01Day 1
At the confirmed Beijing airport or station, your driver takes you straight to the hotel. We leave the first day clear after a long flight; sightseeing begins when you have slept.
14 DAYS / 13 NIGHTS · PRIVATE TOUR · NO SHOPPING
Beijing, Xi'an, Chengdu, Guilin & Shanghai: 14‑Day Private Tour
Beijing to Shanghai in 14 days, with time for pandas and the Li River
For two sharing a twin room, our 14-day Beijing–Xi’an–Chengdu–Guilin–Shanghai private route starts at USD 3,990 each; international flights are extra. Two trains and two short domestic flights keep the long crossings from eating up the sightseeing days.
Choose group size
Published price for selected groupUSD 3,190per person · 6 travellers · private tour package · international flights not included
Prices are shown in USD. We confirm the payment currency, exchange rate and total in your written quote before you pay.
Request a quoteOr chat on WhatsApp
Need a different group size?We confirm room needs, luggage count and a suitable vehicle before sending a written quote.Plan this journey
- Journey
- 14 days / 13 nights
- Touring
- Guide and vehicle days confirmed in writing
- Stay
- 13 nights · scope confirmed in writing
- Price
- Published for 2, 4, 6 travellers
The shape of the journey
Beijing to Shanghai in 14 days, with time for pandas and the Li River
Thirteen hotel nights include breakfast. In each city a local guide and vehicle are for your party on touring days; the named tickets, transfers, two second-class trains and two economy flights are included. On travel days, a driver sees you off and another meets you at the next stop.
- 01
Four Beijing nights with the Great Wall at Mutianyu
- 02
A full Terracotta Warriors day
- 03
Chengdu pandas near opening time
- 04
Li River cruise, domestic flights and trains included
Day by day
See how each day unfolds.
Arrival, core touring and departure are shown day by day. Opening hours, named-entry tickets and local conditions may change the order. If anything important needs to change, we discuss it with you.
Beijing city · Destination view - 02Day 2
The guide takes you through the Tiananmen area and into the Forbidden City with the ticket issued for your date. The museum closes on Mondays, so we set the Beijing day order after the reservation is confirmed.
Forbidden City seen from Jingshan on this route. The photograph illustrates the place; access, weather and the final day order are confirmed for your dates. - 03Day 3
The drive to Mutianyu takes about 90 minutes. A cable car or chairlift is included one way, leaving you to walk the restored wall at your pace. The toboggan is an extra.
Great Wall near Beijing - 04Day 4
Morning is a good time for the Temple of Heaven: local residents are often exercising in the park. Then walk by the Summer Palace lake. We check seasonal boat operation on the day.
Temple of Heaven - 05Day 5
The confirmed second-class train to Xi’an takes about 4.5–6 hours. A driver takes you to the Beijing station and another meets you in Xi’an; leave the evening free after the crossing.
Xi’an city · Destination view - 06Day 6
Do not rush the Terracotta Warriors: the guide has the morning and early afternoon there. Return to Xi’an for the City Wall when the light softens; you can walk or cycle it. The Muslim Quarter is free time in the evening.
Terracotta Army, Pit 1 - 07Day 7
The second-class train from Xi’an to Chengdu takes about 3–4.5 hours. There is still an afternoon for tea in People’s Park and a walk along Kuanzhai Alley.
Jin River, Chengdu - 08Day 8
We go to the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding near opening, when the pandas are usually moving around. In the afternoon choose one plan before booking: Sanxingdui Museum, roughly an hour each way, or an easier walk around Wenshu Monastery.
We get to the Chengdu panda base shortly after it opens. - 09Day 9
The confirmed economy flight from Chengdu to Guilin takes about 1.5 hours. Drivers handle both airport transfers. We leave the rest of the day open and stay overnight in Guilin before the river cruise.
Guilin city · Destination view - 10Day 10
The Li River boat takes about four hours from the pier to Yangshuo, between the karst peaks. Your main bags travel separately by road, so keep what you need on the boat with you. The rest of the Yangshuo day is free.
The Li River boat lands in Yangshuo; stay there for two nights. - 11Day 11
If the water level and operator allow, ride a bamboo raft on the booked stretch of the Yulong River. Afterward, see the countryside by bike or vehicle without a fixed walking target. Stay in Yangshuo.
Yulong River countryside - 12Day 12
First drive about 1.5 hours to Guilin airport, then take the confirmed economy flight to Shanghai, about two hours. A Shanghai driver meets you. If you still have energy, the Bund is lit after dark.
Shanghai city · Destination view - 13Day 13
Decide before booking how to spend the day. Stay in Shanghai with a guide for the Bund, Yu Garden and an old French Concession neighbourhood, or take the high-speed train to Suzhou for one garden and Pingjiang Road.
The Bund, Shanghai - 14Day 14
Your driver takes you to the confirmed Shanghai airport or station. We leave the departure day free of sightseeing.
Shanghai city · Destination view
Day 1 · Arrive in Beijing
Travel made seamless
Hotels, guides and transfers work together.
Your hotel level, guided days, transfers, route transport and principal admissions are planned together. We check availability for your dates before payment.
Stay
You share twin rooms for 13 nights in breakfast-included hotels at the four-star standard (4 diamonds on Trip.com, also called Ctrip): Beijing 4, Xi’an 2, Chengdu 2, Guilin 1, Yangshuo 2 and Shanghai 2. We name the hotels and room types before payment.
Guide, transport and admissions
On city touring days, an English-speaking local guide and vehicle serve your party only. We include every airport and station transfer, the named first-entry tickets, the Li River cruise with your luggage moved separately, and one Yulong River bamboo raft. The long crossings are second-class trains Beijing–Xi’an–Chengdu and economy flights Chengdu–Guilin and Guilin–Shanghai. Guides change by city; drivers take you to and from stations and airports on travel days. A Korean-speaking guide costs the same where available, checked city by city.
Before you choose
How much does a 14-day private China tour cost?
For the 14-day Beijing–Xi’an–Chengdu–Guilin–Shanghai private trip, two people sharing a twin room pay USD 3,990 each, or USD 7,980 together. Four pay USD 3,390 each; six pay USD 3,190. Your land price covers 13 hotel nights with breakfast, city guides and vehicles on touring days, named tickets, two high-speed trains and two domestic flights. Add international flights, lunches and dinners separately. Eight or more travelling together can choose their own dates at USD 2,890 each; ask us for a written price at other group sizes.
How is this different from the small-group version?
The Beijing–Xi’an–Chengdu–Guilin–Shanghai route is available both ways. On private dates, only your party uses the guide and car, and you can adjust the pace or some stops; two travellers pay from USD 3,990 each. The 2027 small group is USD 2,890 each, with 8–12 guests on 10 April, 8 May, 11 September or 9 October. Everyone follows the same plan.
Which 14-day China route should we choose?
All four 14-day private routes begin in Beijing and Xi’an. For a first trip with Chengdu pandas and the Li River, the Beijing–Shanghai classic starts at USD 3,990 each for two. Zhangjiajie in place of Chengdu starts at USD 3,890; Yunnan’s old towns and Shangri-La at about 3,300 metres also start at USD 3,890. For Huangshan, West Lake and Suzhou, start at USD 3,790. Choose the stop you would regret missing.
When is the best time to go?
For the 14-day Beijing–Xi’an–Chengdu–Guilin–Shanghai route, April–May and September–October give the most comfortable mix of weather. July–August is hot and humid in Xi’an and Guilin, while pandas are less active. Low winter water can shorten the Li River cruise. Trains and sights are especially busy in the first weeks of May and October.
Can we change the route?
On the 14-day Beijing–Xi’an–Chengdu–Guilin–Shanghai private tour, we can quote a version with Zhangjiajie instead of Chengdu, a Yangtze cruise or extra nights. We put the changed route and price in writing before payment.
Are there shopping stops?
The 14-day Beijing–Xi’an–Chengdu–Guilin–Shanghai private tour has no shopping stops. We add a visit or service only after you agree to it.
Clear before payment
What is separate—and what your written quote will confirm.
The listed starting price is per person at the stated group size, with two sharing a room. Once we agree on the route and dates, we ask for each traveller’s passport name, number, expiry date and date of birth before Forbidden City and Terracotta Warriors tickets go on sale. You receive the flights, trains, hotel choices and final total in writing before payment.
Not included
- International flights to and from China
- Lunches, dinners and drinks (breakfast is included at every hotel)
- Travel insurance, visas, tips and personal expenses
- Room upgrades and public-holiday surcharges
- Single-room supplement
- Checked baggage above the airline's included allowance
- The Day 13 option not chosen in writing
Confirmed in writing
- Your dates, arrival and departure details
- The hotel, room arrangement and vehicle for the actual group
- Bookable admissions and the final total before payment
Plan the destination
Check the route against the destination guides.
Use these city hubs and decision guides to test the route's stay base, gateways and day order before enquiring.
Destination hubs
Decision guides
Compare a related published route
Photo credits
The location-specific external photographs are credited below. Only conventional cropping, resizing and WebP conversion were applied; no generative edits were made. Adapted CC BY-SA photos are shared under the linked CC BY-SA license.
- Forbidden City seen from JingshanPhoto by Pixelflake · CC BY-SA 3.0
- Temple of HeavenPhoto by xiquinhosilva / Xiquinho Silva · CC BY 2.0
- Guilin city viewPhoto by Chlukoe · CC0 1.0
- Traditional buildings and pond in Yu GardenPhoto by King of Hearts · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Humble Administrator's GardenPhoto by Chainwit. · CC BY 4.0
- Chengdu Panda BasePhoto by George Lu · CC BY 2.0
- Sanxingdui MuseumPhoto by STW932 · CC BY-SA 4.0
- The Bund, ShanghaiPhoto by Another Believer · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Jin River, ChengduPhoto by tyrosin · CC BY 2.0
- Terracotta Army, Pit 1Photo by Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China · CC0
- Great Wall near BeijingPhoto by Francesco Bini · CC BY-SA 4.0
All remaining photographs were selected from the Homeground project library and authorised by the site owner for this website. Only routine cropping, resizing and format conversion were applied.