1-week across Northern China by train

Want to see the best of Northern China ? Discover the Terracotta Army, Buddhist grottoes, the old city of  Pingyao and the port city of Qingdao ? You have a 1 week vacation to plan ?
This itinerary is made for you ! Discover the cradle of the Chinese civilization. 😍

Itinerary details of this one week across Nothern China

Beijing > Xi’an > Luoyang > Pingyao > Datong > Qingdao

🗺 Need a road map to prepare your itinerary ? We recommend this one, the most detailed and the most pleasant to read !

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The itinerary : step by step

What to do in Beijing ?

Historic capital of China. 

• Explore Beijing’s Hutong, the geographical and cultural center of the traditional city. Stroll around the streets with low buildings, houses with square backyards and siheyuan were built by the Ming and Qing dynasties. Enjoy the shade of these narrow streets.
• Get to know about Chinese history when visiting the Forbidden City, home to two dynasties of emperors. Discover a monument with a true character and rich past.
• Visit the Tibetan Buddhist temps : Yonghe Temple, asso called Lama Temple. Appreciate the unique roofs, beautiful decorative arches, wall paintings, Tibetan prayer wheels, carpentry, Tantric statues and walk through a cloud of sacred incense. A must-see !
• Climb up the Great Wall of China in Badaling, most accessible part from Beijing (the subway stops nearby). The wall is in great condition but there is always a lot of people. If you plan on staying longer in the city, you should rather go to Jiankou and Zhuangdaokou, where there will be much less people.
• Visit the Summer Palace, a beautiful historical site with lakes, gardens and incredible architecture and art work.

What to do in Xi’an ?

Former starting point of the Silk Road. 

• Do not miss the city’s bulwark. One of the rare cites to have kept its bulwark built in 1370 under the Ming dynasty. You can walk the whole bulwark on a 4 hour walk, a unique experience !
• Stroll through the Muslim neighbourhood cher the Hui (Muslim Chinese) lived for centuries. Discover the small streets North of the Drum Tower : butcher shops, small hidden mosques and sesame oil factories.
• Head East of Xi’an to discover the most famous archeological discovery in the world : the Terracotta Army. These buried human-size soldiers have been watching over China’s first Emperor for thousands of years.

What to do in Luoyang ?

Previous heart of the Chinese world and capital of the Tang dynasty. 

• Relive the city’s past through Luoyang Museum‘s fascinating collections. Potteries, bronze statues and tricolour Sancai chinas.
• Take a minibus to Song Shan, the sacred moutain. Explore the Shaolin Buddhist temple, famous for practicing Kung-fu. Discover decorative arches, stone lions and the prints carved in the ground by the praying monks.
• Be sure to check out Fengxian Cave, the most impressive in Longmen. Carved between 672 and 676 under the Tang dynasty. You will be impressed by the 17 m/ 55.7 ft tall Buddha statue !

What to do in Pingyao ?

Dive into Imperial China. 

• Climb up the city’s beautiful bulwark, the most well-preserved in China. Built in 1370, over 10 m/ 32.8 ft tall, you will get a stunning view of the city.
• Visit the Shuanglin Temple, worshiped by the local population. You will truly get into their culture !
• Head to the city’s most famous street : Nan Dajie. Stroll through many shops, in thousand years old buildings : a lovely insight of the city.
• For a culinary discovery, try the local dish : zhonghua laozihao niurou. A famous beef dish.

What to do in Datong ?

Starting point of extraordinary Buddhist treasures. 

• Explore the old city and the Nine Dragon Wall, 45 m/148 ft long, 8 m/26 ft tall and 2 m/6.6 ft wide. You will be impressed by this wall built in 1392 !
• Take a bus to the Hanging Temple, built on the side of a cliff in Jinlong Canyon. A must-see !
• If you could only see one last thing in Northern China, it would have to be the Yungang Grottoes. Dating back to the 5th century, there are 252 caves in total and over 51 000 ancient statues. You be speechless !

What to do in Qingdao ?

A modern city with a rich heritage.

• Discover the colonial architecture when visiting the Museum of the Former German Governor’s Residence, built in the style of a Bavarian palace.
• To admire the hills and the bay, climb up the tower of the Villa Huashi Lou.
• If you’d like to swim, get a paddleboat, go fishing or simply sunbath, head to one of the city’s four beaches.

Learn more…

• Check out all the practical informations you need to know about the country, by clicking here.
• To book a flight at the best price, we recommend you this website.

If you have more information, good deals, or any advice to share about this itinerary, leave a comment bellow ! Our team will be happy to hear about your experiences !