10-Day China Golden Triangle and Guilin Karst Discovery

Day-by-day Itinerary

1. Day 1: Beijing Arrival

   Welcome to Beijing, the starting point of your 10-day private China tour! Your guide will greet you at the exit of the arrival hall by holding a "China Xian Tour" sign and transfer you to the well-selected downtown hotel.

   Before getting off the plane, please double-check that you have collected all your belongings. The rest of the day is for your own arrangement. If you need any suggestions in your free time, feel free to ask your tour guide, who knows every essence from food to shopping.

   Vehicle

   3-Star Hotel in Beijing
2. Day 2: Beijing Great Wall Hike

   Begin your visit at the Ming Tomb and see the underground palace of Dingling (one of the 13 Ming Dynasty Imperial Mausoleums). Dingling is the tomb of Zhuyijun, who reigned for 48 years as the longest-serving monarch among Ming emperors.

   Go deep into the Underground Palace to explore the royal burial system by visiting three halls, the White Marble coffin, and cultural relics.

   Next up, drive an hour to the Mutianyu Great Wall. It's a really pretty section that was built way back in 1368 during the early Ming Dynasty – it goes on for about 5,400 meters! It's almost all green (90%) and the scenery changes a lot with the seasons.

   

   If you're not up for a walk, there's a cable car to the top. For some fun, experience the toboggan slide (it's ideal for those younger than 60). The views from the top are fantastic! Just so you know, the lines could get pretty long, especially during Chinese holidays like National Day, usually October 1st to 7th.

   After all the activities, get back to your hotel for a good rest.

   Travel Note: The cable car is optional, and the tour guide can help you with tickets on site.

   Dinner Idea: We can arrange for you the famous palace dish - Peking Roast Duck and learn how to roll ducks into pancakes.

   Vehicle

   B,L

   3-Star Hotel in Beijing
3. Day 3: Beijing's Highlights
   Admire Grandiose Imperial Complexes Hundreds of Years Ago

   Tian'anmen Square, the heart and symbol of Beijing, is the largest city square in the world. On the spacious square, your guide will tell some stories of important public celebrations and ceremonies over a hundred years.

   Next, explore the magnificent Forbidden City, the world’s largest and best-preserved ancient wooden palace complex. This UNESCO World Heritage site served as the imperial palace for 24 emperors across the Ming and Qing Dynasties (1368-1912).

   Allow approximately 2.5 hours to admire its some most famous rooms (8707 in total) and countless cultural treasures - including ancient paintings, calligraphy, jade, bronze ware, and oracle bones - offering a fascinating glimpse into China’s royal history.

   

   The Temple of Heaven served as a complex of sacrificial buildings where emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasties prayed for peace and harvest.

   The last scenic site today will be the Summer Palace. During the Qianlong Era of the Qing Dynasty, the 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.

   Walk along the Long Corridor to see the thousands of paintings on its roof telling different folk stories. It is the ideal photography spot for Kunming Lake. Around sunset, the lake will be dyed golden.

   Optional Activity: To save more energy and have a leisurely afternoon, you can take a boat ride on Kunming Lake.

   

   Vehicle

   B,L

   3-Star Hotel in Beijing
4. Day 4: Beijing to Xi'an by High-speed Train
   Xi'an City Highlights and Authentic Local Food

   Say goodbye to Beijing and take a high-speed train to Xi'an. It takes around 5 hours. Upon arrival, the local Xi'an tour guide will wait for you at the exit of the train station.

   Then, you are going to see the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. A famous translator named Xuanzang built it to keep the scriptures and Buddha figures he brought back from India. Inside, there are some amazing historic relics, like the Pattra-leaf scripture. Word is, not many people - maybe less than 10 in the world - can still read this text (Sanskrit), which makes it a super rare find.

   

   Have a walk on Bell Tower & Drum Tower Square, a landmark building in Xian. Nearby, visit the famous Muslim Street, a paradise for food lovers where you will find many kinds of delicious local snacks such as Biang Biang Noodles, Roujiamo (Chinese Hamburger), and Yangrou Paomo (Mutton and Bread Pieces in Soup).

   At the end of the city tour, drive you to a downtown hotel to have a good rest.

   Optional Activity in the Morning:

   If you want to explore the hutongs, we can arrange for you a rickshaw to tour through the alleys, giving you a glimpse of the most authentic Beijing dwellings. As a result, we will reschedule the visit to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda for tomorrow.

   High Speed Train, Vehicle

   B,L

   3-Star Hotel in Xi'an
5. Day 5: Xian to Guilin by Flight
   Explore Historical Landmarks of the Ancient City

   Today's first stop is the Xi’an Museum, where you can learn more about the city’s history through the artifacts. There’s a large collection of bronzeware and jade ware that showcases its 3,000 years of rich history.

   In the same scenic area, your tour guide will take you to see the Small Wild Goose Pagoda and tell you about its stories related to the Silk Road.

   Next, go atop the magnificent Ancient City Wall. It is one of China's largest and most completely preserved ancient defensive structures. With a perimeter of 13.74 kilometers and 4 main gates, its South Gate is the oldest and longest-used entrance. You can optionally ride a bike along the ramparts and enjoy breathtaking panoramic views of historic Xi'an from a unique vantage point.

   

   In the afternoon, drive 1 hour to the world-famous Terracotta Warriors. Known as the Eighth Wonder of the World, the Terracotta Army slept under the ground for 2,200 years before the accidental discovery by local farmers who were digging wells.

   The life-size clay warriors differ from one another in clothing, hairstyle, posture, and facial expression. Since its opening to the public in 1979, it has attracted millions of people from all over the world each year and has become one of the things that represent China throughout the world. Today you will spend around 2.5 hours exploring three pits here.

   After the visit, drive to the airport for your flight to Guilin. Upon your, the local driver will transfer you to the Guilin downtown hotel.

   Travel Option: If you’re interested, you can make your own mini clay soldier at a factory near the Terracotta Warrior Museum. It can be taken home!

   Flight, Vehicle

   B,L

   3-Star Hotel in Guilin
6. Day 6: Guilin to Yangshuo by Cruise
   Enjoy a Wonderful Li River Cruise to Yangshuo

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

   Taking the cruise on the Li River, admire the picturesque scenery of this land with a harmonious combination of green hills, rivers, lakes, and fields. But its beauty is not like a still painting; it is alive and vivid - light bamboo rafts leaving ripples on the water, cormorants circling above the working fishermen...

   

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

   After a 4-hour cruise, embark at Yangshuo and visit the famous local West Street, an international street where you can find local crafts and snacks. Listen to the guide's introduction to explore the place better. Finally, drive back to your hotel in Guilin.

   Travel Tips:

   • During your cruise journey, you can enjoy freshwater products from the Li River, like fish and shrimp.
   • In Yangshuo, take part in optional activities like a cooking class or rock climbing.

   Vehicle, Cruise

   B,L

   3-Star Hotel in Guilin
7. Day 7: Guilin to Shanghai by Flight
   Take in Rustic Landscape & Experience Unique Customs of Minorities

   Your tour of Guilin would be hardly complete without a visit to the impressive Rice Terraces. Rice Terraces are an incredible work with an amazing combination of ancient Chinese wisdom and local geographic conditions.

   After about a 2-hour drive, arrive at Longji Terraces Scenic Area. You will first enjoy a Long Hair Show performed by Yao Minority women in Huangluo village, which was awarded "World's Longest Hair Village" by Guinness World Records. The women here are famous for long and shiny hair, and you may not believe that they only cut their hair once upon turning 18.

   The terraces have been managed by the local Zhuang Minority people for thousands of years, hence today's large-scale rice fields with the stilted buildings inset. Get amazed by the rolling terraced fields, especially when you look down from the top. There are cable cars available at your own cost if the hiking is too much for you.

   

   After a joyous day at this fantastic place, take a flight to Shanghai.

   Best Time to Visit the Terraced Rice:

   The hillsides are covered in lush, emerald-green rice fields from late June to August.

   The landscape transforms into a breathtaking sea of golden yellow between late September and early November.

   Optional Activity: Step into the golden rice fields and harvest the rice just like the local farmers (late October–early November).

   Flight, Vehicle

   B,L

   3-Star Hotel in Shanghai
8. Day 8: Shanghai City Essence
   Explore Both the History and Prosperity of the City

   The morning exploration begins at Shanghai Museum, home to over a million cultural relics. The four-storey museum is systematically organized: the first floor shows ancient bronze ware and sculpture; the second features exquisite ceramics; the third displays classical paintings, calligraphy, and imperial seals; while the fourth floor presents jade artifacts, coins, Ming-Qing furniture, and ethnic minority crafts.

   Next, stroll on People Square to have a glimpse of the daily life of the locals. The square is now most famous for its match-making corner where parents try to seek partners for their children.

   

   After lunch, head to Yuyuan Garden, the best of Shanghai's five classic gardens. It was built in the time of the Ming Dynasty for a family's elderly members to chill, and it's a great example of that exquisite, subtle Southern Chinese landscape style. You'll see ancient trees, furniture from the Ming and Qing dynasties, calligraphy, and impressive carved artworks scattered around.

   The former French Concession is a perfect place to learn the history of Shanghai from 1849 to 1943. Then wander around Nanjing Road to see traditional department stores and optionally try some authentic Shanghai snacks.

   The last stop today is the Bund. You will admire buildings of various styles, enjoy the beautiful Huangpu River, and listen to your guide explaining its history. After a leisurely walk, take you back to your hotel.

   Optional activity: In the evening, you can take a Huangpu River night cruise to see the pretty lights of the Lujiazui's skyline.

   

   Vehicle

   B,L

   3-Star Hotel in Shanghai
9. Day 9: Shanghai Day Trip to Zhujiajiao
   Have an Enjoyable Time at an Ancient Water Town

   Enjoy your free time in the morning. At 12:00 noon, meet your guide and driver in your hotel lobby. Then depart toward Zhujiajiao Water Town, known as the "Venice of the East".

   Fangsheng Bridge is a symbol of the ancient town and the best spot for photography. This is the largest five-arch stone bridge in Shanghai, and from the top, you can overlook the river and the shuttle boats.

   Continue to stroll through the white walls, black tiles, old streets, and over 30 ancient bridges, which feels like stepping into an ink painting.

   The tour guide will also take you to visit the Kezhi Garden. This was once a private garden where you will see pools, pavilions, rockeries, long corridors, as well as orchards, vegetable gardens and rice fields.

   After the tour, we will transfer you back to your downtown hotel.

   Optional Activity: Take a ride on a traditional hand-cranked boat through the waterways, enjoying a leisurely time.

   

   Vehicle

   B,L

   3-Star Hotel in Shanghai
10. Day 10: Departure from Shanghai

    After breakfast, your driver will transfer you to the airport for your departure flight (usually 4 hours in advance for international flights and 2 hours for domestic flights). Our 10-day Beijing Xi'an Guilin Shanghai tour will end here. Wish you a pleasant journey!

    We suggest that you book a flight departing in the afternoon. This way, you will have a leisurely morning to further explore Shanghai. We can provide you with a detailed guide to shopping in Shanghai.

    Vehicle

    B