Tips & Answers · Community post
China trip advice: this is what ChatGPT came up with
MastertripShared Aug 25, 2026Sorry, I am lazy and just wanted a basic outline, so I used AI. Looking to go next October. It will be my wife and me, a couple in our early 30s from New York. We are Latino, if that matters.
Current idea
Days 1–4: Beijing — 4 nights
Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace, a Great Wall day trip, hutongs, food/night markets and neighbourhood exploring.
Days 5–7: Xi’an — 3 nights
High-speed train from Beijing, Terracotta Warriors, City Wall, Muslim Quarter, Bell and Drum Towers, old city and Shaanxi food.
Days 8–10: Chengdu — 3 nights
High-speed train from Xi’an, Giant Panda Research Base, People’s Park, Kuanzhai Alley, Sichuan food and hotpot, possibly a day trip.
Days 11–14: Shanghai — 4 nights
Fly or train from Chengdu, the Bund, French Concession, Yu Garden/Old City, Shanghai Museum, different neighbourhoods and possibly a nearby water town.
Open to all suggestions.
Comments (1)
As a local Chinese, here is my suggestion: cut one night from Beijing and one night from Xi’an. Everything else in your itinerary is fine.
Two nights are enough for Shanghai. Spend the remaining time exploring cities around Shanghai. Shanghai is largely a modern metropolis, while nearby Nanjing, Suzhou and Hangzhou offer striking scenery and many historic sites that can leave a longer impression.
For the eastern section, consider Nanjing, Suzhou, Hangzhou and then Shanghai. There are frequent high-speed trains between them and the distances are short. You can leave early each day; you do not need to sleep in every city, and an evening transfer can still feel relaxed.
This does not require huge changes to your plan, but it can make the trip more rewarding. The high-speed train from Hangzhou to Shanghai takes about one hour, and two nights in Shanghai is a good arrangement.
One extra piece of advice: try your absolute best to avoid October 1–7. Massive crowds during China’s National Day holiday can greatly affect the experience.