China on a Stopover: 72 / 144 / 240-Hour Visa-Free Itinerary

Last updated: March 2026. Transit visa-free rules and ports can change—check official sources before you travel.

You fly from country A to a Chinese city, then on to a third country, with 72, 144, or 240 hours in between—no visa required. That’s transit visa-free. Use those days to see one city or several; your route depends entirely on where you land, how long you have, and whether you can cross regions. Below we outline what each duration allows, then give a day-by-day example for the 144-hour “Shanghai + Hangzhou + Suzhou” option so you can follow it directly.

Different from travelers with a visa or 30-day visa-free who set aside 7 or 10 days: for 7 days in two cities see China 7-Day Itinerary: Beijing & Shanghai; for 10 days in three cities see China 10-Day Itinerary: Beijing, Xi'an, Shanghai. Transit rules (ports, same-region vs cross-region) must be confirmed before you go—see Visiting China Visa-Free and official channels.

Is This Right For You

✅ Recommended for: Anyone with a confirmed onward ticket to a third country/region, a passport from an eligible country, and a wish to use the layover to see one to three cities; okay with a schedule tied to entry port and time limit, and willing to check port lists and accommodation registration in advance.
✅ Good fit: People transiting via Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, or similar hubs with 3–10 days in between; who don’t want to apply for a visa for a short stay but do want to see the Bund, West Lake, or the Forbidden City.
❌ Not recommended: You plan to spend a full 7 or 10 days in China and don’t want “same-region” or “cross-region” limits—get a visa or use 30-day visa-free and follow the China 7-Day Itinerary or China 10-Day Itinerary. Or you’re only transiting within 24 hours and not leaving the airport; this article doesn’t apply.
❌ Not a fit: No onward ticket to a third country/region, or you’re flying back to your home country (not a transit); or you want complete freedom and don’t care about ports or time limits.

Route Overview

Duration	Rough days	Port / region rule	Suggested plan	Transport
72 hours	~3 days	Same city/region; enter and exit same port or same zone	Single city: Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, etc.	Metro/taxi
144 hours	~6 days	Same region only: e.g. Shanghai–Jiangsu–Zhejiang or Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei; enter and exit within that zone	Multi-city in one zone: Shanghai + Hangzhou + Suzhou, or Beijing + Tianjin	HSR + metro
240 hours	~10 days	Cross-region allowed: multiple provinces/ports; entry and exit can be in different cities	Multi-city: e.g. Beijing in → Xi’an → Shanghai out	HSR/flights

Why this split?
72 hours is enough for one city only: land, two days in town, third day wrap up and go to the airport—staying in one place is safest. 144 hours must stay in the same region: e.g. enter at Shanghai Pudong/Hongqiao and you can only move within Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang, and must exit from a port in that zone; a typical plan is 2–3 days Shanghai + 2 days Hangzhou + 1 day Suzhou, all within about 1 hour by train, then leave from Shanghai. 240 hours allows cross-province travel—Beijing in, Xi’an, Shanghai out; for the route see China 10-Day Itinerary, the only difference is you’re on transit visa-free and must ensure your entry/exit ports are on the list.

Money: For 144h Shanghai–Hangzhou–Suzhou at mid-range (trains, tickets, meals, hotels), about ¥4,000–8,000 per person (excluding international flights). 72h single city about ¥1,500–3,500 per person; 240h multi-city see the 10-day itinerary budget.

When to go: April–May and September–October are most comfortable; summer is hot and crowded, Spring Festival and National Day mean tight tickets—avoid if you can.

Day 1: Land in Shanghai, Bund at Dusk

Morning / noon

After landing at Pudong or Hongqiao, use the “24/72/144/240-hour visa-free transit” lane at immigration; have your passport and onward ticket ready. Some ports ask for a form or hotel confirmation—check the rules for your day of arrival.
To the city: Metro from the airport, about 40 minutes from Pudong or 20 from Hongqiao. Stay near Nanjing East Road or People’s Square, close to the metro, so the next few days (trains and airport) are easy.
If you arrive before noon, check in and grab a bite, then head out in the afternoon.

Afternoon: Nanjing Road + the Bund

Where: Walk east from People’s Square along Nanjing East Road to the Bund (about 20–30 min), or take Metro Line 2/10 to Nanjing East Road. The Bund (Zhongshan East 1st Road)—old buildings on one side, Lujiazui on the other—gives you the “two Chinas” scale in one view.
Time: Don’t overplan day one; a walk and getting oriented are enough.

Evening: Bund at night + dinner

The Bund is busiest around sunset and when the lights go on; for a quieter moment, go earlier or later. Dinner near Nanjing East Road or the Bund; mid-range about ¥80–200 per person. Rest up—tomorrow is French Concession and Yu Garden with plenty of walking.

Cost: Metro + meals ¥100–250 per person.

Day 2: French Concession + Yu Garden & Old Town

Morning: French Concession

Where: Wukang Road, Anfu Road, Hengshan Road—plane trees, old villas, cafés, small shops. Metro Line 10 to Shanghai Library or Jiaotong University; walk south along Wukang to Anfu, then loop to Hengshan. 2–3 hours. Wukang Building at the junction is a classic photo stop; Anfu has more shops, Hengshan is quieter.

Noon: French Concession or old town

Local or noodle spots—De Xing Guan, Lao Zheng Xing, or similar.

Afternoon: Yu Garden + Chenghuangmiao

Where: Yu Garden is a small classical garden (ticket ~¥40); Chenghuangmiao wraps around it. Metro Line 10 Yuyuan Garden. About 2 hours; if you’re not into gardens, skip the garden and just walk Chenghuangmiao.

Evening: Nanjing East Road or back to hotel

Fill gaps or dinner; pack early if you like—tomorrow you’re heading to Hangzhou.

Cost: Yu Garden ¥40 + meals ¥100–250 per person.

Day 3: Shanghai → Hangzhou, Settle by West Lake

Morning: Pack + Shanghai Hongqiao

Check out and take Metro Line 2/10 to Hongqiao Railway Station; allow 30–40 minutes for security. Breakfast at the station is fine.

Noon: Shanghai Hongqiao → Hangzhou East

Train: G-trains, about 1 hour; second class ~¥73. Multiple departures daily; book a few days ahead on 12306 or Trip.com. From Hangzhou East take Metro Line 1 to Longxiangqiao or Fengqi Road, near West Lake; stay on the east side of the lake, close to the metro, for an easy loop tomorrow.

Afternoon: West Lake

After check-in, walk a stretch of West Lake—Broken Bridge, Bai Causeway, or the Hubin Yintai area. No need to circle the whole lake; just get a feel for it. West Lake itself is free; Leifeng Pagoda and similar are ticketed separately.

Evening: Hubin or Hefang Street

Dinner at Hubin or Hefang Street; Hefang is touristy but concentrated, mid-range ¥80–200 per person.

Cost: Train ¥73 per person + hotel + meals ¥100–200 per person.

Day 4: West Lake Full Day

Morning: West Lake loop or north section

From Broken Bridge and Bai Causeway to Gushan, or the other way; or walk part of Su Causeway. West Lake is large—pick one section for 2–3 hours. Lingyin Temple is on the west side; if you go, allow half a day and buy a ticket—see Hangzhou City Guide, West Lake Hangzhou.

Noon: Lakeside or Longxiangqiao

Lunch by the lake or around Longxiangqiao.

Afternoon: More West Lake or Lingyin

Continue around the lake, or visit Lingyin + Feilai Peak. Check current entry: Lingyin Feilai Peak has at times been free with advance reservation; fees and booking rules change—confirm before you go. Finish by about 4 p.m. and head back to the hotel.

Evening: Hefang Street or Hubin

Dinner and an early night; tomorrow you’re off to Suzhou.

Cost: Lingyin (check current fee; may be free with reservation) + meals ¥80–200 per person.

Day 5: Hangzhou → Suzhou, Garden + Pingjiang Road

Morning: Hangzhou East → Suzhou

Train: G-trains, about 1.5 hours; second class ~¥111. Book in advance. From Suzhou Station or Suzhou North, take the metro to Guanqian or near the Humble Administrator’s Garden to check in; staying near Pingjiang Road / Humble Administrator’s Garden makes the afternoon easy.

Afternoon: One garden + Pingjiang Road

Where: Pick one garden: Humble Administrator’s Garden is the largest and busiest (ticket ~~¥80); Lingering Garden is relatively quieter (~~¥55). After the garden, walk a stretch of Pingjiang Road—canal, small shops, teahouses—about 2 hours. See Classical Garden Visit in Suzhou, Suzhou City Guide.

Evening: Guanqian Street or Pingjiang Road

Dinner on Guanqian or Pingjiang—Su cuisine, noodle shops. Sleep in Suzhou; tomorrow you can add one more stop or go straight back to Shanghai for your flight.

Cost: Train ¥111 per person + garden ¥55–80 + meals ¥80–200 per person.

Day 6: Half Day Suzhou → Back to Shanghai to Exit

Morning: Fill gaps or one more garden

If you only did one garden yesterday, you can do Lingering Garden or Tiger Hill (Tiger Hill ~¥70) this morning; if time is tight, pack and check out.

Noon: Suzhou → Shanghai Hongqiao / Pudong

Train: G-trains to Hongqiao about 30 minutes, to Shanghai Railway Station about 1 hour; second class ¥40–55. Head to Hongqiao or Pudong depending on your onward flight; arrive at the airport at least 3 hours before departure for check-in and immigration. The 144 hours start at entry stamp—make sure you exit before the limit.

Afternoon / evening: Exit

Check in, clear immigration, and fly to your third country/region.

Cost: Train ¥40–55 per person.

72-Hour Version: Single City

If you only have 72 hours, stick to one city and enter/exit at the same port or within the same zone. Common options:

72h Shanghai: Day 1 land + Bund; Day 2 French Concession + Yu Garden; Day 3 Pudong riverside or view from above + to airport.
72h Beijing: Day 1 land + Tiananmen and Qianmen; Day 2 Forbidden City + Jingshan; Day 3 Great Wall (Mutianyu) or Temple of Heaven + to airport.

No cross-city or cross-region travel; use the time for getting around and core sights. Forbidden City, Tiananmen, etc. need advance booking—see Book These in Advance below.

240-Hour Version: Cross-Region Multi-City

If you have 240 hours (~10 days) and your entry/exit ports are on the eligible list, you can cross provinces—e.g. Beijing in → Xi’an → Shanghai out. For the day-by-day route, use China 10-Day Itinerary: Beijing, Xi'an, Shanghai. The only differences: you’re on transit visa-free (not a visa or 30-day visa-free); entry and exit ports must be on the 240-hour port list; and you must leave within 10 days (no extension). Check that your entry and exit airports/stations are on the list before you travel.

Getting There and Getting Around

Entry and onward ticket: Transit visa-free assumes you’re “passing through China to a third country/region”—you must have a confirmed onward ticket and your destination cannot be your home country. Immigration may ask for a printout or e-ticket; a return flight home does not count as transit.

Between cities (144h Shanghai–Hangzhou–Suzhou):

Shanghai Hongqiao ↔ Hangzhou East: G-trains about 1 hour, ~¥73.
Shanghai Hongqiao / Shanghai Railway Station ↔ Suzhou: about 30 min–1 hour, ¥40–55.
Hangzhou East ↔ Suzhou: about 1.5 hours, ~¥111.
Book a few days ahead on 12306 or Trip.com; Trip.com is easier for foreign cards.

In town: Shanghai, Hangzhou, and Suzhou metro + DiDi/taxi are enough; metro accepts Alipay/WeChat scan. See How to Pay in China, Essential Apps for China.

Accommodation registration: Some ports require registration at your place of stay (or with local police) within 24 hours of arrival; hotels often do this—confirm at check-in.

Practical Information

Item	Details
Daily budget (144h Shanghai–Hangzhou–Suzhou)	¥600–1,200 per person per day (mid-range: hotel, meals, tickets, trains, local transport); doable over 6 days
Visa / transit	Visa-free transit; no separate visa. Eligible countries and ports—check official sources; see Visiting China Visa-Free, China Visa Guide
When to go	April–May, September–October most comfortable; summer hot and crowded, Spring Festival and National Day mean tight tickets
Payment	Alipay/WeChat main; carry some cash. How to Pay in China
Language	Little English at sights and stations; translation app and Chinese place names written down help. Dealing with Language Barriers in China

Book These in Advance

Onward ticket: Required for transit visa-free; confirm you leave for a third country/region within 72/144/240 hours.
Shanghai→Hangzhou, Hangzhou→Suzhou, Suzhou→Shanghai trains: Book a few days ahead on 12306 or Trip.com; earlier for holidays.
If your route includes Beijing / Forbidden City / Great Wall: Forbidden City needs booking 7 days ahead; Tiananmen Square needs advance booking; Mutianyu buses/charters can be booked in advance. See Book These in Advance in China 7-Day Itinerary or China 10-Day Itinerary.
Hotels: Book early, especially for National Day and Spring Festival; some hotels handle registration—confirm at check-in.

Tips and Tricks

144 hours start at the entry stamp—counted in hours, not calendar days; leave a buffer before your flight so you don’t miss it.
Same-region rule—within 144 hours you stay in one zone (e.g. Shanghai–Jiangsu–Zhejiang or Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei); don’t cross to another region or you may have trouble on exit.
Port lists change—check official sources (e.g. National Immigration Administration) that your entry and exit points are on the 72/144/240-hour list before you book.
Shanghai Hongqiao is both airport and rail station; if your onward flight is from Hongqiao, returning from Suzhou to Hongqiao on the last day saves a trip into the city.
West Lake and Humble Administrator’s Garden get crowded in peak season; go early or on a weekday. Hangzhou City Guide, Classical Garden Visit in Suzhou have more detail.
Bring passport and onward ticket—immigration will ask; hotels need your passport; at stations you may need the manual lane with your passport for tickets/entry.

What to Cut If You're Short on Time

144h with only 5 days: Drop Suzhou: 2 days Shanghai + 2 days Hangzhou + last day back to Shanghai to exit; or just 2 days each in Shanghai and Hangzhou.
72h with only 2.5 days: In Shanghai do only the Bund + French Concession, skip Yu Garden; in Beijing do only Forbidden City + Tiananmen, skip Great Wall or Temple of Heaven.
Don’t skip: Confirming your onward ticket and ports, accommodation registration, and the 144h same-region rule—these are requirements; plan time for them.

Before You Go Checklist

□ Onward ticket confirmed to a third country/region within 72/144/240 hours; print or e-ticket ready.
□ Ports confirmed that entry and exit are on the current transit visa-free list (National Immigration Administration or other official source).
□ Hotels booked for first night and key cities; some ports require registration within 24 hours—confirm at check-in.
□ Payment and connectivity Alipay/WeChat or cash; phone data for maps, translation, and tickets. See How to Pay in China, Staying Connected in China.
□ If Beijing/Forbidden City Forbidden City book 7 days ahead, Tiananmen Square book ahead; see China 7-Day Itinerary or China 10-Day Itinerary.

FAQ

What’s the difference between transit visa-free and 30-day visa-free?
30-day visa-free is for entry for tourism etc. and allows up to 30 days. Transit visa-free is for passing through China to a third country within 72/144/240 hours; you need an onward ticket and your destination cannot be your home country. See Visiting China Visa-Free.

Can I enter in Beijing and exit in Shanghai?
72 and 144 hours generally require same city or same region for entry and exit. 240 hours allows cross-region—Beijing in, Shanghai out is possible, but both ports must be on the 240-hour list. Check the official list before you go.

Can I do Beijing + Shanghai on 144 hours?
No. 144 hours is same-region only: Beijing is in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei zone, Shanghai in Shanghai–Jiangsu–Zhejiang. You can’t cross zones in one 144-hour stay. Choose one zone: Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei (Beijing + Tianjin etc.) or Shanghai–Jiangsu–Zhejiang (Shanghai + Hangzhou + Suzhou etc.).

How do foreigners buy train tickets?
12306 usually needs a Chinese phone number; use Trip.com—foreign cards work. At the station use your passport at the counter or manual lane. Hotels can also buy for you.

This itinerary is for people using 72/144/240-hour transit visa-free to see one or more cities; the route is tied to your entry port and time limit. The 144-hour option we detail is Shanghai + Hangzhou + Suzhou; for 72 hours stick to one city, for 240 hours see the 10-day itinerary for cross-region. It’s not for travelers without an onward ticket or who plan to fly home after China, or for those who want total freedom for 7–10 days without port limits—in that case get a visa or 30-day visa-free and use the China 7-Day Itinerary or China 10-Day Itinerary.

Before you go, confirm three things: onward ticket within the time limit, entry and exit ports on the list, and (for 144h) same region only. For city detail see Shanghai City Guide, Hangzhou City Guide, Suzhou City Guide; for visa and transit policy see Visiting China Visa-Free, China Visa Guide; for payment and connectivity see How to Pay in China, Staying Connected in China.