Ultimate China: 15-Day Beijing → Xi'an → Guilin → Chengdu → Yangtze → Shanghai
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Ultimate China: 15-Day Beijing → Xi'an → Guilin → Chengdu → Yangtze → Shanghai

schedule30 min readcalendar_todayMarch 22, 2026personChinaTravelFix Team

The grand tour — pandas, Yangtze River cruise, karst mountains, ancient warriors, and megacities

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This is the ultimate China trip. 15 days covering 6 cities with a Yangtze River cruise. If you only visit China once, make it count!

Route Overview

Beijing (3N) → Xi'an (2N) → Guilin (2N) → Chengdu (2N) → Chongqing → Yangtze River Cruise (3N) → Yichang → Shanghai (2N)

Days 1-3: Beijing

Beijing Highlights

Forbidden City from Wanchun Pavilion — the classic panoramic view
Badaling Great Wall — most iconic section over the mountains
Temple of Heaven — the sacred Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests
Summer Palace — imperial garden paradise on Kunming Lake
Meridian Gate (Wumen) — the grand entrance to the Forbidden City
Yonghe Lama Temple — Beijing's most magnificent Tibetan temple
Forbidden City panoramic view — 600 years of imperial grandeur
Temple of Heaven — ceremonial architecture under blue skies

Forbidden City, Great Wall (Mutianyu), Temple of Heaven, Hutongs, Summer Palace.

Days 4-5: Xi'an

Xi'an Highlights

Terracotta Warriors — Pit 1 formation, the 8th wonder
Terracotta Warriors — each soldier with unique features
Xi'an city wall illuminated at night
Xi'an Muslim Quarter — centuries of culture in every alley
Terracotta Warriors — 2,200 years guarding Emperor Qin
Xi'an Bell Tower at night — luminous city center
Xi'an street life — ancient capital, modern energy
Xi'an drum tower — Tang Dynasty grandeur after dark

Terracotta Warriors, City Wall cycling, Muslim Quarter, Shaanxi History Museum.

Days 6-7: Guilin

Guilin Highlights

Li River cruise — karst peaks from emerald waters
Yangshuo — limestone mountains framing the countryside
Li River bamboo raft — China's most painted landscape
Yangshuo countryside — rice paddies beneath karst peaks
Li River at dawn — misty mountains in still waters
Yangshuo West Street — vibrant heart of the riverside town
Yangshuo panoramic viewpoint — endless karst peaks
Yangshuo "Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains" show

Reed Flute Cave, Elephant Trunk Hill, Li River cruise to Yangshuo, countryside cycling.

Days 8-9: Chengdu

Chengdu Highlights

Wuhou Shrine — memorial to the Three Kingdoms strategist
Kuanzhai Alley — Chengdu's most famous historic lanes
Du Fu Thatched Cottage — home of China's greatest Tang poet
Daci Temple — ancient Buddhist temple in Chengdu
Chengdu nightscape — the city glowing along the Jin River
People's Park — locals sipping tea in the green heart
Du Fu Thatched Cottage gardens — poetic tranquility
East Suburb Memory — industrial art district

Chengdu Highlights

Day 8

Giant Pandas!

Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding — arrive by 8 AM for feeding time. Afternoon: Jinli Ancient Street for snacks and souvenirs.

Day 9

Tea Houses & Hot Pot

Morning: People's Park tea house experience. Afternoon: Kuanzhai Alley. Evening: authentic Sichuan hotpot — prepare your taste buds!

Days 10-12: Yangtze River Cruise

Yangtze Cruise

Day 10

Chengdu → Chongqing → Board Cruise

Train to Chongqing, board your Yangtze cruise ship in the evening. Watch the dramatic Chongqing skyline fade away.

Day 11

Qutang Gorge & Wu Gorge

Sail through the narrowest and most dramatic of the Three Gorges. Shore excursion to Shennong Stream.

Day 12

Three Gorges Dam & Disembark

Visit the world's largest hydroelectric dam. Disembark at Yichang, fly to Shanghai.

⚠️
Book your Yangtze cruise at least 2 months ahead during peak season (April-October). Century Cruises and Victoria Cruises are top picks for English-speaking travelers.

Days 13-15: Shanghai

Shanghai Highlights

The Bund — Shanghai's legendary waterfront promenade
Pudong skyline — Oriental Pearl Tower and Lujiazui
Yu Garden — classical Chinese garden oasis
Wukang Building — the iconic flatiron of French Concession
Jing'an Temple — golden Buddhist temple amid skyscrapers
1000 Trees — Shanghai's most extraordinary building
The Bund at night — colonial architecture meets Pudong lights
Nanjing East Road — Shanghai's busiest shopping street

Shanghai Museum, Yu Garden, The Bund, French Concession, Huangpu River cruise, Nanjing Road. Day 15: departure.

Budget Estimate (15 Days)

  • Transport: ~5,000 CNY
  • Hotels + Cruise: ~8,000-12,000 CNY
  • Attractions: ~1,500 CNY
  • Food: ~3,000 CNY
  • Total: ~17,000-22,000 CNY per person

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