Day 1 Arrive in Beijing

Upon your arrival in Beijing, your local driver will be waiting for you in the luggage area with a welcome sign with your name on it. You will be transferred to your hotel.

Day 2 Tian’anmen Square, Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Hutong

09:00 a.m: Meet your local Beijing tour guide in your hotel lobby.

09:30-10:15 a.m: Visit Tiananmen Square, a rectangular square of 440,000 sq meters. Tiananmen Square echoes the layout of the Forbidden City to some extent. It also displays the major concept of China politics in ancient times namely, centralism. Many historic events took place here , the most famous of which is the Tiananmen Incident. Now, it’s just a symbol.

10:30 - 12:30: Visit the magnificent Forbidden City, the largest Imperial Palace in the world. We’ll spend a couple of hours wandering around this amazing example of Imperial architecture and learning about the history of the palace. Enclosed by long scarlet walls extending 3.5km, the UNESCO-listed Forbidden City was the very central power of the Ming and Qing Dynasties. This large palace witnessed the prosperity and the decline of feudalism. Here you will directly experience how royals lived and how they ruled.

12:30 - 13:30 p.m: Enjoy local food in a nice restaurant popular with local Beijingers.  Lunch is for your own account.

14:00 - 15:30 p.m: Head for the Temple of Heaven. Situated in the southeast of the central city, the Temple of Heaven was originally constructed in the eighteenth year of Yong Le (1420) in the Ming Dynasty. The Ming and Qing emperors conducted annual ceremonies praying to Heaven for a good harvest. It combines the architectural technology of the Ming and Qing Dynasties together, which is rare in ancient Chinese architecture and it is the largest sacrifice complex in the world. Charmed by its size, colorful meaning and importance in China's history, the site was classified into the "Directory of World Heritage" by UNESCO in 1998.

16:00 - 17:00 p.m: Walk in the tranquil Hutongs. In those interlaced Hutongs, one can experience the life of the ancient Beijing people. With public toilets available, shops and vendors selling all kinds of goods to satisfy local people's daily needs, and people gossiping along the lanes to strengthen their relationships, one can walk through the history and savour the unique culture. Thus, we say that where there a lane, there is a story.

17:00: Drop off at your hotel.




    

Day 3 Mutianyu Great Wall, Summer Palace

07:30 a.m: Greeted by your tour guide in your hotel lobby and commence your day tour.

09:00 - 11:30 p.m: Drive around 1.5 hours to the Mutianyu section Great Wall and you will take a rest and lunch at the Subway down the foot of the Mutianyu Wall. This is a one of the most famous and ideal sections of the Great Wall. You will have your choice of taking the cable car or chair lift up the breathtaking wall and spend a leisurely 1 to 2 hours hiking up and down the various sections exploring the Watch Towers and marveling at the construction and beauty of the renown and legendary Wall. You then have the option of an exhilarating toboggan ride back down or simply return the way you came with cable car.

11:30 - 12:30 p.m: Enjoy a typical Beijing lunch nearby the Mutianyu Great Wall (pay on moment).

14:00 - 16:00 p.m: Visit the Summer Palace. As the largest imperial garden in China, the Summer Palace has been a summer resort for royal families. There are huge lakes, bridges, corridors, pavilions, and various kinds of flowers and lots of rooms fully radiating the natural beauty and the grandeur of imperial gardens. With arched bridges and glittering ripples, pretty promenades and flowers in blossom, decorated corridors and ancient doors, and "breezeways" (a kind of hallway that allows the passage of a breeze between structures), all these can bring tourists into an enchanting and ever-changing scenery.




16:30 p.m: Come back to hotel for rest.






    

Day 4 Beijing to Pingyao by HST D605, 10:28-14:28

08:30 a.m: Be ready at your Beijing hotel and your driver will transfer you to the Beijing West Train Station.

14:28 p.m: You will arrive at the Pingyao train station after a four hour train journey, where your Pingyao driver will be waiting for you. You will be transferred to your Pingyao hotel for check in.

Day 5 Rishengchang Draft bank, City Wall, Ming Qing Street, Confucius Temple, Ancient Country Government

09:00 a.m: Meet your Pingyao guide and start to explore this old town.

09:10 - 17:00 p.m: Wander in the ancient town. Visit the precedent of modern Chinese banks - the Rishengchang Draft Bank. Take a nice walk on the well preserved ancient City Wall, exploring the defensive system with your professional local guide and taking in a panoramic view of the ancient town. Thereafter drive to Ming Qing Street, the Wall Street of ancient China. This whole business street retains its original pattern. On both sides of the street, Ming and Qing style residences and shops are located, many of which bear history of over a hundred years. Stroll in the ancient town to the Confucius Temple and Ancient Country Government. There are a couple of Confucius Temples in China, but the one in Pingyao is the earliest one discovered. It’s also the only Confucius temple that was built in Jin Dynasty. Here you will find the largest Confucius statue and other philosophers of Ru. Then, you will enter the Ancient Country Government and learn how ancient officials lived and worked.




17:00p.m: Head back to your Pingyao hotel.






    

Day 6 Qiao’s Compound, leave for Beijing

09:00 a.m: Pick up from your hotel and set-off to Qiao’s Compound.

09:50 - 12:50 p.m: Visit Qiao’s Compound. It’s an enclosed castle-like compound with an area of 4175 sq meters, composed of 6 big yards, 20 small yards and 313 rooms. There are no other houses or mansions neighboring it, but some streets. This compound belonged to a local family named the Qiao family. This family was involved in commercial business and particularly in the banking business. In this compound, you can admire the architectural concepts of ancient Chinese people.

13:00 - 14:00 p.m: Enjoy a Pingyao-style meal at a nice local restaurant (lunch for your account) before you continue your exploration.

15:00 p.m: Drop off at the Pingyao Train Station and you will take train G628 (16:13 - 20:27) back to Beijing.




20:27 p.m: Your Beijing driver will pick you up at the Beijing West Train Station and drop you off at your Beijing hotel.






    

Day 7 Departure Beijing

Your Beijing driver will pick you up 3 hours prior to your flight and transfer you to the Beijing airport. Your 7-day Beijing Pingyao tour comes to an end.