Itinerary
- Day 1
Beijing
You'll arrive in Beijing and get settled at your hotel. At 6pm, you'll meet your tour leader and the rest of the group to officially kick things off. There's an optional group dinner at a local restaurant if you want to start getting to know everyone right away.
Optional Activities
- Group dinner at a local restaurant
Landmarks Forbidden City 
- Day 2
Beijing
This morning you'll take the public bus or metro to Tiananmen Square, then spend time walking through the vast Forbidden City complex with its courtyards and temples. After that, head up to Jingshan Park for views across the whole city. Grab lunch somewhere, then stroll through traditional hutongs (narrow alleys) in the old town before heading back to your hotel.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch
Included Activities
- Visit to Tiananmen Square
- Exploration of Forbidden City
- Climb to top of Jingshan Park
- Walking tour of traditional hutongs
Landmarks Tiananmen Square Forbidden City Jingshan Park - Day 3
Mutianyu Great Wall
You'll drive about two hours into the countryside to reach Mutianyu, which is one of the best-kept sections of the Great Wall. After taking the shuttle bus to the ticket office, you'll hike roughly 40 minutes uphill to get to the wall (there's a cable car option if you prefer). You'll spend a couple hours walking along this section, which has 22 watchtowers and pretty steep steps.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch
Included Activities
- Visit to Mutianyu section of Great Wall
- Walking along Great Wall
Optional Activities
- Cable car to top of Great Wall (approximately 8 minutes)
Landmarks Mutianyu Great Wall - Day 4
Beijing to Xi'an
Early this morning you'll catch a bullet train to Xi'an, arriving around midday. This historic Silk Road city has kept its massive city walls intact for centuries. By 2pm you'll be checked into your hotel, then you'll do a walking tour of Bell and Drum Plaza and the lively Muslim Quarter with its spice markets. Your afternoon after that is free to do whatever you like.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch
Included Activities
- Walking tour of Bell and Drum Plaza
- Exploration of Muslim Quarter spice markets
Optional Activities
- Visit to Gao's family mansion and shadow puppetry show (approximately 30 yuan/US$4.15 per person)
Landmarks Bell and Drum Plaza Muslim Quarter - Day 5
Terracotta Warriors
You'll head out about two hours to see the Terracotta Warriors of Emperor Qin, a life-size clay army buried to protect the emperor in the afterlife. The first pit has around 6,000 figures, and the third pit (open to visitors) shows the command post. After lunch at a nearby farmer's restaurant, you'll head back into Xi'an.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (Lunch at farmer's restaurant)
Included Activities
- Visit to Terracotta Warriors of Emperor Qin
- Lunch at farmer's restaurant
Landmarks Terracotta Warriors - Day 6
Xi'an Free Day
No activities are scheduled for today. Your tour leader will tell you what's available and help you arrange anything you'd like to do. Consider walking or cycling along the city's impressive walls to get a feel for their massive scale, or just explore at your own pace.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch
Optional Activities
- Walking along city walls
- Cycling along city walls (bike hire available)
Landmarks Xi'an City Walls - Day 7
Xi'an to Chengdu
You'll take a short transfer to the train station and board a late morning bullet train to Chengdu, arriving in the early afternoon. This region is known as 'the spicy province.' Later that afternoon, you'll walk through Tianfu Square and People's Park, where you might try Chinese water calligraphy if the weather cooperates.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch
Included Activities
- Walking tour of city centre and Tianfu Square
- Visit to People's Park
- Chinese water calligraphy (weather permitting)
Optional Activities
- Hotpot dinner (spicy or mild broths available)
Landmarks Tianfu Square People's Park 
- Day 8
Giant Panda Breeding & Research Base
Early morning you'll head to the Giant Panda Breeding and Research Base, which sits about 6 miles outside the city. You'll watch these endangered animals, which typically spend up to 14 hours daily eating or sleeping. By midday you're back in Chengdu with a free afternoon to explore the city however you'd like.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch
Included Activities
- Visit to Giant Panda Breeding & Research Base
Landmarks Giant Panda Breeding & Research Base - Day 9
Chengdu to Shanghai
You'll catch an early flight to Shanghai with a simple box breakfast from your hotel. After the roughly 2.5 hour flight, you'll arrive by late morning and reach your hotel by lunchtime. In the afternoon, you'll take public transport to the Yu Yuan Garden, an intricate Ming Dynasty garden with water features and winding paths.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Box breakfast from hotel), Lunch
Included Activities
- Visit to Yu Yuan Garden
Landmarks Yu Yuan Garden 
- Day 10
Shanghai
After breakfast, you'll explore Shanghai's highlights on foot. Start at the Bund waterfront to see iconic buildings, then head to Nanjing Road, one of the world's busiest shopping streets. From there, you'll check out the French Concession with its tree-lined avenues, cafes, and Tudor mansions. Your afternoon is free for independent exploration.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch
Included Activities
- Walking tour of the Bund
- Exploration of Nanjing Road
- Walking tour of French Concession
Landmarks The Bund Nanjing Road French Concession - Day 11
Shanghai Departure
After breakfast, your adventure in Shanghai comes to an end and you'll begin your journey home. If you'd like to extend your stay in Shanghai, you can contact your sales representative to arrange that.
- Meals
- Breakfast
