China North to South: Beijing, Xi'an, Chengdu & Yangshuo — 14 Days

You arrive in Beijing and meet your local guide at 6 p.m. in the hotel lobby, where they brief you on the itinerary and explain how guides will meet you in each subsequent city. An orientation walk follows, introducing you to the immediate neighborhood on foot.

The day combines Beijing's largest public monuments with its smallest street-scale neighborhoods. You begin at Tiananmen Square, one of the world's largest public squares, passing the Monument of the People's Heroes and the Great Hall of the People. From there, enter the Forbidden City, the ceremonial and political center of the Chinese government for more than 500 years — a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to the world's most extensive collection of preserved ancient wooden structures. Subway travel connects these major sites. Lunch features authentic local dumplings at a neighborhood restaurant. The afternoon is spent walking through the Hutongs, the alleyways formed by lines of traditional courtyard residences, where you observe local daily life and commerce.

Today is yours to visit Beijing at your own pace. Consider a visit to the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall, or spend time at the Summer Palace. Alternatively, visit the city's famous markets. Breakfast is included; you'll stay another night at the Campanile Hotel Guanganmen or similar.

A high-speed train departs Beijing for Luoyang, a 4-hour journey. Upon arrival, a transfer takes you to your hotel. The afternoon is free. An optional evening excursion visits the Longmen Grottoes, a complex of Buddhist cave temples carved into limestone cliffs along the Yi River.

The day focuses on Shaolin Monastery, the historical center of kung fu practice. You move through the Hall of Heavenly Kings, the Pagoda Forest (a cemetery of Buddhist memorial stupas), and the Dharma Cave, where the Buddhist patriarch Bodhidharma is said to have meditated. A live kung fu performance demonstrates the discipline and physical precision of the martial tradition. Afterward, you visit a Shaolin kung fu school where students, many of them children, train in fundamental techniques.

A 1.5-hour high-speed train journey delivers you to Xi'an. Upon arrival, your local guide meets you for transfer to the hotel. After settling in, an orientation tour visits the Muslim Quarter, where the Hui Muslim community has lived for centuries. Walk through narrow streets lined with small shops, halal butchers, sesame-oil factories, modest mosques, and market stalls—the quarter's character shaped by centuries of trade and tradition. The afternoon is yours to wander independently. Consider visiting the Bell and Drum Towers, historic structures that once marked the city's center. The Great Mosque, tucked within the quarter itself, offers quiet courtyards and geometric tilework. Alternatively, head to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, a seven-story Buddhist structure anchoring the DaTang Pedestrian Street—a recreation of Tang Dynasty (618–907) design that blends shopping, dining, and entertainment. If timing aligns, catch the musical fountain show at the pagoda's north square. No meals are included today; the Muslim Quarter and DaTang area both offer abundant dining options.

The morning focuses on the Terracotta Warriors, an archaeological site discovered in 1976 when farmers digging a well uncovered clay figures buried for over 2,000 years. Three main pits are open for viewing, displaying just under 2,000 of the total 6,000 warriors. Each figure is individually sculpted, with distinct costume, height, and facial expression, arranged in battle formation. After walking among the pits and learning the site's history, you return to central Xi'an for lunch in a local village. The afternoon is free; optional activity includes a bicycle ride along the Ming Dynasty City Walls.

A 4-hour high-speed train carries you to Chengdu. After checking into your hotel, a guided walking tour moves through Kuanzhai Alley, a street marking the historical boundary of old Chengdu. Here, you observe the local leisure lifestyle—residents sitting in tea houses, conversing, and moving through narrow passages at a relaxed pace.

A morning visit to the Giant Panda Breeding Center places you among breeding colonies where conservation efforts for this endangered species occur. Pandas are observed at close range—eating bamboo, napping, climbing. The afternoon is free. Optional activities include a Sichuan cooking class (where you prepare the region's spiced cuisine) or attendance at a traditional Sichuan opera performance in a local theater.

Today is yours to shape. Many travellers opt for a morning excursion to Leshan, where the Great Buddha sits carved into the cliffs of Mt. Lingyun at the confluence of three rivers—the Min, Qingyi, and Dadu. En route, you can visit a tea plantation to learn the craft of local Chinese tea production. Back in Chengdu, the evening opens to possibility: seek out the city's famous Sichuan hot pot, with its numbing spices and communal rhythm, or venture into a karaoke night. Some do both. No meals are included today, leaving you free to eat where curiosity leads.

This morning you'll depart Chengdu aboard a bullet train bound for Guilin. From there, a 2-hour drive carries you south into Yangshuo, a rural resort town within a limestone karst landscape. After settling into your accommodation at Riverside Garden Hotel or similar, you'll meet your local guide for an orientation walk through town, beginning to understand the geography and character of this region.

After breakfast, bicycles carry you out of town into the surrounding rural landscape, moving through farmland and between the limestone peaks for which the region is known. The route includes Moon Hill, one of Yangshuo's most recognizable landmarks, accessible by bicycle and identifiable by its crescent-moon-shaped natural arch. A steep climbing path ascends to the summit for extended views of the surrounding countryside. The afternoon returns you to town, with the evening free to visit markets or rest.

The day remains unscheduled. Optional activities include a morning tai chi session with a local teacher, a cooking class centered on regional dishes, or a visit to a farmers' market to observe daily local commerce and seasonal produce. Yangshuo is also known for rock climbing and caving; your guide can organize arrangements for either activity if desired.

The morning and afternoon are free in Yangshuo until a transfer takes you to Guilin train station for the final fast train to Hong Kong, where the tour concludes.