China Delights

After breakfast, your guide and driver will wait for you at your hotel lobby, and then let’s set off for the first stop, Tiananmen Square. It is to China what the National Mall is to America. Many national ceremonies, such as military parades and festival celebrations, are held here. Passing an array of iconic buildings, including the National Museum and Monument to the People’s Heroes, we’ll reach the splendid Tiananmen Tower, the prelude to the Forbidden City.  

As one of the world’s largest imperial palace complexes, the Forbidden City never fails to leave a deep impression on its visitors. First built during the early Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644 AD), it once served as the office and residence of 24 emperors. The majesty of its towering red walls and golden roofs will take your breath away. As your guide explains, you’ll be surprised to learn that the palace has survived over 200 earthquakes in 600 years and still stands firm today. Take a closer look at the palace roofs, where the secret to its resilience lies: a network of flexible joints and interlocking wooden brackets that absorb earthquake energy to counteract the impact. At the Hall of Supreme Harmony, you can see tens of thousands of such wooden brackets. Aside from architecture, priceless artifacts, including exquisite gold and silver vessels, copper sculptures, and the imperial throne, offer a vivid glimpse into the lavish court life of the past.After lunching on local flavors, let’s continue to the Temple of Heaven. Beneath its triple‑eaved Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, you’ll learn about ancient Chinese sacrificial culture. 

★ Award-Winning Traditional Acrobatic Show

Next, head to the Red Theater to experience the charm of Chinese acrobatics. Prepare to be amazed by thrilling performances like contortion, bowl balancing, high‑chair stacking, and stunt motorcycle riding. If you’ve seen the movie ‘The Greatest Showman’, you know how P. T. Barnum’s circus makes every show into a light‑hearted, festive carnival. Chinese acrobatics, by contrast, focus on pushing pure physical limits. Performers execute a series of extremely difficult movements that will leave you breathless, followed by an explosion of thunderous applause.

★ Gourmet A La Carte Welcome Dinner with Peking Duck

The day concludes with an included a la carte dinner at our handpicked restaurant, valued at twice the local average. This is your chance to taste Beijing’s most famous dish: Peking Roast Duck. Wrap crispy slices of duck together with cucumber and scallions in a paper‑thin pancake spread with a special sauce. Each bite is a feast for the palate. You’ll also savor other signature dishes such as Noodles with Soybean Paste and Sautéed Pork Shreds in Soybean Paste.

After dinner, your guide and driver will escort you back to your hotel. 

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

This morning, we’ll head to the Mutianyu Great Wall, known as the most scenic and best‑preserved section of the Great Wall of China. Climbing it can be physically demanding, so we’ve considerately included a round-trip cable car for you. If you’re looking for a more exciting experience, you can take the chairlift up and toboggan down.

As one of China’s most iconic landmarks, Mutianyu Great Wall has hosted many foreign heads of state, including Obama, Clinton, and Nixon. First Lady Melania Trump once wrote in the guestbook after her visit: “Amazing to experience one of the world’s greatest wonders.” Once you step onto it, you’ll see that those words were no exaggeration. During your 2.5‑hour hike, you’ll follow the ridges as they rise and fall, and feel as if you’re walking along the back of a giant Chinese dragon while gazing at the surrounding mountain scenery.

★ Toast with Red Wine: 

Completing the hike, your guide will offer red wine and glasses. Raise a glass to celebrate successfully conquering one of China’s greatest engineering feats. 

After a buffet lunch at the foot of the mountain, we’ll return to downtown Beijing and make a brief stop at the Olympic Park to take photos with the iconic sports venues of Water Cube and Bird’s Nest.

★ Hutong Rickshaw Tour and Local Family Visit

Upon arriving in the historic Hutong area in the city center, we’ll switch to a traditional rickshaw to venture deep into the old alleys and seek the most authentic Beijing flavor. These Hutong alleys form a living museum of folk culture. The most vivid exhibits are the traditional courtyards lining the paths. Stop in front of a courtyard, and you may notice distinct stone blocks on either side of the entrance and a set of horizontal beams above the door. These are not just functional fixtures, but also signal the owner’s rank, social standing, and family fortune. In ancient times, such visual cues helped people evaluate whether two families were well‑matched for marriage. This mindset persists in China today, and many Chinese still seek partners from similar socioeconomic backgrounds. You’ll then step inside a courtyard with your guide to chat with the host, uncovering the fascinating cultural codes hidden behind these traditional dwellings.

Finally, your guide and driver will offer you a smooth ride back to your hotel. 

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, buffet lunch

This morning will be spent at the Summer Palace. As China’s largest royal garden, it perfectly exemplifies how Chinese architecture, such as pavilions, corridors, and pagodas, harmonizes with natural scenery. If time permits, you can ascend its Longevity Hill for a panoramic view.

Following a local food lunch, we’ll head to the railway station for a 5‑hour high‑speed train to Xi’an. Your guide will escort you directly to the right platform, and a porter will handle your luggage. Once settled, enjoy the experience of “China speed.” As the train glides across the land at 300 km/h (186 mph) without traditional track clatter, the ride is smooth enough to balance a coin. It’s hard to imagine that just 20 years ago, the 1,200‑kilometer (750‑mile) journey took 10 to 16 hours. Upon arrival in Xi’an, your local guide and driver will greet you and escort you to your hotel for check-in. Enjoy the freedom to unwind in your room or embark on an independent exploration of the city.

► FYI: Should time permit, take a stroll down Shuyuanmen Ancient Cultural Street. Nestled at the foot of the ancient City Wall, this historic lane is lined with local handicrafts, wooden carvings, seals, and calligraphy. In the evening, you might even catch street musicians singing under the grand city wall gates.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, lunch

Today, your guide will accompany you on a one‑hour drive to the Terracotta Army Museum. Hailed as the “Eighth Wonder of the World,” it features the original archaeological pits housing an underground legion of 8,000 life‑sized clay figures! Built over 2,000 years ago, they still stand guard over the mausoleum of China’s first emperor, Qin Shi Huang (259-210 BC). After taking in the grandeur of the pits, let’s head to the exhibition hall for a closer look. Observant visitors may notice that all the warriors have monolids. Some say this accurately reflects the East Asian population of the Xi’an region at that time. Others suggest the artisans originally painted double eyelids, but the pigments flaked away after excavation. Whatever the reason, this feature lends the entire army an undeniably solemn, intense, and formidable presence.Savor a local lunch before embarking on two exclusive experiences that set this tour apart from the rest.

★ In-depth Discovery Beyond Terracotta Warriors

1. Visit the Home of the Discoverer:
Take the rare chance to visit the home of Mr. Yang, the villager who discovered the very first clay warrior in 1974. In his living room, a replica of the first‑unearthed warrior greets you. The original hoe and the photo of Mr. Yang with former U.S. President Bill Clinton tell the story of the legion’s rebirth. 
2. Make Your Own Terracotta Keepsake: 
Visit a traditional workshop and follow a local artisan step-by-step to create a miniature terracotta warrior. After demolding, you can carve your name into the base, turning it into a personalized souvenir.

In the afternoon, we’ll return to the city center to visit the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, the most important Buddhist landmark in Xi’an, built during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). Because Xi’an served as the capital of 13 dynasties, countless tombs of emperors, nobles, and generals lie beneath the modern city. A local saying goes: “There are more ghosts underground in Xi’an than living people above.” Therefore, the pagoda is regarded as a sacred structure to appease restless spirits. 

★ Special Treat: Dumpling Banquet & Dynastic Show

To conclude the day, enjoy a dumpling banquet at a reputable theater-restaurant. Made with seasonal ingredients and shaped into various forms, the dumplings are a feast for both the palate and the eyes. After dinner, immerse yourself in a splendid Tang Dynasty music and dance show. Dressed in ancient costumes and playing traditional instruments, the performers will transport you back to the 7th century, retelling the story of Wu Zetian, China’s first and only female emperor, from her selection as a humble palace maid, through imprisonment, to her rescue of the emperor and finally ascent to the throne. 
► Tip: The show uses advanced sound and lighting technology. Please pay attention to the screen prompts on both sides of the stage to avoid laser beams damaging your camera lens. 

After the show, we’ll escort you back to your hotel. 

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, lunch, dumpling dinner

After breakfast, we’ll head to the City Wall Park to experience authentic local life. Every morning, this green oasis beneath the ancient ramparts comes alive as locals gather to jog, dance, and sing traditional opera.

★ Master Session of Kung Fu Exercise

Here, we’ve invited a martial arts master to teach you basic moves of Chinese shadowboxing. Learn to control your breath and move with effortless grace, nurturing both body and mind. In this hour, you’ll step out of the role of a tourist and into the shoes of a cultural participant, feeling a deep connection to centuries of tradition.

Next, ascend the ancient City Wall. Originally a Tang Dynasty rammed-earth structure from 1,200 years ago, it was later fortified and encased in gray bricks during the Ming Dynasty in the 14th century. Today, the wall has transformed from a city guardian into a witness of urban development, marking the boundary between old and new Xi’an. From the top, you can enjoy a panoramic view of the cityscape. Cycling is a popular way to explore it. If you’d like to ride, your guide can help you rent a bicycle at your own expense.

★ A La Carte Local Food Lunch

At noon, your guide will accompany you to a selected restaurant in the vibrant Muslim Quarter, a certified food lover’s paradise. Sample local specialties like sweet glutinous rice cakes with jujubes, savory Xi’an Belt Noodles, and refreshing Cold Noodles.

After the meal, stroll around the quarter packed with colorful souvenirs and street food like mung bean cakes and kebabs. A quiet side lane will lead us to the Great Mosque. Step inside to admire its traditional Chinese garden with upturned eaves, a wooden minaret, and a prayer hall without conventional domes.

Leaving the mosque, let’s continue to today’s final stop, the Shaanxi History Museum, the repository of Xian’s profound heritage. While the artifacts here date back more than 1 million years, it is the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) exhibits that truly captivate. Preserved murals of court ladies, golden drinking vessels, and the famous tri‑colored glazed pottery vividly reveal scenes of life from that era.

At the end of the day, your guide and driver will escort you back to your hotel.

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

In the morning, your guide and driver will escort you to the airport for a 2.5-hour flight to Guilin. Watch from your window as the loess plains of Xi’an give way to the undulating karst peaks, emerald rice paddies, and lush banana groves of south China. Upon arrival, your local Guilin guide and driver will welcome you at the airport and escort you to your downtown hotel.

After check-in, we’ll venture out to the Reed Flute Cave. Over 700,000 years of water erosion have carved this underground art gallery, where stalactites, stalagmites, and stone pillars will dazzle your eyes when artfully illuminated by colored lights – some forming a blue crystal palace, while others resemble a pride of orange lions or a green rainforest. It is a true masterpiece where nature gave a canvas and human creativity added the color.

Afterwards, continue to the iconic Elephant Trunk Hill. As its name suggests, the hill resembles a giant elephant drinking from the river. In the late afternoon, if golden sunset streams through the natural arch between its “trunk” and “forelegs,” it may create the Tyndall effect, forming a second sunset on the water’s surface. Before night falls, we’ll escort you back to your hotel.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast

★ Poetic Cruise along the Li River

This morning, your guide and driver will accompany you to the pier to board your cruise ship bound for Yangshuo along the Li River. While Europe’s legendary Rhine is famed for its castle-lined banks, the Li River offers a purely natural masterpiece – an ethereal landscape that invites you to use your imagination to co-create a story with the mountains and water that belongs only to this moment. Stand on the deck and trace the outlines of the passing karst peaks: some resemble turtles, while others look like camels wading across the river. The most famous spot is the Nine Horses Fresco Hill. This massive cliff rises beside the river, where rock patterns and clinging vegetation outline the shapes of nine galloping horses. Local lore says that the more horses you can identify, the more fortune you will receive. Have a casual lunch on board before the cruise docks in Yangshuo.

After disembarking, take a stroll along West Street, where you’ll find stores filled with local specialties like kumquat honey, cultural T‑shirts, and wooden carvings. Afterward, we’ll head out for the afternoon highlight: a scenic drive deep into the pristine Yangshuo countryside. A timeless pastoral world unfolds - farmers work in rice paddies, and children splash in the river alongside water buffalo. You’ll find buffalo everywhere, wandering lazily along village roads, in the river, or in the paddies. In an era before advanced technology, water buffalo shared much of the farm work with their owners, so locals regard these gentle giants not as mere livestock but as family members. They even hold an annual festival for water buffalo to show their gratitude. Along the way, you may have a chance to drop by a local courtyard and communicate with the local farmers. Observe their moss‑covered floor, wood-fired kitchen, and antique furnishings.

► Private Tour Upgrade: For guests on a private tour, you can choose to swap the drive for an exhilarating cycling adventure! Led by your expert guide, you’ll pedal at your own pace along a curated route, escaping the beaten path to uncover Yangshuo’s most beautiful hidden corners.

At the end of the day, your guide and driver will offer you a comfortable ride back to your hotel in Guilin. 

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, lunch on the cruise

Today, your guide and driver will escort you to Guilin Airport for your flight to Shanghai. Upon arrival, your local guide will meet you outside the baggage claim area and escort you to your hotel. After check‑in, the remainder of the day is free for your own exploration. 

► Free-time Inspiration:
Eager to see Shanghai’s neon‑lit skyline? Consider heading to the North Bund, just a 10‑minute walk from your hotel. While it sits just outside the mainstream tourist crowds, it is every bit as impressive as the main Bund, and you can even see the Oriental Pearl TV Tower standing across the Huangpu River at a closer distance.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast

After hotel pickup, we’ll start at Yu Garden, the only surviving classical garden in this international metropolis. In addition to pavilions and ponds, it features unique “dragon walls.” The dragons’ black bodies are formed by roof tiles and coil across white plaster walls. You will notice that they have only three claws. In ancient China, five‑clawed dragons were reserved for the emperor; commoners using them could be executed. To avoid punishment, the garden’s owner cut off two claws from each dragon, turning them into three‑clawed pythons. Surrounding the garden is the bustling Yuyuan Bazaar, a food paradise perfect for a self-funded lunch. You may sample soup dumplings at the century‑old Nanxiang Steamed Bun Restaurant, scallion‑oil noodles at Dexing House, or butterfly pastry at Lv Bo Lang Restaurant. 

Next, we’ll head to the Shanghai Museum, a repository of ancient Chinese art spanning from the Neolithic period to 1912 AD, showing pottery, bronze vessels, calligraphy, and paintings. Rather than aesthetic objects, these galleries serve as a window into shifting eras. In the Jade Gallery, standing face‑to‑face with a 5,000-year-old Jade Humanoid Deity carved nearly 5,000 years ago, moving past carvings from 3,000 years later, and finally imperial vases from just a century ago, you’ll see how jade evolved from a medium for communicating with the divine into a symbol of power.

Leaving the museum, it’s time for Shanghai’s most iconic landmark, the Bund. Here, you’ll experience the bustling energy of a financial hub, while the Western‑style architecture lining the Huangpu River will instantly transport you back a century.

★ Breezy Cruise on the Huangpu River

The riverside promenade will lead us to the pier, where you’ll board a sightseeing cruise to admire Shanghai from the water. The Huangpu River flows like a moving timeline, presenting both the past and the modern city before your eyes. On the west bank, Gothic spires and Baroque columns form a chronicle of old Europe; on the east bank, skyscrapers such as the Shanghai Tower and World Financial Center pierce the clouds with their glass facades, showcasing the city’s modern and futuristic face. 

After the cruise, your guide and driver will escort you back to your hotel.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast

Today marks the end of your holiday. For private tour guests, a complimentary private car transfer will be waiting to escort you directly from your hotel to the airport. For group tour guests, airport transfers are independent. Please confirm your departure airport: Pudong Airport (PVG) or Hongqiao Airport (SHA).

► Transport Reference:
1. To Pudong Airport: An online car-hailing takes about one hour and costs approx. USD 30. The subway takes about 1.5 hours and costs approx. USD 1. From your hotel, walk 8 minutes to the International Cruise Terminal, take Line 12 for two stops, transfer to the inner loop of Line 4 at Dalian Road, and ride for three stops to Century Avenue to transfer to Line 2 to the airport.  
2. To Hongqiao Airport: For those who don’t have large luggage, subway is an economical choice, costing only 70 US cents. Take Line 12 from the International Cruise Terminal for one stop, transfer to Line 10 at Tiantong Road, and continue for 15 stops to the airport. The total journey takes about 1 hour. Car-hailing is not significantly faster than the subway, taking 40-60 minutes and costing USD 15.  

Meals: Western buffet breakfast