10 Days Distinctive China Train Tour from Chengdu to Shanghai

Welcome to Chengdu! Upon arrival, you will be met by your local guide and driver, and then transferred to the hotel. Depending on your arrival time, you may explore the nearby areas if you want. Or just have a relaxing time after a long flight.

Meal: No

Altitude: 502m

Traffic: Car

Hotel: In Chengdu

In the morning after breakfast, you will be met at the hotel lobby. We will drive about 1.2 hours to Mount Qingcheng. If you a a mountain climber and nature lover, it is really a wonderful place for you to get more close to nature. Mount Qingcheng is one of the four major Taoist shrines in China, in this fairyland you can not only admire the great masterpiece of nature, but also feel its unique Taoist culture.

Then we will drive to visit the magnificent World Cultural Heritage Dujiangyan, which is the world’s oldest, the only remaining dam as well as a grand hydraulic project. At the same time, it is the crystallization of the wisdom of the ancient Chinese people and an epoch-making masterpiece of Chinese culture. Besides, it is the only great ecological project left in the world so far, opening a new era in the history of water resources in ancient China and marking a new stage in the history of water resources in China.

Meal: B

Altitude: 502m

Traffic: Car

Hotel: In Chengdu

After breakfast you will pay a visit to the Giant Panda Base in Chengdu, which is 15 kilometres away from the urban area. It’s the world-famous and the only panda base in China. If you are animal lovers, this tour is an ideal one for you. You will have a chance to be a volunteer to feed and clean panda and observe their behaviour closely. This is must be a memorable experience for your whole life. Take your time to explore the daily life of the cute pandas, and see them eating bamboo at their active time.

After the panda volunteer experience, we will travel to Du Fu Thatched Cottage, which is the former Chengdu residence of the famous Tang Dynasty poet Du Fu. Du Fu lived here for nearly four years. During his stay, he created hundreds of poems. This place is thus regarded as the “holy land” of Chinese literature. After relaxing we will head out to the Kuanzhai Xiangzi, which is one of the most popular scenic spots in Chengdu.

Afterwards, your guide will meet you at your hotel lobby and you will be escorted to train station for your high speed train to Xian (about 3.5 – 4.5 hours).

Meal: B

Altitude: 466m

Traffic: High-Speed Train

Hotel: In Xi’an

As the starting point of Silk Road, Xi’an has a profound history and culture. Drive to the countryside of the Xi’an city about 1hrs, we will visit the most impressive historic site Terracotta Warriors which are the most significant archeological excavations of the 20th century. Work is ongoing at this site, which is around 1.5 kilometers east of Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s Mausoleum in Lintong, It is a sight not to be missed by any visitor to China. Believe you will be amazed by the culture and history to get a feeling back to Qin Dynasty during the 3hrs experience. （No flash when take photos)

Lunch will be in the local restaurant, we will continue the sightseeing to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda built to house Buddhist scriptures collected by a Chinese Monk. Big Wild Goose Pagoda has 7 floors in total. Architecture is traditional Chinese style decorating with some Buddha statues. Tourists can see variety of Buddha statues and see the whole Xi’an city at the top floor. In the evening, you will stroll around the Muslim Street, relax with free wandering along the street when tasting the local delicacies and experiencing the local lifestyle.

Meal: B

Altitude: 466m

Traffic: Car

Hotel: In Xi’an

This morning we will go to the Shaanxi Province Museum, This provincial museum is one of the major museums in China. It holds numerous unearthed cultural artifacts from within the Shaanxi province as well as the rest of China. The newly built modern building recreates Tang-dynasty architecture and successfully symbolizes the great extent of Shaanxi history and its remarkable culture.

Next, we will visit the Ancient City Wall, which is the best preserved city wall in China. Ancient city wall has a history of 600 years. It is the Ming dynasty city wall. The city wall was built to protect the city. You can hire a bike and cycle around the city wall, stopping for photos and to enjoy the view. Continue our sightseeing of Tang Paradise, which features numerous buildings, squares, and gardens, all incorporating features of traditional Tang Chinese architecture.

Afterwards, your guide will meet you at your hotel lobby and you will be escorted to train station for your high speed train to Beijing. 

Meal: B

Altitude: 54m

Traffic: High-Speed Train

Hotel: In Beijing

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!

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

Meal: B

Altitude: 54m

Traffic: Car

Hotel: In Beijing

Today we will drive out of the city to one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the Great Wall. As the sections that closer to the city are more heavily visited and renovated, while the further sections are less crowded and more authentic. We will visit Mutianyu section, which is well-preserved and has many excellent watchtowers and view points. The Mutianyu section is also the most popular one among travelers from other countries. And because of its conventional and original appearance, this section is perhaps the most frequently used one on post cards and videos of the Great Wall.We will take the cable car firstly, then climb up along the rising towers to enjoy the most beautiful and spectacular sceneries of the Great Wall. “He who does not reach the Great Wall is not a true man”, Chinese people were told so from a young age. Hiking in the Great Wall can rank among one of the greatest experiences on earth! Descend by cable car or hiking for another 40 minutes depends on your energy, and both are quite fun to experience.

On the way back of Beijing city, we will visit the Sacred Way which is a passage with 7 kilometers long leading to the Imperial Tombs of 13 emperors of Ming Dynasty. In China, for almost all the imperial tombs, the sacred way is an inseparable part. Because the emperors were viewed as the son of the heaven and came from heaven through the invisible sacred way, they would also return to heaven through this way. To make people know that, constructing a visible way in front of the tomb became a tradition, and it represents the absolute authority of emperors. We will walk through the Sacred Way and you will see the majestic stone guard of 12 sets of mythical animals and 12 officials standing alongside the way. They are expected to escort the imperial families to heaven and forever protect and serve them.

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

Altitude: 54m

Traffic: Car

Hotel: In Beijing

In the morning, we will start our tour today from the Temple of Heaven. It is the most perfect example of Ming architecture with original function of praying for good harvests and as a vast stage for solemn rites performed by the son of heaven. Inside the Temple of Heaven, except the main buildings, there is an interesting Echo Wall. If a person whispers close to the wall at any point, his voice can be heard distinctly at any other point along the wall. Try that by yourself, but be careful, don’t whisper any secret there~Then spend your afternoon exploring the Hutongs which are remnants of Beijing.

Hutongs are small and narrow alleys formed by neighboring quadrangle dwellings that once radiated outwards from the Forbidden City. During the Qing dynasty, the proximity to the Forbidden City of the Hutongs indicates the social status of the residents. Although today Hutongs have no such function anymore, we still can get a feel of the old Beijing life style there and also see the historical changes of Beijing city. To have in-depth experience, we will also visit a local family’s home in the Hutongs.

Late in the day, end up your Beijing tour and say goodbye to the Hutongs. We will head to the Beijing West Railway Station and board on the high speed train to Shanghai. 

Meal: B

Altitude: 5m

Traffic: High Speed Train, Car

Hotel: In Shanghai

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: 5m

Traffic: Car

Hotel: In Shanghai

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 unforgettable tour comes to the end. You will be transferred to the airport for your flight. Hope to see you again soon in China! Tour ends!

Meal: B

Altitude: 5m

Traffic: Car

Hotel: No