Beijing & Shanghai Express

This morning, after greeting you in the hotel lobby, your guide and driver will accompany you to start with a visit to Tiananmen Square, the core atrium of Beijing, which carries the sacred mission of celebrating many major national ceremonies. Walk past the prominent landmarks on the square, including the Great Hall of the People, Chairman Mao Memorial Hall, and the Tiananmen Tower.

Next, head north to reach the Forbidden City, the one-time imperial palace of 24 emperors for nearly 5 centuries since 1420 AD. Equally big as 100 football fields, it’s not possible to cover every corner of it in just one visit. With your expert guide, stroll along the best route to explore the most important palaces, including the grandest Hall of Supreme Harmony where the emperor handled state affairs, and the Palace of Heavenly Purity where he rested at night. During the visit, you may learn from your guide that everything the emperor could come into contact with was strictly controlled, such as the need for a silver needle to test poisons and the most trusted eunuch to taste dishes before a meal, as well as the shaver who could bring nothing but get a straight razor only when he met the emperor. Moreover, the shaver could only shave using his right hand, with his left arm drooping down, and holding his breath tightly so as not to breathe out to the emperor’s skin.

Then, let’s proceed to Jingshan Park just north of the Forbidden City. Inside, climb for about 20 minutes up to the top of Jingshan Hill, a 43-meter-high (141-feet-high) mound piled by the waste bricks and muck from the construction of the imperial palace and the digging of the moat in ancient times, to take in a superb panorama of the palace bathing in the afternoon glare.

Today’s last stop will be Lama Temple, which was initially a prince’s mansion and later used as a Buddhist temple. Apart from being amazed by a 6-story-tall standing statue of Maitreya Buddha carved from a single piece of white sandalwood, you can also get some burning incense for free to make some wishes in various pavilions like the devout Buddhist believers. After that, your guide and driver will escort you back to your hotel.

► Recommendation for Dinner (at your own expense):
For Beijing cuisine, what you expect most should be the big-name Beijing Roast Duck. The freshly roasted duck with crispy skin and tender inside, under the chef’s deft hands, is cut into pieces. Roll them into a thin pancake accompanied by special sauce, shredded scallions, and cucumbers, and you’ll enjoy an extremely delicious treat. A recommended brand is the time-honored Purple Light Garden, at which the average cost per person is around CNY 80 (USD 11). If you’re interested, ask your guide to locate a branch within walking distance of your hotel.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast

In the morning at your hotel, hop in your private car with your guide and enjoy a comfortable drive of about 1.5 hours to visit the popular and magnificent section of the Great Wall - Mutianyu. This giant stone dragon, perched on the ridge of the Yanshan Mountain, has spent 600 years writing a dual poem of military legend and natural aesthetics. To your surprise, it has also witnessed the Mongol cavalry’s encroachment and the Oirat army’s incursions.

To save your energy and leave you with plenty of time to hike on the Great Wall, we’ve thoughtfully included a round-trip cable car for you. Alternatively, you can scale the heights by chairlift and whiz down on a thrilling toboggan. After climbing on the Wall, you’ll be deeply impressed by a unique defense system with double-sided battlements and numerous watchtowers. Especially marvel at the most iconic No. 4 Watchtower, aka Zhengguan Terrace. With its three towers standing side by side like fortresses and interconnected interiors allowing for the stationing of over a hundred troops, it is regarded as the only and best example of Great Wall architecture.

Enjoy a buffet lunch before our drive back to the downtown area, and on the way, we’ll stop over at the National Stadium and National Aquatics Center, also known as Bird's Nest and Water Cube, to appreciate the featured architecture for hosting international sports events. Next, go straight to explore the picturesque Summer Palace, the largest and best-preserved royal garden in China, where you’ll be amazed by the perfect combination of natural scenery and manmade architecture, including the world’s longest Painted Long Corridor, which has been listed in the Guinness World Records, by the glittering Kunming Lake.

When today’s sightseeing ends here, your guide and driver will escort you back to your hotel.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Buffet lunch

After breakfast, check out of the hotel and, together with your guide and driver, head to the Temple of Heaven, a royal sacrificial complex dating back over 600 years. For ancient China, which was based on agriculture, good weather and a good harvest were what the emperor and the people most desired, so the dedicated Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests was built here and was the highest and most iconic. As you approach, you’ll find that the highest third layer of white marble railings that surround it is decorated with dragon heads, totaling 100. Legend has it that they were the 100 descendants of a nearby dragon king, who served as officials when the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest was built, and then dried and stiffened with the sun over time to become eternal guardians.

★ Fast Track to the Future - High Speed Train to Shanghai

Afterward, your guide and driver will see you off at the railway station for a high-speed train ride to Shanghai. The high-speed train has won high praise from every international visitor who has experienced it during their China travel due to its astonishing speed of about 350km/h (217 mph), smoothness, comfort in the cabin, and the constantly changing scenery outside the window. That's why we arranged it for you instead of a flight for this trip. Of course, if you prefer, you can also contact our travel consultant to plan a flight for you. About 4.5 to 6 hours later, your Shanghai guide and driver will meet you at the railway station and escort you to your hotel.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast

After being greeted by your guide and driver at your hotel, leave for a visit to the Shanghai Museum, one of the four biggest museums in China, famous for its art collections. Pay special attention to a delicately designed plate, an ancient romantic token of love, on which the inscription recorded that it was crafted by an imperial tutor to his beloved wife over 2,600 years ago. Inside it, there are over 20 fish, frogs, and turtles, which can rotate 360° freely as if they swim after being filled with water, demonstrating the peak craftsmanship of bronze casting in that era.

A visit to the classical Yu Garden will follow. It is well laid out and delicately built to every single detail. Looking around carefully, you’ll find even the eaves of various pavilions are beautifully decorated with stone carvings and clay figures. Your knowledgeable guide will tell some interesting stories behind the figures to add more glamour to your trip. Just outside the garden, the vibrant whirlwind of Yuyuan Bazaar offers a vivid contrast to the quiet elegance of Yu Garden. Dive into the local bustle and curate your own lunch from the endless variety of savory street foods.

Then move to an ancient cultural block, Tianzifang, to experience the genuine charm of old Shanghai. Walking through its narrow and winding alleys, appreciate the traces of time revealed in the mottled brick walls, and carved doors and windows. In addition to visiting the distinctive Shanghai-style studios of cheongsam, oil-paper umbrella, and vanishing cream, you can also encounter intangible cultural heritage inheritors showcasing traditional skills such as paper-cutting and dough figurine making.

The next stop will be the Duoyun Bookstore on the 52th floor of Shanghai Tower, from which you’ll have a bird’s eye view of the city landscape, with the exotic high-rising buildings, the Huangpu River, and the Bund complementing each other perfectly. After getting down from it, let’s enjoy a Huangpu River Cruise. During the cruise, take your time to admire 52 buildings of western architectural styles along the bustling Bund on the west bank and the modern skyscrapers of Lujiazui on the east bank, including the Oriental Pearl Tower, a symbol of Shanghai and the third-tallest TV tower in the world. After finishing, explore more from the Bund to the Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street, which is both a concentration area for long-established department stores and a paradise for foodies, at a leisurely pace. Finally, return to the hotel accompanied by your guide and driver.

► Recommendation for Dinner (at your own expense):
You can part ways with your guide at the Bund and go alone to admire the stunning night views while discovering Shanghai food, such as Pan-fried Pork Buns, which is to Shanghai what dumplings are to China! Take a small bite on the plump one just out of the pot, and you’ll be satiated by the moist and soft meat filling with a little tasty broth. Its thick and crispy bottom, soaked in gravy, will especially give you a wonderful texture. The authentic restaurant Fengyu Pan-fried Pork Buns, which is only a 10- to 15-minute taxi ride from your hotel, could be a reference. The average cost per person there is around CNY 20 (USD 3). 

Meals: Western buffet breakfast

Today marks the end of your 6 days private Beijing and Shanghai tour packages. After assisting you with hotel check-out, your guide and driver will escort you to the airport. We wish you a pleasant onward journey! The scenic and poetic cities around Shanghai, such as Hangzhou, Suzhou, and Huangshan, are also worth visiting, and if you have any remaining holidays, feel free to contact us to customize the itinerary to your interests.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast