China Historical Culture Tour 12 day/11 night

Transfer via: Flight , arranged on your own

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Tibet Hotel Chengdu, Cheerful Tibetan Experience（Twin Room）

Upon arrival in Chengdu, you will be greeted by our tour guide and then take a private transfer to your downtown hotel. Check in and have the rest of the day at leisure.

Transfer via:

Chengdu - Dujiangyan, Private vehicle

Dujiangyan - Chengdu, Private vehicle

Meals: Breakfast, Sichuan Hot Pot lunch

Accommodation:

Wake up early to Dujiangyan Panda Base, which offers volunteer programs that give visitors an opportunity to get closer contact with the cute giant pandas and understand their panda wilderness training program. Spend a day here, you will work with Chinese panda staff to take care of the pandas, such as cleaning panda enclosures, preparing panda food, watching films about pandas, visiting the Panda Center of Science and Education, attending panda classes, and planting bamboo and trees.

After the tour, get back to Chengdu for the night.

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--Volunteer Programs at Dujiangyan Panda Base: The volunteer activity officially begins at 8:30 am, so please arrive early.

Under teacher guidance, clean enclosures, collect feces, add bamboo and observe panda behaviors. Watch feeding demonstrations and behavioral training. After lunch, prepare food for recovering pandas and deliver while learning caregiver techniques. Make Wotou to understand recipe and benefits.

Depart at 3pm after photos, certificates and returning passes.

Transfer via: High speed G train (Duration: around 3.5-4.5hours), Second Class Seat

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation:

After breakfast, drive about 1 hour to visit Sanxingdui Museum. Situated in Guanghan city about 50 km north from Chengdu, Sanxingdui Museum is world-renown for more than 4,000 relics unearthed in 1929 from Sanxingdui Site that was the ancient capital 3000-5000 years ago.

After the museum visit, drive back to Chengdu and board your train to Xi'an. Upon arrival, be escorted to your hotel for check-in.

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--Sanxingdui Museum: Drive about an hour from the downtown of Chengdu, you will get to Sanxingdui Museum. The only museum about the lost civilization of Shu Kingdom will provide you a totally different perspective of Chinese history. There, you will be amazed by countless grotesque bronzes, gold, pottery and jade. These unearthed relics can be dated back to 4,500 years ago and among them you should not miss the 2.62-meter-tall standing statue, the1.38-meter-wide bronze mask and the 3.95-meter-high bronze tree.

Meals: Breakfast, A la carte lunch,  dinner

Accommodation:

After breakfast, drive about an hour to the Terracotta Warriors Museum. The highlights of the museum are the three pits (Pit One, Pit Two, and Pit Three) where the warriors are on display, and the Exhibition of Bronze Chariots. 

Then, drive back to the city and take a walk around the vibrant Muslim Quarter. In the evening, enjoy a Tang Dynasty Cultural Show with Dumpling Banquet at the Tang Dynasty Palace.

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Optional: night show, The Tang Dynasty Dancing Show & The Dumpling Dinner at Tang Dynasty Palace USD 52

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--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.

--The Tang Dynasty Dancing Show & The Dumpling Dinner at Tang Dynasty Palace: The Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) was one of the most glorious dynasties in China's history, Xi'an was the capital during the Tang Dynasty and called as Chang'an. Tang Dynasty Show is a performance of Chang'an music and dances in Tang Dynasty style laid out according to various historical records and ancient arts and relics discovered in Xi'an, during the show, the musicians present the music with the Tang-Dynasty-style musical instruments and the dancers dance by wearing a Tang-Dynasty-style robe with long white silk sleeves, you will certainly enjoy this national art that reflects the glory and richness of the Tang Dynasty era. Dumpling or Jiaozi in Chinese is a traditional and popular food in China, especially in the north. At the dinner, nearly 20 varieties of dumplings that are steamed and stuffed with different delicious fillings such as vegetables, meats and seafood are served, these dumplings are not only tasty, but also characteristic with their colors and fragrance, style and culture meanings, all these make the dinner so unique that you should not miss it when traveling in Xi'an.

Transfer via: Flight (Duration: 2 hours), Economy Class

Meals: Breakfast, Meal at local family lunch

Accommodation: Jiayuguan Hotel

This morning, you will take a leisure walk along the Ancient City Wall, followed by a visit to the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda.

After that, embark on a flight to Jiayuguan City. On arrival, be picked up and escorted to your hotel for check-in.

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--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.

--Big Wild Goose Pagoda: Big Wild Goose Pagoda, also called Da Ci'en Temple, was built in 652 during the Tang dynasty to house the sutras brought back from ancient India by the famous monk Xuanzang. It's a well-preserved ancient building and a holy place for Buddhists. This square-brick tower in pavilion type, by tower base, tower body, and tower top composition, is a good example of Chinese traditional architecture.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation:

Spend the morning visiting the Jiayuguan Fort. Before entering the fortress, take a short visit to the Great Wall Museum to learn some interesting facts about both the Jiayuguan Fort and Great Wall, including history, old photos, relics, etc. Then enter the gate to explore the grandiose fortress.

Later, proceed to the Xuanbi Great Wall (Overhanging Wall) which is about 18km away from the Fort. The walls were built on lofty cliffs with incredibly large gradient looking like an overhanging cantilever. Climbing up to higher gives you excellent views of the surrounding land and mountains.

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--Overhanging Great Wall: Built on the cliff which slants a 45 degrees angle, the great wall seems to be hanged on the cliff, hence the name Overhanging Great Wall.

Transfer via: Bullet D train ,  Second Class Seat

Accommodation:

Spend the morning visiting the Wei and Jin Tombs, a less-crowd cultural site composing of thousands of ancient tombs (only one is opened for the public). You will salk through a passage to the underground grave, see the three burial chambers, which were courtyard, living room and bedroom of the previous grandees, and take a close look at colorful brick murals painted more than 1,500 years ago.

After that, get back to the city and board your train to Dunhuang. Upon arrival, be escorted to your hotel and rest.

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--Wei Jin Tomb Art Gallery: The tombs are called "the biggest underground gallery of the world" because of the more than 1400 tombs with magnificent frescos inside.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation:

Today is a full day for your Mogao Caves tour. First watch introduction movies about the caves in the Digital Exhibition Center, and then visit specific caves in Mogao Grottoes one by one, learning Buddhist story, Chinese culture and history, which you can't help admiring this precious land of art.

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--The Mogao Caves: The Mogao Caves, also known as the Mogao Grottoes or ‘Thousand Buddha Caves’ and praised as "a glittering pearl that adorns the Silk Road", are the most famous Buddhist caves in China. Located about 25 kilometers southeast of Dunhuang city, it includes 735 caves and 40 to 60 of them are normally open to the tourist.

 

These special caves just like the treasure house of human art, containing an endless list of precious murals and Chinese ancient culture.

Transfer via: Flight (Duration: 3.5 hours), Economy Class

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation:

After breakfast, visit the Echoing Sand Mountain and Crescent Lake together. Witness the wonder of nature, with chance to try some exciting activities (optional), like desert camel riding, sand sliding, motorcycling, etc.

Later, proceed to the airport and catch your flight to Beijing. Upon arrival, be escorted to your downtown hotel and rest.

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--Singing Sand Dune: It is giant sand dune composed of five-color sands in red, yellow, green, black and white. When wind passes or when you slide down from its top, the sound could be heard, hence the name. You can ride camel, try sand sliding or do paraglide from the top of the dune.

--Crescent Spring: Known to the world as "the First Spring in the Desert", the Crescent Spring is situated at the foot of Mingsha Mountain and is surrounded by sand dunes. Seen from afar, the Crescent Spring resembles a crescent moon, hence its name. There is also a strange phenomenon here, because the sand does not go down the mountain when the wind is blowing, but flows from the down to the up, so the crescent spring will never be buried by the sand, which is called a desert wonder.

Meals: Breakfast, A la carte lunch

Accommodation:

Get acquainted with China's capital city from Tiananmen Square, the emblem of modern China. Following it, walk into the powerhouse of ancient China between the 15th and 19th centuries to marvel at the magnificent imperial buildings with exquisite details.

After an authentic Chinese lunch, stroll around a well-preserved Hutong and get on a rickshaw to discover the most traditional community of old Beijing.

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--Tiananmen Square: It is one of the largest city squares in the world and the spiritual heart of China, where the national flag is raised exactly at sunrise every day.

--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.

--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.

Meals: Breakfast, A la carte lunch

Accommodation:

Start the tour today from the Temple of Heaven, where the emperors of feudal Ming and Qing Dynasties (1368-1912) offered sacrifices to Heaven and prayed for good harvests. Here, read its rigorous layout, peculiar structure, and profound cultural background and encounter the locals enjoying their leisure time.

Then, drive about two hours out of Beijing and focus the rest of the day on the Great Wall. Take a cable car ascending and hike up further to see the winding defenses disappearing into the distance with majestic mountains.

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--The 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.

--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.

--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.

Beijing - Exit

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 homebound flight.

1. A minimum of 2 people is required to schedule a tour. If you are traveling alone, please consult our customer service department, and they will assist you in joining another group. Early booking is highly recommended as availability may be limited.
2. Please note that this itinerary serves as a sample. The order and locations of planned events may change due to factors such as flight arrival times, road and weather conditions, as well as our desire to tailor the tour to your abilities and interests. Your guide will provide daily updates to keep you informed. Our priority is to ensure that everyone enjoys a safe adventure, creating cherished memories and an unforgettable experience!

1. Please note that itineraries are subject to change due to unforeseen issues and/or delays.
2. This tour operating company acts solely as an intermediary for suppliers, facilitating the sale of travel-related services and accepting reservations or bookings for services not directly provided by the company (such as air and ground transportation, hotel accommodations, meals, tours, cruises, etc.). The company shall not be held responsible for any breach of contract arising from intentional or negligent actions or omissions on the part of such suppliers, which may result in loss, damage, delay, or injury to you, your travel companions, or group members.
3. Unless the term "guaranteed" is explicitly stated in writing on your tickets, invoice, or reservation itinerary, we do not guarantee the rates, bookings, reservations, connections, scheduling, or handling of personal effects by such suppliers.
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6. Traveler voluntarily assumes all risks associated with such travel, whether expected or unexpected. The traveler is hereby informed of these risks and is advised to obtain appropriate insurance coverage to mitigate them.

<ol> <li> <p>Cancellation received <strong>60 days or more</strong> 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.</p> </li> <li> <p>Cancellation received <strong>59-30 days before</strong> 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.</p> </li> <li> <p>Cancellation <strong>less than 30 days before</strong> 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.</p> </li> </ol>