China 12 Days Private Highlight Tour of Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu and Xi'an

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, Jingshan Park, Back Lakes and Nanluoguxiang Alley

Meal: Not Included

Hotel: Overnight in Beijing

Today we start to explore this city treasure by a visit to Tian'anmen Square, the world's largest city center square, the locality of numerous major political and historical events. It is the witness of Chinese development. It is only a walking distance from Tian'anmen Square to Forbidden City, the world's existing largest and most complete ancient wooden structure buildings. You will explore the glorious palace halls and gardens for more than 2 hours in Forbidden City, learning the legendary story of the emperors and how the royal family lived there. You will be stunned by the numerous old art treasures exhibited in halls. A la carte lunch is served at a local restaurant to have a taste of the authentic Chinese food at noon time and have a break at the restaurant.

Hike to Jingshan Park, where gives a nice panoramic view of the Forbidden City at the top of Coal Hill. Have lunch at a local Chinese restaurant enroute to experience the authentic Chinese food.Drive to Back Lakes (Houhai), the marvelous place to discover the history of Beijing City and the endless charm.

Walk into Nanluoguxiang Alley which is one of the most famous Hutong districts in Beijing and mix of history, fashion and Souvenir Boutique. Then we will have stop at a tea house. Back to your hotel after today leisure tour. You are free to ask your guide for suggestion of evening activities, such as the night show and place to havePeking duck dinner.

Attractions: Mutianyu Great Wall, exterior of Bird Nest and Water Cube

Meal: Not Included

Hotel: Overnight in Beijing

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. 

Attractions: Summer Palace, High speed train to Xian

Meal: Not Included

Hotel: Overnight in Xian

In the morning, check out from hotel and start to visit the last spots in Beijing --- Summer Palace, the existing largest, best-preserved imperial garden in China. The Longevity Hill and Kunming Lake are regarded as the representative of Summer Palace. In the park, you could choose to take a boating trip on the lake, enjoying the beautiful royal garden view. Walk along the Long Corridor--- the longest corridor in the world, admiring the extremely rich and prestigious paintings on the beams of the corridor.

A la carte lunch will be arranged at a local restaurant on the way to Beijing West Railway Station to take high speed train from Beijing to Xi'an. Our guide will wait at the exit of Xi'an train station with our signboard and transfer you to check in hotel. Free at leisure for the rest of the time.

Attractions: Terracotta Warriors, Make pottery figurine, Ancient City Wall

Meal: Not Included

Hotel: Overnight in Xian

Today we start to explore the ancient city by driving to Terracotta Warriors and explore one of the world's most important archaeological finds, with troops, horses and carriages in battle formation. It is the guardian of the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor and is a magnificent group of terracotta warriors considered one of the eighth wonders of the world.A Chinese Lunch will be arranged nearby the scenic area of Terracotta Warriors. Lunch is on your own, but your guide will recommend restaurants around the site according to your preference.

After that you will have a chance to visit a local family and learn to make mini version of pottery figurine by your hands as gift to bring back home.A Chinese Lunch will be arranged nearby the scenic area of Terracotta Warriors.

In the afternoon, we drive back to the city to visit the Ancient City Wall, which represents one of the oldest and best preserved Chinese city walls. Bicycle or sightseeing car will be arranged on the wall to go around. 

Attractions: Big Wild Goose Pagoda, Gao's Courtyard, Muslim Quarter, Fly to Chengdu

Meal: Not Included

Hotel: Overnight in Chengdu

In the morning, we drive to visit the exterior of Big Wild Goose Pagoda, and you will have chance to watch the North plaza fountain show.Then have a visit at Gao's Courtyard, which is a wonderful choice for you to appreciate ancient residences and explore local culture of paper-cutting and shadow puppetry. 

Continue to walk around Muslim Quarter and enjoy your shopping time there and you can also challenge the various local snacks.Next, you will visit the Great Mosque, a remarkable Islamic cultural relic, which perfectly combines Chinese traditional with Islamic architectural styles.After lunch, we drive to Xian railway station for the high speed train to Chengdu. Your Chengdu tour guide will wait for you at the station and help you to transfer to the hotel.

Attractions: Dujiangyan Giant Panda Protection and Research Center

Meal: Not Included

Hotel: Overnight in Chengdu

Today is your big day to be Chengdu Giant Panda Volunteer, our guide will pick up from your hotel in the early morning and drive to the Dujiangyan Giant Panda Protection and Research Center for about 1 hour.

Giant panda volunteer register Sign a security contract with the giant panda volunteer service center. After that, all the volunteers are offered overalls and gloves. Before work, all the volunteers will be given job safety training and introduction of the job content.To be a giant panda breeder. Clean the residual bamboo and their feces. Observe giant pandas’ living environment and state. Wash panda’s house.Visit giant panda villa area under the guidance of the instructor.Feed the giant pandas with the delicious specially prepared “steamed bun” and fruits.Have lunch and a short break. All the volunteers will have a lunch with the staffs in the panda protection and research center.Watch some science video about giant pandas to know how the human protect giant pandas and live in harmony with pandas.Feed giant panda with the delicious specially prepared “steamed bun” and fruits.

To be a panda nutritionist. The instructor explains the steamed bun’s formula. Make steamed buns for giant pandas under the instructor’s leading.Return the working overalls and see goodbye to the giant pandas and your instructor.Tour ends by driving back to hotel.

Attractions: Mt. Leshan, Jinli Ancient Street, People's Park

Meal: Not Included

Hotel: Overnight in Chengdu

In the morning after breakfast, have a 1.5 hours driving to Mt. Leshan - has the tallest stone Buddha statue in the world. Walk on Mt. Leshan might give you different unique views of the Giant Buddha. You may also choose to take a cruise (about 30 min) to have an overview of this mountain and the Giant Buddha.

It’s time to try the real Sichuan cuisine-Hotpot. We will arrange this lunch in a local authentic hotpot restaurant for your taste.After lunch, we drive back to Chengdu city. Our guide will show you around the Jinli Ancient Street, which is with elegant style of the architectures on both sides tells what Sichuan looks like during the Qing Dynasty. Jinli, a busy trading street with a history stretching back to the Qin Dynasty (221-206BC) around two thousand years ago. Today, a bustling Jinli Ancient Street has been built on the site of the ancient lane in the southern part of Chengdu. It has become a tourist attraction, featuring aged buildings and folk customs from the area.

Then we move to the People’s Park, where locals relax themselves by singing, dancing, playing cards or chess, ect. You could have a cup of tea at local tea house and enjoy the leisure time in the park.a

Attractions: Fly to Shanghai, Transfer service between hotel and airport

Meal: Not Included

Hotel: Overnight in Shanghai 

Today after the leisure morning in Chengdu, our guide will escort you to airport for the flight to Shanghai.

Attractions: Oriental Pearl TV Tower, Shanghai City History Museum, the Bund, Yuyuan Garden, Shanghai Old Street, Nanjing Road

Meal: Not Included

Hotel: Overnight in Shanghai

Today we start our day trip to the foot of The Oriental Pearl TV Tower to visit Shanghai City History Museum (The Former Shanghai Wax Museum), where you will know more about the history and development of Shanghai. Then take the elevator up to the 2nd ball of the TV tower, from which you will have a bird-eye view of Shanghai. Go on driving through Lujiazui, the finance & trade zone in Pudong of Shanghai, where you will find many skyscrapers. We will have a view of the modern skyline of Shanghai.

Then back to the Bund, admire the illuminated buildings lining the Huangpu River. From the Bund, you could see the landmark of Shanghai--- the Oriental Pearl TV Tower as well as other high-rise buildings, just on the opposite of Huangpu River. Enjoy a local lunch in a local restaurant nearby the bund.

After lunch, we continue to visit Yuyuan Garden which is a Chinese classic garden in city downtown. Then continue to explore the Shanghai Old Street and Nanjing Road nearby which is the earliest commercial street in Shanghai. Drive back to the hotel, en route you can plan for the night Acrobatic Show, especially the ERA show, which is one of the most popular evening entertainments in Shanghai.

Attractions: Free day on your own

Meal: Not Included

Hotel: Overnight in Shanghai

Enjoy a free day on your own arrangement.

Attractions: Not Included

Meal: Not Included

Hotel: Not Included

Free day at leisure and be transferred to the airport for return flight. We can arrange the Maglev train ride to Pudong airport if you are interested in, or we will drive you directly to the airport.