China18 days
China: Great Wall to Yangtze — 18 Days
Beijing, Xi'an, Chengdu, Three Gorges Cruise & Yangshuo across 18 days
This 18-day itinerary connects China's principal historical and geographical landmarks across five regions. The route begins in Beijing with the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall, moves to Xi'an to examine the Terracotta Warriors and Tang Dynasty sites, then travels south through Sichuan Province to the Leshan Giant Buddha and monasteries of Mount Emei. A multi-day cruise through the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River forms the geographic centerpiece, followed by three days in Yangshuo County amid the karst landscape of Guangxi region. Transport between cities uses overnight trains and fast rail; the river portion is covered by a deluxe cruise vessel. Throughout the journey, daily activities are led by English-speaking guides and include standard inclusions of accommodation, meals, and entrance fees. Several days include optional or independent time within the scheduled framework.
Highlights
- Hike Mutianyu section of the Great Wall near Beijing, with 22 preserved towers winding along mountain ridges
- Study the Terracotta Warriors near Xi'an — approximately 2,000 of 6,000 individually sculpted clay figures from the Tang Dynasty
- Visit the Leshan Giant Buddha, a 71-meter limestone statue carved between 713–803 CE, the world's largest stone Buddha
- Climb Mount Emei to the Golden Summit at 3,077 meters elevation; stay overnight at a working Buddhist monastery
- Cruise the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River, including passage through the Qutang and Wu Gorges and a tributary visit to Shennv Valley
- Cycle through the countryside surrounding Yangshuo County in Guangxi's karst landscape
- Learn Mandarin language basics directly from guides during daily activities in Beijing
Day by day
1Arrival in BeijingBeijing airport · hotel in the city center · hotel · hotel neighborhood · local restaurant
Your guide and driver will meet you at Beijing airport and transfer you to your hotel in the city center. Check in and look for a note in the lobby with details about your evening. At 6 p.m., gather with your group for a meeting covering trip logistics and what to expect in the days ahead. Following the briefing, you'll take an orientation walk through the hotel neighborhood to get your bearings in the city. The day concludes with an included dinner at a local restaurant, a chance to meet your fellow travelers and ease into your time in Beijing.
2Mutianyu Section of the Great WallMutianyu section of the Great Wall · central Beijing
The day begins with a two-hour transfer north to the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall, one of the best-preserved segments, featuring 22 towers winding along mountain ridges in Huairou County on Beijing's northern rim. Time is allocated for walking sections of the wall, learning its history, and observing views across the surrounding ranges. A picnic lunch may be brought for consumption at rest points along the wall. Return to central Beijing in the late afternoon.
3Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City & Hutong NeighborhoodsTiananmen Square · Forbidden City · Hutong neighborhoods
After breakfast, guides lead a walking tour of Beijing's central landmarks using the metro system. Tiananmen Square, one of the world's largest public squares, houses the Monument of the People's Heroes and the Great Hall of the People. The adjacent Forbidden City, a UNESCO World Heritage Site built between 1406 and 1420, served as the ceremonial and political center of Chinese government for over 500 years and contains the world's most extensive collection of preserved ancient wooden structures. The afternoon continues through Hutong neighborhoods — traditional courtyard lanes that define historic Beijing's residential character.
4Independent Beijing & Evening DepartureTemple of Heaven Park · The Summer Palace · Beijing to Shanghai
The morning and early afternoon are unscheduled. Optional activities available to participants include a visit to Temple of Heaven Park, a 267-hectare complex originally constructed as an imperial altar where the emperor performed rites for harvests and divine favor. A local Tai Chi session with a master instructor may also be arranged. The Summer Palace, a Qing Dynasty imperial garden spanning 2.9 square kilometers around Kunming Lake and Longevity Hill, is alternatively available. An overnight soft sleeper train departs Beijing in the evening for Shanghai, with first-class accommodations.
5Shanghai — Langtang Streets & Huangpu RiverfrontShanghai train station · Langtang neighborhoods · the Bund
Guides meet you at Shanghai train station and transfer you to the hotel. A historical walking tour led by a local guide examines the Langtang neighborhoods — narrow traditional streets revealing daily life in the old city — and continues along the Bund district overlooking the Huangpu River. At the Bund, you can get a taste of Shanghai, walk along the Huangpu River; you will get a feeling of the urban city with a long history.
6City God Temple & Evening Train to Xi'anCity God Temple · City God Temple surrounding streets · Shanghai to Xi'an
The morning visit covers the City God Temple, a folk temple adjacent to Yuyuan Garden. Originally the Jinshan God Temple (dedicated to the island of 'Gold Mountain' off Shanghai's coast), it was rededicated as a City God Temple in 1403 during the Ming Dynasty. The surrounding streets form a pedestrian commercial area with shops, restaurants, tea houses, and annual temple fairs. An overnight soft sleeper train departs in the evening for Xi'an, with first-class accommodations.
7Terracotta Warriors & Muslim Quarter, Xi'anMuslim Quarter · Xi'an train station · Terracotta Warriors site · local village
Guides meet you at Xi'an train station and transfer you to the hotel before heading to the Terracotta Warriors site. The archaeological complex, discovered in 1976 by farmers digging a well after 2,000 years of burial, contains three open excavation pits displaying approximately 2,000 of the estimated 6,000 clay warriors — each individually sculpted with distinct costumes, heights, and facial expressions, arranged in military formation. Lunch follows in a local village. The afternoon includes a walking tour of the Muslim Quarter with its active street markets and views of the Bell & Drum Tower.
8Fast Train to ChengduXi'an North Station · Chengdu city center
After breakfast, transfer to Xi'an North Station and board a fast train to Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province and one of western China's three most populous cities. Upon arrival, a guide and driver collect you from the station for a walking tour of the city center, providing observation of local daily life and urban culture.
9Giant Pandas & Historic ChengduGiant Panda Breeding Research Base · Jinli Street · People's Park
After breakfast, your guide and driver will meet you at your hotel to begin the day at the Giant Panda Breeding Research Base. Here, across 600 acres of parkland, you'll witness the conservation efforts supporting one of the world's rarest species—only around 1,000 pandas remain in the wild, with 80% living in Sichuan's mountains. Watch the pandas play, eat bamboo, and rest throughout the morning.
Following lunch, you'll head to Jinli Street, a historic pedestrian area celebrated for its bustling atmosphere and local snacks. This is where locals come for authentic Chengdu food and traditional streetscape charm. Your day concludes at People's Park, where you'll relax in an old teahouse with a cup of green tea, a quintessential Chengdu experience. Return to your hotel for check-in.
10Leshan Giant Buddha & Mount Emei MonasteryLeshan Giant Buddha · Mount Emei · Chengdu train station
Transfer to Chengdu train station and board a bullet train to Leshan. The Leshan Giant Buddha is a 71-meter limestone statue carved between 713 and 803 CE (Tang Dynasty), depicting the Maitreya Buddha. It faces Mount Emei with rivers flowing below its feet, and holds the status of the world's largest stone Buddha sculpture and the tallest pre-modern statue ever constructed. The site gained UNESCO World Heritage designation in 1996. After the Buddha site, private van transfer proceeds to Mount Emei. Participants overnight at a working Buddhist monastery on the mountain, sharing accommodations with resident monks and experiencing the daily rhythm of monastic life including morning drum and prayer services.
11Mount Emei — Golden Summit & Huazang TempleMount Emei · Golden Summit · Huazang Temple · Leidongping Station · mountain track
A two-hour drive from the base reaches Leidongping Station at 2,400 meters elevation. From this point, a 30-minute climb along a mountain track ascends toward the summit; wild monkeys may be encountered along the trail. Optional cable car service (5 minutes) reaches the Golden Summit at 3,077 meters elevation. Huazang Temple stands at the summit, offering views across clouds, mountains, and forest canopy. A sightseeing bus descends the full length of the mountain to return to the base.
12Fuhu Temple & Bullet Train to ChongqingFuhu Temple · Emei Shan train station · Yangtze River pier
After breakfast, a short walk and trek reach Fuhu Temple, another ancient Buddhist establishment on Mount Emei's slopes. Transfer then proceeds to Hongchunping and onward to Emei Shan train station for a bullet train to Chongqing. Upon arrival at Chongqing station, guides and driver collect you and transfer to the Yangtze River pier for boarding a deluxe cruise vessel.
13Yangtze River — Three Gorges Passage & FengduThree Gorges · Fengdu · the vessel
The cruise passes through the Three Gorges and makes a shore excursion to Fengdu. During the Eastern Han Dynasty (25–220 CE), Fengdu became known as the 'Ghost City' due to legends associated with local deities. A walking tour examines temples and local religious traditions. An evening performance by Chinese minority musicians and dancers takes place aboard the vessel.
14Qutang and Wu Gorges, Shennv ValleyWu Gorge · Shennv Valley · Qutang Gorge · Yangtze deluxe cruise
After breakfast, your guide meets you aboard the deluxe cruise as it navigates through Qutang Gorge and Wu Gorge, two of the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River. Both are classified by the Chinese National Tourism Administration as the highest scenic level. An excursion boat takes you into Shennv Valley, also known as the Goddess Stream, a tributary renowned for its dramatic landscape. Here, thousands of vertical cliffs rise from the water, their blue-grey peaks reaching hundreds of meters skyward, with narrow passages opening between towering rock formations. The geological grandeur explains why the valley earned its evocative name. As evening approaches, the captain hosts a farewell banquet, marking the conclusion of your time aboard the cruise. Accommodation remains on the Yangtze deluxe cruise.
15Three Gorges Dam & Overnight Train to LiuzhouHuang Ling Miao · Yichang Pier to Yichang train station · Yichang train station to Liuzhou
The cruise reaches Huang Ling Miao, where a guided visit to the Three Gorges Dam takes place. Completed in 2009, the dam is the world's largest hydroelectric facility. Its functions include flood control, power generation, tourism infrastructure, ecological management, water transfer to northern provinces, and irrigation. After the dam visit, the Yangtze portion of the journey concludes. Guides transfer you from Yichang Pier to Yichang train station for an overnight soft sleeper train to Liuzhou, with first-class accommodations.
16Arrival in Yangshuo CountyYangshuo County · Liuzhou train station
Guides and driver meet you at Liuzhou train station and provide transfer to Yangshuo County in Guangxi region. Yangshuo is known for its karst mountain landscape and outdoor recreation opportunities.
17Cycling Through Yangshuo CountrysideYangshuo countryside
After breakfast, your guide and driver meet you at the hotel. You'll cycle out of town through the surrounding countryside, passing through agricultural land and small settlements. Each turn reveals another striking vista of karst formations and rural life—the kind of landscape that defines this region. Return to check in at your hotel.
18Yangshuo to Hong Kong or DepartureHong Kong · Guilin train station · Shenzhen station
After breakfast, transfer to Guilin train station and board a fast train to Shenzhen. Upon arrival, guides and driver meet you at Shenzhen station and facilitate crossing the Shenzhen-Hong Kong border. The tour concludes with hotel check-in in Hong Kong or transfer to the airport for onward travel.
Where you go
- 1Mutianyu Section of the Great Wall
- 2Tiananmen Square
- 3Forbidden City
- 4the Bund
- 5City God Temple
- 6Muslim Quarter
- 7Terracotta Warriors site
- 8Hong 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