Quick Answer
For your first trip to China, fewer cities mean higher success.
Use this rule and do not exceed it:
- 4–6 days → 1 city
- 7–10 days → 2 cities
- 11–14 days → 3 cities (maximum)
If your plan breaks this rule, remove a city now.
The Mistake Most First-Time Visitors Make
First-timers plan China like Europe.
That fails because:
- Cities are far apart
- Transfers consume full days
- Check-in, security, and waiting add hidden time
- Fatigue compounds quickly
In China, every extra city costs more than you expect.
Why Fewer Cities Work Better
Choosing fewer cities gives you:
- Fewer long transfers
- More predictable days
- Fewer payment and transport failures
- Better recovery from delays
You see more, not less.
Exact Actions: Lock the Right Number of Cities
1. Write down your total trip days
Open Notes and write the total number of days you will be in China.
Do not count arrival or departure days as full sightseeing days.
2. Apply the hard city limit
Match your days to the rule:
- 4–6 days → 1 city
- 7–10 days → 2 cities
- 11–14 days → 3 cities
If your list exceeds the limit, remove the city with the longest transfer.
3. Count transfer days honestly
For every city change, assume:
- Hotel checkout
- Transit to station or airport
- Security and waiting
- Arrival transfer
This costs half to a full day, even on fast trains.
If you have two long transfers, your plan is already too full.
4. Do not “touch” cities
A city is not “visited” if you:
- Arrive late
- Leave early
- Only see one sight
Touching cities creates fatigue without experience.
5. Add nature destinations only after cities are fixed
Nature trips:
- Consume full days
- Depend on weather
- Add complexity
If adding nature forces you over the city limit, drop the nature stop.
Failure Scenarios & Fixes
- Your itinerary looks impressive but rushed: remove one city.
- Two travel days in a row: collapse cities into one base.
- Constant packing and unpacking: stay longer in fewer places.
- Missed connections or delays: use buffer days instead of pushing on.
- You feel tired by day three: the plan is already too full.
Most failures are planning failures, not execution failures.
Reality Check
- Transfers feel longer on the ground than on maps.
- One relaxed day beats two rushed ones.
- China rewards depth, not coverage.
- You can always come back.
First trips succeed by doing less.
What Locals Do Instead
- Locals cluster activities geographically.
- Locals avoid unnecessary intercity travel.
- Locals return multiple times instead of rushing.
- Locals plan buffer time into every trip.
You should do the same.
Checklist
- Total trip days written down.
- City count matches the hard rule.
- Longest-transfer city removed if over limit.
- No “touch” cities included.
- Nature trips added only if time allows.