7 Days Private Tour of Beijing, Xian, Shanghai by Bullet Train

The big draw is the chance to see three very different Chinese cities in one week without having to arrange each train, hotel and local transfer yourself. You’ll climb the Mutianyu Great Wall, stand before the Terracotta Warriors and finish with Shanghai’s skyline along the Huangpu River.

I like two things in particular: the private format, which keeps the schedule focused on your party, and the use of high-speed trains rather than long road transfers between cities. One consideration: the pace is brisk, with early departures and several packed sightseeing days, so this is a better fit if you want breadth than slow mornings.

• Mutianyu and Dingling in one day: Pair a Great Wall visit with an excavated Ming imperial tomb.
• Two high-speed train journeys: Beijing to Xi’an takes about four and a half hours, then Xi’an to Shanghai takes nearly six.
• Private local guiding: English-speaking guides join you for sightseeing days, while train legs are unescorted.
• Six hotel nights with breakfast: Hotel comfort level is offered as comfortable or luxury, with two people sharing.
• No shopping stops: The tour is designed to spend its time on sights, not retail visits.
• Meals and tips are extra: Plan to pay separately for food, personal expenses and guide or driver gratuities.

Three cities, one carefully connected week

This tour links Beijing, Xi’an and Shanghai, three places that show very different sides of China. Beijing supplies imperial landmarks and the Great Wall. Xi’an brings the Terracotta Army and its old city center. Shanghai shifts the focus to gardens, museums and a riverfront of historic buildings and modern towers.

The main convenience is having the pieces arranged together. You get private transfers, local guides on sightseeing days, rail tickets, six hotel nights and daily breakfast. That can save a lot of planning, especially if you are unfamiliar with the language or want help moving between stations and hotels.

The tradeoff is that seven days leaves little room to linger. You’ll change cities twice, take early trains and fit several major attractions into each sightseeing day. I’d treat this as a highlights tour, not a restful holiday.

Beijing arrival and a first evening to yourself

On Day 1, a driver meets you at the airport or train station with a welcome board and takes you to your hotel. The listed transfer takes about 30 minutes, though the actual journey will depend on where you arrive and traffic.

The first day is otherwise open. That breathing room is useful after an international flight: you can rest, get settled or take a short walk near the hotel. Confirm your arrival details and pickup arrangement in advance, since the start of the tour depends on where and when you reach Beijing.

Mutianyu’s Great Wall and the Ming tombs

Day 2 begins with a hotel pickup after breakfast and a drive to Mutianyu, where you have about three hours at the Great Wall. This is one of the trip’s big physical outings. Wear comfortable shoes, bring water and expect to spend time walking on a historic structure built for defense, not modern ease.

The visit is paired with Dingling, the underground tomb of the Ming emperor Wanli. You have about an hour and a half there. It adds a different kind of historical stop to the day: instead of a monumental wall above ground, you see an excavated imperial burial site. The pairing is efficient, but it also makes for a long excursion outside central Beijing.

On the return to town, the schedule allows a short photo stop outside the Bird’s Nest National Stadium and the Water Cube. These are exterior views, not inside visits, and the stop is about half an hour. If architecture or Olympic history is a priority, keep in mind that you’ll have limited time here.

The Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven and hutongs

Day 3 takes on the imperial core of Beijing. You begin at Tiananmen Square, where the stop is about 30 minutes, then spend roughly two hours at the Forbidden City. The palace complex is one of the trip’s essential visits, but two hours can feel short given its scale. Follow your guide’s route and be ready to keep moving.

The Forbidden City is closed on Mondays, so check the tour date before booking. That’s an important scheduling detail, not a minor footnote: if the visit falls on a Monday, the main palace stop cannot go ahead as described.

Next comes the Temple of Heaven, where emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties prayed for peace and a good harvest. The visit lasts about an hour and a half. It offers a change of setting and purpose from the former imperial residence, and helps you see how ritual shaped the city’s public monuments.

The day ends with a hutong visit, about an hour in the old alley neighborhoods. You’ll see traditional local residences and get a glimpse of everyday Beijing life. A rickshaw ride is possible, but it costs extra. I’d regard this as a useful contrast to the formal palaces, though the short schedule may not leave much time to explore independently.

The early train to Xi’an and its old city wall

Day 4 starts early. A driver is scheduled to collect you around 5:30 a.m. for Beijing West Railway Station, where you take a second-class high-speed train to Xi’an. The listed train, G89 or a similar service, runs from 6:53 to 11:24. An Xi’an guide and driver meet you at the station.

The rail journey is a practical way to cover the distance, but there is no guide service on the train. You’ll need to manage your own time during the ride, then meet the local team at the other end. Keep your passport handy, since passport details are required when booking.

In Xi’an, you visit the city wall, described as the most completely preserved and largest in China. The stop lasts about an hour, and you can optionally rent a bike to ride along it. Cycling is an extra-cost choice, so you can also simply walk and take in the view.

Later, you see the Bell Tower and Drum Tower from the outside, then spend about an hour in the Muslim Quarter. This central area combines food, shopping and local activity. It’s a natural place to get a first taste of Xi’an, but meals are not included, so bring money for anything you want to eat.

The Terracotta Warriors and Tang-era Xi’an

Day 5 is the major archaeological day. The Terracotta Warriors Museum is about 30 kilometers east of Xi’an, and the visit is scheduled for two hours. The figures are known for their sculptural detail and the scale of the collection. Two hours gives you a solid introduction, though you may wish for more time if ancient history is your main reason for coming.

Afterward, there’s an activity where children can make a small replica terracotta soldier to take home. It lasts about an hour and is particularly useful for families, giving younger visitors a hands-on break between museum stops. The description does not specify whether adults can join in, so ask the operator if that matters to your group.

The afternoon includes the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, a Buddhist landmark built in 652 to house scriptures brought back by the monk Xuanzang. You have about an hour there. The day then closes at Grand Tang Dynasty Ever Bright City, a pedestrian area beside the pagoda with Tang-style architecture. The visit lasts about an hour and a half, giving the day a change of pace after the museum.

Shanghai by rail, then the Bund after dark

Day 6 begins with another early hotel pickup, this time around 7:20 a.m. You travel on the G362 or a similar train from Xi’an to Shanghai, scheduled from 8:49 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. Again, train tickets are included, but guide service is not provided aboard the train.

At Shanghai South Railway Station, a local guide meets you. The schedule then moves to the Bund, where you have about an hour to view its varied historic buildings along the Huangpu River. This is the city’s classic waterfront stop, with architecture in styles including Gothic, Baroque, Romanesque and classical.

The evening Huangpu River cruise lasts about an hour and is included. It gives you a different view of the riverbanks and the contrast between Puxi and Pudong. After two train days in a row, the cruise is a relatively easy way to see Shanghai from the water. It is still a scheduled group activity within your private tour, so don’t expect a free evening unless the guide’s timing allows one.

Shanghai Museum, Yu Garden and Xintiandi

On the final day, you visit the Shanghai Museum at People’s Square for about an hour. Its collection spans from the Stone Age to modern times, with more than 120,000 cultural objects described in the tour information. One hour is a short visit for a large museum, so consider it an introduction rather than time to see everything.

Yu Garden gets about two hours, including time in the nearby market area. The classical garden was built for the Pan family’s parents as a place to enjoy a peaceful old age. The surrounding market adds a busier commercial contrast. This stop gives you both a garden visit and a chance to browse, but purchases are your own expense.

The last sightseeing stop is Xintiandi, a pedestrian district where traditional Shikumen architecture houses modern restaurants, boutiques and galleries. You have about an hour. It’s a fitting final glimpse of Shanghai’s mix of older buildings and contemporary city life, though it is not a substitute for a longer free evening.

At the end of the day, the guide and driver take you to the airport or train station. The tour ends in Shanghai, not back in Beijing, so plan your onward journey from there.

What the $1,835.56 price covers

At $1,835.56 per person, the tour includes six hotel nights with daily breakfast, based on two people sharing, plus second-class bullet train tickets from Beijing to Xi’an and Xi’an to Shanghai. Private air-conditioned transfers, licensed drivers, English-speaking local guides on sightseeing days, first-gate admission fees for listed attractions, daily bottled water and local taxes are also included.

That bundle can be good value if you would otherwise book hotels, rail tickets, transfers and guides separately. Private transport is especially useful on days with several stops or when you arrive in a new city by train. The private format also means the sightseeing group is your party, not a larger coach group. There are no shopping stops built into the schedule.

Still, the price does not cover everything. Meals, gratuities and personal expenses are extra, and a guide does not travel with you on the trains. Hotel comfort level is described as comfortable or luxury, but the exact property should be confirmed before booking. Ask what room category and location apply to your dates, since those details affect the experience.

A few practical points before you book

This tour suits people who want the big-name sights handled for them and don’t mind a full schedule. Families may appreciate the private arrangement and the terracotta soldier activity for children. The tour allows a vegetarian option if you advise the operator in advance.

Expect early starts, long sightseeing days and plenty of walking. Comfortable shoes are recommended, and you may encounter squat toilets in China, which can take some getting used to. One traveler described the local team as attentive to their needs and said the guides were helpful; the same account also noted feeling safe walking at night. That is reassuring, though it is not a promise about every neighborhood or situation.

You’ll need to provide each participant’s passport name, number, expiry date and country when booking. The operator says it will send pickup information at least a day ahead, and the guide will call or leave a message through the hotel the night before a pickup. If you need a train-station transfer instead of an airport transfer at either end, the tour description says that can be adjusted.

Should you book this China tour?

Book it if your priority is seeing Beijing, Xi’an and Shanghai in one organized week, with rail, hotels, private transfers and local guides arranged together. The Great Wall, Forbidden City, Terracotta Warriors and Bund make a strong set of first-time highlights, and the no-shopping policy keeps the focus on sightseeing.

Skip it if you want long, unplanned hours at each site, late starts or a slower pace. Before paying, confirm the hotel category, your arrival and departure transfer points, and the Forbidden City schedule if your visit could fall on a Monday. For a fast, guided introduction to three major cities, this is a well-structured option, provided you’re comfortable trading free time for convenience.

FAQ

Are train tickets included?

Yes. Second-class bullet train tickets from Beijing to Xi’an and Xi’an to Shanghai are included. Guide service on the trains is not included.

How many hotel nights are included?

The tour includes six nights of accommodation with daily breakfast. The listed basis is two people sharing, and the hotel option is described as comfortable or luxury.

Are meals included?

No. Breakfast is included at the hotels, but other meals are not included. A vegetarian option is available if you advise the operator in advance.

Is the tour private?

Yes. It is a private activity for your group, with private transfers and local English-speaking guides during sightseeing days.

Can I be picked up at a train station instead of an airport?

The arrival and departure transfers can be adjusted to use a train station instead of an airport. Contact the operator with your required transfer details.

Is the Forbidden City open every day?

No. The Forbidden City is closed on Mondays. Check that your Beijing sightseeing day does not fall on a Monday.