Beijing to Shanghai · 10 days

China

Itinerary · free to read, day by day

days
10
km
4,209
stops
28
travel / day
4h 39m

A rail-and-transit journey across China: Beijing's imperial core and Great Wall, Xi'an's walls and warriors, Chengdu's pandas, teahouses and opera, then Shanghai's water town, art lanes and glittering riverfront.

L

Curated by Lance · drove it, filmed it

updated Oct 2026

Highlights

one per day

The route

Tap a day or a town

You sleep in Beijing · Xi'an · Chengdu — start in Beijing, end in Shanghai.

What the in-car version adds

  • Tap-to-navigate, every stop

    Opens Google Maps or Apple Maps, in order.

  • Works with no signal

    Download the PDF once: every day, stop and travel time.

  • Your own trip to change

    Shorten it, swap stops or ask AI to adjust it.

  • Cost estimate

    Fuel, rental car and stays for this route.

  • What to book, and when

    Tours, ferries and stays that sell out.

Day by day

all free to read
DAY01

Tiananmen Square → Jingshan Park

3 km · 20m on the move · overnight in Beijing

  1. 1Tiananmen Square
  2. 2⭐ Forbidden City
  3. 3Jingshan Park
DAY02

Mutianyu Great Wall → Nanluoguxiang

140 km · 1h 37m on the move · overnight in Beijing

  1. 1⭐ Mutianyu Great Wall
  2. 2Shichahai
  3. 3Nanluoguxiang
DAY03

Temple of Heaven → Dashilar

12 km · 30m on the move · overnight in Beijing

  1. 1⭐ Temple of Heaven
  2. 2National Centre for the Performing Arts
  3. 3Dashilar
DAY04

Xi'an → Muslim Quarter

1,093 km · 11h 40m on the move · overnight in Xi'an

  1. 1⭐ Xi'an City Wall
  2. 2Muslim Quarter
DAY05

Terracotta Army → Big Wild Goose Pagoda

82 km · 57m on the move · overnight in Xi'an

  1. 1⭐ Terracotta Army
  2. 2Huaqing Palace
  3. 3Big Wild Goose Pagoda
DAY06

Wenshu Monastery → Anshun Bridge

732 km · 7h 58m on the move · overnight in Chengdu

  1. 1Wenshu Monastery
  2. 2Kuanzhai Alley
  3. 3⭐ Anshun Bridge
DAY07

Chengdu → Shufeng Yayun

32 km · 30m on the move · overnight in Chengdu

  1. 1⭐ Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding
  2. 2Jinli Ancient Street
  3. 3Shufeng Yayun
DAY08

Yu Garden → The Bund

1,998 km · 21h 21m on the move · overnight in Shanghai

  1. 1Yu Garden
  2. 2Yuyuan Bazaar
  3. 3⭐ The Bund
DAY09

Zhujiajiao Ancient Town → Xintiandi

104 km · 1h 14m on the move · overnight in Shanghai

  1. 1⭐ Zhujiajiao Ancient Town
  2. 2Tianzifang
  3. 3Xintiandi
DAY10

Shanghai → Wukang Road

13 km · 20m on the move · end of trip

  1. 1⭐ Shanghai Tower
  2. 2Wukang Road

Not booking yet? Get the free map

The route map and day-by-day overview in your inbox, plus reminders 8, 3 and 1 week before you go.

No spam. Unsubscribe with one tap.

Included

  • Tap-to-navigate for all 28 stops
  • Offline PDF for no-signal stretches
  • Unlimited AI edits for 30 days: days, stops, pace
  • Cost estimate: fuel, car and stays

Not included

  • Rental car
  • Accommodation
  • Fuel
  • Entry tickets and paid activities

Heads up

  • Day 4: 11h 40m driving — plan rest stops
  • Day 6: 7h 58m driving — plan rest stops
  • Day 8: 21h 21m driving — plan rest stops
  • Book Beijing–Xi'an and Xi'an–Chengdu high-speed trains early with your passport; Chengdu to Shanghai is best done by a short flight.
  • Forbidden City, Terracotta Army, panda base and Shufeng Yayun require advance real-name tickets and close one day a week or sell out.
  • Mutianyu is reached by tourist bus or rideshare; the cable car and toboggan can pause in bad weather.
  • Set up Alipay or WeChat Pay before arrival, as many vendors are cashless.

Need Lance to build it by hand?

Different dates, another start city, a mix of regions. Delivered within 48 hours.

Questions

$9.99

This trip · unlimited edits for 30 days · One-time payment. No subscription.