Incredible Zhangjiajie

After a short pre-trip briefing at your hotel lobby, we’ll head to Tiananmen Square to start today’s sightseeing. As the heart of the city, it is surrounded by majestic buildings, such as the Monument to the People's Heroes, the Great Hall of the People, and the Museum of the Chinese Revolution. At its northernmost, stands the Tiananmen Tower.

Passing through the Tower Gate to the Forbidden City transports you back some 600 years. Once the political and residential heart of emperors during the Ming and Qing Dynasties (1368-1911 AD), this complex is so vast that it is equivalent in size to 437 White Houses. You’ll notice that most of the palaces are built of wood, which was easiest to obtain at that time, making fire a constant threat. To prevent fires, a brigade of over 200 members was established. In winter, they had to break the ice on frozen rivers to secure water; in summer, they ensured the 308 water vats in the palace were always full; in spring and autumn, they cleared vegetation and fallen leaves to eliminate hidden dangers. Beyond these practical measures, ancient people also placed their hopes on a mythical beast said to be able to swallow fire. You can see it at either end of the roof ridge on every palace. Perhaps by coincidence, the palace once suffered thirteen lightning strikes, six of which hit the beast, yet the palace itself remained unharmed. After a local‑flavor lunch, let’s head to the Temple of Heaven, China’s largest and best‑preserved ancient altar complex for heaven worship. The Maya built pyramid‑like altars to converse with the gods, while more than 600 years ago, the Chinese emperors constructed a triple‑eaved hall and a round marble altar to report to heaven on behalf of their people, praying for bountiful harvests and the nation’s well‑being. Despite their different forms, both reflect how, in an age before modern science was developed, humanity entrusted its finest hopes to the same sky.  

★ Watch an Aesthetic and Thrilling Acrobatic Show

Then, enjoy a spectacular Chinese acrobatic performance at the Red Theater. Dressed in costumes with traditional Chinese motifs, the performers execute a series of highly difficult acts, such as high‑chair stacking, stunt motorcycle riding, and ballet on the shoulder. You can’t help but hold your breath for them, then cheer and applaud when they complete each dangerous move. Unlike Western circuses, Chinese acrobatics did not originate as entertainment for the nobility; rather, it evolved from the leisure activities of ordinary people in ancient times, which is why you’ll see everyday items such as bowls, plates, and straw hats used in the performance.

★ Conclude Your Day with an A La Carte Welcome Dinner

After the visual feast, we’ll treat you to an a la carte dinner to satisfy your taste buds, which is valued twice the local average and already included in the price. You can sample Beijing’s most famous dish, Roast Duck, a must-eat for everyone, which is especially favored by the former US President George H. W. Bush and Biden. In addition, other specialties, such as Noodles with Soy Bean Paste and Sautéed Pork Shreds, are available to suit your personal taste.

After dinner, your guide and driver will offer you a comfortable ride back to your hotel.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, lunch, a la carte welcome dinner with Peking Duck

In the morning, we’ll hit the road to the Mutianyu Great Wall to witness one of the most extraordinary defensive projects in human history. A round‑trip enclosed gondola-style cable car is included to help conserve your energy. If you like, you can take the open-air chairlift up and toboggan ride down, which are also included in our price for your free choice.

Enjoy a 2.5‑hour hike once on the Great Wall. You can climb the Hero Slope to the highest point for a panoramic view of the wall snaking over the peaks, a truly rewarding experience. Some Western scholars have viewed the Great Wall as a barrier, but it functioned much like modern border customs, managing the flow of people and goods. It is quite similar to Hadrian’s Wall in the Roman Empire, which both separated Romans from “barbarians” and promoted border trade and cultural exchange. In the 16th century, markets were established along the Great Wall, where Mongols traded furs, horses, cattle, and sheep for salt, cloth, and other goods. Many residents living near the wall even intermarried with the Mongols, facilitating ethnic integration.

★ Toast with Red Wine:

To celebrate your conquest of the Great Wall, your guide will prepare red wine for a toast to commemorate the moment. 

After a buffet lunch at the foot of the wall, we’ll drive back to downtown Beijing and make a short stop at the Olympic Park to take photos with the Water Cube and the giant steel Bird’s Nest Stadium.

★ Touch the Fabric of Authentic Beijing

The rest of the day invites you into Beijing’s authentic heart. Hop on a rickshaw and glide through the narrow Hutong alleys. With each turn of the wheel, the everyday life of the Hutongs slowly unfolds. You may see residents chatting at street corners or elderly men playing chess under a tree. Accompanied by your guide, step inside a courtyard home to discover the logic of local life. When doors open, the courtyard connects to neighbors; when closed, each yard becomes a small private universe adorned with trees, flowers, birds, and fish. Unlike modern apartments, this traditional dwelling strikes a balance between privacy and community. Each room in a courtyard stands independently, ensuring personal space, yet all open to the central yard. Family members step out of their rooms, meet in the yard, chat, and share meals. The very design of the space subtly influences the distance between people. 

Leaving the Hutong alleys, your guide and driver will escort you on a smooth ride back to your hotel.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, buffet lunch

This morning, we’ll make our final stop in Beijing: the Summer Palace. In ancient times, Chinese emperors could not leave the capital at will, so to add some joy to court life, Emperor Qianlong (1711-1799 AD) built this summer resort featuring hills, a lake, a Buddhist hall, and a pagoda. To experience the pleasures of ordinary people, he also created a shopping street within the garden, where maids and eunuchs dressed as shopkeepers and sold clothes, snacks, and other daily goods to the emperor in a kind of role‑playing game.

Your Beijing tour will conclude with a simple local‑flavor lunch. Then, head to the train station to catch the high‑speed train to Xi’an. Your guide and a porter will escort you to the right platform and help load your luggage onto the train. Traveling at an average speed of 350 km/h (217 mph), the train covers the 1,200‑km journey from Beijing to Xi’an in just 4.5 to 5 hours. Although France’s TGV can also exceed 300 km/h, Chinese high‑speed trains are even smoother. If you keep your eyes on your phone and don’t look out the window, you might hardly notice the train’s departure or braking. More than just a means of transport, the high‑speed train offers a window into the daily lives of Chinese people. You may encounter students, migrant workers, and white‑collar workers in the same carriage. 

Upon arrival in Xi’an, your local guide will meet you on the platform and escort you to your hotel for check‑in. The rest of the day is free for you to explore on your own. 

► Xi’an Free-time Suggestion:
If you don’t want to stay in your room, make your own way to Shuyuanmen Ancient Cultural Street, which is lined with stalls offering traditional Chinese calligraphy, paintings, wooden carvings, and delicate seals. If that doesn’t appeal to you, head to nearby Xiangzi Temple Street, where trendy pubs make it a popular evening hangout for young locals, or to the ancient South Gate Tower, which lights up at night, forming one of Xi’an’s iconic night views.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, lunch

Your first morning in Xi’an will begin at the world‑famous Terracotta Army Museum. More than 2,200 years ago, Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China, commissioned over 8,000 life‑sized terracotta warrior figures as mortuary objects. Today, this underground legion still stands in the excavation pits, awaiting your inspection. Interestingly, none of these clay soldiers wear helmets. By contrast, around the same period, Greek hoplites wore enclosed bronze helmets to withstand slashes and thrusts in dense phalanx combat. Some historians suggest that the Terracotta Army does not depict a battlefield but rather an imperial military review, where soldiers removed their helmets as a sign of respect. Others argue that armies at that time primarily used bronze spears aimed at the torso, so warriors wore heavy armor but no helmets. Moreover, Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s army promoted a martial spirit, with soldiers sometimes fighting barefoot and bare‑chested. In the museum’s exhibition hall, you can see unarmored figures as well as bronze weapons excavated from the pits.

★ Dig Deeper behind the Terracotta Army

1. Visit the discoverer’s home: After lunch, your guide will take you to the home of Mr. Yang, the discoverer of the Terracotta Army. Through his family’s narration and the photographs and tools displayed in his living room, you’ll learn the full story of how these clay figures were brought back to light in 1974.
2. Make your own mini Terracotta Warrior souvenir: Head to a local workshop. Under the guidance of skilled artisans, you can use a mold and burin to shape and carve your own miniature clay soldier. You may also choose cute cartoon‑style figures. Once finished, carve your name into the base to create a truly unique keepsake.Leaving the workshop, we’ll drive back to the city center to visit Xi’an’s most important Buddhist structure, the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda. Almost every visitor to Xi’an will take a photo with this square pavilion‑style brick tower, but locals often joke: “It’s such an ordinary building – what’s there to photograph?” At first glance, this sounds like a complaint. In fact, it’s a form of proud self‑mockery. Actually, the pagoda has long been part of their daily lives, so familiar that it feels unremarkable to them – the best proof of how seamlessly history and modern life blend in this city.

★ Feast Like an Emperor: Dumpling Banquet & Dance Show

In the evening, enjoy a dumpling banquet at a theater restaurant. Xi’an’s tradition of dumpling banquet dates back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). At that time, chefs made dumplings in different shapes and fillings according to the 24 solar terms, forming the prototype of the banquet. Today’s banquet is even richer, combining sculpting, modeling, and garnishing techniques to shape dumplings into lifelike forms such as flowers, birds, fish, and insects. At first glance, they look more like exquisite handicrafts. After the meal, a Tang Dynasty music and dance show begins. Performers in ancient costumes and makeup tell the legendary life of Wu Zetian (627-705 AD), China’s first female emperor, through dance, accompanied by traditional instruments such as chime bells and drums. Stage prompts on both sides help you follow each part of the story. This evening, your taste, sight, and hearing will all journey back together to Xi’an a thousand years ago.

After the show, you’ll have a chance to take photos with the performers. Then, your guide and driver will escort you back to your hotel. 

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, lunch, dumpling dinner

As morning light breaks, your guide and driver will accompany you to the City Wall Park. Built along the moat, the park wraps around the ancient City Wall like a jade ribbon. During peacetime in history, this was a “city living room” where scholars and poets gathered to boat and recite poetry, while in times of conflict, it acted as a defensive barrier. Today, it has once again become a place for citizens to relax. You’ll see elderly people chatting and singing opera, while young people jog along the moat.

★ Find Your Inner Peace: A Shadowboxing Lesson with a Master：  

In the park, we’ll invite an experienced shadowboxing master to guide you through this traditional Chinese martial art. Through controlled breathing and stretching your body, it helps relax your muscles and improve blood circulation. The slow movements, accompanied by soothing music, will gradually bring your mind to a state of peace.

Afterwards, let’s ascend the Xi’an City Wall, a super engineering model from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD) that has stood for over 600 years. The bricks are credited with the wall’s solidity. The craftsmen added glutinous rice juice to the mortar, making the bricks so tough that even modern tools can hardly chip it away. Given this, Xi’an locals often compare inflexible or slow‑witted people to bricks, saying them “as rigid as a brick.” Cycling on the wall is a popular experience, and if you like, your guide can help you rent a bicycle at your own expense.

Descending the wall, we’ll head to the Muslim Quarter, Xi’an’s food paradise, for an a la carte lunch at a handpicked restaurant. Sample local specialties such as cold noodles, Xi’an ribbon pasta, and the most popular dessert - glutinous rice cake with jujubes, which needs no added sugar as the dates provide enough sweetness. 

In the afternoon, your guide and driver will escort you to the airport for your 2-hour flight to Zhangjiajie. Upon landing, a Zhangjiajie local guide and driver will meet you and escort you to your hotel. After settling in, rest well to build up energy for tomorrow’s mountain climbing.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, a la carte local food lunch

After hotel pick-up in the morning, your guide will accompany you to begin a day of adventure in the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park. Upon arrival, head straight for the Bailong Elevator. Rising in the heart of the park, it hangs 335 meters (1,099 feet) up a cliff face. Before its construction, this part of the park was inaccessible. The elevator acts like a pacemaker, bringing the area to life and carrying up to 80,000 visitors to the mountaintop each day. Britain’s Daily Mail once called it one of the world’s most thrilling elevators. Standing inside the cabin, you’ll see layers of rock flash by, and peaks sink downward.

In just two minutes, it lifts you to the Yuanjiajie Scenic Area on the summit, home to the Heaven and Earth Pillar, the real‑world inspiration for the floating mountains in the film “Avatar”. After the movie was released, the pillar was renamed Hallelujah Mountain, sending a message that Zhangjiajie’s wonders belong not only to China but to the entire world. The new name drew swarms of international tourists, boosting the local economy and improving the aborigines’ lives.

After lunch, take the park’s eco‑shuttle to Yangjiajie Scenic Area. Here, isolated stone pillars give way to rows of peak walls known as the Natural Great Wall, like folding screens standing in the valley, a landscape found nowhere else on earth.

Then, another shuttle will escort you to Tianzi Mountain. “Tianzi” literally means “Son of Heaven,” an honorary title for a local tribal chief who led a peasant uprising against oppressive taxes and ignorant feudal rule. On rainy days, the echoes in the canyon sound like the clashing of weapons. Locals say it is the spirits of soldiers who died in the uprising, training for revenge. Your guide will accompany you to a viewing platform for a panoramic view of over 3,000 stone pillars. The most famous include the Imperial Brush Peaks, shaped like upside‑down writing brushes, and the Flower Fairy Peak, resembling a maiden carrying a flower basket. Finally, we’ll descend by cable car, savoring the last views of the mountains bathed in golden sunset. After coming down, your guide and driver will escort you back to your hotel.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, lunch

Today, we'll begin with a visit to Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon, where lush vegetation, fresh air, and turquoise lakes offer coolness and comfort. First, you'll encounter the world's highest and longest Glass Bridge, said to "carry people across a path of clouds to the sky." Summon your courage to step onto this transparent bridge suspended 300 meters (984 feet) above the valley floor, and you might feel as if you're floating in midair. The bridge is not only a viewing platform for streams and cliffs but also a live stage for performance art. Look around and you may see visitors lying on the bridge to take photos, while others nervously dangle their feet or tremble due to acrophobia.

After lunch, we'll re‑enter Zhangjiajie National Forest Park for an oxygen‑rich hike along Golden Whip Stream. With 98% vegetation coverage, this area is a true natural oxygen bar. Along the trail, you'll spot towering, oddly-shaped rocks – some resembling eagles, some turtles, and others whips. The path eventually leads you to the Jumping Fish Pool, hidden deep in the forest. From April to June, fish leap out of the water, their scales glistening in the sunlight like water spirits. You may also encounter monkeys popping onto the path to "rob" food, so be careful not to reach for your bag, or you'll become their easy target.

Finally, your guide and driver will provide a comfortable drive back to your hotel. 

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, lunch

This morning, your guide will accompany you to conquer the highest mountain in Zhangjiajie, Tianmen Mountain. A round‑trip cable car is included to make your ascent and descent easier. We certainly won’t let you miss the most iconic Tianmen Cave, known as the Heaven’s Gate. Hundreds of millions of years ago, it was a cave hidden underground. Through long‑term crustal movement, it gradually became exposed to the elements, and wind and rain eroded it into this enormous hole. On clear days when sunlight streams in, the opening looks like a portal to heaven. When you reach the bottom of the cave, step over the threshold installed there, which is said to bring a smooth rise in your career.

Then, take the seven‑level escalator built into the mountain to the summit, where you can again experience an adrenaline rush on the cliff‑side Glass Skywalk. Although the transparent floor may make you nervous, it also allows you to enjoy the thrill of stepping on clouds while taking in Zhangjiajie’s unique karst landscapes. If time permits, you can climb Yuhu Peak for a panoramic view of the mountain and the city below. Finally, descend by cable car, from which you can overlook the winding mountain road with 99 Z‑shaped turns.

After lunch, your guide and driver will escort you to the airport for your 2-hour flight to Shanghai. Upon arrival, your local guide will greet you at the airport and accompany you to your hotel for check‑in. As your arrival time would be quite late, we recommend resting well at your hotel.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, lunch

Our first stop in Shanghai is Yu Garden, a 460‑year‑old classical Chinese garden. Western gardens often resemble geometric drawings with straight paths, symmetrical flowerbeds, and uniformly trimmed trees, declaring absolute human control over nature. Yu Garden, in contrast, mimics nature’s wild charm by tucking winding footpaths, rockeries, ponds, and structures such as halls, bridges, and pavilions into one frame. Here, humans are participants in, not masters of, the natural world. Exiting the garden brings you to the lively Yuyuan Bazaar. A tangle of shop signs overhead and bustling crowds instantly transport you back to Shanghai in the 1990s. Besides all kinds of souvenirs, you’ll find many time‑honored restaurants where you can enjoy lunch at your own expense: sample authentic soup dumplings at Nanxiang Steamed Bun Shop or scallion oil noodles at Dexing House. Your guide can offer dining suggestions based on your preferences.

After lunch, let’s continue to the Shanghai Museum to immerse yourself in ancient Chinese art. You can admire world‑renowned ceramics, calligraphy, paintings, bronze vessels, and historical coins. In the Sculpture Gallery, admire a panorama of ancient Chinese sculpture spanning over 3,200 years. Besides numerous Buddha statues, you’ll find more playful figurines, some riding horses, some playing musical instruments, and even pets sculpted to accompany their owners into the afterlife.

Leaving the museum, let’s proceed to the Bund, Shanghai’s most famous 1.5‑kilometer (1-mile) stretch along the west bank of Huangpu River. If Wall Street in Manhattan is a steel jungle built of capital and ambition, the Bund is more than a financial center, but an open‑air architectural museum by the river. Gothic spires and Baroque colonnades stand side by side, forming an elegant skyline.

★ Past Meets Future: A Cruise Through Shanghai’s Two Faces

Walking along the Bund to the pier, your guide will accompany you onto a sightseeing boat to see both banks from the middle of the Huangpu River. In contrast to the retro brick‑and‑stone buildings on the west, the glass curtain walls of the east‑bank skyscrapers exude a modern, futuristic atmosphere. Shanghai’s iconic landmarks, the Oriental Pearl TV Tower, Jin Mao Tower, and Shanghai Tower, come into view one after another. You may be surprised to learn that this now‑high‑rise district was still mudflats and farmland just 70 years ago, but it has since become Shanghai’s financial hub, attracting countless young people chasing their dreams. Native Shanghainese, however, still prefer to live on the west bank, among the old, slow‑paced brick‑and‑stone buildings.

After disembarking, your guide and driver will escort you back to your hotel. If you wish, you may stay longer by yourself at the Bund to enjoy its night view. Unlike New York’s uniformly warm yellow interior lighting, Shanghai’s night skyline is a riot of colors, with neon and LED lights weaving together a “city that never sleeps.” Afterwards, please hail a car back to your hotel independently. The ride takes about 15 minutes and costs USD 7.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast

Please check out of your hotel and head to the airport for your departure flight. A hotel-to-airport transfer will be provided to our private tour guests, while group tour guests are expected to manage their own way to the airport. Since there are two airports in Shanghai, Pudong Airport (PVG) and Hongqiao Airport (SHA), please reaffirm your departure airport to avoid missing your flight. 

► Transport Reference:
1. To Pudong International Airport (PVG): The metro takes about 1.5 hours and costs roughly USD 1. Walk 8 minutes from your hotel to the International Cruise Terminal Station, take Line 12 for two stops, transfer at Dalian Road to the inner loop of Line 4 for three stops, then change to Line 2 at Century Avenue to reach the airport. For travelers with large luggage, taxi is much more convenient and hassle‑free, saving about half an hour but costing USD 30. 
2. To Hongqiao International Airport (SHA): The journey takes about 1 hour taking the metro, and the fare is about USD 0.7. From the International Cruise Terminal Station, take Line 12 for one stop to Tiantong Road, transfer to Line 10 for 15 stops, and arrive at the airport. A taxi takes 40-60 minutes and costs about USD 15.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast