11-Day China Tour of Small Group to Beijing, Xian, Chengdu, Shanghai

Your local tour guide will meet you at Beijing Airport after reclaiming your luggage and clearing customs. The driver will transport you in a comfortable vehicle to the hotel and help you with the check-in procedure. The rest of the day is left for you to have a good rest or to become familiar with our capital city on your own.

This morning, your tour guide will pick up you at the hotel and take you to visit Tiananmen Square. You will see what the biggest urban city square in the world looks like.

From the Tiananmen Square, you will enter the Imperial Palace, also known as the Forbidden City to explore its fascinating halls and pavilions. Here, you will not only learn how the emperor handled political affairs and lived their lives, but appreciate numerous ancient art treasures. We will serve your lunch today at a good local restaurant nearby.

At last, you will see the Temple of Heaven, with its unique architecture, where the emperors worshipped the heavens in hopes of good harvests.

Tonight, we will arrange for you to enjoy the wonderful acrobatic show in the Red Theater. We specially serve you a welcome a la carte dinner (valued at CNY150.00 per person and included in tour price) at a popular restaurant, where you can have a taste of the most famous Peking Roast Duck and other authentic typical dishes.

This morning, you will be taken to Mutianyu Great Wall to experience at first hand the wonder of the Great Wall. The round-trip cable car will be arranged. Standing on the wall and looking at it, stretching up and down into boundless distance is an exciting experience and will leave a life-long memory. To celebrate and commemorate this moment, we specially provide red wine for a group-toasting on the Great Wall.

After enjoying a buffet lunch, we will drive back to down and have a photo stop at the Olympic National Stadium (Bird's Nest), you will see its splendid appearance at a distance.

Afterwards, you will take a rickshaw tour to explore the original Hutong alleys and have a chance to visit a local family.

In the morning, you will visit the Summer Palace - the largest existing imperial garden with a graceful landscape and magnificent constructions.

After a local flavor lunch, you will take a high-speed train to Xi'an, where your local guide will pick you up at the railway station and transfer you to the hotel.

The visit to the magnificent Terracotta Army will start your day's trip. In the museum, there are altogether three excavated pits exhibiting amazing warrior figures and Chinese ancient weapons. Afterwards, take a family visit to the home of the first discoverer of the Terracotta Army. And then make a mini clay warrior by yourself with the help of a local artisan. We will serve your lunch today at a good local restaurant nearby.

In the afternoon, you will the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, which was built in the Tang Dynasty (618–907 AD) to store the Buddhist scriptures brought from ancient India.

A splendid evening is in store when you will be entertained by the Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Show while partaking in the famous Dumpling Dinner.

The day begins with a leisure visit to the City Wall Park, where you can observe the day-to-day life of the locals. Here you can also learn to practice Tai Chi with the master. Tai Chi, a soft form of Chinese martial arts, is considered the quintessential Chinese culture. After that, you will pay a visit to the City Wall. It is the most complete existing urban fortification in China. Cycling on the ancient wall is an exciting experience that many people like to try (bike rental fee is not included).

Then you will have a special lunch at the lively Muslim Quarter and try some local food.

The Great Mosque, one of the largest and best-preserved Islam mosques in China. Here you can appreciate integration of different cultures, which has combined the characteristics of Chinese classical architectures with religious colors.

Afterwards, visit Shaanxi History Museum, known as the pearl of Xi'an and the treasury of China for storing and exhibiting historical relics unearthed from this land, where the capital of thirteen ancient dynasties of China is located. If the Shaanxi History Museum is not available, alternatively, the famous Forest of Stone Steles Museum will be arranged instead.

In the morning, you will be taken to the railway station for the 4-hour high-speed train to Chengdu. On arrival, you will be picked up by your tour guide and escorted to your hotel. The rest of the day is free for you.

This morning, you will be escorted to the Giant Panda Breeding Research Base to see the rare and endangered animals – the Giant Pandas. Today's pickup is a bit earlier as pandas are more active in the morning during their feeding time. You may have an opportunity to close appreciate the daily life of this cute species.

Afterward, come to Kuanzhai Alley. Enjoy your leisure time in this place. You can taste all kinds of local specialties as well as appreciate the architectural style of traditional buildings. Feel the typical slow lifestyle of local people.

Jinsha Site Museum is built to protect, study, and display the archaeological finds of the Jinsha Site, dating back to about 3,000 years ago. If your travel in Chengdu happens to meet Mondays, on which Jinsha Museum is closed, we will arrange the Thatched Cottage of Du Fu, a traditional Chinese park and museum in honour of the famous ancient poet Du Fu during the Tang dynasty.

You will be transferred to a popular local venue, Renmin Park. Have a tea break and experience the casual lifestyle of Chengdu people.

In the morning, you will be transferred to the Chengdu airport for the flight to Shanghai. On landing, you will be picked up by your local tour guide and be escorted to your hotel. The rest of the day is free for your own arrangements.

This morning, Your local tour guide will pick you up at your hotel. You will visit one of the four largest museums in China, the Shanghai Museum, which specializes in exhibiting artworks from ancient times.

After that, explore Yu Garden and its nearby traditional bazaar. The symbol of the Garden is the Nine Zigzag Bridge built of granite and grass-white jade and the quaint, elegant mid-lake pavilion.

After that, stroll along the thriving Bund area and then take a one-hour cruise along the Huangpu River - the mother river of Shanghai. As the symbol and a microcosm of the city, the river has witnessed the glory, humiliation, despair, and prosperity of Shanghai. Upon returning to the hotel our guide will see you into the lobby to say bon voyage.

After breakfast at the hotel, please find your own way to the airport for your homeward flight. Due to different flight schedules, the hotel-airport transfer service is not included. However, we would be happy to assist you if needed.