Best of China

Itinerary

• Day 1: Arrival, Beijing

  Welcome to Beijing! On arrival, you will be greeted by your tour guide outside the arrival hall and then transferred to the hotel downtown. Your guide will help you check into the hotel and tell you the departure time of the next morning. The rest of the day is yours to relax and recover from jetlag.

  Beijing

• Day 2: Beijing City Tour with the Forbidden City

  Meet your guide at the hotel lobby in the morning and start the tour today from Tiananmen Square, one of the largest and most visited public squares in the world, with a capacity of around 600,000 people. Followed by it is the Forbidden City, the home of Ming and Qing emperors for centuries and now houses China's most famous museum - the Palace Museum which boasts some of the most valuable exhibits in Chinese history. Continue the tour in the afternoon to the Temple of Heaven, where the emperors in ancient times prayed for a good harvest each year.

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• Day 3: China Great Wall in Beijing

  Drive about two hours to the awe-inspiring Great Wall at Mutianyu. This less-crowded part of the Wall stretches 1.4 miles, with 22 blockhouses and watchtowers which offer splendid views of the meandering Great Wall and the surrounding mountains. A round-trip cable car up and down the Great Wall is available and you can do some moderate hikes on the Wall.

  Enjoy lunch near the Mutianyu Great Wall area and then head to the Sacred Road, which was considered to be the road leading to heaven by emperors, and nowadays the highlights are huge Memorial Stone Arch guarding its entrance and 18 pairs of vivid marble figures standing alongside.

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• Day 4: Summer Palace Beijing and a bullet train to Xi'an

  This morning have a leisure walk around the Summer Palace, an escape for emperors to cool off in hot months. You can appreciate its beautiful gardens inside, and enjoy a boat riding on Kunming Lake if weather permits.

  After the tour in Beijing today you will be transferred to the railway station for a high-speed train to Xi'an.

  Arrival after around 5 hours, you will be welcomed and transferred to the hotel by the local guide.

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• Day 5: Terracotta Warriors in Xi'an

  The highlight today is the world-renowned Terracotta Warriors. Enough time is left for you to marvel at the grand array with thousands of lifelike clay soldiers, horses and chariots in life-size. Your exploration continues with a visit to the Great Mosque, one of the largest Islamic mosques in China. Then head to Muslim Quarter, bustling with authentic delicacies, try and savor the food of every flavor there.

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• Day 6: Xi'an Ancient City Wall and bullet train to Chengdu

  Climb up to the Ancient City Wall, also known as the Fortifications of Xi'an and one of the largest and best-preserved city walls in China. Continue the tour to take a Chinese calligraphy class at the Small Wild Goose Pagoda, one of the two significant pagodas in the city, dating back to the Tang Dynasty about 1,300 years ago.

  Transfer to the railway station and then head to Chengdu by 4 hours' high-speed train. Upon arrival, your local guide and driver will meet and escort you to the hotel.

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• Day 7: Chengdu Tour with Pandas

  Arrive at Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding before 8:30 am when it is the most vigorous time of the panda and you can also see how they enjoy their breakfast. After the enjoyable time with pandas, proceed to Wenshu Temple to taste the slow-paced life of Chengdu, sitting in its tea house and enjoying a cup of traditional Chinese tea. End the day with a quick glimpse of Jinli Old Street before being sent back to your hotel.

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• Day 8: Chengdu to Shanghai by flight

  Free time until be transferred to the airport for flight to Shanghai - the most modern metropolis of China. Upon arrival, the local tour guide will welcome you and take you to the hotel near downtown.

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• Day 9: Highlights in Shanghai

  Explore the city from Shanghai Museum that houses an incredible collection of ancient Chinese artifacts. Then step back to the Ming dynasty with a walk through the Yu Garden, an artistically designed garden built in the 16th century. Afterwards, tour the Former French Concession, now a popular spot for shopping and dining, and you can have a leisure walk through its tree-lined avenues. Continue to the Bund, where you can find the hints of old Shanghai glamour in the 1920s. End today's tour at the Shanghai Tower which has the highest observation deck in China and offers amazing views of the Huangpu River.

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• Day 10: Shanghai Departure

  Free time until be collected by your guide and driver and transferred to the airport for your flight home.

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