Two cities, one week, and the version of China most first-time visitors are looking for: imperial Beijing in the morning, neon Shanghai by night, with a private guide and driver the whole way.
If you have a week and want to see the two cities that explain modern China, this is the route we recommend most. It is deliberately unhurried — three nights in Beijing, two in Shanghai, one internal flight — so you spend your time looking at things rather than checking in and out of hotels.
Met at the airport by your guide and driven to your hotel. The evening is yours — we will point you at a noodle shop within walking distance.
An early start to reach the wall before the coaches. Cable car up, an hour and a half walking a quieter stretch, then lunch in a village restaurant on the way back.
Enter as the gates open and walk the central axis with a guide who can separate 600 years of history from the crowds. Afternoon in the hutongs by rickshaw, with a stop at a courtyard home.
Morning among the cypresses watching locals dance and practise tai chi, then an afternoon flight to Shanghai. Evening stroll on the Bund.
Yu Garden and the old town in the morning, the French Concession after lunch, and the Shanghai Tower observation deck at dusk.
Private transfer to Pudong or Hongqiao airport. Add a day in Suzhou or Hangzhou if your flight allows.
We will come back with a day-by-day draft, a hotel shortlist and a clear price. No deposit until you are happy with the plan.
8 daysBeijing · Xi’an · Shanghai
The classic first-timer route and our best-selling itinerary: the imperial north, the ancient capital of the Terracotta Army, and the most modern city in the country — all by high-speed train.
10 daysBeijing · Xi’an · Guilin & Yangshuo · Shanghai
History in Beijing and Xi’an, then three days among the karst peaks of Guilin and Yangshuo. The most balanced two-week-shortened itinerary we run.
11 daysBeijing · Xi’an · Zhangjiajie · Shanghai
The golden triangle plus the sandstone pillars that inspired Avatar. For travellers who want the big sights and the big landscapes in one trip.