Incredible Zhangjiajie

After your flight arrives at Beijing Airport, you will meet your local guide at the exit once you have claimed your luggage and cleared customs. You will then be driven to your hotel and assisted to check in. The rest of the day is free for you to arrange.

Accommodation: Hotel New Otani Chang Fu Gong

To start your China group tour, your guide will host a short pre-trip meeting at your hotel lobby this morning. It includes a briefing and preparations for your trip. After that, your trip officially begins.

First, you will visit Tiananmen Square, a spectacular city square surrounded by majestic buildings, such as Monument to the People's Heroes, Great Hall of the People, Museum of the Chinese Revolution, and the historical Tiananmen Tower.

Next, we will take you to explore the marvelous Forbidden City. It’s an imperial palace complex that includes the office and living quarters of Ming and Qing (1368 to 1911 AD) emperors. Today, your tour will cover the grandest palace - Hall of Supreme Harmony – at the very heart of the compound. The hall, housing the Dragon Throne, was where state-level events or ceremonies were held, including the emperors’ enthronement ceremony. Its two auxiliary buildings, Tiren Pavilion and Hongyi Pavilion, which flank the sides of the courtyard before it, were used respectively for selecting erudite talents and storing ceremonial gold and silver wares. It indicates that only with talents and money, the country could have a development.

★ Special Visit to Treasure Gallery of Forbidden City
The most special highlight of this tour will be a visit we exclusively arrange for you to the Treasure Gallery, an exhibition hall in which you get to witness the most valuable historical treasures that were kept private by royal figures. A Qing Dynasty era relic that is worth mentioning is a coronet worn by the concubines. You may gain an insight into the extravagant imperial life by its countless decorative blue feathers, which were taken from kingfishers.

After a busy morning of sightseeing, we will drive to a popular local restaurant for an a la carte welcome lunch where you are able to order dishes of your choice (to a value of CNY150.00 per person, and included in our price). The roasted Peking duck is highly recommended. Its rich easily-absorbed nutrients will replenish your consumed energy.

Your journey then continues to the Temple of Heaven, the largest existing imperial altar in the world constructed 600 years ago and used by emperors to pray for abundant harvests. Here you get to enjoy the splendid architecture, as well as a lively atmosphere where locals sing, dance and exercise.

You are going to have a fascinating evening, as we will take you to appreciate the Chinese Acrobatic Show at the Red Theater. After that, we will drive you back to your hotel.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, A la carte welcome lunch

We believe that you have probably heard much about the Great Wall of China. Today you will visit the Mutianyu Great Wall and have a chance to witness this extraordinary defense project in human history. A round trip cable car ride is included. Standing on the wall and appreciating its snaking path along the mountain ridges will certainly bring you unique feelings. Your guide will also invite you to clink glasses of red wine to commemorate this moment.

In the afternoon, we will have a photo stop when driving by the Olympic National Stadium, a landmark of Beijing and venue for national and international sports events with an award-winning steel structure. Then we take you to experience the traditional lifestyle of common Beijing people in Hutongs, alleyways lined with residential courtyard houses. You will have a rickshaw ride through Hutongs and a local family visit, to help you explore this historical area to the fullest. The 700-year-old gray bricks used to build the houses will leave you with a great impression. Then it’s time for us to escort you back.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast

After the hotel check-out, your guide will pick you up and take you to visit giant pandas in Panda Hall, Beijing Zoo. You get to how those adorable creatures redefine “cute” through their puzzling behaviors, like their hobby of playing in water.

Then we head to the world famous Summer Palace. Built in 1750, it represents the pinnacle of Chinese traditional art of garden construction. Artfully taking advantage of the surrounding mountains and lakes, the Summer Palace not only represents a resplendent imperial garden, but also reflects the beauty of nature.

Eat some local food to restore your energy as lunch, and wave goodbye to Beijing before catching the flight to Xi'an. Upon your arrival at Xi'an airport, your local guide and driver will welcome you and escort you to the hotel for checking in.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Crowne Plaza Xi'an

Begin the morning with a hearty breakfast at the hotel, then we will head for the Terracotta Army, world-famous for its tremendous scale as the funeral object for Emperor Qin Shi Huang (259 – 210 BC), founder of the first empire and the imperial history of China. The lifelike details of each warrior shows mysteriously incredible artistic skills of people of the Qin Dynasty (211 – 206 BC). But the biggest mystery sleeps with the emperor’s body in the Underground Palace. There must be priceless treasures hidden within if it’s a mausoleum of an emperor, but why does it still seem to remain untouched? Archeologists provided with several possible reasons: a difficult depth for tomb robbers, toxic mercury filled up in it, or deadly traps. It’s said that whoever knew the secret of the area had all been murdered, so no one could even imagine what awaited ahead, and those potential diggers simply gave up.

★ What makes us different

► Meet and talk with the Army’s first discoverer
The life-size terracotta warriors shocked the world with its appearance, but few people know who, when, and how they were found. Out from the museum, you will have your answers during a visit to the home of the first discoverer - Mr. Yang Zhifa. You get to meet and communicate with him or his family to learn the secret stories and see the hoe and the wooden cart once used to dig out and carry the clay figure.

► DIY a mini terracotta warrior and keep it
Next you are going to make a mini terracotta warrior, within just 40 minutes! There will be an artisan giving a very detailed instruction about the whole process and you can follow it step by step. The body of statue is mainly made through a mold, but you still need to use tools to refine it. Even kids can enjoy making a cute cartoonish clay soldier. Of course, you can take your self-made work back home!

Then you will visit the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, an ancient Buddhist tower, which was built more than 1,300 years ago and still stands in its elegance. This evening, you will be taken to a theatre to enjoy a delicious dumpling dinner and appreciate the classic Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Performance. Then we will drive back.

Travel Tip: Guests visiting in Jan, Feb, Mar and Dec need to arrange the dinner and evening activity on your own for this day, since the theater is usually not open in those months.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Dumpling dinner

You will spend the whole morning visiting the City Wall area. At the foot of the wall, there is a City Wall Park where locals do their morning exercises. You will become one of them by learning to do Tai Chi boxing from a master, who will teach you some moves of Chinese Kung Fu exercise that is practiced nationwide to keep fit and healthy. Then follow your guide to ascend the City Wall, the fortification for Xi'an city. Built in the Ming Dynasty, it indeed has witnessed a long history! You can have more fun by hiring a bike, which charges a small fee, for an exciting ride on the old city wall.

You will have your lunch at the Muslim Quarter to taste food of authentic local flavors. The quarter has developed to a bustling bazaar and paradise for foodies, for the snack stalls seen everywhere on both sides of streets. In this noodle capital of China, you may want to try Liang Pi (cold skin noodle), Yangrou Paomo (crumbled flatbread in mutton stew), or Biang Biang Noodles, which have gained national fame for their special textures.

Then your guide and driver will escort you to the airport and help you board the flight to Zhangjiajie. On arrival, you will be greeted and taken to the hotel.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Local flavor lunch
Accommodation: Pullman Zhangjiajie Hotel

An exciting day in the fantastic Zhangjiajie National Forest Park awaits you! After your hearty breakfast at the hotel, your guide will pick you up to enter through the East Gate of the park. Once inside, ride the eco-friendly shuttle bus for about 20 minutes to the lower station of the global-famed Bailong Elevator, which will whisk you to the Yuanjiajie Scenic Area on the mountaintop in only 88 seconds, while a laborious hike up requires 4 to 5 hours. When stepping out of it, take your time to enjoy spectacular vistas that inspired the science fiction film ‘Avatar’ - karst views formed by thousands of sandstone pillars decorated with green plants. With the guide, you will surely witness the standout here, the Qiankun Pillar, which was renamed Hallelujah Mountain after ‘Avatar’ went viral. In doing so, it also releases an important signal: Zhangjiajie’s magical scenery belongs not only to China, but also to the world. We also won’t let you miss the naturally formed Enchanting Platform, one of the best viewing platforms for bird’s-eye views of those grotesque peaks.

For lunch, your guide will take you to a decent restaurant in a mountain village of Yuanjiajie to sample simple local dishes. After lunch, a 15-minute eco-bus ride will transfer you to the Yangjiajie Scenic Area, named after the military Yang family who lived there during the Northern Song Dynasty (960 - 1127). Instead of standing alone, the peaks here undulate and stretch like walls, forming the spectacular Natural Great Wall, 380 million years old, which you can’t see anywhere else on Earth. Then take the eco-bus to Tianzi Mountain, which is also known as the “Monarch of the Peak Forest”. Almost all the small scenic spots here are related to an ancient Tujia hero, Xiang Dakun, who led a peasant uprising to fight against the excessive taxation and fatuous rule of the feudal government at that time. Standing on one of the highest viewing platforms and beholding the Imperial Brush Peak and Fairy Dispersing Flowers, with the guide’s commentary, your mind may automatically direct an episode of the Xiang’s work and love story. After a day’s sightseeing, take the cable car down the mountain and get back to your hotel for rest.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch

Today, we will begin with a visit to Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon, where lush vegetation, fresh air, and turquoise lakes will provide you with coolness and comfort. Here, what welcomes you first is the world's highest and longest Yuntiandu Glass Bridge. The name "Yuntiandu" is interpreted as “carrying people across a way of clouds to the sky”. Pluck up your courage to step on this transparent bridge over the 300-meter-deep (984-foot-deep) valley, and you might feel you are floating in midair. Don’t worry if you will fall off, as its safety is guaranteed by its world-famous architectural designers. Seize the chance to enjoy a panoramic view of the canyon and take some satisfying photos on the bridge. Then the time comes for us to drive you back for lunch.

In the afternoon, continue your exploration along Golden Whip Stream inside the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park. Follow the guide for a leisurely hike through the most beautiful section, where overlapping peaks, rippling waters, verdant forests and tranquil valleys will give you a visual feast. The sun shines through the leaves on the water, and the rare colorful flowers crowd on the bank, as if they want to frolic with fish. Along the way, you may also encounter some monkeys popping out onto the path to “rob” food, so be careful not to reach for your bag, or you will become their target easily. Finally, leave the park and you will be escorted back to your hotel.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch

This morning, let’s “conquer” the highest mountain in Zhangjiajie, Tianmen Mountain (Heaven's Gate Mountain). After arriving at the downtown cableway station, the guide will accompany you on the Tianmen Mountain Cableway, the world’s longest of its kind, to climb for about half an hour to the top of the mountain. It is not only an aerial moving viewing corridor, but also a link connecting urban scenery, pastoral scenery and dangerous peaks and deep valleys. Want to experience that adrenaline rush again? Now is the chance to stroll along the Glass Skywalk attached to a cliff. Although the transparency under your feet may bring you jitters, it will also allow you to enjoy the thrill of stepping on the clouds and the unique karst landscapes of Zhangjiajie. Then take the 7-level escalator down to Tianmen Cave (Heaven's Gate), which is right the natural wonder that makes this place famous overseas. Standing in front of it and looking up, you will be deeply shocked by its otherworldly beauty, and perhaps you will well agree that it is like a portal to the heaven. Continue descending by 5-level escalator to Tianmen Square, a perfect place to take a panoramic view of the Cave. Next, get down to the exit by express cable car.

Afterwards, you will be transferred to the airport for the flight to Shanghai. Your local guide will welcome you at the airport in Shanghai and escort you to the reserved hotel for checking in.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Radisson Blu Hotel Shanghai New World

Your first stop today will be Shanghai Museum. You will stroll amid artfully organized displays covering ancient Chinese bronzes, paintings, ceramics, ethnic minority arts and crafts, and even ancient Chinese currencies. After seeing so many antiques, we will transfer you to Yu Garden, an elegant garden with a history of more than 400 years. Every bridge, hall, pavilion, pond, and rockery in the garden has its own charm. With the tour guide's detailed introduction, you will learn some of the characteristics of a classical Chinese garden. Later, we will leave you with some time at the nearby Yuyuan Bazaar, full of traditional commodities, in the old City God Temple area of Shanghai.

An a la carte lunch (valued at CNY150.00 per person and included in our price) at a popular local restaurant follows.

This afternoon, we will first sightsee in the Bund and have a one-hour cruise tour along the Huangpu River. You get to take some free time to walk around the Bund and see different architectures of historical buildings, and then get on a ship traveling along the Huangpu River, the lifeline of Shanghai, to gain a better overview of this city. Appreciating the stunning skyline of the metropolis would be one of the best things to do on your China tour. Your guide and driver will transfer you back to the hotel and bid you bon voyage.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, A la carte farewell lunch

As this is the last day of your 11 days group tour, after having breakfast at the hotel you will need to prepare for your departure flight. Taking a taxi or Metro Line 2 from the metro station near your hotel will get you to either Pudong or Hongqiao Airport. We wish you a safe journey home and we will be always happy to serve you again in the future.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast