11-Day Senior China: Local Life, Activities & Pandas

Upon arriving in Shanghai, your personal tour guide and driver will greet you at the outside of the arrival hall and escort you to your hotel by private vehicle. It usually takes you around one hour on road.

Overnight: Shanghai

Start your city discovery with an in-depth exploration of the Bund, which records the most glorious period of Shanghai during the 1920s and 1930s. Afterward, continue to tour a classical Chinese private garden - Yu Garden and then stop at a silk workshop where you can see how small cocoons transform into elegant silk. In the afternoon, have a leisurely walking tour from Fuxing Park to Bugaoli Stone Gate to a local market. Passing through the narrow lanes and communities with the locals living there, you will fully understand the vibrant, dynamic and complicated Shanghai city.

Overnight: Shanghai
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

You will have a free morning to do further exploration on your own or just relax at your hotel.

Fly to Chengdu in the afternoon. Arrived in Chengdu, be picked up and transferred to your hotel by your local guide and driver.

Overnight: Chengdu
Meal: Breakfast

Have a memorable morning to see cute pandas and other rare animals at Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding After the tour, get back to your hotel and have a rest.

Later in the afternoon, meet your tour guide and start your foodie tour. It includes a visit at a spice market to buy necessary ingredients, try the traditional Gaiwan tea as the locals do, follow the chef to cook three popular dishes of Sichuan cuisine and enjoy your food as dinner.

Overnight: Chengdu
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

This morning, you will visit Wenshu Temple, located in the downtown Chengdu, followed by the River Viewing Tower Park. There you can enjoy a great view from Chongli Pavilion or try to learn Chinese Mahjong with local people. It is a good way to experience the locals' laid-back lifestyle. Later on, take a high-speed train to Xi'an.

Overnight: Xi'an
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Today is packed with the highlights of Xi'an: the legendary Terracotta Warriors - one of the most significant archaeological findings in the world, the hustle and bustling Muslim Street and Great Mosque, one of the four biggest Islamic mosques in China. After the tour, you may also have a short stop at a jade gallery if you are interested in Chinese jade culture or like to find some good souvenirs in Xi'an.

Overnight: Xi'an
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Xi'an is a time-honored city full of history and culture. After breakfast, you can try your hand at traditional Chinese calligraphy at the tranquil Small Wild Goose Pagoda, a historic pagoda that has survived countless wars and natural disasters with a history of 1,300 years.

Take a speedy train in the afternoon to Beijing. Arrived after around 5 to 6 hours, your local tour guide will meet and help you to check into your hotel.

Overnight: Beijing
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Begin the capital city tour from Tiananmen Square - the emblem of present China, and then have a visit to the Forbidden City - the power seat of ancient China since 600 years ago where you will spend 2.5 to 3 hours to appreciate the royal buildings and soak in its mysterious ambiance. End today's tour with the Temple of Heaven, a holy place where ancient Chinese emperors prayed for good harvests.

Overnight: Beijing
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Today's journey will take you to the magnificent Great Wall!

To avoid the crowds and get a better experience, you will drive about 2 hours to the Great Wall at Mutianyu section, where you can take a cable car to get up on the well-preserved wall, do some moderate hiking on it and then take another cable car down. After the tour, drive back to Beijing and have a detour to the Sacred Road, which is an important part of the famous 13 Ming Tombs.

Overnight: Beijing
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Have breakfast at the hotel, but you may want to try some special flavors at a local food market. This is your first stop on the last day in Beijing. Later on, you will take a rickshaw ride through the narrow alleys of hutongs to get a glimpse of the Beijingers' life and visit the only Lama Temple - Yonghe Lamasery.

In the afternoon, continue your tour to the Summer Palace and take a 15-minute boat trip. Finally, visit a pearl store if you want some shopping.

Overnight: Beijing
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Farewell, China! When everything is ready, your tour guide and driver will take you to the airport for your return flight.

Meal: Breakfast