Day 1 Arrival in Beijing

Welcome to Beijing! Your local driver will be waiting for you upon your arrival and transfer you safely to your Beijing hotel. The rest of the day will be left at your disposal.

Day 2 Beijing Breakfast, Forbidden City and Temple of Heaven

Your Beijing exploration begins with an authentic breakfast. You can choose from Soy-bean Milk, Deep-fried Dough Stick, Wheaten Cakes, and more.

Tip: please advise if you have any food allergies and check with your guide on the ingredients of the food you are about to try.

After breakfast, you will head for the Temple of Heaven, one of the masterpieces of Chinese architecture. It served as a place where emperors from Ming and Qing Dynasties offered their respect and sacrifice to heaven and prayed for a good harvest for their subjects. You can still see a lot of vessels and objects preserved from the rituals. Nowadays, it became a famous park where locals come and practice exercises.

Your lunch will be arranged at another local frequented restaurant.




In the afternoon, you will discover the enigmatic Forbidden City. On your way to the renowned palace, you will pass by the Tian’anmen Square, the largest city square in the world. It’s a great place to take some pictures. Afterwards, you will have a full exploration of the Forbidden City. As the largest wooden palace complex in the world, the Forbidden City will reveal the imperial life and the governance situation of the last two dynasties of China.



In the evening, you will savor the Beijing Roast Duck. We will help to make you a reservation. After dinner, you will be dropped off at the hotel.



    

Day 3 Mutianyu Great Wall, Bird's Nest and Water Cube

After breakfast, your guide and driver will take you to the Mutianyu Great Wall. It’s another highlight in your Beijing stay. Unlike Badaling section, Mutianyu Section of the Great Wall is less crowded but still with amazing views. We have a cable car and toboggan car available for you if you want to try.

Your lunch will be arranged at a local restaurant near the Great Wall. You will have a chance to taste the famous Beijing Noodles with Soybean Paste.

On your way back to the Beijing downtown area, we will stop at the Bird’s Nest and Water Cube, where you can take some fantastic photos.




    

Day 4 Summer Palace, Beijing Hutong, Train to Xian

After breakfast, your guide and driver will take you to the largest royal garden in China - the Summer Palace. It’s another embodiment of Chinese architecture. If you like, you can ride a boat on the clear Kunming Lake and enjoy a quiet time.

Afterwards, you will enjoy some quiet time in Beijing Hutongs and learn about the old Beijinger’s lifestyle. In those interlaced hutongs, the square Siheyuan Courtyards are laid tidily. We can visit one if time permits.

After the tour, your guide will take you to taste more Beijing food as lunch and drop you off at the Beijing West Railway Station. Your Beijing adventure ends here.




By the time you arrive in Xian, your Xian local driver will be ready to take you to your Xian hotel. This evening is at your own disposal.






    

Day 5 Terracotta Warriors Museum, City Wall, Muslim Quarter

After breakfast, you will head for the world wonder - Terracotta Warriors Museum. You will see a large legion of thousands of Qin soldiers standing in formation and ready to battle. It was built on the command of Qin Shi Huang, in the hope of protecting him and his throne underground. You will also see some chariots, objects, and weapons from the Qin Dynasty.

After visiting the impressive Terracotta Army, you will have Biang Biang Noodles or Pita Bread Soaked in Mutton Soup as lunch. Those two dishes are the representatives of Xian food.

Your afternoon exploration starts from the City Wall. Built in the Ming Dynasty, the City Wall played a vital role in the city defense system in old times. Nowadays, it’s just another place of leisure where locals come to have a bird’s-eye view of the downtown Xian. You can choose to ride bikes on the wall.

Getting off the wall, you will head for the Muslim Quarter, where you can explore the Muslim culture and food. You will find a variety of food like Chinese Burger, Pita Bread Soaked in Mutton Soup, Cold Noodles with Sesame, Pomegranate Juice, Roasted Meat and Vegetables, Peanut Candy and many interesting handicrafts like Shadow Play Figures, Antique Clocks, small gadgets and more. We wouldn’t recommend you try too much as your next activity would be a grand feast.

After the tour, we will take you to enjoy the Dumpling Banquet. You will have all kinds of dumplings with different shapes and tastes. Replete with food, we will arrange for you to watch the Tang Dynasty Show at the theater.




Note: the Tang Dynasty Show is optional. You can cancel it if you feel tired after the tour.






    

Day 6 Xian Cooking Class, Train to Chengdu, People's Park

This morning is all about food. After breakfast, your guide will pick you up and explore one of the busiest wet markets. You will see all kinds of goods on sale, not only the ordinary vegetables and fruits but also small products, clothes, utensils, and even pets.

Then, you will go to a quiet courtyard near the City Wall and cook your lunch. The whole cooking experience lasts about 2-3 hours. There is a wide range of options from Biang Biang Noodles, Steamed Dumplings with Fillings, to Dumplings. If you don’t have any preference, you will make Biang Biang Noodles. It would be fun to pull the noodles and smash it on the chopping board. After lunch, you will also have some seasonal fruits as the desert.

Your next agenda is taking the high-speed train and leave for Chengdu. We will have your driver ready to take you to the Xian North Railway Station.




Upon your arrival in Chengdu, your Chengdu tour representative will be ready to take you around, starting from the People’s Park. Chengdu is a city of leisure. If there is one place that can show the true Chengdu lifestyle better, it must be People’s Park. You will see many locals chatting, walking, exercising, singing, having tea here. You can be one of them if you want.






    

Day 7 Panda Breeding Center, Leshan Giant Buddha

To catch the Giant Panda in the best shape, we will leave at 7:30 this morning. Please have breakfast early or take it with you. Panda Breeding Center is the very highlight of Chengdu. It’s a non-profit research and breeding facility for giant pandas and other rare animals. You will see those cute furry pandas playing with each other and enjoying their breakfast.

Your lunch will be arranged nearby the Panda Breeding Center.

Your afternoon will be spent in Leshan Giant Buddha Scenic Area. The Buddha statue here is the largest stone-carved Buddha in the world. There are two options for you to admire the Giant Buddha: by land and by waterway. The advantage of entering the sight by land is that you will have a close observation of the Buddha from head to toe. While if you take a boat, you will have a complete view of the Buddha.




In the late afternoon, you will get back to Chengdu city.






    

Day 8 Chengdu Cooking Class, Wuhou Temple, Jinli Street, Fly to Guilin

It’s well-established that Sichuan cuisine is the most popular food in China. It’s hot, spicy, and strong flavored. Today, you will have the opportunity to make several Sichuan dishes! But first, let’s hang out in the morning market to get a sense of what ingredients Sichuan dishes need. You will see it’s a little different than Xian market.

Then, we will take you to a serene courtyard and start making your own Sichuan dishes. This time, we won’t make any noodles. Instead, you will make some classic Sichuan food like Kung Pao Chicken, Mapo Tofu, Fried Eggplant, and more. If you like, your guide can also teach you how to play Mahjong.

In the afternoon, you will tour to Wuhou Temple and Jinli Street. Wuhou Temple is built in memory of the great strategist and politician Zhuge Liang from the Three Kingdoms Period. You will learn a lot of stories about him. Then, you will proceed to Jinli Street, where local Chengdu people hang out.

In the evening, your Chengdu driver will transfer you to the airport, and you will head for Guilin where your Guilin driver will be waiting for you.




    

Day 9 Li River Cruise, West Street

After breakfast, your Guilin trip officially begins. Your Guilin guide and driver will take you to the port and help you get on the Li River Cruise. Off you go on a voyage of enjoying bamboo grooves, picturesque mountains, placid water, peaceful farmland and village, and karst landscape.




Disembarking at Yangshuo, we will take you to West Street. You can wander around the town to enjoy the natural views and taste some local snacks.






    

Day 10 Yangshuo Countryside Biking, Bamboo Rafting, Yangshuo Cooking Class

Your morning will be entirely about the scenery. The first activity for you is to ride bikes around the countryside and enjoy the stunning views of rice paddies, water buffaloes, and local farmers working. Then, you will take a Bamboo Rafting down the Yulong River.

Your lunch will be arranged at a cozy restaurant to taste the authentic local food.

In the afternoon, you will go to the market to shop for the fresh food materials first and then follow your chef to make some countryside dishes. You may think the market would be the same as that of Xian and Chengdu. The fact is you will always find something new and interesting here.




    

Day 11 Reed Flute Cave, Fly to Shanghai

After breakfast, you will leave for Guilin and explore the magical Karst style Reed Flute Cave. You are about to be amazed by the various stalactites, stalagmites, and columns. Under the shower of different lights, all formations are varied and bizarre.




You will have lunch in Guilin before heading for the last destination. Your Shanghai driver will be waiting for you upon your arrival.






    

Day 12 Shanghai Breakfast, Yuyuan Garden, Shanghai Museum, the Bund

Your Shanghai adventure begins with a classic Shanghai Breakfast Tour. Your guide will accompany you to hunt for the Steamed Buns, Plain Noodles in Superior Soup, Dried Dumplings, Pancake with Eggs, and many other local food.

Your next stop will be the Yuyuan Garden. It’s the only fully restored classic Chinese garden in Shanghai. A stroll among the verdant trees, strange-shaped rocks, placid ponds, richly decorated walls, old bridges and traditional pavilions will be a sheer pleasure.

Have lunch at a nice local restaurant and then proceed with your afternoon tour to Shanghai Museum. It’s one of the must-see museums in China. You will appreciate all kinds of Chinese arts here. At last, we will stop at the Bund where you can see a lot of skyscrapers and colonial architectures at the side of Huangpu River.




    

Day 13 Zhujiajiao Water Town, Tianzifang

After breakfast, you will head for the Zhujiajiao Water Town. This town was a significant trading hub with nearby countries 1700 years ago, and boats were used to ferry all kinds of wares here. Lining the banks are many houses built in rows with interlacing narrow paths connecting each other. The best way to see the town is from a boat where you can enjoy a leisurely ride observing life along the river (Boat ride for your account). Walking the streets to be part of the bustling life, is also fun.




    

Day 14 Shanghai Departure

Savor the last minute of Shanghai before your driver collects you and drive you to the airport.