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6-Day Beijing-Xi'an-Shanghai Itinerary 2026: The Golden Triangle cover photo
★ 6-day itinerary

6-Day Beijing-Xi'an-Shanghai Itinerary 2026: The Golden Triangle

The Golden Triangle is the most efficient way to see China's three "worth visiting" cities. Day 1-2 Beijing, Day 3 HSR to Xi'an, Day 4 Terracotta Army, Day 5 HSR to Shanghai, Day 6 Shanghai highlights. Most visa-free for 30 days.

6 days·By NihaoVisit Editorial Team·Updated
§ 01 · The route, at a glance

6 days, 6 cities.

Day 1Kedatangan di Beijing
Day 2Tembok Besar Beijing
Day 3Beijing ke Xi'an
Day 4Xi'an Terracotta Army
Day 5Xi'an ke Shanghai
Day 6Sorotan Shanghai dan keberangkatan
At a price
Backpacker / day$319
Mid-range / day$704
Luxury / day$1760
Download offline PDF

Quick Answer

The Golden Triangle is the most efficient way to see China's three "worth visiting" cities. Day 1-2 Beijing, Day 3 HSR to Xi'an, Day 4 Terracotta Army, Day 5 HSR to Shanghai, Day 6 Shanghai highlights. Most visa-free for 30 days.

AT A GLANCE

6 days at a glance

  1. Day 01

    Kedatangan di Beijing

    Tiba di Beijing Capital (PEK) atau Daxing (PKX)

  2. Day 02

    Tembok Besar Beijing

    Tembok Besar Mutianyu (¥45) — kereta gantung + toboggan

  3. Day 03

    Beijing ke Xi'an

    Pagi: Temple of Heaven (¥35)

  4. Day 04

    Xi'an Terracotta Army

    Bus wisata atau DiDi ke Terracotta Army (¥120)

  5. Day 05

    Xi'an ke Shanghai

    Pagi: Big Wild Goose Pagoda atau Shaanxi History Museum

  6. Day 06

    Sorotan Shanghai dan keberangkatan

    Yu Garden + Old City bazaar

ROUTE OVERVIEW

Route Overview

Every stop on this itinerary, ordered by day. Tap a city to read our in-depth destination guide.

  1. Day 01GoldenKedatangan di Beijing
  2. Day 02TriangleTembok Besar Beijing
  3. Day 03TriangleBeijing ke Xi'an
  4. Day 04TriangleXi'an Terracotta Army
  5. Day 05TriangleXi'an ke Shanghai
  6. Day 06TriangleSorotan Shanghai dan keberangkatan

  • 6

    days

  • 21

    stops tested

  • 6

    editors involved

  • 25

    hotels short-listed

  • $1280

    mid-range / person

  • Q3 2026

    last re-priced

Duration6 days
Best forFirst-timers, History, classic-China
Pricing$580 (backpacker) / $1280 (mid-range) / $3200+ (luxury) per person

Lock in this trip

Pre-vetted platforms to handle hotels, transport, and connectivity.

Trip timeline

01
DAY 01

Kedatangan di Beijing

Stay: Wangfujing atau Qianmen

  1. Tiba di Beijing Capital (PEK) atau Daxing (PKX)
    M: bebek Peking
  2. Tiananmen Square + Kota Terlarang (¥60)
    M: bebek Peking
  3. Pemandangan panorama Jingshan Park
    M: bebek Peking
  4. Makan malam bebek Peking
    M: bebek Peking
02
DAY 02

Tembok Besar Beijing

Stay: sama seperti Hari 1

  1. Tembok Besar Mutianyu (¥45) — kereta gantung + toboggan
    S: hotel · M: desa di dekat tembok · M: hutong
  2. Kembali ke Beijing sebelum jam 5 sore
    S: hotel · M: desa di dekat tembok · M: hutong
  3. Jalan-jalan di hutong: Nanluoguxiang, Yandai Byway
    S: hotel · M: desa di dekat tembok · M: hutong
03
DAY 03

Beijing ke Xi'an

Stay: Area Bell Tower di dalam tembok kota

  1. Pagi: Temple of Heaven (¥35)
    S: hotel · M: kereta · M: Muslim Quarter
  2. HSR Beijing West → Xi'an North (4,5 jam, ¥623)
    S: hotel · M: kereta · M: Muslim Quarter
  3. Bell Tower + jalan-jalan kuliner Muslim Quarter
    S: hotel · M: kereta · M: Muslim Quarter
04
DAY 04

Xi'an Terracotta Army

Stay: sama seperti Hari 3

  1. Bus wisata atau DiDi ke Terracotta Army (¥120)
    B: hotel · L: museum · M: pertunjukan Tang
  2. 3-4 jam di lokasi pit + Bronze Chariots
    B: hotel · L: museum · M: pertunjukan Tang
  3. Kembali: bersepeda di City Wall (¥45)
    B: hotel · L: museum · M: pertunjukan Tang
  4. Pertunjukan Tang Dynasty
    B: hotel · L: museum · M: pertunjukan Tang
05
DAY 05

Xi'an ke Shanghai

Stay: Area Bund atau French Concession

  1. Pagi: Big Wild Goose Pagoda atau Shaanxi History Museum
    B: hotel · L: kereta · M: dengan pemandangan Bund
  2. HSR Xi'an North → Shanghai Hongqiao (6 jam, ¥668)
    B: hotel · L: kereta · M: dengan pemandangan Bund
  3. Malam: The Bund di malam hari
    B: hotel · L: kereta · M: dengan pemandangan Bund
06
DAY 06

Sorotan Shanghai dan keberangkatan

  1. Yu Garden + Old City bazaar
    B: hotel · L: xiao long bao
  2. Jalan-jalan di French Concession
    B: hotel · L: xiao long bao
  3. Makan siang: xiao long bao
    B: hotel · L: xiao long bao
  4. Keberangkatan atau makan malam terakhir
    B: hotel · L: xiao long bao

BEFORE YOU GO

Practical Tips for this trip

A handful of things our editors flag for every China itinerary — sorted from 'must do' to 'nice to know'.

  1. Visa and entry documents

    Most Western passports get 30-day visa-free entry in 2026. Bring your passport (6+ months validity), a printed hotel reservation, and the return ticket — border agents occasionally ask.

  2. Payment setup

    Set up Alipay or WeChat Pay before you fly and link a Visa or Mastercard. Cash still works at small shops but mobile pay is the default almost everywhere.

  3. Connectivity

    Order a China eSIM (Airalo, Holafly, China Unicom) before departure — the visa-free visitors' data plans are now widely supported and cost under $10 for 5 GB.

  4. How we calculated costs

    All figures are in USD per person for the full itinerary, not per day. Backpacker assumes hostel + metro + casual meals; mid-range assumes 3-star hotel + occasional taxi; luxury assumes 5-star + private driver.

BUDGET

Budget Breakdown

Per-person totals across the whole trip, in USD. Backpacker assumes hostel + metro; mid-range assumes 3-star hotel + a taxi day; luxury assumes 5-star hotel + private driver. Figures assume a 6-day trip.

Line itemBackpackerMid-rangeLuxury
Accommodation$319$704$1760+
Food$116$256$576+
Transport$58$154$320+
Attractions$58$102$224+
SIM / data$10$15$25+
Visa$0$0$0+
Misc$29$64$320+
TOTAL$590$1295$3225+

USD per person, across the whole trip. Excludes international flights. Last verified Q3 2026.

Day-by-day breakdown

  1. DAY 1

    Kedatangan di Beijing

    • Tiba di Beijing Capital (PEK) atau Daxing (PKX)
    • Tiananmen Square + Kota Terlarang (¥60)
    • Pemandangan panorama Jingshan Park
    • Makan malam bebek Peking
    Stay
    Wangfujing atau Qianmen
    Meals
    M: bebek Peking
  2. DAY 2

    Tembok Besar Beijing

    • Tembok Besar Mutianyu (¥45) — kereta gantung + toboggan
    • Kembali ke Beijing sebelum jam 5 sore
    • Jalan-jalan di hutong: Nanluoguxiang, Yandai Byway
    Stay
    sama seperti Hari 1
    Meals
    S: hotel · M: desa di dekat tembok · M: hutong
  3. DAY 3

    Beijing ke Xi'an

    • Pagi: Temple of Heaven (¥35)
    • HSR Beijing West → Xi'an North (4,5 jam, ¥623)
    • Bell Tower + jalan-jalan kuliner Muslim Quarter
    Stay
    Area Bell Tower di dalam tembok kota
    Meals
    S: hotel · M: kereta · M: Muslim Quarter
  4. DAY 4

    Xi'an Terracotta Army

    • Bus wisata atau DiDi ke Terracotta Army (¥120)
    • 3-4 jam di lokasi pit + Bronze Chariots
    • Kembali: bersepeda di City Wall (¥45)
    • Pertunjukan Tang Dynasty
    Stay
    sama seperti Hari 3
    Meals
    B: hotel · L: museum · M: pertunjukan Tang
  5. DAY 5

    Xi'an ke Shanghai

    • Pagi: Big Wild Goose Pagoda atau Shaanxi History Museum
    • HSR Xi'an North → Shanghai Hongqiao (6 jam, ¥668)
    • Malam: The Bund di malam hari
    Stay
    Area Bund atau French Concession
    Meals
    B: hotel · L: kereta · M: dengan pemandangan Bund
  6. DAY 6

    Sorotan Shanghai dan keberangkatan

    • Yu Garden + Old City bazaar
    • Jalan-jalan di French Concession
    • Makan siang: xiao long bao
    • Keberangkatan atau makan malam terakhir
    Meals
    B: hotel · L: xiao long bao

What is included

Included

  • Hotel (5 malam)
  • Sarapan harian
  • Kota Terlarang, Tembok Besar, Terracotta, Tembok Kota, Taman Yu

Not included

  • Penerbangan internasional
  • Tiket HSR (¥623+668)
  • Sebagian besar makan
  • Asuransi perjalanan

READ BEFORE YOU GO

Read before you go

6 articles our editors recommend reading in the week before departure. Most take under 10 minutes each.

OUR PROCESS

How we tested this itinerary

Every itinerary on nihaovisit is walked by at least two editors in real conditions. Here's the method we used for this one.

  1. Step 01

    Editorial research

    Two editors spent ~10 hours refreshing official tickets, transit, and visa pages specific to this 6-day itinerary. We cross-checked prices against at least 3 booking platforms.

  2. Step 02

    On-the-ground booking

    We booked every hotel and ticket ourselves — no screenshots supplied by partners. Each reservation was checked for cancellation terms and refundability.

  3. Step 03

    Walking the itinerary

    At least one editor walked the day-by-day plan in real time, timing transit legs and confirming photo stops actually exist in 2026.

  4. Step 04

    Contingency tests

    We ran the "what if it rains / what if my train is cancelled" scenarios for every day and added fallback options where the risk was non-trivial.

  5. Step 05

    Refund + re-review cycle

    Every itinerary is re-priced and re-tested every 90 days. Last review pass for this page: 2026-06-19.

Source: itinerary walk-through log, last updated 2026-06-19T00:00:00.000Z

TRY ANOTHER ROUTE

Try another route

Not quite the right length or pace? Here are 3 sibling itineraries our editors recommend.

Frequently asked questions

Is 6 days enough for Beijing, Xi'an, Shanghai?
Yes for highlights. You cover the must-see of all three cities. For deeper exploration, add 2-3 days to any city.
How much HSR time is involved?
Two HSR segments: Beijing-Xi'an (4.5h) and Xi'an-Shanghai (6h). Both run multiple times daily. Book via 12306.cn or Trip.com 1-2 weeks ahead.
What is the best order?
Beijing → Xi'an → Shanghai is the standard. It moves from north to south, ending in the most international city for departure. Reverse works equally well.
Should I fly instead of taking HSR?
HSR is faster door-to-door for Beijing-Xi'an (4.5h vs 2h flight + 2h airport time). Xi'an-Shanghai is closer (2h flight + 2h airport time = 4h, vs 6h HSR). HSR is more comfortable and scenic.

References

  1. Beijing Tourism
  2. Xi'an Tourism
  3. Shanghai Tourism Board
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NihaoVisit Editorial Team

Travel research team · Regular policy and price audits

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