Explore Hidden Charms

Welcome to our 21 days China tour! Today, your guide will meet you outside of the Arrival Hall in Beijing’s airport and transfer you to the hotel to check in. The rest of the day is free for you to explore the city at leisure. As your hotel sits right in central Beijing, it’s your choice to take the time to see around, get familiar with the capital of China and capture bustling local life.

Start this morning with a visit to the Tiananmen Square. Walk past monumental structures scattering on the immense square like Chairman Mao Memorial Hall, cross the Gold Water River on a bridge, and we will enter the Forbidden City, the world’s largest surviving imperial palace complex once the home-office of Chinese emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368 - 1911). Listen to your guide shedding light on the histories that happened here as well as the propound meaning behind structures and details, like the dragon elements that can be found everywhere, on the Nine-Dragon Screen, golden pillars, the emperor’s throne... For those wondering why dragon symbolizes imperial power, we need to fast backward to 1971 when the source of dragon culture is said to be unearthed in Inner Mongolia. It was a jadeware, with an austere curved shape considered to be the primitive image of dragon. How dragon became the incarnation of auspice and later the imperial power may have something to do with how Chinese ancestors saw rainbow and lightning, whose curved shapes are reminiscent of the image of dragon, thought to be in charge of rainwater they desired for the crops.

This noon, we will avoid touristy eateries and arrange for you a peaceful and locally loved restaurant for an a la carte lunch (valued at CNY150.00 per person and included in our price). Pick whatever Chinese dishes you’d like to try and perhaps include the famous Peking Duck, once the staple for imperial members. As the duck dish involves elaborate process, if you decide to try, we will order it for you in advance so you will have it the moment you sit at the table.

In the afternoon, first visit Temple of Heaven, the majestic royal sacrificial site where Ming and Qing emperors prayed to the Heaven for a bountiful year. Next place on our itinerary is Yonghe Temple, the largest lamasery in Beijing once directly managed by the Qing government; you will be taken through scented smoke from burning incense, to admire magnificent buildings and Buddhist statues and learn religious histories. After the visit, transfer back to your hotel.

Free-Time Dinner Suggestion:
At dinner time, we recommend you to dine at Qi Xun Ba Zhao Hu Tong Cai restaurant, only 10 minutes’ walk from Yonghe Temple and less than 30 minutes’ drive from your hotel. Out of the temple, you can just idle away your time on the streets and into the hutong area to reach there. Hutongs are historical alleys with traditional courtyard houses on either side, dating back as far as the Yuan Dynasty (1271 - 1368). It’s interesting to note that these serene spaces are mostly found in the bustling downtown; if you are looking for the real deal of Beijing’s local life, go nowhere else, and the restaurant we recommended sits just right here and was converted from one of the residences. The traditional-style décor and the dishes served, plus the prices (80 yuan/per person on average), all combine to make it an ideal choice if you fancy some cultural immersion. Feel free to ask for help about the location from your guide.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, A la carte lunch

After breakfast, you will take an excursion to the Great Wall of China (Mutianyu section), the world-famed military defensive engineering marvel tracing back 2,000 years, which meanders across a vast portion of the country. The section you will visit today is one of the best-preserved and most developed among all. To save energy, you will take a cable car ride to ascend to and descend from the walkway atop the mountain range. For lunch, you will like to have a self-prepared picnic as the restaurants nearby offer only pedestrian touristy dining experiences; of course, your guide would offer recommendations if you prefer to pack lighter.

On the way back, make a stop by the Bird's Nest (Olympic National Stadium) to view this magnificent edifice at a close range. To dive into Beijing’s history and authentic local life, you will enjoy a rickshaw tour around Hutongs, which is followed by a family visit in a courtyard house.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast

This morning, you will first visit the Summer Palace, the imperial garden and summer retreat built in the Qing era. The garden is a feast for the eye as it absorbed some best parts of classical architecture and presented various gardening styles. One of the most iconic structures your guide will take you to appreciate is the Seventeen-Arch Bridge, which shows how cultured Chinese ancestors loved to imbed connotations into details of their material life. Take its arches for instance. Whether you count the arches from leftmost or from rightmost to middle, you will always find the number is nine; and nine, standing for auspice, is the favorite number of Chinese emperors. Also remember to observe the 544 stone lions on the bridge’s handrails, each exquisitely carved in different gestures that bring them to life.

In the afternoon, you will take a high speed train to Xi’an, where your local guide and driver will greet you at the railway station and transfer you to check into the hotel.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast

You will explore Terracotta Army Museum for a half day today. The museum was sited right on several burial pits of the mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang (259 - 210 BC), where you will amaze at life-size terracotta warriors and horses, orderly arranged in a grand combat formation as if ready to conquer on order. We have prepared a surprise for you later: In a nearby workshop, you will try your hand at crafting a mini terracotta figure, with an instructor’s assistance, a mold, and the same soil used to make the potteries thousands of years ago; keep it at a safe place on you and we will leave for downtown.

This afternoon, go on an excursion to Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, Xi’an’s landmark, a Tang-era (618 - 907) brick building in the shape of a lean square pyramid, built for preserving Buddhism scriptures brought from India. Just south of the pagoda lies the Great Tang All Day Mall, a 1.5-km (0.9-mi) pedestrian street organized to demonstrate how prosperous the Tang dynasty was. You will pass by boys and girls dressed in hanfu and take your time to browse at an assortment of stands for local food and trinkets. Later, transfer back to your hotel with your guide, or stay longer by yourself until you’ve had a whale of a time.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast

After breakfast, you will visit Xi'an City Wall, the 600-year-old defensive system built to protect Old Xi’an, to get a sweeping view of the cityscapes below. Why not cycle on the wall like others for one or a half circle’s distance, to maximize your experience? Your guide will help you with the bike rental if you are interested. Your visit continues to the Great Mosque, one of the oldest and most renowned mosques in China. Step out of the mosque and we are in the Muslim Quarter, loved by locals and tourists alike for offering myriads of authentic local dishes and street food. You will want to chew flavory Biang Biang wide noodles - the Chinese character Biang has over 40 strokes, so complicated that it cannot be typed - for your lunch to make your day!

After your exploration at the bazaar, we will see you off for your 4-hour high-speed train ride to Chengdu. Your local guide and driver will pick you up on time and transfer you to the hotel. For your free time, if you are a foodie (particularly if you are fond of spicy flavors), meet your paradise out on the streets and perhaps settle in a hotpot restaurant to tackle your dinner. The UNESCO-applauded Sichuan Cuisine must be included on your gastronomical bucket-list. Yes, Chengdu is more than giant pandas!

Meals: Western buffet breakfast

Today your visit will start from Chengdu Panda Breeding and Research Center. There are only around 1,500 pandas in total on earth, most of which live in the mountains of Sichuan, and the Center has been doing great at panda conservation and wild release. Here, you will giggle at adults goofing their time away and get to greet baby pandas! Towards noontime, have a stroll through Wide and Narrow Alley, where you can get a feeling of the past from buildings in traditional Chinese architecture, many of which have been kept for centuries. Pass by teahouses, art studios, bookstores and maybe locals playing Mahjong on your way to a restaurant you find most attractive - ask for recommendations from your guide if need be - to enjoy your lunch break.

Our next stop is the Jinsha Site Museum, an important center showing the Shu culture dating from more than 3,000 years ago and now a landmark reflecting the profound historical culture of Chengdu. With your guide, you get to appreciate abundant ancient artifacts and have an insight into the life and religious affairs of the Shu people. Afterwards, you will be escorted to the famous People's Park (Renmin Park), an ideal place to immerse into the local life. Enjoy sipping tea in the lakeside teahouse and experience China's unique blind date culture in the matchmaking corner, where parents search for marriage candidates for their children by displaying their detailed profiles. Transfer back to the hotel.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast

Morning is free on your own to further enjoy the charm of the city. Then your guide will escort you to the airport for an afternoon flight to Lijiang. Upon arrival, your local guide and driver in Lijiang will meet you and transfer you to check in at the hotel.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast

Start this pleasant day with a trip to Baisha Village and learn about unique customs and the splendid culture of Naxi ethnic group. For an in-depth exploration, we have arranged for you a visit to a local Naxi family and Baisha Murals.

Then, you will pay a visit to Black Dragon Pool Park (Jade Spring Park). It is a huge and beautiful park with an unforgettable landscape, woven with temples, pavilions, bridges over a lake, on which the reflection of a faraway snow-capped mountain ripples. Head for the center of the town for a walk through the Square Street of Lijiang Old Town, a trapezoid-shaped square where dazzling shops, tea houses, bars and restaurants cluster. The last stop of today’s journey is the 500-year-old Mu's Residence, which shows you more of Naxi people’s history and culture. Later, we will escort you to your hotel.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast

This morning we will take you on a drive lasting about three hours to Dali. On the way, stop in Xizhou and Zhoucheng to appreciate traditional houses of the Bai people, the biggest ethnic group of Dali. Unlike other traditional buildings you’ve seen in this tour, Bai people’s architecture will impress you with their distinctive and delicate decorations of screen walls, colored murals and wood carvings. By the way, you get to witness the tie dyeing traditions which Zhoucheng is famous for. During your visit, you will also have a chance to learn to cook a well-known local food - Xizhou Baba, a savory roasted cake.

Upon arrival in Dali, enjoy an escorted leisurely walking on the Ecological Corridor by the Erhai Lake. Then a tour follows to the lively Dali Old Town where you can have a taste of local snacks and hunt some tie-dyed accessories and other local-style trinkets for souvenirs. At last, hop in our car and be driven back to your hotel.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast

This morning, you will be driven to the railway station for a 2-hour high-speed train ride to Kunming. On arriving, another local guide will meet you and settle you at your hotel. Afterwards, head to Stone Forest. As the name may imply, it is a karst natural wonder to find stone swords, columns and towers among other formations soaring to the sky, formed about 270 million years ago.

Today you should have some free time after being driven back to the hotel, so perhaps ask your guide for some attractions to explore by yourself or some restaurants to try Yunnan Cuisine. Yunnan Mi Xian, or Cross-Bridge Rice Noodles, is Yunnan’s flagship dish and is loved across China, but it’s of course in Yunnan itself that you can find the most authentic taste!

Meals: Western buffet breakfast

After breakfast, jump on another high speed train to Guilin. Your guide in Guilin will meet you at the railway station and then escort you to Reed Flute Cave, famous for karst rock formations formed since time immemorial and an underground reflective lake. Continue to Elephant Trunk Hill, which will amaze you with its look exactly like a giant elephant sucking water from the Li River. Stay overnight in Guilin.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast

Harvest enduring beautiful memories as you cruise down the Li River to Yangshuo. During the cruise, appreciate misshapen karst hills mirrored in emerald water and pass by local peasants toiling with buffaloes along the banks or fishing on a raft. Yellow Cloth Shoal, the scenery on the back of CNY 20 note, and all other picturesque landscapes are there for you to enjoy!

Tip: As the cruise company offers a box lunch that may fail to meet with your approval, we TravelChinaGuide, well aware of the shortcoming, suggests you prepare for this with a generous breakfast at the hotel. Of course, you can rest assured it is overall the most cost-effective experience, which makes it stand out from other ships.

After arriving in Yangshuo at around 14:00, you will take a stroll along the historical and bustling West Street. Then a trip to the countryside will be arranged for you to enjoy idyllic beauties. See grey brick houses nestled beneath green hills and at some point step into a local villager's home to check out the interior, chat with the friendly host with your guide’s help, and experience local rural lifestyle. You will possibly learn to fetch water from a well, sharpen kitchen knife on a whetstone, and wear a bamboo hat and a straw cape for some cool photos! Go back to your hotel after the tour.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch

Yangshuo’s rural charm is beyond words, so we decide to let you stay for another day for you to fully get it. There is no scheduled activity today and you will be free to indulge in it in your own style. Maybe ask your guide where to rent a bike and invest in a cycling experience, the most popular way to get around among travelers. Pedal to the Moon Hill known for its wondrous natural arch, to the Big Banyan Tree, and stop for some bamboo rafting along the Yulong River. In the evening, you may enjoy a folktale-inspired night show - "Impression of Sanjie Liu", which is performed out on the Li River and directed by Zhang Yimou, a sensational filmmaker in China’s filmdom (remember to bring insect repellent beforehand as mosquitos fly rampantly on the grandstand); if you are interested, we are glad to help you with the ticket booking service.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast

Drive back to Guilin. Visit Xianggong Mountain on the way, where you will enjoy a bird view of the Li River. Continue transfer to Guilin railway station for an afternoon train ride to Zhangjiajie. As you arrive in the evening, receive a welcome from your local guide and driver at the railway station and be escorted to the hotel.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast

Today, we will spend the whole day exploring Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, known to the world as one of the shooting locations of the epic fantasy movie Avatar. The first scenic area you will be introduced to is Yuanjiajie, where the Bailong Elevator - the world’s tallest elevator stretching along a cliff side over 300 meters or 1,000 feet in height - will lift you to the clifftop to be surrounded by countless towering stone pillars. Here, you will witness the Hallelujah Mountain, also called Southern Sky Column, the very inspiration for the floating mountains in Avatar. Then we will take an electric car to Tianzi Mountain Nature Reserve to admire peaks cluster in different postures. Continue down to hike on a beautiful trail along the Golden Whip Stream, which flows past the Golden Whip Peak that seems to reflect the golden rays of the sun, hence the name. The last site you will visit today is Ten-mile Gallery, where you will experience a small train ride through more stunning sceneries.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch

After breakfast, meet your most daunting adventure at Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon. You get to challenge the world's highest and longest Glass Bridge, which petrifies with a suspended transparent walkway spanning 430 meters (1,411 feet), 300 meters (984 feet) above the canyon. For those finding the height unbearable, just look on to admire what an engineering feat it is. Later, a pleasant boat trip on the Baofeng Lake is arranged for you to appreciate surreal sceneries around jade-green water and an ethereal waterfall.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch

We will continue our Zhangjiajie tour to the Tianmen Mountain. Take the world's longest cableway to the top of the mountain and encourage yourself to try the hanging Glass Skywalk built against steep cliffs. Your guide will also take you to wonder at the Tianmen Cave, or Cave of Heaven’s Gate, a natural arch through a mountain with 999 steps leading to it. Visit 72 Qilou, Tujia people’s stilted architecture complex, rising a hundred meters high that makes it the grandest of its kind in the world. Afterwards, take a flight to Shanghai, our next destination. Upon your arrival, your guide and driver in Shanghai will greet you at the airport and transfer you to the hotel.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch

Your tour in Shanghai starts with a visit to Shanghai Museum, which boasts numerous ancient artworks. Next destination is the classical Yu Garden. Compact as it is, for the typical traditional “one step, one scene” design, with an emphasis on rockeries among traditional structures and a few ponds, the garden will surprise you around each corner.

After lunch, we will transfer you to the Bund area to take a one-hour cruise on the mother river of the metropolis, Huangpu River. As you move on along this river, the best part of the modern landscape will unfold. Off the ship, you will have some free time to explore the Bund and take memorable photos. There, more than 50 edifices of different western architectural styles stand, hitting at the colonial past of Shanghai. Move onwards to Tianzifang, an old cultural zone packed with varied boutiques, art studios, street food stalls.

Free-Time Dinner Suggestion:
At dinner time, you can let a taxi drop you off at Wo Jia Can Ting (translated as “the restaurant run by my family”), a 20-minute drive from your hotel, near the renowned Jing’an Temple. The eatery was turned from the owner’s own house and has been frequented by Shanghai locals since it opened 34 years ago as well as patronized by many celebrities including the world-famous Kung Fu star Jackie Chan. This is where you get to try home-cooked local cuisine. Of many dishes, we would recommend the signature Scallion Oil Noodles, also the representative of Shanghai food, and Potato Salad, which is hardly found elsewhere. English menu is of course provided!

Meals: Western buffet breakfast

Today your tour extends to Suzhou, the City of Classical Chinese Gardens, which are UNESCO-honored. We will take you to visit the most famous Humble Administrator's Garden. Unlike Yu Garden, this Suzhou’s garden will impress you with its scale and vitalizing waterscapes everywhere, where ponds play a major role in imitating nature, reflecting aged white-walled buildings and greeneries. Pay a visit to Pingjiang Road next, the best-preserved ancient block of the city. Then, go on a comfortable car ride to Tongli, which truly merits its name as a water town for being entirely “floating” on water. Here you will appreciate local-style residences and experience unique traditions and people's lifestyle, all well preserved to give the town a reputation of its own. At the end of the tour, we will drive you to Shanghai and transfer you back to the hotel.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast

Today is the last day of your 3 weeks China tour itinerary. Your guide and driver will take you to the airport and see you off there. If you prefer to experience the maglev train ride heading for Shanghai Pudong Airport, we can update the arrangement for you upon your request. We wish you a pleasant journey home and thank you for choosing us.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast