Day-by-Day Itinerary

Day 1 Arrive / Beijing

Upon your arrival at Beijing airport, our local guide will meet you and escort you to your hotel. The rest of the day is yours to relax, or go out and have an adventure on your own.

Accommodations: Jianguo Garden Hotel
Transfer via: International flight arranged by you

Day 2 Beijing

Accommodations: Jianguo Garden Hotel
Sites visited: Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City
Special Experience: Learn how to make Imperial Cuisine

On this day, you will first visit Tiananmen Square, followed by a trip to the magnificent Forbidden City, home to China's Emperors during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. In the afternoon, you will be taken to learn how to make Imperial Cuisine (Gongting Cai) in a local tourism school (about 3 hours in the afternoon).

Day 3 Beijing

Accommodations: Jianguo Garden Hotel
Sites visited: Summer Palace
Special Experience: Learn how to make Imperial Cuisine

This morning you will continue to learn to prepare Imperial Cuisine. In the afternoon you will visit the breathtaking Summer Palace.

Day 4 Beijing

Accommodations: Jianguo Garden Hotel
Sights visited: Great Wall, Scared Road
Special Meals: Beijing Roast Duck

This day's tours will take you to the visit the majestic Great Wall (Badaling section) and the Sacred Road. On your way back from the Great Wall. In the evening you will be taken to have a dinner of Beijing's famous Peking Duck.

Day 5 Beijing / Xian

Accommodations: Hotel Royal Garden
Speical Experience: Learn how to make dumplings at local family's house
Transfer via: Morning flight arranged by us

After breakfast, you will visit 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. And then take the afternoon flight to Xian. Upon arriving, your local guide will meet you and escort you to your hotel.

Day 6 Xian

Accommodations: Hotel Royal Garden
Sites visited: Terracotta Warriors, Ancient City Wall, Bell Tower, Tang Dynasty Show
Special Meals: Dumpling Banquet

Today, you will first visit the incredible life-size Terracotta Warriors and Horses, after lunch, visit the Ancient City Walls and the Bell Tower. Complete the day with a savory Dumpling Banquet and the Tang Dynasty Show both at Shaanxi Grand Opera Theatre.

Day 7 Xian / Guilin

Accommodations: Bravo Hotel
Sites visited: Big Wild Goose Pagoda, Hanyang Tombs
Transfer via: China domestic flight arranged by us

After breakfast, you will visit the Big Wild Goose Pagoda and the Hanyang Tombs before your flight to Guilin. Upon arriving in Guilin, the most scenic city in China, your local guide will meet you and escort you to your hotel. In the evening you will enjoy Guilin's local cuisine at a local restaurant.

Day 8 Guilin

Accommodations: Hotel Paradise
Sites visited: Li River Cruise, Yangshuo County

After breakfast, you will be driven to Zhujiang Pier (about 40-minute drive) to start your boat cruise along the picturesque Li River to Yangshuo county. This is the highlight of any visit to Guilin. A simple lunch is served on the boat. After checking into your hotel, you will be free to explore Yangshuo's famous West Street, where local specialties like beer fish are served.

Day 9 Guilin

Accommodations: Bravo Hotel
Special experience: Learn to cook Guilin local cuisine

On this day you will have a very special cooking class. You will accompany your teacher to a local market to purchase the ingredients you need to cook Guilin's local cuisine. You will learn to cook the daily cuisine of the local people before sitting down to enjoy the food that you just learned to prepare. Afterwards, you will be driven back to Guilin.

Day 10 Guilin / Shanghai

Accommodations: The Bund Hotel Shanghai
Sites visited: Fubo Hill Park, Reed Flute Cave
Transfer via: Evening flight arranged by us

On this day, you tour will first take you to Fubo Hill Park, followed by a trip to the Reed Flute Cave before your guide escorts you to the airport for your flight to Shanghai. Upon arriving in Shanghai, China's most cosmopolitan city, your local guide will meet you and escort you to your hotel.

Day 11 Shanghai

Accommodations: The Bund Hotel Shanghai
Sites visited: Yu Garden, Yuyuan Market, Nanjing Road
Special experience: Learn to make Shanghai Dim Sum

On your first day in Shanghai, you will learn to prepare some of Shanghai's famous dim sum dishes in the Han Dragon Center (approximately 3 hours). In the afternoon you will visit the Yu Garden, Yuyuan Market, followed by the Bund and Nanjing Road.

Day 12 Shanghai

Accommodations: The Bund Hotel Shanghai
Sites visited: Shanghai Museum
Special Experience: Cooking class in Han Dragon Center

After breakfast, you will visit the Shanghai Museum. In the afternoon, you will have a 3 hour cooking class in the Han Dragon Centre.

Day 13 Shanghai / Departure

Transfer via: International Flight arranged by you

On this day you will be free to relax until your local guide escorts you to the airport for your flight to your next destination

What's Included

• China domestic flights as specified in the itinerary
• Accommodations - for 12 nights at three star or higher hotels in comfortable twin-bedded rooms with a private bath, air-conditioning, television, telephone and minibar
• 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

Dates & Prices

• There are no fixed departure dates for all itineraries - you can start your trip whenever you want. All our tours operate all year round and are scheduled upon request.
• Tell us your group size and when you plan to travel to China by filling the online inquiry form, and we will get back to you with a full itinerary and the most competative price. The larger your group, the higher your discount will be.

China Odyssey Tours specializes in Foreign Individual Travel and all our tours operate based on small groups of 2-10 persons traveling together and are designed to enhance your China experince. We are trying our best to investigate and explore tour routes to suit both individuals and groups.

If the tours do not suit your interests, we would be happy to assist in designing a tailored itinerary to meet your requirements.

Hotels

Jianguo Garden Hotel ★★★★

Beijing

As a four-star international hotel, Jianguo Garden Hotel finds its place along the bustling Chang'an Street of Central Beijing, near the well-known shopping street of Wangfujing, and just a few minutes' drive to historical tourist attractions as the Tian'anmen Square and the Forbidden City, and with so many trade and commercial centers nearby.

Hotel Royal Garden ★★★★

Xian

xi'an was called Chang'an in the Han Dynasty, the connotation of "Chang'an" is "a place of permanent peace ".. Xi'an was the starting point of the world-famous Silk Road, it can be well likened to history museum, moving around this old city is like going through thousands of years back in time. Hotel Royal Garden is located at east street of busy shopping centre. It is 5km(3miles) to railway station, 42km(26miles) to airport and possess 429 guest rooms.

Bravo Hotel ★★★★

Guilin

Conveniently located in the city center on the Banyan Lake Park. 28km(17.4miles) from Guilin Liangjiang International Air port.3 km(1.9miles) from Guilin Railway Station. 329 tastefully decorated guest rooms and suites, non-smoking rooms and Handicapped rooms are available. Each room with individually controlled air-conditioning and heating, safety deposit box, minibar, ADSL Internet access, IDD phone, private bathroom with extension phone, satellite TV and free-in house movie channel.

Hotel Paradise★★★★

Yangshuo

The Paradise Yangshuo is the only international resort located in the scenic town of Yangshuo, offering 145 rooms and suites and one of the best sceneries in all of Yangshuo. A perfect choice for both the holiday or business traveler. This exquisite resort with traditional Chinese landscaping allows you to enjoy its splendour in a unique and luxurious lake front setting.

The Bund Hotel Shanghai ★★★★

Shanghai

The Bund Hotel Shanghai located int the heart downtown of Shanghai, we are only 10 minutes walking to the famous "bund", 5minutes walking to Nanjing Road's famous" Pedestrian Street" and close to Pudong financial district The Bund Hotel, a unique international four-star hotel, is at your service anytime, to make your trip a cozy and delightful memory.

Meals

Most meals are included as specified in the itinerary. Meal codes are: B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner.

Breakfast - All the breakfasts are served in the hotels that you stay at, with both Chinese & Western foods, which will cater to your appetite well enough.

Lunch - Lunches are usually arranged at the Chinese restaurants near the scenic spots, with clean environment and healthy food. The tour guides will order the food according to your appetite. Most are Chinese dishes, and some are modified to fit westerners' taste. A complimentary glass of beer or soft drink is served with lunch.

Dinner - Same as lunch. If you are individual travelers and do not like Chinese food, China Odyssey Tours suggests dinner on your own and our local tour guide can recommend some good western restaurants.

China Odyssey Tours can also be your culinary guide providing you the opportunity to savor tempting local food and world-famous dishes.