12 Days Beijing Xian Shanghai Guilin & Hong Kong Tour

Day-by-day Itinerary

1. Day 1: Arrival in Beijing

   Ni Hao (Hello)! Welcome to Beijing for a 12-day China tour! Upon your arrival, a local driver will pick you up at the Beijing Capital International Airport and then he/she will escort you to your hotel in downtown area. After check-in, you have the rest of the day at your leisure to explore the capital city.

   Meal: N/A

   Accommodation: in Beijing

2. Day 2: Beijing City Tour
   Stroll the Magnificent Imperial Buildings from Hundreds of Years Ago

   After breakfast, your China tour in Beijing officially begins! Your private tour guide will wait for you in the hotel lobby and take you to visit Tiananmen Square first after meeting you. The square is 880 meters long and 500 meters wide, with an area of 440,000 square meters, and it is the largest urban square in the world.

   Walk about 800 meters north from there to our highlight today - the Imperial Palace, formerly known as the Forbidden City. It is a royal palace from the Ming and Qing dynasties in China, with nearly 9,000 rooms. As one of the largest and most well-preserved wooden ancient architectural complexes in the world, the Forbidden City was listed as a World Cultural Heritage site in 1987. Your informative guide will tell you the stories that have happened here.

   

   In the afternoon, we will visit another world cultural heritage site, the Temple of Heaven, the largest ancient sacrificial architecture complex in China. The tour guide will mainly take you to visit the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, located in the inner altar. Built in 1420, the hall was a dedicated building for praying for the valley in the first lunar month. Three floors and 38.2 meters high, it is covered with blue glazed tiles and has a golden spire.

   In the evening, you are recommended to sample Beijing Roast Duck, a famous palace dish, cooked with charcoal fire, crispy on the outside and tender inside. You will learn the proper way to eat it (at additional cost).

   Meal: Breakfast + Lunch

   Accommodation: in Beijing

3. Day 3: Great Wall Adventure Tour
   Enjoy a Scenic Great Wall Hiking Tour on Mutianyu

   The highlight of today's Beijing tour is the Mutianyu Great Wall. From your hotel, the car ride takes 1.5 to 2 hours, during which, your guide will tell you the facts about the construction of the Great Wall. Mutianyu has dense enemy buildings and high vegetation coverage, which can not be found in other sections of the Great Wall.

   

   You will hike up to the Great Wall and learn about its history and importance over the centuries while exploring the wall. Your expert tour guide will point out some of the best locations for you to take unforgettable photos. If you want a more relaxing way up to the Great Wall, you can take a cable car (at your own expense).

   After the exploration on the Great Wall, drive back to your hotel. On the way, we will make stops to see the National Stadium (Bird's Nest) and the Water Cube from the outside.

   Meal: Breakfast + Lunch

   Accommodation: in Beijing

4. Day 4: Beijing to Xian Tour by High-speed Train
   Gain an Insight into the Beijingers' Daily Life

   In the morning, you will be taken to experience a rickshaw ride through the traditional hutongs. If you are interested, your guide can arrange a visit to a local family for you. You will glimpse their daily life and even experience cultural activities such as weaving Chinese knots and learning calligraphy (at extra charge).

   After that, transfer you to visit the Summer Palace, which was a royal garden during the Qing Dynasty in China, based on the scenery of West Lake in Hangzhou. The entire park covers an area of 3 square kilometers, with water surface accounting for about three-quarters, mainly composed of Wanshou Mountain and Kunming Lake. There are more than 20 courtyards, over 3,000 ancient buildings, and 1,600 ancient and famous trees. You can spend a leisurely afternoon here.

   Optional activity: Take a boat tour on Kunming Lake.

   After the tour in Beijing, you will board a high-speed train to Xi'an, the Thirteen Ancient Capitals of China.

   Meal: Breakfast + Lunch

   Accommodation: in Xi'an

   

5. Day 5: Xian Cultural Tour
   Explore Pits 1, 2 and 3 of the Terracotta Army and Try Shaanxi Snacks

   Today, your Xian guide will meet you at your hotel and then transport you back in time when visiting the Terracotta Warriors and Horses. Known as the "Eighth Wonder of the World", it is a UNESCO World Heritage site featuring life-sized warriors, and many horses and chariots. Your guide will lead you to visit the Pits 1, 2 and 3 of the Terracotta Army and explains the stories behind them to you.

   

   After lunch, drive back to the downtown area to see the Bell Tower. Located in the center of Xi'an, the Bell Tower is one of the landmarks of the ancient city. Afterwards, enjoy the shadow play at Gao's Courtyard. It is about a 5-minute walk to Muslim Quarter. This is a centuries-old Hui people gathering area filled with a strong Muslim atmosphere. Here, you can enjoy various Shaanxi snacks. In the evening, you can freely wander along the illuminated Grand Tang Dynasty Ever Bright City by yourself.

   Meal: Breakfast + Lunch

   Accommodation: in Xi'an

6. Day 6: Xian City Tour to Shanghai
   Ride a Bike on the Top of the Ancient City Wall

   In the morning, you will be escorted to explore the grand Ancient City Wall. It is a well-preserved defensive structure encircling the Xian city center. You can choose to take a leisurely bike ride along the wall to enjoy scenic views of Xian (optional, at additional cost).

   Then, we continue our Xian tour to Big Wild Goose Pagoda, a well-preserved ancient building and a holy place for Buddhists. It was built to hold sutras and figurines of the Buddha that were brought to China from India by Xuanzang, the Buddhist translator and traveler in the Tang Dynasty (618-907). The pagoda has seven floors and a total height of 64.517 meters, making it the largest Tang Dynasty square brick pagoda. It is a landmark building in Xi'an city.

   After the exploration, your guide will transfer you to the airport for a flight to Shanghai, an international mega city.

   Meal: Breakfast

   Accommodation: in Shanghai

   

7. Day 7: Shanghai Highlights Tour
   Admire the Stunning City Skyline of Shanghai

   Start your China tour in Shanghai with a guided visit to the Jade Buddha Temple. This is a Song Dynasty-style (960-1127) building named after the Jade Buddha enshrined in the temple. Here you can see two precious jade statues brought from Myanmar. After that, see the Oriental Pearl TV Tower from outside. The tower is one of the landmark buildings in Shanghai, and as of 2019, it is the sixth tallest tower in Asia with a total height of 468 meters.

   In the afternoon, pay a visit to the classical Chinese garden, Yuyuan Garden. It was originally a private garden in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). You can see many ancient trees, the Ming and Qing Dynasty furniture, celebrities' paintings and calligraphy, clay and brick carvings, plaques and couplets, and other cultural relics and treasures in this garden. Next, discover the Shanghai's rich heritage of Shanghai Old Street.

   

   Then, walk along the first commercial pedestrian street in China, Nanjing Road, to savor the openness and prosperity of this city. Last, go to the famous Wai Tan, aka the Bund, a must see for visitors in Shanghai. What impresses tourists the most are the 52 buildings, which blend various international architectural styles and can be called the "International Architecture Exhibition".

   In the evening, you can choose to watch a wonderful Acrobatic Show (at extra cost), which combines traditional Chinese acrobatic art with modern technology to present a visual feast. Performance time: 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm.

   Meal: Breakfast + Lunch

   Accommodation: in Shanghai

8. Day 8: Shanghai to Guilin Tour
   Explore an Underground Palace to See Stalactites, Stone Pillars

   After a relaxing morning in Shanghai, your driver will escort you to catch a flight to Guilin. Upon arrival, the Guilin tour guide will meet you and then transfer you to your hotel in Guilin city center.

   After lunch on your own, your guide will lead you to explore the stunning Reed Flute Cave, aka the "Palace of Natural Art". There are numerous exquisitely carved stalagmites, stalactites, stone pillars, and stone flowers inside the cave, like a magnificent underground palace. Some scenes from the famous Chinese novel "Journey to the West" was filmed here.

   Meal: Breakfast + Lunch

   Accommodation: in Guilin

   

9. Day 9: Guilin to Yangshuo Tour
   Take Photos of Picturesque Karst Peaks during a Li River Cruise

   After breakfast, your China tour in Guilin begins with a Li River cruise. The Li River Scenic Area is the world's largest and most scenic karst landscape excursion area. Along the way you will see clear mountains, beautiful water, strange caves, deep pools and flying waterfalls. In about 4 hours, you will arrive at Yangshuo.

   

   Then, your guide will take you to explore West Street, located in the center of Yangshuo County. The street is famous for its rich exotic atmosphere. 517 meters long, West Street is lined with ancient houses and buildings. The small stores on both sides of the street offer a variety of tourist souvenirs and snacks and are well worth a visit.

   In the later afternoon, embark on a countryside cycling. You will pass through lush fields and quaint villages. You can stop at any time along the way to capture the Chinese rural scenery. Perhaps you can also happen to see local farmers farming. After that, you will be escorted back to Guilin by a private van.

   Meal: Breakfast + Lunch

   Accommodation: in Guilin

10. Day 10: Guilin to Hong Kong Tour
    Visit the Landmark Buildings in Guilin City Center

    Spend your last day in Guilin this morning. Your guide will take you to see the interesting Elephant Trunk Hill. Located at the confluence of the Li River and Taohua River, the hill is the most iconic landmark in Guilin city. It is like an elephant sticking its long trunk into the river to drink water. There is a cave under the elephant trunk, and a Buddhist pagoda from the Ming Dynasty on the hill.

    Next, walk to Riyue Shuangta Cultural Park to see Sun and Moon Towers. The Sun Pagoda is 41 meters high with nine floors while the Moon Pagoda, a glazed pagoda, is 35 meters high with seven floors. Actually, it is a stunning night view destination for Guilin tour.

    After lunch, your driver will escort you to catch a high-speed train to Hong Kong. The afternoon in Hong Kong is free for you. You can consider taking the Star Ferry between Tsim Sha Tsui and Hong Kong Island to enjoy the views of the skyline. Or take a leisurely walk along the famous Avenue of Stars.

    Meal: Breakfast + Lunch

    Accommodation: in Hong Kong

    

11. Day 11: Hong Kong Exploration Tour
    Take a Tram Ride to the Amazing Victoria Peak Views

    Start your escorted China tour in Hong Kong with a visit to Victoria Peak, the highest point on Hong Kong Island. Many travel to Hong Kong just for its magnificent view. It offers a spectacular panorama of the city's skyline, the harbor, and the neighboring islands. You will ride the Peak Tram to the top.

    

    Then, you will be transferred to Aberdeen Fishing Village. It is a historical area known for its views above water. Hop on a sampan boat (about 20-30 minutes), glimpsing the daily lives of the fishermen. After that, go to explore the vibrant Stanley Street. Here you can find handicrafts and artistic works including Chinese calligraphy art, paintings, silk products, and handmade jewelry.

    This afternoon is free for you to go shopping.

    Meal: Breakfast

    Accommodation: in Hong Kong

12. Day 12: Hong Kong Departure

    Savor your last moments in Hong Kong with a leisurely morning. Later, your driver will drive you to take a flight to your next destination or home. Your 12-day private China tour ends here. If you want to extend your Hong Kong tour to Macau, we will be happy to arrange it for you.

    Meal: Breakfast

    Accommodation: N/A