Day 1 Arrival in Beijing

Your private Beijing driver will be waiting for you at the baggage area upon your arrival and will take you to your hotel. On the way to a centrally-located hotel, you will stop by the world famous CCTV New Tower a landmark of Beijing with its avantgarde architecture.






    

Day 2 Mutianyu Great Wall, Bird Nest and Water Cube

07:30: Your local Beijing expert will meet you at your hotel lobby and take you to enjoy an amazing Great Wall visit.

09:30-12:00: After 2 hours drive, you will arrive at the world-famous Mutianyu Great Wall. Located in Huairou District, about 75km from the Beijing City, the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall is newly developed in recent years. It’s not as crowded as the Badaling section and will provide you with stunning views and great photo opportunities. You may take a cable car to go up the Great Wall and can get down by riding an exhilarating toboggan.

12:00 - 13:00: Enjoy an authentic Beijing lunch at a restaurant near the Great Wall and be ready for the afternoon adventure.

15:00 - 16:00: On your way back to the hotel, your guide will take you to the Bird Nest and Water Cube that served at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. While you cannot go inside, the external photo opportunities are stunning.

16:30: Drive back to hotel for rest.



    

Day 3 Tian’anmen Square, Forbidden City, Jingshan Park, Hutong Walking Tour, Acrobatic Show

09:00: Start the day tour by meeting your friendly tour guide in the hotel lobby.

09:30: Your first sight will be Tian’anmen Square, also called Gate of Heavenly Peace. It is the largest inner city square in the world. Several significant historic events occurred here, the most important of which was when Chairman Mao proudly announced the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Following your guide, you will learn about other historical events that happened here.

10:30 - 13:00: The Forbidden City borders Tiananmen Square and is the highlight of the day tour. It served as the home for Imperial Families for over 500 years and has survived both natural and manmade disasters. Being the largest and the best-preserved palace compound in the world it has symbolized the Imperial Power and is a cultural symbol of ancient times.

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

14:20 - 15:0: Set out for Jingshan Park which is also one of the ancient Imperial Parks. Nowadays, it’s a place where local people enjoy their leisure time. The park provides a commanding view of the whole Forbidden City and if you are lucky to be visiting in autumn, the red maple forest is a splendid scene fit for royalty.

15:30 - 17:00: 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 could be a few families in one courtyard who have been living together for a long time and 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.

17:00-18:00: Your guide will help you with the dinner at a nice local restaurant. After that, you will head for the Beijing Chaoyang Theater and enjoy a world-class acrobatic show.

20:30: Hotel drop off.

Day 4 Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace, take train to Zhengzhou

08:00: Greeted by your Beijing guide and driver you will enjoy the last day tour in Beijing.

08:30 - 10:00: Head for the Temple of Heaven. Ringed by 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. Now, the grounds are a public park where you can see local people doing their morning exercise.

10:30 - 12:00: You will set out for the Summer Palace which 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. (at your own expense).

13:00: Your Beijing driver will drop you off at the Beijing West Train Station where you may grab a bite for lunch and then take the train G503 (14:41 - 17:41) to Zhengzhou East Train Station. Your Zhengzhou driver will be waiting for you holding a welcome sign with your name written and then will drop you off at the Kaifeng hotel for rest.




    

Day 5 Justice Bao Memorial Temple, Daxiangguo Temple, Qingming Riverside Landscape Garden

09:00: Meet your local Kaifeng expert and begin to explore the Kaifeng city.

09:30- 11:00: Your first sight will be the Justice Bao Memorial Temple. Located on Xiangyang Road, Justice Bao Memorial Temple is a special place built to memorize an upstanding and honest governor Bao Zheng in Northern Song Dynasty. He was one of the most revered public officials in Chinese history. It’s said that he always put righteousness above family loyalty and even executed his nephew convicted of murdering. This memorial temple is the largest one that has preserved the entire record of this great man.

11:00 - 12:00: Enjoy an authentic Henan - flavored lunch at a local restaurant.

12:30-14:00: After lunch and rest, you will head for the Xiangguo Monastery.  Situated in the Western Section of Ziyou Road, Daxiangguo Temple is one of ten famous Buddhist temples in China. Originally built in Northern Qi Dynasty (555 A.D.), the temple was called Jianguo Temple. In Tang Dynasty, it was renamed as Daxiangguo Temple. In the Northern Song Dynasty, since it was located in the capital city Daxiangguo Temple received a lot of donations from royal families and became the biggest temple and a Buddhist center. Later, the temple was destroyed by war, flood and other human consequences. In Qing Dynasty, Emperor Kangxi ordered the temple to be restored and with that the temple regained popularity.

14:30-16:30: Your last stop will be the Qingming Riverside Landscape Garden. It’s a theme park based in the Kaifeng city in Song Dynasty. It’s basically a living replica of the famous painting Riverside Scene at Qingming Festival produced by Zhang Zeduan. Inside the park, you will feel like you went back a thousand years ago with shops, antique pavilions and corridors, and a clear lake under an exquisitely carved bridge with recreational boats floating leisurely.

17:00: Back to the hotel.




    

Day 6 Kaifeng - Dengfeng, Shaolin Temple, Pagoda Forest, Shaolin Zen Music Grand Ceremony

08:00: Your guide and driver will meet you at the Kaifeng Hotel lobby and take you to the Shaolin Temple.

10:30-12:00: Visit the world-famous Shaolin Temple. Located in the region of Song Mountain, Dengfeng City, Henan Province, Shaolin Temple is reputed to be “The Number One Temple under Heaven”. Included on UNESCO's World Cultural and Heritage List in 2010, it is the cradle of Chinese Zen Buddhism and Shaolin Martial Arts such as the Shaolin Cudgel.

12:00 - 13:00: Enjoy an authentic Henan - flavored lunch at a local restaurant.

13:00- 16:00: Continue your visit at the Shaolin temple and enjoy a Kungfu show performed by a group of real monks. Afterwards, you will proceed to the Pagoda Forest. Situated at the foot of Wuru Hill, west side of Shaolin temple, Pagoda Forest is a tomb complex for prestigious monks. As the biggest of its own kind in China, the Pagoda Forest has over 500 pagodas, of which 232 tombs are preserved. Each pagoda differs in size and structure depending on the building era, social opinions about Buddhist, and the achievement of the occupant. Most of the pagodas were constructed by masons but there are some chiseled from stones. The pagodas are inscribed with exquisite patterns, reliefs and characters telling the story of the pagoda host. Some of the pagodas are accompanied by the tablets on which the pagoda host’s life story is engraved, his achievements, when and how the pagodas were made. This Pagoda Forest is not only a great place to study ancient Chinese masonry architecture, Chinese calligraphy and carving technique, but also a valuable place for the Chinese Buddhism and Shaolin Culture.

16:30: Your guide and driver will escort you back to the hotel for rest, when you will also enjoy dinner on your own.

19:00: Your driver will pick you up from the hotel and take you to enjoy the grand Shaolin Zen Music Grand Ceremony. The show is performed in Daixian Valley, about 7km from the Shaolin Temple. The brooks, forests, and stone bridges in the valley play a role in this show. You will sit on a cattail hassock while enjoying all kinds of Zen Music like Water Music, Wood Music, Wind Music, Light Music, and Stone Music, each giving a completely different mood.

21:40: You will be taken back to the hotel for rest.




    

Day 7 Drive to Luoyang, Longmen Grottoes, White Horse Temple, Lijing Gate

08:00: Your tour guide and driver will meet you at the hotel lobby and take you to Luoyang city to admire the Longmen Grottoes.

09:10 - 12:30: Visit the world-famous Longmen Grottoes. Set on the banks of the Yi River, 12 km south of Luoyang City, the Longmen Grottoes are ranked the first of the Four Great Grottoes in China, together with the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang, Yungang Grottoes in Datong and Mount Maiji Grottoes in Tianshui. It was also listed into the World Cultural Heritages and Relics by UNESCO in 2000 for its broad collections and profound cultural influence on the world. Dotted between Xiangshan Mountain and the Longmen Mountain, with the Yi River flowing below, the Longmen Grottoes are harmonious with the surrounding mountains, forests and rivers creating a serene and peaceful atmosphere.

12:30- 13:30: Look for the local favorites in Luoyang, like lamb soup, spicy soup, Bu Fan soup , Tang Mian Jiao，noodles in green-bean milk, etc.

14:10 - 16:00: Your next sight will be the White Horse Temple. The White Horse Temple is located in the Baima town, about 12km from the old Luoyang town. Built in Eastern Han Dynasty, it has a history of about 1900 years. It’s said that this is the very first official Buddhist temple in China. Inside the temple, you will see a variety of the Buddhist Statues, the disciples, traditional Chinese style architectures, Thai-style temples, Indian-style temples, and Burmese-style temples. You will also discover that local people come here to worship the Buddha and pay their respect.

16:30-17:00: Your last stop will be the Lijing Gate. Built in Sui Dynasty, Lijing Gate used to be the West Gate of Luoyang City. Luoyang people used to say that Lijing Gate is the No.1 Gate in middle China and also one of the eight must-see sights in Luoyang. There is also a local saying that you have only been to Luoyang if you visited the Lijing Gate. Standing on the Lijing Gate, the old streets unfold in front of you. Today’s Lijing Gate is a lot like other old streets in China. It’s inundated with all kinds of characteristic restaurants, gift shops, and stalls. You may stop by to taste the delicious local soup, or the pleasantly presented Peony Flower Pastry.

17:30: Get back to your Luoyang hotel.




    

Day 8 Departure Beijing

Today, you will go back to Beijing as this memorable trip comes to an end. Your Luoyang driver will pick you up 2 hours before your train and drive you to the Longmen Train Station, from which you will go to Beijing. Upon your arrival in Beijing, your Beijing driver will be waiting for you and take you to the Beijing hotel or airport.