Fly into Beijing Capital Airport (PEK) or Beijing Daxing Airport (PKX) from India as a long-haul arrival day, and try to land by afternoon or early evening if possible. Expect about 1–1.5 hours for immigration, baggage, and customs, then take a prebooked airport transfer or a taxi/ride-hailing car into central Beijing; from PEK to Dongcheng/Qianmen it’s usually 40–70 minutes depending on traffic, while PKX can take 60–90 minutes. If you’re carrying multiple bags, a fixed airport pickup is the least stressful option, because Beijing airport taxi queues can get long at peak arrival times. Keep your hotel address written in Chinese, and if you’re staying in the old city, ask the driver for Qianmen, Tiananmen East, or your exact hutong lane.
If you still have daylight after check-in, head straight to Temple of Heaven in Dongcheng for an easy first walk. It’s one of those places where Beijing immediately feels like Beijing: wide paths, old cypress trees, locals doing tai chi, dancing, singing, and playing cards in the park. The main scenic area generally runs roughly 6:00 AM–10:00 PM, with ticketed monument access usually around ¥15–35 depending on what you enter. Don’t overdo it today—just do a calm 1.5-hour loop around the grounds, then sit for a few minutes and let your body catch up with the time change. From the south side of the park, a short taxi or subway ride gets you to Qianmen Street in about 15–25 minutes.
Spend your first night on Qianmen Street, where the restored facades, lanterns, and busy pedestrian flow give you an easy introduction to the old city atmosphere without needing a complicated plan. This area is best after sunset, when the street lights come on and the crowds feel lively rather than chaotic. For dinner, go with a clearly vegetarian place such as Hongyuan Nanmen Hot Pot or another Buddhist-vegetarian restaurant near Qianmen—double-check that the broth is fully meat-free and that they’re not using chicken stock, fish sauce, or egg in dumplings/noodles. A simple hot pot or stir-fry meal usually runs about ¥60–120 per person. After dinner, if you still have energy, do a relaxed Wangfujing area stroll for 30–45 minutes: it’s an easy, bright downtown walk with malls, big hotels, and plenty of people watching, and it’s convenient if your hotel is in central Beijing.
Start early and head straight to Tiananmen Square before the tour buses and security lines build up — ideally be there around 7:30–8:00 a.m. It’s about a 20–30 minute ride from the central Beijing hotel area by taxi/ride-hail, or you can use the Beijing Subway and exit near Tiananmen East or Tiananmen West depending on where you’re coming from. Security checks are strict and bags are scanned, so carry your passport and keep liquids minimal. Spend about an hour here, then walk north into the Forbidden City (Palace Museum); the entrance timing matters because entry is ticketed and crowd control is tight, especially in peak season. Allow about 3 hours inside if you want a focused visit rather than trying to “see everything” — the key is to move deliberately through the central axis, admire the grand halls, and leave yourself energy for the rest of the day.
From the north gate area of the Forbidden City (Palace Museum), exit toward Jingshan Park after lunch or a light snack nearby; this keeps the day flowing naturally without backtracking. A simple vegetarian lunch in the museum area or nearby Wangfujing side streets works fine — keep it practical and don’t overdo it, because the climb at Jingshan Park is short but the views reward you best when you’re not sluggish. The hilltop pavilion is the classic postcard angle over the palace roofs and central Beijing, and an hour is enough unless you want to linger for photos. After that, take a short taxi or subway ride over to Lama Temple (Yonghegong) in the late afternoon. It’s one of the most atmospheric active temples in the city, usually open roughly 9:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. or 5:00 p.m. depending on the season, with a modest entry fee around ¥25. The incense, prayer wheels, and Tibetan Buddhist details make it a really different experience after the imperial scale of the morning.
For dinner, book or arrive early at King’s Joy Vegetarian Restaurant in Dongcheng — it’s one of the city’s best-known vegetarian restaurants, and it suits a pure-vegetarian trip perfectly. Expect refined Chinese vegetarian tasting-style dishes, with dinner usually landing around ¥180–350 per person depending on how much you order; if you’re avoiding egg, fish oil, and hidden animal broths, mention it clearly and ask them to confirm ingredients for every dish. After dinner, if you still have a little energy, finish with a relaxed walk through Nanluoguxiang, where the hutong lanes feel lively without being too demanding. Go for a soft stroll rather than shopping hard; the area is best in the early evening when lanterns and small cafés are buzzing. From there, it’s an easy taxi or subway ride back to your hotel, and you’ll have covered Beijing’s most iconic core without feeling rushed.
Leave Beijing as early as you can — ideally around 6:30–7:00 a.m. — for Mutianyu Great Wall in Huairou District. From central Beijing, the drive usually takes 1.5–2 hours depending on traffic, and on a weekday you’ll beat both tour buses and the midday heat. If you’re using a private car or Didi, ask the driver to drop you at the main shuttle/cable car area; if you’re going by tour transfer, make sure the return pickup time is clearly confirmed before you start hiking. Mutianyu is the best all-around section if you want cleaner views, gentler crowds, and a more relaxed pace than the busier wall sections closer to town.
Use the cable car / chairlift and toboggan to save energy and enjoy the wall without turning it into a workout. A common plan is cable car up, walk along the ramparts for a couple of watchtowers, then come back down either the same way or via the toboggan if you want the fun descent; the whole site usually works out to 3–4 hours including photos and breaks. Afterward, keep lunch simple at a vegetarian-friendly countryside restaurant near Mutianyu in Huairou — think stir-fried greens, mapo tofu without meat, tomato-egg omitted, braised tofu, plain noodles, and rice. Expect roughly ¥50–100 per person; it’s worth telling them very clearly: no meat, no egg, no fish sauce, no fish oil. Carry a translation note on your phone, because rural kitchens will often assume “vegetarian” still allows egg or chicken stock.
If you get back to the city before sunset, do a low-effort stop at Olympic Park in Chaoyang. It’s an easy decompression after the Wall, and the architecture still feels impressively futuristic even years later — especially the Bird’s Nest and Water Cube area around dusk, when the lighting turns the whole district into a nice final photo stop. From there, head to a Haidilao-style or other vegetarian-friendly hot-pot option in central Beijing in Chaoyang or Dongcheng for dinner. Choose a branch where the staff can help you select a clearly vegetarian broth, then load up on mushrooms, tofu, lotus root, cabbage, greens, potatoes, glass noodles, and yuba; budget ¥100–180 per person depending on drinks and extras. If you have the energy after dinner, it’s a straightforward ride back to your hotel by subway or Didi, and this is one of those Beijing days where an early night is totally justified.
Take the high-speed train from Beijing West Railway Station to Xi’an North Railway Station on the earliest comfortable departure you can manage, ideally in the morning so you’re not rushing the rest of the day. Door to door it’s usually 4.5–6 hours, and once you add station time, security, and the transfer into town, expect to land in Xi’an by early afternoon. Bring your own food for the ride if you’re strict about pure vegetarian eating — station snacks in China can be tricky, and “vegetarian” labels are not always reliable if you avoid egg, fish oil, and meat broth too.
After checking into your hotel, head straight to Xi’an City Wall (South Gate area) for an easy first look at the old city. The South Gate is the most atmospheric entry point, and late afternoon light makes the wall look especially good for photos. Plan about 1.5 hours here; if the weather is kind, you can walk a short stretch on top of the wall or just soak in the scale of it from below. From there, it’s a short ride or walk toward the center for Bell Tower, which is more of a quick landmark stop than a long visit — about 45 minutes is enough to get the classic view, understand the city layout, and maybe circle the surrounding intersection where old Xi’an and modern traffic meet. Tickets are usually modest, and the area is busiest around sunset, so don’t worry if you only pause briefly.
As the streets cool down, wander into Muslim Quarter for the energy, neon, and people-watching. This is the place to move slowly and pick only clearly vegetarian items: look for sesame cakes, liangpi made without meat sauce, roasted nuts, fresh fruit, and simple bread or sweet snacks from stalls that are visibly frying or baking without shared meat grills. Keep your guard up with sauces and broths, and don’t be shy about asking “bu yao rou, bu yao dan, bu yao yu you” if you need to say no meat, no egg, no fish oil. For dinner, choose a vegetarian Shaanxi restaurant near Bell Tower — ideally a monastery-style or old-school noodle place where you can confirm the broth and oil clearly; expect around ¥60–120 per person. If you still have energy after eating, the walk back through the lit-up lanes is lovely, and it’s the kind of night where you can leave a little room for wandering instead of trying to tick off every corner.
Start your day in the Yanta district at Giant Wild Goose Pagoda — this is one of Xi’an’s signature landmarks, and it works best in the morning when the plaza is still relatively calm and the light is good for photos. If you’re coming from a central Xi’an hotel, a taxi or ride-hail usually takes about 20–30 minutes depending on traffic. Entry to the outer plaza is often free, while climbing the pagoda has a separate ticket; if you want a simple, non-rushed visit, allow about 1.5 hours total for the grounds and surrounding temple area. Dress modestly, keep an eye on your shoes around busy prayer spaces, and go at an easy pace — this part of the city is nice when you don’t try to rush it.
Walk or take a short ride over to Datang Everbright City, which is Xi’an’s polished, pedestrian-friendly spectacle zone — more about atmosphere than deep history, but still worth it for the scale, the architecture, and the contrast with the pagoda area. It’s best viewed when the streets are active but not yet packed, and in June it can get hot by midday, so use this stop as a slower stroll with an iced drink break rather than a hard sightseeing block. From here, head to Shaanxi History Museum; this is one of the best places in China to understand why Xi’an mattered so much, with collections spanning prehistoric relics through the Tang dynasty. Tickets can be limited, so prebook if possible, and plan about 2 hours inside. The museum is usually busiest after lunch, so arriving with a reserved slot saves a lot of friction.
In the late afternoon, continue to Small Wild Goose Pagoda and Xi’an Museum in Beilin. These two pair well together: the pagoda grounds are peaceful after the busier sites, and the museum gives you a compact, very manageable overview of local history without museum fatigue. It’s a good time of day for a quieter walk, and the surrounding area is easy to navigate on foot or by a short taxi hop from the history museum. Afterward, head to De Fa Chang Dumpling Restaurant near the Bell Tower for dinner — this place is famous, busy, and very convenient, but you should explicitly ask for a vegetarian selection without egg and confirm no meat broth, shrimp, or fish oil is used in any dipping sauce or filling. Expect about ¥80–150 per person depending on how many dumpling sets you order, and go a bit early if you want to avoid the dinner rush.
Finish with a relaxed stroll through Defu Lane and the nearby pedestrian streets. This is a nice low-effort way to end the day: small shops, snack counters, tea places, and enough local foot traffic to keep it lively without feeling chaotic. It’s also one of the easier areas to return from if your hotel is near the city center, with taxis and ride-hails readily available after 8:00 p.m. If you’re tired, keep the walk short and head back early — Xi’an works best when you leave some space in the day instead of trying to squeeze in one more stop.
Take the high-speed rail from Xi’an North Railway Station to Chengdu East Railway Station as early as is comfortable, ideally leaving before 9:00 a.m. so you still get a relaxed afternoon in Chengdu. The ride is usually about 3–4.5 hours, and once you arrive, a taxi or metro into Qingyang District is straightforward; if you’re carrying bags, a Didi from the station saves energy and usually costs less than you’d expect compared with big-city taxis. Keep the day light after arrival — Chengdu rewards slow pacing, especially after a travel morning.
Start gently in People’s Park, which is exactly the right first stop in Chengdu: shaded paths, elderly locals playing cards, and that unmistakable tea-house rhythm the city is famous for. It’s an easy 1-hour wander, and there’s no need to rush — a short walk inside the park brings you to Heming Teahouse, one of the classic places to sit down with a bowl of gongfu tea and just watch Chengdu life unfold. Expect roughly ¥30–80 per person depending on tea choice and seating, and stay as long as you like; this is the kind of place where time slows down properly.
From People’s Park, head to Wenshu Monastery, one of the calmest corners in the city and a very good fit for a pure vegetarian trip. Entry is usually inexpensive or free, and the surrounding lanes are good for a quiet stroll; if you arrive late afternoon, the light is soft and the crowds are manageable. For dinner, stay in the Wenshu Fang area and pick a vegetarian restaurant or temple-area eatery — this is one of the safest parts of Chengdu for meat-free ordering, with plenty of tofu, mushrooms, greens, and mild Sichuan dishes that can be requested without meat, egg, or fish sauce. After dinner, if you still have energy, end with a slow evening walk through Kuanzhai Alley; it’s lively, well-lit, and best enjoyed as a one-hour browse rather than a “must-see” checklist stop.
Start very early for Giant Panda Breeding Research Base in Chenghua — ideally leave your hotel around 7:00 a.m. so you reach by opening time and catch the pandas when they’re most active before the Chengdu heat kicks in. A taxi or Didi from central Chengdu usually takes 25–40 minutes depending on traffic; budget roughly ¥25–50. Tickets are around ¥55, and on busy days it can feel crowded by 9:30 a.m., so a weekday morning is best. Go straight to the nursery and outdoor enclosures first, then wander at an easy pace; the full visit is usually 2.5–3 hours, and you’ll want water, comfortable shoes, and patience for the shuttle-like walking routes inside the park.
After the pandas, head to Chunxi Road in Jinjiang for a city-center reset and lunch. It’s about a 25–35 minute ride from the base, and this is the part of Chengdu where the pace flips from nature to neon: big malls, street performers, and lots of places to sit down. Keep lunch simple and vegetarian-friendly — look for chains and Sichuan spots that can clearly explain ingredients, and always say “bú yào ròu, bú yào jīdàn, bú yào yú, bú yào yú yóu” if you need strict no meat, no egg, no fish oil. This is also a good time to buy anything you forgot, since pharmacies, convenience stores, and larger supermarkets are easy to find around the pedestrian streets.
From Chunxi Road, walk or take a short Didi to Taikoo Li Chengdu for a slower, more polished afternoon. It’s one of the nicest parts of the city to simply drift around: open-air lanes, cafés, design stores, and great people-watching, all with IFS just next door if you want a quick peek at the famous giant panda sculpture. Spend about 1.5 hours here, then continue to Jinli Ancient Street in Wuhou for late afternoon into evening; it’s best after 5:00 p.m. when the lanterns come on and the old-street atmosphere feels much more alive. If you want photos, the light is lovely near sunset, and the walking is easy — just follow your nose, browse snacks you can actually eat, and enjoy the riverfront-style vibe without trying to “do” too much.
For dinner, choose a vegetarian Sichuan restaurant in Wuhou/Jinjiang and order safe classics like mapo tofu, dry-fried green beans, and mushroom dishes, but be very explicit about broth and sauces — many places use meat stock or oyster sauce by default. Expect around ¥70–140 per person depending on the restaurant and how many dishes you share. If you have time after dinner, do the optional short exterior walk around the Wuhou Shrine area for a final calm stretch; it’s a good 30–45 minutes and works nicely as a low-energy finish rather than another full stop. From there, ride back to your hotel in Chengdu by taxi or Didi — usually 15–30 minutes from the central districts — and keep the next morning flexible, because Chengdu is a city that rewards not rushing.
Arrive in Shanghai on an early flight from Chengdu if you can — it’s the only way this day feels relaxed. If you land at Pudong Airport, budget about 45–60 minutes into the city by Maglev + Metro or taxi; from Hongqiao Airport it’s usually 25–40 minutes to central Huangpu depending on traffic. Once you’ve dropped bags at your hotel, head straight for The Bund in the late afternoon light, when the skyline across the river starts to glow and the riverside promenade feels most alive. If you want the classic view, stand near the stretch between Chen Yi Square and Yan’an East Road — it’s busy but worth it, and you’ll get that “I’m finally in Shanghai” moment without needing a separate sightseeing ticket.
From The Bund, it’s an easy walk inland to Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street; just follow the crowd and the neon. This is one of those places that’s more about atmosphere than checklists, so don’t rush it — browse the old storefronts, pop into a tea shop, and watch the city shift from office-hours to evening mode. For your meal, choose a proper vegetarian dinner in central Shanghai rather than a random “salad” place: good options in this area include Fu He Hui in Jing'an if you want a splurge and a refined tasting menu, or a more casual Cong Bao-style Buddhist vegetarian restaurant near People’s Square if you want something simpler and easier on the budget. Expect roughly ¥80–180 per person for a solid meal, more if you go upscale. Since you’re avoiding all animal products, say clearly: “wo chi su, bu yao dan, bu yao rou, bu yao yu, bu yao hai xian, bu yao yu you” — vegetarian, no egg, no meat, no fish, no seafood, no fish oil.
If you still have energy after dinner, finish with a calm walk around People’s Square and the exterior of the Shanghai Museum. The square is broad, well-lit, and easy to navigate even at night, and it gives you a different side of Shanghai: less flash, more civic grandeur. The museum itself usually closes by early evening, so this is really about the architecture and the open plaza rather than going inside. From here, taxis and ride-hails are easy to find, and if you’re staying nearby you can just wander back through the central streets without overplanning the rest of the night.
Since you’re already in Shanghai, keep today centered in the old heart of the city and start early for Yu Garden. If you leave around 8:00 a.m., you’ll usually beat the heaviest crowd and still catch the pavilions, bridges, and koi ponds in softer light. The entrance is around ¥30–40, and the garden itself is compact enough that 1.5 hours feels right without rushing. From most central hotels, a taxi or Metro Line 10 to Yuyuan Garden Station is the easiest move; once you emerge, the lanes around the garden are part of the fun, so give yourself a few extra minutes to wander.
Walk straight into the City God Temple area, which sits right beside Yu Garden and is best enjoyed as a slow, messy, lively heritage district rather than a checklist stop. This is where you’ll get incense, souvenir stalls, snack counters, and old Shanghai energy all in one place, so about 1 hour is enough before it starts feeling repetitive. Then head to Tianzifang in Huangpu for the artsier side of the day — it’s a short taxi ride or a metro-and-walk combination, and the lanes work best if you let yourself drift without a fixed route. 1.5 hours is a good window for browsing galleries, small boutiques, and tea shops, though weekends get crowded and the narrow alleys can be slow going. After that, move on to Xintiandi for a calmer, polished afternoon walk and your main lunch break; it’s one of the easiest areas in central Shanghai for a relaxed sit-down meal, with plenty of pedestrian streets and restored shikumen buildings, and 1.5 hours is enough to linger over a proper vegetarian lunch.
For dinner, book Simply Vegetarian Cuisine in central Shanghai — it’s a very solid pick for a fully vegetarian meal, especially if you want something dependable after a long day of sightseeing. Expect roughly ¥100–220 per person, depending on how many dishes you order, and it’s smart to mention clearly: no meat, no egg, no fish oil, no oyster sauce. After dinner, cross over to Lujiazui in Pudong for the night finale at the Shanghai Tower observation deck. The tower is most striking after dark when the Pudong skyline and the Bund glow across the river; tickets usually run around ¥180–220, and the observation deck is best with a prebooked slot so you’re not stuck in a long queue. If you’re planning to head home late, this is the moment to keep your bag organized and your hotel transfer simple — taxi or Metro Line 2 back from Lujiazui is straightforward, while tomorrow’s departure from Shanghai back to India is easiest if you rest up tonight and leave enough buffer for airport traffic.
For your last morning in Shanghai, start early and head to Longhua Temple in Xuhui — it’s one of the city’s oldest and calmest temples, and it feels like a good closing note for a pure vegetarian trip. From central Shanghai, a taxi or Didi usually takes about 20–35 minutes depending on traffic, or you can use the Shanghai Metro to Longcao Road/Shanghai Stadium and then a short ride-hail. The temple usually opens around 7:00 a.m., and arriving near opening time keeps things peaceful before tour groups and local worshippers pick up. Entry is typically around ¥10–20, and the grounds take about 1 to 1.5 hours at an easy pace. Keep this part quiet and unrushed — it’s a good place to light incense, sit for a few minutes, and reset before your flight day.
Next, cross to Jing’an for the Shanghai Propaganda Poster Art Centre — a small but unforgettable museum tucked near Jing’an Temple and the hotel district. It’s a private collection, so the vibe is very different from the temples: compact, slightly hidden, and easy to do in about an hour. Expect around ¥25–30 admission, and check the opening hours before you go because this is not a big public museum with long daily hours. If you’re coming by metro, Jing’an Temple Station is the easiest stop; from there it’s usually a short walk or quick taxi. The collection is graphic, historical, and very Shanghai — a nice final contrast to the spiritual stops on this trip, and it won’t eat up much of your day.
From there, continue to Jing’an Temple itself, right in the middle of one of Shanghai’s busiest commercial zones but still surprisingly composed inside. It’s one of the easiest last stops in the city because it’s so central, and the temple grounds usually take about an hour if you walk slowly and sit a bit. After that, keep lunch simple and safe with a clearly vegetarian meal near Jing’an Temple or back by your hotel in Jing’an/Xuhui — look for places serving vegan noodles, tofu dishes, seasonal greens, dumplings without egg, and rice bowls, and always ask for no meat, no egg, no fish sauce, no oyster sauce, no fish oil. A comfortable budget is ¥60–140 per person depending on the restaurant; if you want something reliable, use a nearby chain or a restaurant that clearly marks dishes as su shi (素食 / vegetarian). For your airport transfer, leave 4–5 hours before an international flight from PVG or 2.5–3.5 hours before a flight from SHA, with extra padding if you’re crossing the city in weekday traffic. If you’re flying from Pudong (PVG), the Maglev + Metro is fast only if your luggage is light; otherwise a taxi/Didi is simplest. If you’re departing from Hongqiao (SHA), it’s a much easier run, especially from central Jing’an or Xuhui.