Itinerary
- Day 1
Beijing
You'll arrive in Beijing where your local guide meets you at the airport with a signboard. From there, it's a transfer to your hotel so you can rest and shake off the jet lag.
- Start point
- China (Beijing Capital Airport)
- Day 2
Beijing
Meet your guide at the hotel lobby and head to the Temple of Heaven to watch local residents doing morning exercises and tai chi. From there, you'll take a rickshaw tour through Beijing Hutong where you'll visit a local family and get a feel for how people actually live in these traditional neighborhoods. Grab lunch at a local restaurant with an a la carte Chinese menu, then spend the afternoon at Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City, walking through palace halls and gardens while your guide explains the imperial history. If you're interested, there's an optional Kung Fu or Acrobatic Show in the evening.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Hotel Breakfast), Lunch (A la carte Chinese lunch at a local restaurant)
Included Activities
- Visit Temple of Heaven
- Beijing Hutong rickshaw tour with local family visit
- Tiananmen Square visit
- Forbidden City exploration with guided tour of palace halls and gardens
Optional Activities
- Chinese Kung Fu Show at Red Theater
- Acrobatic Show at night
Landmarks Temple of Heaven Beijing Hutong Tiananmen Square Forbidden City Red Theater - Day 3
Beijing
Starting early, you'll head about 2 hours out to Mutianyu Great Wall. A cable car takes you up to the wall itself. After lunch at a restaurant at the base, you'll drive back to Beijing with a stop for photos at the Bird Nest and Water Cube from the 2008 Olympics.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Hotel Breakfast), Lunch (A la carte lunch at a restaurant at the foot of Mutianyu)
Included Activities
- Mutianyu Great Wall visit
- Round-way cable car at Mutianyu Great Wall
- Photo stop at Bird Nest and Water Cube
Optional Activities
- Dinner at Peking Roast Duck Restaurant
Landmarks Mutianyu Great Wall Bird Nest (Beijing National Stadium) Water Cube (National Aquatics Center) - Day 4
Beijing to Xi'an
You'll check out and visit the Summer Palace, the largest imperial garden in China. Walking around Longevity Hill and Kunming Lake (with an optional boat ride available), you'll see the Long Corridor with its decorated beams. Lunch is on the way to Beijing West Railway Station, then it's a 5 to 5.5 hour high-speed train to Xi'an, where your new guide meets you at the station.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Hotel Breakfast), Lunch (A la carte lunch at a local restaurant on the way to Beijing West Railway Station)
Included Activities
- Summer Palace visit
- Long Corridor walk at Summer Palace
Optional Activities
- Boating trip on Kunming Lake
Landmarks Summer Palace 
- Day 5
Xi'an
You'll start your day at Xi'an's City Wall, walking along this iconic structure to get your bearings in the city. From there, head to the Terracotta Warriors site, one of the most significant archaeological discoveries in China. Before diving into the full excavation, you'll stop at a cave dwelling pottery workshop where you can try your hand at making small terracotta figures, which gives real context to what the ancient artisans created. After grabbing lunch near the site, spend the afternoon exploring the warrior formations in detail, seeing how thousands of these figures are arranged. By evening, make your way to Bell Tower Square for a walk around the area before returning to your hotel.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Hotel breakfast), Lunch (A la carte lunch at local restaurant near Terracotta Warriors)
Included Activities
- Visit Xian City Wall
- Stop at cave dwelling pottery workshop and learn to make miniature terracotta warrior
- Visit the Terracotta Warriors archaeological site
- Walk around Bell Tower Square
Optional Activities
- Bicycle ride on the city wall
- Evening entertainment options such as Tang Dynasty Show (consult local guide for details)
Landmarks Xian City Wall Terracotta Warriors Bell Tower Square - Day 6
Xi'an to Guilin
This morning you have time to explore Xi'an on your own schedule before checking out at noon. After lunch, head to Gao's Courtyard in the Muslim Quarter where you'll see traditional residences and can learn about paper-cutting and shadow puppetry from local artisans. Later, visit Big Wild Goose Pagoda North Plaza to take photos and watch the music fountain show. In the late afternoon or evening, you'll travel by flight from Xi'an to Guilin, a city in Southern China known for its natural landscape and scenic beauty.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Hotel breakfast), Lunch (A la carte lunch)
Included Activities
- Visit Gao's Courtyard in the Muslim Quarter
- Explore ancient residences and local culture of paper-cutting and shadow puppetry
- Photo stop at Big Wild Goose Pagoda North Plaza
- View music fountain show at Big Wild Goose Pagoda North Plaza
Landmarks Muslim Quarter Gao's Courtyard Big Wild Goose Pagoda North Plaza 
- Day 7
Guilin
About 2 hours from Guilin, the Longji Rice Terraces spread out like giant steps around the mountains. Lunch in Ping'an Zhuang Village includes food cooked in bamboo. You'll have free time in ethnic villages where Yao and Zhuang people live in traditional wooden houses and work the paddy fields. Back in Guilin by around 5pm.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Hotel Breakfast), Lunch (Lunch at a local restaurant in Ping'an Zhuang Village featuring local food cooked in bamboo including bamboo rice and chicken)
Included Activities
- Longji Rice Terraces Scenic Area visit
- Ping'an Zhuang Village visit
- Ethnic village exploration with Yao and Zhuang communities
Optional Activities
- Four Lakes Night Cruise in Guilin
Landmarks Longji Rice Terraces Scenic Area Ping'an Zhuang Village 
- Day 8
Guilin to Yangshuo and back
In the morning, you'll head to Zhujiang Pier and board the Li River Cruise for about 4 hours down to Yangshuo. The scenery along the river is like something from a painting. After arriving, there's a walk on West Street and free time before an overnight drive back to Guilin.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Hotel Breakfast), Lunch (Lunch-box)
Included Activities
- Li River Cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo
- West Street walk in Yangshuo
Optional Activities
- Show of Impression Liusanjie in Yangshuo
- Evening entertainment or night shows in Yangshuo
Landmarks Li River West Street - Day 9
Guilin to Shanghai
After breakfast, you'll see Elephant Trunk Hill, Guilin's symbol, then check out Reed Flute Cave with its colorful stalactites and stalagmites. Lunch at a local restaurant comes before heading to the airport for your flight to Shanghai. Your Shanghai guide meets you there and takes you to your hotel.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Hotel Breakfast), Lunch (A la carte lunch at a local restaurant)
Included Activities
- Elephant Trunk Hill visit
- Reed Flute Cave visit
Landmarks Elephant Trunk Hill Reed Flute Cave - Day 10
Shanghai
Shanghai's mix of old and new comes through as you walk Nong Tang alleys in Shikumen to see local life and architecture. Yuyuan Garden and the nearby Yuyuan Bazaar follow, then lunch before the Shanghai City History Museum. The TV tower elevator gets you up to the 2nd level for views across the city. Later, you'll drive through Lujiazui's modern skyscrapers and end at the Bund to see the illuminated buildings along the Huangpu River.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Hotel Breakfast), Lunch (A la carte lunch at a local restaurant)
Included Activities
- Shikumen Nong Tang alley walk
- Yuyuan Garden visit
- Yuyuan Bazaar exploration
- Shanghai City History Museum visit
- TV tower 2nd level elevator ascent with panoramic views
- Lujiazui financial district drive-through
- The Bund visit
Landmarks Shikumen Yuyuan Garden Shanghai City History Museum Oriental Pearl TV Tower The Bund - Day 11
Shanghai to Departure
It's time to head to the airport and board your international flight home, leaving China behind.
- End point
- Shanghai (Shanghai Pudong Airport)
- Meals
- Breakfast (Breakfast)
Optional Activities
- Zhujiajiao Water Town tour (USD 218 per person, minimum 2 travelers) including hotel pick-up, boat trip along waterway, lunch in the town, and return to hotel
Landmarks Zhujiajiao Water Town
