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7 days in China: Beijing and Shanghai for first-time visitors
Updated 9 November 2026
The easiest first trip: two very different cities, 4.5 hours apart by high-speed train. Works with 30-day visa-free entry or 240-hour transit (if you leave to a third country).
Fly into Beijing and out of Shanghai (or the reverse) to avoid backtracking.
Day by day
- Day 1
Arrive in Beijing
Settle in near Dongcheng; evening walk around Shichahai.
- Day 2
Forbidden City, Jingshan, Wangfujing
- Day 3
Great Wall at Mutianyu
- Day 4
Temple of Heaven; train to Shanghai
Morning in the park, afternoon train.
- Day 5
The Bund, Nanjing Road, Yu Garden
- Day 6
Water town (Zhujiajiao) or Suzhou
- Day 7
French Concession; depart
Booking checklist
- Check your visa-free options for this route
- Book trains as soon as sales open (about 2 weeks ahead) — how
- Book hotels that accept foreign guests
- Reserve timed tickets for major museums and sights with your passport
- Set up Alipay and mobile data