10 days · One long train day · September–November, or April–May
The first circuit 初巡回
Beijing, Xi'an, and Shanghai — the route that teaches the rail map, the document checks, and three completely different dinners.
- Beijing
- High-speed rail · 4.5–6 hXi'an
- High-speed rail · 6–7.5 hShanghai
Day 1
Hutongs, not the palace
Beijing · 北京Land, drop the bag, and walk a neighborhood. Jianbing or noodles, an early night. The palace is a bad idea on arrival legs.
Day 2
The palace, slowly
Beijing · 北京Forbidden City on a booked morning ticket. Jingshan or Beihai after. Peking duck at a normal dinner hour, not at 9 p.m. after a forced march.
Day 3
The wall
Beijing · 北京Mutianyu for the day. Cable car, a real walk, back in town for a simple noodle dinner. Do not add a museum.
Day 4
Rail to the wall city
Xi'an · 西安Morning high-speed train from Beijing West to Xi'an North, then the metro in. Bike the city wall at dusk if you arrive in time.
Day 5
Warriors, then lamb
Xi'an · 西安Terracotta Army at opening. Muslim Quarter in the evening for roujiamo and noodles, not a shopping list of snacks.
Day 6
The long train east
Shanghai · 上海Xi'an to Shanghai is most of the day on a G train. Arrive, walk a short concession loop, sleep. This day is the train.
Day 7
Plane trees
Shanghai · 上海French Concession on foot. Xiaolongbao for lunch. One museum if you still want a gallery, not a second skyline.
Day 8
River and garden
Shanghai · 上海Bund early, Yu Garden once, then back to the lanes. Night view from the west bank for twenty minutes.
Day 9
Suzhou and back
Shanghai · 上海A day trip by high-speed rail: one garden, Pingjiang Road, a noodle lunch, evening train to Hongqiao.
Day 10
Leave from the right station
Shanghai · 上海Hongqiao if you are flying domestic or to Taiwan from there. Pudong if the long-haul ticket says so. They are not interchangeable.