Seven days in China means choosing. The temptation is Beijing, Xi'an, Shanghai and maybe Chengdu; the reality is that four cities in a week means three travel days and a permanent feeling of being late.
Beijing and Shanghai is the right pairing for a first trip: imperial China and modern China, four and a half hours apart by train, both with direct international flights so you can fly into one and out of the other.
Day 1 — Arrive in Beijing#
Land, take the Airport Express (¥25) to Dongzhimen, check in around Qianmen or Dongsi. Do not schedule anything demanding.
Evening: walk to Qianmen Street and the surrounding hutongs, eat an early Peking duck at Siji Minfu (book ahead), and get to bed. Jet lag is going to wake you at 05:00 tomorrow, which is fine — Beijing is best early.
Day 2 — The imperial axis#
Morning. Tiananmen Square at opening (booked, passport, security), then the Forbidden City through the Meridian Gate. Give it three to four hours and walk the eastern palaces, not just the central axis. Exit north.
Midday. Climb Jingshan Park (¥2, 15 minutes) for the view back over the golden roofs — the best photograph in Beijing.
Afternoon. Walk or cycle west to Beihai Park, then into the hutongs around the Drum and Bell Towers. Rent a shared bike; the alleys are flat and disorienting in the best way.
Evening. Dinner around Nanluoguxiang's side streets, or Ghost Street (Guijie) for spicy crayfish.
Day 3 — The Great Wall#
Full day. Mutianyu, leaving central Beijing by 07:00. Entry ¥45, shuttle ¥15, cable car ¥120 return, toboggan down ¥100. Walk left (west) from the cable car for the steepest and quietest stretch.
Hire a car and driver for the day (¥600–800) if there are two or more of you — it is far more flexible than a group tour and comparable in cost. Back in the city by 17:00.
Evening. Something low-effort. A foot massage (¥100–180) is what half of Beijing does after a Wall day, and is not a tourist gimmick.
Day 4 — Temple of Heaven and 798#
Early morning. Temple of Heaven at 07:00, when the surrounding park fills with retired Beijingers doing tai chi, ballroom dancing and group opera. This is the best hour in Beijing and it is over by 09:00.
Late morning. Lama Temple (Yonghegong), the most important Tibetan Buddhist temple outside Tibet.
Afternoon. Choose one: the Summer Palace (half a day, lake and imperial gardens), the National Museum of China (free, book ahead, closed Mondays, and the basement Ancient China gallery is superb), or the 798 Art District for contemporary art.
Evening. Pack. Early train tomorrow.
Day 5 — Train to Shanghai#
Morning. The G-train from Beijing South to Shanghai Hongqiao, 4h20–4h50, ¥553 second class. Arrive at the station 40 minutes early; gates close 3–5 minutes before departure.
Afternoon. Check in around the former French Concession or the Bund. Walk Wukang Road and Anfu Road — plane trees, 1920s villas, coffee, small shops. This is the most pleasant walking in urban China.
Evening. The Bund at dusk, then the ¥2 ferry across to Pudong and back. The ferry is the best-value experience in Shanghai.
Day 6 — Old and new Shanghai#
Morning. Yu Garden at opening (¥40), then soup dumplings in the bazaar, then out before the crowds arrive.
Late morning. Shanghai Museum (free, booked, closed Mondays) — bronzes, ceramics, painting, properly presented.
Afternoon. Either Shanghai Tower's floor 118 observation deck (¥180, only on a clear day) or Tianzifang and Xintiandi for lanes and shopping. If the weather is poor, skip the tower entirely and drink at the Grand Hyatt bar on floor 87 of the Jin Mao instead.
Evening. Shanghai has the best restaurant scene in mainland China. Use it.
Day 7 — Water town or Suzhou, then fly#
Option A — Zhujiajiao (1 hour on metro line 17). The closest water town; charming before 10:00, crowded after.
Option B — Suzhou (25 minutes by train, ¥40). One classical garden at opening — the Master of the Nets is the most perfectly composed — plus a walk along Pingjiang Road. Back in Shanghai by mid-afternoon.
Then: Pudong airport is 45 minutes by metro line 2, or 7.5 minutes and ¥50 by Maglev from Longyang Road. Allow three hours for an international flight.
Variations#
Beijing + Xi'an instead. More historically coherent — imperial capital and ancient capital — and Xi'an's food is better than Shanghai's. 4h20 by train. Fly out of Xi'an, which has fewer long-haul options.
Beijing only, 7 days. Genuinely defensible. Add a second Great Wall section (Jinshanling for hiking), the Ming Tombs, a day trip to Datong for the Yungang Grottoes (1h40 by train), and time in the hutongs.
Shanghai + Hangzhou + Suzhou. A "Jiangnan" week: canals, gardens, tea and West Lake, with almost no long travel. Excellent for a second trip or a slower pace.
Budget#
| Item | Mid-range, per person |
|---|---|
| Hotels, 6 nights at ¥450 | ¥2,700 |
| Food, ¥200/day | ¥1,400 |
| Beijing–Shanghai train | ¥553 |
| Great Wall car and tickets | ¥500 |
| Other entry tickets | ¥450 |
| City transport | ¥300 |
| Total, excl. international flights | ≈ ¥5,900 (US$830) |
Frequently asked questions#
Is one week enough for China?#
Enough for two cities done properly — normally Beijing and Shanghai, or Beijing and Xi'an. It is not enough for the classic four-city route, which needs 12 to 14 days. A week spent well in two places beats a week spent mostly in transit.
What is the best 7-day itinerary for China?#
Four nights in Beijing (Forbidden City, Great Wall, Temple of Heaven, hutongs) and three in Shanghai (the Bund, French Concession, a museum, a water town), connected by a 4h20 high-speed train. Fly into Beijing and out of Shanghai to avoid backtracking.
How much does a week in China cost?#
Around ¥5,900 (US$830) per person for a mid-range trip excluding international flights — covering hotels at about ¥450 a night, meals, the Beijing–Shanghai train, a Great Wall day and entry tickets. A backpacker version runs closer to ¥2,800.
Should I visit Beijing or Shanghai first?#
Beijing first, then Shanghai. Beijing is the more demanding city and better tackled with fresh energy, and Shanghai's international flight connections make it a smoother departure point.
Can I do Beijing, Xi'an and Shanghai in 7 days?#
You can, but it means two travel days out of seven and roughly two nights in each city, which is below the sensible minimum for Beijing. Ten days is the right length for that three-city route.