12-Day Classic China Private Tour from Beijing: Xi'an, Guilin, Yangshuo and Shanghai | Summer Palace | Xi'an History Museum

What you'll experience

Highlights

12 days

Day-by-day itinerary

1. 1

   Day 1 — Beijing Arrival

   Welcome to majestic Beijing! To ensure your arrival is stress-free, your private tour guide will meet you in the arrivals hall and transfer you to your hotel in a private car. Your luggage and hotel check-in will be taken care of.

   Meals: B: Excluded, L: Excluded, D: ExcludedStay: Peace Hotel Beijing (Forbidden city) (****)
2. 2

   Day 2 — The Temple of Heaven and the Forbidden City

   Start your journey at the Temple of Heaven, a dignified complex of religious buildings, symbolizing the relationship between Earth and Heaven. There you will see local people doing morning exercise in their unique ways. Lunch is served in a popular local restaurant with authentic local food. Your guide will help you to order the dishes you like. 
   Walk through Tian'anmen Square to explore the mysterious Forbidden City. Being the largest imperial palace in the world. Get off the ordinary sightseeing route in the Forbidden City. Listen to the interesting stories of the famous personalities that are not told by typical tour guides.
   Enjoy an authentic Beijing roast duck dinner in a time-honored brand restaurant.

   

   Tiananmen Square

   

   Temple of Heaven

   Meals: B: Included, L: Included, D: ExcludedStay: Peace Hotel Beijing (Forbidden city) (****)
3. 3

   Day 3 — The Summer Palace and Hutong

   In the morning, visit the Summer Palace. It is where the emperors used to retreat from the summer heat.
   Your guide will show you the palace area and the lake area. The best way to do sightseeing at the Palace is by taking a dragon boat on the lake. On the way, you will have a chance to view all the beautiful palaces around the lake.
   After lunch, go to the old hutong area with your guide. A visit to a local family offers a local perspective on the area's history and is a highlight for most visitors.
   Then,visit a vibrant CBD, where smart parcel lockers, contactless transit, and flagship stores of Xiaomi and Huawei make innovation simply part of daily routine. Step inside the latest electric vehicles and meet playful AI companions like robot dogs, and see how technology quietly makes life smoother, smarter, and more connected.

   

   Summer Palace

   

   Hutongs

   Meals: B: Included, L: Included, D: ExcludedStay: Peace Hotel Beijing (Forbidden city) (****)
4. 4

   Day 4 — Day and Night Tour of the Great Wall

   After breakfast, travel to the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall. Listen to the stories about this world wonder. Your guide will show you the most recommended section to have a walk.
   Head to Simatai Great Wall in the afternoon. Spend the afternoon wandering around the Guibei Water Town, which is at the foot of the Great Wall. You can also enjoy a soak in a hot spring if you want to.
   When it gets dark, your guide will accompany you to take the cable car up to the Simatai section to enjoy the stunning night views, which is a different experience from the day version. It's the only section that's open and lit up at night.

   

   Mutianyu Great Wall

   Meals: B: Included, L: Included, D: ExcludedStay: Beijing Wtown Resort (*****)
5. 5

   Day 5 — The High-speed Train to Xi'an

   Enjoy a relaxing morning in the Gubei Water Town, and then your guide will escort you to the railway station in Beijing city. Take a high-speed train to Xi'an.

   

   Gubei water town

   Meals: B: Included, L: Included, D: ExcludedStay: Xi'an Eastern House Boutique Hotel (****)
6. 6

   Day 6 — The Terracotta Warriors

   Enter the Terracotta Warriors Museum via tram, and witness three captivating pits that display the concealed power of Emperor Qin Shi Huang's extensive military force. Your guide will provide insights into their fabrication and safeguarding, emphasizing the precise workmanship, lasting strength, and the former colorful brilliance of these historical sentinels.
   Get up close with the first restored Warriors, learn the restoration story, handle Qin Dynasty relics in the Conservation Laboratory.
   In the afternoon, visit the ancient city wall that has been guarding the inner city for 600 years.
   Walking along the wall provides a good view of the city. You can also rent a bike to cycle around the wall.

   

   Terracotta Warriors and Horses

   

   Ancient City Wall

   Meals: B: Included, L: Included, D: ExcludedStay: Xi'an Eastern House Boutique Hotel (****)
7. 7

   Day 7 — Xi'an City Highlights and Flight to Guilin

   Discover more of Xi'an and China's ancient history at Xi'an History Museum and Little Wild Goose Pagoda, then head to the Muslim Quarter and wander through the alleys to taste the local Muslim cuisine.
   Fly to Guilin in the afternoon.

   

   Xi'an History Museum

   

   Muslim Quarter

   Meals: B: Included, L: Included, D: ExcludedStay: Guilin Lijiang Waterfall Hotel (****)
8. 8

   Day 8 — Longji Terraced Rice Fields and Ethnic Minority Culture

   Begin your day by exploring the Longji Terraced Rice Fields.
   Built into the hillsides, the terraces are beautiful when the sun reflects on the water of the paddy fields, and the fields glow when the harvest is ripe.
   The Zhuang minority have lived there for generations in wooden houses, and the people eat their own unique food, such as bamboo rice and oil tea.
   Sit around a bonfire in a traditional kitchen, make bamboo rice with the host.

   

   Longji Rice Terraces

   Meals: B: Included, L: Included, D: ExcludedStay: Guilin Lijiang Waterfall Hotel (****)
9. 9

   Day 9 — Li River Cruise

   A cruise along the Li River is an unforgettable experience. Between spectacular limestone peaks, you will see graceful bamboo groves, farmers tending rice paddies, and lumbering water buffalo cooling off in the river.
   Disembark in Yangshuo town around 1:30pm and explore the famous West Street. Transfer to the cozy hotel in the countryside and enjoy your free time in the rest of the day.

   

   Li River

   Meals: B: Included, L: Included, D: ExcludedStay: Yangshuo Mountain Retreat (****)
10. 10

    Day 10 — Countryside Lifestyle and flight to Shanghai

    Drive toward the south of Yangshuo to explore the peaceful villages. You might meet someone on his way to the fields with a water buffalo or someone working in the paddy.
    Visit an old couple who still live in a traditional house. Learn about their lifestyle and philosophy of living.
    Continue to drive pass an old ferry along the Li River. The old buildings in the ancient style are the memory of the busy water transportation on the Li River in the past. Then you will take a ferry and a local farmer's taxi (a kind of motorbike with three wheels) to the local market.
    Your guide will show you around to explain the different types of food and show you the local people's daily necessities.
    Fly to the modern city of Shanghai in the afternoon.

    

    Li River

    Meals: B: Included, L: Included, D: ExcludedStay: Sunrise On The Bund (****)
11. 11

    Day 11 — Shanghai Highlights with Bund Discovery

    Do you just want to take one or two selfies in the Bund as most tourists do? Let's travel back in time to the golden age of the Bund in the 1920s during our In-depth Bund Culture Discovery Tour.
    Enjoy lunch and ascend to the highest building in China, Shanghai Tower, where you will not only enjoy a panoramic view of Shanghai but will also see the future of China.
    Embark on a relaxed culinary walking tour from the birthplace of Shanghai's fusion cuisine to the city's most authentic local eateries. Sample iconic dishes at carefully selected time-honored restaurants, and discover how Jiangnan traditions and international influences together shaped Shanghai's unique food identity.
    Visit Yu Garden, which used to be a private garden built in 1559 during the Ming Dynasty, with typical Chinese classic architecture and style. Yuyuan Garden is surrounding by a busy market place, where visitors can find everything such as popular handicrafts, antiques, and souvenirs.

    

    The Bund

    

    Yu Garden

    Meals: B: Included, L: Included, D: ExcludedStay: Sunrise On The Bund (****)
12. 12

    Day 12 — Shanghai Departure

    As your China trip comes to end, your tour guide and driver will collect you from your hotel and transfer you to Shanghai Pudong International Airport for your flight home.

    Meals: B: Included, L: Excluded, D: Excluded

What's included

Cancellation policy

Important info

Tour operator