China: Beijing, the Great Wall & Ancient Towns — 16 Days

Welcome to Beijing. You'll meet your local guide at 6 pm in the hotel lobby for a welcome briefing covering itinerary details and logistical information for the cities ahead. After introductions, your guide will lead an orientation walk through the immediate neighborhood, giving you a feel for Beijing's rhythm and layout. You're staying at the Campanile Hotel Guanganmen or similar for two nights. No meals are included today, though the evening is yours to settle in. If you'd like to make the most of your first night, optional activities include an acrobat show, kung fu performance, or visits to the Temple of Heaven or Summer Palace.

The day involves considerable walking and subway travel through Beijing's most visible landmarks. Tiananmen Square, one of the world's largest public plazas, anchors the route. You will then enter the Forbidden City, built between 1406 and 1420 and the ceremonial and political center of Chinese government for over 500 years. The compound was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987 and holds the world's most extensive collection of preserved ancient wooden structures. Lunch is served at a local restaurant featuring authentic Chinese dumplings. The afternoon shifts to the hutongs—narrow alleys formed by traditional courtyard residences—where street-level commerce, domestic life, and the texture of pre-modern Beijing remain visible. Breakfast is included; accommodation continues at the Campanile Hotel Guanganmen or similar.

Mutianyu, approximately 2 hours outside Beijing, preserves and restores one of the Great Wall's most accessible sections, allowing for easier climbing while the scale and construction difficulty remain clear. A picnic lunch can be brought and eaten during a rest break atop the wall. After returning to Beijing, you will board a high-speed train to Datong, a 2-hour journey. Breakfast is included; accommodation is at the Hongqi Hotel Datong or similar for one night.

This morning focuses on the Nine Dragon Screen, built more than 600 years ago and the oldest and largest glazed screen in China. Constructed for the thirteenth son of the first Ming Emperor, the structure measures 8 meters high, 2.02 meters thick, and 45.5 meters long, composed of 426 specially fired glazed bricks and remains intact. A 3-hour bullet train journey then takes you to Pingyao in central Shanxi Province, China's best-preserved ancient walled town and a World Heritage Site. Upon arrival, an electric car transfers you to the old town, where you will visit opulent mural-covered halls, courtyard residences, and rows of painted statues dating from the 10th century. Accommodation is at the Honghu Guesthouse or similar for two nights.

You will continue exploring Pingyao's interior, examining Rishengchang Draft Bank—China's first and largest draft bank—and the ancient city wall. Walking the 15th-century streets reveals the old-fashioned Chinese urban style and the architectural logic of traditional merchant life. The Qiao's Family Mansion, a sophisticatedly designed residence, illustrates how Chinese business philosophy shaped domestic space. Accommodation remains at the Honghu Guesthouse or similar.

A 3-hour fast train carries you to Xi'an, arriving in time for lunch. As capital of Shaanxi Province, Xi'an has sheltered imperial powers for over 2,200 years. The city is experiencing rapid development while carefully preserving its historical sites. Your orientation tour begins at the well-known Bell and Drum Tower, then proceeds to the Muslim Quarter—a labyrinth of food stalls, narrow lanes, and religious architecture that has earned its reputation as a food haven. The evening is yours to wander at leisure. You'll stay at the Chenggong International Hotel or similar. Optional activities include a fuller Bell & Drum Tower and Great Mosque tour, or a visit to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda.

The morning is free for optional activities. You will then travel to the Terracotta Warriors site, an archaeological excavation discovered in 1976 comprising more than 6,000 individually sculpted clay figures—warriors, chariots, and horses—each with distinct costumes, heights, and facial expressions, arranged in battle formation. Three main pits display over 2,000 of the warriors. After this visit, you will proceed to Xi'an North Station for an overnight hard-sleeper train to Shanghai. A cycling tour option on the Ancient City Wall is available if desired.

You arrive in Shanghai in the early afternoon. A walking tour traces the city's historical layers, beginning at the City God Temple area. Originally built as the Jinshan God Temple—dedicated to the spirit of Gold Mountain, an island off Shanghai's coast—it was converted into a City God Temple in 1403 during the Yongle era of the Ming dynasty. The temple's popularity transformed its surroundings into a lively pedestrian zone filled with shops, restaurants, teahouses, and annual temple fair events. Adjacent to the temple lies Yuyuan Garden, an extensive ancient garden showcasing Ming and Qing architectural styles. From there, the route winds through the narrow, winding longtangs (lane alleyways) of Old Shanghai, where you can observe the rhythms of local daily life. As evening falls, you visit the Bund, where a spectacular array of Art Deco buildings line what was once Asia's most important financial street. These structures stand as monuments to Shanghai's cosmopolitan past. Accommodation is at Shanghai Railway Mansion or similar for two nights. No meals are included today.

This day remains unstructured. You may visit the French Concession and Nanjing Road, visiting the Shanghai Museum, or travel to Zhujiajiao Water Town on the city's outskirts, known as the 'Venice of the East.' Built approximately 1,700 years ago, Zhujiajiao contains 36 stone bridges, numerous rivers, and ancient buildings stretching along riverbanks, representing the most significant example of Yangtze River Delta architecture and lifestyle. Optional guided tours to both areas are available. Accommodation continues at the Shanghai Railway Mansion or similar.

A 3.5-hour fast train carries you to Wuyi Shan in northern Fujian Province, arriving in the early afternoon. The area preserves some of Fujian's least developed scenery and was inscribed on the World Heritage list in 1999 for its cultural, scenic, and biodiversity values. Wuyi Shan is recognized in China as the origin of rare rock tea trees. Upon arrival, a half-day hike introduces the mountains and their ecology. Accommodation is at a guesthouse in Wuyishan for one night.

The morning is free for further exploration in the Wuyi Shan Mountains. You may raft the Nine Bended Stream through sheer rock cliff gorges or walk the 11th-century styled street adjacent to Wuyi Palace. In the early afternoon, a 2.5-hour fast train takes you to Longyan, home to the Hakka people, who comprise 75 percent of the city's population. After hotel check-in and a brief rest, an orientation walk with your guide introduces the town. Accommodation is at a guesthouse in Longyan for one night.

This morning, you visit the 800-year-old Pei Tian village in the mountains of western Fujian Province. Walking the well-preserved narrow cobbled lanes passes stone houses, bridges, archways, temples, and the Hakka Academy. A bus then carries you to Hongkeng Folk Cultural Village in Yongding, surrounded by rolling hills and the clear Hongchuan Creek. The village embodies Yongding Hakka architecture, particularly its tulou—fortress-like roundhouses of which more than 30,000 survive across the region, many still inhabited. Accommodation is at the Yuchenglou Guesthouse or similar for two nights.

Today focuses on the village's approximately 30 tulou of varying sizes and shapes. The Zhencheng building, the grandest and nicknamed 'the Prince of Tulou,' anchors the exploration. Additional notable structures include the Rusheng Building, a miniature round earth construction; the Kuiju Building, which resembles the Potala Palace; the Fuyu Building, a mansion-style residence; and the Jingyang Building, distinguished by its exceptionally thick walls. Accommodation remains at the Yuchenglou Guesthouse or similar.

A 3-hour bus journey brings you to Xiamen, a littoral city characterized by islands, mountains, temples, and parks. The city has developed a reputation for youth and romantic atmosphere while maintaining abundant tourist attractions. Upon arrival, you will meet your guide and transfer to your accommodation. Accommodation is at a local guesthouse for two nights.

A morning ferry transports you to Gulangyu Island, known for natural beauty, ancient relics, and varied architecture. You will visit Shuzhuang Garden, situated on the seaside, and South Putuo Temple. Hulishan Cannon Fort displays the world's most significant cannon. A scenic drive on the Island Ring Road follows, tracing the East Coast with views across the water. The afternoon returns you to your guesthouse in Xiamen. Accommodation continues at the local guesthouse.

You will depart by high-speed train to Shenzhen, approximately 4 hours away, then cross the border to Hong Kong, where the tour concludes.