Beijing — the Great Wall — Shanghai — Wangxian Valley.
“This route didn’t come out of a list someone put together online — it came out of a real trip that I travelled from start to finish myself.
In 10 days I managed to fit several different Chinas into one journey: the futuristic and high-tech, the ancient and imperial, the wild and the fairytale.”
If you are flying to China for the first time and want to see as much as possible without endless transfers and complicated logistics, this route makes an excellent foundation for the trip.
Don’t try to see all of China in one trip. What makes this route work is that it brings together completely different sides of the country without a constant rush.
The guide runs as a route, day by day. A few elements repeat on every page — here is what each one means.
The quiet blocks carry context. History is the story behind a place, Note is something worth knowing before you go, and The main rule is the one thing not to get wrong.
The author speaking: shortcuts, small details and personal recommendations that are hard to find in an ordinary guidebook.
Mono pills are the quick facts — time, price, opening hours. You can find what a thing costs without reading the sentence around it.
One stamp closes each section, carrying the coordinates of the place itself.
10 days, 4 destinations and one story you can repeat entirely on your own.
In China, most of the services you are used to simply don’t work: no Google Maps, no Western map apps, no English-language taxi or delivery apps. So setting up your phone is as much a part of preparing for the trip as the flights and the hotel.
Install these apps in advance, at home, on a calm Wi-Fi connection — the section below explains what each of them is for.
Alipay is the main tool for everyday life in China. You use it to pay in shops and cafés, order taxis, buy tickets and pay your fare on public transport.
You can link your bank cards in advance, while you are still at home — which means that from the moment you land in Beijing or Shanghai you can pay by phone almost everywhere, just like a local.
Link a card to Alipay before you travel — it takes a little time now and saves you hours on your first day in China, when you have to pay for taxis, the metro and food straight away.
Didi works almost exactly like the ride-hailing apps you already know: you set the points of your route, see the price in advance, and payment goes through your linked card automatically.
The real difference is the price. Taxis in China are noticeably cheaper than in Europe: an average ride across Beijing costs about $3–6, and that makes Didi one of the apps you open most often on the trip.
Don’t be afraid to take taxis more often than you would at home — at Chinese prices this is no luxury at all, just a convenient way to save time between stops on the route.
Trip.com is the app you will reach for most on this trip after Alipay. It is the easy way to buy train tickets, book entry tickets for museums and parks, and reserve hotels.
Every hotel and many of the tickets in this guide are linked straight to Trip.com — so you can book in English and pay with the card you already use.
Buy tickets for the popular sights well ahead through Trip.com — in high season entry tickets for a specific day can run out, especially for the Forbidden City and Universal Studios.
Amap has the most accurate maps of China: route planning, navigation, public transport and walking directions all work exactly the way they should.
Google Maps is unreliable in China and often shows out-of-date information — restaurants that closed long ago, or roads that no longer exist. For everyday navigation you are better off getting used to Amap from the start.
Amap’s interface is in Chinese by default — but place names and routes are broadly self-explanatory, and with a translation app alongside you will have it worked out on day one.
In China WeChat is not just a messenger but an entire ecosystem: inside it live “mini programs” (mini apps) for all sorts of services — from booking a table to buying entry tickets.
Many of the places and activities on this route are booked through mini programs inside WeChat — the Louis Vuitton flagship store The Louis in Shanghai, for instance. Install WeChat in advance so you are not doing it at the last minute once you are there.
Set up a WeChat account at home and get to know the interface beforehand — on the ground, in the middle of everything else, working out an unfamiliar app is far less convenient.
Hardly anyone in China speaks English — even in the big cities. On this trip a voice translator on the phone turned out to be needed literally every day: in cafés, in taxis, in hotels, at the till.
Install several voice translation apps, and be sure to download the offline Chinese language pack — in case the connection turns out to be patchy.
If you are travelling as a group, everyone needs a translator. In practice the same phrase translated on two identical phones sometimes came out differently, so it is better for each of you to have your own back-up.
When every box is ticked, you can move on to the route itself. The first stop of the big journey is Beijing.
A capital with more than 800 years of history, where imperial palaces stand shoulder to shoulder with skyscrapers, and quiet hutongs with high technology.
The city is enormous, and the map doesn’t always make that obvious — so in Beijing it is better to split where you sleep into two parts: next to Universal Studios, and in the city centre.
Beijing is the capital of China, with more than 800 years of history behind it. In a single space you get imperial palaces, modern skyscrapers, quiet old hutongs and high-tech districts of the future.
Even though the city looks compact on the map, Beijing is in fact enormous. To avoid losing time on the road, the route is built so that your accommodation is split in two: the first night next to Universal Studios, the next three in the city centre.
Beijing was the capital of China under the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties — that is, it served as the centre of the empire for most of the last eight centuries. The Forbidden City, which you’ll see on day three, was the residence of 24 emperors in a row.
For the first night it pays to pick a hotel with early entry to the park — it buys you time to reach the popular rides before the main flow of visitors arrives.
The best option if you are heading into Universal Studios Beijing the next day — the hotel has its own early access right by the park entrance.
Another hotel beside the park with its own early entry — a solid backup if the first one isn’t available for your dates.
The main rule for day one — don’t go straight to the park. Check in, recover from the flight, and head for Universal Studios the next morning with fresh energy.
After Universal Studios you move into the city centre for the remaining three nights. From here it is easy to reach every key point: the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square and Shichahai.
The best value for money of all the options we looked at: clean, modern rooms, a handy location and walking distance from the main tourist spots of central Beijing.
After a long flight there is no point planning a busy programme for the first day — even if it feels as though you have energy to spare. That time is better spent checking in without hurrying and letting your body move over to the new time zone.
We drive to the Universal Studios Grand Hotel, check in and rest after the flight.
Give yourself time for the change of time zone — without it the second day, the busiest of them all, will be much harder work.
You can take a walk through the modern districts of Beijing — futuristic business quarters full of skyscrapers, a world away from the usual picture of “ancient China”.
Don’t go to Universal Studios on the day you land. The park needs a full day and a good reserve of energy — you are far better off heading there rested, the next morning.
The park opened in 2021 and immediately became the largest Universal outside the USA. Tickets are best bought in advance on Trip.com — there is often an “Early bird” discount for booking early.
Inside there are several themed worlds, each with its own atmosphere and rides.
Use Early Entry — the early admission to the park. It gets you onto the most popular rides before the queues grow long, and in that first hour you can do more than in all the rest of the day.
After these four rides the queues start growing fast — from there on you can go by mood and by the clock.
Mr. Ping’s Noodles in the Kung Fu Panda zone — one of the tastiest dishes in the whole park, go in without a second thought.
The hippogriff flight turned out to be a weak ride in practice — if your time is tight, you can skip it with a clear conscience.
Don’t buy souvenirs in the morning — leave the shopping for the end of the day. If you can pick which day to visit, take a weekday: fewer people, shorter queues, more rides. Once the park closes we collect the luggage and drive to central Beijing — about an hour.
Day three is given over to the great symbols of imperial China: the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square and the Temple of Heaven — and in the evening, a traditional dinner and a walk through the old town.
Home to 24 emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties for almost 500 years — the largest palace complex in the world, more than 900 buildings, raised in the 15th century.
Tickets are best bought in advance on Trip.com — entry is split into two sessions, morning and afternoon. We took the afternoon one: noticeably fewer people.
The Forbidden City was the residence of the Ming and Qing emperors for almost 500 years — and for all that time ordinary people were strictly barred from entering, which is exactly how it earned its European name.
Buy a ticket for the afternoon session — there are noticeably fewer people than in the morning, and the light for photographs only gets better as the day goes on.
China’s most famous square — the setting for the country’s great state occasions. The scale is impressive even in photographs; in person it is stronger still.
One of the most beautiful buildings in Beijing. This is where the emperors prayed for a good harvest — and the complex’s centrepiece, the round pavilion with the blue roof, has become one of the recognisable architectural symbols of the whole of China.
An alternative to going into the palace — or an addition to it — is to climb the hill in Jingshan Park. From up there you get the best view of the Forbidden City as a whole, and plenty of people find that view even lovelier than the walk through the palace itself.
One of the best-known addresses for Peking duck — a legendary restaurant that has been going since the 19th century. It is a chain, so you can pick whichever branch is nearest. Some of them have queues, but we got a table with no wait at all.
Quanjude — a restaurant whose story begins in the 19th century, one of the most famous names attached to Peking duck, and an almost obligatory cultural ritual for visitors to Beijing.
If there are two of you, order half a duck. The portions are very large and the duck itself is quite rich, so half of one is easily enough for two.
The district of three historic lakes is the place for an unhurried immersion in the atmosphere of old Beijing. Red lanterns, pleasure boats, snug cafés and old architecture along the water set a completely different tempo after a full-on day.
It is probably the best place on the whole route simply to walk slowly with no particular destination — and to feel the city rather than only look at it.
Shichahai has no shortage of hot pot places — the bubbling pot in which you cook your own food in the simmering broth. It is one of the most popular and most atmospheric ways to have dinner in this part of town.
One of the most atmospheric days on the route: the Simatai stretch of the Great Wall of China, the water town of Gubei at its foot, and the high-speed train on to Shanghai.
Badaling is the best-known and most heavily promoted stretch of the Great Wall, closer to Beijing and usually packed with tourists. Simatai is the section we picked for this route, and here is why.
The easiest option is Didi or a private driver: 1.5–2 hours on the road, ¥200 to ¥400 one way.
The budget option is the scheduled bus from Dongzhimen metro station.
From Dongzhimen metro take exit B1. Walk east along the street, then turn left; after two sets of traffic lights (a 10–15 minute walk) you come out at a small bus station. The stop itself is not inside the station building but right beside it: ask the guard in the booth by the station where the bus to Gubei goes and he will point you the right way. The buses stand across the road, in view of the guard’s booth.
Get to the station with time to spare — the exact departure point is not at all obvious to find, and it pays to have a buffer.
A real discovery on this route. Plenty of people come here just for the Wall, with no idea that at its foot sits a beautiful water town — something close to the old water towns of Jiangsu province.
Stone bridges, canals, red lanterns, traditional architecture and mountains behind it all — and it turns especially lovely after sunset, when the lights come on.
Gubei is in my personal top list of places anywhere in China. If you don’t mind taking a taxi back in the dark, do stay until the evening lights come on — the town is a completely different experience then.
The best way to travel between the two cities is the high-speed train — clean, comfortable carriages and speeds of over 300 km/h. The ride takes about 4.5 hours: enough to rest, get some work done or sleep off a few full-on days in Beijing.
High-speed tickets are easiest to buy on Trip.com — the interface is in English, you pay with your usual card, and you can pick your seats in advance.
“Beijing is the history of China; Shanghai is its future.”
In a matter of decades Shanghai has become one of the biggest financial centres in the world. This is where you’ll find the skyscrapers of Pudong, the Bund waterfront, classical gardens, a hotel with giraffes and the shops we love for shopping.
If Beijing shows you the grandeur of an ancient empire, Shanghai is all about an improbable future. We’ll spend four days here: from the Bund waterfront and the classical gardens to the giraffe hotel and a free day for wandering and shopping.
Excellent value for money: new rooms, good breakfasts, a free laundry with tumble dryers and a handy location — you can cover most of the city on foot.
The first stop for getting to know Shanghai is the Bund waterfront, where that famous view of the futuristic Pudong district and its skyscrapers opens up in front of you.
One of the city’s best hacks is the ferry across the Huangpu River for just ¥2. For a symbolic price you get astonishing views of both banks — this one is absolutely worth doing.
An atmospheric coffee shop in the Hongkou district — worth the trip not only for the coffee but for the photographs. The way it opens out from the café onto the waterfront is considered one of the most popular photo spots in the city.
Shanghai, Hongkou, Guoke Center, Marina Maritime Affairs, Pagoda Area
Go inside for more than the coffee — the architecture itself and the way it opens onto the water make this one of the best places in Shanghai for atmospheric shots.
One of the most beautiful classical gardens in China — it is more than 450 years old. A genuine corner of ancient China right in the middle of a modern megacity: ponds, little bridges, rocks and pavilions in the traditional style.
Right nearby you can book a photo shoot as a Chinese princess — full make-up, hair and a traditional costume. It costs around $55.
Even if a photo shoot isn’t your thing — leave time simply to walk slowly through the garden. Yu Garden is at its best at an unhurried pace, without dashing between points on a route.
Thirty years ago there were warehouses and fields where Pudong now stands — today it is the symbol of China’s economic miracle: a forest of skyscrapers with Shanghai Tower standing out among them, one of the tallest buildings in the world.
Until the 1990s Pudong was a district of warehouses, factories and fields on the far bank of the Huangpu River. Today it is Shanghai’s financial centre and one of the most recognisable skylines in the world — the transformation took less than thirty years.
Instead of an expensive ticket to the Shanghai Tower observation deck, you can go up to the bookshop-café inside the tower. The views are almost as impressive, and the price is simply a cup of coffee — which saves you hundreds of yuan.
Shanghai’s main shopping street — this is where the flagship stores of the world’s biggest brands are concentrated. A good place to round off a busy day with an unhurried walk past the window displays and the architecture.
The famous Louis Vuitton flagship shaped like an ocean liner — one of the most unusual in the world. Entry is free, but it has to be booked through the “My LV” mini-programme in WeChat.
Shanghai, Jing’an, the junction of Shimen 1st Road and Wujiang Road, 40 m to the south (Nanjing West Road metro station, exit 5)
Book a slot through the “My LV” mini-programme in WeChat in advance — without a reservation you won’t get inside, and the booking itself takes a couple of minutes.
Shanghai Giraffe Manor Hotel is one of the most unusual hotels in China, right next to Shanghai Wild Animal Park. Here the hotel itself becomes the point of the day, not just somewhere to sleep.
It’s better to arrive during the day, check in without rushing and spend the evening and the night here. We especially recommend the rooms with a bathtub on the roof — the evening atmosphere in those rooms is genuinely something else.
A train to Huzhou station (~1.5 hours), then a taxi of about 30 minutes to the hotel.
After the night with the giraffes — back to Shanghai and a day with no rigid plan: unhurried walks, shopping, favourite spots from the days before. A good moment to slow down before the last stretch of the route.
If space and science interest you, it’s worth setting aside time for the largest astronomy museum in the world. Buy tickets in advance: slots go quickly, especially the popular sessions.
“The valley of the immortals” — a place people still refuse to believe is real when they see the photographs.
One of China’s most viral spots of the past few years. Plenty of people assume the photos are renders or AI, but it is a completely real complex, built among the mountain cliffs.
The complex is built right among the mountain cliffs and looks like a fairytale city floating above a chasm. The evening lighting is an event in its own right: when thousands of lamps come on, the place starts to look like a world out of Chinese fantasy.
The rooms are inside the complex itself — which means you don’t have to rush, and you can catch the evening lights without a long journey back.
The timetable for the evening lighting and the show is published on the Wangxian Valley website — check it before you set off so you don’t miss the start.
There is a surprising number of Uyghur places in the valley — the meat dishes, the flatbreads and the traditional snacks are absolutely worth trying. It is a completely different flavour from Beijing and Shanghai.
Evening is when Wangxian Valley opens up completely: thousands of lights turn the valley into a fairytale city that is hard to tell apart from a film set.
Don’t leave before the evening show starts — it is the main reason to stay the night here rather than just dropping in for a couple of hours during the day.
We head back to Shanghai and check into a hotel with a beautiful view — for the last night that feels especially good. Solid options: Hyatt, Hilton, W Hotel or Renaissance.
Keep the final day as light as you can: walks through your favourite places, a little souvenir shopping, no rigid plan. Ten days are behind you — and in that time you have seen several completely different “Chinas”.
Don’t put anything compulsory for the last day. The best way to end a trip is calm, favourite places and enough time to take in just how much you have managed to see.
A few places worth building into a shopping day — unusual souvenirs and gifts that are hard to find outside China.
Design your own T-shirt or customise a pair of sneakers.
Collectors’ heaven — the flagship stores carry a far bigger choice than you will find outside China.
Build your own minifigure — a great souvenir you will not find back home.
Print your own picture onto the sweets — an unusual, very personal gift.
One of the largest outlet malls in the city — up to 70% off across a lot of brands.
Don’t try to see all of China in one trip — far better to live through a few vivid, completely different stories.
Costs for two people, on the basis that accommodation is split between the travellers.
The figures are approximate: converted at roughly ₽90 to $1 at the time of the trip, so they will shift with the season and the exchange rate. Accommodation costs are split between two travellers.
The very same route can be repeated for around $1,330 — if you find cheaper flights, use taxis less often and skip the themed hotels.
A schematic map of the whole trip — from imperial Beijing to the fairytale Wangxian Valley and back to Shanghai.
The map is schematic — no scale, no exact geography. What matters here is the order of the stops, not the distances between them.
Room for addresses, impressions and ideas that will turn up during the trip itself.
Thank you
for travelling
with us
This guide is the author’s own route, walked from beginning to end. May your own trip through China turn out just as vivid, and stay with you just as long.