Beijing, Xi’an, Luoyang or Shanghai: Where to Go on Your First Trip
A straight comparison of the four cities we arrange most often, including Luoyang — which sits between Beijing and Xi’an on the same rail line and is usually left out.
Most English-language guides send first-time visitors to the same three cities. Luoyang sits between two of them on the same high-speed rail line, and it is the one that gets left out. This is a straight comparison of the four places we arrange most often, and how to choose between them.
Which city should you visit first in China?
Beijing, if you want the imperial landmarks people picture before they arrive. Shanghai, if you want the easiest city to move around and the shortest learning curve. Xi'an, if you want ancient history you can walk on. Luoyang, if you want Buddhist art and a calmer pace — and it fits between Beijing and Xi'an without costing you an extra travel day.
There is no single right answer, which is why we ask what you actually want out of the week before suggesting anything. What there is, is a wrong answer: trying to see all four plus Guilin in seven days.
Why does Luoyang belong on a first itinerary?
Because it sits directly on the Beijing–Xi'an high-speed line, so adding it costs you a stop rather than a detour. And because it holds three things no other Chinese city combines:
- The Longmen Grottoes, a UNESCO World Heritage Site — thousands of Buddhist figures carved into limestone cliffs along the Yi River, mostly from the Northern Wei through the Tang dynasty.
- The White Horse Temple, traditionally regarded as the first Buddhist temple established in China, founded in 68 AD.
- Shaolin Temple, within day-trip distance — the home of Chinese martial arts and Chan Buddhism.
Most first-time itineraries skip it in favor of more time in Xi'an. Travelers who do stop usually say it was the part they did not expect to like most.
How many days does Luoyang need?
Two full days, three if you add Shaolin Temple.
- Day one — White Horse Temple in the morning, Longmen Grottoes in the afternoon. They are on the same side of the city and combine naturally.
- Day two — Luoyang Museum and the Old Town: Lijing Gate, the Cross Street night market, and Luoyi Ancient City after dark.
- Day three (optional) — Shaolin Temple, which is a full day.
What is there to see at the Longmen Grottoes?
A cliff face roughly a kilometer long, filled with niches, inscriptions and statues carved over several centuries. The scale is the point, and the Fengxian Temple complex with its large Vairocana Buddha is the part people remember.
Plan two to three hours. Focusing on the West Hill alone takes about an hour and a half to two; seeing both hills properly takes three to four.
Is the Longmen Grottoes visit physically demanding?
More than people expect. There are stairways and the site is larger than it looks on a map, so comfortable shoes matter.
If anyone in your group has limited mobility, tell us in advance. We plan the route so the walking is front-loaded and rests are built in, and we do not commit the group to both hills when one is enough.
Tickets use a real-name reservation system. Book with the passport you will actually carry, and bring that passport.
What is the White Horse Temple, and is it worth the time?
Yes, particularly if you are interested in how Buddhism reached China. Founded in 68 AD during the Eastern Han dynasty, it is traditionally considered China's first Buddhist temple, and the grounds include Chinese, Indian, Thai and Burmese-style halls, which gives it a character most Chinese temples do not have.
Allow an hour and a half to two hours. It is a slower, quieter visit than the grottoes, and the two balance each other well in a single day.
Is Shaolin Temple in Luoyang?
No — it is in Dengfeng, in Zhengzhou prefecture, which surprises people. It is included in Luoyang itineraries because of its proximity and importance.
Treat it as a separate full day, roughly five to seven hours door to door including the kung fu performance and the Pagoda Forest. If you have already seen a martial arts show elsewhere, or your time is short, spend the day in Luoyang instead.
What else is worth a few hours in Luoyang?
- Luoyang Museum — free, substantial, and worth an audio guide. It is normally closed on Mondays, so check before building a day around it.
- The Old Town and Lijing Gate — the old city wall and the streets behind it.
- Luoyi Ancient City — an evening spot, popular for hanfu costume photography.
- Cross Street night market — where you should eat dinner at least once.
The museum and the grottoes both use advance reservation systems, and the museum's Monday closure catches people out.
When is the best time to see Luoyang's peonies?
April. Luoyang's peony season is the reason spring is its busiest period, and the city's parks are built around it. Exact timing shifts with the weather each year, so if peonies are the reason you are going, tell us and we will plan around the flowering rather than around a fixed date.
Autumn is the other comfortable season. Summer is hot, which matters at the grottoes because much of the site is exposed.
What is Luoyang's Water Banquet?
A local banquet style served as a sequence of many small courses, most of them broth- or soup-based, which is where the name comes from. It is a Luoyang specialty rather than a national one, and it is the dish visitors are most likely to miss if nobody tells them to order it.
It works well for a group. If you are traveling alone or as a couple, ask for a reduced set rather than the full sequence.
How does Beijing compare?
Beijing is the heaviest of the four and needs the most time — three full days minimum, and that is not generous. It has the Forbidden City, several sections of the Great Wall, the Temple of Heaven, the Summer Palace and the hutong neighborhoods.
It is also the city where booking ahead matters most: the Forbidden City is closed Mondays and its tickets sell out in peak season.
Choose Beijing if this is your only trip and you want the landmarks.
How does Xi'an compare?
Xi'an is smaller and easier to move around than Beijing, and it is where the Terracotta Army is. Two days covers it: one for the Terracotta Army, one for the city wall, the Muslim Quarter and a museum.
Its challenges are the ones described in our tourist traps guide — privately run side attractions near the Terracotta Army, and costume photography packages with pricing that changes mid-session.
Choose Xi'an if ancient history is the reason you came.
How does Shanghai compare?
Shanghai is the easiest first stop in China and the one where visitors settle in fastest: walkable central districts, a metro that works in English, and a very wide range of food and hotels.
Two days covers the Bund, Yu Garden, the former concession neighborhoods and a museum. It is also the natural place to end a trip, because international connections are good.
Choose Shanghai if you want modern China, or if you want the softest possible landing.
Can you combine all four in one trip?
Yes, in ten days to two weeks — Beijing, Luoyang, Xi'an and Shanghai by high-speed rail, roughly three nights, two, two and two. In seven days, pick three.
If you are choosing what to cut, cut by interest rather than by distance: Shanghai if you want history, Luoyang if you want the easiest logistical fit, Beijing only if you genuinely do not care about imperial landmarks.
How do we decide which cities go in your itinerary?
We ask four questions and build from there: how many days you have, who is traveling, what you actually want to see, and how much moving around you are comfortable with. Then we send a route you can change.
Nothing here is fixed until you agree to it. That is the difference between an arranged trip and a package tour. Tell us your dates and who is coming — if you would like to read first, our free seven-day China guide covers the same ground.
