Quick Answer
If this is your first trip to China, start with Shanghai.
If you have more than 7 days, add Beijing or Xi’an—do not add more than two cities.
Avoid complex, spread-out, or scenic-only destinations until your second trip.
The Rule That Prevents Most First-Trip Failures
For your first visit, success matters more than variety.
A “good” first city must have:
- An international airport with metro access
- Dense metro coverage across tourist areas
- High acceptance of Alipay and WeChat Pay
- Large hotels with service desks
- Clear English signage in transport hubs
If a city fails two or more of these, do not include it on your first trip.
Start Here: The Safest First City
Shanghai — Lowest Friction, Highest Success Rate
Why Shanghai works for first-timers
- Best metro coverage in China
- Clear English signage in airports and stations
- Highest acceptance of mobile payments
- Hotels and service desks handle foreigners daily
- Easy airport → city transfers
When Shanghai is enough
- 4–6 day trips
- Short business or sightseeing visits
- Travelers who want minimal uncertainty
If you only choose one city, choose Shanghai.
Add One Second City (Only If You Have Time)
If you have 7–10 days, you may add one of the following.
Beijing — Structured, Predictable, Historic
Choose Beijing if you want
- Major historical sites
- Clear city structure
- Heavy police and staff presence
- Organized transport systems
Watch out
- Distances are large
- Some attractions require advance booking
Beijing works best after Shanghai, not before.
Xi’an — Compact History With Lower Complexity
Choose Xi’an if you want
- A walkable historic core
- Fewer long transfers
- Simpler city layout
- Lower daily logistics pressure
Why Xi’an is beginner-friendly
- Attractions are concentrated
- Metro is easy to understand
- Hotels are close to sights
Xi’an is the easiest historic city for first-timers.
Cities That Often Cause First-Trip Friction (Save for Later)
These cities are attractive but increase failure risk on a first visit:
- Cities requiring multiple long transfers
- Scenic regions without dense metro networks
- Destinations where taxis or local transport dominate
- Cities with limited English signage outside the airport
They are not unsafe, just inefficient for beginners.
How Many Cities You Should Actually Visit
Use this rule and do not exceed it:
- 4–6 days → 1 city
- 7–10 days → 2 cities
- 11–14 days → 3 cities (only if transfers are short)
If your plan includes two transfers over 5 hours, remove a city.
Exact Actions: How to Lock in the Right Cities
- Write your total days in a notes app.
- If the number of cities exceeds the rule above, cut a city now.
- Check intercity transfer times.
- Open a map app → Directions → Train.
- If travel time exceeds 5 hours, drop one city.
- Choose a central base area.
- Search the city → search a central metro station.
- If walking time to the metro exceeds 15 minutes, change areas.
- Test transit payments.
- Open Alipay Transport, select the city, confirm the QR loads.
- If it fails, plan to buy tickets and carry small cash.
- Save Chinese addresses.
- Copy hotel addresses in Chinese into Notes before arrival.
Failure Scenarios & Fixes
- Your route looks impressive but rushed: remove a city.
- Hotels are cheap but far from metro: change areas, not cities.
- Transfers dominate your days: simplify the itinerary.
- Transit QR fails for a city: plan ticket machines instead of retrying.
- You feel overwhelmed planning: default to Shanghai only.
Reality Check
- Fewer cities = less stress, fewer failures, better memories.
- Long travel days erase sightseeing time.
- First trips succeed by reducing decisions, not adding options.
- China rewards simple, structured plans.
What Locals Do Instead
- Locals cluster activities in one area per day.
- Locals avoid cross-country transfers unless necessary.
- Locals choose convenience over variety.
- Locals return multiple times instead of rushing everything.
You should do the same.
Checklist
- Primary city selected (Shanghai).
- Optional second city added only if days allow.
- No more than one long intercity transfer.
- Base area within 15 minutes of a metro.
- Transit payment tested or ticket plan ready.