7 Days In-depth Beijing and Huangshan Tour by Flight

Day-by-day Itinerary

1. Day 1: Arrival in Beijing

   Welcome to our 7-day classic Beijing and Huangshan tour! Upon your arrival at Beijing airport / train station, a local private driver will pick you up from the exit gate by holding a welcome board with your name and transfer to the downtown hotel for check-in. Free and easy on your arrangement for the rest of the day.

   Meal: N/A

   Accommodation: Overnight in Beijing

2. Day 2: Beijing Classic City Tour
   Explore the Royal Sites of Beijing

   You will start today's Beijing tour with the largest city square in the world - Tian'anmen Square. The square has a very important role in China's history. You can just wander around the square and take in the rich history.

   Then follow your tour guide into the incredible Forbidden City, which was once the royal palace of the Ming and Qing dynasties with more than 70 big and small palaces and over 9,000 rooms. It is one of the largest and most well-preserved ancient wooden structures in the world. Walking into the grand and majestic complex, you will steep in China's long history and admire this architectural masterpiece.

   

   After lunch, continue your visit to the Temple of Heaven. This grand complex was built for the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties to offer sacrifices to heaven and pray for good harvests. It was listed as a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 1998. You will definitely marvel at the craftsmanship and learn more historical facts about ancient China.

   Last, come to enjoy the amazing royal garden in Summer Palace. With an area of 2.9 square kilometers, this palace was the best place where the emperors of the Qing Dynasty spent their summers. Here you will enjoy the amazing lake view, explore the exquisite long corridor, appreciate precious cultural relics, step on the elegant stone bridge, see high old trees, etc. If interested, you can pay extra to enjoy a boat trip on Kunming Lake. (optional)

   Optional Night Activity: Kungfu Show

   Chinese Kung Fu has a very wide influence in the world, and most foreigners know Kung Fu from Jackie Chen and Bruce Lee's films. Today you are going to enjoy a superb Kung Fu show at a nice theater. The entire cast is very professional and talented which combines fantastic martial arts, challenging acrobatics and a wonderful story. You will totally immerse yourself in the show from start to finish and may want to do it again.

   Meal: Breakfast + Lunch

   Accommodation: Overnight in Beijing

   

3. Day 3: Great Wall Hiking Tour from Beijing
   Enjoy a Hike on the Most Beautiful Section of the Great Wall

   Today will be the highlight of your China tour in Beijing as you will be hiking on the famous world heritage Mutianyu Great Wall. It would be around 2 hours of driving, and you can take this chance to see the urban and suburban scenery of the capital on the way.

   The Mutianyu Great Wall is the best and most beautiful section of the Ming Dynasty Great Wall of China. Today's Great Wall hiking tour will be a journey through history and natural beauty.

   With a total length of 5,400 meters, the Mutianyu Great Wall remains intact, with unique landscapes such as the Zhengguan Tower and the Great Corner Tower, reflecting the ancient charm and majesty of the Great Wall. Along the way, the Great Wall looks like a huge dragon winding through the green hills. The guide will take you all the way up the wall. At dusk, the setting sun fills the Great Wall with its golden glow and ancient stone bricks.

   

   There are cable cars available for you to choose from, if you feel that pure hiking is too much for you.

   After a Chinese-style lunch, continue your exploration to Ming Tombs - Dingling Mausoleum, a shared tomb by Emperor Wanli and his two empresses, which is the only excavated tomb among the thirteen tombs of the Ming Dynasty. Your tour guide will tell you some information about the emperor and Ming Dynasty and lead you to the underground palace which housed the emperor and empresses' coffins.

   Finish the amazing sightseeing, have an exterior visit of the marvelous Bird's Nest and Water Cube on the way back to Beijing, which were built for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Walking around the outside of the building to appreciate the unique design.

   Meal: Breakfast + Lunch

   Accommodation: Overnight in Beijing

   

4. Day 4: Beijing to Huangshan Tour by Flight
   Visit a Local Family and Taste a Homemade Lunch

   After breakfast, you will be taken to Beihai Park, which is absolutely a nice place to relax and enjoy yourself! It is one of the oldest, most complete, most comprehensive, and representative royal gardens in China. You will have lots of opportunities to take great photos of the lovely lake and historic buildings.

   Beijing Hutongs are full of history which attracts many worldwide tourists! Today your tour guide will lead you to feel the charm of the hutongs in the Shichahai scenic Area. Taking a rickshaw to ride along the ancient alleys, you can learn more about the background information of the Hutongs, experience authentic old Beijing life, and witness the blending of tradition and modernity.

   

   After the exciting Hutong exploration, pay a visit to a local family living in the Hutong and enjoy a homemade lunch with the friendly family. It will be a great chance for you to visit a real courtyard house - Siheyuan and and have a glimpse of the local people's lifestyle.

   At the end of the Beijing trip, take an afternoon flight to Huangshan. Upon arrival, a Huangshan local driver will pick you up from the exit gate and transfer you to the hotel for check-in.

   Meal: Breakfast + Lunch

   Accommodation: Overnight in Huangshan City

5. Day 5: Yellow Mountain Hike Tour
   See Various Shapes of Pine Trees and Enjoy Sunset View

   After hotel breakfast, meet your local guide and drive for around 1.5 hours to Huangshan Mountain. Upon arrival, take the shuttle bus to Cloud Valley Temple and then take a cable car up the mountain.

   Start your Huangshan tour of hiking to enjoy the beautiful scenery at the North Sea Scenic Area. Along the way, you can see the various shapes of pine trees and rocks, such as the famous Beginning-to-believe Peak and Black Tiger Pine.

   Continue hiking to the Cloud-dispelling Pavilion in the afternoon. Built in the 24th year of the Republic of China (1935), it is a great place to view the magnificent sunrise. If you are physically fit, you can walk more to enjoy the view of the West Sea Grand Canyon.

   Tonight you will stay at a hotel on the mountain to catch the sunrise the next day.

   Meal: Breakfast + Lunch

   Accommodation: Overnight on Yellow Mountain

   

6. Day 6: Mount Huangshan Tour
   Catch the Magnificent Sunrise Scenery

   If the weather is clear, you will wake up early this morning to enjoy the magnificent sunrise scenery. After the visit, return to your hotel for breakfast.

   After checking out, continue your Mount Huangshan tour and hike to the second peak of Yellow Mountain, Bright Summit (6,102 feet), to enjoy the strange Flying-Over Rock. Afterward, go to Lion Peak to see Monkey Watching the Sea. Walk back to Yungu Station and take the cable car down the mountain.

   After that, you will be transferred back to Huangshan city center to explore Tunxi Ancient Street. With a total length of 1,272 meters, it is the best-preserved ancient street in China with the most architectural styles of the Southern Song Dynasty and the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Surrounded by mountains and water, the street consists of more than 300 Huizhou-style buildings and is lined with stores selling tea, cultural treasures, and specialties from Huizhou.

   After the tour in Huangshan downtown, go back to your hotel.

   Meal: Breakfast + Lunch

   Accommodation: Overnight in Huangshan City

   

7. Day 7: Huangshan Village Tour, Departure
   Appreciate the Hui-style Architecture

   Today you will explore the real local culture in old villages. Hongcun and Xidi are the two major ancient villages in Yixian County, famous for their Huizhou-style architecture and beautiful natural scenery.

   Hongcun Village is backed by the remaining veins of Huangshan Mountain, in the shape of a "cow" layout. Here the South Lake and the Moon Pond are like pearls inlayed. Xidi Village is shaped like a boat. With the lake in front of the village sparkling, Ming and Qing dynasty ancient houses are scattered.

   Both villages have preserved a large number of ancient buildings of the Ming and Qing dynasties. Whether it is the quiet Hongcun or the idyllic Xidi, it is excellent for photography and exploring Hui culture.

   After the relaxing sightseeing, you will be dropped off at Huangshan airport / train station for departure. This is a perfect end of your 7-day Beijing and Huangshan tour package.

   Meal: Breakfast + Lunch

   Accommodation: N/A