Start in: Beijing
End in: Shanghai
Special Experience: Peking Opera and Hutong tour by rickshaw, Xian Tang Dynasty show, Giant Panda in Chengdu, Guilin Li River cruise, Suzhou Chinese Gardens, Shanghai Acrobatic show
China Classic Tour with Giant Panda Tour (Route B)
Day-by-Day Itinerary
Day 1 Arrive Beijing
Accommodations: Jianguo Garden Hotel 
Transfer via: International Flight on your own arrangement
Upon arrival at Beijing airport, you will be met by your guide who will escort you to your hotel.
Accommodations: Jianguo Garden Hotel
Meals: B,L,D
Sightseeing: Tiananmen Square,Forbidden City,Hutongs
Gala Event: Peking Opera Show
Today you will first visit the historic Tiananmen Square, the largest square in the world. Then tour the magnificent Imperial Palace and its gardens, also known as the Forbidden City. Then you'll tour the hutongs by rickshaw. Lunch will be served in one of the local people's home during the tour, when you can learn how to make dumplings. Complete your day by enjoying a Peking Opera performance after dinner.
- Tiananmen Square: the largest city square in the world and the spiritual heart of China, where the national flag is raised exactly at sunrise everyday.
- Forbidden City: located in the center of Beijing, used to be the imperial palace of the Ming and Qing dynasties with a history of around 600 years, it is the grandest integral palace complex still remaining in China.
- Hutongs: the old narrow paths with lots of courtyard homes where common people are living. They are like villages within a megalopolis. Through the hutongs' teeming maze of alleyways, you will see the old houses and learn about the daily life of ordinary Beijing citizens.
- Peking Opera Show: a kind of singing drama which is an ingenious and colorful combination of elements from many sources: traditional music, poetry, singing, recitation, dancing, acrobatics, and martial arts.
Accommodations: Jianguo Garden Hotel
Meals: B,L,D
Sightseeing: Sacred Road,Ding Tomb,Great Wall
Special Dinner: Peking Duck Dinner
Today's excursion first takes you down the stone statue-lined Sacred Way to the Ming Tombs, where 13 of the 16 Ming Dynasty emperors are buried. After lunch, you will walk along one of the world's most remarkable architectural wonders, the Great Wall of China, built over 2,000 years ago and stretching over 6,000km. Enjoy a special dinner of Peking duck at a local restaurant tonight.
- Sacred Road: the path lined with stone statues of animals, mystical beasts and officials who are supposed to serve the emperor in his afterlife, through which the sitting emperors would go to perform memorial rituals for the ancestors once a year.
- Ding Tomb: the burial site of the emperor Wanli, the 13th emperor of the Ming Dynasty who ruled for 48 years until his death in 1620, it is the only underground tomb of the thirteen Imperial Ming tombs ever excavated.
- Great Wall: the most famous symbol of China and one of the world's most remarkable architectural wonders, it was built over 2,000 years ago and stretches about 6,700km.
- Peking Duck Dinner: Peking Roast Duck is regarded as one of the most delicious dishes throughout the world. A Peking Duck Dinner is usually a fixed item on any Beijing tour itinerary. At time-honored restaurants such as Quan Ju De, you can savor the mouth-watering traditional Beijing specialty, and at the same time the chefs will show you how they cuts the meat into exactly 108 slices from one duck, each having a piece of skin.
Accommodations: Hotel Royal Garden
Meals: B,D
Sightseeing: Temple of Heaven,Big Wild Goose Pagoda,Ancient City Walls
Special Dinner: Dumpling Dinner
Gala Event: Tang Dynasty Show
Transfer via: China domestic flight arranged by us
This morning you will marvel at Beijing's splendid Temple of Heaven which was visited yearly by the emperors who performed intricate rituals to insure a good harvest for the whole nation. And then you will catch lunch time flight to Xian. Upon you arrive in Xian, our local guide will meet you and you will have a visit to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda and the Ancient City Walls. Complete the day with a savory dumpling dinner and the Tang Dynasty show both at Shaanxi Grand Opera Theatre.
- Temple of Heaven: the place which was visited yearly by the emperors who performed intricate rituals to insure a good harvest for the whole nation at ancient times.
- Big Wild Goose Pagoda: regarded by many as a symbol of the city Xian, the pagoda was built in 652 A.D. in the Tang Dynasty to house the sutras brought back from India by the famous monk Xuan-zang.
- Ancient City Walls : built during the 14th century on Tang dynasty foundations and they date from the Ming dynasty. The walls are the largest and best-preserved ancient fortress in the world. There is a gate in each of the four sides, and the gate towers built over each gate look lofty and magnificent and form a tight defence engineering system.
- Dumpling Dinner: Dumpling or Jiaozi in Chinese is a traditional and popular food in China, especially in the north. At the dinner, nearly 20 varieties of dumplings that are steamed and stuffed with different delicious fillings such as vegetables, meats and seafood are served. These dumplings are not only tasty, but also characteristic with their colors and fragrance, style and culture meanings. All these make the dinner so unique that you should not miss it when traveling in Xi'an.
- Tang Dynasty Show: the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) was one of the most glorious dynasties in China's history, and Xi'an was the capital during the Tang Dynasty and called as Chang'an. Tang Dynasty Show is a performance of Chang'an music and dances in Tang Dynasty style laid out according to various historical records and ancient arts and relics discovered in Xi'an. During the show, the musicians present the music with the Tang-Dynasty-style musical instruments and the dancers dance by wearing a Tang-Dynasty-style robe with long white silk sleeves, and you will certainly enjoy this national art that reflects the glory and richness of the Tang Dynasty era.
Accommodations: Yinhe Dynasty Hotel
Meals: B,L
Sightseeing: Terracotta Warriors and Horses,Shaanxi Provincial Museum
Transfer via: China domestic flight arranged by us
Today, you will enjoy a full-day excursion to the incredible life-size Terracotta Warriors and Horses,and then the the Shaanxi Provincial Museum before your onward night flight to Chengdu. Upon arrival at Chengdu, you will be met and transferred to your hotel.
- Terracotta Warriors and Horses: discovered in 1974 by local farmers digging a well, this is one of the most significant archeological finds of the 20th century. These 6,000 life-size painted Terracotta Warriors and Horses --individually sculpted from real-life models and arranged in battle formation have been protecting the mausoleum of the first emperor in Chinese history--Emperor QinShihuang for 2,200 years ago.
- Shaanxi Provincial Museum: opened in 1991, the largest comprehensive museum in the province. The museum exhibits over 3,000 historical relics which is just a fraction of their collection. Most of the exhibited items are rare treasures, showing you the splendid Chinese culture.
Accommodations: Yinhe Dynasty Hotel
Meals: B
Sightseeing: Du Fu's Thatched Roof Cottage,Wenshu Temple,Tea houses
Special Dinner: Chuan Food
Have a city tour to Du Fu's Thatched Roof Cottage, and Wenshu Temple where you can spend some time sitting in its tea house to enjoy a cup of tea and absorb the special atmosphere of Chengdu. Enjoy a delicious dinner of Sichuan food at a local restaurant.
- Du Fu's Thatched Roof Cottage: located on the side of the Flower Washing Brook in the western suburbs of Chengdu. It is the former residence of the celebrated Tang dynasty poet, Du Fu (712-770AD) who was born in Henan province. At the age of 20 he left his home to travel within China. He used to be an official for 10 years in Chang'an (present Xian), the capital of the Tang dynasty, and was captured by rebels after an uprising. He then fled to Chengdu where he built this humble cottage and stayed for about four years.
- Wenshu Temple: Chengdu's oldest and largest Buddhist temple was originally built in the Tang Dynasty. However, it is now a Qing Dynasty construction with exquisite relief carvings decorating many of the buildings. You can absorb the very atmosphere of Chengdu here: the temple is full of local worshippers burning incense on certain days; the tea house at the back of the complex is a great place to relax yourself and do some people watching, while the streets outside are filled with blind fortune-tellers, hawkers selling joss sticks, paper money and statues, and so on.
- Tea houses: Chengdu is one of the few remaining cities in China with a really authentic tea house (Chadian) culture. Thousands of teahouses dotted about Chengdu are hugely popular with locals, especially the elderly. Teahouses throughout the city are still important locations for social gatherings. Its distinct and unique atmosphere will let you get a good feel for Chengdu.
- Chuan Food: Sichuan Cuisine, known more commonly in the West as Szechuan Cuisine, is one of the most famous Chinese cuisines in the world. Prepared with a wide variety of ingredients and characterized by its spicy and pungent flavors, Sichuan cuisine emphasizes the use of chili and peppercorn. It can be said that one who doesn't experience Sichuan food has never reached China. Savor the flavor of Sichuan, and it is becoming hotter and hotter!
Accommodations: Guilin Park Hotel
Meals: B
Sightseeing: Giant Panda Breeding Research Base
Transfer via: China domestic flight arranged by us
Today you will have a visit to the Giant Panda Breeding Research Base. Our local guide escorts you to the airport for your onward flight to Guilin. Upon your arrival at Guilin, the most scenic city in China, our local guide will meet you and escort you to your hotel. The rest of the day is free at your own leisure.
- Giant Panda Breeding Research Base: 18km from the city center, housing 12 pandas in natural environments: it is the best place to see Chengdu's most famous residents and you can get to know more about this precious species in the museum there.
Accommodations: Guilin Park Hotel
Meals: B,L
Sightseeing: West Street(Yangshuo),Li River Cruise
After breakfast, drive to Zhujiang Pier (about 40-minute drive) to start the boat cruise along the tranquil Li River which is the highlight in Guilin until you get to Yangshuo County. Along the river, you will be inspired by breathtaking views of peaks and pinnacles, crystal-clear water and reflections in the water together with the serene pastoral views of rice paddies and water buffaloes, you are certainly walking into a traditional Chinese painting by cruising on it. At Yangshuo, after roaming through the West Street, drive back to Guilin (1.5-hour drive).
- West Street(Yangshuo): a busy and exotic slate street in Yangshuo County, about 2km long crammed with shops, pubs, cafes and hotels, where you can relax yourself and do some souvenir shopping.
- Li River Cruise: Along the river, you will be inspired by the breathtaking views of peaks and pinnacles, crystal-clear water and reflections in the water together with the serene pastoral views of rice paddies and water buffaloes.You will certainly feel like you are walking into a traditional Chinese painting by cruising on this wonderful river.
Accommodations: Holiday Inn Shanghai -Downtown
Meals: B,L
Sightseeing: Fubo Hill,Elephant Trunk Hill ,Reed Flute Cave
Transfer via: China domestic flight from Guilin to Shanghai arranged by us
Today's excursion will bring you to the Elephant Trunk Hill, the Fubo Hill and the Reed Flute Cave before your transfer to the airport for your flight to Shanghai. Upon your arrival at Shanghai, you will be met and escorted to your hotel.
- Fubo Hill: where you can see lots of Buddha statues left about 1000 years ago in the Returned Pearl Cave and have a birds' eye view of the whole city after climbing up to the very top.
- Elephant Trunk Hill : the symbol of Guilin, which resembles a giant elephant drinking water from the Li River.
- Reed Flute Cave: 5 kilometers away from the city center, famed as "A Natural Palace of Art", in which you can see lots of stalactites & stalagmites illuminated by the lights of different colors. You will also learn how they were formed.
Accommodations: Holiday Inn Shanghai -Downtown
Meals: B,L
Sightseeing: Shanghai Museum,The Bund ,Nanjing Road,Yu Garden,Yuyuan Market
Gala Event: Acrobatic Show
Today, your full-day excursion of incredible Shanghai will include: Shanghai Museum, the Bund and the Nanjing Road, Yu Garden and Yuyuan Market. Enjoy a wonderful Acrobatic Show at the Shanghai Centre Theatre tonight.
- Shanghai Museum: often ranked as China's best museum, it is the biggest museum in China with a fine collection of over 120,000 pieces of Chinese artifacts.
- The Bund : where the great trading houses and banks had their headquarters in the 1920s and the 1930s. The Bund is about about a mile long, it is the city's fulcrum.
- Nanjing Road: known as "China's No.1 Shopping Street" with a huge selection of merchandise on sale.
- Yu Garden: located in the Old Town of Shanghai and laid out in 1559 AD by a powerful Ming official, Yu Garden recreates a beautiful landscape of pagodas, pavilions, rockeries, fountains, ancient trees and precious flowers.
- Yuyuan Market: outside the Yu Garden, a bustling market with different snacks and trinkets.
- Acrobatic Show: Chinese Acrobatics is one of the oldest performing arts with its history tracing back to Neolithic times, during its development in the history, it has been absorbing plentiful merits from the opera, dance and Chinese Kungfu, and formed its own artistic features. In Portman Acrobatic Show, in a very typical Shanghainese setting and atmosphere, you will enjoy many breathtaking and stunning programs such as Calvaria Skills, Silk Suspending, Hoop Diving and so on performed by very skillful performers, you will truly have an unforgettable experience of your life.
Accommodations: Holiday Inn Shanghai -Downtown
Meals: B,L
Sightseeing: Humble Administrator's Garden,Lingering Garden,The No.1 Silk Factory,Tiger Hill Park
One full-day tour to Suzhou (100km away from Shanghai), which has been known as the Venice of the East. After your arrival,be met by your local guide, your tour in Suzhou includes: the classical Humble Administrator's Garden and the attractive Lingering Garden, the ancient Tiger Hill Park and the No.1 Silk Factory. Back to Shanghai after the tour in Suzhou.
- Humble Administrator's Garden: covers 10 acres and is the largest garden in Suzhou. It was built in 1509 during the Ming Dynasty and is divided into the eastern, middle and western parts. All of this centers upon the broad expanse of a lake to form the poetic and picturesque garden landscapes and waterscapes with exquisite buildings and luxuriant vegetation.
- Lingering Garden: is one of the four most famous gardens in China and was constructed in 1593 during the Ming Dynasty. It is famous for its artistic way of dealing with the spaces between various kinds of architectural forms and garden courts.
- The No.1 Silk Factory: Suzhou is famous for its silk production. In the factory you can learn more about silk production and detailed steps of the silk making process, and you will have an opportunity to purchase some of the incredibly delicate works as well.
- Tiger Hill Park: a symbol of the city, with a history of over 2,500 years, the Tiger Hill has had the reputation of being the No.1 sight of Suzhou, with a Song-dynasty leaning pagoda on top which was built in brick to imitate wood architecture.
Meals: B
Transfer via: International Flight on your own arrangement
Free in the day until our local guide escorts you to the airport for your flight to sweet home.
China domestic flights as specified in the itinerary 
Accommodations for 11 nights, including
11 nights at four star or higher hotels
21 meals, including 11 full breakfasts, 7 lunches and 3 dinners
(including Peking Duck Dinner, Dumpling Dinner, Chuan Food)
3 gala evening events--Peking Opera Show in Beijing,Tang Dynasty Show in Xian,Acrobatic Show in Shanghai 
Round-trip transfers---between airports, hotels and scenic spots in each city by private air-conditioned motor coaches with experienced drivers
A local English-speaking guide in each city
Entrance fees to scenic spots listed in the itinerary
Luggage transfers between airports and hotels
China Life Tourist Accident/Casualty insurance
Government taxes and service charges except tips for tour guides and drivers
We both found the Reed Flute Cave stunningly fascinating, made even so more so by the fact that we were along as the last ones to go through. We were very glad we went with the Longsheng rice paddies option even though it was the wrong time of the year. It was still beautiful with the Dragon's Backbone clearly visible-it was one of our favorite places. The Li River boat cruise was very enjoyable too.
- Adele and Giles Harding,South Africa
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