Shanghai & Beijing in 6 Days: Our ₹67,000 Per-Person Trip
Five of us travelled from Hyderabad to Shanghai and returned from Beijing, combining metro travel, a high-speed train, self-cooked vegetarian meals and China’s biggest landmarks.
Our open-jaw flights meant we did not need to return to Shanghai after Beijing. We booked Hyderabad → Shanghai and Beijing → Hyderabad together for ₹38,000 per person, then connected the cities by a second-class high-speed train.
Exactly what we spent
| Expense | Per person |
|---|---|
| Multi-city return flights | ₹38,000 |
| China tourist visa and centre fees paid in 2023 | ₹5,570 |
| Bullet train, metros, buses, ferries and airport rail | ₹8,500 |
| Five hotel nights | ₹5,800 |
| Fruit and vegetables bought in China (₹4,500 ÷ 5) | ₹900 |
| Dry food carried from India (₹800 ÷ 5) | ₹160 |
| Attraction admissions | ₹2,800 |
| Mutianyu cable car | ₹600 |
| Travel eSIM | ₹1,500 |
| Itemised subtotal | ₹63,830 |
| Miscellaneous and untracked spending | ₹3,170 |
| Rounded trip total | ₹67,000 |
Our six-day Shanghai and Beijing itinerary
After landing at Pudong, we used Metro Line 2 rather than the Maglev. We walked Nanjing Road, explored The Bund and used the low-cost Huangpu public ferry for skyline views.
We explored the free outer bazaar streets and Nine-Turn Bridge without paying to enter the inner Yuyuan Garden, then walked the Former French Concession and Tianzifang.
We travelled from Shanghai Hongqiao to Beijing South in a second-class G-series train, then explored Nanluoguxiang and the surrounding hutongs.
We reached Mutianyu by public transport, used the cable car and spent the day exploring the wall before returning to Wangfujing.
We visited Tiananmen Square, used our pre-booked Forbidden City tickets, climbed Jingshan Park for the palace panorama and ended around Houhai Lake.
We used the subway to visit the Summer Palace, collected our bags and travelled to Beijing Capital Airport for the return journey to Hyderabad.
Use these for an overview before travelling. In China, use AMap or Apple Maps for live navigation.
Where we stayed
We stayed two nights at Jin Jiang Inn in Shanghai and three nights at Zhongan Hotel in Beijing. Our accommodation total was ₹5,800 per person. We requested cooking facilities in advance rather than assuming they would be available.
How we managed vegetarian food
We carried dry packaged ingredients from India: Maggi noodles, rice, sambar powder and masalas. In Shanghai and Beijing we bought fresh fruit and vegetables, then prepared all our meals ourselves. The India supplies cost ₹800 for five people, while our China groceries cost ₹4,500 for the group.
Mutianyu Great Wall
Using public transport rather than a packaged tour kept the day affordable. We paid separately for the cable car—₹600 per person at the time—and used it to reach the wall before exploring the watchtowers.
Forbidden City and Jingshan view
We booked the Forbidden City before the visit, passed through Tiananmen Square and exited near Jingshan Park. The small additional park fee gave us the elevated panorama over the palace roofs.
eSIMs, translators and maps for China
eSIM suggestions
Install and activate your plan before departure. Airalo China eSIMs offer fixed-data and unlimited options and state that their China roaming route can access services such as Google and WhatsApp without a separate VPN. Compare the current package size, validity, hotspot rules and device compatibility before paying. Nomad and regional Asia plans can be useful alternatives, but check their current mainland-China routing rather than assuming every eSIM behaves the same way.
Translation
Download Simplified Chinese in Google Translate before leaving home so typed and camera translations have an offline fallback. Save the hotel names, addresses, dietary message and major attractions in Chinese as screenshots. Pleco is also useful as a Chinese–English dictionary, especially for food ingredients and individual characters.
Maps and navigation
AMap Global (Gaode Maps) is the best first choice because it now offers English navigation and detailed local transport information. Apple Maps is a convenient alternative for iPhone users in mainland China. Beijing also has an official English-language Beijing Map. Do not rely solely on Google Maps for live mainland navigation; use the Google route links above for pre-trip overview and keep Chinese place names saved for local apps.
China visa: our 2023 cost versus current applications
We paid ₹5,570 per person for the tourist visa and service-centre charges in 2023. That is a historical trip cost, not a current quotation. Application procedures and fees have changed since our journey. Indian passport holders should use the official Chinese Visa Application Service Centre, select the centre responsible for their area, complete the current online process and confirm the latest document, biometric, submission and fee requirements before booking non-refundable travel. The official fee table currently lists a ₹2,900 single-entry visa fee for Indian citizens, with service and optional processing charges handled separately.
Budget traveller’s quick summary
Trip: Hyderabad → Shanghai → Beijing → Hyderabad
Dates: 15–21 April 2023
Travellers: 5
Cost: approximately ₹67,000 per person; ₹3,35,000 total
Highlights: The Bund, Yuyuan, French Concession, Tianzifang, bullet train, hutongs, Mutianyu Great Wall, Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Jingshan Park, Houhai and Summer Palace
Biggest savings: open-jaw flights, public transport and cooking vegetarian meals.
Transparency: Trip prices are what we paid in April 2023. Current eSIM, visa, transport and attraction details can change; verify them with each official provider before travelling.
Comments
Have you planned a Shanghai and Beijing trip? Share your tips below.
Loading comments…