China9 days
China: Beijing, Xi'an & the Yangtze — 9 Days
Beijing's Forbidden City and Great Wall, Xi'an's Terracotta Warriors, and the Yangtze River from Shanghai to Li River
China's transport infrastructure now makes it possible to move efficiently between three of its most significant historical centers in a single journey. Shanghai, seat of modern commerce and finance, anchors the route; from there, fast rail carries you inland to Xi'an, where the Terracotta Warriors stand in formation after two millennia underground, and onward to Beijing, where the Forbidden City and Great Wall dominate the historical record. Between these cities lie river passages through dramatic terrain—the Yangtze Gorges with their sheer cliffs and the Li River's karst landscape—both subjects of classical painting and Tang Dynasty poetry. The itinerary pairs major archaeological and architectural sites with morning exercises at the Temple of Heaven, walks through Beijing's hutong neighborhoods, and the material practice of dumpling-making. Nine days of this kind of ground movement—by rail, road, and river—allows a traveller to encounter both the scale of China's imperial legacy and the daily texture of contemporary urban and rural life.
Highlights
- Forbidden City: the ceremonial and political center of imperial China, built 1406–1420
- Terracotta Warriors: approximately 6,000 life-size clay soldiers discovered in 1976 near Xi'an, each with distinct facial features and costume
- Jinshanling Great Wall: a 12-kilometer hiking section showing Ming Dynasty construction and evidence of 1950s brick salvage by local farmers
- Temple of Heaven morning exercise session with local participants in Beijing
- Shanghai's Bund and Nanjing Road: 1920s architecture and urban waterfront along the Huangpu River
- Master of Nets Garden in Suzhou: a private garden exemplifying classical landscape design with techniques of contrast and proportion
- Acrobatic performance in Beijing
- Grand Canal walk in Suzhou: the world's longest artificial river and UNESCO World Heritage site
- Xi'an City Wall: 13 kilometers of Ming Dynasty fortification, the best-preserved wall in China
Day by day
1Arrival in ShanghaiShanghai airport · hotel in the city center · hotel
Your guide and driver meet you at Shanghai airport and transfer you to your hotel in the city center. Shanghai is one of China's four direct-controlled municipalities and the most populous city proper in the world, with a population exceeding 24 million. It sits on the south edge of the Yangtze River estuary on the east coast and functions as a global financial center and transport hub, home to the world's busiest container port. A group meeting takes place at your hotel at 6 pm, with details posted in the lobby or available at reception.
2Shanghai: Bund, French Concession & Rail to Suzhouthe Bund · Nanjing Road · the French Concession · train station
After breakfast, your guide leads a historical walking tour of Shanghai beginning at the Bund, where architecture lines the Huangpu River. You walk along this riverfront to take in the urban landscape with its long commercial history, then proceed down Nanjing Road to the People's Square, where the Shanghai municipal government headquarters stands. The route then enters the French Concession, established in 1849 and remaining under French control until 1943. Over nearly a century, this district developed a distinct character mixing Chinese and European influences, and it became one of the major Catholic centers in China. In the afternoon, transfer to the train station and board a bullet train to Suzhou.
3Suzhou: Master of Nets Garden, Grand Canal & Overnight Train to Xi'anMaster of Nets Garden · Santang Street and the edge of the Grand Canal · train station
Your guide meets you after breakfast at your hotel. The morning visit to the Master of Nets Garden visits one of Suzhou's four celebrated private gardens, recognized for its artistic achievement and cultural significance. The garden combines residential and gardening spaces, designed with techniques of relative proportion, architectural detail, and strong visual contrast. Afterward, you walk along Santang Street and the edge of the Grand Canal, the world's longest artificial river and a UNESCO World Heritage site. In the afternoon, transfer to the train station and board an overnight soft sleeper train heading to Xi'an.
4Xi'an: City Wall & Muslim QuarterMuslim quarter · train station · Bell and Drum Tower · ancient City Wall
Your guide and driver collect you from the train station and transfer you to a downtown hotel. A short walking tour passes the Bell and Drum Tower and enters the Muslim quarter. In the afternoon, you begin exploring the city by visiting the ancient City Wall, which stretches over 13 kilometers around Xi'an and remains the most significant and best-preserved wall of its kind in China.
5Xi'an: Terracotta WarriorsTerracotta Warriors site
After breakfast, your guide and driver transport you by private bus to the Terracotta Warriors site. This archaeological find, discovered in 1976 by farmers digging a well, was buried for 2,000 years. Three main pits are open to visitors, displaying just under 2,000 of the total 6,000 warriors. Each figure is individually sculpted from clay with distinct costume, height, and facial expression, arranged in battle formation. The scale and precision of this assemblage represents one of the most significant archaeological discoveries of the twentieth century.
6Xi'an to Jinshanling: Village Orientation & Dumpling-MakingJinshanling on the Great Wall · the surrounding village · a guesthouse
After breakfast, your guide and driver take you toward Beijing, stopping at Jinshanling on the Great Wall. An orientation walk through the surrounding village provides context for local community development and rural economy. You return to a guesthouse to learn dumpling-making from your host, a hands-on introduction to a fundamental element of Chinese cuisine.
7Jinshanling: Great Wall HikingJinshanling · Jinshanling to Beijing
After breakfast at your guesthouse, you hike along Jinshanling with your guide through lush vegetation. This section of the wall bears visible damage from the 1950s, when local farmers dismantled bricks to construct their homes—a tangible record of post-war reconstruction. The hike circles past a local village and along the wall's inner fortification, which served as a secondary defense line. The total distance is approximately 12 kilometers, covered over 4 to 5 hours, with time built in for rest and lunch to absorb the views. In late afternoon, you drive back to Beijing for the night.
8Beijing: Forbidden City, Hutong & Acrobatic ShowBeijing · Forbidden City · hutong · Tiananmen Square
After breakfast, your guide and driver meet you at your hotel. The day involves considerable walking and use of the subway system. You travel by metro to Tiananmen Square, one of the world's largest public squares, which houses the Monument of the People's Heroes and the Great Hall of the People. From there, you enter the Forbidden City, built between 1406 and 1420 as the ceremonial and political center of Chinese imperial government for over 500 years. UNESCO designates it a World Heritage Site and recognizes it as containing the most extensive collection of preserved ancient wooden structures in the world. After departing the Forbidden City, you stroll through the hutong—alleyways formed by lines of traditional courtyard residences—to experience daily life in Old Beijing. An acrobatic performance takes place in the evening.
9Beijing: Temple of Heaven Morning & DepartureTemple of Heaven · hotel or airport
After breakfast, your guide and driver meet you for an early morning tour to the Temple of Heaven, where you observe local residents performing their morning exercises. The tour concludes afterward, and you return to your hotel or proceed to the airport for your onward journey.
Where you go
- 1the Bund
- 2Muslim Quarter
- 3Bell and Drum Tower
- 4Terracotta Warriors site
- 5Beijing
- 6Forbidden City
- 7Hutong
- 8Tiananmen Square
- 9Temple of Heaven
Included
- One arrival and departure transfer on group basis. Transportation by private vehicle in each city.
- Hotels as listed below with daily breakfast
- Entrance fees in each city as listed below
- 3 lunchs +1 dinner in local restaurants.
- English speaking local guide in each city
- Fast train tickets: Shanghai – Suzhou, Xian – Beijing. Overnight soft sleeper train: Shanghai-Xian
Not included
- International air fares and China entry visa
- Expenses of personal nature, ie laundry, alcoholic drinks, and etc.
- Gratuity