17 Day Tour Itinerary
Tour Code: ExtensiveTour-Culture-01
- Day 1-4 in Beijing
- Day 1
Say hello to China! When your flight lands in Beijing, your local guide is ready to welcome you at the airport and escort you to your hotel. The rest of the day is yours to relax or to explore this dynamic capital city on your own.
Day 2This morning you will visit Tiananmen Square, the historic center of Beijing, and the splendid Forbidden City. It is really pleasurable to admire these grand royal architecture and listen to their wonderful background stories.
In the afternoon, marvel at the spectacular Temple of Heaven where emperors in ancient times offered sacrifices yearly to Heaven for a good harvest and fortune.
Day 3No Beijing tour is complete without a visit to the Great Wall. Today you will visit the magnificent Mutianyu Great Wall, an intact section of the Wall. Hiking atop the venerable ramparts, you will amaze at this manmade wonder, enjoy its breathtaking landscape and trace back the country’s long history.
Descending the Great Wall, you will drop by a Jade Gallery and take a leisurely stroll along the Sacred Road, a tranquil path charmed with vivid stone statues of divine beasts & officials.
Day 4In the morning, you will take a rickshaw tour to explore the hutongs, the disappearing ancient alleys and courtyards of Old Beijing. En route, you will visit a local family, see his typical courtyard houses and experience the daily life of Beijing commons.
In the afternoon, be escorted to the airport for a flight to Xian, home to the famous Terracotta Warriors.
- Day 5-6 in Xian
- Day 5
The incredible Terracotta Warriors is your first stop today. Discovered by farmers digging a well in 1974, the 6,000 life-size terra soldiers and horses are an amazing form of funerary art, buried with China’s foremost Emperor Qin Shihuang to help rule another empire in the afterlife. Then visit a Ceramic Factory to witness how these statues can be made.
In the afternoon, you will appreciate Chinese calligraphy and stele culture at Forest of Stone Steles Museum.
In the evening, enjoy a decent Dumpling Dinner and the fabulous Tang Dynasty Show.
Day 6After breakfast, you will tour the Ancient City Wall, the largest and best-reserved city walls on earth, visit the 450-year-old Bell Tower and view the peaceful Buddhist monastery and precious scripts of Big Wild Goose Pagoda. Then be escorted to the airport for a flight to Guilin.
Upon arriving in Guilin, be picked up and transferred to your hotel.
- Day 7-8 in Guilin
- Day 7
Today's highlight is Li River Cruise. Starting at Zhujiang Pier, you'll cruise down the picturesque Li River until Yangshuo. En route, stunning limestone karst scenery, pastoral views of thriving groves, rice paddies, water buffalos and working farmers make your trip relaxing & enjoyable.
Early afternoon, disembark in Yangshuo and check into your hotel. Then you will take a bike tour to explore this wonderfully laid back countryside and then roam through the famous West Street.
In the evening, you will be free, optional to enjoy the reputable Impression Liu Sanjie Tribal Show.
Day 8After a memorable stay in Yangshuo, you will be driven back to Guilin to have an essential city tour. First visit the impressive Elephant Trunk Hill, drop by a Pearl Store, and then see the colorfully-illuminated stalactites, stalagmites, stone pillars and rock formations of Reed Flute Cave.
Then take a flight to Hangzhou. Upon arriving in Hangzhou, you will be picked up and escorted to your hotel.
- Day 9-10 in Hangzhou
- Day 9
On this day, you will first paddle on the West Lake to enjoy its inviting scenery and often-talked legends. After, travel to the centuries-old Lingyin Temple to admire at exquisite Buddha statues and observe how locals do their worshipping here, and then climb the serene Feilai Peak to see its reputed religious embossings.
Later，you will take a walk in the green Dragon Well Tea Plantation, watch an artistic Chinese tea ceremony and sip a cup of tasty Chinese tea.
Day 10This morning you will climb on the ancient Six Harmonies Pagoda to have a spectacular view of the charming Qiantang River. Then come to the Museum of Traditional Chinese Medicine to learn about the magic healing art of China.
After the tour, be escorted to the bus station to take a coach to Huangshan (3.5-hour). Upon your arrival in Huangshan, your local guide will greet you and take you to your hotel.
- Day 11-13 in Huangshan
- Day 11
After breakfast, you will be transferred to Huangshan Scenic Area and take a cable car to the mountain top at Yungu Station.
After check-in and lunch, you will trek to Brush Pen Peak and Begin-to-Believe Peak to appreciate the wonders of Huangshan such as grotesque pine trees, odd rocks and cloud sea. Then passing the beautiful Xihai Grand Canyon, you will see the fascinating sunset at Cloud-dispelling Pavilion.
Stay overnight at the summit.
Day 12Try to get up early in the morning to catch the magic Huangshan sunrise.
After breakfast, you will tour the West Sea Scenic Area. Along the journey, you will amaze at the incredible Flying Rock, pass the mist-wreathed Brightness Apex, reach the mountain's highest Turtle Peak to get an unrivaled panoramic view of Huangshan.
Then take a cable car down to the mountain foot and be met and taken to your hotel in Huangshan City.
Day 13The morning excursion will take you to visit a World Heritage site Hongcun and Xidi, two outstanding samples of China’s intact ancient villages. Entering the villages, you will see the amazing rural beauty and feel the tranquility & charms of country life, it can be a pleasant contrast to bustling city life.
After the tour, take a flight to Shanghai and check into your hotel.
- Day 14 in Shanghai
- Day 14
In the morning, you will head to the Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center to witness how Shanghai becomes a super cosmopolitan city from a small fishing village, and then visit the famous Jade Buddha Temple.
Later, you will take a walk in the beautiful Yu Garden, which is smartly filled with pavilions, halls, rock gardens and ponds, and sample some flavorful snacks at bustling Yuyuan Market.
Evening, enjoy the marvelous Acrobatic Show, a cultural gem of the city.
- Day 15 in Suzhou
- Day 15
Today comfortable transfer will take you to Suzhou, a city well-known for its traditional gardens and refined silk embroidery.
Here you will visit the Lingering Garden, one of China’s most beautiful gardens, and enjoy the gentle breeze, nice scenery & local life by taking a cruise along the 2,400-year-old Grand Canal. Then drop by No.1 Silk Factory to discover the secret process of silk-making.
Evening, be immersed in the joyful atmosphere of the Garden Show.
- Day 16-17 in Shanghai
- Day 16
After breakfast, you will be driven back to Shanghai to explore Xian Tian Di, an area that has been renovated showing off the city’s typical Shikumen lane houses, and then wander through the Tian Zi Fang Art Street to see the fashionable artifacts and get a taste of the local’s entertainment there.
Day 17How time flies. It is time to bid farewell to China. You will be free to pursue your personal activities until being escorted to airport for the flight to your next destination.
Trip Overview
From east to west, this 17-30 days tour invites you to explore China's ancient culture relics. Admire dynastic treasure in Beijing and Xian, learn Lhasa's religious culture at Potala Palace and its monasteries, next comes a crucial node of Old Tea Horse Road— Lijiang, where Naxi People creates splendid cultural marvels. Finally cruise down China's mother river— Yangtze to the south of Yangtze Delta, where the root of China ancient culture lies. The canal city Suzhou, noted for silk and classical gardens, well illustrates oriental aesthetics and Chinese art. Hangzhou, with intoxicating scenery centered by West Lake, is where ancient celebrities lingered and most myth and legends about love overflows. And the model of ink paintings, Mt. Huangshan never ceases to inspire poets and writers.
Tailor-made Tour Items
You have maximized flexibility to choose accommodations, meals, departure time and group size. The tour will best match your requirements and preferences.
Price
The price we offer is a package price excluding international airfares.
It can be optional if you'd like us to book for you.
Mutianyu Great Wall is located 43 miles from
the center of Beijing. It is much steeper and wilder than the Badaling section,
and a more challenging climb.
This section is considered by many as the best part of the Great Wall for intact ramparts and few visitors.
Surrounded by woodland and streams, this section takes on a different look in each season. Blossoming flowers in spring, flowing streams in summer, red leaves in autumn & white snow in winter make Mutianyu a most photographic spot.
Li River Cruise, the highlight of any Guilin tour, is the best way to appreciate the city’s intriguing natural beauty.
By taking the cruise from Zhujiang Pier to Yangshuo, 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 will feel like you are walking into a traditional Chinese painting.
It is surrounded by mountains on three sides, with an area of around 6.5 square kilometers. The circumference is around 15 kilometers. The average depth of West Lake is 0.8 meters, and the capacity is about 14,290,000 cubic meters. The 10 Views of West Lake can best illustrates its beauty.
The enchanting scenery also offers the perfect setting for romance, which results in many legends and myths about love. The most famous one is a heartbreaking love story about Lady White Snake. She fell in love with a mortal Xuxian on the broken Bridge on West Lake, but a monk broke them up and imprisoned Lady White Snake in Leifeng Pagoda. It’s said that not until the lake dried up, or the pagoda falls will she be released.
The Mt.Huangshan Scenic Area is comprised of numerous peaks of various heights and with grotesque rocks of different formation, and is well known for its extraordinary aesthetic mountainous features; where you can find abundant beauty of nature, with its charm lying in its oddly-shaped pines, fantastic rocks, sea of clouds and hot springs--the four supreme sights on the mountain.
It ranks with the Great Wall of China as the country's greatest engineering achievement and it is the longest man-made waterway in world.
Built in Sui Dynasty (605-616 AD), 1794 kilometers long, from Beijing to Hangzhou, the Grand Canal has created a bountiful agricultural region and served as a major transportation artery between north and south.
Tianzifang Art Street: As
a newly emerging attraction, Tianzifang developed from a local residence area
to a new art zone in 2000 and now has become a magnet for art galleries.
It's a place which you can encounter the feeling of creative arts, romantic cafes and old Shanghainese atmosphere.
China Odyssey Recommends
Extend your experience with these add-on itineraries.
 + 4 Days The 2300-year-old Chengdu overflows with cultural relics and natural resources, and wins the name "Land of Abundance". Besides the unmissable Pandas and teahouses, Jinli Street is a must-visit site, where you can immerse yourself into Bashu culture and folk customs, savor the yummy snacks and unwind at all kinds of activities and shows. Lhasa, with a meaning of "Holy Land" or "Buddha's Abode" in Tibetan, is the heart and soul of Tibet. Its over 1,300-year-old ancient culture not only lies in the monasteries, Patala Palace, and the circumanbulation circuit— Bakhor Street, but also survives in Tibetan's customs, dancing, festivals, and rituals. |
|
 + 4 Days Yangtze River, the oldest and longest river in China, remains a hot extension for China tours. Cruising on this legendary river, you will see real rural life and spectacular landscape; take excursions to explore famous cultural relics, and witness the world's largest hydro-electric complex, Three Gorges Dam... |
|
Tailor-made Tour Items
AccommodationOur travel experts will provide you suggestions based on convenience of sightseeing, and the level of luxury you desire.Read on to find out what is best for you.
Breakfast & Meal
You do not have to eat the same food every time in tourist restaurants.We like you to taste a variety of Chinese food, which could be your best experience in China.
How many people
All of our tour groups are private groups.Either you are traveling alone or with your family and friends, departure is guaranteed regardless of group size.
Departure
The departure time of your tour is totally flexible. Booking your own flights is not a problem.It's always a good idea to check with us first for the options available.
To help you better plan your tour, we offers a Budget Guide for reference.
Our Private Service
What customers say...
Read all customer reviews on this tour >>Making this tour exclusive to you and whomever you would like to travel to China with.
Enjoy a sense of control from the very beginning of your tour; feel more secure and comfortable during your tour.
