6 Days Xi’an and Chengdu Tour by Flight

Day-by-day Itinerary

1. Day 1: Arrival in Xian

   Welcome to Xian for our 6-day Xian and Chengdu tour! Upon your arrival, the local driver will meet you at the airport by holding a board with your name or “China Xian Tour”. Then, transfer you to the downtown hotel for check-in. The rest of the day is yours to explore at your leisure. In the evening, you can take a stroll along the Datang Ever-bright City. Just adjacent to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, this place is brightly lit at night, with antique style buildings with brilliant lights and you will feel like traveling back to the magnificent Tang Dynasty.

   Meal: N/A

   Accommodation: in Xian

2. Day 2: Xian Ancient Culture Exploration
   Marvel at the life-sized warriors, bike Ming walls, feast Tang dreams

   After breakfast at the hotel, your experienced guide and skilled driver will pick you up from the hotel lobby at 08:30 in the morning. About an hour later, we reach the most famous scenic spot in Xi'an - the Terracotta Warriors and Horses. This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most important archaeological discoveries of the 20th century. In Pit 1, you can see about 6000 life size clay warriors, chariots and horses, each elaborately made. The Pit 2 is shaped like a curved ruler, and there are more complex formations than the Pit 1 - over 1300 pottery figurines and horses, more than 80 chariots, and tens of thousands of bronze weapons. From the internal layout of Pit 3, it appears to be a command center and the only one that has not been burned down by fire.

   After the visit, have lunch at a local restaurant.

   Afterward, we drive back to the city center of Xi'an and climb the Ancient City Wall, which is a well-preserved defense structure. You can walk or choose to ride a bike (for an additional fee) along the top of the city wall to enjoy a panoramic view of the city. Descend from the wall and stroll along the quaint Shuyuan Gate. This is a pedestrian street themed around the Ming Dynasty, with calligraphy shops, inkstones, and traditional tea houses on both sides. Here, you can glimpse the secrets of Chinese calligraphy, including understanding the Four Treasures of the Study (ink brush, inkstick, paper and inkstone).

   In the evening, you will taste a dumpling banquet and then enjoy Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Show, taking you on a tour of Tang Dynasty royal stories with exquisite costumes, elegant dances, and rich plots.

   Meal: Breakfast

   Accommodation: in Xian

   

3. Day 3: Xian City Landmarks
   Learn about Xuanzang’s stories, scale miniature Chang’an, savor Xi’an’s snacks

   In the morning, meet your guide and driver for a visit to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. It was originally built in the early Tang Dynasty (618-907) and houses Buddhist scriptures and statues brought back from ancient India by Master Xuanzang. Today, the area around the pagoda is a popular entertainment place for locals, who often go for morning exercises.

   Next, go to Xi'an Museum, located in the Jianfu Temple complex (closed on Mondays). More than 130000 cultural relics are displayed here, including exquisite Tang Dynasty gilded incense burners and tri colored glazed pottery statues from the Han and Tang dynasties. Don't miss the 'Chang'an Model', it is a miniature replica of the ancient city of Xi'an. Adjacent to the museum is the 43-meter-high Small Wild Goose Pagoda, built in 707 AD to store Buddhist scriptures. You can climb up to the top of the tower (extra fee of RMB 35 P.P) and enjoy the view of the temple garden.

   In the afternoon, drive to visit the Great Mosque, a place of worship whose architecture blends Islamic and Chinese elements. This is the religious activity center of the Hui people in Xi'an. The guide will explain more about the construction story behind this temple. Then, taste many kinds of Xi'an snacks in the Muslim Quarter, mainly carbs and beef and mutton, such as Chinese Hamburger, Biang Biang Noodles, Beef/Mutton and Bread Pieces in Soup, and Liangpi. After the tour, we will take you back to the hotel to rest.

   Meal: Breakfast

   Accommodation: in Xian

   

4. Day 4: Chengdu to Xian by Flight
   Tread Chinese poets' thatched cottage and bamboo paths

   In the morning, your driver will send you to Xi'an Xianyang International Airport to take a flight to Chengdu. Arrive in Chengdu and be picked up by local tour guide and driver. Then you will be transferred to your hotel in the city center of Chengdu.

   After lunch, your guide will accompany you to visit two places: Du Fu Thatched Cottage and Wangjiang Tower. The Du Fu Thatched Cottage was once the former residence of Du Fu, a great poet of the Tang Dynasty (618-907). He has lived here for nearly four years and created over 240 poems. The area now features reconstructed wooden houses and bamboo gardens. The nearby Wangjianglou Park was built in memory of another poet, Xue Tao. The park features a 30-meter-high tower and 150 types of bamboo that she likes. The tower is a fully wooden structure with four floors, featuring carved wooden windows and decorated with statues of people and clay sculptures of birds and animals.

   After the visit, return to the hotel. In the evening, you can explore on your own and taste Chengdu's specialty snacks in Kuanzhai Alley.

   Meal: Breakfast

   Accommodation: in Chengdu

   

5. Day 5: Chengdu Panda Tour
   See pandas up close, touch 3000-year-old civilization

   Today you will explore the highlights of Chengdu's scenic spots. The Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding is located in dense bamboo forests, only 10 kilometers away from the city center, and is home to more than 240 giant pandas and red pandas. Here, you can see young cubs tumbling in the nurseries, or adults chewing bamboo and playing. Don't miss the "Panda Kindergarten" at 9:30 am, where caretakers will feed playful cubs, or the "Sunshine Nursery" with glass walls where you can see up close. The base also has a museum that introduces the living habits and conservation efforts of pandas. Arriving at 7:30 in the morning, you can avoid crowds and see the pandas at their most active time.

   In the afternoon, pay a visit to the Sanxingdui Museum, one of the most amazing archaeological sites in China. Your guide will tell you the mysterious Shu civilization from 3000 years ago, through some cultural relics such as the "bronze mask with protruding eyes", the "golden scepter", and the "4-meter-high bronze sacred tree". Exploring deeper, you will feel that it is comparable to the culture of ancient Egypt.

   After the visit, we head to Jinli. This 550-meter-long pedestrian street shows the charm of Sichuan's Qing Dynasty with red lanterns, wooden tea houses, and pebble alleys. Taste local famous snacks such as spicy rabbit head, Zhangfei beef, and BoBo Chicken. At night, it's even more lively. If you are interested, you can walk into a tea house and enjoy Sichuan opera performances while sipping tea.

   Meal: Breakfast

   Accommodation: in Chengdu

   

6. Day 6: Chengdu Departure

   Our driver will pick you up from the hotel after breakfast and send you to the airport for your flight back home. This is the end of your 6 days Xian Chengdu tour.

   Meal: Breakfast

   Accommodation: N/A