For a first China trip, the cleanest 10-day route is Beijing, Xi'an and Shanghai. It gives you imperial history, the Great Wall, the Terracotta Army, high-speed rail and a modern city finish without turning the trip into a checklist sprint.
Days 1-4: Beijing
Use Beijing for the Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, hutongs, Peking duck and the Great Wall. Keep one flexible half-day because arrival fatigue and security queues are real.
Days 5-6: Xi'an
Take the high-speed train or fly to Xi'an. Visit the Terracotta Army, city wall, Muslim Quarter and eat biangbiang noodles or roujiamo.
Days 7-10: Shanghai
Finish in Shanghai for easier logistics, skyline views, Yu Garden, French Concession walks, xiao long bao and day-trip options to Suzhou or Hangzhou.
Good Alternatives
- Swap Xi'an for Chengdu if food and pandas matter more than ancient history.
- Add Guilin/Yangshuo only if you can stretch to 12-14 days.
- Use open-jaw flights: arrive Beijing, depart Shanghai.