Xi'an 2-Day Private Tour with Hotel: Pingyao Ancient Town and Shuanglin Temple

Your driver will pick you up from your Xi'an city hotels lobby and take you to the Xi'an Railway Station. You will take the morning train to Pingyao old town, it takes about 3 hours by bullet train to arrive Pingyao. Upon arrival, meet your friendly local tour guide, you will be transferred to Pingyao old town to enjoy a delicious lunch in the local restaurant.

Then accompanied by your tour guide, you will start a walking tour of the Pinayao Old City. Founded during the Western Zhou Dynasty (1046 – 771 BC) and rebuilt in 1370, the Pingyao old city is nowadays one of China's four best preserved old cities. Step into the city, the old past comes alive. The Ming Qing Street is flanked with shops of local handicraft. Rishengchang shows us the glory of the first Chinese exchange shops. The ancient government office tells everything about the bureaucracy of the feudal society.

If time allows, you shouldn’t miss the Temple of City God, Confucius Temple and museums in different themes. Immerse yourself in the atmosphere of old times lifestyle and appreciate the charms of old China. Feel free to discuss with your tour guide on where you wan to go in the old city. Then, you will be transferred to your accommodation in Pingyao

Your tour guide and driver will pick you up from your hotel in the morning, then head to the Wang Family Compound.  Wang Family Coumpound is a luxurious residence built during 1762-1811 by the descendants of the Wang Family. It is not only an example of residential architecture, but also a museum of architectural art. Its sculptures of stone, wood and brick can be found everywhere in the courtyard. The crafts are refined and exquisite. Altogether there are 231 courtyards and 2,078 houses.

After a lunch in the local restaurant, you will start to explore the Shuanglin Temple in the outskirts of the ancient city. Shuanglin Temple is reputed to be the 'ancient painted sculptures museum'. It houses more than 2,000 colorful sculptures reflecting the exquisite skills of the artisans of the Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties. In 1997, it was included in the World Heritage List by UNESCO as an important cultural site of Ping Yao City in 1997. After your Pingyao tour finished, your guide and driver will drop you off at Pingyao Railway station in the late afternoon. You can chose to end your tour in Pingyao or return Xi'an or heading to Beijing. Note: You will take the train on your own, your local English speaking tour guide will meet you in Pingyao to show you around the sites for two days.