8 Days Classic Xian Guilin Shanghai Tour

Day-by-day Itinerary

1. Day 1: Xian Arrival

   Welcome to 8-day Xian Guilin Shanghai tour. Your private driver will meet you at Xian airport / train station by holding a welcome sign - “China Xian Tour”. Then you’ll be sent to the hotel well selected for you and check in. The rest of the day is free for you to relax at your hotel or explore the ancient city on your own.

   Travel ideas: Datang Ever-bright City is an immersive pedestrian street set against the backdrop of the prosperous Tang culture. You are advised to arrive after 18:00, and 19:00-22:30 is the time with the most intensive performances. Take Metro Line 3 or Line 4, get off at "Dayanta Station", exit from Exit B or C, and walk for about 5 minutes to reach the North Square of Big Wild Goose Pagoda (the starting point of the night walking tour). There are the largest music fountain in Asia, a tumbler lady dressed in Tang Dynasty costumes and a performer of "Li Bai" reciting poetry...

   Vehicle

   4-Star Hotel in Xi'an
2. Day 2: Xian History
   Explore the Historical and Cultural Sites of the Ancient City

   Your private tour guide and driver will pick you up from your hotel at 08:30 am. The first stop of the day will take you to the Terracotta Warriors and Horses which is located one hour away from the city center. This attraction will be explored for 2 to 2.5 hours which includes the visits to Pit 1, the largest excavation site with the highest number of terracotta figurines, Pit 2 where you can see a "special forces" composed of crossbowmen, cavalry, chariots and infantry mixed together and Pit 3 - the command center of the entire military formation.

   

   In the afternoon, drive back to the city center to visit the Ancient City Wall, the most completely preserved and the largest city wall in China. It was built for military defense in ancient times. You can optionally ride a bike (at your own expense, CNY 45 P.P.) on top of the City Wall to see the city from a unique angle.

   Going down from the City Wall, you will roam the Shuyuanmen Ancient Street. The 570-meter-long ancient Chinese-style pedestrian street houses over 100 book stores and stationery stores.

   Last, visit a new food street in Xian - Yongxingfang Local Food & Folk Culture Quarter. It is an excellent place to try some local snacks in good sanitary conditions. Then you will walk around for a while to have a glimpse of the lifestyle of the local people.

   

   Vehicle

   B

   4-Star Hotel in Xi'an
3. Day 3: Xian to Guilin by Flight
   Admire Iconic Buildings in the City Center, Taste Local Snacks

   After breakfast, today's guided tour in Xian will first take you to the Small Wild Goose Pagoda which stands as one of the two fully intact Tang Dynasty Buddhist pagodas that exist in Xian. The Xian Museum displays historical relics which show the ancient capital city's past.

   Later, go to visit the North Square of Big Wild Goose Pagoda. The pagoda here was built in the Tang Dynasty for keeping Buddhist Sutra and figurines of the Buddha that Master Xuanzang brought back from ancient India. Now surrounding the Pagoda is the large public square for leisure.

   

   After lunch, continue to explore the graceful Bell and Drum Tower Square which locates in the very center of the city and is considered as the symbol of this old capital. Then, walk to the Muslim Quarter to find many special local products and authentic local snacks.

   In the end, you will be escorted to the airport for a flight to Guilin. You will be met by a local private driver and transferred to the hotel in Guilin.

   

   Flight, Vehicle

   B

   4-Star Hotel in Guilin
4. Day 4: Guilin to Yangshuo by Cruise
   Enjoy a Leisurely Cruise with the Stunning Karst Landscape

   Today is the highlight of your Guilin tour as you will embark on a ship to cruise down the picturesque Li River!

   Taking the cruise on the Li River, you will admire the picturesque scenery of this land with a harmonious combination of the green hills, rivers, lakes and fields. But its beauty is not like a still painting, it’s alive when vivid – brisk bamboo rafts leaving wrinkles on the water and cormorants hovering under the working fishermen…

   Our guide will uncover the hidden history and culture behind the natural screen before you during your cruise. You will learn from the local expert about how the city formed and developed and how local people manage their life along the famous Li River.

   

   Friendly Tips: The Li River Cruise takes around 4 hours, and you will be staying on the boat to enjoy the scenery for most time, so 3-star boat as included would be  adequate according to most tourists’ experience.

   Noon: You are suggested to have a good breakfast at your hotel and take some snack as there will be only simple box lunch be provided on the boat.

   After the 4 hours' cruise, you will disembark at Yangshuo. Follow your guide to explore the famous Yangshuo West Street to admire the antique buildings and local crafts, hanging out in bars and coffee shops, and try some delicious local snacks.

   Last, transfer to Yangshuo local hotel for overnight.

   

   Vehicle, Cruise

   B

   4-Star Hotel in Yangshuo
5. Day 5: Guilin Rice Terraces
   Hike the Painting-like Longji Terraces, Glimpse Minority Cultures

   After breakfast, drive to the painting-like Longji Rice Terraces, which have thousands of years of history. It is hard to believe that the minority people were able to bring the remote mountains under cultivation by the slash-and-burn method over 2,000 years ago. Now the rice terraces not only feed the local people but also provide the people around the world a retreat from everyday life.

   

   The Longji Terraces Scenic Area presents the unique Long Hair Show which Yao Minority women perform in Huangluo village, which holds the distinction of being the "World's Longest Hair Village" according to Guinness World Records. Women from Huangluo village have long beautiful hair, which they only cut once when they reach 18 years of age. The tour will show you how Zhuang people and Yao people live through their daily activities.

   You will find fragrant bamboo-tube-cooked rice waiting for you after you visit the beautiful rice terraces. The process begins with soaked rice placed inside a bamboo tube that you seal by covering its opening with fresh leaves. The rice will be ready after cooking over a fire for about half an hour. The bamboo tube releases its delicate fragrance when you cut it open using a knife.

   After enjoying the dish, drive you back to your Guilin downtown hotel.

   Vehicle

   B

   4-Star Hotel in Guilin
6. Day 6: Guilin to Shanghai by Flight
   Visit the City Highlights of Guilin

   Today is the day to explore city's landmarks, with the Elephant Trunk Hill as the start. This symbol of Guilin City is a must see where you will find it looks like a giant elephant drinking Li River water. The natural arch formed between the trunk and body of the “elephant” is called the Water Moon Cave and there are dozens of Tang and Song Dynasty cliff carvings on the cave walls. After that, head to Fubo Hill which towers in the river. Climbing up to the hill top, you will have a overlook of Guilin City.

   The tour proceeds to Reed Flute Cave which stands as China's most renowned Karst cave after the lunch break. The cave extends 500 meters into the earth and contains a large number of stalactites and stalagmites and stone flowers which create an enchanting fairyland effect through the various colored lights. The final destination leads you to Seven-Star Park which serves as the top park in Guilin City where you can enjoy a painting of hills, rivers, courtyards, buildings and cultural relics.

   After the visit, transfer to Guilin Airport and take the flight to Shanghai, the most prosperous city of China. Upon arrival in Shanghai, meet a local driver and check in hotel in city area.

   

   Flight, Vehicle

   B

   4-Star Hotel in Shanghai
7. Day 7: Shanghai Highlights
   Feel Modern and Traditional Charm of the Metropolis

   Your English-speaking Shanghai local guide will pick you up at the downtown hotel after breakfast. The tour of Shanghai starts at Yuyuan Garden which has been existing for more than 450 years. Yu Garden which belongs to the three most renowned gardens of Shanghai during the Ming Dynasty displays the classical Jiangnan garden design featuring peacefulness and beauty and detailed craftsmanship. The garden started as a private space which opened to the public for the first time in 1961.

   

   Nearby is the lively Yuyuan Market, a popular place to find some traditional Chinese crafts and local delicacies. Don't forget to haggle for a better price.

   After that, move on to your visit to the Shanghai Museum (closed every Monday ). You will be guided to visit four floors and appreciate various cultures including ancient bronze, sculpture, ceramics, calligraphy, painting, jade, furniture, and more.

   In the afternoon, continue your private Shanghai tour to visit the former French Concession, the largest and most prosperous concession among the four major French concessions in old China. This region was ruled by France for almost a century.

   

   Afterward, proceed to Nanjing Road which Chinese people refer to as their most important commercial street. The street extends for 1,528 meters between the Bund and Xizang Middle Road starting from its eastern point. The location attracts tourists because it combines multiple popular domestic and international brands to create a shopping paradise. The area contains valuable historical structures which include the Yong'an Department Store.

   Last, enjoy your sightseeing in one of the landmarks of Shanghai - the Bund. You may not know that the area used to be a desolate tidal flat, but turned into a British settlement and Shanghai's financial center in the late Qing Dynasty. It is the perfect place to take great photos of the amazing skyline. Make sure to bring your camera!

   

   Vehicle

   B

   4-Star Hotel in Shanghai
8. Day 8: Shanghai Departure

   This morning is free at leisure for you. Then, you will be escorted to the airport for your flight back home. If you are interested, we can arrange the Maglev train ride to Pudong airport. This is the end of your 8-day private Xian Guilin Shanghai tour.

   Vehicle

   B