The Ultimate 2 Week China Itinerary

This post may contain affiliate links. We may receive a small commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase. Read Disclosure.

China is a massive country, and with only two weeks, it can be hard to know where to start when planning your China itinerary.

Many visitors stop by the main cities: Beijing, Shanghai, and maybe Xi’an, with a few opportunities to get off the beaten path and to experience the beautiful nature of China.

After five years of living in China, I’ve had plenty of experience planning itineraries and showing my friends and family around. Today I’m going to share with you the perfect two week itinerary for China.

The 2 week China itinerary I’ve put together will show you some of the best things to do in mainland China and help you explore the major sights, while also spending some time on the Tibetan Plateau.

Let’s take a look!

2 Week China Itinerary

So, where to go in China? If you only have two weeks at your disposal, you’re going to need to be ok with missing out on a few places.

You will see the most iconic cities such as Beijing and Shanghai, as well as visit some bucket list places such as the Great Wall of China, but you’ll have to save Hong Kong and the southern provinces of China for another trip – there simply isn’t enough time.

Below is the ultimate 14 day China itinerary for those who want to get off the beaten path and see some of the best places to visit in China.

Days 1-3: Beijing

It’s not a trip to China without stopping by the capital city of Beijing.

After a solid two-years of living in Beijing, I might be a bit biased, but there are so many incredible things to do in this city.

From hiking the Great Wall of China to wandering the Forbidden City, and exploring Beijing’s hutongs, you could spend your full two-weeks here and not see everything.

Hike the Great Wall

I’m a bit of a Great Wall of China fanatic, and I’ve hiked NINE different sections of the wall. (Yeah, I know I’m a bit obsessed.)

If you want to see the Great Wall the right way, my biggest advice is to get off the beaten path and visit the Wild Wall, a section of  the wall not officially open to tourists.

Either that, or visit a part of the great wall that is tourist-friendly, but un-restored. Check out a section like Huanghuacheng, Gubeikou, or Jinshanling.

Whatever you do, I definitely recommend skipping Badaling, the most famous and touristy section of the Great…