ChinaTravelHub Forbidden China
Itineraries

Three routes, day by day

The Classic Loop (7 days), Mountains & Rivers (12 days), and the Slow South (15 days) — transport, stays, and pacing already worked out.

7 days · First trip

The Classic Loop

Beijing → Xi'an → Shanghai. Imperial walls, the Terracotta Army, and a modern skyline — the perfect first trip.

  1. Day1

    Arrive Beijing

    Land, take the airport express to your hotel near the metro, and ease in with a hutong stroll and Peking duck dinner.

    Stay: inside the 2nd ring, near a metro line
  2. Day2

    Forbidden City & Temple of Heaven

    Morning at the Forbidden City (timed entry — book ahead), lunch in the hutongs, then Temple of Heaven at golden hour.

    Stay: same hotel
  3. Day3

    The Great Wall at Mutianyu

    Full day at Mutianyu: cable car up, walk the wall, toboggan or cable car down. Back in the city by early evening.

    Stay: same hotel
  4. Day4

    High-speed to Xi'an

    Morning G-train (4.5h). Afternoon: cycle the Ming City Wall at sunset, then dinner in the Muslim Quarter.

    Stay: inside the city wall
  5. Day5

    Terracotta Army

    Go early (before 8:30), spend 3 hours with a guide, then Shaanxi History Museum in the afternoon.

    Stay: same hotel
  6. Day6

    High-speed to Shanghai

    Morning G-train (6h). Afternoon: the Bund at golden hour and a walk through the former French Concession.

    Stay: near a metro line
  7. Day7

    Shanghai finale

    Breakfast xiaolongbao, a relaxed morning (Yu Garden or a museum), then onward flight or train.

    Stay: depart when ready
Why this works: Three cities, three vibes — imperial, ancient, modern. Every transfer is a morning high-speed train, so no travel day is wasted.
12 days · Nature & adventure

Mountains & Rivers

Zhangjiajie → Guilin → Yangshuo. Sandstone pillars, karst peaks, and bamboo-raft mornings.

  1. Day1

    Arrive Zhangjiajie

    Fly or rail in, transfer to Wulingyuan park entrance, settle in for an early start.

    Stay: near the Wulingyuan entrance
  2. Day2

    Yuanjiajie & Tianzi Mountain

    Enter at 7:00, cable car to Yuanjiajie ('Avatar' pillars) before crowds, then Tianzi Mountain in the afternoon.

    Stay: park entrance
  3. Day3

    Golden Whip Stream & glass bridge

    Gentle 7km valley walk in the morning; Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon glass bridge in the afternoon.

    Stay: park entrance
  4. Day4

    Tianmen Mountain

    City-side: Tianmen Mountain cable car, Heaven's Gate arch, and the cliff walkway. Rest early.

    Stay: Zhangjiajie city
  5. Day5

    High-speed to Guilin

    Morning train to Guilin (or via Changsha). Evening: Two Rivers and Four Lakes night cruise.

    Stay: Guilin city
  6. Day6

    Li River cruise to Yangshuo

    The classic 4-hour cruise down the Li River. Arrive Yangshuo, settle into a riverside guesthouse.

    Stay: Yangshuo
  7. Day7

    Yulong River bamboo rafts

    Morning bamboo-raft drift on the Yulong River, afternoon cycling the countryside east of town.

    Stay: Yangshuo
  8. Day8

    Xingping & the 20-yuan view

    Short bus to Xingping, hike or boat for the 20-yuan-bill view, slow afternoon back in Yangshuo.

    Stay: Yangshuo
  9. Day9

    Slow day / optional Longji

    A rest day: teahouse, market, or the Longji Rice Terraces if you have the energy (2h each way).

    Stay: Yangshuo
  10. Day10

    Return to Guilin

    Morning back to Guilin, afternoon at the Reed Flute Cave or Elephant Trunk Hill.

    Stay: Guilin
  11. Day11

    Open day

    A spare day for weather, a slow breakfast, or a last hike — flexible by design.

    Stay: Guilin
  12. Day12

    Depart

    Fly or rail onward from Guilin Liangjiang airport or Guilin North station.

    Depart
Why this works: China's two most cinematic landscapes, with a built-in weather buffer day. The glass bridge and rafts make it an adventure, not a museum crawl.
15 days · Slow travel

The Slow South

Shanghai → Hangzhou → Chengdu → Lijiang. Gardens, pandas, tea, and old-town nights.

  1. Day1

    Arrive Shanghai

    Land, metro to the city, evening Bund walk.

    Stay: French Concession or Bund area
  2. Day2

    Shanghai's layers

    Morning Yu Garden and old town, afternoon a museum, evening rooftop views.

    Stay: same hotel
  3. Day3

    Slow Shanghai

    Former French Concession cafés, a park morning, and your best meal so far.

    Stay: same hotel
  4. Day4

    Train to Hangzhou

    45-minute G-train. Afternoon at West Lake's north shore at golden hour.

    Stay: near West Lake
  5. Day5

    West Lake & Longjing tea

    Sunrise at the lake, morning in Longjing tea village, afternoon Lingyin Temple.

    Stay: same hotel
  6. Day6

    Train to Chengdu

    Long G-train (7h) — bring snacks and a window seat. Evening hotpot to arrive with style.

    Stay: near a metro line
  7. Day7

    Pandas at 8:00

    Chengdu Research Base at opening time, then an afternoon teahouse in People's Park.

    Stay: same hotel
  8. Day8

    Chengdu's food & calm

    Wenshu Monastery, Sichuan opera face-changing, and a second hotpot with the locals.

    Stay: same hotel
  9. Day9

    Fly to Lijiang

    Short flight to Lijiang. Evening: the old town's lanterns and a canal-side dinner.

    Stay: old town guesthouse
  10. Day10

    Old town at dawn

    The canals before 9am, then Baisha village and Shuhe for a quieter afternoon.

    Stay: same guesthouse
  11. Day11

    Jade Dragon Snow Mountain

    Full day on the mountain cable car and its high meadows — book the ticket a day ahead.

    Stay: same guesthouse
  12. Day12

    Open day

    Rain plan: Naxi orchestra and museums. Sun plan: cycle the countryside west of town.

    Stay: same guesthouse
  13. Day13

    One more Lijiang morning

    Slow breakfast, a last wander, afternoon flight or train onward.

    Stay: depart when ready
  14. Day14

    Buffer day

    A full spare day for weather, shopping, or revisiting a favorite spot.

    Flexible
  15. Day15

    Depart

    Fly home or onward — this route ends as slowly as it lived.

    Depart
Why this works: Four cities, none rushed. Shanghai's energy, Hangzhou's calm, Chengdu's food, Lijiang's old town — a full cross-section of China at a humane pace.

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