Itinerary
- Day 1
Beijing
You'll get picked up from the airport and taken straight to your hotel to settle in. The afternoon and evening are open for you to walk around Beijing at your own pace and get a feel for the city. There's a welcome meeting happening in the hotel lobby later in the evening to go over the tour details.
Optional Activities
- Explore Beijing independently
- Visit the Forbidden City
- Visit the Great Wall of China
Landmarks Forbidden City Great Wall of China 
- Day 2
Beijing
After breakfast, head to Tiananmen Square to see the exterior of Chairman Mao's tomb and the monuments around it. From there, you'll enter the Forbidden City with its over 800 buildings and 9,000 rooms. Later, wander through Beijing's old hutongs, the winding alleyways with traditional courtyards that make up the historical heart of the city. Stop at Wangfujing Pedestrian Street for some shopping, then finish with Peking roast duck dinner.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner (Peking roast duck dinner, typically enjoyed wrapped in thin pancakes with spring onions and hoisin sauce)
Included Activities
- Visit Tiananmen Square and view Chairman Mao's tomb exterior
- Enter the Forbidden City
- Explore Beijing's hutongs
- Stroll Wangfujing Pedestrian Street
- Peking roast duck dinner
Landmarks Tiananmen Square Forbidden City Wangfujing Pedestrian Street 
- Day 3
Great Wall of China
Today you're heading out to the Great Wall at the Huanghuacheng section, where part of the wall actually sits partially underwater. You'll take a scenic hike and see the wildflowers the area's known for. The views from this section give you a real sense of the wall's historical importance. In the evening, catch a Chinese acrobatic performance with impressive gravity-defying moves.
Included Activities
- Scenic hike along Huanghuacheng section of the Great Wall
- Chinese acrobatic performance
Landmarks Huanghuacheng Section - Great Wall of China - Day 4
Beijing to Luoyang
After breakfast, you'll head to the railway station for a 2nd class high-speed train to Luoyang, which takes about 4 to 4.5 hours. Your local guide meets you there and you'll have lunch together. Then it's on to the Longmen Caves, which sit along the Yi River cliffs and hold one of the world's largest collections of celestial artwork and statues from over 10 dynasties. By evening, walk through Old City Shizi Street to sample various local foods.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (Local restaurant lunch)
Included Activities
- Visit Longmen Caves
- Stroll through Old City Shizi Street
Landmarks Longmen Caves Old City Shizi Street 
- Day 5
Luoyang
Start at Xiyuan Park in the morning where local residents gather to dance and sing, and you can watch or join in. From there, head to the Shaolin Monastery, the birthplace of Chinese martial arts, and watch a martial arts performance. You'll see the skills and discipline of the performers firsthand. Dinner tonight features local Luoyang cuisine at a restaurant in the area.
- Meals
- Dinner (Local restaurant dinner featuring Luoyang cuisine)
Included Activities
- Visit Xiyuan Park
- Visit Shaolin Monastery
- Witness martial arts performance at Shaolin Monastery
Landmarks Xiyuan Park Shaolin Monastery 
- Day 6
Luoyang to Xi'an
Catch an early morning train to Xi'an. When you arrive, take a bike ride or walk along the Xi'an City Wall for views over the city. Then move through the Muslim Quarter where you'll see the craftsmanship and smell the aromas of local food. Stop at the Gao Family courtyard for a 15-minute shadow puppetry show, visit the Small Wild Goose Pagoda, and check out the Xi'an Museum. In the evening, you'll make dumplings yourself and eat what you've created.
- Meals
- Dinner (Dumpling-making experience with dumplings created by participants, accompanied by refreshing drink)
Included Activities
- Bike ride or leisurely walk along Xi'an City Wall
- Explore Muslim Quarter
- Shadow puppetry show at Gao Family courtyard
- Visit Small Wild Goose Pagoda and Xi'an Museum
- Dumpling-making experience and dinner
Landmarks Xi'an City Wall Muslim Quarter Gao Family Courtyard Small Wild Goose Pagoda Xi'an Museum 
- Day 7
Xi'an
You'll start the day at the Terracotta Army and Warriors site, seeing the 8,000 life-size soldiers, 100 chariots, and 600 horses from Emperor Qin Shi Huang. Each figure is unique with incredible detail. After that, visit a Terracotta Warrior Factory to learn how they're made using techniques unchanged since the Qin Dynasty. You'll have lunch at a local restaurant, then the rest of the afternoon is free to explore Xi'an on your own.
- Meals
- Lunch (Local restaurant lunch)
Included Activities
- Visit Terracotta Army and Warriors
- Visit Terracotta Warrior Factory
Optional Activities
- Explore Xi'an independently during leisure time
Landmarks Terracotta Army and Warriors 
- Day 8
Xi'an to Harbin
After breakfast, you'll head to the airport for a flight to Harbin (direct or connecting through Beijing). Harbin is called the Ice City and is known for its ice and snow sculptures. Once you arrive and check into your hotel, you'll notice the mix of Russian and Chinese architecture throughout. In the evening, try Fried Pork in Scoop, a local northeastern dish with pork in crispy batter and sweet and sour sauce.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner (Fried Pork in Scoop (Guo Bao Rou), thinly sliced pork coated in crispy batter with sweet and sour sauce)
- Day 9
Harbin
Start the day at Hongzhuan Local Market to see local offerings and taste various foods. Then head to Sun Island Park where the Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival is underway, with sculptors still working on pieces (official opening is January 5th, but it runs from mid-December). After lunch, go to Harbin Snow and Ice World where you can ride down an ice luge or climb replicas of famous structures. Dinner is Northeastern Braised Chicken in Iron Pan, and you'll ring in the New Year at the hotel bar.
- Meals
- Dinner (Northeastern Braised Chicken in Iron Pan, known for its hearty flavours)
Included Activities
- Visit Hongzhuan Local Market
- Visit Sun Island Park for China Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival
- Visit Harbin Snow and Ice World
Landmarks Hongzhuan Local Market Sun Island Park Harbin Snow and Ice World - Day 10
Harbin to Beijing
Start by seeing the Chinese Eastern Railway Bridge, a historic landmark central to Harbin's identity. Walk through Stalin Park along the river for 1,750 meters. Check out the exterior of the Russian Orthodox Church of St. Sophia from 1907. The main event is Zhaolin Park and its Ice Lantern Art Fair with illuminated ice sculptures. Stroll Central Street and grab ice popsicles at the Modern Hotel from 1910. After lunch downtown, you'll drive through the old church streets before returning to the hotel for late checkout at 6 PM, then head to the train station for your overnight train back to Beijing.
Included Activities
- Visit Chinese Eastern Railway Bridge
- Explore Stalin Park
- Visit Russian Orthodox Church of St. Sophia exterior
- Visit Zhaolin Park and Ice Lantern Art Fair
- Stroll Central Street
- Ice popsicles at Modern Hotel
- Drive through East and West Dazhi Streets
Optional Activities
- Lunch at leisure in downtown Harbin
Landmarks Chinese Eastern Railway Bridge Stalin Park Russian Orthodox Church of St. Sophia Zhaolin Park Central Street Modern Hotel - Day 11
Beijing
You'll arrive in Beijing after the overnight train and get transferred to your hotel. You can leave your luggage there and explore Beijing on your own if you'd like. Make sure your flight leaves after 2 PM to give time for any train delays. Hotel accommodation and airport transfers after the tour can be arranged for an extra fee if needed.
Optional Activities
- Explore Beijing independently
