10 days · Solo (implied from context)
7 Days in China — Shanghai, Chengdu & Chongqing
This itinerary skips Beijing's tourist fatigue and the remote south in favor of three cities that nail your interests: Shanghai for cosmopolitan walkability and art, Chengdu for culture and food depth, Chongqing for raw urban drama and the best hot pot of your life. The pace is deliberate — two full days per city plus a travel day — so you actually absorb each place. This preview covers the first 7 days of a 10-day trip — claim it to build the full itinerary with Voyaige.
Built for solo (implied from context) spending 10 days in China (multi-city)
Budget Estimate
$770
~$110/day for 10 days · USD
Before You Go
Apply for China visa-free entry confirmation if your passport qualifies — double-check current eligible nationalities before booking.
Download WeChat Pay or Alipay and link a foreign card; cash acceptance has declined significantly across all three cities.
Install a VPN on your phone before entering China — Google Maps, Instagram, and most Western apps are blocked.
Book train tickets on the Trip.com app or at station windows; high-speed rail books out fast during spring holidays.
Screenshot or download offline maps of Shanghai, Chengdu, and Chongqing since Google Maps is unreliable without a VPN.
Good to Know
Alipay now allows foreign credit cards without a Chinese bank account — set it up before you land, it makes everything easier.
Didi (China's Uber) works well in all three cities and accepts foreign cards through the international app version.
Spring in Chengdu and Chongqing is overcast and humid — pack a light layer and umbrella regardless of the forecast.
Chongqing's terrain is genuinely vertical; expect stairs, escalators built into hillsides, and bridges at building level 10.
Hot pot broth in Chongqing is significantly more intense than Chengdu versions — ask for half-spicy (微辣) on your first visit.
For queer spaces in Shanghai, the Yanping Road cluster (Fly, Lucca, Panda) is the most reliable; apps like Blued also show local venues.
When in doubt on food, follow the queue — a 10-person line outside a ¥15 noodle shop is more reliable than any review app.
Day by Day
Arrive Shanghai — French Concession First Look
Check in and decompress
Drop bags at your hotel in the French Concession and walk the block.
FreeWander Wukang Road
Stroll the most photogenic tree-lined street in Shanghai, past heritage villas.
FreeTianzifang Artisan Lanes
Explore this preserved shikumen labyrinth packed with independent boutiques and galleries.
Free to enterThe Bund evening walk
Cross the river to see Pudong's skyline lit up — best 30-minute walk in China.
FreeWhere to eat
Airport or in-flight
Eat before landing, save appetite.
Jesse Restaurant (吉士酒家), French Concession
Order braised pork and scallion noodles.
Shanghai Deep Dive — Art, Architecture, Queer Scene
Power Station of Art
China's premier contemporary art museum in a converted power plant; always a strong show.
¥20–50West Bund Museum District walk
Walk the riverside past Yuz Museum and Tank Shanghai — duck in if something catches you.
Free to walk; ¥100 museum entryJing'an District boutique shopping
Hit Anfu Road and Changshu Road for independent fashion, ceramics, and design stores.
VariableJing'an Temple exterior
Photograph this gilded temple wedged between skyscrapers — the architectural contrast is the point.
Free exteriorDestination / FLY Bar area
Shanghai's queer bar cluster on Yanping Road — Fly is the long-standing anchor bar.
¥50–150Where to eat
Yang's Fry-Dumpling (小杨生煎), any branch
Pan-fried soup dumplings. Get four.
Lost Heaven, Bund branch
Yunnan cuisine; order the Dai-style fish.
Spicy Joint (辣府), Jing'an
Sichuan dry pot before you even reach Chengdu.
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Shanghai to Chengdu — High-Speed Rail Day
Hongqiao station departure
Board high-speed rail to Chengdu East; the ride is roughly 8.5 hours.
¥550–700 second classArrive Chengdu East, check in
Check into your hotel near Tongzilin or Yulin neighborhood for good food access.
FreeYulin neighborhood night walk
Explore Chengdu's most lived-in residential-commercial district; bars, mahjong, street snacks.
FreeWhere to eat
Hotel or nearby congee shop
Early and light before the train.
Train or Hongqiao station food court
Hot noodles at the station food court.
Yulin Chuanchuan Xiang stalls
Spicy skewers; pick your own from trays.
Chengdu — Culture, Teahouses, Old City
Wenshu Monastery
Active Tang-dynasty Buddhist monastery with a genuinely calm teahouse courtyard inside.
FreeKuanzhai Alley (Wide and Narrow Lanes)
Qing-era laneways; tourist-facing but architecturally strong — shop the edge streets.
FreeSichuan Museum
Strong collection on Shu civilization, Tibetan art, and revolutionary propaganda posters.
FreeHeming Teahouse, People's Park
Sit in a bamboo chair, order jasmine tea, and watch ear-cleaners and retirees for hours.
¥10–20Sichuan Opera face-changing show
Shufeng Yayun teahouse hosts nightly shows with acrobatics, shadow puppets, and bian lian.
¥150–200Where to eat
Dan dan mian stall near Wenshu
Sesame noodles; order a bowl and wontons.
Long Chao Shou (龙抄手), city center branch
Wonton soup and red oil dumplings.
Haidilao or local alternative near Sichuan Opera
Hot pot before or after the show.
Chengdu to Chongqing — Urban Drama Begins
Chengdu morning: 102 Art Center or HOW Art Museum
Contemporary art warehouse space in Chengdu's 东郊记忆 creative district; skip if jet-lagged.
¥50–80High-speed rail to Chongqing
Chengdu East to Chongqing North takes 65–75 minutes; trains run every 30 minutes.
¥105 second classCheck in near Jiefangbei or Nanbin Road
Stay in the peninsula CBD for maximum walkability to all major Chongqing highlights.
FreeHongyadong stilt houses
18-story riverside stilted structure built into the cliff — surreal at dusk, spectacular at night.
FreeJiefangbei CBD night walk
China's densest commercial core lit at night — neon, density, and chaos in the best way.
FreeWhere to eat
Hotel breakfast or Chengdu noodle shop
Last chance for Chengdu breakfast noodles.
Train station or on the train
Grab bento at Chengdu East station.
Xiaomian noodle shop, Jiefangbei area
Chongqing-style spicy noodles; order dry.
Chongqing — Architecture, Hillside City, Hot Pot
Eling Park overlook
Hilltop park with the best panoramic view of Chongqing's impossibly stacked river peninsula.
FreeCiqi Kou Ancient Town
Ming-dynasty river port village; more authentic than most 'ancient towns' — explore the back lanes.
FreeChongqing Contemporary Art Museum (CQAM)
Free municipal museum with rotating contemporary Chinese art in a strong building.
FreeLiziba Station (Train Through Building)
Watch Metro Line 2 pass through the middle of a residential tower — genuinely extraordinary.
FreeNanbin Road riverside walk
Walk the south bank at golden hour for the full Chongqing skyline against the Yangtze.
FreeChongqing hot pot dinner
Sit at a proper Chongqing mala hot pot — this is the origin city; don't skip it.
¥100–180 per personWhere to eat
Street stall near hotel
Congee or fried dough; keep it simple.
Ciqi Kou food stalls
Mao xuewang (blood curd and offal stew).
Dezhuang or Liu Yishou Hot Pot, Jiefangbei
Mandatory. Order beef tripe and brain.
Chongqing Morning, Fly Home
Three Gorges Museum
Excellent museum on Yangtze River civilization, Three Gorges dam history, and Ba culture.
FreeJiefangbei pedestrian street last walk
Final browse for souvenirs, hot pot seasoning packs, and local snacks to bring home.
VariableHead to Jiangbei Airport
Allow 60–90 minutes to Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport by Metro or taxi.
¥10 Metro or ¥80–100 taxiWhere to eat
Hotel or nearby xiaomian shop
One last bowl of Chongqing noodles.
Airport terminal
Eat before security if time allows.
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