19 Days In-depth China Adventure Tour

Arriving at the airport in Beijing, you will be met by your driver for a private transfer to your city center hotel. You will have an early evening briefing where you can meet your guide as well as clarifying any details about the tour. Afterwards, you will enjoy a guided walk around your hotel to get your bearings, before stopping at a local restaurant for a delicious welcome dinner.

Meal: No

Altitude: 45m

Traffic: Train/Plane, Car

Hotel: In Beijing

After having breakfast, we’ll head to visit the Gubeikou section of the Great Wall. This amazing ancient construction is over 20,000kms long and it has more than 2,500 years of history. Meanwhile, it was built to defend a vital mountain pass and offers spectacular craggy scenery for hikers to enjoy. In the whole day, you can enjoy hiking the Great wall as well as take some nice shots.

Meal: B, L

Altitude: 45m

Traffic: Car

Hotel: In Beijing

After having breakfast, we’ll drive about 3 hours to Jinshanling Great Wall, which is about 130 kilometers away from the downtown of Beijing, is a section of the Great Wall personally presided over by the Ming Dynasty anti-Japanese general Qi Jiguang.

Climbing the Jinshanling Great Wall, you’ll be amazed by the spectacular and beautiful scenery. Compared with other parts of the Great Wall in Beijing, it still maintains its original appearance and gives a simple and pure feeling. The tourists amount is small here, so it’s a great place for hiking adventures and nature lovers.

The whole Jinshanling Great Wall is about 10.5 kilometers long, and the sightseeing area in the scenic area is about 5-6 kilometers. If you want to challenge yourself, full hiking tour is a nice choice for you to deeply explore the natural and primitive scenery of the Jinshanling Great Wall. In addition, it attracts a lot of photography enthusiasts to visit every year because of its spectacular view, and you can also enjoy the most gorgeous sunrise here.

The last but not least, the easternmost section of the Great Wall is called the Great Wall of text bricks, of which 70% of the city bricks are engraved with text, recording the manufacturing unit and time of the city bricks, which is very unique and precious.

Meal: B, L

Altitude: 45m

Traffic: Car

Hotel: In Beijing

You will start a fresh morning to hike the wall at Simatai, which is famous for its spectacular position along narrow mountain ridges. At the same time, it is the only part of the Great Wall in China that retains its original appearance from the Ming Dynasty. The city wall is built in accordance with the steep mountains and there are 20 complete enemy towers preserved, especially Wangjing Tower, which is built on the steep peak of a kilometer above sea level, and can look far to Beijing City with excellent landscape. It has been identified as the “original Great Wall” by UNESCO.

In the afternoon, we’ll drive back to the city area of Beijing. After the long journey, we will be back to the downtown and have a short stop at the Beijing Olympic Village to have a look of the famed Bird’s Nest and Water Cube from the outside.

Recommended optional activity: you can choose to taste the famous Peking Roasted Duck at Quanjude for your dinner after the whole day’s tour.

Meal: B, L

Altitude: 45m

Traffic: Train, Car

Hotel: In Xi’an

After breakfast in the hotel, you will head out on a city tour beginning with a visit to Tiananmen Square which is located in the city center of Beijing, and also the biggest city plaza in the world. It is the place where the Chairman Mao Zedong proclaimed the founding of the People’s republic of China. Tiananmen in Chinese means “Gate of Heavenly Peace”, and the gate separates the square from the Forbidden city. The square contains the Monument to the People’s Heroes, the Great Hall of the People, the National Museum of China and the Chairman Mao Zedong Memorial Hall.

Passing through Tiananmen Gate, you will be in the enormous Forbidden City. This amazing complex was the former imperial palace of the emperors of China in Ming and Qing dynasties. You may be surprised by the immense size of the palace as it contains over 9000 rooms and covers about 1,000,000m2 (10,800,000 sq ft), the size of 140 football fields. While the most fascinating parts are the splendid colorfully painted ceilings, sophisticately carved walkways and exquisite collections.

Afterwards, visit the Jingshan Park where you will get the best panoramic view of the Forbidden City so that you can take your time to enjoy the aftertaste of your “city tour”.

Then in the afternoon, you will visit the Summer Palace which is one of the finest sights in Beijing as it’s the largest and best-preserved imperial garden in China. After lunch, Stroll around the beautiful garden and meander through the airy pavilions just as the imperial families once did. What a pleasant day! In the evening, we’ll take the high-speed train to visit Xi’an.

Recommended optional activities: 1. Kung Fu show between 19:15~20:15 2. A breathtaking acrobatic show between 19:15~20:15.

Meal: B, L

Altitude: 400m

Traffic: Car

Hotel: In Xi’an

After spending the night on the high-speed train, you will transfer to your hotel for a delicious local breakfast by our professional driver. You’ll discover the historical buildings, museums, and bustling streets of Xi’an by bicycle today. Xi’an city, or call its older name Chang’an, marks the eastern end of the silk Road. It almost can represent the ancient China for its abundant historical attractions and unearthed relics. The locals always say that there are two cities in Xi’an, one is overground, the other is underground. It is a endless treasure of culture and history, you will have a wonderful and unforgettable cultural tour here.

In the noon, enjoy the comfy sunshine by strolling on the Ancient City Wall. Just like the function of the Great Wall, many cities in China once had massive defensive walls which belonged to the ancient military defensive systems. However, only very few city walls remained after hundred years’ vicissitudes. Among them, the one in Xi’an is the most impressive one as it is well-preserved. You not only can enjoy the panoramic views of the whole Xi’an city and take photos.

Then, we will head to the Da Cien Temple after breakfast. This is a very famous Buddhist sutra translation site in the Tang Dynasty. If you are very interested in Chinese culture, you must have heard story about the Journey to the West. The hero — famed Buddhist master Xuanzang (Tripitaka) — brought back many precious Buddhist materials from his epic journey to India during the early Tang Dynasty. All the Buddhist scriptures he brought back were stored in the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, which is in the center of the Da Cien Temple. Here you will have time to try on the traditional costume of Han Chinese — Hanfu. Typically the gorgeous Hanfu only worn by the emperors families and nobles in the solemn occasions.

End up your day tour in the lively Muslim Quarter where to take a food adventure and explore the local Muslim culture.

Recommended optional activities: 1. Rent a bike and cycling on the ancient wall 2. Enjoy a fascinating Tang Palace Dance Show in the night between 20:00 to 21:00.

Meal: B, L

Altitude: 400m

Traffic: Car, Flight

Hotel: In Guilin

In the morning, We will directly drive to the outskirts of Xi’an city to visit its best known sight–Terracotta Warriors, one of the greatest human-made wonders in the world. It was built by Qin Shihuang, who is the first emperor of China, to guard him in his afterlife. Over 8,000 life-size soldiers were individually sculptured, and each of them have different height, body shape, hair style, costume and even facial expression! You will also see horses and chariots which are also life-size. Only 3 pits were discovered, and the majority are still buried. All the soldiers are facing east to protect the tomb of emperor Qin Shihuang. The mysterious Qin Shihuang Mausoleum, which has not been opened yet as the existed techniques cannot guarantee excavating without destroying the inner structure and treasures, is believed to be another striking wonder once been exposed to the world. The huge scale of terracotta warriors shows how ambitious the emperor Qin Shihuang was and how sophisticated and advance the ancient Chinese artistic skills were.

After enjoying this extraordinary historical site, you will enjoy lunch in a local village and head to the sacred mountain of Huashan to spend the night.

Meal: B, L

Altitude: 150m

Traffic: Car, Cruise

Hotel: In Yangshuo

After enjoying a delicious breakfast, you will head to the foot of the spectacular mountain – Huashan, where you will take a cable car to the tip of the North Peak. After savoring the stunning landscape, you will spend the day hiking from North Peak to West Peak. Mount Hua consists of five peaks, the east, west, south three peaks in the shape of tripod interdependent, of which the highest main peak of the south peak 2154.9 meters above sea level, is the highest of the five mountains. The last but not least, Huashan is considered as the “the most dangerous mountain” in world. If you like mountain climbing, it’s a perfect place to challenge yourself.

Meal: B, L

Altitude: 238m

Traffic: Car, Train, Cruise

Hotel: On Cruise

In the morning, take a plane from Xi’an to paradise Lijiang. It lies on the ancient tea horse road and is home to gorgeous cobbled streets, ancient historical sites and world-famous local hiking at the Tiger Leaping Gorge. This unique destination is surrounded by snow-capped mountains and famous for its beautiful Old Town, a UNESCO world heritage site.

First, drive to Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, take 25 minutes’ cableway to Glacier Park, you will see the vegetations changes with ascending altitude. Walk along the plank road to reach 4680m and appreciate the fairyland with ice and snow.

Then, take cableway down, drive to visit Blue Moon Valley with turquoise-colored water. On sunny days, the water is blue, and the valley is crescent shaped. From a distance, it looks like a blue moon inlaid at the foot of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, so it is called Blue Moon Valley. And because the mud at the bottom of the lake is white, and the water turns white when it rains, so it is also called the White Water River. In Addition, we can also explore Ganhaizi, has a carpet of grass that leads from the base of Yulong Snow Mountain in the west to the distant horizon. It’s an ideal place for viewing and photographing. Afterwards, drive back to Lijiang for rest.

Meal: B, L, D

Altitude: 150m

Traffic: Cruise

Hotel: On Cruise

In the morning, we’ll pay a visit to the awesome Tiger Leaping Gorge, which is located 105 kilometers south of Zhongdian County. The gorge is 17 kilometers long with a drop of 213 meters, divided into three sections: Upper, Middle and Lower Hutiao. Tiger Leaping Gorge is one of the deepest and most spectacular river canyon in the world and a part of UNESCO World Heritage Site called Three Parallel of Yunnan Protected Areas. For the rest of the day, you will trek this great gorge along its Upper Trekking Route, one of the top 10 classic hiking trails in the world that famed among worldwide backpackers.

This trekking starts from paths near Naxi Family Guesthouse. In the end, you’ll pass by the amazing 24 Bends, which looks extremely spectacular and you can have a panoramic view on the top of the gorge. At the narrowest spot the river is only 30 meters wide. The mouth of the gorge is 1,800 meters above sea level. The river is flanked by Yulong and Haba snow mountains, with a height difference of 3,900 meters. Here you will also have an opportunity to Haba Snow Mountain viewpoint and have an incredible view. Standing on the highest point of the Tiger Leaping Gorge, you can not only admire the breathtaking natural scenery, but also take some nice shots with your friends or family. After enjoying the breathtaking views of the gorge, you will spend the night in a local guesthouse.

Meal: B, L, D

Altitude: 150m

Traffic: Cruise

Hotel: On Cruise

Continuing through the magical setting of Tiger Leaping Gorge, you will make your way to Walnut Grove on foot. You will experience a side of China that most tourists completely miss, as you soak up the peaceful scenery and stop to greet local villagers along the way. You will stay in the small village of Walnut Grove tonight, surrounded by snow-capped mountains and spectacular views of the night sky.

Meal: B, L, D

Altitude: 2m

Traffic: Cruise, Car, Train

Hotel: In Shanghai

In the morning, we’ll head to the Shibaoshan, which is a nice place for exploring the mountain paths and checking out the Shizhong Mountain Grottoes. Shibao Mountain for Danxia landform, spherical wind fossil formation of strange peaks and stones scattered, unique, there are Shizhong Mountain grottoes, Daoguan Baoxiang Temple, Jinding Temple, Haiyunju Temple, Shizhong reservoir and other scenic spots. Wandering around the ancient statues, you will notice the even rock beneath each shrine, rubbed smooth by all the people that have knelt in prayer for over 1000 years. After a lovely picnic lunch with a wonderful view of steep red cliffs, you will transfer to your guesthouse in Shaxi Old Town.

Meal: B, L

Altitude: 2m

Traffic: Car

Hotel: In Shanghai

Shaxi was once an important post station on the ancient Tea Horse Road, but with the decline of the ancient Tea Horse Road, it was gradually forgotten and better retained the style of the tea Horse town at that time. There are ancient opera stage, Yujin Bridge, Xingjiao Temple and other scenic spots in the ancient town, among which Xingjiao Temple is the largest, most typical and most representative of the Buddhist tantric “Azzhali” temple in China.

You can spend a day to fully explore the historic market town of Shaxi. Shaxi has now been appointed a UNESCO world heritage site and has begun to flourish once more. In addition, you can also enjoy the ancient music of Shaxi Cave, see the traditional Baishang whip of the Bai nationality, and taste Shaxi’s local specialties such as ginseng seeds, matsutake mushrooms, and goat milk cake.

Meal: B, L

Altitude: 2m

Traffic: Car

Hotel: In Shanghai

In the morning, take a flight to the Longji, it is famous for its iconic terraces which have been cultivated under traditional methods for over 700 years. You will enjoy a short walk when you arrive, and the night is in Dazhai – a Yao minority village.

Meal: B

Altitude: 2m

Traffic: Car, Flight

Hotel: No Accommodation

Today, you’ll go to visit the Longji Valley on foot, enjoy the natural and beautiful rice terraces in a close distance. This unique valley is fondly regarded as the Dragon’s backbone for its scale-like terraces and craggy mountain-ridge spine. The terrain will be challenging at times, but you will be rewarded by the shade of chestnut forests, the sound of waterfalls and panoramic views of the valley. You will spend the night in Yangshuo, a peaceful town nestled amongst impressive limestone pinnacles.

Meal: B

Altitude: 2m

Traffic: Car, Flight

Hotel: No Accommodation

Chinese people always say that Guilin landscape tops elsewhere, Yangshuo landscape tops at Guilin. It is no exaggeration to say that the sceneries in Guilin is the best under heaven. If you have a 20 yuan note on your hand, look at the backside, what printed in the center is just the most unique landscape in Guilin. Today you will have a chance to see it by yourself.

We will start our tour today with taking a cozy sightseeing cruise along the Li River from Mopanshan Pier to the Yangshuo Town. Alongside the river, what overwhelms your eyes is the dazzling scenery like a vivid picture scroll of Chinese painting. You will be stunned by the sparkling river, unique limestone karst mountains, peaceful countryside views and bridges looked like something out of a fairy-tale.

The 84 kilometers’ cruise takes about 4 hours. After the relaxing time, we will reach the Yangshuo Town. Either biking along the Yulong River or rowing a bamboo rafting is highly recommended for exploring the beauty of countryside.

Afterwards, wander to the ancient West Street to experience how the Chinese and Western culture communicating in the small village. Sit in a special bar, have a cup of drink with delicious Chinese cuisine and then enjoy the picturesque scenes outside the window. That’s how to taste the eastern flavour by western style.

Recommended optional activity: Watch the incredible light show of Impression Liu Sanjie which takes the Li River as the stage, directed by Zhang Yimou. (between 19:45 to 22:20)

Meal: B

Altitude: 2m

Traffic: Car, Flight

Hotel: No Accommodation

Today we will transfer back to Guilin in the morning to visit the landmark of Guilin — Elephant Trunk Hill. You may be unfamiliar with this name, but its image must have been showed to you hundred times once you open a book or searching the keywords on the internet about the landscape of China. The giant rock hill standing in the river, just like an elephant drinking water.

Our next destination is just next to the Elephant Trunk Hill. Reed Flute Cave, karst cave, another masterpiece of nature. It is a marvelous underground palace with millions of stalagmite, stalactite, stone waterfall stone and shield that form by million years’ natural efforts. The most wonderful parts of the cave are highlighted by neon lights, which makes the whole cave more colorful and fantastic. The cave is year-round in a pleasant temperature so that you will have a cool afternoon.

Then it’s time to say goodbye to the unforgettable Guilin tour. Let’s leave for Shanghai! You will be transferred to the airport for your flight. After 2 hours’ flight, you will be escorted to the hotel in Shanghai.

Meal: B

Altitude: 2m

Traffic: Car, Flight

Hotel: No Accommodation

Shanghai is the most important political, economic and cultural city in the East of China. This buzzing metropolis sits on the banks of the river Yangtze and is famous for its futuristic skyline and peaceful temples alike. Besides, Shanghai is considered as the most developed metropolis in China. Many people know China from this city as it represents for fashion and enthusiasm.

We will have a day tour start with exploring Shanghai Museum as museum usually is the best place to get to know the past and present of a city in a short time. It is one of the Best Four Museums, with thousands of world-standard precious historic relics in exhibition, dating from over 5,000 years ago to now.

The next stop is not far from the museum, which is a typical Chinese garden with Jiangnan style. It is hidden among high buildings, just like a oasis in the desert. This design highly meets the idea of Confucians, who believe that, the “lesser hermit” lives in seclusion in the country, while the “greater hermit” does so in the city. Beautiful designs are everywhere. Jagged pavilions with exquisite decorations, glittering pools with roving fishes… outside the garden is the Yuyuan Bazaar, where is full of wonderful food stalls and traditional Chinese handicrafts’ shops.

Let’s then go back from the man-made garden to the man-made building — Shanghai World Financial Center with a more interesting nick name — “the Eye of Shanghai”. Here you will easily get a super-excellent panoramic view of the whole face of Shanghai.

Then walk into the modern Shanghai, we will visit another very popular landmark of Shanghai — Nanjing Road. It is a shopping paradise where you can buy almost any latest product of any international brand.

Later in the day, end up your tour today with strolling along the Bund, which originally is a towpath for transporting goods. Nowadays, it has become a busy trading district and you will see and feel the unique scenery of fusion of Chinese and Western cultures in this place.

Recommended optional activities: 1. Acrobatic show performed between 19:30 to 21:00. 2. Enjoying the night scene of Huangpu River in a cozy cruise (about 50 minutes)

Meal: B

Altitude: 2m

Traffic: Car, Flight

Hotel: No Accommodation

Today is your last day for this trip! Let’s have some relaxing activities. After enjoying your breakfast at hotel, we will leave for the Jade Buddha Temple where houses the largest jade Buddha in the world. You will also see numerous ancient statues, Buddhist artifacts and scriptures. Just like Yuyuan, this is a place to provide you some spaces to relax and do some thinking in the busy city.

No far from the Jade Buddha Temple is our last stop — Tianzifang, where gathered plenty of “hidden” surprises. In the renovated traditional residential area, you will feel the dense SOHO style life flavor with ubiquitous cafe, salon, workshop and bar. Stroll along the old alleys, appreciate the Shikumen architecture, and enjoy your last relaxing hours in this tour in an open-air cafe like the local Shanghai people.

In the afternoon, our adventure tour comes to the end. After an amazing trip of hiking, cycling and exploring the ancient monuments of China, you will be transferred to the airport for your flight. Hope to see you again soon in China!

Meal: B

Altitude: 2m

Traffic: Car, Flight

Hotel: No Accommodation