China highlights in 12 days: palaces, pandas and karst peaks
Beijing · Xi'an · Chengdu · Guilin · Shanghai
12Days
5Cities
Apr–May, Sep–OctBest time
The classic five: Beijing, Xi’an, Chengdu, Guilin and Shanghai. Busy but doable with trains and two short flights.
Fast paceGood first trip
The route
- High-speed train · about 4.5–6 h
- High-speed train · about 3–3.5 h
- Flight · about 1.5 h
- Flight · about 2 h
Journey times are typical. Check 12306 or Trip.com for trains on your date.
Day by day
- Day 1Beijing
Arrive. Evening walk around Shichahai.
- Day 2Beijing
Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City and Jingshan Park.
- Day 3Beijing
Mutianyu Great Wall.
- Day 4Xi'an
Train to Xi’an, City Wall by bike.
- Day 5Xi'an
Terracotta Army, Muslim Quarter in the evening.
- Day 6Chengdu
Train to Chengdu. People’s Park teahouse, hot pot dinner.
- Day 7Chengdu
Panda Base at opening, Wenshu Monastery, Kuanzhai Alley.
- Day 8Guilin
Fly to Guilin. Elephant Trunk Hill and the lakes at night.
- Day 9Guilin
Li River cruise to Yangshuo. West Street in the evening.
- Day 10Guilin
Yulong River bamboo raft and cycling in the countryside.
- Day 11Shanghai
Fly from Guilin to Shanghai. The Bund at night.
- Day 12Shanghai
Yu Garden in the morning, then to the airport.
Book before you go
- Tiananmen Square Booking requiredFree real-name booking, 1–7 days ahead, released daily at 12:00, on the 天安门广场预约参观 WeChat mini-program or the official booking website (yuyue2026.tamgw.beijing.gov.cn in 2026; the address changes yearly). Book with your passport. No walk-ins.
- Forbidden City (Palace Museum) Booking requiredBook on the official English site intl.dpm.org.cn with your passport, 1–7 days ahead. New tickets go on sale at 20:00 each evening and peak dates sell out in minutes. No same-day tickets. Beijing’s government says foreigners can book there without a Chinese phone number.
- Terracotta Army Booking requiredReal-name tickets with your passport on the official site bmy.com.cn, its WeChat account, or Trip.com. Timed entry; book several days ahead in summer and holidays.
- Chengdu Panda Base Booking requiredOnline, real-name with your passport, up to 14 days ahead, on the official WeChat account or Trip.com. The gate windows only sell leftover tickets to people who cannot pay online, so do not count on them.
- Elephant Trunk Hill Booking requiredFree timed booking up to 7 days ahead on glljsh.com or the official WeChat account, with your passport.
- Li River cruise Booking requiredReal-name tickets with your passport on the official site liriver.com.cn or through Trip.com and hotels. Book at least a day or two ahead in peak season.
- Jingshan Park Booking recommendedListed on bjgyol.com.cn (English option), which accepts passports. Beijing’s government also suggests phoning 010-66055431 a day ahead.
- Mutianyu Great Wall Booking recommendedReal-name tickets with your passport on the official English site en.mutianyugreatwall.com, up to 15 days ahead, or through agencies such as Trip.com. Your passport is checked at the gate.
- Xi’an City Wall Booking recommendedBuy online (official WeChat, Trip.com) or at the gate with your passport.
- Yulong River bamboo rafting Booking recommendedReal-name booking with passports, ideally a day ahead, through your hotel, Trip.com or the official WeChat account.
- Yu Garden Booking recommendedReal-name booking with your passport on the official WeChat account or Trip.com. The ticket office at the gate can help if slots remain.
Similar routes
Good first tripBeijing → Xi'an → ShanghaiFirst trip classic: Beijing, Xi’an and Shanghai in 10 daysThe Great Wall, the Forbidden City, the Terracotta Army and the Bund, linked by fast trains. The route most first-timers should start with.
Good first tripShanghai → Suzhou → HangzhouShanghai, Suzhou and Hangzhou in 7 daysA relaxed week in the Yangtze delta: a megacity, classical gardens, a water town and West Lake, all under an hour apart by train.
Good first tripChengdu → ChongqingPandas and spice: Chengdu, Leshan and Chongqing in 6 daysGiant pandas, the Leshan Buddha and Chongqing’s cliffside city, with the best food in China on the way.