China Tour from Sydney

Today you will take the flight from Sydney to Beijing on your own. The overall travel time is around 11.5 - 12 hours.

When you arrive at Beijing Airport, your guide will greet you and transfer you to a cozy hotel for check-in. Have a good rest to restore your strength.

Tip:
Sydney and Beijing is currently linked by a daily direct flight (CA174 2040/0500+). Please note that today is not your arrival date in Beijing, so you might want to pay attention to on which date your flight arrives if you plan for a connecting flight. Feel free to contact us in case of any questions.

Your plane will land at Beijing’s airport today. Go through the customs and you will immediately find your guide who’s been waiting for you. Transfer to the hotel for check-in.

Be prepared for the most classic itinerary to tour China! It’s justified to say that to understand Shanghai is to learn China’s 100 years of modern history; Beijing, 500 years of history; and Xi’an, 2,000 years of history. This package, covering all the biggest highlights of these three cities, will take you to travel through the said historical periods of China, as well as experience local culture and witness how China has transformed from a self-isolated feudalist to an economic giant.

Accommodation: Hotel New Otani Chang Fu Gong

Your tour will start from Tiananmen Square, the largest city square in the entire world. Your guide will accompany you to walk north to the Forbidden City, or the Imperial Palace. One of the most majestic palaces in the world, it is the essence of ancient Chinese palace architecture. The City has served for about 500 years as home to imperial families and their servants, and the ceremonial and political center of the Chinese government. We won’t miss its Treasure Gallery, where treasures hoarded in the imperial house are stored.

At noon, an a la carte welcome lunch will be offered to you at a fancy restaurant, where you get to try authentic Chinese food and popular Peking Roast Duck.

After lunch, visit the Yonghe Temple, a monastery for Tibetan Buddhists managed by the Qing government. Head for the Temple of Heaven next, where ancient emperors worshipped Heaven and prayed for a bountiful harvest. This evening, a live Peking Opera Show at the prestigious Liyuan Theatre is arranged for you to experience Chinese traditional culture. Arrive earlier to take photos with the artists and see them draw “lianpu”, patterns on faces suggesting a role’s characteristics.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, A la carte welcome lunch

This morning will find you meandering along the Mutianyu Great Wall, one of the most beautiful and popular sections of the Great Wall. You may marvel at its total length of some 21 thousand kilometers (13 thousand miles), but you will be staggered to know how much it would cost to build it. Even with modern technology, it’s estimated you need over 170 billion US dollars to finish the entire length, and that’s a number without counting the building of passes and tens of thousands of watch towers and cost of labor! A round-trip cable car ride is arranged for you up and down this engineering feat effortlessly. To accentuate such a memorable and enjoyable experience, we will also toast with a bottle of wine on the wall.

Since the restaurants near the Great Wall do not meet our service standards, we will not organize lunch on site. You can bring some fast food for your lunch, or choose to dine at a restaurant with the help of your guide.

In the afternoon, return to downtown Beijing. Make a short stop at the Olympic National Stadium, or Bird's Nest, to take some photos of this magnificent building at a distance. Continue with a dive into Beijing’s hutongs via rickshaw. “Hutong”, a local dialect meaning “alley with courtyard houses packing either side”, is where real local life happens. End today’s tour with a family visit to a courtyard house. Finally, your guide and driver will send you back to your hotel.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast

After breakfast, gather at the hotel lobby and start today with a tour to the Panda House in Beijing Zoo. Then, visit the Summer Palace, China’s most complete imperial garden to find classical architecture in harmony with nature.

After finishing the morning's tour, enjoy a local-flavor lunch.

Afterwards, your guide will transfer you to the airport for your flight to Xi'an. When you land at the airport, meet your Xi'an local guide and transfer downtown to a hand-picked hotel for check-in.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Local lunch
Accommodation: Crowne Plaza Xi'an

The first stop of your Xi’an tour is the Terracotta Army, commissioned by the first emperor of China, Emperor Qin Shi Huang (259 – 210 BC), to guard his mausoleum and serve him in his afterlife. Here you can see three burial pits containing more than 8,000 soldiers, plus hundreds of chariots and horses. After exiting the museum, visit the family of the man whose fame has spread beyond China for discovering the first warrior of the Army. Later, carve a mini clay soldier, which you will take home, with the help of mold and detailed instructions.

Then, drive to Giant Wild Goose Pagoda. You will see the pagoda jutting solitarily from below as you approach it. “Is it tilted?” You may ask, and the answer is, yes. Having survived seventy earthquakes for a thousand years, its foundation was to make it tilt slightly towards northwest. But rest assured, as efforts have been made to consolidate it by refilling underground water where there should be. The day will come when the pagoda stands back straight again.

In the evening, feast with your guide on a famous Dumpling Dinner while watching a Tang-Dynasty dance performance.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Dumpling dinner

Tip:
Since the theater for the show is usually not available in January, February, March and December, you will enjoy a free evening during these periods.

Observe local life and do some morning stretches at the City Wall Park. We will arrange a master to teach you some moves of Tai Chi, a gentle Chinese martial art practiced widely for its health benefits. After a short break, continue to climb the City Wall, the largest and best preserved ancient city wall in China.

Explore the lively Muslim Quarter and try local food for lunch. Afterwards, your guide will transfer you to the airport for a flight to Shanghai. Upon landing, meet your Shanghai guide and go to the hotel for check-in.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Local lunch
Accommodation: Radisson Blu Hotel Shanghai New World

Enjoy for an entire day appreciating the highlights of Shanghai. The first stop is Shanghai Museum, which prides itself on a collection of nearly a million pieces of antiques, including bronze, pottery and porcelain, calligraphy, painting and more. Then, explore the classical Chinese garden of Yu Garden and a traditional bazaar nearby.

At noon, we will arrange an a la carte farewell lunch at a popular restaurant.

Spend some leisurely time at Duo Yun Bookstore, the highest bookstore in the world situated on the 52nd floor of the Shanghai Tower, overlooking the busy city through its panoramic window. Go on a visit to the Bund, a waterfront promenade famous for an eclectic cluster of western-style buildings. There, a boat cruise tour on the Huangpu River awaits. Take a private stroll at the Bund for some time, before we drive you back to the hotel.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, A la carte farewell lunch

Today your China tour from Sydney Australia is going to finish. After breakfast, it is time to catch your flight home on your own. We wish you all the best and happy travels!

Tip:
There is a daily direct flight that would take you 10.5 hours from Shanghai to Sydney. Usually international flights take off from Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG), so please make sure you are heading to the right airport. We recommend that you book a taxi at the hotel reception in advance to avoid waiting outside for a long time. The taxi trip to PVG takes around 1 hour and costs roughly CNY 200. If you need a private airport transfer service, we are also glad to assist.

Meals: Western buffet Breakfast