Itinerary
- Day 1
Arrival in Beijing
Your guide will meet you at Beijing airport and drive you to your hotel by private car. From there, you'll have the rest of the day to settle in and recover from travel.
- Day 2
Beijing
Start at Tiananmen Square in central Beijing, then head to the Forbidden City to walk through its palaces and pavilions spanning 600 years of history. In the afternoon, go to the Summer Palace, which is China's largest imperial garden, and take a boat on Kunming Lake if the weather cooperates.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Daily breakfast at coffee shop or restaurant at the hotel)
Included Activities
- Visit Tiananmen Square
- Guided tour of the Forbidden City
- Visit Summer Palace
- Boat ride on Kunming Lake
Landmarks/POIs Tiananmen Square Forbidden City Summer Palace Kunming Lake - Day 3
Great Wall and Ming Tombs
After breakfast, drive 2 hours north to Mutianyu Great Wall, a quieter section of the wall. Take the cable car up and spend 2 to 3 hours hiking the stone steps along the ancient structure. Next, visit Changling Tomb, the largest Ming Dynasty tomb, before returning to Beijing for the evening.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Daily breakfast at coffee shop or restaurant at the hotel)
Included Activities
- Cable car ride to Mutianyu Great Wall
- Hiking along Mutianyu Great Wall
- Visit Changling Tomb
Landmarks/POIs Mutianyu Great Wall Changling Tomb - Day 4
Beijing to Xi'an
Walk through the Temple of Heaven, an imperial complex with historic architecture and a surrounding park where locals do morning exercises. Later, ride in an old rickshaw through Hutong's narrow alleys to see traditional Beijing neighborhoods. Then fly about 2 hours to Xi'an and check in at your downtown hotel.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Daily breakfast at coffee shop or restaurant at the hotel)
Included Activities
- Visit Temple of Heaven and park
- Rickshaw ride through Hutong traditional alleys
Landmarks/POIs Temple of Heaven Hutong - Day 5
Xi'an
Visit the Terracotta Warriors, thousands of life-size clay statues buried with China's first emperor Qin Shi Huang to protect him in the afterlife. Afterward, try Muslim cuisine in Xi'an's Muslim Quarter and visit the Great Mosque, which blends Chinese and Islamic architecture.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Daily breakfast at coffee shop or restaurant at the hotel)
Included Activities
- Visit Terracotta Warriors
- Visit Great Mosque in Muslim Quarter
Optional Activities
- Dinner with ethnically Muslim dishes
Landmarks/POIs Terracotta Warriors Great Mosque - Day 6
Xi'an to Guilin
Fly about 2 hours to Guilin in the morning. When you arrive, explore the Reed Flute Cave to see stalactites and stalagmites lit up by colored lights, then check into your hotel.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Daily breakfast at coffee shop or restaurant at the hotel)
Included Activities
- Visit Reed Flute Cave
Landmarks/POIs Reed Flute Cave - Day 7
Guilin to Yangshuo
After breakfast, head to Zhujiang Pier for a cruise down the Li River to Yangshuo, taking 3.5 to 4.5 hours depending on water levels. You'll see tall karst peaks, bamboo groves, and rice paddies along the way. After landing, walk through West Street with your guide and settle into your hotel, with free time afterward to relax or wander around.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Daily breakfast at coffee shop or restaurant at the hotel)
Included Activities
- Li River cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo
Landmarks/POIs Li River - Day 8
Yangshuo to Chongqing
Grab breakfast, then your guide takes you to the train station for a high-speed train to Chongqing, which runs about 5 to 6 hours. After arriving, you'll be picked up and driven to the dock where you'll board the Yangtze River cruise ship. The vessel leaves Chongqing around 9:00 pm.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Daily breakfast at coffee shop or restaurant at the hotel)
Included Activities
- High-speed train to Chongqing
- Transfer to Yangtze cruise ship
- Day 9
Yangtze Cruise
Spend the morning relaxing on the ship while watching the Yangtze River landscape pass by. In the afternoon, take an included trip to Shibaozhai, a striking red pavilion on a hilltop that gives you views of the surrounding area.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Daily breakfast at coffee shop or restaurant at the hotel)
Included Activities
- Included excursion to Shibaozhai
Optional Activities
- Optional land tour to Fengdu Ghost City (organized by cruise company)
Landmarks/POIs Shibaozhai Fengdu Ghost City - Day 10
Yangtze Cruise
Another relaxed morning on deck as the cruise continues downstream. In the afternoon, go on a boat trip into Shennv Stream in a flat-bottom wooden boat, traveling deep into the valley to see the local landscape and how residents live there.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Daily breakfast at coffee shop or restaurant at the hotel)
Included Activities
- Visit Shennv Stream by wooden flat-bottom boat
Optional Activities
- Optional tour to White Emperor City (for those interested in Chinese history)
Landmarks/POIs Shennv Stream White Emperor City - Day 11
Three Gorges Dam to Shanghai
After breakfast, take a shore excursion to the Three Gorges Dam, a major engineering site in China. The ship docks at noon in Yichang, where your private guide picks you up and drives you to the airport for a flight to Shanghai. Your guide will transfer you to your hotel when you arrive.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Daily breakfast at coffee shop or restaurant at the hotel)
Included Activities
- Shore excursion to Three Gorges Dam
Landmarks/POIs Three Gorges Dam - Day 12
Shanghai
Begin at Shanghai Museum to see thousands of historical objects and artifacts. Continue to Yu Garden, the Yuyuan Market, and the former French Concession area. End by walking along the Bund, where you'll see buildings and streets that reflect Shanghai's past from the 1920s onward.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Daily breakfast at coffee shop or restaurant at the hotel)
Included Activities
- Visit Shanghai Museum
- Visit Yu Garden
- Visit Yuyuan Market
- Explore former French Concession
- Walk along the Bund
Landmarks/POIs Shanghai Museum Yu Garden Yuyuan Market French Concession The Bund - Day 13
Departure
Your China tour finishes today. You'll have free time until your guide picks you up and takes you to the airport for your flight home.
