# Beijing, Xi'an & Shanghai in 14 Days: Three Cities of Chinese Culture

Fourteen slow-paced days through Beijing, Xi'an and Shanghai with your own car and driver: the Forbidden City, the Great Wall, the Terracotta Army, the city walls and the Bund, with only one hotel per city and a gentle version of every day for grandparents and children. The trip is private for your group only, with no shopping stops.

Trip code: BXS14 · 14 days, 13 nights · private, your group only · no shopping stops

## At a glance

| | |
| --- | --- |
| Highest night | 400 m (Xi'an, Day 5) |
| Highest point | 1,000 m (Day 10) |
| Walking | about 2,500–11,000 steps a day; gentle versions stay at or below about 6,000 steps |
| Longest drive | Xi'an → Hukou Waterfall → Huangdi Mausoleum, about 7–8 hours in the car round trip (Day 10) |
| Hotels | one 4-diamond hotel per city: 4 nights Beijing, 6 nights Xi'an, 3 nights Shanghai |
| From, per person | ¥12,245 CNY (reference rate) |
| Best months | Jan, Mar–May, Sep–Dec |

The whole trip stays low: the highest night is 400 m and the highest point is 1,000 m.

## Is this trip right for you?

**Great for**

- First-time visitors who want Beijing, Xi'an and Shanghai in one trip with the core sights covered
- Multi-generation families – grandparents and children – thanks to short walking days and one hotel per city
- Travellers who prefer high-speed rail and a short internal flight over long road transfers

**Think twice if**

- You are looking mainly for mountains, lakes and hiking
- You find big crowded sites and long museum hours tiring
- You are a backpacker on a tight budget, or you want late nights every day

## Highlights

- The Forbidden City along its central axis, followed by sunset at Shichahai lake
- The Great Wall by cable car, then tea in the Wudaoying hutong lanes
- Terracotta Army pits in Lintong, the Xi'an city wall at night, and the Bund with a Huangpu River cruise in Shanghai

Cities on this trip: [Beijing](https://unclepandatravel.com/destinations/beijing) · [Xi'an](https://unclepandatravel.com/destinations/xian) · [Shanghai](https://unclepandatravel.com/destinations/shanghai)

## Day by day

Steps and drive times are estimates for planning. Altitudes are from public data. Your guide adjusts on the day.

### Day 1: Arrive in Beijing: Qianmen Street & Dazhalan

- **Stay:** Beijing, sleeping altitude 44 m
- **Standard:** start flexible, about 6,000 steps, highest point 44 m. Airport pick-up and hotel check-in, then walk Qianmen Street (about 840 m) and the lanes of Dazhalan at your own pace; Peking duck for dinner and an early night.
- **Gentle:** start flexible, about 3,000 steps, highest point 44 m. Check in and rest first; a short walk of one block on Qianmen Street after dinner, or simply stay in to adjust to the time difference.
- **Stairs:** mostly flat pavement, a few steps at shop entrances; none if you stay on the main street
- **Travel:** airport → hotel about 40–60 min depending on traffic
- **Meals:** none included (own arrangement) · Peking duck, copper-pot mutton hotpot, old Beijing lu zhu
- **Rest:** nap at the hotel after check-in before going out
- **Kids:** holding hands on the busy street; snacks are everywhere
- **Note:** jet lag day with no fixed programme; book the duck restaurant in advance

### Day 2: Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City & Shichahai

- **Stay:** Beijing, sleeping altitude 44 m
- **Standard:** start 08:30, about 11,000 steps, highest point 93 m. Tiananmen Square from outside, then about 4 hours inside the Forbidden City along the central axis with an audio headset; if there is energy, Jingshan Hill for the classic palace view; sunset and an optional boat ride at Shichahai.
- **Gentle:** start 09:00, about 5,500 steps, highest point 93 m. Enter the Forbidden City slightly later and walk only the central halls with benches and rest stops; skip Jingshan and sit by Shichahai with a drink instead.
- **Stairs:** steps at the palace gates plus a 15–20 min climb up Jingshan Hill; the gentle version skips the Jingshan climb
- **Travel:** hotel → Tiananmen about 20 min; Shichahai → hotel about 20 min
- **Meals:** hotel breakfast · zhajiang noodles, baodu (quick-boiled tripe), douzhi with jiaoquan
- **Rest:** long sit-down lunch, plus the garden benches inside the palace
- **Kids:** the palace is huge for small legs – keep the afternoon light
- **Note:** the Palace Museum is normally closed on Mondays and needs ID-based advance booking – confirm the visit date

### Day 3: The Great Wall & the hutong lanes

- **Stay:** Beijing, sleeping altitude 44 m
- **Standard:** start 07:30, about 9,000 steps, highest point 700 m. Cable car up, walk a stretch of the wall between towers (about 4–5 h in the scenic area), cable car down; back in the city, tea or coffee in Wudaoying or Baochao hutong and a home-style dinner in the lanes.
- **Gentle:** start 08:30, about 4,500 steps, highest point 700 m. Cable car up, walk one flat stretch with photo stops, cable car down, longer lunch break; the afternoon hutong visit happens at sitting pace in a teahouse.
- **Stairs:** many steep, uneven stone steps between the watchtowers; in the gentle version the cable car runs both ways and there is only one short flight of steps on the wall
- **Travel:** about 1.5 h each way to Mutianyu
- **Meals:** hotel breakfast · home-style Beijing dishes in the hutong, butterfly pastries
- **Rest:** tea break in a Wudaoying courtyard teahouse in the afternoon
- **Kids:** Great Wall steps are slippery when wet – grippy shoes help
- **Note:** steep and uneven steps; walking poles are useful for older guests

### Day 4: Temple of Heaven morning & Laoshe Teahouse show

- **Stay:** Beijing, sleeping altitude 44 m
- **Standard:** start 08:30, about 8,000 steps, highest point 45 m. Morning at the Temple of Heaven watching locals sing, play cards and practise taiji; lunch near Qianmen; afternoon performance at the Laoshe Teahouse; evening walk through Qianmen and Dazhalan.
- **Gentle:** start 09:30, about 4,000 steps, highest point 45 m. A slow loop around the Hall of Prayer with a long bench break, early lunch, and the whole afternoon seated in the teahouse.
- **Stairs:** temple terraces and a few steps at the teahouse entrance; ramps available and theatre seating is level
- **Travel:** short city transfers, about 20 min each
- **Meals:** hotel breakfast · Yin San douzhi, men ding rou bing (meat pies), candied hawthorn with milk skin, Liubiju pickles
- **Rest:** the seated show in the teahouse is the afternoon rest
- **Kids:** the teahouse programme has acrobatics and comic acts children enjoy
- **Note:** show tickets are for the afternoon session – timings should be reconfirmed

### Day 5: High-speed train to Xi'an & Saqiao food lane

- **Stay:** Xi'an, sleeping altitude 400 m
- **Standard:** start 08:00, about 4,500 steps, highest point 400 m. Morning train, check in near the Bell Tower or South Gate, then an easy evening grazing along Saqiao street, which is calmer than the Muslim Quarter.
- **Gentle:** start 08:30, about 2,500 steps, highest point 400 m. Take the train with assistance, rest at the hotel in the afternoon, and only a short stroll for dinner near the hotel.
- **Stairs:** station stairs and escalators, lifts available; lifts at both stations and luggage handled by the driver in the gentle version
- **Travel:** Beijing → Xi'an by high-speed rail about 4.5–6 h, then about 30 min from the station to the hotel
- **Meals:** hotel breakfast · yangrou paomo (mutton soaked bread), guantang baozi, xiaosurou, sour-cabbage fried rice, persimmon cakes
- **Rest:** afternoon rest at the Xi'an hotel after the train
- **Kids:** train rides are a highlight for children – window seats help
- **Note:** passports are needed for train tickets; about 4.5–6 hours

### Day 6: City-wall morning market, Bell & Drum Towers, Yongxingfang & the wall at night

- **Stay:** Xi'an, sleeping altitude 400 m
- **Standard:** start 08:00, about 9,500 steps, highest point 420 m. Early market by the city wall, Bell and Drum Tower square, Gaojia courtyard house, Shaanxi snacks and the bowl-smashing wine at Yongxingfang, then cycle part of the city wall and watch it light up.
- **Gentle:** start 09:00, about 5,000 steps, highest point 420 m. Skip the early market start, visit the towers from the square level and the courtyard house, and walk only a short section of the wall on foot instead of cycling.
- **Stairs:** Bell Tower stairs and the stairways up to the wall; use the ramp and steps slowly, no cycling in the gentle version
- **Travel:** short city transfers, about 15–25 min
- **Meals:** hotel breakfast · youtiao and youcha mahua from the morning market, roujiamo and liangpi, Binxian yumian and zenggao
- **Rest:** sit-down tea break in Yongxingfang between tastings
- **Kids:** wall cycling is fun for older kids; tandems and child seats are limited
- **Note:** cycling on the wall is optional and adds about 45–60 min; the wall surface is stone and uneven

### Day 7: Terracotta Army & Huaqing Palace

- **Stay:** Xi'an, sleeping altitude 400 m
- **Standard:** start 08:00, about 10,500 steps, highest point 500 m. About 3–4 hours at the Terracotta Army pits with a headset, local lunch in Lintong, then 3 hours at Huaqing Palace with its hot-spring pools and the Xi'an Incident sites.
- **Gentle:** start 08:30, about 6,000 steps, highest point 500 m. Electric carts at both sites, one pit hall visited in depth instead of all three, and a long seated lunch; no Lishan climb.
- **Stairs:** pit halls are step-free but the site is large, with steps inside Huaqing Palace; electric carts are used in the gentle version
- **Travel:** Xi'an → Lintong about 1 h each way
- **Meals:** hotel breakfast · Lintong shuipen yangrou with crescent bread, biangbiang noodles, pomegranate juice and cakes; gourd chicken at the Shaanxi restaurant near the pits
- **Rest:** long lunch break in Lintong before Huaqing Palace
- **Kids:** the pits are impressive but hot and crowded – a hat and water bottle help
- **Note:** a long walking day even with electric carts; the site is exposed in summer

### Day 8: Xi'an Museum, both pagodas & Grand Tang Mall

- **Stay:** Xi'an, sleeping altitude 400 m
- **Standard:** start 09:00, about 10,000 steps, highest point 420 m. 3–4 hours in the Xi'an Museum with the Small Wild Goose Pagoda, a 1-hour hotel nap, then Daci'en Temple and the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, and 2 hours of lights and street shows at Grand Tang Mall.
- **Gentle:** start 09:30, about 5,500 steps, highest point 420 m. Museum at an easy pace with the café break, longer hotel rest, the pagodas viewed from the courtyards, and a shorter evening walk on one side of Grand Tang Mall.
- **Stairs:** the optional climb of the Small Wild Goose Pagoda has narrow steps; the gentle version skips the pagoda climbs and the temple courtyards are flat
- **Travel:** about 15–25 min between the museum, the pagodas and the night market
- **Meals:** hotel breakfast · Laosunjia paomo, Tang-style Shaanxi dishes at Grand Tang Mall, Qishan saozi noodles and Hanzhong hot rice noodles
- **Rest:** one-hour hotel nap after lunch
- **Kids:** Grand Tang Mall has street performances children like; keep hold of hands in the crowd
- **Note:** evening crowds at Grand Tang Mall are heavy – agree a meeting point

### Day 9: Hanfu dress-up, Shuyuanmen street & the Legend of Xi'an show

- **Stay:** Xi'an, sleeping altitude 400 m
- **Standard:** start 10:00, about 6,000 steps, highest point 400 m. Flexible half-free day: hanfu styling and photos by the wall or in Tang Paradise, teahouses and calligraphy shops along Shuyuanmen, then the indoor Legend of Xi'an show in the early evening.
- **Gentle:** start 10:30, about 3,500 steps, highest point 400 m. Simple hanfu and a short photo session near the hotel, long teahouse stop on Shuyuanmen, and the seated indoor show – an early return.
- **Stairs:** few, and the theatre is level access; none on the planned gentle route
- **Travel:** city transfers about 20 min; theatre back to hotel about 30–40 min
- **Meals:** hotel breakfast · Shaanxi green tea or fu tea with light meals near Shuyuanmen, rice noodles at the old market
- **Rest:** teahouse break on Shuyuanmen in the afternoon
- **Kids:** children usually enjoy the hanfu photos – costumes can be hired in small sizes
- **Note:** hanfu styling and costumes are not included in the ticket price; the indoor show runs about 1 hour

### Day 10: Hukou Waterfall & the Yellow Emperor's Mausoleum

- **Stay:** Xi'an, sleeping altitude 400 m
- **Standard:** start 07:00, about 7,500 steps, highest point 1,000 m. Leave early for Hukou Waterfall (2–3 h on site), then stop at Huangdi Mausoleum and Xuanyuan Temple on the way back (about 2 h), returning to Xi'an in the evening.
- **Gentle:** start 07:30, about 4,000 steps, highest point 1,000 m. Shuttle bus to the main platform, short viewing time with a seat, a shorter visit to Xuanyuan Temple only (no tomb walk), and frequent breaks in the car.
- **Stairs:** steps and ramps down to the waterfall viewing platforms and mausoleum stairs; in the gentle version you stay on the upper platforms and use the shuttle bus
- **Travel:** Xi'an → Hukou about 3.5–4 h each way, 7–8 h in the car round trip, with extra stops on the way in the gentle version
- **Meals:** hotel breakfast · Northern Shaanxi helou noodles, Yellow River carp, Zichang pancakes, potato dishes, Wuqi buckwheat noodles
- **Rest:** seated lunch in Yichuan county town and rests in the car
- **Kids:** very long car day – bring snacks, motion-sickness bags and entertainment
- **Note:** longest driving day of the trip; in seasons with little water the waterfall can be swapped for another sight

### Day 11: Fly to Shanghai, Nanjing Road & the Bund

- **Stay:** Shanghai, sleeping altitude 4 m
- **Standard:** start 09:30, about 7,500 steps, highest point 4 m. A relaxed morning after yesterday's long day, flight of about 2 h 10 min, check in near Nanjing Road, stroll the 1.2 km pedestrian street and the 1.5 km Bund promenade for the night view.
- **Gentle:** start 10:00, about 4,000 steps, highest point 4 m. Later flight departure, rest at the hotel on arrival, and a short taxi ride to one section of the Bund with a bench stop to watch the lights.
- **Stairs:** steps at pedestrian underpasses and along the Bund; very few in the gentle version, with a taxi to the Bund instead of walking
- **Travel:** hotel → Xi'an airport about 1 h; Shanghai airport → hotel about 40–60 min
- **Meals:** hotel breakfast · red-braised pork and eel at Dexingguan, old Shanghai scallion pancakes, rice rolls and shengjian buns on Jinling Road
- **Rest:** hotel rest on arrival in Shanghai
- **Kids:** the Bund railing is low in places – watch young children
- **Note:** the flight fare is a reference price and changes with booking date

### Day 12: Yu Garden, City God Temple, Lujiazui & Huangpu River cruise

- **Stay:** Shanghai, sleeping altitude 4 m
- **Standard:** start 09:00, about 9,500 steps, highest point 4 m. About 3 hours in Yu Garden and the City God Temple area, lunch there, then Lujiazui and an observation deck in Shanghai Tower or the World Financial Center, and a night cruise on the Huangpu River.
- **Gentle:** start 09:30, about 5,500 steps, highest point 4 m. The garden's main halls only (skip the rockery climb), a sit-down lunch, one tower deck chosen by lift, and a seated dinner on the cruise boat.
- **Stairs:** Yu Garden rockeries and halls have steps; tower decks reached by lift – the gentle version uses the tower lifts and has short stops inside the garden
- **Travel:** about 20–30 min between the old town and Lujiazui
- **Meals:** hotel breakfast · Nanxiang xiaolongbao and crab-roe dumplings, osmanthus cakes at Green Wave Corridor, Ningbo rice dumplings, vegetarian buns
- **Rest:** seated lunch in the Yu Garden area, and the cruise as an evening rest
- **Kids:** the garden's ponds and rockeries need a close hand
- **Note:** observation deck choice depends on visibility; cruise times should be confirmed

### Day 13: Shanghai breakfast, wet market, French Concession, Xintiandi & Tianzifang

- **Stay:** Shanghai, sleeping altitude 4 m
- **Standard:** start 08:00, about 9,000 steps, highest point 4 m. Breakfast crawl and wet market in the morning, a slow 3–4 hour walk under the plane trees of the former French Concession (Wukang and Hengshan roads), then shopping and coffee in Xintiandi and the lanes of Tianzifang.
- **Gentle:** start 09:00, about 5,000 steps, highest point 4 m. A short market and breakfast stop, one flat stretch of plane-tree street by car plus a short walk, and a long café stop in Xintiandi before a brief look at Tianzifang.
- **Stairs:** steps in old lane houses, mostly flat pavements; none on the planned gentle route
- **Travel:** about 15–25 min between the market, the plane-tree streets and the two lane districts
- **Meals:** hotel breakfast · xiaolongbao, shengjian, soy milk and youtiao at breakfast; sesame noodles and crab-roe noodles in Tianzifang
- **Rest:** café stop in Xintiandi or Tianzifang in the afternoon
- **Kids:** the lanes are stroller-friendly in parts but crowded at weekends
- **Note:** free shopping time in the afternoon – no guide required if you prefer to stay in

### Day 14: Free morning in Shanghai & airport transfer

- **Stay:** home, sleeping altitude 4 m
- **Standard:** start flexible, about 2,500 steps, highest point 4 m. Free time near the hotel according to the flight time, then the transfer to the airport.
- **Gentle:** start flexible, about 1,000 steps, highest point 4 m. Stay in the hotel until the transfer, with a late check-out requested where possible.
- **Stairs:** airport escalators and lifts; lifts only in the gentle version
- **Travel:** hotel → Pudong airport about 1 h, Hongqiao about 40 min; about 1 h with luggage help in the gentle version
- **Meals:** hotel breakfast · grab a last order of shengjian or a bowl of noodles near the hotel
- **Rest:** hotel lobby or lounge while waiting for the transfer
- **Kids:** keep passports and boarding passes in one bag
- **Note:** allow extra time for Shanghai traffic to the airport

## Meals & local food

Breakfast is included at every hotel. Lunches and dinners are booked by your guide and paid at the table.

- **Beijing:** Peking duck, zhajiang noodles, baodu, douzhi with jiaoquan, copper-pot mutton hotpot, men ding rou bing. Book the duck restaurant a day ahead.
- **Xi'an:** yangrou paomo, guantang baozi, roujiamo with liangpi, biangbiang noodles, zenggao, xiaosurou. Saqiao street is quieter and more local than the Huimin Quarter; go hungry in the evening.
- **Lintong / Hukou day trips:** Lintong shuipen yangrou with crescent bread, pomegranate cakes, Northern Shaanxi helou noodles and Yellow River carp. Eat at the county towns on the Hukou day – the drive is long and meal times shift.
- **Shanghai:** xiaolongbao, shengjian buns, scallion-oil noodles, crab-roe noodles, red-braised pork, osmanthus cakes. Go early to Nanxiang for dumplings; breakfast stalls and wet markets are best before 09:00.

**Dietary needs**

- Vegetarian, allergies or no spicy food: tell your travel designer before booking
- Your driver-guide explains your needs to each restaurant in Chinese
- Mild dishes for kids and grandparents on request

## Hotels & transport

4-diamond hotels, one per city: 4 nights in Beijing, 6 nights in Xi'an, 3 nights in Shanghai. Reference room rates CNY 1,000 per room per night in Beijing and Shanghai, CNY 400 in Xi'an.

| Group | Vehicle | Luggage |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 2-3 guests | 5-seat sedan or SUV with driver | 2 large suitcases plus hand luggage |
| 4-5 guests | 7-seat MPV with driver | About 4–5 medium suitcases |
| 6-7 guests | 9-seat van with driver | About 6–8 medium suitcases |

## What will your group pay?

From, per person: ¥12,245 CNY (reference rate). At site reference rates that is about US$1,834 / €1,634 / S$2,345 — the written quote is in CNY.

Per person, whole-group quote: CNY 15,361 pp for 2 guests, CNY 13,025 pp for 4, CNY 12,245 pp for 6.

An online estimator lets you set adults (12+, including grandparents), children (2–11, own bed), infants (under 2, free) and single rooms needed, and shows an estimated total for the group. An estimate is not a booking: your travel designer sends a written quote with the currency locked, valid for 7 days. Asking is free.

[Email quote](https://unclepandatravel.com/quote?route=BXS14)

**Included**

- 13 nights in 4-diamond hotels – Beijing 4, Xi'an 6, Shanghai 3 – one hotel per city, with daily breakfast
- Private car with driver throughout, including the driver's meals and accommodation, fuel and tolls
- Second-class high-speed rail Beijing → Xi'an and a one-way flight Xi'an → Shanghai
- Entrance tickets: Forbidden City with headset, Mutianyu cable car, Temple of Heaven, Laoshe Teahouse, Bell & Drum Towers, Gaojia courtyard, Xi'an city wall with bicycle, Terracotta Army with cart and headset, Huaqing Palace, Small and Big Wild Goose Pagodas, Daci'en Temple, Legend of Xi'an show, Hukou Waterfall and Huangdi Mausoleum with shuttle buses, Yu Garden, Huangpu River night cruise
- Liability and accident insurance

**Not included**

- Lunches and dinners unless stated – only hotel breakfasts and the listed tickets are included
- Hanfu styling and costume rental (paid locally, priced separately)
- Optional extras such as the Jingshan Hill ticket, Shichahai boat, drinks and personal shopping
- Tour guide fee not included, but a guide can be requested (English-speaking guides available)

**What can change the price**

- The Xi'an → Shanghai flight is quoted at a reference fare of CNY 500 per person; the real fare depends on the booking date
- Hotel rates are reference rates (CNY 1,000 per room per night in Beijing and Shanghai, CNY 400 in Xi'an); peak dates cost more
- Hukou Waterfall may be swapped for another sight when the Yellow River water flow is low
- Ticket prices and opening hours follow official notices; the Palace Museum is normally closed on Mondays

## Paying & cancelling

1. **Free plan & quote** – change it until it fits. You pay nothing.
2. **30% deposit** – only after you approve the written plan and sign the contract.
3. **Balance** – 30 days before arrival. Booking later? Full payment, told upfront.

| If you cancel | We keep |
| --- | --- |
| 7 or more days before departure | 10% of the total tour price, the rest is refunded |
| 6–4 days before departure | 20% of the total tour price, the rest is refunded |
| 3–1 days before departure | 40% of the total tour price, the rest is refunded |
| On the day the trip starts | 60% of the total tour price, the rest is refunded |
| After the trip has started | 60%, plus a share of the other 40% for each day travelled |

**Leaving this trip early**

If you leave before the last day, the contract's day-by-day table shows the share of the tour price we keep for each departure day, rising from the first day to the second-to-last day of the trip. The day you leave counts as a day travelled, and the rest is refunded. Train and flight tickets we bought for you follow the carrier's own rules. This exact table is printed in your contract.

[Payment methods · who receives your money](https://unclepandatravel.com/licence-payment#payment)

## Who is in charge of this trip

Names and phone numbers go into your confirmation pack 7 days before you fly. Quote requests are answered by David Hu, replies 08:30–22:00 your time, and asking is free.

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- Source page: https://unclepandatravel.com/tours/beijing-xian-shanghai-14d
- Language: English · Updated: 2026-10-22
- Operator: Hunan Panda International Travel Service Co., Ltd. (Uncle Panda Travel), licensed China travel agency, licence L-HUN-304745
- Contact: service@unclepandatravel.com · WhatsApp +8615580812229
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