China 8 Day Itinerary: Beijing, Xi'an and Shanghai by Bullet Train

Free, 40 minutes, the first outing after check in. Hutongs are the lanes of courtyard houses that made up old Beijing; Nanluoguxiang is the best known and the most touristy, so step into the side lanes too, where residents still play chess on their doorsteps.

About 20 yuan, 1 hour, 800 metres from the end of Nanluoguxiang. Arrive before 5pm for the last drum performance and climb the steep stairs for the view over the hutong rooftops.

The tower stands at the northern end of Beijing's Central Axis, the 7.8 kilometre line through the Forbidden City that became a World Heritage Site in 2024. Opposite is the Bell Tower, part of the same ensemble.

Free, an hour or more, 900 metres from the tower. At dusk the bars and restaurants around the lake light up, and you can have dinner by the water. Skip the bars with live music and a tout at the door: they charge a steep minimum spend.

Free, 30 minutes, with a security check and your passport in hand. Arrive by 8am: the screening queue is slow, and this is the way in to the Forbidden City, through the Tiananmen Gate.

60 yuan from April to October and 40 the rest of the year, 3h30, closed on Mondays. Tickets are online only, in your name with your passport, released at 8pm Beijing time seven days before the date: during Chinese holidays they sell out in minutes.

It was the palace of 24 Ming and Qing emperors, from 1420 to 1912. Follow the central axis from south to north through the three great halls, and detour to the Treasure Gallery and the Clock Gallery, 10 yuan extra each. You exit by the north gate, opposite Jingshan.

2 yuan, 45 minutes, across the road from the Forbidden City exit. Climb to the pavilion at the top of the hill: it is the only view of the whole palace from above, and on a clear day you can follow the Central Axis to the Drum Tower.

About 45 yuan entry, 140 for the return cable car and 100 for the toboggan down, 4 hours on site. It is 1h30 by car from Beijing: hire a driver for the day, which works out cheaper when shared than tours with shopping stops.

Mutianyu is prettier and far less crowded than Badaling, the section closest to Beijing. Ride the cable car to tower 14 and walk the ridge to the higher towers; walk back to the chairlift and come down by toboggan. Leave at 7.30am to beat the groups.

34 yuan for the full ticket from April to October, 2 hours, halls close at 5pm. It is the natural stop on the way back from the Wall, in southern Beijing.

The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, round with three blue roofs, is built of wood without a single nail. In the park around it, locals dance, sing opera and play cards: it is the best picture of Beijing today.

54 yuan entry and about 45 for a 3 hour bike rental, 2 hours cycling. Take the 8am bullet train from Beijing West: about 4h30 to Xi'an North, in time for the 2pm check in.

The 14 kilometre Ming wall is the most complete in China and has a wide track on top. Go up at the South Gate, rent the bike right there and ride the whole loop in the late afternoon, when the light softens and the heat drops.

Free, 90 minutes, behind the Xi'an Drum Tower. The Hui Muslim community has run the stalls of lamb skewers, stuffed bread and hand pulled noodles for centuries. The side streets eat better than the main avenue, which is the busiest.

120 yuan in low season and 150 in high season, 3h30, tickets online only and in your name, on the official site. It is 1 hour from the centre; the tourist bus leaves from the railway station, or take a ride hailing taxi.

About 8,000 life size clay soldiers, each with a different face, were buried 2,200 years ago to guard the tomb of the first emperor, Qin Shi Huang. See Pit 1 first, the most impressive, then Pits 3 and 2 and the bronze chariots hall. Hire a licensed guide at the ticket office: without the story it is a hangar of statues.

About 40 yuan for the temple and 25 more to climb, 90 minutes. The 7th century pagoda was built to hold the scriptures the monk Xuanzang brought back from India, the journey that inspired the classic Journey to the West.

Free, 90 minutes, starting south of the pagoda. The 1.5 kilometre pedestrian avenue recreates Tang dynasty Xi'an, when it was the largest city in the world, with lit up facades and street performers. It is the fashionable evening out among Chinese visitors and is packed at weekends.

Free, 45 minutes. The Xi'an to Shanghai flight takes about 2h20; take a morning one to check in at 2pm. In the late afternoon, walk down the pedestrian street from People's Square, past the 1930s department stores, to the river.

Free, 90 minutes. Arrive at sunset and stay until the lights come on, around 7pm: the 1920s colonial banks and hotels on one side, the Lujiazui skyline on the other. To see both from the river, take the public commuter ferry, which costs 2 yuan.

30 to 40 yuan depending on the season, 90 minutes, opens at 9am. Arrive at opening, before the groups that fill the zigzag bridges from 10.30am.

The Ming dynasty garden has pavilions, ornamental rocks and carp ponds, and sits inside the old town bazaar. The Huxinting teahouse, in the middle of the lake, has operated since the 19th century.

About 180 yuan, 90 minutes. Cross the river by metro to Lujiazui. The deck on floor 118, at 546 metres, is the highest in China, and the lift gets there in under a minute.

On a smoggy day the view disappears: check the air quality forecast before buying. The afternoon is free for the French Concession or a trip to Zhujiajiao, the canal town an hour away.

Free, 90 minutes on foot. The walk starts at Wukang Mansion, the 1924 building shaped like a ship's bow, and continues along a street of plane trees, villas and cafés. Across the corner is the former residence of Soong Ching-ling, Sun Yat-sen's widow, open to visitors.

Free, 90 minutes, 20 minutes by taxi from Wukang Road. The lanes of shikumen houses, Shanghai's typical stone townhouse, have become studios, design shops and cafés. From here Pudong airport is about 1 hour away; the Maglev train covers part of the way at 300 kilometres an hour.