Three 10-day routesRail and flight times planned inOne designer, one documentQuoted per party
TEN DAYS, THREE WAYS

Ten days in China, three itineraries that actually work

Most first itineraries try to cover five cities in ten days. These three do not. Each is a realistic shape for the time you have — with the transfer days counted, not hidden.

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10Days, day by day
3Routes to start from
48hOutline itinerary
1Designer, one plan
WHY TEN DAYS

Ten days is the sweet spot for a first China trip

Long enough to see two or three regions without living on trains, short enough that you still have leave left when you get home.

The mistake most first itineraries make is trying to cover five cities in ten days. China is the size of a continent; a Beijing–Xi'an–Shanghai route already includes two long transfers. Three regions is realistic. Four usually means you see the inside of a station.

The three routes below are starting shapes. Each is built around a different appetite: the classic first trip, culture plus landscape, and a slower highland journey. All three are re-drawn around your dates, your party and how fast you actually want to move.

ROUTE A

Beijing, Xi'an, Shanghai — the classic first trip

Two imperial capitals and the modern riverfront, linked by high-speed rail and one short flight. This is the route for travellers who want the icons done properly.

Beijing · Xi'an · Shanghai

10 DAYSTwo rail days, one flight, no wasted afternoons.
DAY 1arrival

Land in Beijing, courtyard check-in

Airport meet with a name board, check in inside the second ring, and an easy first evening near Houhai — no scheduled sightseeing on arrival day.

Courtyard, Dongcheng
DAY 28:30 entry

Forbidden City, Jingshan, Beihai

Three hours inside the palace with a specialist, lunch on the north side, then the view from Jingshan before the tour groups climb it.

DAY 3early start

Great Wall at Mutianyu

Cableway up at the quiet end, two hours on the ramparts, lunch in a village at the foot, back for Peking duck.

DAY 4slow morning

Temple of Heaven and the hutongs

The circular mound hall early, when locals are still doing tai chi, then a hutong walk and an afternoon with nothing scheduled.

DAY 5rail day

High-speed train to Xi'an, city wall at dusk

About 4.5–5.5 hours by rail. Check in inside the city wall, then walk the ramparts as the lights come on.

Inside the city wall
DAY 6warriors

Terracotta Warriors, Big Wild Goose Pagoda

Leave early for the pits before the coaches arrive, then the Buddhist pagoda and the Muslim Quarter in the evening.

DAY 7flight

Fly to Shanghai, the Bund after dark

About 2.5 hours in the air. Check in near the Bund and walk the riverfront when the buildings light up.

The Bund
DAY 8old city

Yu Garden and the French Concession

Classical garden in the morning, plane-tree streets and the former concession in the afternoon, dinner in a lane restaurant.

DAY 9water town

Zhujiajiao by private car

About an hour out of the city. Canals, stone bridges and a boat before the day-trippers fill the lanes.

DAY 10departure

Airport transfer

Transfer timed to your flight, with the check-in buffer your airline actually needs.

ROUTE B

Beijing, Xi'an, Guilin — culture then landscape

The same imperial start, then south to the karst country. This is the route for travellers who want the photographs to change halfway through.

Beijing · Xi'an · Guilin · Yangshuo

10 DAYSOne rail day, one flight, two days on the river.
DAY 1arrival

Land in Beijing

Airport meet and courtyard check-in, with the first evening left free.

Courtyard, Dongcheng
DAY 28:30 entry

Forbidden City and Jingshan

The palace with a specialist, then the view over the roofs from Jingshan.

DAY 3early start

Great Wall at Mutianyu

Cableway up, two hours on the wall, lunch in the village below.

DAY 4slow morning

Temple of Heaven and the hutongs

Tai chi in the park, then a hutong walk and an early night before the train.

DAY 5rail day

High-speed train to Xi'an

About 4.5–5.5 hours. City wall at dusk and the Muslim Quarter for dinner.

Inside the city wall
DAY 6warriors

Terracotta Warriors

Early entry at the pits, then the Big Wild Goose Pagoda in the afternoon.

DAY 7flight

Fly Xi'an to Guilin

About two hours. Check in by the Li River and take an easy evening walk.

Guilin riverside
DAY 8river day

Li River cruise to Yangshuo

The classic four-hour run past the karst peaks, then check in among the paddy fields.

Yangshuo countryside
DAY 9countryside

Yulong River and the lanes

Bamboo raft on the Yulong, cycling between villages, and a cooking class if the party wants one.

DAY 10departure

Guilin airport

About 1.5 hours by car from Yangshuo, timed to your flight.

ROUTE C

Yunnan highlands — Kunming, Dali, Lijiang, Shangri-La

One province, four landscapes, and the slowest pace of the three. Best for repeat visitors or anyone who would rather stay longer in fewer places.

Kunming · Dali · Lijiang · Shangri-La

10 DAYSAltitude rises gradually; the last stop sits at 3,200 m.
DAY 1arrival

Land in Kunming

Airport meet and a quiet first night at 1,900 m — no rush, no long drive.

Kunming
DAY 2rail day

Train to Dali, old town at dusk

About two hours by rail. Walk the old town after the day trippers leave.

Dali old town
DAY 3lake day

Erhai Lake by private car

The lake road, Bai villages and a stop for lunch, at a pace that leaves room for nothing else.

DAY 4transfer

Dali to Lijiang

About two hours by road. Check in inside the old town and keep the evening slow.

Lijiang old town
DAY 5mountain

Jade Dragon Snow Mountain

Cable car to the high meadow, with the altitude taken seriously and the afternoon kept light.

DAY 6slow day

Lijiang and Baisha

Naxi villages, the Baisha murals and a day without a timetable.

DAY 7high road

Lijiang to Shangri-La

About 3.5–4 hours, climbing to 3,200 m. Songzanlin Monastery in the afternoon, then rest.

Shangri-La
DAY 8plateau

Pudacuo National Park

Lakes, marshland and yak country, walked gently because of the altitude.

DAY 9return

Shangri-La back to Lijiang or Kunming

Fly or drive depending on your onward flight; the plan is built around it.

DAY 10departure

Kunming airport

Transfer timed to your international flight.

WHICH ROUTE

Choose by appetite, not by map

01

Route A if…

it is your first trip to China and you want Beijing, Xi'an and Shanghai without spending the holiday in transit. Two rail days, one flight.

02

Route B if…

you want the imperial sites but also mountains and rice terraces, and you do not mind one internal flight to get south.

03

Route C if…

you prefer one province at a slower pace, are comfortable with altitude, and would rather return to a place than tick off a list.

QUESTIONS

Ten-day itinerary questions

Is 10 days enough for China?
Yes — for two or three regions. It is not enough for the whole country, and any itinerary that claims otherwise is mostly spent in transit. Ten days works well for Beijing plus one or two of Xi'an, Guilin or Shanghai, or for a single province such as Yunnan.
Can I add Chengdu to one of these routes?
Yes. The usual swap is Shanghai for Chengdu, which adds the pandas and Sichuan food at the cost of the Jiangnan water towns. Chengdu also pairs naturally with Xi'an by high-speed rail.
Should we take the train or fly between cities?
As a rule: rail under about six hours, fly over it. Beijing to Xi'an is comfortable by rail; Xi'an to Guilin is a flight; Shanghai to Beijing is faster by air. The plan says which leg is which and why.
Does a 10-day trip fit the 240-hour visa-free transit?
Ten days is exactly the 240-hour window, which leaves no slack for delays. It also only applies to eligible nationalities transiting to a third country, within the permitted region. We check both conditions before recommending it.
Can you shorten or lengthen the route?
Yes. These are starting shapes, not fixed departures. Days are added or removed at the planning stage, and the itinerary document is rewritten until the pace fits the party.
How much does a 10-day private itinerary cost?
Quoted per party, because hotel grade, season, party size and how many specialist guides you want all move the number. We do not publish a fake per-person price; send dates and party size and we send a real quote.
When is the best time for each route?
Beijing, Xi'an and Shanghai are best in spring and autumn. Guilin and Yangshuo are green from April to October. Yunnan is a year-round highland destination, with the clearest mountain views usually from October to April.
Can we do this with children or parents?
Yes, with pacing changes: fewer site entries per day, shorter transfers, and hotels chosen for lifts and quiet. Tell us who is travelling and the day plan is rebuilt around them.
KEEP READING

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China private tours hubAll China itineraries→Beijing private tourBeijing & the Great Wall→Yunnan private tourYunnan & the Highlands→China visa invitation letterVisa invitation letters→

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