8 Days Beijing Xian Shanghai Tour: China Golden Triangle

• Walking: Plan on 3 to 4 hours on stone paving. The afternoon rickshaw ride is slower.
• Crowds: The Hall of Supreme Harmony fills up by late morning.
• Drones: Not allowed at today's sites.

The day moves from the imperial center to a hilltop view, then into the old lanes.

After breakfast the guide meets you at the hotel for Tian'anmen Square. Tian'anmen Gate on the north side is the usual first photograph.

Continue north into the Forbidden City. Ming and Qing emperors ruled from this palace after it was finished in 1420. It is a UNESCO site, with close to 9,000 rooms. You enter at the Meridian Gate and walk the central axis through the main halls. Court costume rental is available along the way.

Good to know: The grounds and the central axis are included. The Treasure Gallery and the Clock Gallery need separate tickets, so say so before the day if you want them.

A 15-minute walk reaches Jingshan Park. From the pavilion at the top, the palace roofs sit below the modern skyline.

Later, a hutong rickshaw ride runs through narrow lanes and ends with a courtyard family visit over tea.

Evening option: Peking duck, if you want to add dinner.

• Early start: Tai chi begins in the morning, so pickup is earlier than on other days.
• Steep parts: Some Mutianyu stretches are steep. The cable car goes up; you walk as far as you like.
• Driving: About 160 km, roughly 3.5 to 4.5 hours in the car.
• Drones: Not allowed in the city or on the wall.

The morning starts at the Temple of Heaven, where locals practice tai chi. You join a 40-minute class with a local instructor. The pace is slow.

After the class, walk the temple itself, a UNESCO site larger than the Forbidden City. The visit covers the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, the Echo Wall, and the Triple Sound Stones.

Then drive about 1.5 to 2 hours northeast to Mutianyu Great Wall. This restored Ming section has 23 watchtowers and fewer visitors than Badaling. The cable car reaches Watchtower 14; walking west toward Watchtower 20 gives the wider view. The drive returns to central Beijing.

Optional: A faster entry lane at Mutianyu can be arranged before the trip.

• Walking: About 2 to 3 hours at the Summer Palace, mostly flat beside the lake.
• Train: About 4.5 to 5.5 hours to Xi'an. Bring water and a small snack.

After breakfast, visit the Summer Palace, the old imperial summer retreat. Gardens, halls, and the lake sit together; the walk is unhurried.

The guide then takes you to the station for the high-speed train to Xi'an. A local guide meets you at the station exit and transfers you to the hotel.

• Pit 1 first: It holds the largest number of figures. Pit 2 is still partly under excavation.
• Workshop: The mini-warrior session is included.
• Food: Tell the guide before the Muslim Quarter if you avoid lamb, wheat, sesame, or peanuts.

After breakfast, about an hour's drive reaches the Terracotta Warriors. Pit 1 is the largest, with more than 6,000 life-sized soldiers and horses in formation. Pit 2 shows archers, cavalry, and chariots.

A local potter then leads a clay warrior workshop, where you shape a small figure by hand.

After lunch, the Xi'an City Wall is one of the best-kept city fortifications in China. The top looks over the old city inside and the newer streets outside. A bike covers the full 14 km circuit if you want it.

Late afternoon is the Muslim Quarter: food stalls, including yangrou paomo and grilled skewers.

• Hanfu: The robes go over your own clothes. A thin layer and flat shoes are enough.
• Flight: About 2 to 2.5 hours to Shanghai.

Morning: Giant Wild Goose Pagoda

After breakfast, visit the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda in Daci'en Temple, a Tang landmark built in 652 to hold scriptures Xuanzang brought from India. There is time in the grounds, then a Hanfu fitting and a walk through the temple gardens for photos.

Afternoon: flight to Shanghai

The guide takes you to the airport. On arrival, a local guide and driver meet you and transfer you to the hotel.

Choose the classic walk or the modern walk. Both end at Yu Garden and the Bund.

Classic route

Shanghai Museum sits in a building shaped like an ancient ding. The bronze and ceramic halls include the Da Ke Ding and the bianzhong bells of Marquis Su of Jin.

Yu Garden is the classical garden in the old town: paths, rockeries, and ponds. Outside, the bazaar has snacks such as xiaolongbao.

Nanjing Road is the pedestrian shopping street. It continues to the Bund, a row of 52 buildings facing the Pudong skyline across the Huangpu.

Shanghai Tower is 632 meters. The elevator to the 118th-floor deck looks down on the Oriental Pearl and Jin Mao towers.

Modern route

The morning is a short high-tech block: operating a robot dog, and a ride in a self-driving robotaxi. Magnolia Plaza has a 360-degree deck over the river. Yu Garden and the Bund follow.

After breakfast the morning is free in Shanghai. When you are ready, the guide takes you to the airport or railway station.