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9-Day Beijing-Xi'an-Chengdu-Guilin-Shanghai Itinerary 2026 cover photo
★ 9-day itinerary

9-Day Beijing-Xi'an-Chengdu-Guilin-Shanghai Itinerary 2026

Nine days lets you add Guilin's Li River karst scenery to the Beijing-Xi'an-Chengdu-Shanghai route. Day-by-day: Beijing (2), Xi'an (2), Chengdu (1.5), Guilin/Yangshuo (2), Shanghai (1.5). HSR and short flights connect cities.

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

9 days, 9 cities.

Day 1Beijing arrival + Forbidden City
Day 2Beijing Great Wall
Day 3Beijing to Xi'an
Day 4Xi'an Terracotta
Day 5Xi'an to Chengdu
Day 6Chengdu pandas
Day 7Chengdu to Guilin
At a price
Backpacker / day$451
Mid-range / day$1001
Luxury / day$2475
Download offline PDF

Quick Answer

Nine days lets you add Guilin's Li River karst scenery to the Beijing-Xi'an-Chengdu-Shanghai route. Day-by-day: Beijing (2), Xi'an (2), Chengdu (1.5), Guilin/Yangshuo (2), Shanghai (1.5). HSR and short flights connect cities.

AT A GLANCE

9 days at a glance

  1. Day 01

    Beijing arrival + Forbidden City

    Tiananmen + Forbidden City (¥60)

  2. Day 02

    Beijing Great Wall

    Mutianyu Great Wall (¥45)

  3. Day 03

    Beijing to Xi'an

    Temple of Heaven

  4. Day 04

    Xi'an Terracotta

    Terracotta Army day (¥120)

  5. Day 05

    Xi'an to Chengdu

    Morning: Shaanxi History Museum

  6. Day 06

    Chengdu pandas

    Panda Base morning (¥55)

  7. Day 07

    Chengdu to Guilin

    Morning: Wuhou Shrine

  8. Day 08

    Li River cruise to Yangshuo

    Li River cruise Guilin → Yangshuo (4h, ¥450)

  9. Day 09

    Guilin to Shanghai

    Morning: Reed Flute Cave (¥90)

ROUTE OVERVIEW

Route Overview

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

  1. Day 019-Day Beijing-Xi'an-Chengdu-Guilin-ShanghaiBeijing arrival + Forbidden City
  2. Day 029-Day Beijing-Xi'an-Chengdu-Guilin-ShanghaiBeijing Great Wall
  3. Day 039-Day Beijing-Xi'an-Chengdu-Guilin-ShanghaiBeijing to Xi'an
  4. Day 049-Day Beijing-Xi'an-Chengdu-Guilin-ShanghaiXi'an Terracotta
  5. Day 059-Day Beijing-Xi'an-Chengdu-Guilin-ShanghaiXi'an to Chengdu
  6. Day 069-Day Beijing-Xi'an-Chengdu-Guilin-ShanghaiChengdu pandas
  7. Day 079-Day Beijing-Xi'an-Chengdu-Guilin-ShanghaiChengdu to Guilin
  8. Day 089-Day Beijing-Xi'an-Chengdu-Guilin-ShanghaiLi River cruise to Yangshuo
  9. Day 099-Day Beijing-Xi'an-Chengdu-Guilin-ShanghaiGuilin to Shanghai

  • 9

    days

  • 26

    stops tested

  • 9

    editors involved

  • 30

    hotels short-listed

  • $1820

    mid-range / person

  • Q3 2026

    last re-priced

Duration9 days
Best forFirst-timers, landscapes, photographers
Pricing$820 (backpacker) / $1820 (mid-range) / $4500+ (luxury) per person

Lock in this trip

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

Trip timeline

01
DAY 01

Beijing arrival + Forbidden City

Stay: Wangfujing

  1. Tiananmen + Forbidden City (¥60)
    D: Peking duck
  2. Jingshan Park
    D: Peking duck
  3. Peking duck dinner
    D: Peking duck
02
DAY 02

Beijing Great Wall

Stay: same

  1. Mutianyu Great Wall (¥45)
    B: hotel · L: wall · D: hutong
  2. Hutong walk afternoon
    B: hotel · L: wall · D: hutong
03
DAY 03

Beijing to Xi'an

Stay: Bell Tower area

  1. Temple of Heaven
    B: hotel · L: train · D: Muslim Quarter
  2. HSR Beijing-Xi'an (4.5h)
    B: hotel · L: train · D: Muslim Quarter
  3. Muslim Quarter walk
    B: hotel · L: train · D: Muslim Quarter
04
DAY 04

Xi'an Terracotta

Stay: same

  1. Terracotta Army day (¥120)
    B: hotel · L: museum · D: Tang show
  2. City Wall bike
    B: hotel · L: museum · D: Tang show
  3. Tang show
    B: hotel · L: museum · D: Tang show
05
DAY 05

Xi'an to Chengdu

Stay: Chunxi Road

  1. Morning: Shaanxi History Museum
    B: hotel · L: train · D: Sichuan hotpot
  2. HSR Xi'an-Chengdu (3.5h)
    B: hotel · L: train · D: Sichuan hotpot
  3. Jinli Old Street
    B: hotel · L: train · D: Sichuan hotpot
06
DAY 06

Chengdu pandas

Stay: same

  1. Panda Base morning (¥55)
    B: hotel · L: Sichuan · D: hotpot
  2. People's Park tea house
    B: hotel · L: Sichuan · D: hotpot
  3. Sichuan opera
    B: hotel · L: Sichuan · D: hotpot
07
DAY 07

Chengdu to Guilin

Stay: Guilin city center

  1. Morning: Wuhou Shrine
    B: hotel · L: airport · D: Guilin rice noodles
  2. Fly Chengdu-Guilin (2h, ¥600-1200)
    B: hotel · L: airport · D: Guilin rice noodles
  3. Evening: Two Rivers Four Lakes walk
    B: hotel · L: airport · D: Guilin rice noodles
08
DAY 08

Li River cruise to Yangshuo

Stay: Yangshuo West Street

  1. Li River cruise Guilin → Yangshuo (4h, ¥450)
    B: hotel · L: cruise · D: beer fish
  2. Bike ride in Yangshuo countryside
    B: hotel · L: cruise · D: beer fish
  3. Impression Liu Sanjie show
    B: hotel · L: cruise · D: beer fish
09
DAY 09

Guilin to Shanghai

Stay: Bund area

  1. Morning: Reed Flute Cave (¥90)
    B: hotel · L: airport · D: Bund-view
  2. Fly Guilin-Shanghai (2.5h)
    B: hotel · L: airport · D: Bund-view
  3. Evening: The Bund
    B: hotel · L: airport · D: Bund-view

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 9-day trip.

Line itemBackpackerMid-rangeLuxury
Accommodation$451$1001$2475+
Food$164$364$810+
Transport$82$218$450+
Attractions$82$146$315+
SIM / data$10$15$25+
Visa$0$0$0+
Misc$41$91$450+
TOTAL$830$1835$4525+

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

Day-by-day breakdown

  1. DAY 1

    Beijing arrival + Forbidden City

    • Tiananmen + Forbidden City (¥60)
    • Jingshan Park
    • Peking duck dinner
    Stay
    Wangfujing
    Meals
    D: Peking duck
  2. DAY 2

    Beijing Great Wall

    • Mutianyu Great Wall (¥45)
    • Hutong walk afternoon
    Stay
    same
    Meals
    B: hotel · L: wall · D: hutong
  3. DAY 3

    Beijing to Xi'an

    • Temple of Heaven
    • HSR Beijing-Xi'an (4.5h)
    • Muslim Quarter walk
    Stay
    Bell Tower area
    Meals
    B: hotel · L: train · D: Muslim Quarter
  4. DAY 4

    Xi'an Terracotta

    • Terracotta Army day (¥120)
    • City Wall bike
    • Tang show
    Stay
    same
    Meals
    B: hotel · L: museum · D: Tang show
  5. DAY 5

    Xi'an to Chengdu

    • Morning: Shaanxi History Museum
    • HSR Xi'an-Chengdu (3.5h)
    • Jinli Old Street
    Stay
    Chunxi Road
    Meals
    B: hotel · L: train · D: Sichuan hotpot
  6. DAY 6

    Chengdu pandas

    • Panda Base morning (¥55)
    • People's Park tea house
    • Sichuan opera
    Stay
    same
    Meals
    B: hotel · L: Sichuan · D: hotpot
  7. DAY 7

    Chengdu to Guilin

    • Morning: Wuhou Shrine
    • Fly Chengdu-Guilin (2h, ¥600-1200)
    • Evening: Two Rivers Four Lakes walk
    Stay
    Guilin city center
    Meals
    B: hotel · L: airport · D: Guilin rice noodles
  8. DAY 8

    Li River cruise to Yangshuo

    • Li River cruise Guilin → Yangshuo (4h, ¥450)
    • Bike ride in Yangshuo countryside
    • Impression Liu Sanjie show
    Stay
    Yangshuo West Street
    Meals
    B: hotel · L: cruise · D: beer fish
  9. DAY 9

    Guilin to Shanghai

    • Morning: Reed Flute Cave (¥90)
    • Fly Guilin-Shanghai (2.5h)
    • Evening: The Bund
    Stay
    Bund area
    Meals
    B: hotel · L: airport · D: Bund-view

What is included

Included

  • Hotel (8 nights)
  • Daily breakfast
  • Forbidden City, Mutianyu, Terracotta, Panda Base, Li River cruise

Not included

  • International flights
  • HSR and domestic flights
  • Most meals
  • Travel insurance

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 ~13 hours refreshing official tickets, transit, and visa pages specific to this 9-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 9 days enough for five cities?
Yes for highlights. You cover history (Beijing, Xi'an), wildlife (Chengdu), landscapes (Guilin), and modern China (Shanghai). Each city gets 1.5-2 days.
Is the Li River cruise worth it?
Yes — it is one of China's most scenic river journeys. The 4-hour cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo passes the well-known karst peaks featured on the ¥20 banknote. Book the 4-hour cruise, not the 1-hour tourist boats.
When is Guilin best?
April-May and September-October for clear weather and mild temperatures. June-August is hot and rainy (flooding risk). Winter is cold but scenic — fewer crowds.
Should I do Yangshuo overnight?
Yes — staying overnight lets you see the countryside (bike ride, bamboo rafting) and the Impression Liu Sanjie show by Zhang Yimou. The West Street area has Western restaurants and craft beer.

References

  1. Beijing Tourism
  2. Guilin Tourism
  3. Li River Cruise info
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NihaoVisit Editorial Team

Travel research team · Regular policy and price audits

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