10-Day China Itinerary: Golden Triangle + Guilin or Chengdu

The classic golden triangle plus one wildcard — four cities in ten days without feeling like you spent the whole trip in transit.

Ten days is the sweet spot for a first China visit: enough to see the big three — Beijing, Xi’an and Shanghai — and still add one genuinely different stop. The choice is between Guilin, where limestone karst peaks rise out of the Li River, and Chengdu, home of giant pandas, teahouses and Sichuan’s famously fiery food. Both fit the same schedule; you just need to pick your flavor.

Choosing your fourth city

Guilin — for scenery. Postcard karst mountains, the bamboo-raft-and-cruise Li River, and the laid-back town of Yangshuo for cycling and climbing. The vibe is outdoors and slow.

Chengdu — for pandas and food. Giant panda breeding base in the morning, a bamboo chair in a People’s Park teahouse in the afternoon, and hotpot or mapo tofu at night. The vibe is urban, relaxed and delicious.

You can’t easily do both in ten days — that’s the 14-day itinerary’s job.

Which one for you? If your favorite travel photos involve mountains, rivers and open space, choose Guilin. If your favorite travel memories are meals, markets and animal encounters, choose Chengdu. There’s no wrong answer — just pick the flavor that matches how you like to spend a day, because the two plans are nearly identical in rhythm.

Day-by-day plan with Guilin

Days 1–3 — Beijing. Day 1: arrive, settle in. Day 2: the Forbidden City and Tiananmen (book Forbidden City tickets online weeks ahead). Day 3: the Great Wall at Mutianyu — restored, cable car up, toboggan down.

Day 4 — Train to Xi’an. Morning at the Temple of Heaven, then the afternoon high-speed train, about 4.5 hours. Walk the illuminated city wall after dinner.

Day 5 — Terracotta Army. The pits are about an hour outside the city. Add the Shaanxi History Museum or the Muslim Quarter in the evening for lamb skewers.

Day 6 — Fly to Guilin. A short morning flight (about 1.5–2 hours). Afternoon at Reed Flute Cave’s lit stalactites or Elephant Trunk Hill, then walk the Two Rivers and Four Lakes at dusk.

Day 7 — Li River cruise. Take the classic cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo, passing the karst peaks that appear on the ¥20 banknote. Stay the night in Yangshuo.

Day 8 — Yangshuo morning, fly to Shanghai. Rent a bike or take a short bamboo raft ride in the countryside, then transfer back to Guilin airport for an evening flight to Shanghai, about 2.5 hours.

Day 9 — Shanghai. The Bund at sunrise, Yu Garden and its old town, the French Concession’s plane-tree lanes, and the Shanghai Museum. Evening: xiaolongbao.

Day 10 — Depart. A last stroll through Tianzifang’s alley studios before your flight.

Day-by-day plan with Chengdu

Days 1–3 — Beijing. Same as above.

Day 4 — Train to Xi’an. Same Temple of Heaven morning and 4.5-hour afternoon train.

Day 5 — Terracotta Army. Same plan, with the Muslim Quarter in the evening.

Day 6 — Fly to Chengdu. About 1.5 hours. Afternoon at Wuhou Shrine and Jinli Street, a rebuilt old-style shopping lane that comes alive after dark.

Day 7 — Pandas and teahouses. Morning at the Chengdu Panda Base (go early — pandas nap by mid-morning), then a slow afternoon in People’s Park, where locals drink tea in bamboo chairs and get ear-cleaned by roving barbers.

Day 8 — Fly to Shanghai. Use the morning for a Sichuan food or hotpot lunch, then the roughly 3-hour flight to Shanghai. Evening on the Bund.

Day 9 — Shanghai. Yu Garden, French Concession, Shanghai Museum.

Day 10 — Depart. Morning wander before your flight.

Transport notes

• Rail: Beijing–Xi’an about 4.5h; Xi’an–Shanghai about 5h. Book with your passport via Trip.com or 12306.
• Flights: Xi’an–Guilin and Xi’an–Chengdu about 1.5–2h; Guilin–Shanghai about 2.5h; Chengdu–Shanghai about 3h. Book early — internal fares rise close to departure.
• Pace check: every other day involves a transfer, so schedule nothing major on transfer days.

Pacing tips

• Keep transfer days empty. On the days you change cities, plan one light activity at most — a walk, a market, an evening meal. You’ll arrive tired.
• Start sightseeing early. Chinese sights get busy from mid-morning; an 8am arrival at the Forbidden City or Terracotta Army means better photos and shorter queues.
• One big sight per day. In a four-city trip, that’s the ceiling. Two big sights on the same day is how travelers burn out by day six.
• Eat where you stay. Every evening, ask your hotel or a local where they’d eat — it’s the fastest route to the neighborhood’s best stall or restaurant.

Practical tips

• Visa: check the visa-free country list — most eligible travelers get up to 30 days, which comfortably covers ten.
• Payments: set up Alipay with a foreign card before you fly; it handles trains, taxis, meals and most sights.
• Pack light: you’ll change hotels roughly four times; a carry-on keeps you fast.
• Book ahead: Forbidden City, Great Wall day, and all long rail legs.

Who should skip this itinerary

If you’d rather not take any internal flights, or you want to truly relax, consider dropping the fourth city and spending the extra days in Shanghai and Beijing — or move up to the 14-day plan, which has built-in slow days.

Last updated: August 2026. Flight schedules, train times and ticket rules change — confirm before you go.