Daniele convinced me to post the itinerary I created for China back when I thought Apple would be a bit more human and approve a two week trip to China for Daniele. This is an itinerary for first timers in China who want to see the big sights but also go a little off the beaten path. It's more realistic than the itineraries that most package tours tend to create, but it's also a little faster paced than what a lot of independent travelers may do on their first trip to China. It's not for someone who wants to take their time to see every last sight a city has to offer or who takes a whole day to go through one sight, but it's good for people who tend to go through sights fairly quickly and would rather see more than dive deep. It assumes you are fairly active/ in shape and will not be traveling with children or anyone with mobility issues. I've adjusted the schedule a little bit since our original trip included time with my parents, which meant time on business related activities, but everything else is more or less the same.
This trip assumes flying in and out of Shanghai, but can also be adjusted to flying into Shanghai and out of Beijing(or vice versa). Our original schedule had us heading to Beijing right away after Shanghai so that we could make it to a Sunday Champagne Brunch at the Westin both in Beijing and in Shanghai, but I will list it out South to North because train tickets may be easier to get in this direction since most foreign tourist head north to south starting in Beijing. I've also placed Huangshan at the end of the trip instead of at the beginning as originally planned.
Day 1
Arrive in Shanghai - keep this day relaxed, adjust to being in China or just take the time to sleep after a long flight.
Day 2
Explore Shanghai, I'm terrible at giving advice about where a tourist should go in Shanghai. After living there I still think it's terrible for a tourist looking for historical sights, but it's still my favorite Chinese city in terms of exploring a very international city and seeing why more and more expats are heading to the Pearl of the Orient (eat, get a massage, get a beauty treatment, hang out in some trendy neighborhoods, eat some more, etc...).
Take an overnight train to Xi'an. The train leaves Shanghai at 10 PM and arrives in Xi'an roughly 9 AM the next day.
Day 3
Arrive Xi'an 9 AM. Store luggage at the left luggage lockers at the train station and go immediately to the Terracotta Warriors.
If you arrive at the Xi'an North Railway Station you can catch a free shuttle bus to the site. Shuttles run from 8 AM to 4 PM to the Terracotta Warriors and from 10:30 AM to 7:30 PM back to the train station.
If you arrive at Xi'an Railway Station, from the east square you can take tourist bus #307.
Both journeys should take roughly 1 hour.
From what I remember from my visit to Xi'an I'd say plan for 2 hours at the actual attraction. Once again, keep in mind this is an estimate for someone who doesn't want to feel rushed, but also isn't interested in reading every last bit of information or visiting every exhibit.
Enjoy your bus ride back, there is a bit of walking at the different pits and museum, your feet will get tired and the hour ride back to Xi'an will be a godsend at this point. Once in the city head to the city wall. I'd recommend starting at the east entrance and making your way to the south where there is less of a line, and once you end at the south you'll already be right by the other sights. Take another rest at a cafe then visit the Drum and Bell Towers before spending the rest of your time eating your way through the Muslim Quarter.
Make sure to head back to the train station for a 10:53 PM overnight train to Pingyao, one of the best preserved Ming era ancients towns in China.
There are a number of other sights worth seeing in Xi'an that are not included in the above itinerary. For those who have more time, staying overnight and having a second day in Xi'an is well worth it. Just catch the same 10:53 PM train the next night to Pingyao.
Day 4
Arrive in Pingyao at 7:23 AM. Some guesthouses will actually let you check-in early in the morning if they have the rooms open. Pingyao Yide Hotel seems to be a popular choice with foreign tourists, but I was eyeing Cheng Jia Folk Custom House by the city gate. They have the traditional kang beds that tourist would like to try out, and they are located very close to the train station, which makes arriving, leaving, and day trips very easy. The main attraction here is Pingyao itself. It used to be a financial center during the Ming era, my dad said it was rumored that if you had a bank draft from Pingyao it would be accepted anywhere in China, that's how much esteem people held for Pingyao in ancient times. Keep today more relaxed, explore Pingyao at your leisure.
Day 5
I've noticed most tourists take day trips to Zhang Bi Underground Castle and the Wang Family Compound, both I've heard are overrated, but they are option worth mentioning. I actually recommend catching a short (20 min) train to Jiexiu to go to Mianshan instead. There are buses from the Jiexiu train station to Mianshan, but grabbing a taxi is just easier and shouldn't cost very much. Once at Mianshan there is a shuttle bus that drops you off at each of the sights of interest, so a guide shouldn't be necessary. The overnight train to Datong leaves around 9 PM. The exact time depends on whether or not you decide to leave straight from Jiexiu or go back to Pingyao and catch the overnight train from there.
Day 6
Arrive in Datong around 5 AM. There are three main reasons why people visit Datong. The city itself has a few sights, but it's usually not a favorite city to visit considering Shanxi Province is the center of the coal industry in China, which usually leaves places like Datong (and to some extent Pingyao) covered in coal dust. But people deal with this in order to see the Hanging Monastery of Hengshan, the Wooden Pagoda, and the Yungang Grottoes. Since Daniele and I aren't big Pagoda people, I planned this day around visiting the Hanging Monastery and the Yungang Grottoes. Once again, if you have more time, it would be worth spending an overnight in Datong to take in a few more sights.
Yungang Grottoes is just northwest of the city while the Hanging Monastery is over an hour southeast of the city. In order to visit both sights in one day you have two options. One is to hire a taxi drive for the day, this will take good negotiation skills. The other option I recommend, and I am usually one of the first people to shy away from organized tours, is to schedule a tour with CITS (Chinese government run tourist agency) who have an office right next to the Datong train station. There is a Mr. Gao who is famed for being very helpful for tourist in Datong. There are two options, one is to just pay for the driver to the two sights or the other option includes entrance fees, a guide, and lunch.
Daniele and I played with the option of skipping the Hanging Monastery and seeing only the grottoes, if we had done that it would be easy to take a 5 hour bus from Datong to Beijing, arriving around 6 PM in Beijing. For this itinerary I'm going to assume both sights will be visited, which means the overnight train to Beijing is at 10 PM.
Day 7
Arrive in Beijing at 6:30 AM. From this point things take a more relaxed pace after rushing around so much. This is because of my preference to just see the sights in some places and spend more time randomly exploring in bigger cities (Shanghai and Beijing). We were eyeing the Park Plaza Wangfujiang as our hotel after looking at a number of different places. The first thing we decided against was staying at a courtyard hotel. I know a lot of people want to experience what it's like to stay in one of the hutongs, but we figured a stay in a traditional courtyard hotel in Pingyao (which is a must) was enough for us and after too many nights on the train we wanted better than basic amenities, great service, comfy beds, easy location, and some pampering. Park Plaza Wangfujiang fit all those needs perfectly (upgrade to the club level to enjoy free breakfast, access to the club lounge, and complimentary guest happy hour). I know a lot of other hotels offer these same amenities but it felt like it was always a trade off in terms of value, location, or service. Alright, I'll stop now before I sound like I'm being paid to write this.
After dropping off bags at the hotel (or if you are lucky, checking in early) go to Tiananmen Square and quickly get in line for Mao's Mausoleum. The Mausoleum is usually open only until noon and long lines form quickly. The lines move fast, but keep in mind bags and cameras are not allowed in. I was planning on waiting for Daniele to go through the line and have his glimpse of Mao's waxen figure since I've been before, but if you aren't lucky enough to have someone hold your things for you(no bags or cameras allowed inside), there is a place to store your things for a fee. After Mao's body take the time to take in Tiananmen Square then purchase tickets for the Forbidden City. Grab lunch and either go back to the hotel to check-in and take a rest if you're tired, or head straight to the Forbidden City. I actually recommend taking a rest first and heading to the Forbidden City when it's later to avoid the crowds. The Forbidden City closes earlier than nearby Jinshan Park, which means after staying until closing at the Forbidden City, grab a quick break and a drink at one of the nearby cafes then walk uphill to the top of Jinshan Park for a sunset view of the Forbidden City. At this point it's worth going back to the hotel and catching happy hour while giving your feet a rest. Option to have Peking Duck this night, if staying at the Park Plaza, one branch of the famed Dadong Roast Duck Restaurant is a five minute walk away. If you want duck this night, make sure at check-in you have the hotel concierge make a reservation. After dinner, head out and enjoy some of Beijing's famed nightlife.
Day 8
I recommend using today as your day to head to the Great Wall (unless you over did it while out the night before, if so, switch day 8 and 9). There are so many options for which section of the Great Wall to visit all depending on what you want to experience. We were eyeing the section at Huanghuacheng, also known as Shuichangcheng (Water Great Wall). Don't rush the experience, depending on how much you want to climb and which location you choose, this can be a half day trip or take the whole day. Option to drive by the Olympic Stadium and Water Cube if that interests you and if you decided to opt for a private driver to the Great Wall versus taking public transportation.
Day 9
The Llama Temple caught Daniele's eye so we planned on a morning there before indulging in Sunday brunch and walking it off at the Summer Palace. If brunch is not in your plans, replace with a tour of the hutongs or whatever else makes it on your list of must see/do.
Overnight train to Shanghai at 9:23 PM
Day 10
Arrive Shanghai at 9:10 AM. You have two options here.
Option 1
If you want more time in Shanghai go with this option and spend the day in Shanghai before taking an overnight train to Huangshan leaving Shanghai at 9:30 PM.
Option 2
If you want to spend time in Hangzhou catch a high speed train to Hangzhou (50 minutes) and enjoy West Lake and overnight in Hangzhou.
Day 11
Option 1
Arrive at 9:00 AM at Tunxi then take a bus to the North entrance, not South. Make sure to book a hotel on the mountain. They cost more and the amenities are nothing to speak of, but it makes the visit to Huangshan that much better.
Option 2
In Hangzhou, go to the bus station by West Lake and take the 8 AM bus to Huangshan arriving 11 AM. Explore Huangshan and enjoy an overnight on the mountain.
Day 12
Make your way through the rest of the mountain and head over to Tunxi. Tunxi is another ancient town turned tourist destination, but it's worth just wander the streets or finding a restaurant or cafe to rest at while waiting for your 8:45 PM overnight train back to Shanghai.
Day 13
Arrive in Shanghai at 8:52 AM and just relax, hang out, or do some last minute shopping.
Day 14
Fly home
Notice you're not spending consecutive days in Shanghai, it's because I feel like Shanghai is a great base to have where you aren't in a hurry to see sights, but when you are there you have plenty of things to keep you as busy as you want to be. Or, if you are really tired when you are in Shanghai, you have plenty of time to rest without feeling like you've missed a lot of sightseeing.
I know this schedule is a bit rushed, but I hope it might help someone out there who is wondering how to spend a first trip to China with only two weeks and no tour guide. This depends heavily on train travel and minimizes the need to haggle private car service, which I think makes things easier for a first time visitor with minimal Chinese language ability. The only thing I would note for non-Chinese speaking tourists is to go ahead and book the train tickets online using a trusted booking agency. They do charge a premium, but since this is a tight schedule that depends on having the necessary train tickets for the right days it is worth the peace of mind.
Some people consider flights to be quicker, which they can be (sometimes even cheaper than trains), but if you factor in the time to get to and from the airport, the time you need to check-in and get through security, and the high chance of delays, the time saved with flights becomes minimal. Also, I opt for overnight trains, which means you actually maximize your time by not sacrificing sightseeing hours for travel time.
Since Daniele and I won't be able to do this trip I hope our research and experience benefits others!
This trip assumes flying in and out of Shanghai, but can also be adjusted to flying into Shanghai and out of Beijing(or vice versa). Our original schedule had us heading to Beijing right away after Shanghai so that we could make it to a Sunday Champagne Brunch at the Westin both in Beijing and in Shanghai, but I will list it out South to North because train tickets may be easier to get in this direction since most foreign tourist head north to south starting in Beijing. I've also placed Huangshan at the end of the trip instead of at the beginning as originally planned.
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| Qibao, A Water Town Outside Of Shanghai |
Day 1
Arrive in Shanghai - keep this day relaxed, adjust to being in China or just take the time to sleep after a long flight.
Day 2
Explore Shanghai, I'm terrible at giving advice about where a tourist should go in Shanghai. After living there I still think it's terrible for a tourist looking for historical sights, but it's still my favorite Chinese city in terms of exploring a very international city and seeing why more and more expats are heading to the Pearl of the Orient (eat, get a massage, get a beauty treatment, hang out in some trendy neighborhoods, eat some more, etc...).
Take an overnight train to Xi'an. The train leaves Shanghai at 10 PM and arrives in Xi'an roughly 9 AM the next day.
Day 3
Arrive Xi'an 9 AM. Store luggage at the left luggage lockers at the train station and go immediately to the Terracotta Warriors.
If you arrive at the Xi'an North Railway Station you can catch a free shuttle bus to the site. Shuttles run from 8 AM to 4 PM to the Terracotta Warriors and from 10:30 AM to 7:30 PM back to the train station.
If you arrive at Xi'an Railway Station, from the east square you can take tourist bus #307.
Both journeys should take roughly 1 hour.
From what I remember from my visit to Xi'an I'd say plan for 2 hours at the actual attraction. Once again, keep in mind this is an estimate for someone who doesn't want to feel rushed, but also isn't interested in reading every last bit of information or visiting every exhibit.
Enjoy your bus ride back, there is a bit of walking at the different pits and museum, your feet will get tired and the hour ride back to Xi'an will be a godsend at this point. Once in the city head to the city wall. I'd recommend starting at the east entrance and making your way to the south where there is less of a line, and once you end at the south you'll already be right by the other sights. Take another rest at a cafe then visit the Drum and Bell Towers before spending the rest of your time eating your way through the Muslim Quarter.
Make sure to head back to the train station for a 10:53 PM overnight train to Pingyao, one of the best preserved Ming era ancients towns in China.
There are a number of other sights worth seeing in Xi'an that are not included in the above itinerary. For those who have more time, staying overnight and having a second day in Xi'an is well worth it. Just catch the same 10:53 PM train the next night to Pingyao.
Day 4
Arrive in Pingyao at 7:23 AM. Some guesthouses will actually let you check-in early in the morning if they have the rooms open. Pingyao Yide Hotel seems to be a popular choice with foreign tourists, but I was eyeing Cheng Jia Folk Custom House by the city gate. They have the traditional kang beds that tourist would like to try out, and they are located very close to the train station, which makes arriving, leaving, and day trips very easy. The main attraction here is Pingyao itself. It used to be a financial center during the Ming era, my dad said it was rumored that if you had a bank draft from Pingyao it would be accepted anywhere in China, that's how much esteem people held for Pingyao in ancient times. Keep today more relaxed, explore Pingyao at your leisure.
Day 5
I've noticed most tourists take day trips to Zhang Bi Underground Castle and the Wang Family Compound, both I've heard are overrated, but they are option worth mentioning. I actually recommend catching a short (20 min) train to Jiexiu to go to Mianshan instead. There are buses from the Jiexiu train station to Mianshan, but grabbing a taxi is just easier and shouldn't cost very much. Once at Mianshan there is a shuttle bus that drops you off at each of the sights of interest, so a guide shouldn't be necessary. The overnight train to Datong leaves around 9 PM. The exact time depends on whether or not you decide to leave straight from Jiexiu or go back to Pingyao and catch the overnight train from there.
Day 6
Arrive in Datong around 5 AM. There are three main reasons why people visit Datong. The city itself has a few sights, but it's usually not a favorite city to visit considering Shanxi Province is the center of the coal industry in China, which usually leaves places like Datong (and to some extent Pingyao) covered in coal dust. But people deal with this in order to see the Hanging Monastery of Hengshan, the Wooden Pagoda, and the Yungang Grottoes. Since Daniele and I aren't big Pagoda people, I planned this day around visiting the Hanging Monastery and the Yungang Grottoes. Once again, if you have more time, it would be worth spending an overnight in Datong to take in a few more sights.
Yungang Grottoes is just northwest of the city while the Hanging Monastery is over an hour southeast of the city. In order to visit both sights in one day you have two options. One is to hire a taxi drive for the day, this will take good negotiation skills. The other option I recommend, and I am usually one of the first people to shy away from organized tours, is to schedule a tour with CITS (Chinese government run tourist agency) who have an office right next to the Datong train station. There is a Mr. Gao who is famed for being very helpful for tourist in Datong. There are two options, one is to just pay for the driver to the two sights or the other option includes entrance fees, a guide, and lunch.
Daniele and I played with the option of skipping the Hanging Monastery and seeing only the grottoes, if we had done that it would be easy to take a 5 hour bus from Datong to Beijing, arriving around 6 PM in Beijing. For this itinerary I'm going to assume both sights will be visited, which means the overnight train to Beijing is at 10 PM.
Day 7
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| 798 Art District |
Arrive in Beijing at 6:30 AM. From this point things take a more relaxed pace after rushing around so much. This is because of my preference to just see the sights in some places and spend more time randomly exploring in bigger cities (Shanghai and Beijing). We were eyeing the Park Plaza Wangfujiang as our hotel after looking at a number of different places. The first thing we decided against was staying at a courtyard hotel. I know a lot of people want to experience what it's like to stay in one of the hutongs, but we figured a stay in a traditional courtyard hotel in Pingyao (which is a must) was enough for us and after too many nights on the train we wanted better than basic amenities, great service, comfy beds, easy location, and some pampering. Park Plaza Wangfujiang fit all those needs perfectly (upgrade to the club level to enjoy free breakfast, access to the club lounge, and complimentary guest happy hour). I know a lot of other hotels offer these same amenities but it felt like it was always a trade off in terms of value, location, or service. Alright, I'll stop now before I sound like I'm being paid to write this.
After dropping off bags at the hotel (or if you are lucky, checking in early) go to Tiananmen Square and quickly get in line for Mao's Mausoleum. The Mausoleum is usually open only until noon and long lines form quickly. The lines move fast, but keep in mind bags and cameras are not allowed in. I was planning on waiting for Daniele to go through the line and have his glimpse of Mao's waxen figure since I've been before, but if you aren't lucky enough to have someone hold your things for you(no bags or cameras allowed inside), there is a place to store your things for a fee. After Mao's body take the time to take in Tiananmen Square then purchase tickets for the Forbidden City. Grab lunch and either go back to the hotel to check-in and take a rest if you're tired, or head straight to the Forbidden City. I actually recommend taking a rest first and heading to the Forbidden City when it's later to avoid the crowds. The Forbidden City closes earlier than nearby Jinshan Park, which means after staying until closing at the Forbidden City, grab a quick break and a drink at one of the nearby cafes then walk uphill to the top of Jinshan Park for a sunset view of the Forbidden City. At this point it's worth going back to the hotel and catching happy hour while giving your feet a rest. Option to have Peking Duck this night, if staying at the Park Plaza, one branch of the famed Dadong Roast Duck Restaurant is a five minute walk away. If you want duck this night, make sure at check-in you have the hotel concierge make a reservation. After dinner, head out and enjoy some of Beijing's famed nightlife.
Day 8
I recommend using today as your day to head to the Great Wall (unless you over did it while out the night before, if so, switch day 8 and 9). There are so many options for which section of the Great Wall to visit all depending on what you want to experience. We were eyeing the section at Huanghuacheng, also known as Shuichangcheng (Water Great Wall). Don't rush the experience, depending on how much you want to climb and which location you choose, this can be a half day trip or take the whole day. Option to drive by the Olympic Stadium and Water Cube if that interests you and if you decided to opt for a private driver to the Great Wall versus taking public transportation.
Day 9
The Llama Temple caught Daniele's eye so we planned on a morning there before indulging in Sunday brunch and walking it off at the Summer Palace. If brunch is not in your plans, replace with a tour of the hutongs or whatever else makes it on your list of must see/do.
Overnight train to Shanghai at 9:23 PM
Day 10
Arrive Shanghai at 9:10 AM. You have two options here.
Option 1
If you want more time in Shanghai go with this option and spend the day in Shanghai before taking an overnight train to Huangshan leaving Shanghai at 9:30 PM.
Option 2
If you want to spend time in Hangzhou catch a high speed train to Hangzhou (50 minutes) and enjoy West Lake and overnight in Hangzhou.
Day 11
Option 1
Arrive at 9:00 AM at Tunxi then take a bus to the North entrance, not South. Make sure to book a hotel on the mountain. They cost more and the amenities are nothing to speak of, but it makes the visit to Huangshan that much better.
Option 2
In Hangzhou, go to the bus station by West Lake and take the 8 AM bus to Huangshan arriving 11 AM. Explore Huangshan and enjoy an overnight on the mountain.
Day 12
Make your way through the rest of the mountain and head over to Tunxi. Tunxi is another ancient town turned tourist destination, but it's worth just wander the streets or finding a restaurant or cafe to rest at while waiting for your 8:45 PM overnight train back to Shanghai.
Day 13
Arrive in Shanghai at 8:52 AM and just relax, hang out, or do some last minute shopping.
Day 14
Fly home
Notice you're not spending consecutive days in Shanghai, it's because I feel like Shanghai is a great base to have where you aren't in a hurry to see sights, but when you are there you have plenty of things to keep you as busy as you want to be. Or, if you are really tired when you are in Shanghai, you have plenty of time to rest without feeling like you've missed a lot of sightseeing.
I know this schedule is a bit rushed, but I hope it might help someone out there who is wondering how to spend a first trip to China with only two weeks and no tour guide. This depends heavily on train travel and minimizes the need to haggle private car service, which I think makes things easier for a first time visitor with minimal Chinese language ability. The only thing I would note for non-Chinese speaking tourists is to go ahead and book the train tickets online using a trusted booking agency. They do charge a premium, but since this is a tight schedule that depends on having the necessary train tickets for the right days it is worth the peace of mind.
Some people consider flights to be quicker, which they can be (sometimes even cheaper than trains), but if you factor in the time to get to and from the airport, the time you need to check-in and get through security, and the high chance of delays, the time saved with flights becomes minimal. Also, I opt for overnight trains, which means you actually maximize your time by not sacrificing sightseeing hours for travel time.
Since Daniele and I won't be able to do this trip I hope our research and experience benefits others!
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