Beijing
3 nights · Dongsi / Dengshikou
A central base for the palace day and hutong walks, with a simple return after the Wall.
Beijing · 3 nights
Xi’an · 2 nights
Chengdu · 2 nightsBeijing, Xi’an and Chengdu in eight days
The palace and the Wall, the Terracotta Army, then pandas and tea in Chengdu, flying home from there.
Why this itinerary works
Arrive in Beijing and fly home from Chengdu; one-way travel saves the day a round trip would cost.
Each city gets its headline on a day of its own: the Wall, the warriors, the pandas.
Chengdu is about tea and food as much as pandas, so its full day ends at a teahouse, not another sight.
The itinerary
Beijing West (北京西) → Xi’an North (西安北)
About 4 hours aboard.
Planning estimate; choose a dated service before booking.Xi’an
2 nights · Inside the South Gate
Walk to the city wall and keep evening food wanderings close to the hotel.
Xi’an North (西安北) → Chengdu East (成都东)
About 3.5 hours aboard.
Planning estimate; choose a dated service before booking.Chengdu
2 nights · People’s Park / Tianfu Square
Tea, old-city walks and metro connections fit around a central base.
The moments you’ll remember
Your first Beijing evening, lights trembling on Houhai.
Shichahai (Houhai Lakes) ›Morning footsteps pass through red gates into another courtyard.
The Palace Museum (Forbidden City) ›The Wall runs away over the ridge in both directions.
Mutianyu Great Wall ›
Skewers sizzle as your first Xi’an evening fills with dinner smells.
Muslim Quarter (Huimin Street) ›
Row after row of clay soldiers, each face its own.
Terracotta Army (Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum) ›
Off the train and straight into the red broth.
Eat hotpot at Shu Da Xia on Chunxi Road ›Bamboo crunches between a panda’s paws at breakfast.
Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding ›Tea refilled again, the afternoon going nowhere in particular.
People's Park (Heming Teahouse) ›8 moments · swipe →
Before you go
- Mutianyu Great Wall — Official English booking calendar: 30 calendar dates including today (up to 29 days ahead). Check that channel for your visit date.
- The Palace Museum — Official international website and 故宫博物院 mini-program: book before the visit day; same-day tickets are not sold. Sales open at 20:00 Beijing time seven days before the visit.
- Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum — Reserve your chosen date and time slot through the museum’s official website or account before travelling. Check the currently available dates in that booking calendar.
- Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding — Official WeChat channels: ticket sales open up to 14 days before the visit.
Choose a dated rail or flight service before booking.
Day by day
MorningAfternoonEvening
Beijing · 3 nights
Day 1
Arrive in Beijing
Only a short lake-and-lanes walk after check-in; drop it after a late arrival.
Arrive in Beijing
Free
Day 2
The palace and its rooftop panorama
Enter through the Meridian Gate, walk north and leave by the back gate straight into Jingshan.
Day 3
Mutianyu gets the day
The afternoon is reserved for the outing and return. Leave the evening empty.
Reserved for the outing or journey
Free
Xi’an · 2 nights
Day 4
Train to Xi’an, then dinner in the food lanes
Keep morning and afternoon clear for the train, station access and check-in.
Train to Xi’an
Reserved for the outing or journey
Day 5
The Terracotta Army
Let the outing use the afternoon too. Nothing else is planned today.
Free
Free
Chengdu · 2 nights
Day 6
Wall-top morning, Chengdu hotpot night
One stretch of the wall, then the afternoon train. Hotpot is a short walk from a central hotel; skip it if the train runs late.
Free
Day 7
Pandas, then a long sit with tea
Back from the pandas by lunchtime, then tea in People’s Park for as long as you like. The evening is free.
Free
Day 8
Leave from Chengdu
Fly home from Chengdu instead of doubling back to Beijing.
Leave from Chengdu
Free
Free
Comes with the plan
Before you go
- Mutianyu Great Wall — Official English booking calendar: 30 calendar dates including today (up to 29 days ahead). Check that channel for your visit date.
- The Palace Museum — Official international website and 故宫博物院 mini-program: book before the visit day; same-day tickets are not sold. Sales open at 20:00 Beijing time seven days before the visit.
- Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum — Reserve your chosen date and time slot through the museum’s official website or account before travelling. Check the currently available dates in that booking calendar.
- Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding — Official WeChat channels: ticket sales open up to 14 days before the visit.
Rail or flight legs need a dated service before booking.
On the ground
Buying and boarding trains →Beijing practical card →Xi’an practical card →Chengdu practical card →Perks on this itinerary
Turn a long layover into a look at Beijing →Check the senior entry benefit before buying →Browse perks and check eligibility →Your dates, checked
Use the calendar to check holidays and typical weather. Published sessions and opening days depend on your exact dates.
Check dates →Not quite your case? Ask it.
Make it yours
Pick your dates and review how the itinerary fits your trip.