Can You See China’s Best Foodie Cities in 10 Days?

China is one of the most diverse food cultures on earth, and ten days is just enough time to scratch the surface across four of its most celebrated eating cities. This itinerary moves fast — Beijing to Xi’an to Chengdu to Shanghai — tracing a rough west-and-south arc that crosses wheat noodle country, Sichuan pepper territory, and the refined seafood lanes of the Yangtze Delta. Expect early mornings, late street food runs, and at least one meal that permanently rewires your palate. If you can only do one food trip in Asia, this is a strong argument for making it China.

Day 1: Arriving in Beijing — Peking Duck and Hutong Street Food

Most international flights land at Beijing Capital International Airport or the newer Daxing Airport. Clear customs, get your bags, and take the Airport Express or subway into the city center. Even if you arrive in the afternoon, there’s no reason to waste dinner.

Peking duck is Beijing’s signature dish and eating it on your first night sets the tone immediately. Duck de Chine near the Workers’ Stadium and Quanjude near Qianmen are both well-regarded, but locals increasingly favor Da Dong for its leaner rendering and theatrical presentation. A full duck for two people costs roughly 300–450 RMB (around $40–60 USD). Order the crispy skin with scallion, cucumber, hoisin sauce, and thin pancakes — the classic format — plus a side of duck bone soup.

After dinner, walk into one of the hutong neighborhoods around Nanluoguxiang or Wudaoying. These ancient alley networks fill with small vendors selling jianbing (savory crepes), candied hawthorn skewers, and sesame flatbreads. Night temperatures in Beijing vary wildly by season, but the food stalls run year-round.

Day 2: Beijing — Imperial Snacks, Night Markets, and Dumplings

Start the morning at a traditional breakfast shop for youtiao (fried dough sticks) dunked into warm doujiang (soy milk). This costs almost nothing — expect to pay 5–10 RMB (under $2 USD) for a full breakfast. The Yonghe Lama Temple area and the back streets of the Drum Tower neighborhood both have reliable options.

Spend mid-morning and early afternoon at Wangfujing Snack Street, which caters heavily to tourists but remains a useful introduction to Beijing’s breadth of snacks — scorpions on skewers, stinky tofu, and lamb offal soup all share space here. More serious eating can be done at the covered Donghuamen Night Market nearby. Budget around 50–100 RMB ($7–14 USD) to graze through several stalls.

For dinner, go to a proper dumpling house. Beijing-style shuijiao (boiled dumplings) differ from the pan-fried jiaozi more common elsewhere in China. A bamboo basket of pork and cabbage dumplings typically runs 25–40 RMB ($3.50–5.50 USD). Finish the night at a hutong bar in Beixinqiao with a local Yanjing beer before the long travel days ahead.

Day 3: Travel Day to Xi’an — First Taste of the Muslim Quarter

Take the G-series high-speed train from Beijing West station to Xi’an North. The journey runs roughly 4.5 hours and tickets cost around 515–930 RMB ($70–130 USD) depending on seat class. Book in advance through the official 12306 app or a third-party booking service like Trip.com.

Arrive in Xi’an by early afternoon and check into your hotel near the city wall or the Muslim Quarter — both are walkable to the main eating areas. Once settled, head directly into Huimin Street, the heart of the Muslim Quarter. The smells hit first: cumin, charred lamb fat, and warm sesame bread baking in clay ovens.

Your first evening snack should be a rou jia mo — a slow-braised lamb or pork sandwich stuffed into a round, crispy flatbread that locals call the world’s original burger. One rou jia mo costs 10–18 RMB ($1.40–2.50 USD). Follow it with a bowl of eight-treasure porridge sold by Hui vendors and a cup of pomegranate juice, Xi’an’s unofficial street drink. By tonight your body clock will already be syncing to China’s meal rhythms.

Day 4: Xi’an — Biang Biang Noodles, Lamb Skewers, and Breakfast Porridge

Xi’an’s most iconic dish is biang biang noodles — wide, belt-thick wheat strands roughly the length of your forearm, topped with chili oil, vinegar, garlic, and a ladle of scalding oil poured tableside that cooks everything on contact. The character for “biang” is allegedly the most complex in the Chinese written language and doesn’t exist in standard fonts. A full bowl costs 18–35 RMB ($2.50–5 USD) at local restaurants.

For breakfast, seek out hu la tang — a thick, gelatinous broth made from wheat gluten, vermicelli, and spiced lamb stock that vendors sell from large clay pots. Locals eat it with a rou jia mo on the side. This combination costs roughly 15 RMB ($2 USD) and keeps you full for hours.

Spend the afternoon exploring the Muslim Quarter in daylight, paying attention to the spice merchants and dried fruit sellers alongside the food stalls. Late afternoon is prime time for yang rou chuan — lamb skewers roasted over charcoal with cumin and dried chili. You’ll eat four or five at a time without thinking; they cost 3–6 RMB (under $1 USD) each. End the evening with a bowl of paomo, a hearty lamb and bread soup where you tear the flatbread yourself before handing it to the cook to soak in broth. A full bowl runs 30–50 RMB ($4–7 USD).

Day 5: High-Speed Train to Chengdu — Sichuan Hotpot Initiation

The Xi’an to Chengdu high-speed route passes through stunning mountain terrain and takes roughly 3.5 hours. Tickets range from 260–520 RMB ($36–72 USD). Arrive in Chengdu by midday and drop your bags near Kuanzhai Alley or the Jinli Ancient Street area.

Sichuan hotpot is the defining meal of Chengdu, and your first night here should be dedicated entirely to it. Unlike the mild broths of other Chinese hotpot traditions, Sichuan hotpot uses a deep red, tallow-based broth loaded with dried chilies, Sichuan peppercorns, doubanjiang (fermented chili paste), and aromatics. The numbing, tingling sensation from the peppercorns — called ma la — is unlike anything in most Western food experiences.

Most hotpot restaurants are priced per ingredient plate, and a solid meal for two with plenty of beef, tripe, tofu skin, lotus root, and vegetables costs 150–250 RMB ($20–35 USD) per person including drinks. Haidilao is the famous chain with theatrical service; locals often prefer smaller neighborhood spots in Yulin or Shahe for a more authentic atmosphere. Order sesame oil with garlic as your dipping sauce and accept the heat.

Day 6: Chengdu — Dim Sum Breakfast, Dan Dan Noodles, and Mapo Tofu

Chengdu’s breakfast culture centers on a ritual called zao cha — morning tea — where locals linger over tea and small bites before work. Unlike Cantonese dim sum, Chengdu’s morning offerings lean toward glutinous rice dishes, red bean buns, and savory pastries. Budget 30–60 RMB ($4–8 USD) for a proper spread at a traditional teahouse.

Dan dan noodles originated in Chengdu and the authentic version is smaller and drier than the soupy adaptations served elsewhere in the world. Thin wheat noodles are topped with a chile-oil sauce, preserved vegetables, ground pork, and crushed peanuts. A small bowl — traditionally the serving size — costs just 10–20 RMB ($1.40–2.75 USD). Eat two bowls.

For dinner, order mapo tofu at a restaurant that takes it seriously. Proper mapo tofu uses silken tofu set in a sauce of fermented black beans, doubanjiang, minced beef or pork, and enough Sichuan peppercorn to make your lips feel electric. A dish at a good Chengdu restaurant runs 30–50 RMB ($4–7 USD). Pair it with a plate of gong bao ji ding (kung pao chicken) and steamed rice to balance the meal.

Day 7: Chengdu — Teahouse Culture and a Day Trip to Leshan for Street Food

Take the morning slow. Chengdu’s Renmin Park teahouse is one of the most genuine public teahouse experiences left in China — bamboo chairs, mahjong games, ear-cleaning vendors wandering between tables, and an atmosphere unchanged in decades. A pot of tea costs 10–30 RMB ($1.40–4 USD). This is where you understand that food in Chengdu is inseparable from the pace of life.

After the teahouse, take the high-speed train to Leshan (about 40 minutes, under 50 RMB / $7 USD each way). Most visitors come for the Giant Buddha, but the town’s street food scene is quietly excellent. Leshan is famous for bo bo ji — skewered meats and vegetables served cold in a spiced, numbing sauce — and for its particular style of chou doufu (stinky tofu) that locals insist is milder and better than the Hunan version.

Eat a full lunch of bo bo ji from a street vendor near the old town. Skewers run 1–3 RMB each (under $0.50 USD), and a reasonable lunch spread costs 25–50 RMB ($3.50–7 USD). Return to Chengdu in the evening and do one final walk through Jinli Street for sweetened osmanthus cake and sesame candy before packing for Shanghai.

Day 8: Fly to Shanghai — Soup Dumplings and the Old City God Temple

Flights from Chengdu to Shanghai take around 2.5 hours and run frequently. Budget airlines like China Eastern offer fares from 300–600 RMB ($40–85 USD) if booked in advance. Land at Pudong or Hongqiao airport and head into the city by the Maglev train or Metro.

Shanghai’s most famous contribution to Chinese food culture is the xiao long bao — soup dumpling — a precisely constructed parcel of pork filling and concentrated gelatinized broth wrapped in thin dough. When steamed, the gelatin melts into hot soup. Bite a small hole, sip, then eat. Din Tai Fung has branches here and serves a reliable version (around 58–78 RMB / $8–11 USD for a basket of 10), but the city is full of excellent local dumpling shops charging half that price.

Spend the afternoon and evening in the Yu Garden area and the Old City God Temple market. This is one of Shanghai’s oldest eating districts and remains a working food destination despite the tourist crowds. Try sheng jian bao — pan-fried pork buns with a crispy bottom and juicy interior — from Yang’s Fry-Dumpling, a local institution where a four-piece order costs around 9 RMB ($1.25 USD). The contrast with Beijing’s food culture is already striking by the end of your first Shanghai evening.

Day 9: Shanghai — Brunch Districts, Hairy Crab Season, and Fine Dining

Shanghai’s international food scene is genuinely world-class, shaped by decades of French concession history and modern wealth. The Former French Concession neighborhood along Anfu Road and Wukang Road has some of China’s best brunch options — everything from Shanghainese-style congee to French-influenced egg dishes. Expect to pay 80–150 RMB ($11–21 USD) for a full brunch.

If you’re visiting between October and December, hairy crab season is the single best reason to be in Shanghai. Shanghai hairy crab (da zha xie) are small freshwater crabs prized for their intensely flavored roe and buttery fat. Eating them is a slow, deliberate ritual involving tiny tools and a lot of patience. A pair of premium crabs costs 180–400 RMB ($25–55 USD) depending on size and gender; female crabs with orange roe are slightly more expensive. Wang Bao He and Cheng Long Xing are both well-known crab restaurants near the Bund.

For dinner, consider one of Shanghai’s higher-end Shanghainese restaurants serving classic dishes like hong shao rou (red-braised pork belly), smoked fish, and sweet-and-sour mandarin fish. A multi-dish dinner for two at a mid-to-upper restaurant runs 300–600 RMB ($42–85 USD). This is a different register of Chinese cooking from anything you’ve eaten in the previous eight days.

Day 10: Shanghai — Final Morning Market, Pan-Fried Buns, Departure

Use your last morning to visit a wet market before the city fully wakes up. Shanghai’s neighborhood markets — still running in areas like Jing’an, Changning, and Xuhui — offer an unfiltered look at how the city feeds itself daily: live seafood, handmade tofu, fresh noodles pulled to order, and seasonal vegetables piled on tarp-covered tables. You can’t buy much you can take home, but the sensory experience sticks.

For a final Shanghai breakfast, track down a proper sheng jian bao from a local shop rather than a tourist-facing restaurant — they exist in almost every neighborhood. A four-piece order and a warm cup of sweet doujiang costs around 12–18 RMB ($1.70–2.50 USD). This is the kind of meal that makes you want to move to Shanghai rather than leave it.

Pudong International Airport is best reached from central Shanghai via the Maglev or the Metro Line 2. Factor in at least two to three hours before departure. The ten days are done, but the food education is ongoing — China rewards every return trip with an entirely different regional curriculum waiting to be eaten through.

📷 Featured image by Nuno Alberto on Unsplash.