two-week route
How many nights do I spend in each city?
Thirteen nights: Beijing on nights 1–4, Xi'an on nights 5–6, Chengdu on nights 7–10 and Shanghai on nights 11–13. Day 1 means arrival in China and day 14 means departure from China, so neither is a full sightseeing day. Overnight international flights may use another date at home, so compare flights into Beijing and out of Shanghai.
How much of the two weeks is spent travelling between cities?
Three days. Days 5, 7 and 11 are travel days, which leaves nine full local days plus arrival and departure. An earlier arrival can create a useful evening, but do not book a must-see museum on that assumption. For rail, check the exact stations and carry the passport used to book.
Which day should I keep for the Forbidden City?
Day 2 in this plan, with day 4 kept free as a swap. The Forbidden City normally closes on Mondays, except statutory holidays, so the visit may have to move. Take time with the courtyards and palace details instead of rushing through for photographs, and add Tiananmen Square only after checking its separate entry arrangements.
Do I need to book the Terracotta Warriors before travelling out there?
Yes. Book before travelling out to the museum, and match the reservation to the passport you will carry. Day 6 is your only full Xi'an day, with the site and the return journey taking its main share, so a complete city-wall visit or another major museum would need time taken from elsewhere.
Can I do this in two weeks with three cities instead of four?
You can, by dropping Xi'an: Beijing five nights, Chengdu four and Shanghai four. That is still 13 nights, but two hotel changes instead of three, one more full local day and a longer stay in each city. You still need to compare the actual Beijing to Chengdu transport before fixing the dates.
Which Chengdu panda site does this plan use?
The city base, Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, on day 8 within your reserved entry period. It is not Dujiangyan Panda Valley, so book and navigate to the same place. Leave time to watch rather than racing between enclosures, because animal activity varies, and keep the afternoon easy over tea or back at the hotel.
Days 7–10: Chengdu, four nights
- Day 7 — Take your booked train from Xi’an to Chengdu. Xi’an North and Chengdu East are useful starting points for the search; follow the stations printed on your actual ticket. Treat this as a transfer day, with a relaxed meal after reaching the hotel. Chengdu night 1, trip night 7.
- Day 8 — Visit Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in your reserved entry period. Leave time to watch rather than racing between enclosures; animal activity varies. An easy afternoon over tea or back at the hotel is enough. This is the city panda base, not Dujiangyan Panda Valley. Chengdu night 2.
- Day 9 — If its reservation is confirmed, make Sanxingdui Museum the main outing, including travel to Guanghan and back. Its ancient-Shu collections add a different cultural focus after Beijing and Xi’an. If tickets do not fit, enjoy a local Chengdu day instead. Chengdu night 3.
- Day 10 — Enjoy Chengdu at street level: tea in People’s Park, the Wenshu Monastery neighbourhood, or one district you want to explore. Keep a long lunch, laundry or a rest in the plan. This fourth night lets you experience the city beyond its headline attractions. Chengdu night 4.
Days 11–14: Shanghai, three nights and departure
- Day 11 — Travel from Chengdu to Shanghai. Build this day around an available flight, checking Tianfu or Shuangliu at departure and Pudong or Hongqiao at arrival. Include airport journeys and reaching the hotel. Shanghai night 1, trip night 11.
- Day 12 — Start with the Bund and give the riverfront time. Choose a neighbourhood, museum or skyline viewpoint as your second focus, checking any entry requirements separately. Leave room for a leisurely meal between stops. Shanghai night 2.
- Day 13 — Explore Shanghai’s tree-lined streets and cafés, return to something missed, or rest. Keep this day in the city by default; adding Suzhou means replacing this flexibility with another return journey. Shanghai night 3, trip night 13.
- Day 14 — Check out and travel to the airport for your international departure. Use the terminal and check-in requirements for that flight. A late departure may allow a nearby meal, but this remains a departure day.
Three transfers use three of your fourteen days
Days 5, 7 and 11 are travel days. That leaves nine full local days, plus arrival and departure. Earlier arrival can create a useful evening; do not book a must-see museum on that assumption. For rail, check the exact stations and carry the passport used to book. For Chengdu–Shanghai, choose rail only if the dated journey fits your whole-day budget. Same-city international return tickets require a real return sector: remove sightseeing or add time.
Fix the visits that shape the order
- Arrange the Forbidden City around its confirmed reservation and closing days. Keep day 4 available for a swap, and bring the original booking document.
- Book the Terracotta Warriors before travelling out to the museum. Match the reservation to the passport you will carry.
- Choose the correct Chengdu panda venue and entry period. Keep Sanxingdui conditional on a confirmed booking; do not squeeze it together with Dujiangyan as two full outings in one day.
One fewer city: Beijing, Chengdu and Shanghai
If the Terracotta Warriors are not essential, drop Xi’an. Use Beijing 5 nights, Chengdu 4 and Shanghai 4: still 13 nights, with two hotel changes. You gain one full local day and longer stays, but still need to compare the actual Beijing–Chengdu connection.
- Day 1 — Arrive in Beijing. Stay in Beijing, night 1.
- Days 2–5 — Arrange the palace, Great Wall and neighbourhood visits across four full days, with room to rest. Stay in Beijing, nights 2–5.
- Day 6 — Travel to Chengdu; keep the entire day for the journey and hotel. Chengdu, night 6.
- Days 7–9 — Use three full days for pandas, a confirmed Sanxingdui visit and local Chengdu life. Chengdu, nights 7–9.
- Day 10 — Travel to Shanghai and settle in. Shanghai, night 10.
- Days 11–13 — Enjoy Shanghai with an extra flexible day. Shanghai, nights 11–13. Day 14 — Depart China.
Questions before you book
Is two weeks enough for a first China trip?
Yes, for a selected route. This example covers four bases, not all of China. Choose three if unpacking less often matters more than seeing another city.
Can I give Xi’an another full day?
Yes. Move one Chengdu night to Xi’an: Beijing 4, Xi’an 3, Chengdu 3, Shanghai 3. Travel to Chengdu on day 8, then choose pandas and one other focus on days 9–10.
Can I add Zhangjiajie or Guilin?
Yes—replace both Xi’an and Chengdu if nature is the priority. One three-base outline is Beijing 4 nights, Zhangjiajie 5 and Shanghai 4: 13 nights in total. Keep day 5 for reaching Zhangjiajie and day 10 for reaching Shanghai. Days 6–9 then allow two forest-park days, a separately booked Tianmen Mountain day and one flexible day. You give up the Terracotta Warriors and pandas. Confirm the dated transport first; this outline does not assume a direct flight is operating. Prefer Guilin and Yangshuo? Use that region instead of Zhangjiajie, with the same five-night allowance, and decide the Guilin/Yangshuo hotel split before booking. Do not add both nature regions to this two-week plan.
How would I extend this route to three weeks?
Keep the same four bases and use Beijing 5 nights, Xi’an 3, Chengdu 6 and Shanghai 6: 21 days and 20 nights. Arrive on day 1; transfer to Xi’an on day 6, Chengdu on day 9 and Shanghai on day 15; fly home on day 21. The extra local days let you add a proper Xi’an city day, separate Chengdu outings and rest days, plus an optional Suzhou day trip from Shanghai. Keep new attractions subject to their own reservations and the dated transport. This version adds breathing room without another hotel base.
Is this a fourteen-day tour package?
This is a planning example. Homeground’s listed local trips have their own lengths and inclusions. A combined itinerary needs separate confirmation; do not assume intercity tickets or one guide throughout are included.