Short answer
Seven days is enough for China's classic first-trip triangle. Beijing gives you the imperial set pieces, Xi'an gives you the Terracotta Army and a walled city you can walk around, and Shanghai gives you the skyline and the old town. The plan below is three nights in Beijing, two in Xi'an, two in Shanghai, with the two long rail legs folded into the travel days instead of bolted on top of them.
The rail spine is simple: Beijing West to Xi'an North in about four hours, and Xi'an North to Shanghai Hongqiao in about six. Both are on the same booking system, both run many times a day, and both use your passport as the ticket. Book them on 12306 as soon as your dates are fixed, and pay through Alipay or WeChat Pay.
Three things need booking before you fly: the Forbidden City (real-name, released seven days ahead, closed Mondays), the Terracotta Army (real-name and passport-linked, with no on-site ticket windows) and Great Wall transport if you want a driver rather than the bus. Everything else here can be arranged a day or two out.
The shape of seven days
Each city gets its own block, and the two travel days are morning trains so the afternoon is not wasted.
| Day | Where | What |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Beijing | Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City and Jingshan Park for the rooftop view back over it |
| 2 | Beijing | Great Wall at Mutianyu, cable car up and toboggan down, back for dinner in the hutongs |
| 3 | Beijing | Temple of Heaven early, then the Summer Palace or a slow hutong morning |
| 4 | Beijing → Xi'an | Morning train; afternoon on the City Wall by bike, evening in the Muslim Quarter |
| 5 | Xi'an | Terracotta Army as a half-day trip, Big Wild Goose Pagoda or the Shaanxi history museum after |
| 6 | Xi'an → Shanghai | Morning train; the Bund at dusk when the Pudong towers light up |
| 7 | Shanghai | Yu Garden early, Pudong or the former French Concession in the afternoon |
Days 1–3: Beijing
The imperial axis
Give the Forbidden City a full morning. It is a real-name, advance-booking site with a daily cap, tickets are released seven days ahead at 20:00 Beijing time, and it closes all day on Mondays except on public-holiday Mondays. There is no same-day ticket. You enter at the Meridian Gate in the south and leave by the north gate — arriving at the wrong gate is the single most common foreign-visitor mistake. Book with the passport you will carry, because the gate scans that exact document.
From the north gate, cross the road to Jingshan Park for the view down over the yellow roofs. Then walk or take the metro to the hutongs for dinner.
The Great Wall day
Mutianyu is the section most first-time visitors should pick: well restored, far quieter than Badaling, about 73 km northeast of the city, and equipped with an enclosed cable car up to the wall and a toboggan slide down. Children love the toboggan, but the operator's rules apply — under-10s ride with an adult and the toboggan is closed in winter. Badaling is the busiest and most accessible by train; if you want the classic postcard without the crowd, pay for Mutianyu and a driver.
Day 3 — the parts of Beijing people skip
The Temple of Heaven opens early and is at its best while locals are still doing tai chi in the surrounding park. In the afternoon, choose one: the Summer Palace for scale and water, or a hutong walk around the Drum and Bell Towers for the older city at street level.
Days 4–5: Xi'an
Xi'an North sits about 12–15 km north of the walled centre and connects to the metro — allow 30 to 45 minutes from stepping off the train to your hotel inside the wall.
City Wall and the Muslim Quarter
The Ming city wall is a complete rectangle you can ride around by bike, which is the best-value two hours in the city. The Muslim Quarter is a five-minute walk from the Bell Tower and is where you eat, lamb skewers, yangrou paomo, sesame noodles.
The Terracotta Army
The warriors are not in Xi'an. They are about 40 km east at Lintong, and the site takes five to six hours including the free shuttle to Lishan Park for the bronze chariots, plus two to three hours of travel. One ticket covers both parks, ticketing is real-name and passport-linked, and the on-site ticket windows have been removed, so book online first. Doors open at 08:30, the first hour and the last hour are the calm windows.
Days 6–7: Shanghai
The morning train from Xi'an North reaches Shanghai Hongqiao in the afternoon, the fastest services are around 5h 50m, with dozens of departures a day, and Hongqiao connects to metro Lines 2 and 10, so you are in the centre without a taxi.
Day 6 evening belongs to the Bund: free, open at all hours, and best after dark when the Pudong towers opposite are lit. Day 7 starts early at Yu Garden, because the bazaar lanes around it are shoulder to shoulder by mid-morning, then choose Pudong's skyline or the plane-tree streets of the former French Concession. Observation decks are timed-ticket attractions, buy ahead and pick a clear day, because Shanghai's haze is real.
Getting between the three cities
| Leg | Stations | Fastest | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beijing → Xi'an | Beijing West → Xi'an North | About 4h 10m | 1,216 km; most trains run 4h 10m to 6h. Book the morning departure. |
| Xi'an → Shanghai | Xi'an North → Shanghai Hongqiao | About 5h 50m | Roughly 37 direct trains a day. Sleeper alternatives exist but eat a night. |
| Beijing → Shanghai (if you reorder) | Beijing South → Shanghai Hongqiao | About 4h 18m | 1,318 km, 45–50 G-trains a day — the busiest high-speed corridor in the world. |
Fares float with the train and the date, so check the exact price on 12306 rather than budgeting from a blog. Second class is the standard fare and perfectly comfortable for these distances.
What to book, and in what order
| Book | When | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Forbidden City | Exactly 7 days ahead, 20:00 Beijing time | Capped daily quota, no same-day tickets, gone in minutes on holidays |
| Terracotta Army | A few days ahead | Real-name and passport-linked; ticket windows removed |
| Trains (both legs) | As soon as dates are fixed | Released weeks ahead; morning departures sell first |
| Great Wall driver or tour | A few days ahead | Independent access by bus is slow and poorly signed in English |
| Shanghai observation deck | A few days ahead | Timed tickets, capacity-capped |
| Hotel with foreign-guest registration | Before flights | Not every Chinese hotel can register foreign passports |
Avoid these dates
Chinese New Year and the first week of October turn every attraction on this route into a queue and empty the train booking system. April to May and September to October are the best weather-and-crowd compromise; July and August are hot, wet and full of domestic school-holiday traffic.
Frequently asked questions
Is seven days enough for Beijing, Xi'an and Shanghai?
Yes, for a first visit, and it is the most common shape of a one-week China trip. You get one full Beijing day for the Great Wall, one for the imperial axis, a half-day trip to the Terracotta Army and roughly a day and a half in Shanghai. Add two or three days if you want Chengdu, Guilin or Hangzhou as well.
Should I fly instead of taking the train?
For Beijing–Xi'an and Xi'an–Shanghai, no. Both train legs are under six hours and run city centre to city centre, while the airports sit far outside town. For longer hops such as Chengdu–Shanghai, flying is the practical choice.
Do I need to book the Forbidden City in advance?
Yes. It is a real-name, capped-quota site with no same-day ticket sales. Tickets are released seven days ahead at 20:00 Beijing time through the museum's official channel, and it is closed all day on Mondays except public-holiday Mondays.
Can I visit the Terracotta Army independently?
Yes. Take tourist bus 5 from Xi'an Railway Station or metro Line 1 to Line 9 and then a local bus. Book the ticket online in advance against your passport; there are no ticket windows on site.
Where should I stay in each city?
In Beijing, near Line 1 or Line 2 inside the second ring. In Xi'an, inside the city wall around the Bell Tower, which is the hub for the Terracotta bus and the metro. In Shanghai, near People's Square, Nanjing Road or Jing'an for metro convenience.
How much walking is involved?
A lot. The Forbidden City is a three-to-four-hour walk, the Great Wall day involves stairs and uneven stone, and the Terracotta pits are a large outdoor site. Comfortable shoes are not optional, and two major sights a day is a realistic ceiling.
Can I do this trip without speaking Chinese?
Yes, with two apps: a translation app that works offline and a payment app set up before you fly. Attractions and stations have English signage; taxis and small restaurants often do not.
Related reading
Train times, distances and frequencies follow China Railway route data published by TravelChinaGuide, Trip.com and China for Travelers, and are indicative, timetables are revised regularly. Forbidden City booking windows, Monday closures and gate rules follow the Palace Museum's visitor notice. Terracotta Army hours and ticketing follow the Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum. Great Wall pricing and lift rules follow Mutianyu scenic-area information. Confirm all of it on the official channel for your date.