13 Days of Beijing - Xi'an - Chengdu - Guilin - Shanghai

2019-12-14 10:58:46

13 Days of Beijing - Xi'an - Chengdu - Guilin - Shanghai

Itinerary

Day 1 Arrival in Beijing

Once you reclaim your luggage and clear the customs, you will find our local guide welcoming you at the arrival hall of the airport and then be transferred by driver to check in at the hotel for three nights' stay. You can fill in the rest of the day having a good rest or walking around on your own.

Accommodation: The Great Wall Hotel Beijing - the former Sheraton

Day 2 Beijing

This morning will be spent in the heart of Beijing. We will start our 13 days China tour in Beijing at Tiananmen Square. From there you could walk through the Golden Water Bridge directly to the Forbidden City. With the marvelous structural layout, exquisite decorations and valuable treasures, the imperial palace attracts travelers all over the world.

Around noon, we will arrange a rich a la carte welcome lunch (valued at CNY150.00 per person and included in our price) for you at a decent local restaurant and we specially recommend the roasted Peking duck.

Then continue to the Temple of Heaven, the royal temple for sacrifice in ancient time, nowadays, it is not only a tourist spot, but also a beautiful and large park for local people spending their leisure time, especially for those who have been retried to find amusement here. In the evening, a lively Chinese Kung Fu Show at the Red Theatre is scheduled for you.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, A la carte welcome lunch

Day 3 Beijing

Great Wall is one of the greatest architecture projects in human history. This morning, we will drive you to the Mutianyu section, where you will spend a couple of hours to enjoy the amazing scenery from the wall. The roundtrip cable car is included during your Great Wall tour.

As it is in the mountain area, the meals offered by restaurants nearby are not good. In this case, we suggest you have a hearty breakfast at the hotel this morning and then have some fast food for lunch at noon by yourself.

Later we will drive you back to the city and leave you some free time at a featured local market.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast

Day 4 Beijing - Xi'an

After finishing the check-out process, you will be escorted to visit the Summer Palace, which used to be the summer resort for royal families and emperors to deal with the various issues and have fun here during the hottest days of the year. Next we will stop at the Olympic National Stadium for you to take pictures of the big Bird's Nest at a distance.

Followed is an a la carte lunch (valued at CNY150.00 per person and included in our price) at a good local restaurant.

After lunch, we will take you to the old Hutong area, where narrow alleys are lined with ancient style residential houses, to get a taste of the traditional features of the city and experience the Chinese paper cutting. Then you will take an afternoon flight to Xi'an, the second destination of your 13 days China tour package. Our local guide will await you on time at the airport and then accompany you to check in the hotel.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, A la carte lunch

Accommodation: Sheraton Hotel

Day 5 Xi'an

It is a full and interesting day. We will take you out of downtown to see the Terracotta Army, which is a huge project of three bury pits built by Emperor Qinshihuang, the first emperor who united the nation in ancient times. The life-sized terracotta army well represents his ambition even to be realized in the nether world.

Then we move to a local family. The elaborately prepared a la carte dishes (valued at CNY120.00 per person and included in our price) coupled with the hosts' cordial hospitality will surely make your lunch unforgettable. Especially, learning Chinese dishes cooking recipes with the host would be a unique experience for your escorted China tour.

After the family visit, you will proceed to the Xi'an Museum and then visit the Small Wild Goose Pagoda, an ancient Buddhist stupa with unique structure and elegant appearance. Tonight an exceptional performance is waiting for your attendance. It is the Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Show displaying the prosperity of the culture in the Tang Dynasty. Before the show, you will have a Dumpling dinner.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Home-cooked a la carte lunch, Dumpling dinner

Day 6 Xi'an

This morning, our guide will take you to see the locals doing morning exercises in the City Wall Park and arrange a Tai Chi Practice for you. And then you will climb up the ancient City Wall. Compassing the old city with a circuit of 13,700 meters, the square city wall is as thicker as 14 meters, so visitors could rent a bicycle and take a ride on the wall. The bike rental fee is at your expense.

You will have a gratifying a la carte lunch (valued at CNY120.00 per person and included in our price) at a fine local eatery.

After that, our guide will lead you to the treasure house of northwest China, the Provincial History Museum, which collects a large number of rare historical relics illustrating the achievements of different eras. A visit to the Great Mosque is scheduled for you later. You can have some free time strolling along the nearby bustling Muslim street.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, A la carte lunch

Day 7 Xi'an - Chengdu

Your guide will escort you to the railway station for a high-speed train to Chengdu. After around 4 hours, you will meet the local guide and get to the hotel. With all kinds of rich resources, Chengdu enjoys the reputation of being a 'Heavenly Land of Plenty'. And now Chengdu has become an ideal city for many young graduates. They would rather work and live here than go to big cities like Beijing and Shanghai. We would leave you free to know a bit about this city on your own in the afternoon. Your local guide will offer you some suggestions upon request.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast

Accommodation: Holiday Inn Chengdu Oriental Plaza

Day 8 Chengdu

We all know that Chengdu is the home of pandas, so the first stop of this China itinerary 13 days in Chengdu is surely about pandas. Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding is not far from the city center, about half an hour's journey. But you still need to get up early today if you want to see pandas at their best. Usually the keepers will feed pandas at about 08:00 to 09:00. At this time, all pandas will come out to wait, and then they begin to eat and play. At about 11:00 pandas are full and most of them go to sleep. So according to our experiences the best time to visit the panda base is from 08:30 to 10:00 in the morning.

Then we head to the Broad and Narrow Alleys. Just take your time to stroll in the leisurely alleys. It is a very popular place not only for travelers also for locals. You can have lunch at one of the restaurants by yourself. Our guide will also give you more advice.

Next, we visit Jinsha Site Museum, which can trace back to about 3,000 years ago. There are many gold articles unearthed in the site, but the most highlight ones are the Gold Foil of Sun and Immortal Bird and the Gold Mask. After the history and culture appreciation, it's time for you to get relaxed at Renmin Park. You will know local's laid-back lifestyle when you sip in a tea house, see people gathering together playing Mahjong, dancing and singing. The most interesting is to see the matchmaking corner where parents advertise for their children.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast

Day 9 Chengdu - Guilin

Today you will fly to Guilin. Our guide will greet you at the airport and help you check in at the hotel.

After that, our guide will accompany you to visit the Reed Flute Cave. Reputed as the 'Natural Art Palace', the Reed Flute Cave is mainly made up of stalactites, stalagmites, and stone pillars, which were naturally formed in different shapes and poses. Shined in different colors of lights, the cave is like a fairyland. Then turn to the Elephant Trunk Hill. You don't need to climb up the hill. It is just like a scenic park, but deserves a visit.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast

Accommodation: Sheraton Hotel

Day 10 Guilin - Yangshuo - Guilin

Your trip will never be complete if you come to Guilin but do not take a Li River cruise. Usually Li River refers to the section from Guilin to Yangshuo, which is also the best and the most splendid part. Our guide will also show you some famous spots that Li River boasts during the about four hours' journey.

Here we would like to remind you the lunch on the cruise is a simple box lunch, but we have no other choice since it is provided by the cruise company. We suggest you have a big breakfast at the hotel this morning.

When you arrive at Yangshuo and walk through the West Street, we will drive you to the countryside area to see rural sceneries, along with a local peasant's home. Late in the afternoon, it is time for us to get back to Guilin.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch

Day 11 Guilin - Shanghai

A morning flight will take you to Shanghai today. When you arrive, our guide will greet you at Shanghai airport and escort you to check in at the hotel. You will have free afternoon leisure on your own arrangement.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast

Accommodation: Parkline Century Park Hotel Shanghai - the former Crowne Plaza

Day 12 Shanghai

After breakfast, you will start your Shanghai exploration from the famous Shanghai Museum, which houses a large amount of ancient Chinese art works. Then continue to visit the picturesque Yu Garden and explore its nearby traditional bazaar.

At noon, you will have an a la carte farewell lunch (valued at CNY120.00 per person and included in our price) at a local popular restaurant. In the afternoon, you will visit the Former French Concession to feel the old Shanghai. Afterwards, move to the Bund area and have a one-hour Huangpu River cruise tour to feel the modern of the city. At the end of the day, our guide will take you back to the hotel and bid you bon voyage at the lobby.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, A la carte farewell lunch

Day 13 Departure from Shanghai

Our 13 days China tour comes to the end today. The hotel check out deadline is 12:00 at noon. Since clients will have different flight schedules to leave Shanghai, we do not include the airport see-off service today. You can charter a taxi to the airport, which is the most efficient and money-saving way. We wish you a smooth and pleasant journey!

Meals: Western buffet breakfast

Tour Type: Small Group of 2-18 travelers, guaranteed departures

Guide & Driver: English-speaking guide, experienced driver with an air-conditioned coach

Accommodation: 12 nights, nice 5-star & 4-star hotels

Meals: 12 western buffet breakfasts, 6 lunches with some being a la carte style, 1 dumpling dinner

Tour Highlights:

Must-see sights - Mutianyu Great Wall, Forbidden City, Terracotta Army, Giant Pandas

Have a once in a life chance to get close to the incredibly cute treasure - Pandas

Cruise on the meandering Li River & admire the essence of Guilin landscape

Take in the impressive skylines of Shanghai as you walk along the Bund

Price Includes

Domestic airfares & train fare