Embark on a 12-day exploration of China, delving deep into its rich history and diverse culture. Starting in Shanghai, the journey unfolds with visits to iconic sites like the Shanghai Museum, Yu Garden, and the historic Bund. The adventure continues to the ancient water town of Xitang before flying to Zhangjiajie, where surreal landscapes inspired the movie Avatar.
Immerse yourself in the natural wonders of Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, Tianzi Mountain, and Ten-mile Gallery. The tour then takes you to Changsha, Tianmen Mountain, and Guilin’s Reed Flute Cave. A leisurely Li River cruise transports you to Yangshuo, offering breathtaking views of karst hills. Explore Yangshuo, then fly to Xi’an for encounters with the Terracotta Warriors and the vibrant Muslim Street.
The journey concludes in Beijing, where the Forbidden City, ancient Hutongs, the Temple of Heaven, and the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall await exploration. A captivating blend of ancient and modern, this itinerary promises an unforgettable cultural odyssey through China’s storied past and dynamic present.
Trip Highlights:
Trip Price: customize trip, if you are interested in this tour, please contact us for a specific price. (email: [email protected])
Travel Date: Available year-round from January 1st to December 31st
Tour Summary
Transfer via: Flight, arranged on your own
Accommodation:
Upon arrival in Shanghai, you will be warmly greeted by your guide and transferred to your downtown hotel in a private car. Spend the remainder of the day at leisure.
Meals: Breakfast, A la carte lunch
Accommodation:
Shanghai is a city that perfectly integrates its old and new glamour, which can be fully found today. The city exploration begins at the Shanghai Museum, where you will be astounded by the bronzes, jades, paintings, sculptures, and other valuable collections of ancient Chinese artifacts. Continue to the Yu Garden, an artistically designed one with over 400 years of history, shining among all traditional Chinese gardens in the south of the Yangtze. Then change your tempo to the Yuyuan Market, a bustling bazaar nearby that sells all kinds of stuff. After a short break at a silk shop, wander through the Bund to feel the old appeal of the city.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--Shanghai Museum with an audio(Closed on Monday): Located at the center of Shanghai city, Shanghai Museum is the biggest museum in China with a myriad of collections of Chinese artifacts. If you are interested in Chinese history, it is highly recommended.
--Yu Garden (closed on Monday, except holidays): Located in the Old Town of Shanghai and laid out in 1577 AD by a powerful Ming official, Yu Garden shows a beautiful landscape of pagodas, pavilions, rockeries, fountains, ancient trees, and precious flowers.
--Yuyuan Market: It is a bustling market outside the Yu Garden, with different snacks and trinkets. You will have a chance to taste some delicious local street foods here.
--Silk Workshop (factory): Chinese silk has surprised the world through the ancient Silk Road. How small cocoons transformed into elegant silk and embroideries has for long time been described as a magical process. When visit the workshop/factory, you will see a variety of skills used for producing the dazzling silk items. It is also a good place to find worthwhile souvenirs for your families and friends.
--The Bund: It is the microcosm of old Shanghai as well as the landmark of modern Shanghai. Strolling along the Bund, you will marvel at the spectacular international style architectures and their histories while enjoying the charming skyline on the east bank of the Pujiang River at the same time.
Transfer via: Flight (Duration: 2 hours), Economy Class
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation:
There are several picturesque water towns not far from Shanghai, and Xitang is a representative of them. Check out your hotel in the morning and take a drive (around 1.5 hours) to Xitang Ancient Town, a quaint town dating back to 771 B.C. Have a mesmerizing boat ride on the canals and soak up the charming views.
Afterward, be escorted to the airport in Shanghai for your flight to Zhangjiajie. When you land at the airport, your Zhangjiajie local guide will be awaiting you and ready to take you to the hotel.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--Xitang Ancient Town: Xitang is an ancient water town, approximate 80 minutes drive from Shanghai. The town is divided to eight sections by nine rivers and is linked by old-fashioned stone bridges. In the older parts of town, the buildings are set along the banks of the canals, which serve as the main transportation thoroughfares in the area. It also contains numerous antique residences and temples, such as the Temple of the Seven Masters.
--Boat cruise at Xitang: Riding a small, gondola-like boat (called sampan) cruising on the small river would be a unique experience. It normally takes 6-8 people together in one boat. If you like, you can also pay the extra fee to occupy the whole boat.
Meals: Breakfast, A la carte lunch
Accommodation:
The stunning scenery of Zhangjiajie makes it quite famous and attracts numerous tourists from all over the world each year. After breakfast, head to Wulinyuan Scenic Area and spend the whole day there. Take the Bailong Elevator up to the Yuanjiajie Scenic Area, a surreal world with thousands of towering pinnacles that are said to have inspired James Cameron's blockbuster Avatar. Then, ride the public shuttle bus to the Tianzi Mountain Natural Reserve to marvel at the First Bridge Under the Sun and the spectacular pinnacles like Fairy Maiden Presenting Flowers and Imperial Brush Peak. Take a cable car down and conclude the tour today at Ten-mile Gallery, a 6-km long valley with beautiful peaks on both sides and a peaceful stream running through.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Note:
Our private van is not allowed to enter into the Scenic Area. You will take the shuttle bus inside the Scenic Area from one scenic spot to another. Our tour guide might change the touring order to help you avoid the crowds.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--Zhangjiajie National Forest Park: It is located Northwest of Wulingyuan and spans 4300ha. It is the first designated state-run national forest in China and had only opened its doors to tourists in the 1980s.
--Yuanjiajie Scenic Area: it is essentially a large, shrub-and-tree-clad, platform-like block-and-obelisk landscape with a hollowed-out valley floor, with a pristine mountain stream running through it, at its center. In James Cameron's 2009 blockbuster Avatar, its mist-wreathed mountains were the inspiration for Hallelujah Mountain in the fairytale world of Pandora.
--Tianzi Mountain: Located in the northern part of Wulingyuan Scenic Area in Hunan Province, Tianzi (Son of Heaven) Mountain Nature Reserve is one of the four scenic spots in Wulingyuan (three other spots are the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, the Suoxiyu Natural Resource Reserve and the Yangjiajie Scenic Area). It covers an area of 67 square kilometers (about 16,550 acres), and the highest peak is 1,262 meters (about 4,140 feet) above the sea level.
--Ten-mile Gallery (including round trip train): located in the northwestern part of Suoxigu Natural Reserve, at the foot of Tianzi Mountain. It is about 5.8 kilometers in length. With a stream flowing through, and the peaks on both sides of the valley shape, it forms natural sculptures. The Herb Collecting Old Man and Immortals Worshipping Guanyin are the most spectacular.
Transfer via: Bullet D train , Second Class Seat
Meals: Breakfast, A la carte lunch
Accommodation:
Take the morning to visit Tianmen Mountain, which literally means "heaven's gate mountain" for the huge natural cave halfway up the mountain. The 7,455-meter cable car, which had been the longest one in the world until 2021, will take you to the top within 30 minutes.
After the unforgettable tour in Zhangjiajie, get to the railway station for your train to Changsha.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--Tianmen Mountain (including two Glass Walkways, the cable car and Mini bus): It is regarded as the symbol and soul of Zhangjiajie. Tianmen Mountain is the first recorded mountain in the history of Zhangjiajie. The highest peak is around 1518.6 meters above sea level. The mountain is named after the natural huge cave half way up the mountain just like a gate to the heaven, hence, the name Heavenly Gate Mountain - Tianmen Mountain.
Transfer via: High speed G train (Duration: 3.5 hours), Second Class Seat,
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation:
After breakfast, board your train to Guilin.
Upon arrival, be greeted by your local tour guide and proceed to visit Reed Flute Cave, in which you can see lots of stalactites & stalagmites illuminated by the lights of different colors and learn how they were formed. After that, check into your hotel and have a rest.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--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 and learn how they were formed.
Transfer via: Boat
Meals: Breakfast, lunch
Accommodation:
Today you will take a relaxing Li River cruise down to the scenic town of Yangshuo. Along the way, immerse yourself in the dramatic landscape of clear water, karst hills, paddy fields, and rural villages.
Disembark in Yangshuo at around 1:30 pm to 2 pm (depending on the water condition) and walk through the bustling West Street, followed by a private transfer to your Yangshuo hotel. For the rest of the day, relax, indulge and explore your scenic surroundings.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--Li River Cruise: By taking the cruise on Li 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 countryside view. The cruise usually takes around 4 hours, depends on the water conditions.
Transfer via:
Yangshuo - Guilin, Private vehicle
Guilin - Xi'an, Flight (Duration: 1 hour and 55 minutes), Economy Class
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation:
Wake up early to get back to Guilin and board your morning flight to Xi'an.
Once arrival, your private guide there will pick you up and escort you to visit the Ancient City Wall. After that, check into your hotel and rest.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--Ancient City Wall: The Xi'an City Wall is one of the largest and best-preserved ancient fortresses in China with a circumference of 13.74 km. Walking on the wall, you can best enjoy the watchtowers, moat, landscaped environs and feel like stepping back in time to ancient China.
Meals: Breakfast, A la carte lunch
Accommodation:
Unlike Zhangjiajie, which is well-known mainly for its natural wonders, Xi'an is world-famous due to its extraordinary archaeological discovery of the Terracotta Warriors. These life-size clay soldiers had been created about 2,200 years ago to accompany the first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang, after his death.
After being astonished by the incomparable Terracotta Army, meander through the famous Muslim Quarter, which has been the center of the Muslim community in Xi'an for over 1,000 years. Explore the Muslim culture and try some exotic snacks there.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--Terracotta Warriors: Discovered in 1974 by local farmers digging a well, the Terracotta Warriors is one of the most significant archeological finds of the 20th century and has been registered in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Site. The site consists of three main buildings, Pit 1, Pit 2, and Pit 3. The three pits occupy an area of 22,000 square meters, housing about 8,000 life-size pottery warriors and horses. These painted terracotta warriors and horses, which individually sculpted from real-life models and arranged in battle formation, have been protecting the mausoleum of the first emperor in Chinese history, Emperor Qin Shi Huang, since 2,200 years ago.
--Muslim Street: Muslim Street is the center of the sizable Chinese-Muslim community in Xi'an, considered as a snack street by the locals. It is a fantastic place to wander and pass through linked with shops selling a large variety of interesting local delicacies, snacks, and souvenirs. It is also packed with small restaurants serving typical Muslim food.
Transfer via: High speed G train (Duration: about 4.5-6 hours), Second Class Seat
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation:
Take a morning train to Beijing.
Once arrival, be escorted by your local guide to explore the Forbidden City, admiring its magnificent imperial buildings with exquisite details. Before heading to the hotel, spend some time strolling around a well-preserved Hutong and get on a rickshaw to discover the most traditional community of old Beijing.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--Rickshaw Hutong Tour: The old narrow paths with lots of courtyard homes where common people are living, they are like villages within megalopolis, through the hutongs' teeming maze of alleyways, and you will see the old houses and learn about the daily life of ordinary Beijing citizens.
--The Forbidden City (Closed on Monday): It is 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.
Meals: Breakfast, A la carte lunch
Accommodation:
Before heading to the Great Wall, enjoy some time at the Temple of Heaven, where emperors in the Ming and Qing dynasties worshiped heaven once a year for bountiful harvests.
Drive about 2 hours to the suburb of Beijing to visit the awe-inspiring Great Wall at Mutianyu. This less-frequented section of the Wall stretches 1.4 miles, with 22 blockhouses and watchtowers offering splendid views of the meandering Great Wall and the surrounding mountains. Do not forget to take some photos and share with your family and friends this engineering masterpiece.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--Temple of Heaven: It is 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.
--Great Wall (Mutianyu Section): 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 stretching about 6,700 km.
--Mutianyu Cable Car (round way): Round-way cable car of Mutianyu Great Wall included. Chair-lift and Toboggan are also available. If you want to change to any of them, please inform the local guide before he or she purchases the tickets for round-trip cable car for you. Please pay the extra charge in cash to the local guide.
Transfer via: Flight , arranged on your own
Meals: Breakfast
Enjoy some free time on your own until you're taken to the airport for your flight. Thank you for traveling with us and wish you a pleasant flight.
Cancellation received 60 days or more before the departure of the first product or service in the relevant booking: The Lifetime Deposit will be held by the Tour Operator in accordance with these Terms. The remainder of the payments made to the Tour Operator for the cancelled product will be refunded.
Cancellation received 59-30 days before the departure of the first product or service in the relevant booking: The Lifetime Deposit will be held by the Tour Operator in accordance with these Terms. An amount equal to 50% of the remaining payments made to the Tour Operator for the cancelled Tour will be refunded.
Cancellation less than 30 days before the departure of the first product or service in the relevant booking: The Lifetime Deposit will be held by the Tour Operator in accordance with these Terms, and no further refund will be provided.