Food Journey
Eight days of eating in Beijing, Xi’an, Chengdu and Guangzhou — roast duck, noodles, hotpot and dim sum, with flights and bookings timed around meals.
Route: Beijing → Xi’an → Chengdu → Guangzhou
Last reviewed October 23, 2026 · schedules, prices and opening hours change — re-check before booking
Who this suits
Food-first travellers who will plan days around meals and do not mind two internal flights. Vegetarians and anyone with serious allergies should read the allergy guide before booking.
What it costs
¥9,000–14,000 per person, including seven nights of mid-range hotels, two internal flights, tickets and a lot of food. International flights excluded.
Book in this order
- 1Book the Xi’an→Chengdu and Chengdu→Guangzhou flights early; evening departures protect the food time.
- 2Reserve Chengdu hotpot for a weekend night; the famous places do not take walk-ins after 18:00.
- 3Dim sum is a morning-to-lunch ritual — arrive before 10:30 at popular Guangzhou halls.
- 4Carry an allergy card in Chinese even if you have no known allergies; shared woks and peanut oil are common.
Day by day
- 1
Beijing: the roast duck ritual
Arrive and go straight for a proper roast duck dinner. Evening walk through Wangfujing snack street for the smaller bites.
- Sleep
- Beijing
- Getting around
- Airport express or DiDi; walk to a duck restaurant.
- Book
- Reserve duck for 18:30; hotel registration.
- Daily cost
- ¥500–900 (excl. hotel)
- 2
Beijing: breakfast and hutongs
Jianbing from a street cart for breakfast, a hutong food walk at lunch, and Guijie street for crayfish or hotpot at night.
- Sleep
- Beijing
- Getting around
- Metro and walking between hutong food stops; DiDi to Guijie.
- Book
- No tickets; reserve dinner if a weekend.
- Daily cost
- ¥400–700 (excl. hotel)
- 3
High-speed train to Xi’an
Afternoon in the Muslim Quarter: roujiamo, biangbiang noodles, persimmon cakes. Eat small, eat often.
- Sleep
- Xi’an
- Getting around
- High-speed train Beijing West→Xi’an North, about 4.5 hours.
- Book
- Train at the 15-day release; Muslim Quarter is walk-in.
- Daily cost
- ¥700–1,000 including train (excl. hotel)
- 4
Xi’an: noodles and paomo, then fly to Chengdu
A local noodle breakfast, lamb paomo for lunch, evening flight to Chengdu.
- Sleep
- Chengdu
- Getting around
- Noodles and paomo in Xi’an; evening flight to Chengdu, about 1.5 hours.
- Book
- Flight; reserve hotpot for the next night.
- Daily cost
- ¥1,000–1,500 including flight (excl. hotel)
- 5
Chengdu: hotpot and street food
The real thing: an afternoon in Yulin’s snack streets, a full hotpot dinner. Order “wei la” (mild) if unsure.
- Sleep
- Chengdu
- Getting around
- Metro/DiDi to Yulin; walk the snack streets.
- Book
- Hotpot reservation; ask for mild if unsure.
- Daily cost
- ¥400–800 (excl. hotel)
- 6
Chengdu: tea, then on to Guangzhou
Morning tea and snacks, dandan noodles for lunch, then a flight to Guangzhou.
- Sleep
- Guangzhou
- Getting around
- Morning tea, lunch, then afternoon flight Chengdu→Guangzhou, about 2.5 hours.
- Book
- Flight; reserve dim sum for the next morning.
- Daily cost
- ¥1,100–1,600 including flight (excl. hotel)
- 7
Guangzhou: dim sum day
Yum cha at a classic dim sum hall — the full cart experience. Evening Cantonese dinner with roast goose if you can find it.
- Sleep
- Guangzhou
- Getting around
- Metro to a classic dim sum hall; walk the old neighborhoods.
- Book
- Arrive before 10:30; no ticket for the market.
- Daily cost
- ¥400–800 (excl. hotel)
- 8
Guangzhou morning tea and departure
One last yum cha, a wander through a wet market, then the airport.
- Sleep
- Departure
- Getting around
- Metro to Baiyun airport, about 45 minutes; allow three hours.
- Book
- Last dim sum before 10:00.
- Daily cost
- ¥300–500 (excl. hotel)
If the plan does not fit
Swap Guangzhou for Chongqing
Chongqing is closer to Chengdu and delivers a sharper hotpot and night-market experience. Guangzhou wins for dim sum and Cantonese variety.
Add Shanghai for Jiangnan food
If you have two more days, Shanghai’s xiaolongbao, hairy crab (autumn) and Jiangnan cooking add a completely different regional register.
Destinations on this route
Beijing
China's capital, from the Great Wall and Forbidden City to hutongs and night markets: what to see, how many days you need and when to go.
Best time: April - May, September - October
Xi'an
Step back in time at the ancient capital with the Terracotta Army and City Wall. Taste amazing Muslim Quarter street food.
Best time: April - May, September - October
Chengdu
Home of giant pandas and Sichuan cuisine, a city that combines tradition and modernity. Enjoy hot pot, tea houses, and slow pace of life.
Best time: March - June, September - November
Read before you book
Other itineraries
Beijing 3-Day First Trip
A realistic three-day Beijing route for first-timers: the Forbidden City, Mutianyu Great Wall and one calm neighborhood day without rushing the city.
View day-by-day →Classic Beijing Experience
Five unhurried days in Beijing: the Forbidden City, Mutianyu’s Great Wall, hutong evenings and a realistic pace for a first visit.
View day-by-day →Xi’an 2-Day Highlights
Two efficient days in Xi’an: the Terracotta Army, City Wall, Muslim Quarter and the museum pieces that matter most on a short stop.
View day-by-day →Want this route checked against your dates?
I can help decide whether this route is too full, where to cut a city, and whether it still works for a first trip, family travel or a tighter budget.
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