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10 Days in China Visa-Free Beijing, Xi'an & Shanghai
The classic first trip: the Great Wall and Forbidden City, the Terracotta Warriors, then Shanghai's skyline and old lanes, all inside 240-hour visa-free transit.
Day-by-day draft
A sample draft, not a fixed package. Open it in the builder to change dates, cities, pace and experiences; the builder re-checks the 240-hour rules, Monday closures, seasons and holidays for your dates.
- BeijingArrive, transfer to your hotel; evening hutong walk and Peking duck.
- BeijingGreat Wall at Mutianyu (full day).
- BeijingForbidden City and Tiananmen Square (closed Mondays, so we avoid them on a Monday); Temple of Heaven.
- Beijing → Xi'anHigh-speed rail, about 4.5 hours; evening in the Muslim Quarter.
- Xi'anTerracotta Warriors (full day).
- Xi'anCity Wall by bike; Shaanxi History Museum (closed Mondays).
- Xi'an → ShanghaiHigh-speed rail about 6 hours, or a 2–3 hour flight; the Bund at night.
- ShanghaiYu Garden and Old Town; Former French Concession walk.
- ShanghaiZhujiajiao water town or Shanghai Tower; free evening.
- ShanghaiDepart from Pudong to your onward country.
Watch out for
- Forbidden City, National Museum and Shaanxi History Museum close on Mondays.
- Avoid National Day Golden Week (Oct 1–7) and the Spring Festival rush if you want quieter sights.
Why this route fits 240-hour transit
Fly from the US into Beijing, travel overland to Xi'an and Shanghai, and fly out of Shanghai to a different country such as Japan or South Korea. Beijing, Shaanxi and Shanghai are all permitted provinces.
Check your passport and routing in the China visa checker, or read the 240-hour visa-free guide.
Questions
Can I do Beijing, Xi'an and Shanghai without a visa?
Yes, on 240-hour visa-free transit if your passport qualifies (the US does) and you fly in from one country and out to a different one. Flying back to the US from Shanghai would make it a round trip, which does not qualify.
Is 10 days enough for Beijing, Xi'an and Shanghai?
Yes, at a standard pace: about three days in Beijing, two in Xi'an and three in Shanghai, with two travel days.