One visa-free trip, three unforgettable cities

Since China extended its visa-free transit policy to 240 hours (10 days) for travellers from more than 50 countries, the smartest itinerary we've seen is what we call the China Triangle : enter in Beijing, cross to Chongqing, and exit through Shanghai — three completely different Chinas in one trip, with zero visa paperwork.

This guide walks through the exact route, the rules you must respect, and the practical details most articles skip.

What the 240-hour rule actually gives you

The 240-hour visa-free transit allows eligible travellers to stay in China for up to 10 days while travelling between an entry port and an exit port — and under the current rules you may travel anywhere within China during that window, not just the entry city. You still need: a passport from an eligible country, a confirmed onward ticket to a third country or region (not the one you arrived from, for most nationalities), and accommodation you can name at the border.

• The clock starts at 00:00 the day after arrival — you effectively get the arrival day plus 10 more.
• You must enter and exit through approved international ports — Beijing, Shanghai and Chongqing all qualify, by air.
• Register with the police: hotels do it automatically; if you stay in an apartment, your host must file the temporary residence registration within 24 hours.

The triangle, day by day

Days 1–3 · Beijing

Land at Beijing Capital (PEK) or Daxing (PKX). The Great Wall at Mutianyu in the morning, the Forbidden City the next day, and an evening in the hutongs around Houhai. Two full days is the sweet spot — a third if you want the Summer Palace or the Temple of Heaven.

Days 4–6 · Chongqing

The surprise of the trip. Fly Beijing → Chongqing (about 2.5 hours, from ~¥400) or take the high-speed train (about 7 hours, a scenic ride through the mountains). Chongqing is the most cinematic city in China: Hongya Cave glowing over the Jialing River, the monorail that drives through an apartment building at Liziba, the 8D night view from Nanshan, a Yangtze river cruise at night — and the hotpot that justifies the whole trip. If you have a spare day, the Dazu Rock Carvings (UNESCO) are 90 minutes away.

Days 7–10 · Shanghai

Fly Chongqing → Shanghai (about 2.5–3 hours) and close the triangle on the Bund at blue hour, with Pudong's towers across the river. Day trips: Zhujiajiao water town, Yu Garden, the French Concession by bike. Exit from PVG or Hongqiao.

Rules you must not break

• Enter and leave by air through approved ports. The transit must be genuinely between two countries/regions — book your exit ticket before you land.
• Do not overstay. Day 10 means day 10; overruns turn a free policy into a deportation record.
• Keep your onward boarding pass. You'll show it again at the exit port.
• Print your first night's address. Border officers ask where you're sleeping; a hotel booking in Chinese characters helps more than a screenshot.

High-speed rail or domestic flights?

Beijing → Chongqing is 1,700 km — fly it. Chongqing → Shanghai can be done by train in about 7–9 hours through the Three Gorges countryside, and the scenery is genuinely good; overnight sleeper options exist. Within each city, the metro systems are excellent and in English on every sign.

Why do this with a private guide

Ten days, three cities, two languages you may not speak. Our guides work in native-level Spanish and English — our lead Spanish-speaking guide, David, spent more than 20 years in Madrid — and every itinerary on our site is published stop by stop, with no shopping stops and no surprises . We handle tickets, transfers and the domestic legs, so your 240 hours go to China, not to queues.

The triangle is the most efficient first China trip we know: imperial Beijing, cyberpunk Chongqing, cosmopolitan Shanghai — ten days, zero visa applications.

Originally published on 71Asia Tours blog.