China Golden Triangle Tour
S-101: 8 Days Private Tour of Beijing - Xi'an - Shanghai
Tour Type: Private Tour, any part of the itinerary can be customized
Guide & Driver: English-speaking guide, experienced driver with an air-conditioned vehicle
Tour Highlights:
- Must-see sights in China - Mutianyu Great Wall, Forbidden City, Terracotta Army
- Take a rickshaw through the Hutongs for an up-close look at the original Beijing lifestyle
- Experience the Bund, a classical garden, and traditional & modern contrast in Shanghai
- Enjoy a la carte meals & taste authentic Chinese cuisines at superb restaurants

From $1419 per person Free Inquiry


- Itinerary
- Tour Prices
- Price Includes
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Day 1 Arrival in Beijing
Your flight will touch down in our capital city - Beijing today. Our local professional guide and experienced driver will welcome you in the Arrival Hall of the airport, and then escort you to check in at the well-reserved hotel. Relax during the remainder of the day to recover from the jet leg and prepare for your 8 days Golden Triangle China tour.
Day 2 Beijing

Mutianyu Great Wall
Your private journey will start from the magnificent Tiananmen Square, the largest urban square in the world. Then we will continue on and visit the Forbidden City. This imperial palace complex is divided into two parts, the Inner Court and the Outer Court. The Inner Court was the living space for royal families, and the Outer Court served as a workplace for the emperor to transact political affairs. Get ready to be impressed by the grandeur of this palace complex.
After the morning visit, you will enjoy an a la carte lunch (valued at CNY150.00 per person and included in our price) at an elegant restaurant. Our guide will assist you in ordering the dishes you like. Try to eat like a local with chopsticks.
In the afternoon, you will visit the Temple of Heaven, a solemn place for the emperors to worship the God of Heaven in ancient times. It is one of the most renowned World Heritage Sites for its outstanding architecture. Afterwards, you will have a Hutong rickshaw tour to experience the traditional Hutong culture and the local way of life.
Meals: Western buffet breakfast, A la carte lunch
After the morning visit, you will enjoy an a la carte lunch (valued at CNY150.00 per person and included in our price) at an elegant restaurant. Our guide will assist you in ordering the dishes you like. Try to eat like a local with chopsticks.
In the afternoon, you will visit the Temple of Heaven, a solemn place for the emperors to worship the God of Heaven in ancient times. It is one of the most renowned World Heritage Sites for its outstanding architecture. Afterwards, you will have a Hutong rickshaw tour to experience the traditional Hutong culture and the local way of life.
Meals: Western buffet breakfast, A la carte lunch
Day 3 Beijing
Mutianyu Great Wall with a round-trip cable car, Olympic Bird's Nest. (B)

Our consultant Flora with her clients
The highlight of your 8 days China tour package comes today as you climb the amazing Great Wall at the Mutianyu section. We have included a round-way cable car for you, while, if you prefer to take a chairlift up and a toboggan down the Wall, we will adjust accordingly. The Great Wall is a priceless heritage left by the Chinese through the ages. Just when you stand on the Wall and see its grandness, you will find it is no wonder that the Great Wall has had the mystique to surprise the whole world. Enjoy your leisure time on the Wall and view the surrounding mountain scenery.
Lunch is on your own and our guide will gladly assist. On the way back to the downtown area, while passing by the Bird's Nest, also called the Olympic National Stadium, we will make a stopover for you to take pictures of this huge nest. Today's last stop is a featured local market.
Meals: Western buffet breakfast
Lunch is on your own and our guide will gladly assist. On the way back to the downtown area, while passing by the Bird's Nest, also called the Olympic National Stadium, we will make a stopover for you to take pictures of this huge nest. Today's last stop is a featured local market.
Meals: Western buffet breakfast
Day 4 Beijing to Xi'an by High Speed Train
Summer Palace, A 4.5-hour high speed train to Xi'an, Train station to hotel transfer. (B)

Terracotta Army, Xi'an
Photo by our client Mr. Gary Vandiver
Photo by our client Mr. Gary Vandiver
This morning, you will check out of the hotel after breakfast and then go to visit the Summer Palace. Mainly composed of the Kunming Lake and the Longevity Hill, the Summer Palace is the largest and best preserved imperial garden in the country. It is a monument to classical Chinese architecture in terms of both garden design and construction. In summer, there are lovely lotus blooming, while in winter, it becomes a good place for the youngsters to go skating.
In the afternoon, you will experience a 5-hour high speed train to Xi'an. Our local guide and driver will meet you at Xi'an North Railway Station and drive you to check in at the hotel.
Meals: Western buffet breakfast
In the afternoon, you will experience a 5-hour high speed train to Xi'an. Our local guide and driver will meet you at Xi'an North Railway Station and drive you to check in at the hotel.
Meals: Western buffet breakfast
Day 5 Xi'an
Terracotta Army, Xi'an City Wall, Great Mosque, Muslim Bazaar. (B)

Rural people celebrating the traditional festival
The whole morning will be spent visiting the Terracotta Army Museum. It takes about one hour's drive from the hotel. When you are in the museum, you will be astonished by the life-size unearthed terracotta warriors and horses artistically sculpted more than 2,200 years ago. Over 8,000 terracotta soldiers were excavated with orderly array and grandeur. They vary in height, posture and expression.
Lunch is on your own, but the guide will recommend restaurants around the site according to your preference.
In the afternoon, you will get back to the city and visit the time-honored City Wall. It is a top wonder of the city, initiated by the first emperor of the Ming Dynasty in the shape of a rectangle. Cycling on the City Wall is a very popular activity. There are bike rental spots and you may try it out if you are interested. Electric carts are also available. Then, you will visit the Great Mosque, a remarkable Islamic cultural relic, which perfectly combines Chinese traditional with Islamic architectural styles. Around the mosque is a lively Muslim bazaar.
Meals: Western buffet breakfast
Lunch is on your own, but the guide will recommend restaurants around the site according to your preference.
In the afternoon, you will get back to the city and visit the time-honored City Wall. It is a top wonder of the city, initiated by the first emperor of the Ming Dynasty in the shape of a rectangle. Cycling on the City Wall is a very popular activity. There are bike rental spots and you may try it out if you are interested. Electric carts are also available. Then, you will visit the Great Mosque, a remarkable Islamic cultural relic, which perfectly combines Chinese traditional with Islamic architectural styles. Around the mosque is a lively Muslim bazaar.
Meals: Western buffet breakfast
Day 6 Xi'an to Shanghai by Flight
Provincial History Museum, Small Wild Goose Pagoda, A local family visit and an authentic home-cooked lunch, Fly to Shanghai, Airport-hotel transfer. (B+L)

Our clients riding bicycles on the City Wall
This morning, you will first visit the Provincial History Museum. The museum has been a crucial window for showing the excellent culture of this ancient city and China, as well as a connecting bridge for cultural exchange with the outside world. Next, visit the Small Wild Goose Pagoda, which was built for keeping the Buddhist scriptures and Buddha figures brought back from India by the eminent monk Yijing during the Tang Dynasty.
Then you will have a Chinese local family visit. Not only can you visit the local people's home, but also have authentic home cooked lunch at their home. What a fantastic experience! The hosts will also be glad to teach you how to make dumplings or how to cook your favorite Chinese dishes.
Afterwards, you will be taken to the airport for a flight to Shanghai. Our local guide will greet you at the airport and take you to check in at the hotel.
Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Home-cooked a la carte lunch
Then you will have a Chinese local family visit. Not only can you visit the local people's home, but also have authentic home cooked lunch at their home. What a fantastic experience! The hosts will also be glad to teach you how to make dumplings or how to cook your favorite Chinese dishes.
Afterwards, you will be taken to the airport for a flight to Shanghai. Our local guide will greet you at the airport and take you to check in at the hotel.
Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Home-cooked a la carte lunch
Day 7 Shanghai
Shanghai Museum, Yu Garden, A la carte farewell lunch, the Bund and Huangpu River cruise, Tianzifang Cultural Street. (B+L)

Pudong New Area
In the morning, our guide will escort you to see the Shanghai Museum and the classical Yu Garden. As a distinguished museum of Chinese art, the Shanghai Museum is also one of the four famous museums in China, holding a rich and high-quality collection of ancient precious works of art. Once you enter the Yu Garden, beautiful scenes will delight you wherever you go; you feel that all the scenes are coordinated together by Mother Nature. Our professional tour guide will present the vivid introduction to you.
At noon, you will enjoy an a la carte lunch (valued at CNY150.00 per person and included in our price) of the true Shanghai and Cantonese cuisines at a fancy and famous local restaurant.
After lunch, you will take a one-hour Huangpu River cruise to appreciate the two representative profiles of the city along both sides of the river. It helps you understand the past, see the present and look into the future of this modern city. Then you will explore the Bund area. Free time will be given you there so that you can have a leisurely stroll and take nice photos. The last stop of your China Golden Triangle tour is a traditional street named Tianzifang, where is full of a sense of culture and arts.
Meals: Western buffet breakfast, A la carte lunch
At noon, you will enjoy an a la carte lunch (valued at CNY150.00 per person and included in our price) of the true Shanghai and Cantonese cuisines at a fancy and famous local restaurant.
After lunch, you will take a one-hour Huangpu River cruise to appreciate the two representative profiles of the city along both sides of the river. It helps you understand the past, see the present and look into the future of this modern city. Then you will explore the Bund area. Free time will be given you there so that you can have a leisurely stroll and take nice photos. The last stop of your China Golden Triangle tour is a traditional street named Tianzifang, where is full of a sense of culture and arts.
Meals: Western buffet breakfast, A la carte lunch
Day 8 Departure from Shanghai
Hotel-airport transfer & see you off, A pleasant trip home! (B)
According to your international flight schedule, our private guide and driver will pick you up at the hotel and transfer you to the airport on time. We wish you have a pleasant journey home and thank you for choosing our 8-day China guided tours.
Meals: Western buffet breakfast
Meals: Western buffet breakfast
B-- Breakfast L-- Lunch D-- Dinner
Destinations | Standard Hotels | Economy Hotels |
---|---|---|
Beijing | Pentahotel Beijing ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | Days Inn Forbidden City Hotel ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Xi'an | Holiday Inn Xi'an Big Goose Pagoda ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | Days Inn City Centre Xi'an ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Shanghai | Ocean Hotel Shanghai ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | Golden River-view Hotel ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Earlier Booking, Bigger Savings
10% off - book 60 days before, 5% off - book 30 days before
Tour Prices with Standard Hotels | ||
---|---|---|
2-3 travelers | 4-5 travelers | 6-9 travelers |
$1699 $1529 | $1519 $1367 | $1299 $1169 |
Tour Prices with Economy Hotels | ||
---|---|---|
2-3 travelers | 4-5 travelers | 6-9 travelers |
$1599 $1439 | $1419 $1277 | $1209 $1088 |
- Prices are per person in US Dollars based on double occupancy.
- The prices in red reflect 10% discount.
- Any part of the itinerary e.g. tour length, activities & hotels can be tailored to your individual interests.
Price Includes
- Domestic airfares & train fares
- Hotel accommodation with breakfasts
- A la carte lunches as itinerary specifies
- Private English-speaking guides
- Private drivers & air-conditioned vehicles
- Entrance fees to tourist sites
Price Excludes
- International airfares
- Entry Visa fees
- Personal expenses
- Tips or gratuities for guides and drivers
Why Travel With Us


Other levels available for this itinerary:
8 Days Budget Beijing - Xi'an - Shanghai from $729
1. All our guides were very professional, friendly, and supportive, and responsive to our needs and requests. They were all very knowledgeable. The quality of their spoken English varied from good to excellent. At no time did we have a problem with language.
2. Even though one flight was delayed seven (7) hours and we arrived in Xi-an at 03:00, Carol and the driver were at the airport cheerfully waiting for us.
3. All our lunch and dinner meals were Chinese. We enjoyed the wide varity of foods and experienced many new tastes. On the whole we felt that the quality of food that we ate at the restaurants they provided, or recommended that we visit on our own was much better than the food we ate four years ago when we were with a large tour group. The best meals that we had, I believe, were in Xi-an and Beijing.
4. We are telling our friends all about the excellent quality of service and freedom that we had on our vacation and will certainly use this tour website for our next vacation to China.
5. I need a good reason to return to China very soon. There is so much more to see of this beautiful country and there are so many more people to meet and make friends with. Thank you for everything. ... More
On our itinerary, we have requested not to have meals arranged so that we could have more flexibility with our dining choices. All the guides have given us good suggestions on where to eat and what local delicacies to try. We are happy with all the meals we had. All the guides were very professional and obliging. All the guides could converse in English well. The drivers were very experienced and most diligent in maintaining the cleanliness of their cars. Thanks to them, we were able to ride safely and comfortably throughout the journey. (1)Tracy at Xi'an. On our 2nd day in Xi'an, one of our friends could not continue his trip and had to return home immediately due to an urgent family matter. Our tour guide, Tracy, was exceedingly helpful in arranging for my friend to return home at the earliest possible time. Thanks to her initiatives and coordination, my friend flew home on the same evening. At the same time, the rest of us could continue our journey without much disruptions. (2) Linda at Beijing. Linda was always thoughtful and attentive to our needs throughout the 3 days we spent together. She surprised us by arranging a cake for my friend, Louise, as soon as she knew it was her birtrhday on 22 Dec. We were very touched by her kind gesture (and that of the agency) and it meant so much to us that our dear friend's birthday was celebrated as a "grand affair" even when we are so far away from home. (3) Li Xia at Shanghai. Li Xia was absolutely fun to be with. She was more like a friend than a tour guide to us, not only briefing us on the background and history of places we visit but also sharing her experience growing up in Shanghai and working as a tour guide. Whenever the bus ride was long, she would keep us occupied by pointing out interesting sites along the way so that we would not feel bored. Her organisational skills were excellent as she could accomodate our various requests most of the time and she was especially considerate with our photography requirements, finding us the most scenic spots for the best photographs. Thank you very much to you and your colleagues for the wonderful arrangements. ... More
From our first communication with Emily right through to our personalised experience in Beijing with Kitty and Xi'an with Susan - any questions or queries we had were answered the same day - often within hours! Our tour was personalised to suit our family (2 Adults & 6 year old daughter). We were able to arrange additional activities directly with our guides in each city & there were no factory visits or hard sell shopping stops. Both of our guides (Kitty & Susan) were amazing with our daughter - in addition to their tour guide skills and their English could not be faulted!
Everything was arranged for us from the Visa Invitations through to the train tickets and our personal driver made the whole trip seamless. The hotels (incl. breakfasts) were of a high standard.
We highly recommend Travel China Guide and will definitely use this company again. ... More
The meals were all very good. The breakfast buffets in the hotels were extensive . . . everything you can imagine. The food was fresh, well-prepared, plentiful, and with many choices. The local restaurants for lunch were all very good. The restaurants were clean and comfortable, and the food was fresh, well-prepared, and plentiful. At every meal there were many different kinds of foods so that we were able to taste much of the local food. The shows (Tang music/dance, and Shanghai Acrobats) were very enjoyable . . . and we had the best seats!!
All of our guides spoke very good English. There was never a problem in communication. All of the guides were very knowledgeable. My husband and I have travelled extensively, and my husband was a History teacher. We asked many questions . . . and the guides were able to answer all questions. In each location, the guide gave us an introduction to the area, and gave us a great deal of information about the places we visited. Each and every guide made us feel special. Each was knowledgeable and was personable and friendly. Each guide also went out of his or her way to make sure our China visit was a special experience. Our guides are very special people! They are wonderful embassadors for China. We learned a lot on our visit, and saw many places. China is a beautiful country, and the Chinese people are warm and friendly.
We would be pleased to suggest your travel agency to anyone planning to visit China. ... More