Two weeks in China: Beijing, Xi’an, Chengdu, Guilin and Shanghai

Two weeks is enough to add the south to the classic north: pandas and the Leshan Giant Buddha from Chengdu, and the karst peaks of the Li River between Guilin and Yangshuo, before Shanghai. The route runs north to south and then east, with a flight at the end where the train would take most of a day. Each city gets two or three days, which is about what first-time visitors want before moving on.

Day by day

Laid out by the atlas's trip planner from the stops below, with the trains and flights in its tables; open it on the map to change the days, the order or the stops.

1. Day 1 · Beijing

   • Forbidden City

2. Day 2 · Beijing

   • Temple of Heaven
   • Summer Palace

3. Day 3 · Beijing

   • Great Wall at Mutianyu

4. Day 4 · Xi'an

   • High-speed train Beijing West → Xi'an North, 4 h 10 min (G351, 38 a day); about 4½ hours door to door, ¥587. Compare ways

5. Day 5 · Xi'an

   • Muslim Quarter
   • Xi'an City Wall

6. Day 6 · Xi'an

   • Terracotta Army

7. Day 7 · Chengdu

   • High-speed train Xi'an North → Chengdu East, 3 h 5 min (G321, 67 a day); about 3½ hours door to door, ¥300. Compare ways
   • Chengdu Giant Panda Base

8. Day 8 · Leshan

   • High-speed train Chengdu South → Leshan, 41 min (G5415, 59 a day); about 1 hour door to door, ¥51. Compare ways
   • Leshan Giant Buddha

9. Day 9 · Leshan

   • Leshan Giant Buddha continued
   • Free

10. Day 10 · Guilin

    • High-speed train Leshan → Guilin West, 4 h 10 min (G917, 8 a day); about 4½ hours door to door, ¥428.

11. Day 11 · Guilin

    • Li River & Yangshuo

12. Day 12 · Guilin

    • Li River & Yangshuo continued

13. Day 13 · Shanghai

    • Flight Guilin Liangjiang (KWL) → Shanghai Pudong (PVG), 2 h 25 min in the air; about 5 hours door to door, about ¥770.

14. Day 14 · Shanghai

    • The Bund & Lujiazui Skyline

Why this order

North to south keeps every leg pointing the same way: trains Beijing to Xi’an to Chengdu and on to Guilin, then the flight to Shanghai for the flight home.

When to go

April to May or September to October for the whole route. Chengdu and Guilin are humid in July and August; Beijing is cold but clear from November.

Good to know

• Chengdu’s pandas are most active in the early morning; go at opening and take the afternoon train to Leshan.
• On the Li River, the cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo takes about four hours; staying in Yangshuo for the second night is quieter than going back.
• Shanghai has two airports: Pudong for most international flights, Hongqiao, next to the railway station, for domestic ones.

Before you go

• Visas and visa-free entry Can I visit China without a visa?
• Paying for things How do I pay for things in China without a Chinese bank account?
• Internet and apps Will Google and my other apps work in China?
• Trains and 12306 How do I book train tickets in China with a foreign passport?
• Book popular sights early Which sights in China need booking in advance, and how?
• When to go When is the best time to visit China?

On the map

The map opens with these 11 stops in a trip; "Plan my days" lays out the same days and lets you move stops, change the days each gets, or choose where you arrive and leave.

Other trips

• China in 10 days on a first visit: Beijing, Xi’an, Shanghai and Suzhou 10 days · Beijing, Xi'an, Shanghai and Suzhou
• Sichuan in a week: Chengdu, Leshan, Mount Emei and Dujiangyan 7 days · Chengdu, Leshan, Emeishan and Dujiangyan
• Guilin, Yangshuo and the Longji terraces in four days 4 days · Guilin
• Shanghai, Suzhou, Hangzhou and Huangshan in eight days 8 days · Shanghai, Suzhou, Hangzhou and Huangshan City