Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
China: Beijing, Xi'an and Shanghai
10 days from Beijing to Shanghai: the Great Wall at Mutianyu early, a hutong lunch, the Terracotta Warriors, Xi'an's wall by bike, a day in Suzhou's gardens and a water town.
10 days · Beijing to Shanghai · up to 12 guests
Pit 1 of the Terracotta Warriors, near Xi'an. Photo: xiquinhosilva, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:51714-Terracota-Army.jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 10 days, 9 nights
- Start and end
- Beijing to Shanghai
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Activity level
Moderate
Mostly walking in cities and at sites, 3 to 5 hours a day on foot, often on stone paving. The Great Wall at Mutianyu has steep steps and slopes for about 2 to 3 hours; the cable car takes you up and down, and you choose how far to walk. The Forbidden City is about 1 km end to end plus its side courts. The Xi'an City Wall ride is about 13.7 km on a flat wall top, or walk a section or take the electric cart. Four early starts (days 2, 5, 8 and 9), one high-speed train, one domestic flight.
- Meals included
- 9 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 3 dinners
- Room of your own
- + CAD 590 (estimated price)
- Season
- Best April to May and September to October
Highlights
Why this trip
- The Great Wall at Mutianyu early, before the day crowds, riding the cable car up as it starts running and a toboggan down if you like
- Lunch in a family courtyard home in Beijing's hutongs, then a walk to the Drum and Bell Towers
- The Forbidden City from its 8:30 opening and the view over its roofs from Jingshan Park
- A Peking duck dinner and a street-food evening in Xi'an's Muslim Quarter
- Pit 1 of the Terracotta Warriors at opening, then the whole Xi'an City Wall by bike in the late light
- The Bund at dusk as the Pudong towers light up across the river
- Suzhou's Humble Administrator's Garden at opening and a boat on the Shantang canal
- Zhujiajiao water town before the coaches, with its five-arched stone bridge
What makes this trip different
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 590 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in Beijing
Beijing Capital (PEK) or Daxing (PKX) airport to central Beijing
- Welcome dinner
- Stay in Beijing
- Drive about 1 h
We meet you at Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) or Beijing Daxing International Airport (PKX) and drive you to your hotel in Dongcheng, the old centre east of the Forbidden City, about an hour from either airport. The rest of the day is yours to rest after the flight. If you land early and want to stretch your legs, the shopping street of Wangfujing and the lanes around it are a short walk from the hotel, and your guide leaves you a simple map.
Evening
In the early evening the group meets for a short briefing: how the trains work, how to pay with your phone, what to carry each day, and the early start for the Great Wall tomorrow. Then we walk to a local restaurant for a welcome dinner of northern Chinese dishes, dumplings, noodles and stir-fries shared at one round table. If your flight lands too late for dinner, we meet you at breakfast instead.
Included
- Pick-up at Beijing Capital (PEK) or Daxing (PKX) airport
- Evening briefing with your guide
- Welcome dinner at a local restaurant
Free time: Afternoon free to rest
Activity: Land by about 4 pm to join the briefing and dinner.
The Great Wall at Mutianyu, then a hutong lunch
Beijing to Mutianyu and back, then the hutongs around Shichahai
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Beijing
- Drive about 3 h
This is the one 7 am departure of the Beijing stay, and it is worth it.
Morning
We drive about an hour and a half north to Mutianyu, one of the best-preserved stretches of the Ming dynasty wall, and arrive as the cable car starts its morning runs, while the towers are still quiet and the light is low across the hills. The cable car lifts you to the ridge; from there you walk the wall at your own pace for about two hours, from tower to tower along a section with long stepped climbs. Come down by cable car, on the toboggan run, or on foot.
Afternoon
We are back in the city by about 1:30 for a late lunch in a family courtyard home in the hutongs, the old lanes of grey-brick houses around the Shichahai lakes, with home-cooked dishes and time to ask questions. Afterwards your guide walks you through the lanes to the Drum and Bell Towers.
Evening
The evening is free.
Included
- The Great Wall at Mutianyu early in the morning, with your guide
- Cable car up, and cable car or toboggan down
- Lunch in a family courtyard home in the hutongs
- Hutong walk to the Drum and Bell Towers
Easier option: Ride the cable car both ways and stay on the gentler section by the cable car station.
More active option: Walk up to the wall on the stepped path, about 40 minutes, then walk west to the steeper towers beyond.
Free time: Evening free
Activity: Steep steps and slopes on the wall; wear shoes with grip and bring water.
The Forbidden City and the Temple of Heaven
Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City, Jingshan Park, then the Temple of Heaven
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Beijing
We cross Tiananmen Square early and go through the Meridian Gate into the Forbidden City as it opens at 8:30, ahead of the main crowd. Tickets are capped each day and sold in your name, so we buy them as soon as your dates are confirmed. For almost five centuries this was the palace of the Ming and Qing emperors; your guide takes you along the central axis of great halls and courtyards, then into the quieter side courts and the imperial garden at the north end. Leaving by the north gate, we climb Jingshan Park, the hill built from the moat's spoil, for the view back over the yellow-tiled roofs.
Afternoon
Lunch together near the park. In the afternoon we drive to the Temple of Heaven, where emperors prayed for good harvests, and walk from the round Hall of Prayer to the Circular Mound Altar.
Evening
A rest at the hotel, then a Peking duck dinner, carved at the table.
Included
- Tiananmen Square with your guide
- The Forbidden City (Palace Museum) at opening
- Jingshan Park viewpoint
- The Temple of Heaven
- Peking duck dinner
Easier option: Skip the Jingshan climb, about 15 minutes of steps, and wait in the park below.
Free time: Late afternoon free before dinner
Activity: About 5 hours on foot, much of it on stone paving. The Forbidden City closes on Mondays, so departures are set so day 3 never falls on one.
High-speed train to Xi'an
Beijing West station to Xi'an North by high-speed train, then the Muslim Quarter
- Breakfast and dinner
- Stay in Xi'an
- By train
Morning
A slower morning: breakfast without hurry, and an hour free for anyone who wants to walk to the Lama Temple, Beijing's great Tibetan Buddhist temple, a short taxi ride from the hotel. Before noon our vehicle takes the group and the luggage to Beijing West station and your guide sees everyone through security and onto the platform.
Afternoon
The high-speed train to Xi'an takes about four and a half to five and a half hours, depending on the service, running south-west across the North China Plain and into the loess country of Shaanxi; buy lunch on board or bring snacks from the station.
Evening
We arrive in the late afternoon, check in at a hotel inside the city wall, and walk out at dusk to the Bell Tower and into the Muslim Quarter, home for centuries to the Hui community. Dinner is a street-food walk with your guide: lamb skewers, roujiamo, the flatbread stuffed with stewed meat, and yangrou paomo, mutton soup with torn bread.
Included
- Transfer to Beijing West station with your guide
- Reserved seats on the high-speed train to Xi'an
- Transfer from Xi'an North station to the hotel
- Evening walk past the Bell Tower and a street-food dinner in the Muslim Quarter
Free time: Morning free until about 11 am
Activity: Lunch is on the train, your choice; the station and train have food for sale.
The Terracotta Warriors and the city wall by bike
Xi'an to the Terracotta Warriors and back, then the Xi'an City Wall
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Xi'an
- Drive about 2 h
We leave at about 7:30 to drive the hour east to the mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor to unify China, and walk into Pit 1 as it opens, before the tour coaches arrive. Farmers digging a well found the first fragments here in 1974; Pit 1 holds rank upon rank of life-size infantry, each face modelled differently. A licensed site guide joins your own guide to explain what has been dug and what has not, through Pits 2 and 3 and the bronze chariots in the museum.
Afternoon
Lunch is a sit-down bowl of hand-pulled biangbiang noodles near the site, and we are back in Xi'an by early afternoon for a rest. In the late afternoon, when the light turns warm on the brick, we climb onto the Ming dynasty city wall at the South Gate and cycle its whole loop, about 13.7 km on a flat top, past the gate towers and over the rooftops.
Evening
The evening is free.
Included
- The Terracotta Warriors (Emperor Qin Shi Huang's Mausoleum Site Museum) at opening, with a licensed site guide
- Noodle lunch near the site
- Xi'an City Wall entry and bike hire for the full loop
Easier option: Walk a section of the wall from the South Gate, or ride the electric cart around it.
More active option: Ride the loop twice, or walk to the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda in the free evening.
Free time: Early afternoon and evening free
Activity: The wall ride takes about 2 hours with stops.
Fly to Shanghai, the Bund at dusk
Xi'an to Xianyang airport (XIY), the flight to Shanghai, then the Bund
- Breakfast
- Stay in Shanghai
- Drive about 2 h
A free first hour for a last walk inside the wall or a look into the Great Mosque, built in the style of a Chinese temple with courtyards and pavilions, before we drive to Xi'an Xianyang International Airport (XIY), about an hour away. The flight to Shanghai takes a little over two hours, and your guide flies with you; it saves most of a day against the six-hour train.
Afternoon
We land in the early afternoon and drive into the city to a hotel near the Bund or People's Square. After a rest, we walk down to the Bund in the late afternoon, the riverfront of 1920s and 1930s banks and trading houses built when Shanghai was a treaty port, and stay as the light fades and the towers of Pudong light up across the Huangpu River.
Evening
Dinner tonight is your choice; your guide has suggestions for every budget near the hotel.
Included
- Transfer to Xi'an Xianyang airport (XIY)
- Flight from Xi'an to Shanghai, with transfer to the hotel
- Evening walk along the Bund with your guide
Optional experiences
- Huangpu River night cruise
Free time: Evening free for dinner
Activity: The high-speed train, about 6 hours, can replace the flight on request.
Old Shanghai and the French Concession
Yu Garden and the old town, the Shanghai Museum, then the former French Concession
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Shanghai
We are at Yu Garden as it opens, before the old-town lanes fill. Laid out in the second half of the 16th century by a Ming official for his parents, it packs rockeries, ponds, carp, carved walls and pavilions into a few acres, and it is best seen before the crowds. Next door is the old town bazaar and the zigzag bridge to the Huxinting teahouse.
Afternoon
Lunch is soup dumplings, xiaolongbao, in a local restaurant: your guide shows you how to eat them without scalding yourself. In the early afternoon we visit the Shanghai Museum at People's Square, free with an advance booking, whose bronzes, ceramics and calligraphy galleries trace Chinese art over three thousand years. Later, for anyone who wants it, a walk under the plane trees of the former French Concession, with its villas, lane houses and cafes.
Evening
The rest of the afternoon and the evening are free.
Included
- Yu Garden at opening, with your guide
- Old town bazaar walk
- Soup dumpling lunch
- Shanghai Museum at People's Square
- Former French Concession walk with your guide (optional)
Optional experiences
- Shanghai Tower observation deck
Easier option: Return to the hotel after the museum.
Free time: Late afternoon and evening free
Activity: The Shanghai Museum may close on Mondays; departure days are set so day 7 never falls on one.
A day in Suzhou
Shanghai to Suzhou by high-speed train and back
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Shanghai
- By train
Suzhou is about half an hour from Shanghai on the high-speed train, and its classical gardens, laid out by scholars and officials over several centuries, are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Morning
We take an early train to be at the Humble Administrator's Garden as it opens: it is the largest of the gardens and the busiest by mid-morning, but in the first hour its lotus ponds, covered walkways and framed views are calm. Next door is the Suzhou Museum, designed by I. M. Pei and opened in 2006, white walls and grey stone in conversation with the old gardens.
Afternoon
Lunch together nearby, then time on your own along Pingjiang Road, a canal street of old houses, tea shops and silk stores. Late in the afternoon we take a boat along the canal at Shantang Street as the lanterns come on, then the train back to Shanghai.
Evening
The evening is free.
Included
- High-speed train from Shanghai to Suzhou and back
- The Humble Administrator's Garden at opening, with your guide
- Suzhou Museum
- Lunch in Suzhou
- Canal boat at Shantang Street
Easier option: Take an earlier train back after lunch with your guide's help.
More active option: Walk the full length of Pingjiang Road, about 1.5 km, in the free hour.
Free time: An hour free on Pingjiang Road; evening free
Activity: The Suzhou Museum may close on Mondays; departure days are set so day 8 never falls on one.
Zhujiajiao water town, farewell dinner
Shanghai to Zhujiajiao and back
- Breakfast and dinner
- Stay in Shanghai
- Drive about 2 h
We drive about an hour west of the city to Zhujiajiao, one of the old canal towns of the Yangtze delta, and arrive before the day-trip coaches. Its stone bridges and whitewashed houses grew rich on rice and cloth trading, and the largest bridge, Fangsheng Bridge, crosses the main canal on five arches. A local boatman rows us along the canals for the view from the water, then your guide walks you through the lanes, past the old post office and a Buddhist temple, with time to try local snacks such as sticky rice wrapped in leaves.
Afternoon
We are back in Shanghai for lunch on your own and a free afternoon: rest, shop, or go up the Shanghai Tower.
Evening
In the evening the group meets for a farewell dinner of Shanghai dishes, braised pork, river fish and drunken chicken, the last meal together of the trip.
Included
- Transport to Zhujiajiao and back with your guide
- Canal boat ride in Zhujiajiao
- Walk through the water town
- Farewell dinner
Free time: Afternoon free
Depart from Shanghai
A free morning, then Pudong (PVG) or Hongqiao (SHA) airport
- Breakfast
- Drive about 1 h
The last day is yours, with no early start.
Morning
Breakfast at the hotel, then the morning is free until your airport transfer.
Evening
If your flight leaves in the afternoon or evening, there is time for a last walk on the Bund in the morning light, a coffee in the lanes of the former French Concession, or one more plate of dumplings. Your guide can point you to a market or a quiet temple, such as the Jade Buddha Temple, if you want one more outing. We drive you to Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG), about an hour from the centre, or to Hongqiao (SHA) for regional flights, at a time that suits your departure. If you are using the 240-hour visa-free transit, your onward flight must go to a third country, not back to where you started; we check this with you when you book. For international flights, allow three hours at the airport.
Included
- Drop-off at Shanghai Pudong (PVG) or Hongqiao (SHA) airport
Free time: Morning free
Activity: Book a flight leaving after about 1 pm to enjoy the free morning.
- Beijing3 nights
- Xi'an2 nights
- Shanghai4 nights
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: April to May and September to October bring mild days across all three cities and the clearest skies in Beijing. Summer is hot and humid, often above 35°C in Xi'an and Shanghai, with the heaviest rain in July and August. Winter is cold and dry in Beijing, often below freezing at the Great Wall, but the sites are at their quietest. We avoid Chinese New Year and the national holidays in early May and early October, when trains and sights are at their most crowded.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- First-time visitors who want Beijing, Xi'an and Shanghai in ten days without sleeper trains or one-night stops
- Travellers who were put off China tours by shopping stops
- Anyone who wants the Great Wall and the Terracotta Warriors at the quiet hour
- Food lovers: a family lunch in the hutongs, Peking duck, street food and soup dumplings
- Solo travellers who want a small group and a published single price
Not for you if you want
- Travellers who want China's landscapes, pandas or the Li River: this is a city and heritage route
- Those who want a long Great Wall hike on unrestored wall
- Anyone who cannot manage stairs: the wall, Jingshan Park and many sites have steps
- Travellers who want to sleep in every morning: there are four early starts for the quiet hour
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
9 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Beijing3 nights
- Xi'an2 nights
- Shanghai4 nights
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 9 nights in central hotels of a 3-star-plus standard: 3 in Beijing near the old centre, 2 in Xi'an inside the city wall, 4 in Shanghai near the Bund or People's Square
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
- Hotels named when we confirm your dates
Transport
- Pick-up at Beijing Capital (PEK) or Daxing (PKX) airport and drop-off at Shanghai Pudong (PVG) or Hongqiao (SHA)
- Our own vehicle and driver for the group in each city, including station and airport transfers
- Reserved seats on the high-speed train from Beijing to Xi'an
- Flight from Xi'an to Shanghai
- High-speed train from Shanghai to Suzhou and back
- The Mutianyu cable car and toboggan, bikes on the Xi'an City Wall, and canal boats in Suzhou and Zhujiajiao
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide with the group from day 1 to day 10, including on the train and the flight
- Licensed local site guides where a site requires them, such as at the Terracotta Warriors
- No shopping stops and no commission on anything you buy
Activities
- Beijing: the Great Wall at Mutianyu, a hutong walk to the Drum and Bell Towers, Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, Jingshan Park and the Temple of Heaven
- Xi'an: the Terracotta Warriors, the Muslim Quarter and the City Wall by bike
- Shanghai: the Bund, Yu Garden, the old town, the Shanghai Museum and the former French Concession
- Suzhou: the Humble Administrator's Garden, the Suzhou Museum and a Shantang canal boat
- Zhujiajiao water town with a boat ride
- All entrance fees for included sights, booked in advance
Meals
- 9 breakfasts
- 5 lunches: a hutong family lunch, a Beijing lunch, a noodle lunch near the Terracotta Warriors, a soup dumpling lunch in Shanghai and lunch in Suzhou
- 4 dinners: a welcome dinner, Peking duck, a Muslim Quarter street-food dinner and a farewell dinner
Not included
- International flights to Beijing and from Shanghai
- China visa, where your passport needs one
- Travel insurance
- Meals not listed above: lunch on days 4 (on the train), 6, 9 and 10, and dinner on days 2, 5, 6, 7 and 8, with your guide's suggestions
- Drinks
- Tips for your guide and drivers
- Optional activities, such as a Huangpu River cruise or the Shanghai Tower
- Personal expenses
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 590 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
What does the price include?
Nine nights in central hotels, nine breakfasts, five lunches and four dinners, airport transfers at both ends, the high-speed train to Xi'an, the flight to Shanghai, the train to Suzhou, your See Sight Tours guide throughout, and every entry in the day plan, including the Forbidden City, the Mutianyu cable car, the Terracotta Warriors and bikes on the Xi'an City Wall.
Are there shopping stops on this China tour?
No. We never take the group to jade, silk, tea, pearl or other factories or showrooms that pay commission, and your guide earns nothing on what you buy. Cheap China tours often rely on those stops; this trip's price covers the sights instead. If you want to shop, your guide can point you to markets in your free time.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests, never more. That keeps everyone close to the guide in the Forbidden City, lets the group board trains and move through security quickly, and means meals are at one table in local restaurants rather than in a banquet hall.
Who leads the trip?
A See Sight Tours guide travels with the group from the Beijing airport pick-up to the Shanghai drop-off, including on the train and the flight. Licensed local site guides join where a site requires them, such as at the Terracotta Warriors.
How fit do I need to be?
Moderate fitness is enough. Expect 3 to 5 hours a day on foot, mostly on stone paving. The Great Wall at Mutianyu has steep steps, but the cable car takes you up and down and you choose how far to walk. The 13.7 km wall ride in Xi'an is flat, or you can walk part of it or ride the electric cart.
I'm travelling solo. Is there a single supplement?
Yes, and it is published up front: a room of your own is CAD 590 on top of the twin-share price, shown before you book rather than at checkout. Solo travellers join the same group, sit at the same tables and get the same time with the guide as everyone else.
When is the best time to visit Beijing, Xi'an and Shanghai?
April to May and September to October, when days are mild and Beijing's skies are clearest. Summer is hot and humid with heavy rain in July and August, and winter is cold in Beijing but quiet. We avoid Chinese New Year and the holiday weeks in early May and early October, when sites and trains are packed.
Do I need a visa for China?
Canadians can currently visit China visa-free for up to 30 days under a policy set to run until 31 December 2026; we confirm the rule for 2027 dates. US citizens need a visa, or can use the 240-hour visa-free transit if they fly in from one country and out to a different third country. We check your passport's rule when you book.
Why fly from Xi'an to Shanghai instead of taking the train?
The fastest train from Xi'an to Shanghai takes about six hours, while the flight is a little over two, which gives you an afternoon on the Bund instead of a day in a carriage. We still take the high-speed train from Beijing to Xi'an, where it is the quicker way. You can ask for the train instead of the flight.
How does booking work?
Choose a date and send a request to book. We confirm your place within 24 hours, with the final timings, and no payment is taken until we have confirmed. We need your passport details at that point, because train tickets and the Forbidden City are booked in your name.
Can we travel privately or on our own dates?
Yes. Besides the small group, the trip runs as a private trip for your party only, on a date you choose, from CAD 6,255 per person, with the same no-shopping-stop promise. If you would rather travel independently on your own dates, ask us from the dates section and we will quote the same route without a group.
Can I pay with my credit card in China?
Sometimes, but most payments in China are made by phone. Alipay and WeChat Pay both accept foreign Visa and Mastercard cards, so set one up before you travel, and carry some cash as a backup. Your guide helps on the first evening if you get stuck. Most of your meals and every entry are already paid for.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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