China11 days
China: Beijing, Xi'an & the Yangtze Valley — 11 Days
From the Great Wall and Forbidden City through the Terracotta Warriors to rural Yangshuo and Hong Kong's night markets.
This 11-day route traces China's imperial core and contemporary pulse: beginning in Shanghai's financial districts and French Concession, moving north to Beijing where the Forbidden City and Mutianyu section of the Great Wall anchor two full days, then south by overnight rail to Xi'an to confront the scale of the Terracotta Warriors (nearly 2,000 of 6,000 clay soldiers still standing in formation after 2,000 years underground). The itinerary then turns inward through Chengdu's panda conservation base and onward to Yangshuo, where karst peaks dominate the landscape and rural cycling reveals working farmland. The route closes in Hong Kong. Throughout, meals center on regional specialties — street food in Chengdu's Jinli district, cooking classes in Yangshuo, dim sum in transit — and accommodation remains central to each city. This is travel by rail, metro, and organized transfer; the pace is deliberate rather than rushed.
Highlights
- Walk the 22-tower Mutianyu section of the Great Wall northeast of Beijing, one of the best-preserved segments, with views across Huairou county and the surrounding ridges.
- Stand in the Terracotta Warriors pits in Xi'an, where three main excavations hold nearly 2,000 individually sculpted clay soldiers in original battle formation, each with distinct costume, height, and facial expression.
- Navigate the Forbidden City in Beijing — a ceremonial and political center of the Chinese government built from 1406 to 1420, and a World Heritage Site listed by UNESCO as the most extensive collection of preserved ancient wooden structures in the world.
- Cycle through Yangshuo's countryside to encounter working agricultural villages and karst formations, then learn Chinese cooking techniques in a local cooking class.
- Visit the Giant Panda Breeding Research Base near Chengdu, where 80 percent of the world's roughly 1,000 remaining pandas live across 600 acres of managed parkland.
- Visit Xi'an's 13-kilometer Old City Wall, the most complete ancient defensive wall surviving in China, and the adjacent Muslim Quarter's markets and Bell & Drum Tower.
- Spend a morning in Shanghai's Yuyuan Garden (1559, Ming and Qing styles) and its adjacent City God Temple, followed by a walking tour of the French Concession (1849–1943).
Day by day
1Arrival in ShanghaiShanghai's airport · hotel in the city center · hotel lobby · surrounding neighborhood · nearby local restaurant
Your guide and driver will meet you at Shanghai's airport and transfer you to your hotel in the city center. Take a moment to settle in and check your room—a note at the hotel reception will confirm the details of your stay.
Shanghai is one of China's four direct-controlled municipalities and the world's most populous city proper, with over 24 million residents. Positioned on the Yangtze River Delta's south edge, it has evolved into a global financial center and transport hub, home to the world's busiest container port.
At 6 p.m., meet your tour leader in the hotel lobby for a group meeting where you'll receive an overview of your trip itinerary and logistics. Following the meeting, your leader will guide you on an orientation walk through the surrounding neighborhood, allowing you to get oriented to the local area and rhythm of the city. The day concludes with dinner at a nearby local restaurant, where you'll dine with your travel group.
2Shanghai: City God Temple, Yuyuan Garden & French ConcessionCity God Temple · Yuyuan Garden · Shanghai French Concession · Shanghai Acrobat show
After breakfast, your guide leads you to the City God Temple, a folk shrine neighboring Yuyuan Garden. The temple originated as the Jinshan God Temple (dedicated to the spirit of Jinshan, or "Gold Mountain," an island off Shanghai's coast) and was converted to a City God Temple in 1403 during the Ming dynasty's Yongle era. Its prominence has drawn shops, restaurants, tea houses, and annual temple fairs around it. Yuyuan Garden itself was originally built in 1559, opened to the public in 1961, and declared a monument in 1982 — it is the most extensive ancient garden featuring Ming and Qing architectural styles. Next, you walk through the Shanghai French Concession, a former concession area (1849–1943) that developed a distinct cultural blend of Chinese and European character over nearly a century and became one of China's Catholic centers. This evening, you attend the Shanghai Acrobat show.
3Shanghai to Beijing & Summer PalaceBeijing · Summer Palace · Shanghai train station
After breakfast, your guide and driver take you to the train station to board a fast train to Beijing. Upon arrival, your guide meets you at the station and transfers you to the hotel. You then visit the Summer Palace, exploring what is regarded as the best-preserved imperial garden in the world under local guidance. You return to the hotel, and your tour leader conducts an orientation walk of Beijing in the evening.
4Beijing: Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City & Hutong NeighborhoodsTiananmen Square · Forbidden City · hutong
After breakfast, you take the metro to Tiananmen Square, one of the world's largest public squares, home to the Monument of the People's Heroes and the Great Hall of the People. You then enter the Forbidden City, built between 1406 and 1420 as the ceremonial and political center of Chinese government for over 500 years. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987 and is listed as the most extensive collection of preserved ancient wooden structures in the world. After exploring the imperial palaces, you stroll through the hutong — alleyways formed by lines of traditional courtyards — to experience the local lifestyle of Old Beijing. The day involves substantial walking and metro use.
5Beijing: Great Wall Hiking at MutianyuMutianyu section of the Great Wall · the top of the wall · downtown Beijing · Beijing railway station
After breakfast, you travel approximately two hours to the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall, one of the best-preserved segments, with 22 towers winding along mountain ridges in Huairou County, a suburban area northeast of Beijing. You spend the day exploring and learning the wall's history while taking in views across the ridges. You may bring a picnic lunch to eat at the top of the wall during a rest break. Late in the afternoon, you return to downtown Beijing and transfer to Beijing railway station. Tonight, you board an overnight soft sleeper (first class) train to Xi'an.
6Xi'an: Terracotta Warriors, Old City Wall & Muslim QuarterTerracotta Warriors · Old City Wall · Muslim Quarter · Xi'an's train station · local village
Upon arrival at Xi'an's train station, your guide and driver transfer you to the hotel. You then visit the Terracotta Warriors, discovered in 1976 by farmers digging a well after lying buried for 2,000 years. Three main pits are open to view, containing nearly 2,000 of the total 6,000 warriors — each individually sculpted from clay with different costumes, heights, and facial expressions, arranged in original battle formation. The scale is impressive. After the tour, you enjoy lunch in a local village. This afternoon, you visit the Old City Wall, the most significant and best-preserved wall in China, running over 13 kilometers around Xi'an and recognized as one of the largest ancient military defensive systems in the world. You then walk through the Muslim Quarter, exploring lively markets, the Bell Tower, and the Drum Tower.
7Xi'an to Chengdu: Old City Wall, Jinli Street & Kuanzhai AlleyJinli Street · Kuanzhai Alley · Xi'an's ancient Old City Wall · train station
After breakfast, you walk around Xi'an's ancient Old City Wall, the most significant and best-preserved wall in China, running over 13 kilometers. You then transfer to the train station and board a fast train to Chengdu. Upon arrival, your guide transfers you to visit Jinli Street, famous for its historic atmosphere, bustling businesses, and local street food — sticky rice cakes with sesame sauce, spicy chicken on a stick, sweet rice jelly, fried beef pancakes, and seasoned rabbit heads for the adventurous. Afterward, you visit Kuanzhai Alley, also known as "Wide and Narrow Alley," a collection of three historic parallel alleys dating from the Qing dynasty.
8Chengdu Panda Base & Flight to YangshuoYangshuo · Giant Panda Breeding Research Base · Chengdu airport to Guilin
After breakfast, your guide and driver collect you from your hotel for a morning visit to the Giant Panda Breeding Research Base. Here you'll witness firsthand the conservation efforts underway to protect this endearing endangered species. With only around 1,000 pandas remaining in the world—80 percent of them in Sichuan's mountains—the breeding program plays a crucial role in their survival. The pandas inhabit over 600 acres of parkland designed to mimic their natural habitat. You'll have time to watch them play, eat bamboo, rest, and move through the grounds. Afterward, you transfer to Chengdu airport for your flight to Guilin. Upon arrival, your guide and driver meet you and transfer you to your hotel in Yangshuo.
9Yangshuo: Countryside Cycling & Chinese Cookingcountryside surrounding Yangshuo · local cooking school
After breakfast, your guide and driver meet you at your hotel. You cycle through the countryside surrounding Yangshuo, gaining insight into Chinese rural life as each turn in the road reveals another picture-postcard location. The terrain is fairly easy, making it accessible and comfortable. Later in the day, you head to a local cooking school where you learn the art of Chinese cooking, putting your observations of rural life and local ingredients to practical use. You return to your hotel for check-in.
10Yangshuo to Hong Kong: Bamboo Rafting & Temple Street Night MarketTemple Street night market · Yulong River · Guilin's train station · central Hong Kong
After breakfast, you participate in bamboo rafting on the Yulong River, a relaxing moment on the water. You then transfer to Guilin's train station and board a fast train to Hong Kong. Upon arrival, you take the subway to central Hong Kong and have a few hours to wander before visiting the Temple Street night market for the final tour activity of the day.
11Hong Kong Departureyour hotel · the airport
Check in to your hotel this morning, then arrange your transfer to the airport for your onward destination.
Where you go
- 1City God Temple
- 2Yuyuan Garden
- 3Beijing
- 4Tiananmen Square
- 5Forbidden City
- 6Hutong
- 7Mutianyu Section of the Great Wall
- 8Terracotta Warriors
- 9Muslim Quarter
- 10Yangshuo
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