Best Value Mini Group Combo

Upon landing at Beijing, please manage your own way from the airport to the hotel we booked for you.

► Transportation for Your Reference:
You are recommended to hail a car or taxi from either of the two Beijing airports to the hotel, which takes approximately one hour and costs CNY 150-200 (USD 21-28).

If you take the subway, it takes 1.5 hours from the Capital Airport (PEK) and costs CNY 30 (USD 4): take Capital Airport Express to Dongzhimen, transfer to Subway Line 2 Inner Ring to Qianmen, transfer to Line 8 to Tianqiao Station (Exit D), and walk 15 minutes west to your hotel. 

If you arrive at Daxing Airport (PKX), you can take the Daxing Airport Express to Caoqiao Station, then transfer to Line 10 to Dahongmen Station, and finally switch to Line 8 to Tianqiao Station (Exit D). From there, it is about a 15-minute walk to your hotel. This full subway journey takes approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes and costs CNY 39 (USD 5.5). For a quicker option, you can take the Airport Express to Caoqiao Station (Exit E1) and then a direct taxi to your hotel. This compromised route takes about 50 minutes and costs around CNY 50 (USD 7).

► Recommendations for Early Arrivals (at your own expense):
After settling down, start your own exploration of this ancient city with over 3,000 years of history. You can visit Beihai Park, one of China’s oldest and well-preserved imperial resorts. Once you enter the park, the White Dagoba, a Tibetan-style Buddhist pagoda built in 1651 AD, will catch your eyes immediately. From afar, you can see its nail-polish-bottle-like body standing against the blue sky, and reflecting gracefully on the lake. Exiting Beihai Park’s east gate, it’s just a 5-minute walk to Jingshan Park. Follow the path up the hill, and you’ll be rewarded with a stunning southward view of the Forbidden City’s golden roofs and red walls. While looking north, you can clearly see the Bell and Drum Towers aligned along Beijing’s historic central axis.► Pre-Travel Preparation
1. Socket Converter: Bring a suitable converter based on your devices, as China primarily uses Type A and Type I electrical sockets, with a standard voltage of 220V and frequency of 50Hz.
2. Payment Methods: Mobile payments are widely used across China. You can register with your international mobile number on Alipay or WeChat Pay and link a foreign bank card like Visa or MasterCard, for convenient transactions. It’s also a good idea to carry some local cash as a backup.

► Why Choose Us?
We’ll arrange the best-value accommodation, a well-structured itinerary, domestic flights and high-speed trains, and offer complimentary travel advice within your budget. You’ll have the opportunity to join our mini group tours in major cities, where our guides will provide informative commentary at historical sites, while air-conditioned vehicles ensure comfortable transfers between attractions.

Accommodation: Holiday Inn Express Beijing Temple of Heaven (3 stars)

Your Beijing discovery will begin with an early morning pickup from your hotel lobby at the pre-arranged time. We'll first head to Tiananmen Square, the iconic landmark of modern China. Stroll and explore the iconic buildings on the square, and then let’s pass through the majestic Tiananmen Tower and enter the Forbidden City for an immersive cultural tour. This UNESCO World Heritage site represents the world's largest wooden palatial structure, equivalent in scale to 50 Buckingham Palaces. Beyond the signature golden roofs and vermilion walls, you'll encounter the 250-ton white marble Dragon and Cloud Relief in front of the Hall of Preserved Harmony. As the largest stone carving in the palace complex, it features nine coiling Chinese dragons soaring through clouds, which is believed to be a celestial gift endowed with rain-summoning and evil-warding powers.In the afternoon, we'll drive to Mutianyu Great Wall, one of the best-preserved and most beautiful sections of this ancient wonder. Since the hike to the rampart takes only 20-30 minutes, we highly recommend walking rather than taking the cable car. Not only will you save the fare, but you’ll also have the chance to take in stunning mountain scenery along the way. With 96% of the area covered in vegetation, the landscape shifts beautifully with the seasons: delicate blossoms in spring, lush greenery in summer, and fiery red-gold foliage in autumn. Once you reach the top, the view opens up dramatically. You can touch centuries-old bricks and gaze out across the undulating ridges from the watchtower openings. Notice the ingenious loopholes beneath the battlements. These outward-narrowing openings provided protection while allowing defenders to fire downward on invaders.

After exploring the Great Wall, we'll either return you directly to your hotel or, if you prefer, drop you at the Houhai Bar Street and Hutong alleys area, where you can experience Beijing's vibrant nightlife at your own pace, and finally make your own way back to the hotel.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Holiday Inn Express Beijing Temple of Heaven (3 stars)

After breakfast, your guide with the driver will meet you at the hotel and escort you to the Temple of Heaven, China’s largest imperial sacrificial complex structure, which is four times the size of the Forbidden City. At the south end of the park stands the Circular Mound Altar, a three-tiered marble platform where emperors performed winter solstice ceremonies. If you speak from the center stone, your voice echoes as if you gain a response from the universe. Walking along the Vermilion Steps Bridge toward the north, you’ll be intrigued by the triple-eaved blue roof of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests. Standing at the doorway, you’ll see four red pillars decorated with golden motifs in the center of the hall, representing the four seasons. Beyond historical sites, the park remains a vibrant hub for locals, where you can see seniors playing tai chi or joining lively choir rehearsals under ancient cypress trees. Next, the guide will escort you to Hutong alleys area for a rickshaw tour through its traditional lanes. You’ll enter a courtyard residence to learn about Beijing’s local lifestyle.

In the afternoon, let’s head to the Lama Temple, Beijing’s most renowned Tibetan Buddhist temple for making wishes. It’s believed that prayers for career success and wealth are particularly efficacious. In addition to its spiritual significance, you can admire the grand imperial architecture.

Finally, proceed to the Summer Palace, China’s most well-preserved and expansive royal resort. Stroll along the shore of Kunming Lake and gaze at the Seventeen-Arch Bridge, whose reflections resemble seventeen glowing moons on the water's surface. Rambling on the bridge, you can capture the panoramic view of Longevity Hill. At dusk, your guide and the driver will escort you back to your hotel.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Holiday Inn Express Beijing Temple of Heaven (3 stars)

After checking out in the morning, please make your own way to Beijing West Railway Station to board the high-speed train to Xi’an. We’ve already reserved the train tickets for you and included them in your itinerary. A taxi from your hotel to Beijing West Railway Station takes 30 minutes and costs around CNY 50 (USD 7), while the subway is a much cheaper alternative costing less than USD 1, adding only 10 minutes to the journey: simply take Line 8 to Zhushikou Station, transfer to Line 7, and alight at Beijing West Railway Station after 6 stops.

After a 4-hour high-speed train journey, you’ll arrive at Xi’an North Railway Station. For the way to your hotel, you may take the metro Line 2 to Beidajie Station. Get out from Exit C, and you’ll arrive at the hotel after a 5-minute walk. Hailing a car is also a good choice, which takes around 40 minutes, the same as taking the metro.

After check-in, you can rest at the hotel or explore around the Bell Tower on your own. Originally built over 600 years ago, this iconic structure stands at the heart of the old city and glows brilliantly with golden illumination after dark. For a perfect photo, you can head to the 5th-floor viewing platform of the Kaiyuan Shopping Mall on its opposite side. Try using time-lapse mode to capture the Bell Tower encircled by flowing car lights.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Days Inn City Centre Xi’an (3 stars)

Being greeted by your guide in your hotel lobby, today will start with a drive to the Terracotta Army Museum. These 8,000 life-sized terracotta soldiers silently guard the tomb of China's first emperor, Qin Shi Huang (259-210 BC), arranged in precise military formation across three excavation pits. You'll see civil officials, kneeling archers, and charioteers positioned exactly as they stood millennia ago, with Pit 3 revealing the ancient command post. If visiting on a weekday, you might witness ongoing archaeological work. In the latest exhibition, you can see 230 precious artifacts, including remarkably preserved painted terracotta figures whose facial details, rosy lips, and colorful armor patterns remain visible despite 2,000 years of burial.

Later, we'll return to the city center to visit the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, the earliest surviving pavilion-style brick pagoda built in the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). According to legend, when a monk was nearly starved to death, a wild goose fell down from the sky voluntarily to feed him, inspiring the pagoda's construction as a memorial to the compassionate act.We'll then explore the magnificent Xi'an City Wall, one of China’s best-preserved ancient defensive systems. The wall measures 15-18 meters (49-59 feet) thick at the base and 12-14 meters (39-45 feet) wide across the top, so locals always joke about someone who is cheeky being "as thick-faced as the city wall." Following the guide to ascend the wall from the South Gate, you'll see the central axis stretching toward the Bell Tower. For a different experience, you can rent a bicycle at your own expense to ride along the historic ramparts where ancient guards once patrolled.

Before escorting you back to the hotel, we’ll pass the Muslim Quarter, one of Xi’an’s liveliest culinary streets. Guests who wish to explore local cuisine and vibrant nightlife may choose to be dropped off here. You can explore a wide variety of Xi’an snacks, such as Chinese hamburger, hand-pulled belt-like noodles, sticky rice, and jujube cake, and browse shops selling traditional handicrafts and souvenirs. After visiting the Muslim Quarter, return by yourself to the hotel which is just a 15-minute walk away.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Days Inn City Centre Xi'an (3 stars)

Enjoy some free time this morning for a refreshing walk. Simply head north along the North Avenue for 20 minutes from your hotel to reach the North Gate of the City Wall, which is less crowded than the popular South Gate you’ve visited the day before, and offers a quiet place to saunter. The locals often do morning exercises and stroll with their pet birds here. Sometimes, you can even encounter elders singing Shaanxi Opera. Get down to the walkway beside the moat to see the reflection of the sky and the floating ducks on the water.

In the afternoon, please take the flight we’ve arranged for you to Zhangjiajie (airfare is included). Pay attention to the departure time of the flight and arrive at the airport by yourself at least 2 hours earlier. From your hotel, a taxi to the airport takes 1 hour and costs about CNY 120 (USD 17). If taking metro, it takes 1.5 hours and costs CNY 8 (USD 1.2): walk to Beidajie station to take Metro Line 2 to Xi’an North Station, transfer to Line 14 running to the airport.

Upon landing at Zhangjiajie airport, please head to the hotel we booked for you on your own. You can take Bus No. 4 for 28 stops to the MCH Center Station, and then walk 5 minutes to the hotel. It takes about 1 hour and 15 minutes and costs CNY 2 (USD 0.3). For a time-saving option, you can hail a car, which takes only 15 minutes, but costs CNY30 (USD 4).
► Note: We’ll change your accommodation to the hotel in Wulingyuan District over the next two days to be closer to the scenic areas. Please remember to pack all your luggage before checking out tomorrow to ensure a smooth transition to the new hotel.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Zhangjiajie Tianmen Mountain Century Platinum Hotel (4 stars)

After breakfast, your guide and the driver will accompany you on a journey through hundreds of millions of years of geological wonders at Zhangjiajie National Forest Park. First, let’s take the world's tallest outdoor lift, Bailong Elevator, which is equivalent to a 107-story building and can carry you to the top within 2 minutes. As the elevator dashes out of the shaft, you’ll be jaw-dropped by the dozens of towering quartz-sandstone pillars standing like a grand natural army awaiting inspection. 

The elevator will take you to the Yuanjiajie Scenic Area at an altitude of 1,074 meters (3,524 feet), where you’ll witness the real-world inspiration for the "Hallelujah Mountains" from the movie “Avatar”. This 150-meter (492-foot) vertical column features sharp edges and clearly visible sedimentary layers as if sculpted by the knife. Later, follow the guide to board an eco-bus of the park to Yangjiajie Scenic Area, to encounter the spectacular “Natural Great Wall” formed approximately 380 million years ago, which stretches across the valley like the enormous fortification you have visited in Beijing.   

Next, let’s head to Tianzi Mountain as dusk approaches. The setting sun casts golden halos around each peak, with the Imperial Brush Peaks creating particularly striking silhouettes, whose sharp outlines seem to dip into the sunset clouds like brushes loaded with golden ink. Finally, we'll descend via cable car, enjoying aerial views of the entire valley. The guide and driver will then convoy you back to your hotel.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Santo Damingo International Hotel (3 stars)

This morning, meet your guide in your hotel lobby, and we'll then venture to Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon to experience its world-famous Glass Bridge. Stretching 430 meters (1,410 feet) in length and suspended 300 meters (984 feet) above the canyon floor, the bridge’s transparent panels create a thrilling walk-in-the-air sensation and offer views of the deep chasm, the dramatic red sandstone cliffs, and the winding stream meandering through the valley bottom.

Later, let’s proceed to Tianmen Mountain, where you will be first stunned by the Tianmen Cave (Heaven’s Gate), a magnificent natural karst arch. Standing in front of the cave, you can feel the cool mountain winds rushing through the opening. On clear days, sunlight pouring through the cavity makes it appear like a true gateway to heaven. Continue to take the 7-level transmountain escalator to the summit, where you'll walk the exhilarating Glass Skywalk (shoe covers included). Walking along the transparent path with sheer drops beside you will surely get your adrenaline rushing. Don’t get cold feet, or you’ll regret missing the chance to gain the distinctly different experience as you gaze at the bottomless gorge and distant mountain ranges. We'll also provide you with a round-trip cable car up and down the mountain and an eco-bus ride of the scenic spot along the serpentine-like “99-Bend” mountain road to make your mountain trip more easier. Finally, the guide and the driver will escort you back to your hotel.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Santo Damingo International Hotel (3 stars)

Your 9 days budget China tour will end here. After check-out, please arrange your own way back to the airport for your homebound flight. Due to the limited international flight options from Zhangjiajie, you may consider connecting through major hubs such as Shanghai, Beijing, or Hong Kong.

► For Your Information: The Zhangjiajie National Forest Park ticket remains valid for four consecutive days, so you are welcome to re-enter the park by yourself for further exploration if your flight departs late in the afternoon or evening. If you wish to continue your journey to other destinations like Shanghai, Chengdu, Guilin, or elsewhere in China, we would be delighted to help you customize the itinerary.

Meals: Breakfast