13-Day Breathtaking Beijing, Xi’an, Guilin, Hangzhou and Shanghai Luxury Tour

13-Day Breathtaking Beijing, Xi’an, Guilin, Hangzhou and Shanghai Tour, China Luxury Tour Highlights

Price Per Person: Available upon request

Notes:

Day 1 Beijing-Arrival

Meals: N/A

Accommodation：

Aman Summer Palace ***** or similar class

Welcome to China! This incredible 13-day tour will take you to visit the most popular destinations, wonders and stunning natural landscapes in China. You will enjoy the exquisitely carved Buddhist Grottoes in the ancient capital city, Luoyang, not to mention, the delicious and authentic Chinese gourmet meals amongst other wonderful things.

Upon arrival, the local tour guide and driver will hold a pick-up sign with your name and meet with you at the Arrival Hall of Beijing International Airport. Then be transferred to your hotel in the downtown core.The rest of the day, you are free to explore on your own. You will stay in Beijing for 3 nights.

Day 2 Beijing

Activity: Boating on the lake in the Summer Palace.

Meals: Buffet Breakfast, Imperial Cuisine Lunch, Peking Roasted Duck Dinner.

Accommodation：

Aman Summer Palace ***** or similar class

After enjoying a delicious breakfast, you will walk on Tiananmen Square, the biggest city square in the world. Covering 440,000 square meters, it has been the grounds of many important historical events. Then discover the Forbidden City, one of the five most famous palaces in the world, where the 24 emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties lived and ruled for over 500 years.

Lunch will be imperial cuisines served at a traditional restaurant - Bai Family Mansion.

This afternoon, continue on to visit the largest imperial garden, the Summer Palace, which was built during the late Qing Dynasty as the summer resort for the Empress Dowager Cixi. You can enjoy the fascinating landscape of the park. You will take a leisurely boat ride on the beautiful Kunming Lake. During the trip, you will also visit a local silk store.

Tonight, we will arrange a delicious Peking Roasted Duck Dinner at the famous Dadong Restaurant as the welcome dinner.

Day 3 Beijing - Great Wall (Mutianyu)

Activities: Rickshaw tour in Hutong, Temple of Heaven, and Mutianyu Great Wall

Meals: Buffet Breakfast, Chinese Lunch and dinner at the hotel

Accommodation: 

Brickyard at Mutianyu (Private Villa: Grandma’s Place) ***** or similar class

After breakfast, drive to visit the famous Temple of Heaven, an important landmark of Beijing, which was used by the emperors in the Ming and Qing dynasties to pray for good harvests. Then, take a leisurely rickshaw tour in Beijing Hutong. You will have the chance to see the original residences of the local people and experience traditional life. Lunch will be a local Chinese meal.

Afterward, drive to the suburb of Beijing to a village at the foot of Mutianyu Great Wall. You will check into your private villa. The outside is adorned with original Ming dynasty brickwork. Inside, the interior has been completely renovated for discerning travelers. A yummy dinner will be served at the hotel.

Day 4 Beijing - Xian by bullet train (4.5 hours)

Meals: Buffet Breakfast, Chinese Lunch

Accommodation:

Sofitel Legend Peoples Grand Hotel Xian ***** or similar class

This morning, transfer to visit the world-famous Great Wall of China (Mutianyu Section) which is listed among the 8 wonders in the world as well as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You will spend some time walking on the wall, taking pictures and admiring the might and grandeur of the Great Wall. It is an architectural marvel of human ingenuity. The construction of the Great Wall started as early as the Spring and Autumn period. During that time and the following Warring States period, different states such as Qin, Wei, Zhao, among others, built several walls to defend their own borders. At the end of Warring States period, Ying Zheng, King of Qin State, conquered his opponents and united China again as a great empire. He joined the walls together. Since then, the Great Wall has been rebuilt, made bigger and stronger. The current wall was mainly built during the Ming Dynasty.

After the tour, drive to Beijing Railway Station and take a bullet train to the ancient city of Xi’an. Once there, be picked up and transferred to the hotel.

Day 5 Xi’an

Meals: Buffet Breakfast, Xi’an Cuisine at True Love Restaurant (DA QIN XIAO YAN)

Accommodation：

Sofitel Legend Peoples Grand Hotel Xian ***** or similar class

After breakfast, you will start your full-day tour of the ancient city. First visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Terracotta Warriors. The Terracotta Army was created to guard Emperor Qin Shihuang's tomb and to protect him in the afterlife. It is estimated that there are over 7,000 life-size Terracotta figures and horses buried here. Then visit the ceramic factory, where you can see how the terracotta warriors were made.

Lunch will be authentic Xi’an cuisine at the famous True Love Restaurant (DA QIN XIAO YAN). This afternoon, visit the landmark of the city, the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. Built in the Tang Dynasty, the square pyramid stands at 60 meters high and seven-storeys tall. It was originally built in 652 A.D. to preserve the Buddhist sutra which was brought by the famous monk, Xuanzang from India. The pagoda was just inscribed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO on June 22, 2014.  Next, visit the Grand Mosque, which was initially constructed in 742 A.D. It is a phenomenal architectural complex, which shows the unique combination between Islamic belief and Chinese culture.

Day 6 Xi’an-Guilin (by air)

Meals: Buffet Breakfast, Chinese Lunch

Accommodation：

Shangri-La Hotel Guilin ***** or similar class

This morning, drive to visit the Shaanxi History Museum which is one of the first modern museums in China. You can even see the exquisite bronze artifacts of ancient China, and the precious frescos of the Tang Dynasty. Then, visit the Ancient City Wall, built in the Ming Dynasty with over 600 years of history. It is one of the largest and best-preserved ancient city walls in China. (If you are interested in biking on the ancient city wall, it is your own expense.).  Lunch will be a delicious local Chinese meal.

After the tour, transfer to the airport for the departing flight to the wonderful city of Guilin. Once there, you will be picked up and transferred to the hotel.

Photo Source: Amusing Planet

Day 7 Guilin-Longsheng-Guilin

Activity: Dragon Backbone Rice Terraces

Meals: Buffet Breakfast, Chinese Lunch

Accommodation：

Shangri-La Hotel Guilin ***** or similar class

Travel to the Dragon Backbone Rice Terraces, which were shaped by the local ethnic Zhuang and Yao farmers in more than 650 years. From the fertile river valley to the soaring mountain peaks, from the verdant forest to the stone cliffs, every inch of soil is used for cultivation. In an area of 71.6 km2, 15862 patches of rice fields whirl upward all the way from an altitude of 380m to 1180m. The undulating landscape with the most winding and flowing curves resembles a giant abstract painting. Among the eye-dazzling rice fields, the biggest one is 413m2, while the smallest one will just allow you to put a foot into it. You will explore the terraces here and then visit the Huangluo Ethnic Yao Village where all women have very long hair. After the tour, we will drive back to Guilin.

Day 8 Guilin-Yangshuo

Activity: Li River Cruise

Meals: Buffet Breakfast, Chinese Lunch

Accommodation：

Yangshuo Mountain Retreat or similar class

After enjoying breakfast, transfer to the pier and take the Li River Cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo. Upon arrival, explore the West Street, a famous pedestrian street in Yangshuo. Then travel to Mount Xianggongshan where you will enjoy a very nice panoramic view of karst hills along the Li River, which protrudes from the ground like bamboo shoots. Next, drive to check-in at the local mountain retreat and enjoy the beautiful views there.

Day 9 Yangshuo-Guilin-Hangzhou (by air)

Activity: Chinese cooking class, biking in the countryside of Yangshuo and bamboo rafting trip

Meals: Buffet Breakfast, Chinese Lunch

Accommodation：

Aman Fayun ***** or similar class

This morning, you will take a Chinese cooking class. Firstly, you will follow the chef to visit a local market where you learn about the ingredients used in the cooking class. Then you will be taught to cook several Chinese dishes. The food you cook will be served to you as lunch. After lunch, you will enjoy a cycling trip to the countryside of Yangshuo County to visit local villages and then enjoy a bamboo rafting trip along the Yulong River.

After the tour, drive to the airport for the departing flight to the wonderful city of Hangzhou. Upon arrival, you will be picked up and transferred to the hotel.

Day 10 Hangzhou

Meals: Buffet Breakfast, Chinese Lunch

Accommodation：

Aman Fayun ***** or similar class

After breakfast, you will discover the beautiful “City of Heaven”, Hangzhou. First, you will enjoy a short cruise at West Lake and then stroll around the famous Su Causeway. This afternoon, you will be driven to visit the renowned Lingyin Temple which was originally built in 326 A.D. in the East Jin Dynasty, and the nearby Feilai Peak where you can see the ancient sculptures and grottoes. Next on the tour, is the famous Longjing Tea Plantation, where the best Longjin Green Tea is planted. You will enjoy the Longjin Tea and relax there.

Day 11 Hangzhou - Wuzhen - Shanghai

Meals: Buffet Breakfast, Chinese Lunch

Accommodation：

Waldorf Astoria Shanghai on the Bund ***** or similar class

Drive for about 2 hours to Wuzhen, a charming water town in the south of China. It features old houses, stone-paved alleys, and small canals that weave throughout the town. The well-preserved residences mostly date back to the Ming and Qing dynasties. In this water town, the locals predominantly live on the canals, from daily washing to shopping from vendors on boats.

You will explore the western section of Wuzhen. You will visit the small and old stores which cannot be seen in modern cities such as the Indigo Fabric Workshop, Yida Silk Workshop, Heal Town Pharmacy, etc. You will also visit some museums such as the Wedding Museum and Chinese Foot-binding Museum. The latter is dedicated to introducing Chinese traditional wedding customs. The latter one displays some artifacts and photographs which tell travelers about the history of Chinese foot-binding culture. As you may know, foot-binding was a common practice in ancient China. At that time, it was widely believed that women with “three-inch lotus feet” were elegant and well-bred. Those whose feet were not bound were regarded as uncouth and would have difficulty finding a spouse. As a result, many young girls had to endure the prolonged, often excruciating pain of having their feet bound. They couldn’t walk long, let alone run, for the rest of their life. Blessedly, this is no longer a practice in modern China.

And you will enjoy a boat ride along the canal winding through the town. Finally, drive to Shanghai.

Day 12 Shanghai

Activity: Night cruise on the Huangpu River.

Meals: Buffet Breakfast, Chinese Lunch, Chinese Dinner

Accommodation：

Waldorf Astoria Shanghai on the Bund ***** or similar class

Travel to Yuyuan Garden. The garden was built in 1559 by an official of the Ming Dynasty to please his father. When you visit the garden, you will be impressed by its size, the buildings containing delicate carvings and the artistic rockeries inside.

Then, you will move on to the Shanghai Museum. It is one of the most important museums in China. It houses more than 120,000 items covering bronze ware, pottery, ancient furniture, among other things.

After that, you will take a leisure walk on Nanjing Road and the Bund, the center of Shanghai, to check out the colonial buildings there and explore that period of history. Then you will ascend the current tallest skyscraper in Shanghai: the Shanghai Tower to enjoy a panoramic view of the city.

Tonight, you will take a leisurely night cruise on the Huangpu River and enjoy the stunning night-views of the metropolis.

Day 13 Shanghai-Departure

Meals: Breakfast

This morning, drive to take the maglev train ride (single way, around 7-minutes) to Shanghai Pudong International Airport for your departing flight. Thus, the end of your extraordinary tour through China.