Know Before You Go
• This tour starts in Beijing, ends in Shanghai.
• Xian Museum is closed on Tuesday tours.
• Shanghai Museum is closed on Monday tours.
• There is no tour guide for arrival & departure transfers.
• Keep your passport on you constantly. It might be needed to buy entrance tickets.
• Meals (lunch & dinner) are not included. Please feel free to ask your guide for recommendations.
• Add us on WeChat (+86-18309280878) or WhatsApp (+86-18309280878) to reach GGC service staff at anytime.
• Before getting to Beijing you will receive driver's name & contact information by WhatsApp, Wechat or email.
• You will be greeted by driver holding GGC welcome sign with your name at the airport or train station arrival hall
Day 1 Arrival in Beijing, Beijing Airport or Train Stations Pick-up
Meet your driver at Beijing airports or train stations and transfer to your hotel in a comfortable private vehicle. After getting settled at the hotel, you may explore the downtown area on your own or relax during the remainder of the day.
Meals Included: No meals
Hotel: 4-star Pentahotel Beijing or similar
Day 2 Beijing, Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Jingshan Park, Temple of Heaven
Explore Beijing from the world’s largest public square, Tiananmen Square. No visit to Beijing would be complete without a walk through the square, whose historical legacy includes Mao Zedong’s announcement of the founding of the People’s Republic of China on October 1, 1949. Walk to the Forbidden City from Tiananmen Square. Home to 24 Ming & Qing Dynasty emperors, the Forbidden City is the world’s largest palace complex located in the center of Beijing. Then walk to Jingshan Park behind the Forbidden City which affords excellent views of the Forbidden City and surrounding neighborhoods of Beijing. Visit the Temple of Heaven in the afternoon. The Temple of Heaven, built between 1406 and 1420 by the same emperor who was responsible for building the Forbidden City, is where the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties would worship the god of heaven and pray for good harvest.
Meals Included: Breakfast at hotel
Hotel: 4-star Pentahotel Beijing or similar
Day 3 Beijing, Mutianyu Great Wall, Ming Tombs, Photo Stop at Bird Nest & Water Cube
Drive out of Beijing to Mutianyu Great Wall of China (approximately 80 km), one of China's most iconic sights. Mutianyu Great Wall is the longest fully resorted section of the Great Wall measuring 2.2km with 23 watchtowers. Considered to be the most family-friendly portion of the Wall and the best part of Great Wall for photography, Mutianyu Great Wall is less crowded and has better architecture than other sections with more watchtowers. Visit the only excavated Ming Tomb, Dingling Tomb in the afternoon. Constructed for the 13 emperors of the Ming Dynasty, the Ming tombs follow the precepts of traditional Chinese geomancy and fengshui theory. They feature rich decoration of stone statues and carvings and tiles with dragon motifs, illustrating the development of the funerary architecture of the Ming Dynasty. On the way back to your hotel, make a photo stop at two architectural icons from the 2008 Olympic that are still standing: Bird’s Nest and Water Cube.
Meals Included: Breakfast at hotel
Hotel: 4-star Pentahotel Beijing or similar
Friendly Tips
• Round-trip cable car to Mutianyu Great Wall is included in this tour package.
• If you want to descend by toboggan, please inform your guide before purchasing ticket.
Day 4 Beijing, Summer Palace, Bullet Train to Xian (approximately 5 hours)
Morning visit to the Summer Palace, the largest and best preserved royal garden in China. Commissioned by Emperor Qianlong in 1750, using Kunming Lake and Longevity Hill as the basic framework, the Summer Palace combined political and administrative, residential, spiritual, and recreational functions within a landscape of lakes and mountains, in accordance with the Chinese philosophy of balancing the works of man with nature. The natural landscape of hills and open water is combined with artificial features such as pavilions, halls, palaces, temples and bridges to form a harmonious ensemble of outstanding aesthetic value. The Summer Palace offers a glimpse at how the imperial family once spent their leisure time Take second class bullet train to Xian in the afternoon. Xian is the ancient capital city of China and the starting point of the ancient Silk Road.
Meals Included: Breakfast at hotel
Hotel: 4-star Grand Dynasty Culture Hotel Xian or similar
Friendly Tips
• Second class bullet train is included. Please contact us if you want to upgrade to first class or business class.
• Please contact us for discount airfare if you want to fly from Beijing to Xian (approximately 2 hours).
Day 5 Xian, Terracotta Warriors, Bell & Drum Tower Square, Great Mosque, Muslim Quarter
Drive out of Xian to the Terracotta Warriors and Horses (1 hour) in the morning. Considered one of the foremost archaeological discoveries of the 20th century, the 2,000-year-old Terracotta Army was discovered by accident in 1974 by local farmers digging a well. The 8,000-plus life-sized figures are arranged in vaults to guard the tomb of Qin Shihuang, the first emperor of China, a major architect of the Great Wall and unifier of China. Visit the Bell & Drum Tower Square, the Great Mosque and Xian Muslim Quarter in the afternoon. The area north of the Drum Tower is the Muslim Quarter of Xian which covers several blocks with an estimated 60,000 Muslims in the region. There are about seven ancient mosques in the area, among which the Great Mosque is most famous and popular among all. Experience a seemingly endless labyrinth of street food, restaurants and bustling local life at Xian's Muslim Quarter.
Meals Included: Breakfast at hotel
Hotel: 4-star Grand Dynasty Culture Hotel Xian or similar
Day 6 Xian, Little Wild Goose Pagoda, Xian Museum, City Wall, Fly to Chongqing, Ciqikou Ancient Town, Board Cruise Ship
Visit Small Wild Goose Pagoda and Xian Museum in the morning. With a history of more than 1,300 years, Small Wild Goose Pagoda was built to store the Buddhist scriptures delivered from ancient India. It is a perfect example of the multi-eaved square brick pagodas built in ancient China. Currently there are 13 storeys left as the top two storeys were destroyed in earthquakes. Continue visiting Xian Museum. Xian Museum boasts nearly 130,000 relics that all relate to the history of Ancient China and Xian specifically. Afterwards, visit Xian City Wall. The City Wall of Xian is one of the oldest and best-preserved city walls in the world. Walking atop the Wall you can get the panorama of Xian skyline. Fly to Chongqing. Visit the Old Town of Ciqikou upon arrival. The name of Ciqikou can be traced back to porcelain production during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. As a busy port located at the lower reaches of the Jialing River, Ciqikou still remains a symbol and microcosm of old Chongqing where shops sell porcelain, other handicrafts and gifts, while restaurants and tea shops give visitors a look at the daily life of Chongqing. Board Victoria Cruises in the evening. Victoria Cruise Ship departs Chongqing at 21:00.
Meals Included: Breakfast at hotel
Accommodations: 5-star Victoria Cruises or similar
Friendly Tips
• Airfare from Xian to Chongqing is not included in this tour package. Please contact us for discount airfare.
• Please contact us if you want to take bullet train from Xian to Chongqing (approximately 5 hours).
Day 7 Yangtze River Cruise, Excursion to Jade Emperor Scenic Area
Navigate the magnificent Yangtze Gorges. Enter the Three Gorges, one of nature’s most extraordinary sculptures. Today you will pass through the first two - Qutang Gorge and Wu Gorge. Qutang Gorge is the shortest (5 miles), narrowest (500 feet), and most dramatic. The 25-mile long Wu Gorge is known for its quiet beauty, forest-covered mountains, and cliffs so sheer that the sun barely penetrates the precipices. Transfer to another vessel for a relaxing excursion through the attractive gorges of Goddess Stream. Depending on river conditions, an alternate excursion may be substituted to the gorges of Shennong Stream. Enter Xiling Gorge, the longest (41 miles), and deepest of the Three Gorges. Additional optional shore excursion (available in the morning, river conditions permitting) to White Emperor City, an ancient city overlooking the western end of Qutang Gorge.
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch & dinner on board
Accommodations: 5-star Victoria Cruises or similar
Day 8 Yangtze River Cruise, Excursion to Goddess Stream or Shennong Stream
Navigate the magnificent Yangtze Gorges. Enter the Three Gorges, one of nature’s most extraordinary sculptures. Today you will pass through the first two - Qutang Gorge and Wu Gorge. Qutang Gorge is the shortest (5 miles), narrowest (500 feet), and most dramatic. The 25-mile long Wu Gorge is known for its quiet beauty, forest-covered mountains, and cliffs so sheer that the sun barely penetrates the precipices. Transfer to another vessel for a relaxing excursion through the attractive gorges of Goddess Stream. Depending on river conditions, an alternate excursion may be substituted to the gorges of Shennong Stream. Enter Xiling Gorge, the longest (41 miles), and deepest of the Three Gorges. Additional optional shore excursion (available in the morning, river conditions permitting) to White Emperor City, an ancient city overlooking the western end of Qutang Gorge.
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch & dinner on board
Accommodations: 5-star Victoria Cruises or similar
Day 9 Yangtze River Cruise, Three Gorges Dam, Fly to Shanghai
Disembark this morning and take a tour of the Three Gorges Dam. This dam is one of the biggest hydropower-complex projects in the world, ranks one of mankind greatest engineering feats to date. There is a viewing platform on Tanzi Mountain where you can overlook the entire Three Gorges Dam which brings in great benefits in flood control and power generation. Leave the cruise ship behind and fly to the glass and steel towers of cosmopolitan Shanghai in the afternoon.
Meals Included: Breakfast at hotel
Hotel: 4-star Ambassador Hotel Shanghai or similar
Friendly Tip: Airfare from Yichang to Shanghai is not included in this tour package. Please contact us for discount airfare.
Day 10 Shanghai, Yuyuan Garden, the Bund & Nanjing Road, People's Square, Shanghai Museum, the French Concession & Tianzifang
Morning visit to Yuyuan Garden. This garden is a maze of Ming Dynasty pavilions, elaborate rockeries, arched bridges, and goldfish ponds, all encircled by an undulating dragon wall. Then spend some time shopping at the Chenghuangmiao market located outside the garden. Afterwards, stroll along the Bund and nearby Nanjing Road. The Bund refers to Shanghai's famous waterfront stretching for 1.6km along the west shore of the Huangpu River. Nanjing Road is the main shopping street of Shanghai and one of the busiest shopping streets in the world. Continue with a visit to the People's Square and Shanghai Museum. The People’s Square was once the finest racecourse in Asia before 1949; it is now a large open space in which locals hang out all day, every day, practicing Tai Chi and flying kites. Shanghai Museum is specially celebrated in the world for its rich and high-quality collection of 120,000 precious works of art including ancient Chinese bronze, ceramics, painting and calligraphy. Afterwards, explore the tree-lined avenues of the French Concession where many fine old houses in the area still retain an air of the "Paris of the East". Explore the arts and crafts enclave in the trendy area of Tianzifang that has constructed from a refurbished domestic location in the French Concession area of Shanghai.
Meals Included: Breakfast at hotel
Hotel: 4-star Ambassador Hotel Shanghai or similar
Day 11 Departure from Shanghai, Transfer to Shanghai Airports or Train Stations
Private transfer (without guide) to the airports or railway stations in Shanghai for your departure flight/train. Wish you a pleasant journey and thank you for traveling with GoGrandChina.
Meals Included: Breakfast at hotel