Day 1 Arrival in Beijing

Your driver will be waiting at the airport when you arrive and transfer you to your hotel. You can ease your jet lag for the rest of the day.

Day 2 Tian’anmen Square, Forbidden City, Summer Palace, Hutong Walking Tour

09:00: Meet your Beijing tour guide and start your China tour.

09:30-10:30: Visit Tiananmen Square. With a history of over 500 years, Tiananmen Square is the largest city square in the world. Located on the south side of the Forbidden City, it functioned as the gate for the Imperial Palace in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. It was here that the founding of the New People’s Republic of China was proclaimed. In the following years, several historic events occurred here that made it a political icon for the Chinese people.

10:40 - 13:00: 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 centre of 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.

13:00 - 14:00: Enjoy local food in a nice restaurant popular with Beijingers (Lunch is for your own account).

14:30 - 16:00: Visit the Summer Palace. As the largest imperial garden in China, the Summer Palace was a summer resort for the royal families. There are huge lakes, bridges, corridors, pavilions, and various kinds of flowers and many rooms radiating the natural beauty and the grandeur of imperial gardens. With arched bridges and glittering ripples, pretty promenades and flowers in bloom, decorated corridors and ancient doors, and "breezeways" (a kind of hallway that allows the passage of a breeze between structures),  tourists are enchanted by the ever-changing scenery.

16:10- 17:00: 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 history and savour the unique culture. Thus, we say that where there is a lane, there is a story.

17:00: End of this day tour and return to your hotel.




    

Day 3 Mutianyu Great Wall, Bird Nest and Water Cube

07:30: Greeted by your tour guide in your hotel lobby you commence your day tour.

09:00 - 12:30: Drive around 1.5 hours to the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall and have a quick snack at the Subway (is this the sandwich food chain from around the world?)  at the foot of the Mutianyu Wall. This is one of the most famous and idyllic sections of the Great Wall. You will have a choice of taking the cable car or chair lift up the breathtaking wall and spend a leisurely 1 to 2 hours walking up and down the various sections exploring the Watch Towers and marvelling at the construction and beauty of the renowned and legendary Wall. You then have the option of an exhilarating toboggan ride back down or simply returning the way you came with cable car.

12:30 - 13:30: Enjoy a typical Beijing lunch nearby the Mutianyu Great Wall (Lunch is for your own account).

14:30 - 15:30: You will head back to the city to visit the National Stadium and National Aquatics Center, also called the Bird’s Nest and Water Cube. They were used for the 2008 Beijing Olympics Game. It is mostly not open to the public and you can only take pictures outside.

16:00: Arrive back at your hotel.




    

Day 4 Temple of Heaven and head for Xian by railway

09:00: Meet your personal guide and start your last day tour in Beijing.

09:20- 11:00: 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 sacrificial 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.

11:00 - 12:00: Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant before heading to the train station.

13:00: Drop off at Beijing West Train Station and take G87 (14:00 - 18:20) to Xian.

18:20: Picked up by your private Xian driver at the North Railway Station, you will head for  your Xian hotel.




    

Day 5 Terracotta Soldiers Museum, Big Wild Goose Pagoda, City Wall

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

09:50: You will arrive at the 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.

12:00: Time to find lunch which will be for your own account. Your tour guide will be happy to cater to your needs and find a suitable restaurant for you. Here are some local foods you might be interested in: Chinese Hamburger, Baozi (steamed stuffed bun), Spicy Soup, Tofu Jelly, Deep-fried dough sticks, Pita Bread Soaked in Mutton Soup, Biang Biang Noodles, Guokui, etc..

13:00: Depart the Terracotta Warriors and return to the city. It takes about 50 minutes to transfer to the City from the Terracotta Warriors museum, during which time you can have a little rest and be prepared for the afternoon tour.

13:50p.m - 15:20: 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 Sutra 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.

15:30 - 17:00: 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.

17:00: You will be dropped off at your hotel.




    

Day 6 Bell Tower, Muslim Quarter, Hanyangling Museum, leave for Chengdu

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

09:30 - 10:10: 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 Xian, as they are the best preserved in all of China.

10:10 - 11:00: Wander in the Muslim Quarter. This block 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.

11:00 - 12:00: 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 - 15:00: 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.

15:20: Drop off at Xian North Railway Station and take D1943, 16:16 - 20:33 heading for Chengdu.

20: 33: Your Chengdu local driver will be waiting at Chengdu East Train Station and transfer you to your Chengdu hotel.




    

Day 7 Panda Breeding Center, Wuhou Memorial Temple, Jinli Street

09:00: Greeted by your Chengdu guide, you will set out to explore this amazing city.

09:30 - 12:00:Visit the Panda Breeding Center. Visiting the Pandas (a “National Treasure of China”) is a must-see activity when visiting Chengdu. Situated on the Futou Mountain 10 km away from the city center, the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding is a huge replica of a natural habitat created for the preservation and breeding of pandas to prevent their extinction. Founded in 1987, the Chengdu Panda Base has rescued many wild pandas and helped over 100 other kinds of wild animals survive, including the red panda, the white stork, the white swan, the black swan, the mandarin duck, the Grus nigricollis. Besides the rare animals, the base is also abundant in rare-bred plants. You will enjoy observing the pandas’ behaviour.

12:00 - 13:00: Find a local restaurant to enjoy the authentic Sichuan cuisine (Lunch is for your own account). As we all know Sichuan cuisine is world famous, now it’s time for you to try the real dishes.

13:30 - 15:00: Go to the Wuhou Memorial Temple. As the “Shrine of the Three Kingdoms”, the Wuhou Memorial Temple is mainly composed of three sightseeing parts, the Cultural Relics Area, the Garden and Jinli Street. In the Cultural Relics Area, visitors can appreciate Du Fu’s couplets (a great poet in Tang Dynasty), exquisite carvings, sophisticated stone inscriptions, calligraphy works and paintings, as well as the rooms Zhuge Liang lived in and statues of famous people from the Three Kingdoms Period.

15:20- 16:30 p.m: Stroll along the old Jinli street. It is said that Jinli was one of the oldest and most commercially-featured streets in the Western Shu Kingdom. It was famous nationwide in the Qin and Han Dynasties and the Three Kingdoms Period. As part of Wuhou Street, Jinli street incorporated the cultural legacies of the Qin and Han Dynasties and Three Kingdoms Period, enriched itself with old folk customs of the western Sichuan people and then absorbed elements of the Ming and Qing Dynasties’ style. It’s a great chance for you to learn about the old Sichuan people’s way of life by enjoying a cup of tea in the tea house, watching some Sichuan Opera in the theater, tasting traditional snacks and appreciating some beautiful art works.

17:00: Return to your Chengdu hotel.



    

Day 8 Giant Buddha, Huanglongxi Ancient Town

07:30: Get up early and be prepared to visit the Giant Buddha.

09:30 - 11:00 a.m: Visit the Giant Buddha in Leshan city. It’s located at the river outlet of the Min River, Qingyi River and Dadu River, over 160km north of Chengdu city. Built on a cliff on the Xixia Peak of the Lingyun Mountain, the Giant Buddha is the largest stone-carved Buddha in the world with a height of 71 meters. There are two ways to admire this giant Buddha. The ordinary way is to enter the site and come down to the foot of the Buddha. The other way is to take a cruise and observe it in the  distance, which provides better views.

11:00 - 12:00: Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant nearby the Giant Buddha (Lunch is for your own account).

13:30 - 15:30: Visit the Huanglongxi Ancient Town. Named after Huanglong River that runs through it, the Huanglongxi Ancient Town has a history of 1,700 years. Most of its buildings date back to the Qing Dynasty and feature cobbled streets, wooden buildings, tranquil tea houses, tall old trees and temples. Coming here will make anybody calm and peaceful and that is why it attracts many producers to shoot movies here.

16:30: Transfer back to your Chengdu hotel.




    

Day 9 Take train to Chongqing, aboard the Yangtze River Cruise

07:00: Chengdu hotel pick up and Chengdu North Train Station drop off for train G2883 (08:50 - 10:09).

10:09: Chongqing North Train Station pick up and you will start your tour right away.

10:40 - 12:30: Stroll in the old streets of Ciqikou. Ciqikou Town was an important place for the production of china in the old days. Now it’s just a good place for locals to relax. Walking in the Ming and Qing style streets, you can enter into the local residences like Tong’s Yard and Zhong’s Yard to learn about local folk customs. Then, sit in a tea house and sip a cup of tea while enjoying a local person doing storytelling or performing Sichuan opera.

12:30 - 13:30: Follow your guide to find local food.

13:30 - 15:00: Visit the Three Gorges Museum. Located on the west side of the People’s Square, the museum houses over 10 000 antiques including ancient Bashu bronzes and Han Dynasty sculptures. The top of the building is shaped like a giant plate holding water, signifying that the water of Three Gorges comes from the heavens. Observing from the outside, the outer wall is composed of blue glass and gritstone representing the water and the mountain respectively. Entering the museum, you will discover that it consists of four floors each representing different themes, namely the Splendid Three Gorges, Ancient Chongqing, Urbanized Chongqing, and priceless calligraphy and paintings from different eras. Visiting the Three Gorges Museum will enable you to gain a general idea on what the three gorges are like and how the people of Chongqing made their way in modern China.

15:00- 16:00: Pay a visit to the Liberation Stele. It was built in 1940, after the nationalist party government moved the capital city from Nanjing to Chongqing when the Japanese army invaded China, to inspire common people to join the army and resist against the enemy. In 1950, the stele was renamed the Liberation Stele. With the rapid commercialisation and modernisation surrounding it, the stele stands quietly reminding people of the stories of old fighting times and warning people to treasure today’s good life.

16:00 - 19:00: Visit the People’s Park and meet local people. In the afternoon, you will see lots of locals  strolling or doing exercises there. You are most welcome to join in. In the following two hours, you are free to explore on your own and have dinner.

20:00：Drop off at the port and board the Yangtze River Cruise.




    

Day 10 Ghost Town - Fengdu

After breakfast, you will disembark the cruise to visit the famous Ghost Town - Fengdu. Situated in the southeast of the Sichuan Basin, Fengdu is said to be the domicile of ghosts. There are sights like Guimen Gate, Naihe Bridge, Shuanggui Mountain, Yinsi Street, etc., all of which are related to Ghost culture. Our tour guide will share many folk stories about ghosts. Regardless of whether you believe in the existence of ghosts or not, it’s interesting enough to feel the atmosphere.

At noon, you will return for lunch. The afternoon is free time for you. You can choose to visit Shibaozhai (220 RMB per person) or just hang out on the cruise.

In the afternoon, you will participate in the Captain’s Welcome Reception and enjoy the performance prepared by the cruise staff.




    

Day 11 Qutang Gorge - Wu Gorge

In the morning, you will enjoy the abundant International Buffet Breakfast served on the cruise. Then, it’s time for sightseeing. You may choose to skip the self-paying site - Baidi Town (290 RMB per person) for free time. The next sight revealed is the Qutang Gorge. Although this gorge is the shortest one in the Three Gorges (8 km long), it’s the most spectacular one. There is Chijia Mountain piled with red stones standing to the left. While on the right, you can see Baiyan Mountain. They are like two magnificent guardians protecting the gorge and reduce the Yangtze River to a narrow stretch less than 100 meters wide. You will see a variety of unique rock formations.

Then, you will enjoy lunch at the cafeteria. In the afternoon, the cruise will take you to the famous Wu Gorge. Flowing between the stretching mountains, the Wu Gorge is like a magical band performing various sounds, sometimes stimulating, sometimes low-spirited, while sometimes melodious. Next to the lively river, you will also see a precipitous mountain - Shennv Mountain. Shennv in Chinese means goddess, which indicates that the mountain is named after its unique shape. A lot if interesting stories will be told about it.

Now, it’s time for dinner. After enjoying dinner, you may take part in the entertainment activities on the cruise.




    

Day 12 Disembark the cruise, Three Gorges Dam. Fly to Shanghai. Airport-hotel transfer.

Today, you will disembark the cruise and visit the Three Gorges Dam by bus.

As the largest hydroelectric power station in the world, the Three Gorges Dam has great significance in Chinese history. It is a multi-functional project supporting shipping, agriculture, power generating, etc.. Standing on the Tanziling observation platform, you will see various mountains and the wide river with the dam right in the middle. With the establishment of the dam, the Yangtze River from Yichang to Chongqing has become an artificial lake with the length of 600km. With the explanation of your tour guide, you will be amazed by the sight.

This brings you to the end of all your cruise tours. You will be transferred to the airport and head for Shanghai. Our Shanghai local driver will be waiting for you upon your arrival.




    

Day 13 Shanghai Museum, Yuyuan Garden, Huangpu River Cruise, the Bund

09:00: Greeted by your tour guide at an appointed time in your hotel lobby, you will start your tour.

09:20 - 12:00: Visit the Shanghai Museum. As one of the renowned ancient art museums, the Shanghai Museum has collected about 140,000 cultural relics. There are 10 classes of relics currently displayed. To appreciate the most spectacular relics in such a limited time period, our tour guides will introduce to you some of the historic ones. You will see ceremonial wares like a battle-axe and tripod, daily necessities in ancient life like pottery and porcelain, calligraphy works like the Oracle, and various jade ornaments.

12:00 - 13:00: Lunch at your own expense under the guidance of your tour guide.

13:00 - 15:00: In the afternoon, you will visit the Yuyuan Garden. Dating back 400 years ago, Yuyuan Garden was a private garden. It was built in the style of most of the classic Jiangnan gardens. You will see Yu Linglong - a unique stone listed as one of the 3 famous stones in Jiangnan. The other two refer to Guan Yunfeng in the Liu Garden of Suzhou and Zhou Yunfeng in the Zhusu Garden of Hangzhou. Our guide will also brief you about the local cuisines you may come across.

15:20 - 16:00: Wander along the Bund. This is the scenic stretch of Shanghai and literally the most beautiful place there. You will see people walking and laughing, large modern buildings stretching into the sky and waves lapping at the shore. If you are interested, you can also participate in the dancing groups there. The locals would be very happy to coach you!

17:00 - 18:30: You will enjoy the Huangpu River Cruise. All the essence of Shanghai unfolds along the Huangpu River. Taking this cruise will be a most memorable experience for you! You will take a 3-storey cruise ship, a replica of a typical ancient Chinese boat with two magnificent dragon heads standing upright on the stern. With the explanation of a guide, you will enjoy the mild breeze, smell the unique water, and view the colorful buildings lining the river, while listening to the old Shanghai stories.

19:00: Your tour comes to an end by now, you will be transferred back to your hotel.




    

Day 14 Departure Shanghai

You will be picked up 3 hours prior to your flight and dropped off at the Shanghai airport.