Best of China Tour with Yangtze

Itinerary

• Day 1: Beijing, Arrival

  Welcome to Beijing, the capital city of China! When your flight lands at Beijing Capital International Airport, your personal tour guide will be ready to welcome you at the arrival hall exit and take you to your hotel in a private vehicle. The rest of the day is free for you to relax and recover from the long flight.

  • Beijing

• Day 2: Beijing, Forbidden City

  On the first day of your China tour, your private tour guide will accompany you to start the city exploration at Tiananmen Square. Walking through Tiananmen Gate, you'll see the highlight of today - the splendid Forbidden City. The seat of power, imposing pavilions, elegant ornamentation, cultural relics... all tell you about the historical stories that happened here.

  Later, spend the afternoon in the Temple of Heaven and its surrounding park. As an imperial complex of religious buildings, the temple will surprise you with its rich history and sacred architecture, while the park offers you a chance to observe the daily life of the locals.

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  • Beijing

• Day 3: Beijing

  It's not a complete China tour to leave Beijing without visiting the majestic Great Wall. After 2 hours of driving, you will arrive at the Mutianyu Great Wall, a less crowded section with breathtaking scenery. Taking the cable car up, you'll spend 2 or 3 hours hiking along the winding Great Wall, then get down by a cable car. Through the hiking tour, you may truly feel the ancient Chinese's creativity and wisdom.

  With another hour's drive, you'll arrive at Changling Tomb - the largest and best preserved of the Thirteen Tombs of the Ming Dynasty. On the way back to Beijing, take a stopover at a jade gallery.

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  • Beijing

• Day 4: Beijing - Xi'an

  The first stop of today's exploration will be the Summer Palace, China's most extensive and best-preserved imperial garden. You can walk around this royal garden, and if the weather permits, you can enjoy a boat ride on Kunming Lake. Later, get to hutongs and sit in an outdated rickshaw to see the traditional houses of old Beijing. After that, fly two hours to Xi'an and then go to your downtown hotel after arrival with your tour guide's help.

  Optional: You could also take a high-speed train from Beijing to Xi'an, which will take around 5 to 6 hours on the road. It is an excellent way to experience local life and a good way to cut down the tour cost. If you prefer it, feel free to let us know.

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  • Xi'an

• Day 5: Xi'an

  This day will be one of the most memorable parts of your trip to China, as you will uncover the mystery of the underground army of Terracotta Warriors. Shi Huangdi, China's first emperor, commissioned the Terracotta Army to serve him in the afterlife and guard his tomb. You will surely be astonished by the thousands of vivid clay statues in life-size.

  After a short visit to Xi'an Art Ceramics Factory, drive back to the city to visit Ancient City Wall and the Muslim Street downtown.

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  • Xi'an

• Day 6: Xi'an - Guilin

  Flying about 2 hours to Guilin in the morning, you'll see another face of China.

  Upon arrival, you'll visit the Reed Flute Cave before getting to your hotel. Stepping into the cave, you will see various shapes of stalactites and stalagmites illuminated by colorful lights and learn how they were formed.

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  • Guilin

• Day 7: Guilin - Yangshuo

  Lijiang River is the most representative scenery of Guilin's karst landform. After breakfast, you will be taken to Zhujiang Pier for a leisure cruise tour along the Li River down to Yangshuo. You will be immersed in the unique scenery formed by towering karst peaks, bamboo groves, and rice paddies along the river. Depending on the water level, it will take around 3.5 to 4.5 hours.

  After the cruise, your tour guide will accompany you to the busy West Street and head to your hotel.

  Optional: Cycle or drive around to see the idyllic scenery of the Yangshuo countryside.

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  • Yangshuo

• Day 8: Yangshuo - Guilin - Chongqing, Yangtze River Cruise

  After breakfast, your guide will take you to the railway station for your high-speed train to Chongqing. On arrival, your guide will pick you up and take you to the dock, where you can check in for your Yangtze River cruise. The ship usually departs from Chongqing at 9:00 pm.

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  • Yangtze River Cruise

• Day 9: Yangtze River Cruise, Shibaozhai

  Have a leisurely morning on the board to enjoy the scenery on both sides of the Yangtze River. In the afternoon, take the included excursion to Shibaozhai, a historical red pavilion hanging on a solitary hill to serve as a path to the top of the hill, where you can get a sweeping view of the surrounding area.

  Optional: In the morning, you could take an optional land tour to Fengdu Ghost City, organized by the cruise company.

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  • Yangtze River Cruise

• Day 10: Yangtze River Cruise, Shennv Stream

  Enjoy another leisurely morning while the cruise continues. In the afternoon, join the group to visit Shennv Stream. Take a wooden flat-bottom boat to reach the depth of the valley, relish in the stunning scenery, and catch the chance to see the original life of locals.

  Optional: If you're interested in Chinese history, the optional tour to the White Emperor City may be a nice choice.

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  • Yangtze River Cruise

• Day 11: Yangtze Cruise End, Yichang - Shanghai

  After breakfast, take a shore excursion to the massive Three Gorges Dam, a must-see engineering wonder in China. Disembark the cruise at noon, and your private tour guide in Yichang will pick you up and transfer you to the airport for your flight to Shanghai. After arrival, be transferred to the hotel for check-in.

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  • Shanghai

• Day 12: Shanghai

  Discover the city from Shanghai Museum and trace back to the past from its thousands of collections. Continue your tour to Yu Garden and the bustling Yuyuan Market, a silk workshop, and the former French Concession. End today's tour by strolling on the Bund, where you can get a microcosm of Old Shanghai dating back to the 1920s.

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  • Shanghai

• Day 13: Shanghai, Departure

  Time to say goodbye to China. Enjoy some free time until the tour guide picks you up and transfers you to the airport for your homebound flight.

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