Pandas & Yangtze Cruise
SG04: 16 Days Small Group Tour of Beijing - Xi'an - Guilin - Chengdu - Chongqing - Yangtze River Cruise - Yichang - Shanghai
Tour Type: Small Group of maximum 6 travelers, guaranteed departures
Guide & Driver: English-speaking guide, experienced driver with an air-conditioned coach
Accommodation: 12 nights at good 5-star & 4-star hotels, 3 nights on Yangtze River cruise
Meals: 15 western buffet breakfasts, 8 lunches with some being a la carte style, 3 dinners
Highlights:
Guide & Driver: English-speaking guide, experienced driver with an air-conditioned coach
Accommodation: 12 nights at good 5-star & 4-star hotels, 3 nights on Yangtze River cruise
Meals: 15 western buffet breakfasts, 8 lunches with some being a la carte style, 3 dinners
Highlights:
- Must-see sights - Mutianyu Great Wall, Forbidden City, Terracotta Army, Giant Pandas
- Fantastic cruise tour on the Li River from Guilin to rural Yangshuo
- Have a once in a life chance to get close to the incredibly cute treasure - Pandas
- Take in the impressive skylines of Shanghai as you walk along the Bund

From $3139 per person Free Inquiry

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Day 1 Arrival in Beijing
Upon arrival at Beijing Airport, please clear yourself through customs. Our English-speaking guide will meet you at the arrival hall, after which we will drive you to the hotel. Have a good rest to restore yourself for the following 16 days China tour. Or, you can take a short walk around on your own.
Accommodation: The Great Wall Hotel Beijing



- the former Sheraton
Accommodation: The Great Wall Hotel Beijing





Day 2 Beijing
After breakfast, our guide will host a 30-minute group meeting at the hotel lobby. Some travel guidelines and tips will be shared so that everyone in the group can make good preparations for the trip.
Then, start your morning excursions to the famous Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. As an imperial palace for 24 emperors during the Ming and Qing dynasties, the Forbidden City has a mysterious aura. An a la carte welcome lunch (valued at CNY150.00 per person and included in our price) at a nicely decorated and noted local restaurant will follow allowing you to taste diversified Chinese food and Peking Roast Duck.
In the afternoon we will visit the Temple of Heaven, a delicate ancient architectural complex where emperors once offered sacrifices to the God of Heaven. Later, we'll lighten up the evening with an exciting Chinese Kung Fu Show at the Red Theatre.
Meals included: Western buffet breakfast, A la carte welcome lunch![Our group visiting the Forbidden City]()
![Observe local people's life at the Temple of Heaven]()
Then, start your morning excursions to the famous Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. As an imperial palace for 24 emperors during the Ming and Qing dynasties, the Forbidden City has a mysterious aura. An a la carte welcome lunch (valued at CNY150.00 per person and included in our price) at a nicely decorated and noted local restaurant will follow allowing you to taste diversified Chinese food and Peking Roast Duck.
In the afternoon we will visit the Temple of Heaven, a delicate ancient architectural complex where emperors once offered sacrifices to the God of Heaven. Later, we'll lighten up the evening with an exciting Chinese Kung Fu Show at the Red Theatre.
Meals included: Western buffet breakfast, A la carte welcome lunch
Our group visiting the Forbidden City
Observe local people's life at the Temple of Heaven
Day 3 Beijing
No Beijing tour is complete without visiting the Great Wall. This morning, we will set off to the suburban Mutianyu Great Wall. As one of the most remarkable achievements, the great wall was originally built to protect ancient Chinese empires from the barbarians. Today you will have a chance to reach the wall and get a glimpse of its majesty. The cable car will take you up and down the mountain since it is an energy-consuming climb. The most important thing for you is to enjoy walking on the wall and appreciate its amazing wonder.
There is a limited choice of good restaurants nearby, thus we kindly suggest you have a sufficient breakfast at the hotel and have some fast food for lunch individually.
We return to Beijing in the afternoon. The remainder time of the day will be arranged for you to explore a traditional local market. After that we will drive you back to the hotel.
Meals included: Western buffet breakfast![Marvel at the grandeur of the Great Wall]()
There is a limited choice of good restaurants nearby, thus we kindly suggest you have a sufficient breakfast at the hotel and have some fast food for lunch individually.
We return to Beijing in the afternoon. The remainder time of the day will be arranged for you to explore a traditional local market. After that we will drive you back to the hotel.
Meals included: Western buffet breakfast
Marvel at the grandeur of the Great Wall
Day 4 Beijing to Xi'an by Flight
For first-time visitors, the Summer Palace, a former imperial summer resort, is one venue you should not miss. It is the largest and best-preserved imperial garden as well as a world-famous tourist resort. Then there will be a photo stop in the Olympic sports venue, the National Stadium (also the Bird's Nest).
A la carte lunch (valued at CNY150.00 per person and included in our price) will be scheduled at an elegant local restaurant.
Explore Hutongs in the afternoon. It is fantastic to experience the area by rickshaw and get an insight into the culture of old Beijing. You will also have a chance to try your hand at Chinese Paper Cutting. After that, you will be transferred to the airport for your flight to Xi'an. Our professional guide will meet you outside the baggage claim area of the airport and transfer you to the hotel.
Meals included: Western buffet breakfast, A la carte lunch
Accommodation: Sheraton Hotel




![Experience a rickshaw tour through Hutongs]()
A la carte lunch (valued at CNY150.00 per person and included in our price) will be scheduled at an elegant local restaurant.
Explore Hutongs in the afternoon. It is fantastic to experience the area by rickshaw and get an insight into the culture of old Beijing. You will also have a chance to try your hand at Chinese Paper Cutting. After that, you will be transferred to the airport for your flight to Xi'an. Our professional guide will meet you outside the baggage claim area of the airport and transfer you to the hotel.
Meals included: Western buffet breakfast, A la carte lunch
Accommodation: Sheraton Hotel





Experience a rickshaw tour through Hutongs
Day 5 Xi'an
We will visit the amazing Terracotta Army this morning to appreciate the undeniable excellence of the ancient craft works of the Qin dynasty. The site mostly has cheap tourist restaurants nearby, so we would like to drive you back to the city center to have a real home-cooked a la carte lunch (valued at CNY120.00 per person and included in our price) in a local family home.
After lunch, a visit to the Small Wild Goose Pagoda & Xi'an Museum is scheduled. Also a delicious dumpling dinner will be served tonight along with the Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Show.
Meals included: Western buffet breakfast, Home-cooked a la carte lunch, Dumpling dinner
Friendly Tips
Clients visiting in Jan, Feb, Mar and Dec need to arrange the dinner and evening activity on their own for this day, since the theater is usually not open at that time.![The marvelous Terracotta Warriors]()
![Learn to cook Chinese food]()
After lunch, a visit to the Small Wild Goose Pagoda & Xi'an Museum is scheduled. Also a delicious dumpling dinner will be served tonight along with the Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Show.
Meals included: Western buffet breakfast, Home-cooked a la carte lunch, Dumpling dinner

Clients visiting in Jan, Feb, Mar and Dec need to arrange the dinner and evening activity on their own for this day, since the theater is usually not open at that time.
The marvelous Terracotta Warriors
Learn to cook Chinese food
Day 6 Xi'an
The City Wall Park is a good place to experience more of the local Xi'an lives, so today your first stop will be spending some leisure time in the park. We also have a special arrangement for you here. That is learning to practice Tai Chi with a master. Then ascend the ancient City Wall and have a panoramic view of the city while strolling on it. The brick road on top of the wall is broad and you can rent and ride bicycles for fun if you like.
Around noon, enjoy an a la carte lunch (valued at CNY120.00 per person and included in our price) at a famous local restaurant.
In the afternoon, we continue to visit Shaanxi History Museum and the Great Mosque. You will also have a chance to wander along the bustling Muslim Street, passing quaint shops and seeing local markets. Delicious Muslim food and interesting souvenirs can be found there as well, such as Yangrou Pao Mo (lamb meat soup with flat bread), hand-made noodles and barbecued meat skewers.
Meals included: Western buffet breakfast, A la carte lunch![Cycling on the ancient City Wall]()
![Seek for the local snacks at Muslim Bazaar]()
Around noon, enjoy an a la carte lunch (valued at CNY120.00 per person and included in our price) at a famous local restaurant.
In the afternoon, we continue to visit Shaanxi History Museum and the Great Mosque. You will also have a chance to wander along the bustling Muslim Street, passing quaint shops and seeing local markets. Delicious Muslim food and interesting souvenirs can be found there as well, such as Yangrou Pao Mo (lamb meat soup with flat bread), hand-made noodles and barbecued meat skewers.
Meals included: Western buffet breakfast, A la carte lunch
Cycling on the ancient City Wall
Seek for the local snacks at Muslim Bazaar
Day 7 Xi'an to Guilin by Flight
Catch a morning flight to Guilin. Upon your arrival, our guide will meet you outside the baggage claim area. Your Guilin sightseeing starts with the famous Reed Flute Cave, which is a 240 meter karst cave that has various shapes of stalactites and stalagmites. Then we head to the Elephant Trunk Hill. The shape of the hill is just like a giant elephant scooping water from the river with its long trunk, hence got the name. After that, we will transfer you to the hotel.
Meals included: Western buffet breakfast
Accommodation: Guilin Grand Bravo Hotel




Meals included: Western buffet breakfast
Accommodation: Guilin Grand Bravo Hotel





Day 8 Guilin - Yangshuo - Guilin
After breakfast at the hotel, we drive to the pier to appreciate the picturesque scenery of Li River by cruising down from Guilin to Yangshuo. As the lunch on the ship is the basic Chinese box lunch, it will not be up to your taste, we suggest you have a big breakfast at the hotel this morning.
Disembark at Yangshuo in about 4 hours, you will take a stroll on the famous West Street. Yangshuo is quite popular among tourists, particularly if you're into cafes and bars along with the hills and rivers. Also, the local famous dish called beer fish is worth trying. Then we take you to enjoy the countryside scenes of rural Yangshuo. On the way, you also have a chance to visit a local peasant's home and get a close touch with the country life. Finally, we drive you back to Guilin.
Meals included: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch![Li River cruise]()
![Yangshuo rural scenery]()
Disembark at Yangshuo in about 4 hours, you will take a stroll on the famous West Street. Yangshuo is quite popular among tourists, particularly if you're into cafes and bars along with the hills and rivers. Also, the local famous dish called beer fish is worth trying. Then we take you to enjoy the countryside scenes of rural Yangshuo. On the way, you also have a chance to visit a local peasant's home and get a close touch with the country life. Finally, we drive you back to Guilin.
Meals included: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch
Li River cruise
Yangshuo rural scenery
Day 9 Guilin to Chengdu by Flight
After breakfast, catch a morning flight to Chengdu. Upon your arrival, our guide will be waiting for you outside the baggage claim area and transfer you to the hotel. We will leave you free time for lunch and rest for the remainder of the day, and our guide is glad to offer advices of nice restaurants.
Meals included: Western buffet breakfast
Accommodation: Holiday Inn Chengdu Oriental Plaza



![Holiday Inn Chengdu Oriental Plaza]()
![Hotel swimming pool]()
Meals included: Western buffet breakfast
Accommodation: Holiday Inn Chengdu Oriental Plaza




Holiday Inn Chengdu Oriental Plaza
Hotel swimming pool
Day 10 Chengdu
Today we will have a pleasant date with China's national treasure, the giant pandas at the Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. The pandas are highly active in the morning. You will sure be entertained when you see the cute and chubby panda bears eating bamboo shoots or playing with each other. Then, continue to the Broad and Narrow Alleys where old houses and alleys of the Qing Dynasty have been turned to tea houses, restaurants, shops and bars. You can make your own arrangements for lunch. You might try some local snacks in the alley or choose a courtyard restaurant to enjoy your lunch.
In the afternoon, visit Jinsha Site Museum, a significant relic of the ancient Shu civilization discovered in 2001. The Gold Sun God Bird unearthed from the site has been selected as the logo of China Cultural Heritages. After the museum, you will come to the most popular Renmin Park. Have a pot of tea there and feel the local life.
Meals included: Western buffet breakfast![Have a close contact with the cute pandas]()
In the afternoon, visit Jinsha Site Museum, a significant relic of the ancient Shu civilization discovered in 2001. The Gold Sun God Bird unearthed from the site has been selected as the logo of China Cultural Heritages. After the museum, you will come to the most popular Renmin Park. Have a pot of tea there and feel the local life.
Meals included: Western buffet breakfast
Have a close contact with the cute pandas
Day 11 Chengdu to Chongqing by High Speed Train
We leave the whole morning free for you. You can take time to explore this pleasant city further and have lunch by yourself.
In the afternoon, our guide will drop you off at the railway station and help you board a high speed train to Chongqing. It is a two hours trip. Upon your arrival, our guide in Chongqing will meet you at the station. Explore Jiefangbei CBD and Ci Qi Kou Ancient Village, where can make your own dinner arrangements. Tonight, you will board a 5-star Yangtze cruise ship, which sets sail at 21:30.
Meals included: Western buffet breakfast
Cruises: Century Diamond with balcony




![The New Century Cruises]()
In the afternoon, our guide will drop you off at the railway station and help you board a high speed train to Chongqing. It is a two hours trip. Upon your arrival, our guide in Chongqing will meet you at the station. Explore Jiefangbei CBD and Ci Qi Kou Ancient Village, where can make your own dinner arrangements. Tonight, you will board a 5-star Yangtze cruise ship, which sets sail at 21:30.
Meals included: Western buffet breakfast
Cruises: Century Diamond with balcony





The New Century Cruises
Day 12 Yangtze River Cruise
The ship arrives at Fengdu at about 08:30. We will disembark and visit the "Ghost City". In Chinese legends, Fengdu is the 'Capital of Ghost Country' or the 'Netherworld', hence the name Ghost City. Covered with luxuriant trees and interspersed with temples and pavilions, the scenic area is more like a landscape painting rather than a Ghost City. Re-embark and continue the cruise. This evening, you will be invited to join in the Captain's Welcome Party. Have fun!
Meals included: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Meals included: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 13 Yangtze River Cruise
In the morning, the ship will reach Qutang Gorge and Wu Gorge. The cruise guide on-board is expected to make a formal presentation. Get your camera ready! After lunch, we will disembark to experience an interesting excursion to the Shennv Stream by boat which will add much joy to the marvelous day. It lasts 3 to 4 hours. Back to the ship and cruise down the western section of Xiling Gorge.
Meals included: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch, Dinner![Yangtze River cruise]()
![Shennv Stream excursion]()
Meals included: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Yangtze River cruise
Shennv Stream excursion
Day 14 Yichang to Shanghai by High Speed Train
The Three Gorges Dam, the world's largest hydro-electric project is your last excursion stop on Yangtze. Pack your belongings for disembarking before the visit. Afterwards, the cruise ship company will drive you to the Three Gorges Tourist Center and our local guide will meet you there. Then you will be taking a high speed train to your last scheduled destination, Shanghai. It is a 7.5 hours trip, so music, books or movies are good things for this train journey. On arriving at Shanghai railway station, you will be met by the guide and transferred to the hotel.
Meals included: Western buffet breakfast
Accommodation: Sheraton Shanghai Hongkou Hotel




Meals included: Western buffet breakfast
Accommodation: Sheraton Shanghai Hongkou Hotel





Day 15 Shanghai
After breakfast, you will start your trip from Shanghai Museum, one of the top four museums in China. Then head to the ancient Yu Garden, where you can see traditional Chinese architecture, beautiful man-made hills and ponds. We will leave you some free time there to explore the surrounding Yu Bazaar.
Around noon, you will enjoy an a la carte farewell lunch (valued at CNY120.00 per person and included in our price) at a popular local restaurant.
Your afternoon trip will begin with a walk in the Former French Concession. Afterwards, you will be transferred to the city's landmark site, the Bund, and take a one-hour cruise tour 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. After the whole day of sightseeing, our guide will transfer you back to the hotel and bid farewell to you.
Meals included: Western buffet breakfast, A la carte farewell lunch![Enjoy a relaxing cruise tour on the Huangpu River]()
Around noon, you will enjoy an a la carte farewell lunch (valued at CNY120.00 per person and included in our price) at a popular local restaurant.
Your afternoon trip will begin with a walk in the Former French Concession. Afterwards, you will be transferred to the city's landmark site, the Bund, and take a one-hour cruise tour 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. After the whole day of sightseeing, our guide will transfer you back to the hotel and bid farewell to you.
Meals included: Western buffet breakfast, A la carte farewell lunch
Enjoy a relaxing cruise tour on the Huangpu River
Day 16 Departure from Shanghai
Today you will check out of your hotel before noon, and find your own way to the airport according to your flight schedule. We will be of your assistance at any time you need. We wish you a pleasant journey home!
Meals included: Western buffet breakfast
Meals included: Western buffet breakfast
B-- Breakfast L-- Lunch D-- Dinner
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2023 Prices
Prices are per person in US Dollars; departures are guaranteed even with two persons!
Christmas & 2023 Special Deal
Enjoy 12% off if you book before Dec 25, 2022
Price Includes
- Domestic airfares & train fares
- Hotel accommodation with breakfasts
- A la carte lunches as itinerary specifies
- Professional English-speaking guides
- Drivers & air-conditioned vehicles
- Entrance fees to tourist sites
- Yangtze River cruise with full board
- Tips or gratuities for hotel porters
Price Excludes
- International airfares
- Entry Visa fees
- Personal expenses
- Tips or gratuities for guides and drivers
Why Travel With Us
Itineraries you may also like:
- 4.765 ReviewsAustraliaPosted on March 14, 2020Firstly let me say that without our English speaking guides we would not have been able to enjoy it as much as we did. They were great. Our guide in Xian was in our mind, the most knowledgeable but that is because he had a Masters degree, and his thesis was on the Tang Dynasty and his University major was Anthropology. He was amazing. He had so much knowledge. We also found that our guide in Shanghai, Stella, was so amiable and seemed to go out of her way to make our visit so interesting and memorable. She was a really lovely girl. In fact, I think a female can sometimes do a better job than a male. They seem to have a sixth sense about the comfort and requirements of their clients. We did however, like all our male guides and cannot say anything negative about them but somehow I think Stella was my favorite. Rahman in Chengdu was such a gentleman. We found he spoke very good English and was very easy to communicate with.
We found that in each city the guide who met us gave us information about the city we were visiting which we liked and then when we visited sites they were all very knowledgeable about them offering lots of information. We also found them very willing to answer our questions offering much knowledge and information which we liked very much. Every guide had a wealth of knowledge about each place we visited. All were different but all were very good. We were able to communicate with every guide quite well and without them we would not have enjoyed our trip as much as we did.
We enjoyed the local food they organized for us very much because as foreigners we would not know what to order. They were very tasty. The environment and service at the restaurants was very good. We really enjoyed the Tang Dynasty Dinner in Xian very much.
The hotels were of a 'good' standard. The breakfast which was buffet style certainly offered a huge variety of food, Asian and Western so we were able to find some food which we could enjoy. The Guilin Grand Bravo Hotel was the highlight of all of our hotels. We would recommend it 100% to all travelers especially foreign travelers. We have already recommended it to our son who lives in Beijing; we were so impressed with it. It is a beautiful hotel. We found that if we had a complaint such as in Xian where we requested a room change due to the strong unpleasant smell in the room, they were very obliging and moved us to another room. The hotel service was also very good, especially when they consider that areas we were traveling in are not so often frequented by foreigners. The rooms were clean, the sheets were white and clean and we understand that were the best standard available in those cities.
Our visit to the Great Wall was so interesting because we interacted with so many of the local people there. The visit to panda base was great as well, not to mention the Terra Cotta Warriors. They were all so interesting.
Highly recommend this tour!! ... MoreCanadaPosted on February 28, 2020I have just came back from China. Would we recommend this tour? Certainly, yes. There were many surprises along the way. We came with certain ideas about China and the people, and were pleasantly surprised that many of them were wrong. We came to see for ourselves. Even in 16 days, it was more than we could see and fully understand. It took us a couple of weeks after we returned home to really appreciate and understand all we had seen. At some future time, we would like to return to China again. Thanks, travelChinaguide. ... MoreUnited StatesPosted on February 27, 2020Concerning the Guides:
We thoroughly enjoyed the company of Candy in Beijing and Alice in Guilin.
In Beijing, we were shown Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, a Hutong, the Temple of Heaven, the Summer Palace and a section of the Great Wall of China. Each of these places has much history associated with it and Candy did a very good job of explaining the meaning and significance of these great places. We were very pleased with Candy's English, with her knowledge and her pleasant personality. She was always smiling and seemed to be very happy.
In Guilin we saw more scenic sights than historic sights and this too was very interesting. Alice did a very good job of explaining the customs and distinctions of the minority peoples. The visit to the villages was very interesting. The weather was not great that day. It was cloudy with a light rain, but the visit was still quite good. The scenery during the Li River cruise was spectacular and this will be one of our greatest memories. Alice was good at explaining the resemblance of some of the mountains to different creatures or people. Alice efficiently arranged for the tickets and transportation. Even though there was not a word of English, the performance was just wonderful. During our tour of the Reed Flute Cave, we heard one of the other tour guides sing to her Chinese tourists. We asked Alice if she sang and she later sang a beautiful song to us in the van. Alice was charming.
The guides in other cities were excellent too, but we prefer to Candy and Alice mostly.
With all guides and the drivers, we always felt very very safe and under their control.
Concerning the Meals:
The lunch meal we had in Beijing were excellent. There was a performance in the restaurant during the dinner in Xian, which we enjoyed very much. Our guides were very helpful in assisting us with both orders.
For the meal on Li River cruise, your company advised us that this meal did not meet your standards. We thought this meant that the food might make us sick. Alice told us that the food was safe, but it might not be as tasty as the other meals. Some of our group ate the food and said that it was OK but not as good as the other meals. I only drank some beer.
The meal in Shanghai was quite good. We all had plenty of food to eat and it was good.
Note: Many Westerners read warnings, before visiting China, about not drinking certain water or eating food from some places that may not be as clean as what the Westerner is used to, or they may become sick to their stomach. None of us became sick at any time so that was very good. We have gotten sick from food or water in some other countries. You company did a very good job of picking good and safe restaurants. Thank you!
Concerning the Drivers and Cars:
All the drivers were very polite and drove carefully. The vans were comfortable.
Concerning the Hotels:
The Great Wall Hotel in Beijing was very good and met all of our expectations. The Grand Bravo Hotel in Guilin was also very good. We had to request one room change because of a strong smoke smell in the original room, but the hotel quickly agreed. We sadly noticed that many Chinese men smoke. This is how it used to be in the United States, but we have now passed many laws which restrict smoking and Americans have now gotten used to clean non-smoking areas and rooms. I'm sure that, in the future, the Chinese will realize the dangers of smoking and start prohibiting smoking in many public places. If hotels want to provide rooms to Americans, they will have to firmly control smoking. The Sheraton Shanghai Hongkou Hotel was also quite good and met our expectations. ... More
From US$3139 per person