Xi’an-Beijing: Temple of Heaven, Tiananmen Square-Forbidden City, Hutong (L)

Airport Highway - Your driver will hold a sign with your name and wait in the lobby of your Xi’an hotel. You will then be transferred to the airport for a 2-hour flight to Beijing.

Your tour guide in Beijing will hold a sign with your name and wait at the exit of the arrival hall. Hop into your private air-conditioned vehicle and head back to the city. On the way, your tour guide will introduce you to the city’s facts and history. Feel free to ask any questions you may have.

Temple of Heaven - Head directly to the Temple of Heaven, where the Emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasties worshipped the God of Heaven. Follow your tour guide to stroll around the park. In the morning, you can see local retired people doing various exercises. Feel free to join them if you wish.

Inside the Temple of Heaven, you will visit the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest and the Hall of Imperial Zenith.

Echo Wall - Walk via Danbi Bridge to Echo Wall and Circular Mount Altar.

Yuanqiutan - Move on to Yuanqiutan. Learn how to communicate with heaven and how the emperors worshipped the God of Heaven in ancient times. Your tour guide will explain the related histories and stories along the way.

Tiananmen Square (Tiananmen Guangchang) - Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant, then head to Tiananmen Square, home to the Great Hall of the People, The Monument to the People’s Heroes, Chairman Mao’s Memorial Hall, and the Front Gate. Stroll around the square and learn the stories and histories of the buildings surrounding it.

Forbidden City-The Palace Museum - Pass through the South Gate-Meridian Gate to the magnificent Forbidden City, a 250-acre (101-ha) complex of courtyards, palaces, pavilions, and gardens that served as the imperial palace for emperors and their households for over 500 years.

Hall of Great Harmony (Taihe Dian) - Stroll around the courtyards and halls of the Forbidden City with your tour guide and learn the histories and stories about this massive palace. You will visit buildings inside the Forbidden City, including the Hall of Great Harmony, where the emperor handled state affairs, the Hall of Central Harmony, and the Hall of Complete Harmony.

Palace of Heavenly Purity - Continue to check out the living quarters in the palace: Hall of Union, Hall of Heavenly Purity, and Hall of Earthly Tranquillity.

The Imperial Garden of The Palace Museum - Your tour of the Forbidden City will end at the Imperial Garden, then you will exit the Forbidden City from the North Gate.

Shichahai Scenic Resort - Move on to the Shichahai area and enjoy a leisurely walk around Yandai Xie Street, Gulou East Street, and Nanluoguxiang Alley.

Nanluoguxiang - Stroll around the shops and hutongs in Nanluoguxiang Alley. After the tour, you will be transferred back to your hotel in Beijing.

Beijing: Great Wall of China-Olympic Park-Summer Palace (B,L)

Mutianyu Great Wall - Meet your tour guide in the lobby of your Beijing hotel, hop into your private air-conditioned vehicle, and head directly to the Great Wall at the Mutianyu Section. Your tour guide will explain the related histories and stories along the way. Feel free to ask any questions you may have.

Upon arrival, follow your tour guide to take the cable car or ski lift up to the Great Wall. Marvel at the surrounding area and hike up and down different towers. You can decide how long you want to stay at the Great Wall.

Niaochao National Stadium - Enjoy a delicious lunch at a local village restaurant. Here, you will sit with the village people and enjoy cuisine from Northeast China.

On the way back to the city, you will drive past the Olympic Park to get a glimpse of the amazing modern stadiums built for the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics.

Summer Palace (Yiheyuan) - Continue to the Summer Palace, a well-preserved royal garden renowned for its beautiful landscape and spectacular architecture. It is considered one of the most classical gardens in the world.

Hall of Benevolence and Longevity - Learn the stories about Empress Cixi with your tour guide and check out her living quarters.

Long Corridor at the Summer Palace - Walk along the longest corridor in the world, which is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records.

Qingyan Stone Boat - Continue to the Marble Boat, a foreign-style superstructure that was supposed to symbolize the stability of the Qing Dynasty.

After the tour, you will be transferred back to your hotel in Beijing.

Beijing-Guilin (B, L)

Beijing - Your driver will pick you up from the lobby of your Beijing hotel and transfer you to the airport for a 2.5-hour flight to Guilin.

Upon arrival, your local guide will hold a sign with your name and wait at the exit of the arrival hall. Then head directly to Guilin city.

Elephant Trunk Hill (Xiangbishan) - Your tour guide in Guilin will hold a sign with your name and wait at the exit of the arrival hall. Hop into your private vehicle and discuss the highlights and attractions you wish to see in Guilin City with your knowledgeable guide, who will help you plan an itinerary according to your interests. Then, set off and explore.

Typically, you will start at Elephant Trunk Hill, the landmark of Guilin. It has been a famous tourist destination since the Tang Dynasty (618–907). The hill looks like a giant elephant drinking water from the river.

Enjoy a vigorous walk to the top and visit the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644) Puxian Tower, which was built to worship Samantabhadra. Learn its history from your tour guide and enjoy the panoramic views of the city, Li River, and surrounding scenery.

Yunfeng Temple - Continue to Yunfeng Temple, one of the famous ancient temples of Guilin. It was the dwelling place of Monk Jianzhen, an eminent monk of the Tang Dynasty, who crossed over to Japan six times to spread Buddhist doctrines and help regularize monks’ behavior. Stroll around the temple and the exhibition gallery on the second floor.

Reed Flute Cave (Ludi Yan) - Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant, then head to Reed Flute Cave. Over millions of years, dripping water has eroded the cave to create a special world of various stalactites, stone pillars, and rock formations. Explore important spots in the attraction such as Tower-shaped Pine and Crystal Palace. Despite the fantastic natural scenery inside Reed Flute Cave, there are many writings on the wall. There are 77 travelogues and poems left, which date back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907).

After the tour, you will be transferred to your hotel in Guilin.

Guilin: Cruise to Yangshuo (B, L)

Li River - Your private English-speaking guide and driver will pick you up from your hotel’s lobby at 8:00 am and transfer you to Zhujiang Pier, where you will embark on a boat cruise down the Li River to Yangshuo County. The Li River Cruise is considered the highlight of any visit to Guilin.

Gui Lin Zhujiang Pier - Along the river, enjoy breathtaking views of peaks and pinnacles, crystal-clear water, and picturesque pastoral countryside scenery. The river generally has three sections. Various attractions like peaks and villages along the river have interesting descriptive names, which call for much of your imagination to see what they are like. Listening to your tour guide’s legendary stories about the attractions is a delightful experience while appreciating the landscapes. Most are mystical fairy and love stories. The cruise usually takes around 3.5 to 4 hours, depending on the water conditions.

Xingping Fishing Village - The Li River takes a big turn at Xingping and is endowed with beautiful and poetic scenery. It has been reproduced in many Chinese landscape paintings. Even the newly issued 20 RMB note has the scenery on its back. A photographer once said, ‘Shots from any perspective of this place turn out to be impressive and stunning.’

You will enjoy a simple lunch on the boat.

West Street - Arrive in Yangshuo at 1:30 pm, stroll around West Street with your tour guide, and explore various shops, craft shops, painting and calligraphy stores, backpack shops, and cafes. Your tour guide will help you negotiate prices if you want to purchase any souvenirs.

Shili Hualang - In the afternoon, you will explore the Ten-Mile Gallery in Yangshuo.

Sauntering down a country road makes you feel like you are traveling in a painting. This is true of the Ten-Mile Gallery in Yangshuo County, a fairyland on earth. As the name implies, Ten-Mile Gallery is a picturesque road stretching from the Yangshuo town area to Moon Hill, endowed with rolling hills, endless fields, idyllic villages, and clear rivers on both sides.

Butterfly Spring Park - Along Ten-Mile Gallery, there are a few famous sites you should not miss, such as Butterfly Spring Park. In the park, peculiar peaks, grotesque rocks, magnificent waterfalls, and bubbling springs can be found everywhere. A winding path meanders to the sightseeing terrace, where you can enjoy a bird’s eye view of Ten-Mile Gallery.

Big Banyan Tree - As the journey of Ten-Mile Gallery goes on, you will encounter a Big Banyan Tree, which is more than 1,400 years old. Follow your tour guide to stroll around and learn the love story about Liusanjie. See how new lovers come here to make wishes for their future.

Moon Hill - Your last stop is Moon Hill. Let your tour guide know if you want to stop to take photos.

After the tour, you will be transferred to the airport for a 2-hour flight to Shanghai.

Shanghai - Your driver in Shanghai will hold a sign with your name and wait at the exit of the arrival hall. You will be transferred to your hotel in Shanghai.

Shanghai City Highlights (B, L)

Shanghai Museum (Shanghai Bowuguan) - Meet your tour guide in the lobby of your Shanghai hotel, hop into your private air-conditioned vehicle, and embark on your customized tour of the city’s sights. Discuss the historical highlights and attractions you wish to see with your knowledgeable guide, who will help you plan an itinerary according to your interests. Then, set off and explore.

Typically, you will start with the Shanghai Museum. The museum is divided into eleven galleries and three exhibition halls. With bronze ware, ceramics, and painting and calligraphy as its distinctive collections, the museum boasts 120,000 pieces of rare and precious cultural relics in 21 categories.

Jade Buddha Temple - Then, move on to Jade Buddha Temple. You will see the White Jade Buddhas, which were brought here from Burma in the nineteenth century. Stroll around the halls and courtyards in the temple with your tour guide, learn the history of the temple and Buddhism in China, and see how the locals come to worship and burn incense.

Yu Garden (Yuyuan) - Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant, then explore Yuyuan Garden.

Yuyuan Garden is the largest ancient garden with Ming and Qing style architecture. Follow your tour guide to explore the garden and learn how to form a perfect garden. Then visit the Old City God Temple, where various local snack shops and streets are scattered around.

The Bund - Continue to the Bund, where you will see an amazing city skyline, including the Oriental Pearl TV Tower, Shanghai World Financial Center, Shanghai Tower, and colonial buildings along the Huangpu River. Take a walk and stop for photos.

Former French Concession - Continue to explore the Former French Concession. Besides its historical and religious factors, the Shanghai French Concession is also a fantastic place for spending leisure time. Follow your tour guide to wander the narrow alleyways, dine in one of the many cafes or restaurants (at your own cost), or browse through the endless art galleries and photographic studios.

Xintiandi - Finally, finish your tour in the lively nightlife district of Xintiandi. As a window to the past and the future, to China and the world, Shanghai Xintiandi’s Shikumen attraction was created by converting residential blocks into a multifunctional dining, retail, and entertainment center flowing with restaurants, boutiques, cafes, and bars of an international standard. Follow your tour guide and explore the area.

If you have already visited some of the places above and want to do something different, please feel free to discuss with your tour guide where to go. You can choose these attractions or activities based on your interests:

Shanghai Museum/Pearl TV Tower/World Financial Center/Jinmao Tower

After the tour, you can choose to end your tour in Shanghai or return to Beijing/Xi’an.

• Hotel pickup and drop-off
• Plane Tickets (economy class)
• Cable car round trip or ski lift up and toboggan down at the Great Wall
• Lunch
• 4 Star Cruise Ticket from Guilin to Yangshuo
• Overnight accommodation of standard twin room (two beds), based on twin share if option selected.
• English-speaking guide
• Breakfast
• Transport by private air-conditioned vehicle
• Entrance Fee

• Gratuities to tour guide and driver(recommended)
• Accommodation if you choose to have the tour only