Highlights of China (13 Days)

Destinations: Beijing – Zhangjiajie – Xian – Guilin – Gangshou  – Shanghai

Day 1: Beijing Arrival

Upon arrival. Meet your professional guide outside Customs and then you will be transferred by a comfortable drive to the hotel. After checking into the hotel, you may either rest to recover from the flight or take a walk to get familiar with the city.

Day 2: Beijing (B, L)

Your guided Beijing tour will start with a visit to Tiananmen Square. It is the largest urban square in the world, able to contain up to a million people. In and around the square are the Chairman Mao’s Memorial Hall, the Monument to the People’s Heroes, the Palace Museum and many other significant buildings. Then, on passing through Tiananmen Tower, you enter the Forbidden City, a grand royal palace during the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368 – 1911), with over 9,000 rooms. The magnificent palace complex in the Forbidden City can be divided into two sections: the Outer Court and the Inner Court. Your guide will tell you of the historical events and legendary stories that happened here to help you gain a deeper impression of this palace.

After lunch, you will be accompanied to visit the Temple of Heaven. Your guide will outline the sacrificial rituals that occurred here in the old times. As a large park where ancient buildings and green space co-exist, it is also popular with the local people. Then we will take you to the Hutong alleys, where you will enjoy a rickshaw ride through the old living quarters of Beijing to experience its traditional culture and people’s way of life.

Day 3: Beijing (B)

After breakfast, your guide and driver will pick you up at the hotel and escort you to the Mutianyu Great Wall. A round-trip cable car ride, or a chairlift up and a toboggan down, will be arranged, so that you may enjoy more time to hike on the Wall. Comfortable shoes are essential. Our next destination is the Scared Way, leading to the Ming Tombs with 24 ancient, vivid stone beasts and 12 figures flanking the path. On the way back to the hotel, we will stop by the National Stadium, also known as the Bird’s Nest, for you to take pictures of this Olympic venue.

Day 4: Beijing – Zhangjiejia (B)

After breakfast, your guide will pick you up at the hotel and transport you to Beijing Zoo. You will go around to the Panda House inside seeing these lovely animals closely. They are active in the morning, so you may see them eating, playing or even climbing trees. Then, we will head for the next destination, the Summer Palace, to experience the garden resort of the royal family during the Qing Dynasty (1644 – 1911).

This Beijing tour package will round off with a visit to the Lama Temple. After that, you will be escorted to the airport for your onward flight to Zhangjiajie. Your local guide will meet you at the airport and then transfer you to the hotel.

Day 5: Zhangjiejia (B, L)

Today you will spend a whole day in the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park. Your guide will escort you to take the Bailong Elevator to the Yuanjiajie Scenic Area. It is worth mentioning that the Hallelujah Mountain in the movie Avatar was shot at the Southern Sky Column here.

Then, we will take an electric car to the Tianzi Mountain Nature Reserve. It is definitely a paradise for shutterbugs, as the mountain peaks there have a unique look, like several swords and halberds pointing to the sky. After taking pictures there, your guide will accompany you to take a leisurely walk along the Golden Whip Stream. The stream runs through a verdant valley and we may be lucky enough to encounter some lovely monkeys on the way. The next activity is taking the sightseeing train along the Ten-Mile Gallery to admire hills in various shapes such as humans, fairies, peacocks, and tigers.

Day 6: Zhangjiejia (B, L)

After breakfast, your guide will pick you up at the hotel and escort you to the  Zhanjiajie Grand Canyon. You will walk on the Glass Bridge, which is the longest glass bridge in the world stretching over a valley of 430 meters (470 yards) wide. It is a real challenge of your courage. We believe that it will make your Zhangjiajie tour unforgettable. Heavy items, such as Thermos, glass bottles, etc., are not allowed to be taken into the scenic area. Later, we will continue to Baofeng Lake. You will take a boat ride on the clean and clear alpine lake. During the cruise, the local people will sing folk songs for the travelers. 

Day 7: Zhangjiejia – Xian (B)

Your Zhangjiajie tour will conclude with a visit to Tianmen Mountain, which is famous for a giant opening between the rocky cliffs. Before that, your guide will accompany you to visit Xibu Street. It is a pedestrian street full of bars, local folk shops, eateries selling local snacks, restaurants, leisure inns etc. Alternatively, you could enjoy a leisurely morning at your hotel and have a late start to your day’s activities. At the end of the day’s activities, you will be escorted to the airport to catch a late evening flight to Xi’an. Upon arrival, your Xi’an guide will pick you up and transfer you to the hotel for check-in.

Day 8: Xian (B)

The Terracotta Army Museum is the first destination of your Xi’an guided tour and you will be escorted there with a comfortable drive. It has received praise as the largest underground military museum in the world, with over 8,000 pottery soldiers and 130 chariots dating back to the Qin Dynasty (221 – 207 BC). Your afternoon’s activities will include visits to the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda and the Shaanxi History Museum. The Giant Wild Goose Pagoda served as the repository of Buddhist scriptures during the Tang Dynasty (618 – 907). Its North Square is a beautiful, landscaped area, where you can see sculptures with elements of the Tang Dynasty and watch the majestic musical fountain show at certain times. The whole pagoda area has become the most eye-catching place in Xi’an. The Shaanxi History Museum is a grand palace of ancient handiworks of China. Here is a collection of over 370,000 precious relics, mainly unearthed within the province, including bronze wares, pottery figures, porcelains, bronze mirrors, construction materials, gold and silver objects, as well as ancient coins.

Day 9: Xian – Guilin (B, L)

Today, you will have a whole morning walking along the Xi’an City Wall and its surrounding park in the company of your guide. Riding a bicycle on the ancient City Wall is also a popular way to tour this attraction. You can rent one on the Wall at your expense. If you are not skillful in riding a bicycle, you can also choose to take the electric car to make a circuit of the Wall. Lunch will be arranged with a local family for you to taste authentic home-made dishes. After that, you will be taken to the Great Mosque, which follows traditional Chinese architectural style with exquisite pavilions, screen wall, as well as wood and brick carvings. You will then be left with some free time to stroll around the nearby Muslim Quarter, where you can feast on delicious snacks and buy souvenirs. At night, each store lights up its own carefully designed advertising light box to brighten up the neighborhood. It is another kind of scenery. Later, take a flight to Guilin. Upon arrival, you will meet the local guide at the exit and then be escorted to the hotel.

Day 10: Guilin – Gangsou – Guilin (B)

Today, we will take a Li River cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo. Your guide and driver will pick you up at the appointed time. Before setting out, it is suggested you pack some snacks, as meals served onboard might be not to your taste. The part of the Li River from Guilin to Yangshuo is the most typical of the karst peak forest landscape.

Upon arrival at Yangshuo, you will be guided to the countryside to enjoy the idyllic scenery with the clear river flowing through wide fields and several green hillocks dotted among the landscape. We will also arrange a visit to a villager’s home to let you experience the local lifestyle. When today’s Yangshuo tour is over, you will be transferred back to Guilin to rest.

Day 11: Guilin – Sanghai (B)

In the morning, you will be taken to admire the highlight attractions in Guilin city: the  Reed Flute Cave, the Seven Stars Park, and the Elephant Trunk Hill. Located in the central city, the Elephant Trunk Hill resembles a giant elephant sipping water, which makes it one of the city’s most famous landmarks. After having lunch at a nearby restaurant at your own arrangement, you will be escorted to the airport to take the flight to Shanghai. Your Shanghai guide will be waiting for you at the airport. After greeting, you will be transferred to the hotel to rest.

Day 12: Sanghai (B)

The whole day Shanghai tour will start with a visit to Sanghai Museum, which houses over 120,000 historical items; the most prominent exhibits are bronze wares, calligraphy, and paintings. After that, the guide will take you to the Yu Garden, the former residence of an official in the Ming Dynasty. After lunch, you will take a one-hour Huangpu River cruise in the company of your guide. Towering skyscrapers on the eastern bank and exotic buildings of the Bund on the other bank can all be in view. After that, you will have some free time wandering around the Bund area. Then, you will be taken to a cultural enclave –  Tianzifang to conclude today’s Shanghai tour. Finally, we will drive you back to the hotel.

Day 13: Shanghai – Departure (B) 

Free at leisure for explore more the city until transfer to the airport for your own departure flight home.

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Inclusions: Hotel & overnight cruise accommodation as mentioned; Meals as mentioned in the itinerary: B: Breakfast, L: Lunch, D: Dinner; Domestic flights: Beijing – Zangjiajie – Xian – Guilin – Shanghai; Transport by private with AC; English speaking guide (Other languages on request); Boat trips; All entrance and sightseeing fees; Mineral water and wet towel; All taxes and service charges.

Exclusions: International flights to/from China; Visa fees; Early check-in & Late check-out at all hotels; Insurance; Personal expenses; Tipping/Gratuities; Other drinks; Surcharge on special days; Any other services not clearly mentioned above.