Sample 12-Day China Itinerary for Overseas Travel Companies
This 12-day Beijing–Xi’an–Shanghai programme is a sample framework for overseas travel companies developing a first-time China product. It demonstrates route logic and service questions; it is not a live quotation and must be adapted to dates, market, group profile, hotel level and current availability.
Programme at a glance
- Beijing: 4 nights
- Xi’an: 3 nights
- Shanghai: 4 nights
- Suggested for FIT, private groups or a series framework with model-specific adjustments
Days 1–4: Beijing
- Day 1: airport arrival, private transfer and light orientation according to flight time.
- Day 2: Tiananmen area, Forbidden City and selected historic neighborhood.
- Day 3: full Great Wall excursion with section chosen for market and mobility.
- Day 4: Temple of Heaven, museum or cultural experience, and flexible dining.
Operating notes: check current attraction reservation rules, Great Wall transfer time, walking level, guide language, coach access and whether included meals suit the market.
Days 5–7: Xi’an
- Day 5: high-speed rail from Beijing, station assistance and Xi’an orientation.
- Day 6: Terracotta Warriors with time for transfers and interpretation.
- Day 7: City Wall, museum or historic site, and food-culture experience.
Operating notes: define rail class, porter or luggage assistance, station transfer, passport-data deadline, museum closing days and meal inclusions.
Days 8–12: Shanghai
- Day 8: rail or air to Shanghai according to product positioning and timetable.
- Day 9: the Bund, architecture and a historic neighborhood.
- Day 10: museum, local food and modern Shanghai.
- Day 11: free day, specialist interest or optional day trip.
- Day 12: private airport transfer and departure.
Operating notes: identify arrival station or airport, confirm museum reservations, decide whether the optional day remains commissionable or client-direct, and protect international check-in time.
Core service assumptions to define
- Hotel category, location, rooming basis and breakfast
- Private vehicle or coach size and luggage capacity
- Local guides, national escort and language
- Rail or domestic air class
- Included entrances, activities and meals
- Arrival and departure assistance
- Water, porterage, gratuities and guest documents
- Emergency contact and change-approval process
How to adapt this programme
- Family market: reduce long museum blocks and protect meals and rest.
- Premium FIT: add hotel, guide and dining personalization and more free time.
- Private group: test coach access, restaurant capacity and group movement.
- Series tour: standardize inclusions, dates, hotel alternatives and change control.
- Specialist culture: extend museum, architecture or culinary content and match the guide profile.
What is not included in this sample
No price, hotel commitment, ticket allocation, special access, guide assignment or operating guarantee is implied. These require a dated brief, availability review and written quotation.
Frequently asked questions
Can this be used for a series tour?
Yes as a starting structure, but series work requires departure dates, allocation strategy, price bands, minimum numbers and change deadlines.
Can Chengdu or Guilin be added?
Yes, but a fourth destination normally needs additional days or a reduction elsewhere to protect pacing.
How do we request pricing?
Use our China DMC quotation brief checklist and provide the intended dates, market, group profile and service assumptions.
Prepared by the Impression China Journeys planning team. Reviewed July 2026. See our Editorial & Information Standards.
Request an adapted China programme
Send your company profile, market, dates, passenger profile and required service level. We will adapt the route and return the operational questions needed for a proposal. Contact our China DMC team.