Itinerary
- Day 1
Beijing
Your private guide meets you at Beijing airport and drives about an hour into downtown, giving you some background on the city along the way. After checking into your hotel, you'll have time to settle in and relax. Most hotels here have pools, so it's a good chance for the kids to cool off after travel.
- Day 2
Beijing
You'll start at Tiananmen Square, the city's most important landmark. From there, head to the Forbidden City palace complex where 24 emperors lived over 500 years, and your guide will walk you through what royal life looked like. Later, take a rickshaw ride through the narrow Hutongs to see old courtyards and visit a local family to get a real sense of how people live in Beijing.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Tiananmen Square visit
- Forbidden City guided tour
- Rickshaw ride through Hutongs
- Local family visit
Landmarks Tiananmen Square Forbidden City Hutongs - Day 3
Beijing
The Great Wall is about two hours from the city center, and you'll head to the Mutianyu section since it's more kid-friendly with cable cars for getting up and down safely. Once you're up there, you can do some moderate hiking and take in the views. Back in the city by evening, you'll wrap up at the Summer Palace, walking through the imperial gardens and taking a boat on Kunming Lake.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Great Wall of China (Mutianyu section) visit with cable car
- Moderate hiking on Great Wall
- Summer Palace visit
- Boat ride on Kunming Lake
Landmarks Great Wall of China (Mutianyu) Summer Palace Kunming Lake - Day 4
Beijing to Xi'an
This morning you'll visit the Temple of Heaven, where emperors used to pray for good harvests. It's also a popular park now where you can watch locals enjoying themselves, and you might even try some Tai Chi with a teacher and others there. After that, you'll head to the airport for your flight to Xi'an, where your new guide will pick you up and take you to your hotel.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Temple of Heaven visit
- Chinese Tai Chi experience with locals
- Airport transfer in Xi'an
Landmarks Temple of Heaven 
- Day 5
Xi'an
The big event today is the Terracotta Warriors. You'll have plenty of time to walk through thousands of life-size clay soldiers, horses, and chariots from over 2,000 years ago, each one with its own distinct features. Driving back to the city, you'll take a walk around the Muslim Quarter's busy bazaar streets and check out the century-old Great Mosque to see the religious activities there.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Terracotta Warriors visit
- Muslim Quarter walk
- Great Mosque visit
Landmarks Terracotta Warriors Muslim Quarter Great Mosque (Xi'an) - Day 6
Xi'an
Start the morning at a local family's home to learn about Sichuan cooking. You'll chat with market vendors, talk with your host, and get hands-on making dumplings and hand-pulled noodles among other dishes. After lunch, you'll visit the Tang Bo Art Museum for folk arts and contemporary work, try your hand at Chinese calligraphy, then climb the Drum Tower to see different drums and catch an ancient Bells music performance.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Local family visit for cuisine experience
- Market vendor interaction
- Dumpling making class
- Hand-pulled noodle making class
- Tang Bo Art Museum visit
- Chinese calligraphy study
- Drum Tower visit
- Ancient Bells music performance
Landmarks Tang Bo Art Museum Drum Tower (Xi'an) - Day 7
Xi'an to Chengdu
Head to the railway station for the high-speed train to Chengdu. Once you arrive, your guide takes you to try authentic Sichuan hotpot, one of China's most famous regional cuisines. After that, walk around Wenshu Temple and have some Chinese tea the way locals do. The day ends browsing and picking up things on Jinli Street.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner (Authentic Sichuan hotpot)
Included Activities
- High-speed train journey Xi'an to Chengdu
- Authentic Sichuan hotpot experience
- Wenshu Temple visit
- Chinese tea experience
- Jinli Street shopping and browsing
Landmarks Wenshu Temple Jinli Street 
- Day 8
Chengdu
Chengdu is where giant pandas live, so you can't skip the Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. Start early to catch them between 8 and 9 am when they're most active, eating breakfast or exercising. In the afternoon, visit the Sanxingdui Museum, which sits on ancient ruins and shows off relics from the lost Shu Kingdom through gold, bronze, jade, and ceramic pieces.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding visit
- Sanxingdui Museum visit
Landmarks Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding Sanxingdui Museum - Day 9
Chengdu to Guilin
After breakfast, you'll head to the airport for your flight to Guilin. When you land, your Guilin guide meets you and takes you toward your hotel, but first you'll stop at Reed Flute Cave, the most famous karst cave in southern China. Later, once you've checked in, take a short walk around Banyan Lake and Cedar Lake to soak in the city's scenery.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Reed Flute Cave visit
- Banyan Lake walk
- Cedar Lake walk
Landmarks Reed Flute Cave Banyan Lake Cedar Lake 
- Day 10
Yangshuo
The Li River cruise is the main event today. You'll spend 4 leisurely hours on the water from Zhujiang Pier to Yangshuo town, surrounded by the charming landscapes and calm river. Back at your hotel for a short rest in the afternoon, then you'll visit a hand-painted fan workshop where you can watch and try making fans yourself.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Li River cruise (4 hours from Zhujiang Pier to Yangshuo)
- Hand-painted fan workshop visit and participation
Landmarks Li River Zhujiang Pier Yangshuo - Day 11
Yangshuo to Shanghai
Yangshuo's countryside is what draws people here. If you're comfortable biking, you can explore the pastoral landscape yourself through rice paddies, tall peaks, clear streams, and small villages. Otherwise your driver and guide will show you around by van instead. After, you'll head to the airport for your flight to Shanghai.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Yangshuo countryside tour by bicycle or van
Optional Activities
- Bicycle tour through rice paddies and countryside (available for cyclists)
Landmarks Yangshuo Countryside 
- Day 12
Shanghai
After breakfast, you'll walk along the Bund shoreline to see Shanghai's mix of modern skyscrapers and old buildings from a century ago. Head to Yu Garden to check out the classical Chinese architecture, sculptures, and carvings. You'll pause at a silk workshop, then take a walking tour from Fuxing Park to Bugaoli to experience the urban energy. The day finishes at the Shanghai Propaganda Poster Art Center, a unique museum showing modern China through thousands of posters.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Bund shoreline visit
- Yu Garden visit
- Silk workshop visit
- Fuxing Park to Bugaoli walking tour
- Shanghai Propaganda Poster Art Center visit
Landmarks The Bund Yu Garden Fuxing Park Shanghai Propaganda Poster Art Center - Day 13
Shanghai
Today is yours to spend however you like. You can relax at your hotel, explore on your own, take the kids to Disney, visit museums like the Shanghai Natural History Museum, or take a day trip out to Xitang, a quiet water town.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Optional Activities
- Shanghai Disneyland visit
- Shanghai Natural History Museum visit
- Day excursion to Xitang water town
Landmarks Shanghai Disneyland Shanghai Natural History Museum Xitang - Day 14
Shanghai
Time to head home. Your guide and driver will pick you up when you're ready and take you to the airport for your flight back.
- Meals
- Breakfast
