China 12 Days Private All-inclusive Tour of Beijing, Xi’an, Guilin, Zhangjiajie and Shanghai

Attractions: Not Included

Meal: Not Included

Hotel: Overnight in Beijing

Beijing Airport Parking Lot

Upon your arrival in Beijing, your guide will meet you at the airport and transfer you to the hotel. Relax in the hotel during the remainder of the day, or you can have a self-exploration with suggestions from your guide.

Attractions: Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City-The Palace Museum, Jingshan Park

Meal: Not Included

Hotel: Overnight in Beijing

After breakfast, you will be picked up at your hotel. Then, start to explore the historical face of Beijing with a brief visit to Tiananmen Square which is now the largest city plaza in the world. Tiananmen Gate on the northern square was the site where the Chairman Mao announced the establishment of the People's Republic of China.

Stepping into the Tiananmen, you will see one of the world’s 5 most important palaces – Forbidden City (Palace Museum), a huge palace complex of more than 9,000 rooms where 24 emperors of Ming and Qing Dynasties used to live in. Pass through various doorways to admire the magnificent and well preserved buildings decorated with yellow glazed tile roof, white marble base and splendid colorful paintings.

After Forbidden City exploration, take a short visit to Jingshan Park where you can get a nice shot of one watchtower of Forbidden City and take a panoramic view of Forbidden City.In the afternoon, drive about 40 minutes to the outskirts of Beijing to spend an enjoyable time in Summer Palace, the largest and best-preserved royal garden in China. Stroll around ancient pavilions, mansions, temples, bridges and corridors. Feast your eyes on the vast lotus in Kunming Lake and the colored paintings in Long Corridor.

Attractions: Mutianyu Great Wall, Niaochao National Stadium, Sacred Way

Meal: Not Included

Hotel: Overnight in Bejing

This morning you will be taken to Mutianyu Great Wall to experience at first hand the wonder of the Great Wall. The round-trip cable car will be arranged. Standing on the wall and looking at it stretching up and down into boundless distance is an exciting experience and will leave you a life-long memory. Lunch is on your own and your guide will gladly assist.

Afterwards, we visit the famous National Museum of China, one of the largest museums in the world, playing an important role in displaying systematically Chinese culture, cultivating national spirit, leading the development of the cultural relics and museum field. The number of collections in the museum is more than 120 million pieces, being the richest museums with the largest number of collections. There are a total of 48 exhibition halls and there are exhibitions showing the collections and Chinese culture often. It is closed on Monday.

Continue your trip to Sacred Way, a 7-kilometer-long passage leading to the Imperial Tombs of 13 Emperors of Ming Dynasty. The Emperor, known as the Son of the Heaven, who came from Heaven to his country through the Sacred Way, also would return to Heaven through this road.Today's last stop is a featured local market.

Attractions: Temple of Heaven, Hutongs

Meal: Not Included

Hotel: Overnight in Xi’an

You will be met at the hotel lobby and enjoy half day leisure tour before leaving Beijing.Visit Temple of Heaven, which is the masterpiece of ancient times and China's existing largest structure for sacrifice to heaven. You could also see lots of local residents doing exercises in the square and full of vigor.In the visit of Temple of Heaven, you will be astonished by the exquisite ancient Chinese architectures. Then we move to a less commercial Hutong nearby. A short walking (around 30mins) along the authentic Hutong will give you a deep impression of the local residents’ live.

After that, step into the pure Hutong nearby and pretend to be a real Beijinger for a while. A La Carte lunch at a local popular restaurant, atmosphere might be loud but  the food is tasty.After lunch, be transferred to the train station for the 5 hours train to Xian. Your Xian tour guide will wait for you at the train station and help you to transfer to the hotel.

Attractions: The Museum of Qin Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses, Muslim Quarter, Xi'an City Wall

Meal: Not Included

Hotel: Overnight in Xi’an

After breakfast, drive about 40km to discover one of the greatest man-made wonders in the world - the Terracotta Warriors and Horses, built by the first emperor of China Qin Shihuang to protect him in his afterlife. Over 8,000 life-size warriors, horses and chariots, buried in 3 pits for more than 2,000 years until uncovered by a local farmer in 1974, form an ancient military army with complete battle units of infantry, cavalry, etc. Standing in front of these figures, one can’t help being amazed not only by the ambition of Emperor Qin Shihuang but also by the fabulous artistic skills of ancient Chinese artisans.

After lunch, return back to Xian take a wonderful stroll on the Ancient City Wall, the largest and best-preserved ancient city wall in China. Enjoy panoramic views of modern Xian while you leisurely examine this well-maintained city wall which is 12 meters high and 18 meters wide with a total circuit of nearly 14 kilometers.  Continue to walk around Muslim Quarter and enjoy your shopping time there and you can also challenge the various local snacks.Back to the hotel. Tonight, we highly recommend you watch the Tang Dynasty Show with Dinner at your own cost.

Attractions: Da Cien Temple, Big Wild Goose Pagoda, Shaanxi History Museum

Meal: Not Included

Hotel: Overnight in Chengdu

After breakfast, head to Da Cien Temple, a famous Buddhist sutra translation site during the Tang Dynasty. Big Wild Goose Pagoda is the most famous building in the temple. The pagoda, rising to a height of 64.5 meters, was built by the famous Buddhist master Xuanzang to preserve classic scriptures he bought back from India during the early Tang Dynasty. Xuanzang was the prototype character for Tang Seng in the famous Chinese novel Journey to the West. (Note: It costs an extra 30 RMB if you want to climb up the Big Wild Goose Pagoda) After (or before) visiting the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, you will be provided a free experience of trying on the Hanfu which is the solemn costume of the emperors and their families, the ministers and the noble in the ancient dynasties of China. Seize this rare opportunity to take some photos to record this unique memory!

Next is an educational visit to the Shaanxi History Museum where you can ramble in the modern exhibition halls to appreciate historic relics such as porcelains, paintings, and currencies dating from the Zhou to the Tang dynastic periods (1100BC to 907 AD). Shaanxi History Museum may be replaced with other activity or attraction because of crowding tourists during July ~ early September and China’s National Day during Oct.1-Oct.7. You may check details with your travel consultant.

After the tour, you’ll be escorted to Xian North Railway Station for a high speed train to Chengdu. Welcome to Chengdu, the Hometown of Giant Pandas! Upon your arrival at Chengdu East Railway Station, you will be met by local guide and then transferred to your hotel in Chengdu downtown. The rest of today is free on your own to explore this laid-back city.

Attractions:Li River, Yangsuo Town, West Street

Meal: Not Included

Hotel: Overnight in Guilin

As the declaration in Chinese textbook "Guilin’s landscape is the best under heaven", today you will explore this best landscape starting with a relaxing sightseeing cruise along the Li River from Mopanshan Pier to Yangshuo Town. Along the 84-kilometer cruise, dazzling scenery overwhelms your eyes like a vast endless Chinese painting of winding river, green limestone karst mountains, fascinating countryside views, amazing scene of A Painting of Nine Horses, and notable view printed on the back of the 20 RMB note.

After about 4 hours’ cruise, disembark in Yangshuo Town, and check into your hotel. After a short break, start your impressive exploration of the best charming sightseeing and ideal countryside ease at Yulong River. Let all the refreshing scenes please your eyes and souls to the utmost. Just enjoy every moment with the Karst hills dotted around, chatting stream, rippling mountain reflection, swaying floras, patches of vivid crops, comfortable breeze.

After that, walk leisurely on the ancient West Street to witness how the western culture and Chinese culture perfectly and peacefully coexist here. Whether you want to enjoy a cup of drink in bar, taste some local food, or just experience the relaxing atmosphere, you can get it here.

Attractions: Elephant Trunk Hill, Reed Flute Cave

Meal: Not Included

Hotel: Overnight in Zhangjiajie

In the early morning, our guide will pick you up from hotel and help you with the check-out. Then you take the morning flight from Chengdu to Cuilin, a small city in southern China with most beautiful natural view of China. The Guilin local guide will pick you up from Guilin airport. On the way back to hotel, visit Reed Flute Cave which is a famous scenic spot offering a magic fairyland of stalactites, stalagmites in fantastic shapes and colors.

Then transfer to hotel for check in before A La Carte Lunch at a local Chinese restaurant. You will have stop at a pearl store. After a break at noon time, drive to Elephant Trunk Hill, the badge of Guilin city. The hill looks exactly like a huge elephant stretching its trunk drinking water of the Li River. Then have a leisure walk along the Shanhu Lake and Ronghu Lake.A La Carte lunch at a local popular restaurant before departure from Guilin, atmosphere might be loud but tasty food.Drive to Guilin airport about 1 hour. Fly to Shanghai in the afternoon. Your Shanghai tour guide will wait for you at the airport and help you to transfer to the hotel.

Attractions: Bailong Elevator, Yuanjiajie Scenic Area, Tianzi Mountain

Meal: Not Included

Hotel: Overnight in Zhangjiajie

Today you will visit Yuanjiajie Scenic Area by taking the Bailong Elevator. TYuanjiajie, located at the northern foot of Cedar Dagger Gully, is a huge and gentler mountain composed mainly of quartzite. It is another scenic concentration in Zhangjiajie Park.his spot is a highlight of your private Zhangjiajie tour, famous in the world for the Hallelujah Mountains that appeared in the movie Avatar, and the magnificent "The First Stone Bridge in the World".

Then we will take a battery car to visit Tianzi Mountain Nature Reserve, where you could see mountains, grand valleys, and original forests. Located in the northwestern part of Wulingyuan Scenic Zone, Tianzi Mountain Nature Reserve boasts rocky peaks in grotesque shapes and shrouded in drifting mist. There are many scenic attractions, such as the lofty Imperial Writing Brush Peak, Fairy Maid Scattering Flowers, and the Mid-Air Farmers’ Cottage. The highest peak is 1,260 meters (4,130ft) above sea level and provides stunning views of the surrounding mountains and valleys. Waterfalls, bridges, stone forests and caves are found throughout the mountains. There are not just beautiful landscapes, but also simplicity, peculiar folk custom and local folk food of special flavor awaiting the arrival of visitors.If you are lucky, you may see the marvelous sea of clouds.

Attractions:Tianmen Mountain

Meal: Not Included

Hotel: Overnight in Shanghai

After breakfast, your guide and driver will pick you up at your hotel. On this day, you will make a great trip to Tianmen Mountain, another magnificent national forest park in Zhangjiajie City.First transfer to take the Tianmen Mountain Cable Car and ascend from Zhangjiajie downtown up to the peak of Tianmen Mountain of over 1,400 meters above the sea. Travel by the about 7,455 meters long cableway that is so far the longest one among the whole world and have a shocking look at the wandering Avenue toward Heaven from the glass. Then, take the Forest Sightseeing Cable Car to visit Tianmen Temple originated from Tang Dynasty on the mountain peak, which is one of the only world 5 Buddhist temples preserving the Buddha body relics. Walk around the temple cluster to appreciate the featured Qing Dynasty styled Buddhist structure with verdant forest surrounding by.

And then, hold your breath to take two scary walks on the cliff path circling the mountain body. One is the 60-meters long and 1.6-meters wide Glass Skywalk with transparent glass material 1430 meters above the bottomless valley, which makes you feel walking in the air in sunny days and fairyland in misty and cloudy days, while another must be the 1600-meters long Ghost-Valley Plank Road hanging on the cliff. Just step on and test!After that, take the escalator from the peak down to Tianmen Cave to see the giant hole.

Attractions: Shanghai Museum, Yu Garden, Shanghai World Financial Center, The Bund, Nanjing Road

Meal: Not Included

Hotel: Overnight in Shanghai

You will take a full day of sightseeing to explore both the past and present of Shanghai. Your first stop is Shanghai Museum, one of the Best Four Museums in China. To help you learn about the history and facts about the relics in the museum easily, an Audio Explanation Device will be prepared for you. Then you will take an interesting visit to Yu Garden, a shining star among all the ancient Chinese gardens in Jiangnan. Adjacent to the garden is the Yuyuan Bazaar where you can savor tasteful local snacks and explore elaborate traditional Chinese handicrafts and art works.

Next, you will drive several kilometers to enjoy a panoramic view of the modern face of Shanghai from the 100th floor of “the Eye of Shanghai” Shanghai World Financial Center. You will then be transferred to another popular landmark of Shanghai, Nanjing Road, a shopping paradise as well as a great place to take a wonderful walk to experience the modern atmosphere of the City.

Lastly, you will stop at the Bund, originally a simple towpath for transporting goods but now transformed into a feverish trading district. You will stroll along the Bund, seeing and feeling the perfect fusion of Chinese and Western cultures while at the same time taking in the stunning Shanghai skyline with your own eyes!

Attractions: Jade Buddha Temple, Tianzifang

Meal: Not Included

Hotel: Not Included

After breakfast, your guide and driver will pick you up at your hotel. First, you’ll pay a wonderful visit to Jade Buddha Temple, the site of the largest Jade Buddha in the world and numerous religious artifacts, ancient statues and Buddhist scriptures. This peaceful kingdom of Buddhism hidden among modern blocks and dominating mansions is a great place for a nice break in this very busy city.

Next, you’ll be transferred to Tianzifang which is touristic arts and crafts enclave that has developed from a renovated traditional residential area in the French Concession area of Shanghai. It is the typical tourist attraction to appreciate the preservation of local Shikumen architecture. In this place full of rich flavor of life, you can leisurely stroll along the clean old alleys to watch the daily life of local Shanghai people, savor a cup of drink at the open-air café, and find some interesting things in the novel shops to feel the international feature mixed with real Shanghai culture.In the afternoon, your guide will escort you to the airport for your flight to next destination or home.