Day-by-day Itinerary

1. Day 1: Beijing Arrival

   Our tour guide and driver will be waiting for you at the exit of Beijing airport, holding a welcome sign with your name on it. Then you will be transferred to the hotel we have booked for you and check in . In the rest of the day, take the time to relax yourself or explore the city.

   Accommodation: Beijing

2. Day 2: Beijing
   Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Summer Palace (Breakfast + Lunch)

   AM: Meet your guide and driver and firstly drive to the Tiananmen Square. Next we come to the largest as well as best-preserved imperial palace complex, Forbidden City. It displays an extraordinarily harmonious balance between buildings and open space within a more or less symmetrical layout.

   Noon: Lunch in local restaurant.

   PM: After the included lunch, we will continue our tour to the Summer Palace, the most beautiful and the largest imperial garden existing in China, and it is the best-preserved imperial garden in the world.

   Accommodation: Beijing

   

3. Day 3: Beijing
   Mutianyu Great Wall, Ming Tomb, Bird’s Nest (Breakfast+ Lunch)

   AM: After breakfast, first you will visit the Mutianyu Great Wall. We will enjoy the urban and suburban scenery of Beijing city on the way. Mutianyu Great Wall is the most scenic part of Chinese Great Wall. It was built in the early Ming Dynasty at 1368 and stretches for 5400 meters. 90 percent of the Mutianyu is covered by vegetation. So in each season this part of the Great Wall will treat visitors with its unique scenery. If hiking is too much for you, cable car is available and optional.

   Noon: Lunch in local restaurant.

   PM: After the included lunch, we will come to the Ming Tomb. On the way to the Ming Tomb, you will pass through the Sacred Way. The Ming Tomb is the place where 13 emperors of the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) were buried. On the way back to downtown center, we will visit the Bird’s Nest (Olympic National Stadium), which is the main assembly hall of the 29th Olympic sports games in Beijing at the year of 2008.

   Accommodation: Beijing

   

4. Day 4: Beijing – Xian by Fast Train
   Hutong (Breakfast)

   AM: Take the morning time to do a Hutong tour by rickshaw to see daily life of Beijing people. Then you will be escorted to train station for fast train to Xian.

   Noon: Lunch on your own.

   PM: Arriving in Xian meet the driver and check in hotel in city area.

   Accommodation: Xian

   

5. Day 5: Xian
   Terracotta Warriors and Horses, Banpo Neolithic Village (Breakfast + Lunch)

   AM: The tour guide and driver will pick you up in your hotel lobby at 08:00-09:00am. Today’s tour starts at Terracotta Warriors and Horses which was praised as “the eighth major miracle of the world”. And after the Terracotta Warriors visiting you have a chance to see the Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum in distance.

   Noon: Lunch in local restaurant.

   PM: In the afternoon, continue to visit Banpo Neolithic Village (1 hour visiting time). This New Stone Age site, dating from approximately 5,000 to 4,000 B.C., is one of the most complete examples of a Neolithic agricultural settlement in the world. After the whole day’s tour, transfer back to your hotel at around  16:30.

   Accommodation: Xian

   

6. Day 6: Xian – Chengdu by Fast Train
   Small Wild Goose Pagoda, Xian Ancient City Wall, Bell Tower and Drum Tower Square, Muslim Quarter (Breakfast + Lunch)

   AM: The tour guide and the driver will meet you in your hotel lobby. Today’s adventure begins with Small Wild Goose Pagoda, one of the two Buddhist temples built in the Tang Dynasty which locates in a ancient Chinese style garden. Next we’ll move on to Xian Ancient City Wall. Since it is cycling the city, visitors can optionally ride bikes around the city wall.

   Noon: Lunch in local restaurant.

   

   PM: After that you will visit the Bell Tower and Drum Tower Square for one hour. The last stop is the Muslim Quarter, a hub of the Muslim community in Xian City. Many special local products and snacks could be found along this street. You can enjoy preserved meat, casserole, various noodles.

   At the end of the day tour, transfer to train station for fast train to Chengdu. Met by local driver and transfer to hotel in Chengdu.

   Accommodation: Chengdu

   

7. Day 7: Chengdu
   Panda Research and Breading Center, Jinli Old Street (Breakfast + Lunch)

   AM: After hotel breakfast we will pay a visit to Giant Panda Research and Breeding Center, one of the leading protecting and breeding bases of endangered wildlife in China.

   Noon: Lunch in local restaurant.

   PM: In the afternoon take a walk in Jinli Old Street. That street used to be one of the oldest and busiest commercial streets of Shu Kingdom. In that street tourists will see some typical elements of Chengdu lifestyle. E.g. Tea houses, taverns, bars, local snacks, handcrafts, local specialties, etc.

   Accommodation: Chengdu

   

8. Day 8: Chengdu – Chongqing by Fast Train – Yangtze River Cruise Ship

   Meet your driver in hotel and transfer to train station for fast train to Chongqing. Arriving in Chongqing met by local driver and transfer to cruise ship port to board the luxury Yangtze River cruise ship.

   Accommodation: on the ship

9. Day 9: Yangtze River Cruise
   Shibaozhai (Breakfast + Lunch + Dinner)

   After breakfast, the river guide will give you a brief introduction of the cruise and the schedule. Our next destination is Shibaozhai. Upon arrival, we will disembark at Shibaozhai. It is famous for its fanciful architecture and many interesting legends. Enjoying a reputation of ‘Pearl on the River’, Shibaozhai has attracted 220,000 visitors from home and abroad every year. Now it has become the ‘little Penglai’ for visitors to overlook stunning river view. The Captain’s Welcome Party will be held tonight.

   Accommodation: on the ship

   

10. Day 10: Yangtze River Cruise
    Shennong Stream, Qutang Gorge, Wu Gorge, Xiling Gorge (Breakfast + Lunch + Dinner)

    Today will be the highlight part of your cruise. Along the Yangtze River, you will appreciate the unique scenery of the Three Gorges. There is the famous Shennong Stream on the border between the Wu Gorge and the Xiling Gorge, where you will disembark and take an interesting sampan adventure. You will take a small boat to navigate deep into the gorges. Sitting on the special local wooden boat, you will travel along the zigzagging watercourses and enjoy the grotesque rocks and picturesque scenery along the banks, accompanied by the folk songs from the trackers. The Shennong Stream adventure will last about 3 to 4 hours. Doubtlessly, the perfect natural beauty makes the best setting for your China holiday.

    Accommodation: on the ship

    

11. Day 11: Yichang – Shanghai by Flight
    Three Gorges Dam (Breakfast)

    Today your amazing ship journey will end with an excursion to the Three Gorges Dam, which is the major construction of the Three Gorges Project. It is also known as the world largest irrigation project. When embark again, it’s time to say goodbye to your fantastic Yangtze cruise excursion. After lunch, you will head for Shanghai by flight. Upon your arrival in Shanghai airport, our local guide will be waiting for you with holding your name and transfer you to the hotel.

    Accommodation: Shanghai

    

12. Day 12: Shanghai
    Yu Garden, Shanghai Old Street, the Bund, Shanghai Museum, People’s Square, Old French Concession (Breakfast + Lunch)

    AM: You will be picked up by our tour guide from your hotel in Shanghai at about 07:30-08:00 and start to visit Shanghai Old Street which will be followed by Yuyuan Garden, a classical and famous ancient Chinese private official garden style in Shanghai boasting with elegant pavilions, villa, lotus pond and bridges. As home to 52 various buildings of different architectural styles, the Bund enjoys the reputation of “World Architectural Exhibition” .

    Noon: Lunch in local restaurant.

    

    PM: After lunch we will take a walk on People’s Square. Then visit Shanghai Museum where you will learn about the past of Shanghai City. At last pay a visit to  Old French Concession, a residential area of Shanghai once designated for the French during the colonial period and now is popular with tourists and expats and appreciated for its cafes, tree-lined avenues, and houses. Back to hotel by 17:00. Today you will also pay a short visit to a pearl market.

    Accommodation: Shanghai

    

13. Day 13: Shanghai Departure

    Our guide and driver will pick you up from the hotel and send you to the airport for your flight back home after this pleasant journey. Our 13-day Beijing Xian Chengdu Yangtze River Shanghai tour will end here.