Broad Vista of China

According to your international flight schedule, your private guide will welcome you at the airport today. After a warm greeting, the guide and driver will transfer you to check in at the hotel. The rest of the day is free for you to recover from jetlag and prepare for your following 4 weeks China tour.

After breakfast, we will begin today's historical trip with visits to the Tiananmen Square and the adjacent Forbidden City. Once residence of Ming and Qing (1368 - 1911) Chinese emperors, the City has resplendent architecture to marvel at and imperial life to peep into. It has survived six centuries intact and this mystery will unveil itself as you listen to your guide telling the top-notch engineering ideas behind everywhere within your sight. Look at the red supporting columns of each structure. They were of course not made of concrete, which was invented not until modern era, but with a log wrapped with layers of breathable jute ropes and a hybrid of adhesive pig blood, flour, brick ashes and other things, which somehow made them able to stand for so long. The red paint was ingeniously mixed as well, using the red mineral pigment cinnabar to achieve a bright visual effect and tung oil as the preservative.

In the afternoon, you will visit the Yonghe Temple. And then go ahead to the Temple of Heaven, a large park with a complex of ancient religious buildings. It was here that emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties worshipped the Gods of Heaven. In the park, you can also see many local seniors dancing, singing, playing cards or taking exercise. It is interesting to watch the local people enjoying their spare time.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast

Start your morning with an excursion to Mutianyu, a popular section of China Great Wall. A round-trip cable car is arranged to take you up onto the Great Wall, where you will have quite enough time to walk on it and enjoy the majestic views. Today's lunch is on your own. Fast food can be purchased at the site and your guide will be pleased to offer advice about what is available.

Before returning to the hotel in the afternoon, we will drive by the Bird's Nest (Olympic National Stadium) so that you can take photos. Then we will take you to explore the Hutong area, a beautiful and original neighborhood of the old city, where you can feel the atmosphere of old Beijing. You will also take a rickshaw to travel through the Hutong alleys.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast

This morning, your private Beijing trip will take you to visit the Summer Palace, a beautifully landscaped royal garden with amazing architecture. After that, your guide will see you off at the railway station as you will take a high speed train to Xi'an. A high speed train ride in China is a memorable and unique experience. In around 4.5 hours, the local guide and driver in Xi'an will meet you and transfer you to the downtown hotel.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast

You may read about the warriors and see the pictures before you come to the Terracotta Army Museum, but you will still be astonished by its dramatic scale when you see the vast array of soldiers made more than 2,200 years ago. Your tour guide will tell you more stories about this amazing wonder. Try your hand to make a mini terracotta figure, which will add fun to your travel experience. Drive back to downtown, visit the Small Wild Goose Pagoda and the Xi’an Museum.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast

In the morning, we will visit the City Wall Park. And then continue to the City Wall. With a history of more than 600 years, this City Wall is remarkably well preserved and accessible. It is worth renting a bicycle and riding on top of the broad ancient wall. Both bike rental and electric car service are available and can be paid on the spot. Then, you will be guided to explore its nearby Muslim Bazaar. Our guide will see you off at the railway station and take a high speed train to Chengdu. Upon arrival, our guide will greet you and escort you to the hotel for check in.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast

The main aim for most travelers coming to Chengdu is to see the pandas, as Chengdu is the hometown of giant pandas. There are only around 1500 pandas in the world while most of them live in Chengdu. Today, you will visit Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. We will make an early start as pandas are more active in the morning during their feeding time. You will see them eating, playing and climbing trees. If you are lucky, you may watch the cute baby pandas.

Then you will visit the Jinli Street. The Jinli Street is a popular food street in Chengdu. It is worth to explore freely to taste local snacks with fine taste. You can take a visit and have your own lunch there. In the afternoon, the trip continues to the Xiaojiahe Community to have some down-to-earth experiences.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast

We will arrange a morning flight from Chengdu to Lhasa for you. On your arrival, the local guide and driver will meet you at Lhasa airport and then transfer you to the hotel. We suggest you stay at the hotel to acclimatize yourself to the high altitude for the remainder of the day. Due to the special geographic and climatic conditions in Tibet, please keep warm and do not take a bath on the first day to avoid catching a cold. Drink more water and eat more vegetables and fruit.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast

Lhasa is the holy land of Tibetan Buddhism. There are numerous historical relics and Buddhist monasteries. Today you will visit the Drepung Monastery, the Sera Monastery and the Norbulingka Park, all of which play an important position in the local culture. We are sure you will be intrigued by the lamas' intense debates of the Buddhist scriptures in the courtyard of the Sera Monastery in the afternoon, even if you cannot understand what is being discussed.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast

This morning, let’s head to the biggest highlight of your Lhasa tour, the Potala Palace. Aged over 1,300 years, this palace will present you many mysteries to solve, like how it was constructed with stone and mud bricks, in an era when buildings in China were all built with wood; and how the number of the rooms still remains untold - even the monks housed here couldn’t tell - for the intricate structures-in-structures system. But your knowledgeable guide is sure to provide some insights. As the palace is 13 storeys high and magnificently built on a mountain slope with gleaming white walls, you will spot it from afar as we approach. Have an appreciation of the grand façade, pass by monks and visitors, and reach the top to find prayer wheels piously spun.

After that, you will also visit the Tibet Museum, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Street and a Nunnery. Your guide will accompany you all the way and show you a great deal about the Tibetan culture. The Barkhor Street is a thousand-year-old street that reflects the folk customs of Tibet. With its long cultural and historical traditions, the street integrates the sales of Tibetan local products, tourism, representative folk customs and ancient buildings of Tibetan characteristics. Thus, it is a must-visit place in Lhasa.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast

Today it is time to say goodbye to Tibet and you will fly to Lijiang. The local guide and driver will pick you up at Lijiang airport and transfer you to the hotel. For the rest of the day, you can visit Lijiang Old Town at leisure.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast

In order to know more about this exotic land inhabited by ethnic minorities, you will be accompanied by the guide to visit the Baisha Village, a local Naxi family and Baisha Mural. The gorgeous Baisha Murals are housed in a temple complex. The murals depict the inclusivity of China's religions as they have features of Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism. In the afternoon, continue the visit to the Black Dragon Pool and the Mu Fu Mansion to further discover the beauty and the culture of this city.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast

Accompanied by the guide, your China travel itinerary 1 month will take you to Dali today. It is about three to four hours' drivie. On the way, you will visit the Bai Traditional House in Xizhou, the place where the best and most of Bai Minority traditional houses are preserved. Also you will see the traditional hand-made Tie Dyeing in the nearby Zhoucheng. Upon arrival in Dali, you will take some time to walk along the ecological corridor of the Erhai Lake. Alternatively, you could also take a bicycle tour. Your guide will help you rent the bicycle but the fee will be at your own expense. Evening is free for you to explore the Dali Old Town.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast

Our guide will see you off by a morning flight to Chongqing. The local guide and driver will pick you up and then transfer you to have a brief visit of local famous sites, Jie Fang Monument and Hongya Cave. Then, get to the pier to board the Yangtze River cruise ship. When early evening arrives, you can enjoy the splendid neon lights shining to beautify the night view of the Chongqing city from the deck. The ship will sail at around 22:00. Enjoy the Captain's Welcome Reception tonight if you take New Century Cruise.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Buffet dinner on Luxury Series Cruise

The three days Yangtze River cruise is a relaxing journey as part of your one month China itinerary. You can appreciate the spectacular scenery of the gorges, take memorable photos, and enjoy sunshine on the deck at your leisure. The cruise company will arrange some onshore excursions daily. This morning, you are scheduled to have a shore excursion to the Fengdu Ghost City (Luxury Series Cruise) or Fengdu ShuangGui Mountain (Standard Series Cruise). The Captain's Welcome Party to which all the guests are invited to participate, provided by Standard Series Cruise.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today the cruise ship will sail through the Three Gorges, namely Qutang Gorge, Wu Gorge, and Xiling Gorge, the most beautiful sections of the Yangtze River. The river guide will point out main attractions along the gorges and you will want to prepare your camera for stunning landscapes that change around each corner. We also recommend that you take a binocular to observe up-close the cliff sides for hanging coffins, which were from 10 meters up to 100 meters above the ground. Tracing back three thousand years, these relics are a window for a glimpse of ancient funeral culture of local people - they thought that souls must rest away from water, while only a tribal chief had the power to hang his coffin high above. How the coffins could be placed in such a risky situation shows the wisdom of ancient Chinese ancestors, which is for anyone to wonder at. In the afternoon, you will change to a smaller wooden boat to have an excursion to Shennv Stream.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Please pack your luggage and check out of the cruise ship after breakfast. Then you will have an onshore excursion to the Three Gorges Dam. It is the largest dam in the world. There is an advantage point where you can see the entire complex. When the visit is over, the ship company will transfer you to the Three Gorges Tourist Center in Yichang. The local guide will meet you there and transfer you to Yichang railway station for a 7-hour high speed train to Hangzhou. To spend a leisurely time on the train, you can prepare some snacks, fruit or coffee. The hot water is served free of charge and there is also a dinning carriage on the train. In Hangzhou railway station, your guide and driver will meet you on time and transfer you to the hotel.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast

In the morning, visit the West Lake by boat. You will enjoy the splendid natural scenery as well as the numerous historical sites here. Then after a few minutes' walk, you will come to the Red Carp Pond which is one of the most beautiful sites around the West Lake and where you could enjoy the elegant scenery of lakes, meadows, willows and red carps. Then visit the Lingyin Temple (Temple of Soul's Retreat), one of the ten most renowned Buddhist temples in China. The beautiful landscape and the vivid Buddhist carvings on the Feilai Peak will surely leave you a deep impression. Continue our visit to the Meijiawu Tea Village to enjoy the tea plantation.

In the late afternoon, transfer you to the railway station to take a 3-hour high speed train to Huangshan. Upon your arrival at Huangshan railway station, our local guide will pick you up and take you to the hotel.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast

Today, we will transfer you to the foot of the Huangshan Mountain. Take Yungu cable car from northern part of Yungu scenic area to reach Beihai scenic area. During the transferring, you will find yourself floating in the wonderful elf land. You may admire the beauty of this mountain from different directions and points. The main spots you will visit today are the Beginning-to-Believe Peak, the Peach Blossom Valley, the Lion Peak, the Flying-over Rock and the Bright Summit. The Beginning-to-Believe Peak looks small and exquisite. There are many rare and precious pines and also numerous grotesque stones here for visitors to view. The Peach Blossom Valley has advantage of fertile soil with flourishing vegetation. Each year from March to April, the peach blossom blooming layer upon layer almost reaches the summit, gorgeously just like brocade. The Lion Peak is the best point to enjoy the sea of clouds and sunrise. It gets the name as the shape of the peak looks just like a prone lions. The Bright Summit is one of three main peaks in Huangshan. Due to the flat terrain, it is also one of the best points to see the sunrise. Tonight you will stay at the Xihai Hotel, which has one hour walking distance to the summit.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch

In the morning, we will continue the sightseeing to the Cloud-dispelling Pavilion and the Xihai Grand Canyon. In front of the Cloud-dispelling Pavilion is a platform with 70 square meters area. Visitors would have a vast vision of the wonderful view of Xihai Grand Canyon from here.

After lunch, you will take cable car again to arrive at the foot of the mountain. See you off at the railway station to take a high speed train to Suzhou. Our guide in Suzhou will greet you at the railway station and escort you to check in at the hotel.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch

Visit the famous classical Chinese garden - the Humble Administrator's Garden and its adjoining Suzhou Museum. Then, drive out of the city for one hour to the ancient Tongli Water Town, where you will see a great many of stone bridges, old residential houses with narrow alleyways and enjoy a boat ride to travel through the canal. The quietness of the town, its unsophisticated people, their traditional life and customs will definitely impress you. After the full day tour, we will drive you to Shanghai.

➤ Dinner Suggestion:
This evening, stroll into a tiny lane at Middle Fuxing Road to find Yongxing Restaurant for home-cooked Shanghainese cuisine. 35 years old, compact and cozy, the eatery is recommended by Michelin Guide and said to be the most affordable (50 yuan/per person) among all the one-star-rated. The location, the façade, the only seven or eight tables inside, everything is in a low-key style, except that the name board is conspicuous with the English name under Chinese. In it, the overall deep-red décor would remind you of a bygone era, and with it you will feel like walking into a local house. It has welcomed many Chinese stars, expats, gourmet tourists and locals, and will be happy to welcome you. The restaurant is just 20 minutes’ drive away from your hotel.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast

After breakfast, your China itinerary 1 month in Shanghai will begin with visits to the Shanghai Museum, and then Yu Garden, a traditional Chinese garden, constructed in the 16th century. It is so beautiful with magnificent rocks, pavilions, ponds, bridges, trees and residence that you will feel it a true respite in such a busy city. In the afternoon, our schedule includes the Bund, Huangpu River cruise for one hour. Take an evening flight to Zhangjiajie. Upon arrival, our guide will meet you at the airport and accompany you to the hotel.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast

After breakfast, transfer you to Zhangjiajie National Forest Park. Upon arrival, we will take a sightseeing bus to the Bailong Sightseeing Elevator to reach the hilltop. After that, our guide will walk you to the bus stop for a drive to the Enchanting Terrace to see the Yuanjiajie Scenic Area.

After lunch, we will take a sightseeing bus to the Tianzi Mountain Nature Reserve, and our guide will accompany you to tour the spots inside, including the He Long Park, the Imperial Brushes Peaks and the West Sea. Afterwards, take a cable car downhill and then transfer to a sightseeing bus to the Golden Whip Stream. We will have a short hiking along the stream. After that, the sightseeing bus will transfer you to the Ten-Mile Gallery. At the end of the visit, we will transfer you back to your hotel.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch

In the morning, you will meet our guide and driver at your hotel lobby. Then a private transfer will take you to the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon. While there, you can challenge yourself by walking on the world's longest and highest Glass Bridge and take a relaxing cruise along the floor of the valley. After lunch, our guide and driver will escort you to the Baofeng Lake Scenic Area where you will have a chance to take a cruise ship.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch

Take a morning high speed train to Guilin. The local guide and driver will meet you at the railway station and transfer you to the hotel. To round off the day, you will visit the Elephant Trunk Hill.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast

Today your guide will accompany you to take the Li River cruise down to Yangshuo. The 50 miles Li River is surrounded with beautiful karst mountains. On the way, you will find wonderful scenes on every bend and it is a great backdrop for photos. After the 4-hour cruise, you will have a countryside trip in Yangshuo. We also arrange a local family home visit for you. Most people find it interesting to see a local farmer's house and their life. After the whole day tour, you will get to the hotel in Yangshuo.

Tips: The lunch served on the cruise today is a simple Chinese box lunch. It fails to meet the serving standards of TravelChinaGuide and may not be to your taste, so we kindly suggest you have a hearty breakfast at the hotel this morning.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch

Full day is free for you. We suggest you rent a bicycle and ride around Yangshuo to enjoy the beautiful landscape. You could visit the Yulong River, Moon Hill or Ten-Mile Gallery.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast

In the morning, your guide will pick you up at the appointed time and transfer you to Guilin. On the way, visit the Xianggong Mountain to have a panoramic view of the Li River.

As the guide transfers you to the railway station for the high speed train to Hong Kong, your private guided tour is completed. In Hong Kong, we will leave all the activities to your own devising apart from your hotel accommodation with breakfasts, as the private guided tour in Hong Kong is quite expensive.

Hong Kong is pretty easy for self-motivated explorers. English is widely spoken and the transportation system is also very convenient. Upon your arrival at Hong Kong West Kowloon Station, please take the MTR West Rail Line to the Regal Kowloon Hotel or free shuttle bus to InterContinental Grand Stanford Hong Kong by yourself.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast

You have the whole day to explore vibrant Hong Kong on your own. The hotels we have arranged for you are conveniently located in Kowloon. They are just within easy reach of the MTR underground. The first site we suggest for this morning is the Victoria Harbor. If you stay at the Regal Kowloon Hotel, you can walk westward along the Mody Road and turn to left at Chatham Road South, finally get to the waterfront of the Victoria Harbor. If you set off from InterContinental Grand Stanford Hong Kong, you could take bus 215X from Mody Road to China Hong Kong City. And than walk for around 3 minutes to reach the Victoria Harbor. Later you could take the Star Ferry at the nearby Star Ferry Terminal to Central on Hong Kong Island. Near the pier, you will find the Bus No. 6, 6A, 6X, 60, and 260 on the Exchange Square. Get on one bus to Stanley, where you can visit the interesting Stanley Market. There are many restaurants, so you can choose one to have your lunch.

After that, we suggest the Victoria Peak for you, where you can get a panoramic view of Hong Kong. You can take City Bus No. 6 to Bowen Road, Stubbs Road Station and then transfer to Bus No. 15 up to the Victoria Peak. In the evening, take a Star Ferry back to Victoria Harbor to watch a wonderful Symphony of Lights at around 20:00.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast

Your China itinerary 4 weeks ends today. You will go to the airport and take your homeward flight on your own. You can take a taxi to the airport directly, or take the free shuttle bus K3 or K4 and connect the Airport Express at the Kowloon station. We wish you a safe journey home!

Meals: Western buffet breakfast