Forbidden City, Beijing

Day 01Arrival in Beijing

Our guide will meet you outside the baggage claim area at Beijing Airport and transfer you to the 5 stars Crowne Plaza Hotel (Address: No. 48 Wangfujing Avenue, Beijing, 100006). The rest of the day is free for you to have a good rest.

Accommodation: Crowne Plaza

Tips: Your hotel is well located on the famous Wangfujing area, which is the golden commercial district in Beijing. Several historical sites, shopping markets and business streets are within walking distance. After checking in at the hotel and having a good rest, you could just walk out of your hotel, turn right at the crossing and then turn left. It will take you no more than 5 minutes to reach the flourishing Wangfujing pedestrian street, an ideal place for shopping. You could also find a restaurant along the street for a decent dinner. It is a good choice for your free time in Beijing.

Day 02Beijing

Visit Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City and the Temple of Heaven. A Beijing Duck Dinner will be served at a famous restaurant followed by a lively Peking Opera performance at the Liyuan Theatre.(B+L+D)

Accommodation: Crowne Plaza

Descriptions:
Forbidden City - The dominant color in the Forbidden City is yellow, as yellow is the symbol of the royalty. Roofs of the major architecture in the city are covered with yellow colored glazed tiles; decorations of the palace are painted yellow; even the bricks on the ground are yellow. However, Wenyuan Ge is an exception. Its roof is black colored. Why is it like this? Actually, Wenyuan Ge was built for collected books. Ancient people believed that the black represents water and could extinguish fire. To prevent the books from fire, black glazed tiles were used.

Temple of Heaven - Different from yellow tile roof of the Forbidden City, all of the buildings' roofs of the Temple of Heaven are covered with the dark blue glazed titles widely. It just corresponds to the blue sky, because this altar is used to worship the god of heaven.

Our clients at the Badaling Great Wall, Beijing

Day 03Beijing

Visit the Badaling Great Wall. To avoid having lunch at shopping site restaurants, you will be driven to a local popular restaurant to have Sichuan food. Visit the Sacred Way and the Ming Tomb in the afternoon. On the way back to downtown, drive by the Bird's Nest (Olympic National Stadium). You will see its appearance at a distance. An a la carte dinner will be well prepared at a famous Cantonese cuisine restaurant in the Wangfujing area.(B+L+D)

Accommodation: Crowne Plaza

Tips: After a whole day's intense visit, you may like to find a pleasant place for relaxation. Apart from the famous Sanlitun bar street, Houhai abounds with rows of bars and cafes in the Shichahai area that are becoming people's new favorites. The bars associated with the beautiful natural lake scenery create a perfect atmosphere. The most popular one in this area is the No. 5 Bar in the traditional Sihe courtyard style, where some bands occasionally perform. Only 10-minute taxi drive from your hotel is needed. 
 
Descriptions:
Great Wall - Listed as one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the Great Wall is the fruit of the Chinese nation's wisdom and a symbol of Chinese civilization. Particularly, the most popular section of it is no doubt the Badaling Great Wall which was firstly built in the Ming Dynasty, rebuilt and repaired several times in the following dynasties. Now, as a national key scenic spot, Badaling has already become the first choice destination of the tourists from all over the world.

Terracotta warriors, Xian

Day 04Beijing - Xian

Visit the Summer Palace and the Lama Temple. Take a flight to Xian and transfer to the 5 stars Hyatt Regency Hotel (Address: No.158 Dongdajie Street, Xian, 710001). A sumptuous buffet dinner will be served to you at the hotel this evening.(B+L+D)

Accommodation: Hyatt Regency Hotel - downtown

Tips: Xian is an ancient city famous for its long history. Besides its significant landmarks, there is also some modern architecture. If time permits, you can take a taxi by yourself to an archaized street built in the style of Tang Dynasty architectures, west of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. The street was newly constructed and there are some good restaurants there. You can also find nice Indian food there. In the evening when the lights come on, you can enjoy the street scene with the local people strolling leisurely.

Descriptions:
Summer Palace - An attractive site inside the imperial garden Summer Palace is the well-known Long Gallery. As the longest gallery in Chinese gardens, it was built in 1755 during Emperor Qianlong's reign of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Before starting the construction of the gallery, Qianlong ordered artists to go to Hangzhou City (Zhejiang Province) to sketch the scenery there. After that artists painted 546 paintings of West Lake landscapes in the Long Gallery. The themes ranged from historical figures, landscapes, flowers and birds, displaying the amazing Chinese painting.
 
Lama Temple - The Hall of Everlasting Blessings in the Lama Temple was the residence of Emperor Yongzheng when he was still a prince. In the hall's center, three 2.35-meter high Buddha statues are positioned, all of which are carved from sanders.

Xian City Wall

Day 05Xian

Visit the Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum. To avoid having the poor food at the site, you will take the highway back to downtown to have lunch at a well-known Cantonese cuisine restaurant. In the afternoon, visit the Big Wild Goose Pagoda and the City Wall. In the evening you will be entertained with the marvelous Tang Dynasty Dinner Show in Tang Dynasty Palace. (Add: No.75, Chang'an Road, Xian).(B+L+D)

Accommodation: Hyatt Regency Hotel - downtown

Tips: The well preserved City Wall which encircles the inner city of Xian is an ideal venue for cycling. Ascend the City Wall at the South Gate to find bicycle renting sites on the wall. Both the one-man bicycles and tandem bicycles are available there, priced at RMB 20-50 Yuan per hour. One hour is almost right for a whole circle ride. You can also ask for a pedicab or an electric car to drive you around.

Descriptions:
Terracotta Warriors Museum - In the Museum of Qin Terracotta Warriors and Horses, visitors will not only be attracted by the lifelike warrior figures which have high artistic value, but also be impressed by the various kinds of ancient weapons. The amazing weapons were cast according to a unified standard, reflecting the highly advanced technology in that period. The unearthed weapons include spears, swords, daggers, halberds, crossbow triggers, arrowheads and axes, which provide the most precious physical materials to the study of science and military in the Qin Dynasty.

Li River cruise tour, Guilin

Day 06Xian

Visit the Provincial History Museum. After enjoying an a la carte lunch at a famous local restaurant, visit the Great Mosque and a local family.(B+L)

Accommodation: Hyatt Regency Hotel - downtown

Tips: Walk out of your hotel and turn left to find Xian's most popular street for shopping, where you could find all kinds of fashion shops congested with local people till late night. At the end of the street is the famous Bell Tower. Some big shopping malls in the area are open till 22:00 every day. You could also find cinemas, night bars, decent restaurants and many small stalls along this street. The night life there is rich and colorful, and you will enjoy your time by yourself, but please be sure to take good care of your bags and pockets. 
 
Descriptions:
Provincial History Museum -  If the Terra Cotta Warriors is a must and the most attractive place in Xian, Shaanxi Historical Museum can be counted as another to better understanding this renowned ancient capital of deep historical and cultural accumulation. In the elegantly designed museum, you can find delicate jade cicada, the Tiger Tally that enjoyed military power in ancient times, age-old chime bells, the jade seal of the first emperor of the Western Han Dynasty, extraordinary ox head agate cup and tri-color glazed pottery of the Tang Dynasty, which are all valuable treasures with rare charms.
 
Great Mosque - The Great Mosque is one of the most popular tourist sites in Xian, where is the most famous snack street of the city, the Muslim Street is just next too. Also, it is one of the most renowned mosque in China and the only mosque in the nation that is open to visitors.

Day 07Xian - Guilin

Visit the Hanyangling Museum, the Mausoleum of Western Han Emperor Liu Qion the way to the airport. After lunch, take a flight to Guilin and transfer to the 5 stars Sheraton Hotel (Address: No. 15 Bin Jiang Road, Guilin, 541001).(B+L)

Accommodation: Sheraton Hotel

Tips: After dinner on your own, we suggest you take a walk along the Bin Jiang Road. En route, you could enjoy the beautiful night scenery in Guilin, especially the Double Pagodas (Gold Pagoda and Silver Pagoda) located in the Shanhu Lake. The Double Pagodas are also called Sun Pagoda and Moon Pagoda, because one is golden and tall while the other is silver white and low. They comprise another landmark of Guilin.

Yangshuo bicycle tour

Day 08Guilin - Yangshuo - Guilin

Enduring memories are created today as you cruise down the Li River to Yangshuo. Upon arrival in Yangshuo, a short bicycle trip to the countryside will then be arranged. You will visit a local villager's home to experience the farmer's lifestyle there. Alternatively, you can take our electric car instead of taking bicycles. Transfer back to Guilin.(B+L)

Accommodation: Sheraton Hotel

Tips: Lunch will be provided on the cruise today and since it may not meet your expectations, TCG suggests that you have a larger breakfast at the hotel.

Descriptions:
Li River - Located on the western bank of the Li River, Mural Hill is a big stone cliff, which has been crafted by nature in various shapes. From a distance, the cliff decorated with various colors looks like a natural mural with images of nine horses indistinctly etched on the rock face, hence the name Nine Horse Mural. The nine horses pose different gestures. One image may be of a horse standing still, while another may be going wild and neighing and the other gazing or drinking. It requires a whiff of imagination to recognize all the images of the nine horses.

Day 09Guilin - Shanghai

Visit the Reed Flute Cave, the Seven Star Park and the Elephant Trunk Hill. Take a flight to Shanghai and transfer to the 5 star hotel.(B+L)

Accommodation: Majesty Plaza Shanghai

Tips: The popular Nanjing Road is only minutes walk away from your well located hotel. Travelers to Shanghai should not miss this well-known pedestrian street. After dinner, you could walk there by yourself to melt into the people and feel the pace of life of the local residents or do some shopping. You could pick up some souvenirs there for your friends or families. Or you could explore the street and find a nice place there for your dinner.

Descriptions:
Reed Flute Cave - Chinese people have a habit of giving each formation a poetic or legendary name. In the Reed Flute Cave, they named the attractions according to different Chinese fables or legends. Many beautiful attraction names like Palace of Crystal and Flower & Fruit Mountain can be heard.

Our clients at the Bund of Shanghai Photo by our client Ms. Chris Taylor

Day 10Shanghai

Visit the Shanghai Museum and the Yuyuan Garden. After lunch, transfer to the Bund area, where you will take a cruise tour on the Huangpu River. The cruise will start at 14:00, reach the Wusongkou pier and then get back to the Bund at 17:00, leaving you some free time to explore the Bund area on your own. Tonight, an a la carte farewell dinner will be served at Central Hotel, whose restaurant Wang Bao He has a history of around 260 years and is the best place to enjoy Shanghai Cuisine. The memorable dinner will be followed by the Portman Acrobatic Show at the Shanghai Centre Theatre.(B+L+D)

Accommodation: Majesty Plaza Shanghai

Descriptions:
Shanghai - Shanghai is not only the center of technology, trade, finance and information in China, but also the place of exchange and mixture of international culture. It has totally become an international metropolis full of vigor and variety and an important economic and trading center in the world. Shanghai will host the 2010 world Exposition, contributing to the peace and progress of mankind.
 
Huangpu River cruise - Cruising along the Huangpu River is an excellent experience for visitors who want to explore the city's history, culture and the charming scenery. On the banks of the Huangpu River scattered almost all the major tourist attractions of Shanghai, which symbolize the past, present and future of the city.

Day 11Departure from Shanghai

From the hotel you will be taken to the airport so that you can board the flight back home loaded with pleasant memories.(B)

Tips: In general, the check-out time for the hotel is 12: 00 noon. If your international flight departs late in the afternoon or evening, you are advised to have your luggage checked at the concierge of the hotel. It is usually free of charge. Please do remember to fix a meeting time with your guide beforehand. Our guide and driver will see you off at the airport.