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11 day tour of classic Chinese cities
$2000
per person
Classic Wonders
This 11-day China top cities tour covers the most popular four destinations and five World Heritage sites in China. It makes an ideal tour for first-time visitors who would like to discover China’s history, culture, modernization and landscape.
Suggested 11-Day Itinerary
1-4day: Beijing——Experience rich history: the Great Wall, Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace and Tian’anmen Square
5-6day: Xi’an——Uncover the Terracotta Warriors, bike along the ancient City Wall, explore the lively Muslim Quarter and Xi’an History Museum
7-9day: Guilin & Yangshuo——Admire the stunning Longji Rice Terraces, enjoy a scenic Li River cruise, and relax in the charming countryside of Yangshuo
10-11day: Shanghai——Explore modern Shanghai: the iconic Bund, panoramic views from Shanghai Tower, and a personalized city experience
Travel highlights
The Temple of Heaven is the place where emperors of all dynasties offered sacrifices and prayed for blessings. Step on the White Marble round altar to feel the lofty respect for the sky.
Stepping onto the Great Wall and climbing up the spine of the giant dragon, one can see towering mountains on both sides, and a sense of excitement arises.
The combination of royal luxury and Jiangnan poetry is gathered in the Summer Palace, which is the royal backyard and can be enjoyed for an entire day.
Enjoy the seventh wonder of the world, the tomb of the first emperor of Qin – the Terra Cotta Warriors, and we will lead you to explore the heyday of this powerful empire.
The layered curves of the terraced fields in Guilin wrap from the foot of the mountain to the clouds, allowing one to experience planting crops firsthand. Looking up, one can see the beautiful scenery
Take a boat and paddle onto the Li River, listening to the flowing water and the melodious songs of the boatmen
When you stand in the darkness of the Bund, the towering skyscrapers of Lujiazui on the other side weave together into an endless symphony of Shanghai Bund.
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Destination
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DepartureBeijing
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Departure TimeApproximately 18:30 pm.
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Return Time10:15 AM -10:30 AM.
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Dress CodeCasual, comfortable athletic clothing, hiking shoes, hat and light jacket.
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Included11 day tour of classic Chinese citiesChina’s Smooth NetworkMeals specified in the itineraryFive star hotelFree admission to all attractionsAll round-trip transportationPrivate English tour guideone-on-one travel consultation and planning services
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Not IncludedSurprise little giftOther additional expensesInternational travel insurance
1
Day 1 Beijing Arrival
Welcome to majestic Beijing! To ensure your arrival is stress-free, your private tour guide will meet you in the arrivals hall and transfer you to your hotel in a private car. Your luggage and hotel check-in will be taken care of.
Hotel options:
Novotel Beijing Peace
Crowne Plaza Beijing Chaoyang U-Town
2
Day 2 The Temple of Heaven and the Forbidden City
Breakfast & Lunch
Start your journey at the Temple of Heaven, a dignified complex of religious buildings, symbolizing the relationship between Earth and Heaven. There you will see local people doing morning exercise in their unique ways. Lunch is served in a popular local restaurant with authentic local food. Your guide will help you to order the dishes you like.
Walk through Tian'anmen Square to explore the mysterious Forbidden City. Being the largest imperial palace in the world. Get off the ordinary sightseeing route in the Forbidden City. Listen to the interesting stories of the famous personalities that are not told by typical tour guides.
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Day 3 Day and Night Tour of the Great Wall
Breakfast & Lunch
After breakfast, travel to the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall. Listen to the stories about this world wonder. Your guide will show you the most recommended section to have a walk.
Head to Simatai Great Wall in the afternoon. Spend the afternoon wandering around the Guibei Water Town, which is at the foot of the Great Wall. You can also enjoy a soak in a hot spring if you want to.
When it gets dark, your guide will accompany you to take the cable car up to the Simatai section to enjoy the stunning night views, which is a different experience from the day version. It's the only section that's open and lit up at night.
Tips to Tailor-Make Your Tour
Would you like a more romantic experience? Go there between April and October to enjoy a nice dinner at a special restaurant, from where you can see the Simatai section of the Great Wall lit up all along the mountain ridges at night.
Hotel options:
William Edgar Hotel
Beijing Water Town Hot Spring Resort
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Day 4 The Summer Palace and High-speed Train to Xi'an
Breakfast & Lunch
Enjoy breakfast and travel back to Beijing city to explore the Summer Palace, a royal masterpiece of Chinese landscaped gardens.
Take a high-speed train to Xi'an after lunch.
Tips to Tailor-Make Your Tour
Hotel options:
Somerset Xindicheng Xi'an
Wyndham Grand Xi'an South - Do you love hiking? We can arrange a 2-hour, 4-hour, or even multi-day wild Great Wall hiking experience for you.
5
Day 5 The Terracotta Warriors
Breakfast & Lunch
Enter the Terracotta Warriors Museum via tram, and witness three captivating pits that display the concealed power of Emperor Qin Shi Huang's extensive military force. Your guide will provide insights into their fabrication and safeguarding, emphasizing the precise workmanship, lasting strength, and the former colorful brilliance of these historical sentinels.
Get up close with the first restored Warriors, learn the restoration story, handle Qin Dynasty relics in the Conservation Laboratory.
In the afternoon, visit the ancient city wall that has been guarding the inner city for 600 years.
Walking along the wall provides a good view of the city. You can also rent a bike to cycle around the wall.
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Day 6 Xi'an City Highlights and Flight to Guilin
Breakfast & Lunch
Discover more of Xi'an and China's ancient history at Xi'an History Museum and Little Wild Goose Pagoda, then head to the Muslim Quarter and wander through the alleys to taste the local Muslim cuisine.
Fly to Guilin in the afternoon.
Hotel options:
Lijiang Waterfall Hotel
Shangri-La Hotel Guilin
7
Day 7 Longji Terraced Rice Fields and Ethnic Minority Culture
Breakfast & Lunch
Begin your day by exploring the Longji Terraced Rice Fields.
Built into the hillsides, the terraces are beautiful when the sun reflects on the water of the paddy fields, and the fields glow when the harvest is ripe.
The Zhuang minority have lived there for generations in wooden houses, and the people eat their own unique food, such as bamboo rice and oil tea.
Sit around a bonfire in a traditional kitchen, make bamboo rice with the host.
Tips to Tailor-Make Your Tour
Are you very active and love hiking? Then you'll love the 5-hour hiking trip between the villages of Ping'an and Dazhai through the Longji Terraced Rice Fields.
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Day 8 Li River Cruise
Breakfast & Lunch
A cruise along the Li River is an unforgettable experience. Between spectacular limestone peaks, you will see graceful bamboo groves, farmers tending rice paddies, and lumbering water buffalo cooling off in the river.
Disembark in Yangshuo town around 1:30 pm and explore the famous West Street. Transfer to the cozy hotel in the countryside and enjoy your free time in the rest of the day.
Tips to Tailor-Make Your Tour
Yangshuo offers a relaxing atmosphere and various activities: a cooking class, a tai chi lesson, a farming experience, and even rock climbing.
Tell us what you want to try in the right form so that we can enrich your tour.
Hotel options:
Yangshuo Mountain Retreat
Yangshuo Ancient Garden Boutique Hotel
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Day 9 Countryside Lifestyle and flight to Shanghai
Breakfast & Lunch
Drive toward the south of Yangshuo to explore the peaceful villages. You might meet someone on his way to the fields with a water buffalo or someone working in the paddy.
Visit an old couple who still live in a traditional house. Learn about their lifestyle and philosophy of living.
Continue to drive pass an old ferry along the Li River. The old buildings in the ancient style are the memory of the busy water transportation on the Li River in the past. Then you will take a ferry and a local farmer's taxi (a kind of motorbike with three wheels) to the local market.
Your guide will show you around to explain the different types of food and show you the local people's daily necessities.
Fly to the modern city of Shanghai in the afternoon.
Hotel options:
Bellagio by MGM Shanghai
Sunrise On The Bund
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Day 10 Shanghai Highlights with Bund Discovery
Breakfast & Lunch
Do you just want to take one or two selfies in the Bund as most tourists do? Let's travel back in time to the golden age of the Bund in the 1920s during our In-depth Bund Culture Discovery Tour.
Enjoy lunch and ascend to the highest building in China, Shanghai Tower, where you will not only enjoy a panoramic view of Shanghai but will also see the future of China.
Half-Day Customized Icing-on-the-Cake Experience
After traveling in China for around 10 days, you might want to do something different at the end. Do you want to have some relaxation time? Do you have any unfulfilled trip wishes? In Shanghai, your private guide will make your wishes come true!
Whether you want to relax, experience fashion, appreciate art, explore folk customs, or shop; from having fun in fancy bar to exploring an art center, trying nail beauty, testing your popularity in the marriage market, or just buying some lovely gifts, we will make it happen. Just tell us what you're interested in.
If you don't know what you want, just let your guide make the arrangements. You will not be disappointed!
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Day 11 Shanghai Depature
Breakfast
As your China trip comes to end, your tour guide and driver will collect you from your hotel and transfer you to Shanghai Pudong International Airport for your flight home.
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Necessary documents:
- Passport (including Chinese visa)+copy of visa (recommended to be opened separately from the original)
- PS: Carry the original passport with you, the police may randomly inspect it
Clothing and equipment:
- Sunscreen hat+sunglasses+sunscreen, cool towel, comfortable walking shoes (on steep slopes), windproof jacket in winter, shawl or thin jacket (strong air conditioning in shopping malls and subways), folding umbrella to cope with showers
Mobile App:
- WeChat:Contact merchants/tour guides and scan QR codes that can be seen everywhere
- Alipay: China's most basic payment software, which can be bound to Visa/Mastercard to purchase gifts
- Translation: Google Translate, Baidu Translate
- Popular review: Ranking of all nearby food reviews
- Meituan: Deliver the necessary daily necessities to your hotel doorstep within half an hour
Electronic devices and networks：
- Network Solutions：
- Must install VPN, local SIM card, and portable Wi Fi
- Electrical adaptation：
- The voltage in China is 220V, and the socket is a two pin flat type (compatible with American standards). The three pin socket requires a conversion plug
- It is recommended to carry a power bank (boarding is allowed within 20000mA), and Alipay scanning code is required to rent the power bank shared on the street
Emergency response
- General alarm: 110 (English service can be requested, some police provide third-party translation)
- Medical emergency: 120
- Fire alarm: 119
- Consular Protection:+86-10-12308 (Ministry of Foreign Affairs Global Consular Protection 24-hour Hotline, English service)
Lisa
This journey is incredible! From Beijing to Shanghai, every city is like opening a new treasure! The grandeur of the Forbidden City, the shock of the Terra Cotta Warriors in Xi’an – I’m simply out of words! Tour guide Tom is not only knowledgeable, but also particularly humorous and thoughtful, always able to find excellent photo spots to avoid crowds. The bus is always clean and punctual, and the hotel breakfast offers a variety of Western and Chinese options. Chinese people are too friendly, even the middle-aged lady selling pancakes on the street greeted us with a smiling face. This is definitely the best holiday that our whole family voted for!
Noah
To be honest, I was a bit nervous before posting, but by the end of the first day, I was completely relieved! The Great Wall is a hundred times more magnificent than I imagined – standing on the beacon tower and gazing at the mountains, the feeling is indescribable! In the Terra Cotta Warriors Museum in Xi’an, our tour guide would admire even the American history professor. Suzhou gardens are small and exquisite, with each design having a profound meaning. The service team was meticulous throughout the entire process, even preparing a surprise cake on my birthday! We are moved by the friendliness of Chinese people towards tourists.
Emily
The small gifts given to us by travel socializing are so heartwarming – each city has its own unique souvenirs, as well as commonly used language cards in both Chinese and English. Hotels are carefully selected: hotels in Beijing are within walking distance of Wangfujing, hotels in Xi’an are located by the ancient city wall, and hotels in Suzhou are themselves exquisite gardens! The best thing is that there are no mandatory shopping or hidden fees throughout the entire process, and all tickets, cable cars, and boats are fully included – we can completely relax and immerse ourselves in this incredible scenery.
Ethan
The word I’ve said the most every day for these 11 days is’ Wow ‘! The flag raising ceremony at Tiananmen Square brought tears to my eyes, cycling on the ancient city walls of Xi’an was super fun, and the fresh air in the tea gardens of Hangzhou made me want to live there forever! Our tour guide Lucy is fluent in English like her native language and always manages to turn complex history into interesting stories. The catering arrangements are also fantastic
Olivia
Wow, just wow! We have just finished our 11 day trip to classic Chinese cities, and I can’t wait to tell everyone – this is definitely the best travel experience for our whole family!
Emma
On the Great Wall in Beijing, I was so excited that I couldn’t speak – the mountain ranges spread layer by layer to the sky, and the ancient city wall looked like a giant dragon in the sunlight, shaking me 100 times more than any photo I had ever seen! Terra Cotta Warriors Museum in Xi’an? Oh my god, standing in front of those warriors from two thousand years ago, my goosebumps are getting up, I feel like history is breathing! In the morning of West Lake in Hangzhou, there is a thin mist floating on the surface of the lake, and willow trees gently brush the water, beautiful as a dream. There are also Suzhou gardens, with a painting at every corner, small bridges and flowing water, pavilions and towers. I took about a thousand photos!
Nicholas
As a first-time American to Asia, this trip has opened my eyes! The experience of taking a rickshaw in Beijing’s hutongs is incredibly fun, learning how to make dumplings in Xi’an makes me feel like a Chinese chef, and listening to Pingtan in Suzhou, although I can’t understand it, the melody is extremely beautiful. There was no mandatory shopping throughout the entire process, instead the tour guide took the initiative to help us bargain for souvenirs. The welcome gifts from every city are very thoughtful – Beijing Peking Opera face masks, bookmarks, and Xi’an shadow puppetry ornaments, all of which are now treasured in my living room.
Margaret
If you are still hesitating whether or not to come to China – don’t think about it anymore! These 11 days have allowed us to see the most beautiful scenery in the world, experience the top-notch service, and feel the warmest human feelings. We are planning to visit Mount Huangshan and Zhangjiajie next time? This trip is definitely worth every penny, every minute!