Cultural Heritages Exploration

Your guide and driver will pick you up at the airport after you retrieve your luggage and clear the customs, and then escort you to check in at the hotel. The rest of the day is free for you to recover from the jet leg and get prepared for your Beijing Datong Pingyao Xi'an tour package.

Meals: No meals, advice freely available

This morning, your 11 days Beijing Datong Pingyao Xi'an tour will start from Tiananmen Square, which is a site where many major historical and celebratory events happened. Walking through the square, we will enter the most intact imperial palace complex, Forbidden City. Here you will not only appreciate the magnificent ancient buildings, but also visit many precious cultural relics. Later, we will serve you an a la carte lunch to taste the authentic Chinese food. Your guide will help you with the order.

In the afternoon, we will visit the Temple of Heaven, which is the place where Chinese ancient emperors held the Heaven Worship Ceremony. Afterwards, we will drive you back to the hotel.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, A la carte lunch

There are energy-consuming activities involved today, so we suggest you have a big breakfast at the hotel and wear comfortable clothes. After breakfast, we will head to the amazing Mutianyu Great Wall. As one of the most popular sections of the Great Wall, Mutianyu is well-known for its luring scenery and unique structures. We include the round-trip cable car for you. If you want to experience the toboggan down the wall, we can also arrange. Today's lunch is on your own. Your guide will offer you good recommendations.

After that, we will drive back to downtown and make a short stop at Bird's Nest to take some pictures of this splendid building. Then pay a visit to a featured local market where you can pick souvenirs for your friends or families.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast

This morning, we will first visit the Summer Palace, a well-preserved imperial garden, mainly including Kunming Lake and Longevity Hill. Then we will have a Hutong rickshaw tour from Drum Tower, and along Yinding Bridge, Yandaixie Street, Bar Street to reach old Hutongs. You will also have chance to visit a local family living in the Hutongs. There are many restaurants at the Hutongs, you may choose your preferred food for lunch on your own. Your guide will give you some suggestions.

Afterwards, we will see you off at Beijing Railway Station for a soft sleeper train to Datong. Upon arrival, your guide in Datong will meet you at the station exit and help you check in at the hotel.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast

After breakfast, we will set out for Hanging Monastery, which is regarded as an architectural wonder. Applying to a unique mechanical theory, this architecture looks like a grand relief inlaid on the steep cliff. It also attracts some famous construction experts from countries including UK, Germany and Italy to study it. Then, we will go to visit Yungang Grottoes, a treasure house of Buddhist arts. There are many solemn Buddha statues made during the Northern Wei Dynasty (386 - 534), which shows the superb artistry of sculpture. Later, we will head for the Nine-Dragon Screen, a giant screen built over 600 years ago. Nine dragons are evenly distributed on the walls, vivid and life-like.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch

After breakfast, your guide will send you to the soft sleeper train to Taiyuan, taking about 4 hours. Upon arrival, your guide in Taiyuan will pick you up and accompany you to visit Jinci Temple, a combination of historical cultural relics and beautiful landscapes. Then, we will drive you to Pingyao and check in at a local hotel.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast

Today we will mainly visit the Ancient City of Pingyao, including its main street Ancient Ming-Qing Street, Rishengchang Former Bank and the ancient Security Guard Company in Pingyao. You can learn the lost prosperity of this ancient city and know the history of Jin merchants through visiting these spots.

In the afternoon, you will take a 3-hour high speed train to Xi'an. Your guide in Xi'an will pick you up and transfer you to the hotel.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch

The highlight of today's itinerary is Terracotta Army, the 'Eighth Wonder' of the world. In the museum, you will appreciate the unearthed life-figured terracotta warriors and horses as well as the chariots and weapons. All of them show the sovereign power and incomparable wealth of Emperor Qinshihuang 2,200 years ago. Then we will drive back to the downtown to visit the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda and Shaanxi History Museum.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast

After breakfast, you will be led to the City Wall Park. There are many local people doing morning exercises, such as jogging, Tai Chi, table tennis, dancing and sword practicing. Next your guide will escort you to descend the well-preserved City Wall. Once as a huge and precisely designed military defense system, it is now a famous attraction. After that, we will pay a visit to a local Chinese family and enjoy an a la carte home cooked lunch. The hostess is very good at cooking. You can learn to cook Chinese food with her.

Then you will be transferred to the airport for the flight to Shanghai. Your local tour guide in Shanghai will meet you at the airport and take you to the hotel.

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

Today we will first visit Shanghai Museum. Then, go to the Yu Garden, one of the representatives of classic gardens in southern China style. Exit from the garden, we will come to the nearby Yuyuan Bazaar, where there are many distinctive stores selling local products, snacks, souvenirs, antiques and so on. Around noon, we will arrange an a la carte lunch for you to taste the traditional Chinese dishes.

Later, your guide will escort you to the Bund area for a short cruise tour on Huangpu River. You will see many modern buildings including the Oriental Pearl Tower on one side and western style architectures on the other side. We will also leave some free time for you to explore the Bund area. Finally, pay a visit to Tianzifang.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, A la carte lunch

This Beijing Datong Pingyao Xi'an tour itinerary is coming to an end today. Your guide and driver will take you to the airport and help you board your homebound flight. Hope you a nice journey home!

There are also many other places worth exploring around Shanghai such as Disneyland, Water Town, Suzhou, Hangzhou and so on. If you have more time, you may stay longer for a further exploration. Please contact us any time should you need extension tours.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast