2 Weeks in China: 14-Day Itinerary (+ Chengdu Pandas)
By the China for Travelers editorial team · Published 2026-05-15 · Updated 2026-05-20 · 14 days · Beijing · Xi'an · Chengdu · Shanghai
Mixed sourcing, disclosed honestly. The Chengdu leg (days 8–10) draws on first-hand on-the-ground knowledge — our editor has lived in Chongqing since 2018 with frequent Chengdu access, including the panda base and Sichuan food scene. The Beijing, Xi'an and Shanghai legs are editorial-aggregated from 2024–2026 r/travelchina reports, official attraction information and published Audley / ChinaHighlights itineraries. All high-speed-rail leg times and prices are pulled live from our 12306-sampled rail dataset.
Budget. Budget roughly US$110–190 per person per day excluding international and the one internal flight. Three HSR legs (Beijing→Xi'an, Xi'an→Chengdu) plus a Chengdu→Shanghai flight (~¥700–1,300 booked ahead) is the typical transport spend. See our China trip-cost guide for a per-day breakdown by travel style. Full cost breakdown →
Day by day
Day 1Beijing
Arrive Beijing
- Transfer to a central hotel, set up Alipay / WeChat Pay + eSIM
- Gentle first evening: Qianmen and a short hutong walk to fight jet lag
Day 2Beijing
Tiananmen, Forbidden City, Jingshan
- Forbidden City south-to-north on a pre-booked timed ticket (passport at the gate)
- Jingshan hill behind it for the rooftop panorama
- Wangfujing or a hutong courtyard dinner
Day 3Beijing
Great Wall day trip (Mutianyu)
- Full day at Mutianyu — cable car up, toboggan down, fewer crowds than Badaling
- Back in the city for an early night
Day 4Beijing
Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace
- Temple of Heaven at opening for the morning park life
- Summer Palace in the afternoon; optional 798 Art District for a modern contrast
Day 5Xi'an
Morning HSR to Xi'an, Muslim Quarter
Beijing → Xi'an by high-speed rail4h 10m · ¥515 – ¥578 2nd class · 32 trains/day
- Morning high-speed train Beijing → Xi'an
- Afternoon and dinner in the Muslim Quarter; Bell/Drum Tower after dark
Day 6Xi'an
Terracotta Army
- Terracotta Army early (most crowded sight on the route)
- Afternoon: Shaanxi History Museum (free timed ticket — reserve) or Big Wild Goose Pagoda
Day 7Xi'an
City Wall and slow Xi'an
- Cycle the City Wall early
- Relaxed afternoon — Great Mosque, tea, repack before the Chengdu leg
Day 8Chengdu
HSR Xi'an → Chengdu, Jinli & Kuanzhai
Xi'an → Chengdu by high-speed rail3h · ¥263 – ¥300 2nd class · 80 trains/day
- High-speed train Xi'an → Chengdu through the Qinling mountains (a genuinely scenic leg)
- Afternoon: Jinli and Kuanzhai Alley for the first taste of Sichuan street food
- First-hand note: this is the editor's home region — the food guidance from here is on-the-ground, not aggregated
Day 9Chengdu
Chengdu Panda Base + downtown
- Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding at opening (07:30) — pandas are active early and the base fills fast by 10:00
- Afternoon: People's Park teahouse, then a hotpot dinner (the editor's repeatedly-tested local pick territory)
Day 10Chengdu
Leshan or Dujiangyan day trip
- Choice: Leshan Giant Buddha (UNESCO, the big day trip) or Dujiangyan irrigation system + optional panda volunteering
- Evening: optional Sichuan opera face-changing show
Day 11Shanghai
Chengdu → Shanghai (fly), the Bund
Chengdu → Shanghai by high-speed rail10h 55m · ¥721 – ¥992 2nd class · 15 trains/day
- Chengdu → Shanghai is the one leg most travelers fly (~3h vs a very long rail day) — the rail card shows the rail reality so you can decide
- Evening arrival: the Bund waterfront at night
Day 12Shanghai
Yu Garden, the Bund by day
- Yu Garden + bazaar early
- Bund by daylight, Pudong decks if clear, French Concession dinner
Day 13Shanghai
French Concession, museum or water town
- French Concession morning (Wukang Road, Tianzifang)
- Shanghai Museum or a Zhujiajiao water-town half-day; last-night dinner
Day 14Shanghai
Depart
- Buffer morning, then PVG (Maglev from Longyang Road) or SHA for the flight home
FAQ
- Is 2 weeks enough for China including the pandas?
- Yes — 14 days is the sweet spot for the icons plus Chengdu. It adds the panda base, Sichuan food and a Leshan/Dujiangyan day trip to the standard Beijing–Xi'an–Shanghai route without feeling rushed. Going beyond this (Guilin, Yunnan, Tibet, a Yangtze cruise) needs 18–21 days.
- Do I take the train or fly Chengdu to Shanghai?
- Fly. Chengdu→Shanghai by high-speed rail is an all-day ride; almost everyone flies it (~3h, roughly ¥700–1,300 booked ahead). Every other leg here (Beijing→Xi'an, Xi'an→Chengdu) is a sensible HSR ride — see each leg's rail card for the real numbers.
- Is the Chengdu panda base worth a dedicated day?
- Yes, and go at opening (07:30). Pandas are most active in the cool early morning and the base is markedly more crowded after 10:00. This is first-hand guidance — the editor is based in the region, not relaying second-hand reports for the Chengdu leg.
- How much does this 14-day itinerary cost?
- Roughly US$110–190 per person per day excluding international flights, plus one internal Chengdu→Shanghai flight (~¥700–1,300). See our China trip-cost guide for a full per-day breakdown by travel style.
Adapt this plan
Method. Inter-city rail figures (duration, price, trains/day) are pulled live from our 12306-sampled rail dataset and link to the full route page — they are not estimated or duplicated here. The day-by-day editorial plan’s sourcing is disclosed in the note above the fold. Tour inventory, ticket prices and opening policies change — verify specifics before you commit. Last reviewed 2026-05-20.