Day-by-day Itinerary

1. Day 1: Shanghai Arrival (No Meal)

   Upon your arrival at Shanghai airport or train station, you will find our driver waiting for you at the exit of arrival hall or train station by holding a sign with your name. You just sit back and enjoy a comfortable transfer to the hotel. The rest of the day is free at your disposal.

   Accommodation: Shanghai local 4* hotel

2. Day 2: Shanghai
   Yuyuan Garden, Shanghai Museum, People's Square, Xin Tian Di, French Concession, Nanjing Road, The Bund (B + L)

   AM: In the morning, you will meet our guide at the hotel lobby at 9:00 am and kick off the day with the time-honored Yuyuan Garden. This famous classical garden was originally built by the owner as a place for his parents to enjoy a tranquil and happy time in their old age. Next, you will head to Shanghai Museum which houses millions of collections and especially features bronze wares, porcelain works, paintings and calligraphy works. Then you will stroll on People Square to have a glimpse of the daily life of the locals.

   Noon: Lunch in a local restaurant.

   PM: After lunch, you will head to Xin Tian Di, a walking street converted based on the old Shikumen building district, where you can find nice bars, cafes and square. Next you will visit former French Concession, a perfect place to learn the history of Shanghai from 1849 to 1943. Then you will wander around Nanjing Roadwhere you can optionally taste various authentic Shanghai food and maybe buy some souvenirs for your family and friends. The last stop of today is the Bund. You will admire buildings of various styles, enjoy the beautiful Huangpu River, and listen to your guide explaining its history. At the end of the day, the guide and driver will escort you back to your hotel for a good rest.

   Accommodation: Shanghai local 4* hotel

   

3. Day 3: Shanghai - Guilin by Morning Flight
   Elephant Trunk Hill, Fubo Hill, Reed Flute Cave (B + L)

   AM: Today you will say goodbye to Shanghai and leave for Guilin. Our driver will pick you up in the early morning and transfer you to the airport for the flight.

   When the flight gets to Guilin, our guide and driver will greet you at the airport and lead you to start a wonderful time in Guilin. The first stop will be Elephant Trunk Hill, a landmark of Guilin City. The hill, located at joint-point of Peach River and Li River, got the name from its shape of resembling an elephant drinking from the river.

   Noon: Lunch in a local restaurant.

   PM: Head to Fubo Hill which towers in the river. Climbing up to the top of the hill you will have an overlook of Guilin City. Then continue the tour to Reed Flute Cave, one of the most famous Karst Caves in China, which is honored as “Art Palace of Nature”. You will marvel at various stalactites, stalagmites, stone pillars, and stone flowers. Finally, transfer to your hotel for check in.

   Accommodation: Guilin local 4* hotel

   

4. Day 4: Guilin
   Li River Cruise, Yangshuo (B + L)

   Today is about the cruise on the beautiful Li River and old Yangshuo West Street. It’s an enjoyable journey for both your eyes and souls.

   AM: 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.

   Noon: Lunch in local rstaurant.

   PM: After 4.5-hour cruise, you will embark at Yangshuo. Follow our guide to visit the famous local West Street where you will find local crafts and snacks gathering. Listen to the guide’s introduction to explore there better. The tour will conclude with dropping off at the hotel.

   Accommodation: Guilin local 4* hotel

   

5. Day 5: Guilin - Xian by Morning Flight
   Terracotta Warriors and Horses, Bell & Drum Tower Square, Muslim Quarter (B + L)

   AM: You will fly to Xian to explore the splendid history and culture of this ancient capital today. Meet the driver in the morning and take a flight bound for Xian.

   Upon your arrival in Xian, our guide and driver will welcome you in the airport. You will begin with the eighth wonder of the world — the Terracotta Warriors Museum. The museum was accidentally discovered in 1974 by a farmer who was digging wells and listed by UNESCO as a world cultural heritage site in 1987. It includes three pits, among which Pit 1 is the largest, as well as the exhibition hall of the chariots and horses.

   Noon: Lunch in a local restaurant.

   PM: Go back to downtown Xian. You will have a walk on the Bell & Drum Tower Square, a landmark building in Xian. Next, you will go to the vibrant Muslim Quarter, which is a paradise for food lovers where you will find all kinds of delicious local snacks such as Biang Biang Noodle, Roujiamo (Chinese Hamburger), and Yangrou Paomo (Mutton and Bread Pieces in Soup).

   Afterwards, transfer to local hotel for check in.

   Accommodation: Xian local 4* hotel

   

6. Day 6: Xian - Beijing by Overnight Train
   City Wall, Shuyuanmen Street, North Square of Big Wild Goose Pagoda, Xian Museum, Small Wild Goose Pagoda (B + L)

   AM: After breakfast, follow the guide to start the day with the Ancient City Wall, the largest and best preserved ancient city wall in China, which served as military defensive system in ancient times. You can optionally ride a bike on the top of city wall and enjoy the amazing view of the entire area inside the City Wall. Next, you will stroll down Shuyuanmen Street. This ancient culture street was named after Guanzhong Shuyuan, the top of the four major academies in ancient China. It has been renovated based on the Ming and Qing architecture and now lined by stores selling the four treasures of study (writing brush, ink stick, ink slab and paper).

   Noon: Lunch in a local restaurant.

   PM: After lunch, you will head to North Square of Big Wild Goose Pagoda. The square is just located at the foot of the famous Big Wild Goose Pagoda and comprises the largest musical fountain in Asia, gardens, cultural corridors and tourism facilities. Then, you will visit Xian Museum which includes Small Wild Goose Pagoda. You will listen to the stories of the pagoda from your knowledgeable guide and appreciate the precious relics and learn more about the history of the ancient capital in the museum.

   As the tour ends in the afternoon, the guide and driver will transfer you to the train station for the overnight train to Beijing (Z20/ 19:21- 06:58 +1 or similar one).

   Accommodation: Overnight Train

   

7. Day 7: Beijing
   Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace (L)

   AM: When your train arrives in Beijing, our guide and driver will wait for you at the exit of the train station by holding a name sign and directly drive to Tiananmen Square, the heart and symbol of Beijing and the largest city square in the world. The spacious square has been used for many public celebrations, ceremonies, and demonstrations for over a hundred years. Next you will pay a visit to Forbidden City, one of the largest and most completely preserved palace complex built of wood. It functioned as the imperial palace in the Ming and Qing Dynasties (1368-1912). There were 24 emperors of the two dynasties once lived here.

   Noon: Lunch in a local restaurant.

   PM: After lunch, we will go to Temple of Heaven. Located at southern part of Beijing, it serviced as a complex of sacrificial building where emperors of Ming and Qing Dynasties prayed for peace and harvest. Today’s last scenic site will be Summer Palace. It is located at the west skirt of Beijing and covers an area of 290 hectares. In the Qing Dynasty during the Qianlong Era, the Summer Palace was built by imitating the layout of the West Lake in Hangzhou. Now it is the largest and most completely preserved imperial garden in China.

   After the tour, you will be escorted to downtown hotel.

   Accommodation: Beijing local 4* hotel

   

8. Day 8: Beijing
   Mutianyu Great Wall (B + L)

   AM: In the morning at 08:00, our guide and driver will meet you at the hotel and lead you to Mutianyu Great Wall. That part of the Great Wall is 73km from Beijing city area and your drive will last about 1 hour. It would be a good chance to see the urban and suburban scenery of the Chinese capital. Mutianyu Great Wall is the most scenic part of Chinese Great Wall. It was built in the early Ming Dynasty at 1368 and stretches 5400 meters. 90% of the Mutianyu Great Wall is covered by vegetation. Therefore, it treats visitors with its unique scenery in each season. If hiking is too much for you, cable car is available and optional.

   Noon: Lunch in a local restaurant.

   PM: After having fun on the Great Wall, we will drive to Bird’s Nest and Water Cube where the 2008 Olympics was held to pay an outer visit and take some pictures. Then go back to your hotel.

   Accommodation: Beijing local 4* hotel

   

9. Day 9: Beijing
   Hutong, Jingshan Park, Yonghe Palace, Panda House (B + L)

   AM: After hotel pickup at 08:00 am, you will be transferred together with the guide to visit traditional Hutong, where you can optionally try to take rickshaw. Next go to Jingshan Park, opposite a street from the Forbidden City. In ancient time, Jingshan Park and its ancillary buildings not only served as a royal garden for visitors, but also had multiple functions such as learning shooting, offering sacrifices to ancestors, official learning, opera and regional activities, etc.

   Noon: Lunch in a local restaurant.

   PM: After a Chinese style lunch, we will drive to Yonghe Palace (also called Lama Temple), the birthplace of the Emperor Qianlong in the Qing Dynasty. In the middle and late period of Qing dynasty, it was transformed into a Buddhist temple with the highest level throughout the country. When finishing visit here, we take you to Panda House in Beijing Zoo to see lovely Chinese treasures. When the tour ends, we will transfer you back to the hotel.

   Accommodation: Beijing local 4* hotel

   

10. Day 10: Beijing Departure (B)

    Your 10-day China Tour of Shanghai, Guilin, Xi'an, Beijing ends here! Our driver will pick you up at the hotel according to your flight schedule and transfer you to the airport. Wish you a pleasant journey home!