An China 18 day itinerary is the route we build for travelers who have nearly three weeks and refuse to choose between the classics and the deep southwest. The two extra days over a sixteen-day loop let you add both Hangzhou and a proper two-day Dali stay, so nothing feels skimmed. On a trip we ran last autumn, the group covered nine cities and still came home saying the slow Yunnan mornings were the trip. This China 18 days plan runs Beijing, Xi’an, Chengdu, Yunnan (Lijiang and Dali), Guilin, Zhangjiajie, Hangzhou, and Shanghai, with prices and transport you can book today, plus the practical notes we hand every group before they fly.
Days 1–3: Beijing, the Capital Layer Cake
Fly into Beijing and take three full days. The Airport Express train is 25–30 RMB and 25 minutes; we tell clients to skip the taxi queue and take it, then a DiDi for the last mile. Stay in Wangfujing (hotels from 400 RMB) or Gulou for character (guesthouses from 250 RMB). Day one is the Forbidden City (60 RMB peak, 40 RMB off-peak; timed slots three days ahead) and Tiananmen Square, then Gulou hutong noodles (38 RMB). Day two is Mutianyu Great Wall — 8 AM shuttle from Dongzhimen (45 RMB plus 15 RMB bus), cable car up and toboggan down (100 RMB each way), snacks packed. Day three is the Summer Palace (30–60 RMB) and the 798 Art Zone, ending with Peking duck (180–260 RMB for two).
The best season is April–May or September–October. Our best time to visit China maps this month by month so you can dodge the summer heat and winter wind.
Days 4–5: Xi’an, Where the Silk Road Started
The G-train Beijing West to Xi’an North is 4.5 hours and 515–935 RMB; second class at 515 RMB is what we book. Day four is the Terracotta Warriors (120 RMB with shuttle), arriving at the 8:30 opening; evening is the Muslim Quarter’s skewers (8–12 RMB) and biangbiang noodles. Day five is the Xi’an City Wall (54 RMB; bike 45 RMB for the 13.7 km loop) and the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda fountains; tired legs can take the 80 RMB electric cart.
Days 6–7: Chengdu, Pandas and Slow Mornings
The Xi’an–Chengdu F-train is 3 hours (263–398 RMB). Day six is the Chengdu Panda Base (55 RMB; before 9 AM for feeding) and the Wenshu teahouse (20 RMB). Day seven is Sanxingdui Museum (72 RMB, Guanghan, 40 min by bus) or a Kuanzhai cooking class (from 280 RMB); we also send clients to People’s Park for a 30 RMB ear-cleaning. Hotpot runs 120–180 RMB per head; order the yuan yang half-and-half pot if you’re spice-shy.
Days 8–11: Yunnan — Lijiang and Dali
Fly Chengdu–Lijiang (about 1 hour, 400–700 RMB). Day eight is Lijiang Old Town (free entry; Mu Residence inside 50 RMB) and Black Dragon Pool (50 RMB); stay in the quieter southern lanes (guesthouses from 200 RMB). Day nine is Jade Dragon Snow Mountain — 7 AM shuttle (100 RMB entry plus 140 RMB cable car to Glacier Park, oxygen 30 RMB at base); we cap the visit at lower meadows if anyone feels light-headed. Day ten is the high-speed train Lijiang–Dali (2 hours, 80–120 RMB) and a bike loop around Erhai Lake (rental 40 RMB/day), with a Xizhou morning market stop for 15 RMB rice cakes. Day eleven is Dali Old Town and the Three Pagodas (45 RMB), plus a cooking session with locals we arrange (from 200 RMB) — the extra day is exactly what makes this a grand, unhurried loop.
Days 12–13: Guilin and Yangshuo, the Karst Dream
Fly Dali–Guilin (about 1.5 hours, 500–800 RMB). Day twelve is the Li River cruise to Yangshuo (210–360 RMB, 4 hours) — the 20 RMB note view. Rent an e-bike (40 RMB/day) for the Yulong River bamboo raft (200 RMB). Day thirteen is rock climbing or the Impression Liu Sanjie show (320 RMB); if rain hits, Reed Flute Cave (90 RMB) is a dry lit cavern near Guilin.
Days 14–15: Zhangjiajie, the Avatar Peaks
Fly Guilin–Zhangjiajie (about 1.5 hours, 500–900 RMB). Day fourteen is Yuanjiajie and the Avatar Hallelujah Mountain (Wulingyuan pass 225 RMB for four days, plus 65 RMB shuttle and 72 RMB Bailong elevator) — go at 7 AM. Day fifteen is Tianmen Mountain (261 RMB with glass walkway and 99-bend road); the nearby Grand Canyon glass bridge is another 138 RMB for the brave.
Day 16: Hangzhou, the West Lake Pause
Fly Zhangjiajie–Hangzhou (about 2 hours, 600–900 RMB). One full day is the point of the China 18 day route: a boat on West Lake (70 RMB public, 150 RMB self-rowed), Hefang Street snacks like Longjing shrimp (68 RMB), then the Longjing tea terraces in Meijiawu (30–50 RMB tasting). We’ve found the lake at 7 AM, before tour groups, is when Hangzhou shows itself.
Days 17–18: Shanghai, the Modern Finish
The high-speed train Hangzhou–Shanghai is 45 minutes (73 RMB). Two days: the Bund at night, Yu Garden (40 RMB), the French Concession, and the free Shanghai Museum. Ride the Maglev from Pudong (50 RMB) for the 300 km/h run. Our best things to do in China lists the Pearl Tower and more. For the train legs, our China high speed train guide for foreigners explains the real-name system.
This is the full China 18 day route, the best China 18 day trip for travelers who want the whole country without a packed three-week sprint. If you ask us how to spend 18 days in China with both classics and highlands, this China 18 day travel plan is the answer, sitting above our China 2 week itinerary and just under the longer China 3 week itinerary. Start with the China travel guide for first timers if the rail passes are new to you. Every hotel, train, and flight is bookable today — only the Yunnan, Zhangjiajie, and Hangzhou flights tighten in October.
Is This Route Right for You?
This China 18 day travel plan is the choice for travelers who have nearly three weeks and refuse to pick between the classics and the deep southwest. The China 18 day route adds both Hangzhou and a full two-day Dali stay over the sixteen-day version, so nothing feels rushed. We’ve run it for retirees on a once-in-a-lifetime trip and for remote workers who folded in a few work mornings during the slow Yunnan days. If you’ve seen the big cities, swap Beijing or Shanghai for extra Yunnan time. For travelers asking how to spend 18 days in China with both highlands and skylines, this best China 18 day trip is the one we recommend, and every booking on it is live today.
Practical Tips for the Whole Route
Carry your passport for every hotel and ticket counter, and download Alipay before you land — it handles subway codes, DiDi, and most vendors, and now links to foreign cards. The Yunnan legs sit at 2,000–3,200 meters, so we build a gentle ascent and tell clients to drink three liters of water a day on the plateau. Book trains on the official 12306 platform three to seven days ahead; the Beijing–Xi’an leg sells out in peak weeks. Pack a refillable bottle, a daypack, and one warm layer even in summer, because the highlands and Zhangjiajie swing cold after dark. Keep 200 RMB cash for market stalls, and protect one buffer afternoon for unplanned finds — the best Yunnan meals we’ve had were in lanes we never mapped.
What the Whole Loop Costs
A mid-range solo traveler should budget about 14,500–19,000 RMB excluding international flights: hotels (500–700 RMB/night) roughly 10,000 RMB across the long stay, trains and five internal flights about 4,500 RMB, attractions about 1,700 RMB, and food (120–200 RMB/day) about 2,700 RMB. Sharing rooms cuts the hotel line nearly in half. We’ve run this route for under 1,250 RMB/day per person by booking guesthouses in Lijiang and Dali and taking second-class trains.
Before you go
Carry your passport for every hotel and ticket counter. For official rail schedules and seat availability, see the China Railway official site (English version).