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9 nights · USA · Mexico · Indonesia · Vietnam · Stopover on the way to Japan or Korea

240-Hour Transit Circuit

For passports that are on China's 240-hour transit list but not the 30-day visa-free list, this is how to sell a real China trip without a visa. The client flies in to Beijing, travels within the permitted provinces, and flies out of Shanghai to a third country, typically Japan or Korea. The 240 hours run from 00:00 on the day after arrival, so a late-evening arrival gains almost a full day.

  1. Beijing4 nights
  2. Xi'an2 nights
  3. Shanghai3 nights
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A white and red Fuxing high-speed train on the line through open country
Photo: Samson Ng, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Day by Day

The route, day by day

Transfer times are typical door-to-door or train times and are confirmed against live schedules when we quote.

  1. Day 1

    Arrive Beijing (transit clock starts at 00:00 tomorrow)

    The client tells the airline at check-in and the border officer on arrival that they are using the 240-hour visa-free transit, with the onward ticket ready to show. Transfer to the hotel.

    TransferPrivate airport transfer, about 45–75 minutes OvernightBeijing
  2. Day 2–4

    Beijing: Forbidden City, Great Wall, Temple of Heaven

    Day 2: Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. Day 3: the Great Wall at Mutianyu, about 1.5–2 hours each way. Day 4: Temple of Heaven in the morning, hutong lanes and the Summer Palace in the afternoon.

    OvernightBeijing
  3. Day 5

    High-speed train to Xi'an

    Within Shaanxi, a permitted province. Evening in the Muslim Quarter.

    TransferHigh-speed train from Beijing West to Xi'an North, about 4.5–6 hours OvernightXi'an
  4. Day 6

    The Terracotta Army and the city wall

    The Terracotta Army in the morning, about 1 hour each way, then the city wall at sunset.

    OvernightXi'an
  5. Day 7

    Fly to Shanghai

    Afternoon on the Bund and an evening Huangpu river cruise.

    TransferDomestic flight Xi'an to Shanghai, about 2.5 hours OvernightShanghai
  6. Day 8–9

    Shanghai and a water town

    Yu Garden, the old town and Pudong; then a day at Zhujiajiao water town or Suzhou's classical gardens.

    OvernightShanghai
  7. Day 10

    Exit Shanghai to a third country

    The onward flight must leave China for a third country or region, for example Tokyo, Seoul or Bangkok, before the 240 hours run out.

    TransferPrivate airport transfer to Pudong, about 45–60 minutes Overnight—
Before You Sell

Entry, season and planning notes

Entry route

240-hour visa-free transit: the client must hold a confirmed onward ticket from China to a third country or region (not back to the departure country), enter through a designated port, and stay within permitted provinces. Beijing, Shaanxi and Shanghai are all within them; we confirm the current port and area list at booking.

When to go

Year-round. Avoid China's Golden Week (1–7 October) and Spring Festival if the client wants calm sites and easy train seats.

Planning notes

  • The onward ticket decides everything. US–Beijing–Tokyo qualifies; US–Beijing–US does not.
  • Count the 240 hours from 00:00 the day after arrival, and price the exit flight with a margin for delays.
  • Leaving the permitted provinces breaks the rule even if the hours are fine. Every leg on this routing stays inside them.
  • Pairs naturally with a Japan leg through Vb Japan DMC, which gives the onward third-country flight a reason.
Along the Way

On this route

Marble terraces and the red-walled Hall of Central Harmony in the Forbidden City, Beijing
Photo: Reinhold Möller, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Watchtower and battlements on top of the Ming-era city wall of Xi'an
Photo: xiquinhosilva, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Pudong skyline across the Huangpu River at night, seen from the Bund in Shanghai
Photo: King of Hearts, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Destinations

City guides for this route

Imperial Capital

Beijing

Beijing guide for agents: Forbidden City, Great Wall at Mutianyu, Temple of Heaven, halal dining in Niujie, ticketing rules and how many nights to sell.

Gateway City

Shanghai

Shanghai destination guide for agents: the Bund, Pudong, Yu Garden, water towns and Suzhou day trips, theme-park days and rail links to Beijing.

Terracotta & Silk Road

Xi'an

Xi'an destination guide for agents: Terracotta Army, city wall, Great Mosque and Muslim Quarter, rail links, halal dining and how long to stay.
FAQ

Questions agents ask about this route

Which passports should use this itinerary?

Those on the 240-hour transit list but not the 30-day unilateral or mutual visa-free lists, such as the United States, Mexico, Indonesia and Vietnam. For UK, EU, GCC or Australian clients the 30-day visa-free entry is simpler and has no onward-ticket condition.

Can the client fly in and out of the same Chinese city?

Yes, as long as the onward flight goes to a third country or region. Enter Beijing from the US and leave Beijing for Tokyo, for example. The return to the original departure country is what is not allowed.

What happens if the client overstays the 240 hours?

It is an immigration violation, not a travel inconvenience, so we build the exit flight in with a margin and do not sell itineraries that run to the last hour.

Other Routes

Compare with

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BEIJING → XI'AN → SHANGHAI

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Halal Silk Road

XI'AN → LANZHOU → DUNHUANG → YINCHUAN

6 nights

Canton Fair & Sourcing

GUANGZHOU → YIWU

Quote 240-Hour Transit Circuit for your clients

Updated 2 November 2026. An indicative framework, re-paced and priced for every brief.