12-Day China Classic Tour of Shanghai, Suzhou, Hangzhou, Guilin, Xi’an and Beijing

Attractions: Not Included

Meal: Not Included

Hotel: Overnight in Shanghai

Welcome to Shanghai! After retrieving your luggage, you will find your local guide waiting for you in the Arrival Hall of the airport, holding a welcome sign with your name on it. After a warm greeting, you will be taken to the hotel in a comfortable and air-conditioned vehicle and your guide will help you with the check-in. 

Attractions: People’s Square, Shanghai Museum, Oriental Pearl TV Tower, The Bund, Nanjing Road, French Concession, Tianzifang

Meal: Not Included

Hotel: Overnight in Shanghai

We first pay a visit to the People's Square and Shanghai Museum. The exhibition area is 12000 square meters, the first floor is the ancient Chinese bronze Hall, the ancient Chinese sculpture hall and the exhibition hall; The second floor is the ancient Chinese ceramics Hall, the temporary ceramic hall and the exhibition hall; The third floor is the Chinese calligraphy Museum, the Chinese Painting Museum and the Seal Museum of the Chinese dynasties; The fourth floor is a comprehensive museum with the jade Museum of ancient China, the Coin Museum of ancient China, the Furniture museum of Ming and Qing Dynasties, the Arts and Crafts Museum of Chinese minorities and the exhibition hall.

Later, get to the second sphere of the Oriental Pearl TV Tower at a height of 263 meters to enjoy a bird's-eye view of Shanghai.Next, explore the city from the Bund and Nanjing Road to take in heritage buildings featuring architectural styles from Neoclassical to Gothic to Baroque. The Bund is located on the banks of the Huangpu River in Huangpu District of Shanghai, that is, the Outer Huangpu Beach, which is a Chinese historical and cultural district. The Bund stands 52 classical revival buildings with different styles, known as the Bund International Architecture Exhibition group, is an important historical site and representative architecture in modern China, and one of the landmarks of Shanghai.

Afterwards, explore the tree-lined avenues of the French Concession. The former French Concession is the geographical area of Sycamore-lined streets and alleys that make up what used to be the French-administered part of town (late 19th century to mid-twentieth). And by the way, all those trees (called platane in French), were imported from France. Walking through it make you have a first impression of Shanghai’s History. Explore the arts and crafts enclave in the trendy area of Tianzifang.  

Attractions: Humble Administrator’s Garden, Panmen Gate, Tiger Hill, Shantang Sreet

Meal: Not Included

Hotel: Overnight in Suzhou

Drive to Suzhou in the morning. Upon arrival, visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site - Humble Administrator's Garden. Humble Administrator's Garden is the largest garden in Suzhou and is considered the best garden in southern China. Continue to visit Panmen Gate, which was the initial entrance to Suzhou City and is said to have a history of 2400 years. Then, enjoy the oldest pagoda in Suzhou - Tiger Hill, also known as the Leaning Tower in China. Afterwards, stroll along the 1200 year old Shantang Street, where there are ancient residences and shops selling snacks and handicrafts, such as wood carvings and embroidery.

Attractions: West Lake, Six Harmonies Pagoda, Lingyin Tample, Qinghefang Ancient Street  

Meal: Not Included

Hotel: Overnight in Hangzhou

Take a train to Hangzhou. Take a boat tour of West Lake, also known as Qiantang Lake, is located at No. 1 Longjing Road, Xihu District, Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province, China, in the west of Hangzhou City, with a catchments area of 21.22 square kilometers and a lake area of 6.38 square kilometers. In 2007, the West Lake Scenic Area in Hangzhou, where the West Lake is located, was named "National AAAAA tourist Attraction". On June 24, 2011, Hangzhou's West Lake cultural landscape was inscribed on the World Heritage List.

Next, visit the Six Harmonies Pagoda, also known as Liuhe Pagoda, is located in Shangcheng District of Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province. According to the official website of Hangzhou People's Government in April 2023, it is 59.88 meters high and covers an area of 888 square meters. It was built by King Wu Yue in the third year of the Northern Song Dynasty (970 AD) for Zhiyuan Zen Master, a monk of Zhenjiang Tide School.

The Lingyin Temple, an ancient Buddhist temple in China, is located in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, backed by the North peak, facing the Feilai Peak, was built in the early years of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, covering an area of about 87,000 square meters. The founder of Lingyin Temple was the West Indian monk Hui Li. Liang Wu Emperor in the southern Dynasty granted the field and expanded it. Qian Liu, king of Wuyue in the Five Dynasties, invited Yongming Yanshou Master to revive the development and gave the name Lingyin New Temple.

Continue to stroll on the Qinghefang Ancient Street, which is one of the oldest streets in Hangzhou and the only well preserved ancient historical block in Hangzhou.

Attractions: Elephant Trunk Hill, Reed Flute Cave

Meal: Not Included

Hotel: Overnight in Guilin

Fly to Guilin in the morning. Upon arrival, visit the Elephant Trunk Hill. The Elephant Trunk Hill is the symbol of Guilin and gets its name because it looks like a huge elephant that dig its trunk into the river. Continue visiting Reed Flute Cave. Inside the cave, there are a large number of beautiful and colourful, exquisite stalagmites, stone milk, stone pillars, stone mantle, stone flowers, a wide range of, composed of the Lion's Ridge sunrise, Hongluo Treasure Tent, Panglong Pagoda, the primitive forests, crystal palace, flowers and fruits of the mountain and other landscapes, so that the tourists are overwhelmed, just like a fairyland, known as "nature's art of the Palace," has become the Chinese and foreign tourists visit Guilin must be a hot spot for travellers.

Attractions: Li river, West Street, Two Rivers & Four Lakes Scenic Area

Meal: Not Included

Hotel: Overnight in Guilin

Cruise Li River in the morning. The Li River basin has a unique geomorphology, with turquoise and clear water, and the rolling hills on both sides of the river, which form a breathtaking beauty. These mountains are strangely shaped and beautiful, making the Li River a paradise for photographers and painters, and attracting a large number of tourists for sightseeing and playing.

Walk along the famous West Street. As a historical and cultural style neighbourhood, West Street in Yangshuo, Guangxi attracts many tourists with its unique architectural style, rich ethnic culture and lively commercial atmosphere. Tourists can enjoy the traditional Zhuang style and unique folk culture of Guangxi, savour the food and buy special commodities, as well as feel the unique charm of Yangshuo where tranquillity and hustle and bustle coexist.Back to Guilin in the afternoon, stroll along the Two Rivers & Four Lakes Scenic Area.

Attractions: Small Wild Goose Pagoda, Xi’an Museum, Xi’an City Wall

Meal: Not Included

Hotel: Overnight in Xi’an

Fly to Xian in the morning. Visit Small Wild Goose Pagoda and Xi’an Museum upon arrival. With a history of more than 1,300 years, Small Wild Goose Pagoda was built to store the Buddhist scriptures delivered from ancient India. It is a perfect example of the multi-eaved square brick pagodas built in ancient China.Continue visiting Xian Museum. Xian Museum boasts nearly 130,000 relics that all relate to the history of Ancient China and Xian specifically. Afterwards, visit Xi’an City Wall, the largest and best-preserved ancient city wall in China, is one of the first batch of national key cultural relics protection units and a national AAAAA-level tourist attraction. 

Attractions: Terracotta Warriors, Bell & Drum Tower Square, Great Mosque, Muslim Quarter

Meal: Not Included

Hotel: Overnight in Xi’an

The highlight of today's journey is the awe-inspiring Terracotta Warriors, all of the terracotta warriors have the unique majesty and calmness of the Qin people in their faces, with distinctive personalities and strong characteristics of the times. The terracotta sculptures are painted and sculpted in a combination of ways, although the age is far away, but in the freshly excavated can still be vaguely seen on the face of the characters and clothes painted in the colours. 

Visit the Bell & Drum Tower Square, the Great Mosque and Xi’an Muslim Quarter in the afternoon. The area north of the Drum Tower is the Muslim Quarter of Xian which covers several blocks with an estimated 60,000 Muslims in the region. There are about seven ancient mosques in the area, among which the Great Mosque is most famous and popular among all.

Attractions: Summer Palace

Meal: Not Included

Hotel: Overnight in Beijing

Depart from Xi'an to Beijing in the morning. Upon arrival, visit the Summer Palace, which is the largest and most well preserved royal garden in China. The Summer Palace takes Kunming Lake and Longevity Hill as the basic framework. The natural landscape of hills and open waters is combined with the artificial landscape such as pavilions, palaces, temples and bridges, forming a harmonious whole with outstanding aesthetic value.

Attractions: Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Jingshan Park, Temple of Heaven

Meal: Not Included

Hotel: Overnight in Beijing

After breakfast, our guide and driver will pick you up at your hotel lobby as agreed, after which you will start exploring the historical aspects of Beijing with a brief visit to Tiananmen Square. Tiananmen Square is surrounded by many famous historical and cultural attractions, such as the Tiananmen Square Citadel, Chairman Mao's Memorial Hall Monument to the People's Heroes, the Great Hall of the People, and the National Museum.

Stepping into Tiananmen Square, you will see The Forbidden City. It is located in the centre of Beijing's central axis, was the imperial palace of the Ming and Qing dynasties. It is also the world's largest and most well-preserved wooden structure of palace-type buildings.

Then walk to Jingshan Park, facing the North Sea in the west and the Shenwu Gate of the Forbidden City across the street in the south. Jingshan Mountain in the center of the park was made of piles of earth and was once the commanding point of the city.

In the afternoon, visit the Temple of Heaven, formerly known as the Temple of Heaven and Earth, is located on the east side of Yongdingmen Street in Dongcheng District, Beijing. It was the place for the emperors of Ming and Qing Dynasties to worship heaven, pray for grain and rain. It is the largest remaining ancient sacrificial complex in China.

Attractions: Mutianyu Great Wall, Ming Tombs, Bird’s Nest, Water Cube

Meal: Not Included

Hotel: Overnight in Beijing

It is the highlight of the day - the Mutianyu Great Wall. The Mutianyu Great Wall is connected to the Juyongguan Great Wall in the west and the Gubeikou Great Wall in the east, which has been the military stronghold guarding Beijing since ancient times, and is known as the "Dangerous Ridge Pass".

In the afternoon, visit the only excavated Ming Tombs, Dingling Mausoleum. The Ming Dynasty tombs were built for 13 emperors of the Ming Dynasty, following the precepts of traditional Chinese feng shui and feng shui studies. They feature stone carvings, carvings, and dragon patterned ceramic tiles, showcasing the development of Ming Dynasty funeral architecture.

Finally, drive back to Beijing and stop at the Beijing Olympic Village to admire the famous Bird's Nest and Water Cube from the outside.

Attractions: Not Included

Meal: Not Included

Hotel: Not Included

Your China vacation comes to an end today. Enjoy some leisure time until being escorted to the airport for your homebound flight.