China13 days
Beijing to Hong Kong: Great Wall, Rice Terraces & Pearl River — 13 Days
A 13-day route through five of China's most consequential cities and landscapes, from the Ming-era Great Wall to karst villages and Hong Kong's harbor.
This route moves across five distinct geographies: the imperial capital of Beijing, the treaty-port modernity of Shanghai, the West Lake temples of Hangzhou, the Terracotta archaeology of Xi'an, and the karst river country of Guilin and Yangshuo before ending in Hong Kong. You'll walk sections of the Great Wall at Mutianyu, descend into the Forbidden City's courtyards, cycle through rural Guangxi farmland, learn Tai Chi from a local instructor, and cook in a village kitchen. The itinerary pairs major sites with time spent in smaller towns and among working landscapes — rice paddies, tea plantations, street markets, and river villages — so that the country reveals itself not as a series of monuments but as layered settlement and daily life.
Highlights
- Walking the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall, a 22-tower span with views across Huairou County
- The Forbidden City (1406–1420) and its ancient wooden structures, UNESCO-recognized
- West Lake in Hangzhou and Longjing tea plantations in Zhejiang Province
- The Terracotta Warriors of Xi'an: over 6,000 individual clay figures buried for 2,000 years, discovered in 1976
- Cycling through rural Yangshuo countryside among karst peaks and working farmland
- Tai Chi instruction with a local master in Yangshuo village
- A home-cooked meal at a farmer's house and instruction in Chinese cooking techniques
- Hutong alleyways and traditional courtyard neighborhoods of Old Beijing
- The City God's Temple and Yuyuan Garden in Shanghai
- The Great Mosque of Xi'an and the Muslim Quarter markets
- Li River transit between Guilin and Yangshuo through karst landscape
- Temple Street night market in Hong Kong
Day by day
1Arrival in Beijingairport · hotel · neighborhood
Your guide and driver meet you at the airport for the transfer to your hotel. Check in and rest. A group meeting takes place at 6 p.m. at the hotel, where essential logistics and itinerary information are covered. After the meeting, walk around the neighborhood at your own pace; dinner is your choice.
2The Great Wall at MutianyuMutianyu section of the Great Wall · the wall · downtown Beijing
After breakfast, travel north to the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall (approximately two hours by road). This is one of the best-preserved segments, with 22 towers winding along mountain ridges. You'll spend the day exploring the structure itself and learning its construction history. Huairou County, the suburban area surrounding the site, offers views across the region. A picnic lunch on the wall itself is recommended. Return to downtown Beijing in the late afternoon. An acrobatic performance is scheduled for the evening.
3Beijing's Imperial Center and Hutong NeighborhoodsTiananmen Square · the Forbidden City · the Hutong
After breakfast, travel by metro to Tiananmen Square, one of the world's largest public plazas, site of the Monument of the People's Heroes and the Great Hall of the People. Enter the Forbidden City, built between 1406 and 1420 as the ceremonial and political center of Chinese government for more than 500 years. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987, it holds the world's most extensive collection of preserved ancient wooden structures. From there, walk through the Hutong — traditional alleyways formed by lines of courtyard houses — to experience the texture of Old Beijing's residential life. Walking is extensive today; the metro supplements your movement through the city.
4Bullet Train to ShanghaiShanghai · Beijing Railway Station · Nongtang · the Bund
After breakfast, transfer to Beijing Railway Station and board the bullet train to Shanghai. Upon arrival, your guide meets you at the station for the hotel transfer. In the afternoon, a walking tour focuses on Shanghai's historical core: the Nongtang (narrow streets) where daily urban life unfolds, and the Bund, where 1920s-era architecture lines the Huangpu River, creating a sense of the city's treaty-port era and the contrasts between river commerce and modern skyline.
5Shanghai's Classical Gardens and Temple DistrictsCity God's Temple area · Yuyuan Garden
After breakfast, visit the City God's Temple area and its adjacent Yuyuan Garden. The temple, originally the Jinshan God Temple dedicated to the island spirit of 'Gold Mountain,' was converted to a City God Temple in 1403 during the Ming dynasty's Yongle era. Its popularity has transformed the surrounding area into a large pedestrian zone hosting shops, restaurants, tea houses, and annual temple fairs. Yuyuan Garden (also called Yu Garden), built in 1559 and opened to the public in 1961, is the region's most extensive classical garden, featuring Ming and Qing architectural styles and layered courtyards that reflect centuries of garden-design tradition.
6Hangzhou: West Lake and Longjing Tea PlantationsHangzhou · West Lake · Longjing tea plantations
After breakfast, board an express train to Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang Province in east-central China and the southern terminus of the Grand Canal. Visit West Lake, a freshwater body divided into five sections by three causeways. Numerous temples, pagodas, gardens, and artificial islands occupy the lake's perimeter and interior. The lake's natural beauty and historical relics have influenced Chinese poets and painters across centuries; it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2011. Visit the Longjing tea plantations to walk among the tea plants, observe harvest and processing techniques, and learn how tea culture has shaped Chinese regional identity and philosophy.
7Xi'an: The Great Mosque and Muslim Quarterthe Great Mosque · the airport · downtown · the Bell & Drum Tower · the Muslim Quarter
After breakfast, transfer to the airport and fly to Xi'an. Upon arrival, transfer downtown. Visit the Great Mosque, the most significant mosque in China, constructed during the Hongwu reign of the Ming dynasty with later additions during the Qing period. Earlier religious structures on the same site date to the Tang dynasty. Walk through the lively Muslim Quarter, where markets and street food vendors concentrate, and pass the Bell & Drum Tower, which marked the center of the old city.
8Xi'an's Terracotta WarriorsTerracotta Warriors archaeological site · ancient City Wall
After breakfast, visit the Terracotta Warriors archaeological site. In 1976, farmers digging a well uncovered these figures, buried for 2,000 years. Three main pits are open to visitors, displaying approximately 2,000 of the estimated 6,000 total warriors. Each figure is individually sculpted from clay with distinct clothing, height, and facial expression, arranged in battle formation. The scale of the discovery and the precision of individual detail are both remarkable. Lunch is at a nearby village. Free time later allows exploration of the ancient City Wall, which runs over 13 kilometers around Xi'an and remains the most significant and best-preserved fortification of its kind in China.
9Guilin and the Li River to YangshuoGuilin · Li River · Yangshuo
After breakfast, transfer to the airport and fly to Guilin, a prefecture-level city in China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, situated on the west bank of the Li River. The flight itself offers views of the distinctive karst landscape that defines southern China. Upon arrival, meet your guide and driver at the airport for transfer to your hotel. Before checking in, you'll have time to visit the Li River, taking in the beautiful scenery that has inspired poets and painters for centuries. Then travel by private bus to Yangshuo (approximately 1.5 hours), where you'll check in at your hotel. This county-level town serves as an ideal base for exploring the region's dramatic karst peaks and outdoor recreation opportunities.
10Yangshuo: Rural Cycling and Farmstead LunchYangshuo · airport · local farmer's house
Your guide and driver will meet you at the airport for transfer to your hotel in Yangshuo, a resort town in Guangxi known for its dramatic karst mountain landscape. After check-in, cycle out from town into the surrounding countryside on bikes. Each turn in the road brings another picture-postcard location—working agricultural land, water buffalo, terraced paddies, and karst formations rise around you. The ride offers genuine insight into Chinese rural life and seasonal rhythms. Stop at a local farmer's house for a home-cooked lunch prepared by the family, a chance to connect directly with the region's agricultural community.
11Yangshuo: Tai Chi, Market, and Cooking ClassYangshuo · farmers' market · cooking school · Yangshuo West Street
After breakfast, participate in a Tai Chi class with a local master. Afterward, visit a farmers' market to observe regional produce sales and daily-life transactions. Proceed to a cooking school where you will learn techniques and prepare a lunch from the morning's market ingredients in beautiful countryside surroundings. In the afternoon, walk along Yangshuo West Street, notable for its ancient architecture and mix of local commerce and visitor-oriented shops.
12Yangshuo to Hong KongYangshuo · Li River · local formations · Guilin railway station · Shenzhen-Hong Kong border · central Hong Kong · Temple Street night market
After breakfast, the day is unstructured until late afternoon. Options include relaxation in the town, observing street life, a Li River cruise, or rock-climbing lessons on local formations. Late afternoon, travel to Guilin railway station and board a fast train to Shenzhen. Upon arrival, cross the Shenzhen-Hong Kong border (the crossing is often congested and patience is needed). Take the KCR train into central Hong Kong. You will have several hours to visit the city before joining the group at Temple Street night market.
13Departure from Hong KongHong Kong
End of tour. Check out and transfer to the airport for your next destination, or check into a hotel for an extended stay.
Where you go
- 1Mutianyu Section of the Great Wall
- 2Tiananmen Square
- 3Shanghai
- 4the Bund
- 5Yuyuan Garden
- 6Li River
- 7Yangshuo
- 8Li River
- 9Hong Kong
Included
- Accommodation & breakfast
- Transport service from and to airport & tours
- Speaking English guide
- Entrance fee
- Local guide fee at particular tourism objects
- Meals & mineral water as a program
- Travel Insurance
Not included
- Air ticket
- Personal & other expenses
- Optional program