Day 1 Arrival Beijing

Arrive at Beijing airport and be picked up by a local Beijing driver.

Day 2 Tian’anmen Square, Forbidden City, Jingshan Park, Beijing Hutong Walking

09:00 a.m: Commence your day tour by meeting your friendly tour guide in the hotel lobby.

09:30 a.m: Your first sight will be Tiananmen Square, also called Gate of Heavenly Peace. There is not much to see in the square itself, except that it’s the largest inner city square in the whole world. Several significant historic events occurred here, the most important of which was that it was here that Chairman Mao proudly announced the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Following your guide, you will learn about the other historical events that happened here.

10:30 - 13:00 p.m: The Forbidden City borders Tiananmen Square, and is the highlight of your day tour. It served as the home for Imperial Families for over 500 years and has survived both natural and man-made disasters. Being the largest and the best preserved palace compound in the world, it has symbolized the Imperial Power, simply because common people are prohibited access. Now, it’s a cultural symbol revealing old stories.

13:00 - 14:00 p.m: Enjoy a local Beijing lunch at your own expense.

14:20 - 15:00: Filled with energy, you set out for Jingshan Park which is also one of the Imperial Parks of old times. Nowadays, it’s just a place where local people enjoy their leisure time. The park presents a commanding view of the whole Forbidden City and if you are lucky to be visiting on an autumn day, the red maple forest presents a splendid scene fit for royalty.

15:30 - 17:00 p.m: Stroll in the old Beijing Hutongs where old Beijingers live. A few decades ago, almost all people in Beiijng lived in Siheyuan in Hutongs. There may be a couple of families in one yard who have been living together for a long time and they know each other well. You can imagine the hustle and bustle of old times. Nowadays, there are still some people living there, but most Hutongs are vacant. You may be interested in joining some groups for activities like opera mask making, paper cutting, rickshaw riding, kite flying, calligraphy or learning to paint.

17:00p.m: Hotel drop-off at the end of your tour.



    

Day 3 Mutianyu Great Wall, Summer Palace

07:30 a.m: Start your day tour by meeting the tour guide in the hotel lobby.

09:00 - 12:00 p.m: Time to walk along the top of the Mutianyu Great Wall which has only recently become popular and attracts more visitors every day. Take a cable car up and enjoy the most breathtaking views. Walk along the Great Wall, while learning about the history and function of the towers and parapets. After walking for about 1-2 hours, take a thrilling toboggan ride down.

12:00 - 13:00: Enjoy an authentic rural lunch at one of the many local farms at the foot of the Great Wall.

14:30 - 16:00: After lunch, you will set out for the Summer Palace. It was a summer resort for royal families to escape from the heat in the capital. Like other palaces in Beijing, there are man-made hills, artificial lakes, bridges, pavilions, trees and beautiful gardens with various flowers blooming every season. If time permits, we recommend you take a boat ride on the lake. (This is an extra charge for your own account).

16:30 p.m: Transfer back to your hotel.




    

Day 4 Temple of heaven, Yonghe Palace, head to Xian

09:00: Meet your local guide and set off for the day tour.

09:30- 11:00: Head for the Temple of Heaven. Ringed by the lush vegetation, the Temple of Heaven was a sacred place where the ancient emperors prayed for a good harvest and offered sacrifices. The temple itself was built entirely of wood with no nails, which is a unique architectural achievement originating from China. Comprised of two parts, a rectangular foundation and a semi-circular top, the Temple represents the typical  Chinese concept of a circular heaven and rectangular ground. Nowadays, the grounds are a public park where you can see local people doing their morning exercise.

11:00 - 12:30 p.m: Visit the Yonghe Palace (Lama Temple) situated in northeast Beijing. Originally built as a palace for the fourth prince Yong by the Emperor Kangxi in the Qing Dynasty, it became an Emperor’s Palace after the prince ascended the throne. During the rule of Emperor Qianlong (Emperor Yongzheng’s son), the palace was changed into a Buddhist temple, also called the Lama Temple with the objective of showing kindness to southwest minority groups such as the people of Tibet.

13:30 p.m: Drop-off at Beijing West Train Station and take G349 (15:13 - 19:45) to Xian.

19:45 p.m: Your local Xian driver will pick you up at the Xian North Railway Station and drop you off at  your Xian hotel.




    

Day 5 Terracotta Warriors Museum, City Wall, Muslim Quarter

09:00: Greeted by your tour guide, your exploration of this great city begins.

09:50: You will arrive at Terracotta Warriors Museum. Your tour guide will take you through all important figures, horses and weapons. By examining the terracotta figures discovered here, you can imagine what the Qin soldiers looked like 2000 years ago. From the horse cart and weapons displayed, you will have an idea how these soldiers used to fight. If you look closely enough, you will discover that each figure has different facial expressions, which is astonishing considering how many figures there are. Then, you will appreciate how great this work is and why the Terracotta Warriors Museum is regarded as the Eighth Wonder in the world.

12:30: Savour the most authentic local lunch (lunch is for your own account). Xian is one of the famous food cities in China. For lunch, you will be faced with a variety of choices such as a Chinese Hamburger, Baozi (steamed stuffed bun), Spicy soup, Tofu Jelly, Deep - fried dough sticks, Pita Bread Soaked in Mutton Soup, Biang Biang Noodles, Guokui, to name but a few.

13:30: Visit a local family living in a Traditional Cave Dwelling. Your tour guide will explain to you why people like to live here. 

14:10: Depart the Terracotta Warriors and return to the city. It takes about 50 minutes to get back to the City from the Terracotta Warriors museum, during which time you can have a little rest and be prepared for the afternoon tour.

15:00: Visit the Ancient City Wall in a style that suits your preferences. You can either walk or ride a bike, or even take a golf cart (golf carts and bikes for your own account). This City Wall is the best preserved and most complete wall that has survived through China’s long history. It is about 12 meters high, 12 to 14 meters wide across the top and 15 to 18 meters thick at the base. The entire circumference is about 13.7 kilometers. It can take a while if you choose to walk the whole way around.

16:30: Visit the Shuyuanmen Cultural Street and learn about Chinese calligraphy and painting. The name originates from the Guanzhong Academy, which was the highest institution of higher learning in the Ming and Qing dynasties in Shaanxi, and now has become a painting and calligraphy center in Xi 'an. Today there are sound splash-ink works and high-quality goods on exhibit, sold in street stalls with elegant displays of price tags. Wandering in the street, you will have the misconception of walking in ancient China. Every year a large number of painting and calligraphy masters converge on Xi’an, holding various exhibitions. You might take part in one of them if you are lucky.

17:00: You will be dropped off at hotel and your day tour comes to an end.

Day 6 Big Wild Goose Pagoda, Hanyangling Museum, Departure Xian

09:00: Be ready to be picked up by your friendly tour guide.

09:30 - 12:00: Start your day tour with the only underground museum in China - Hanyangling Museum, also called Jingdi’s Tomb. It is located near the airport about 30km north of Xian City. This is the burial site of Emperor Jingdi and his wife Empress Wangzhi. This tomb has been dated back 2,100 years. You will see some of the funeral goods such as pottery figurines dating back to the Han Dynasty, Luojing Stone that was used for measurement, and all kinds of stele inscribed with words.

12:00 - 13:00:  Enjoy a Chinese lunch somewhere that locals frequent at your own expense. You may try something different from what you had the previous day.

13:40 - 15:30: Your afternoon tour will start with a visit to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. Start your day tour with the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. Located inside the Da Ci En temple, it was built in the Tang Dynasty to store all the Buddhist Sutras and Buddhist figures that Xuan Zang brought back from India. It’s the largest and oldest square pagoda ever built. Today, it has been remodeled and enlarged into a large park where local people come to relax on sunny days. If you come here at night, you will see local people dancing and singing, children running, fountain show performances and various small stalls selling local snacks. 

15:50 - 16:20: Visit the icons of Xian city - Bell Tower (Or Drum Tower). In ancient times, the bell and the drum were used to strike time in the morning and at dusk because people didn’t have clocks or watches, so there is a saying ‘Morning Bell and Dusk Drum’ in Chinese. The two towers are icons of Xi’an, as they are the best preserved in all of China.

16:20 - 17:00: Wander in the Muslim Quarter. This area is famous for its various foods and is regarded as a tourist spot for the tourists coming from all around the world, but is also especially popular with the locals in the summer where you will find them gathering for snacks and amusement. In fact, all the “Huifang” area is filled with restaurants and various Muslim food stalls, in which you can find the widely-renowned old shops. Enjoy a local lunch here.

17:00: Finish your day tour and head back to your hotel.

Day 7 Xian Airport drop off

Xian hotel pick up three hours before your flight and airport drop off.