Best of China
Beijing, Xi’an, Guilin, Yangshou, Shanghai
11 days / 10 nights
This tour combines the historic sites of Beijing, Xi’an and shanghai with the real beauty of Guilin and the Li River.
Day 1 Arrive Beijing, China’s capital city and one of the most heavily populated city in the world.
Day 2 In the heart of the city is Tian An Men Square, walk to the Imperial Palace in the Forbidden City, home to China’s emperors for more than 500 years. Visit the Summer Palace with its exquisite gardens and perfect views.
Day 3 Visit the Temple of Heaven built for the worship of heaven. Continue to the Great Wall which like a gigantic dragon winds up and down across deserts, grasslands, mountains and plateaus, stretching approximately 5,500 miles from east to west of China. On the way back view Bird’s Nest and water Cube.
Day 4 Explore Beijing’s Old Living Quarter, the Hutongs, climb up the old Drum Tower for a bird-eye view of Old Beijing. Fly to Xi’an.
Day 5 The Terra Cotta Warriors are Xian’s greatest and most important attraction. The first emperor of the Qin Dynasty ordered the making of the warriors. The estimated 8,000 terra cotta soldiers are a testament to his power and megalomania. Explore Xian City Wall. After a dumpling dinner stroll around the Muslim Quarter.
Day 6 Visit the Shaanxi History Museum, which houses a collection of over 300,000 precious artifacts showing the development of civilization in this region, and the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. Fly to Guilin.
Day 7 A day excursion to Longsheng Rice Terraces. Today you will have a closer look at the life of the native people who live in this mountainous area. Longji is the home to thousands of Zhuang and Yao ethnic minority people. There are about 1000 people in the village; almost all of them are Zhuang ethnic minorities.
Day 8 Enjoy a Li River cruise. The most beautiful scenery in Guilin is found along the Li River, with verdant mountains, fragrant waters, mysterious grottoes and exquisite rocks. Along the river, there are deep pools, dangerous shoals, murmuring springs, and roaring waterfalls. The 83-km-long waterway, from Guilin to Yangshou, is the masterpiece of the Li River, decorated with rolling hills, steep cliffs, fantastic caves, leisurely boats and lined bamboos. After disembarkation in Yangshuo, walk through Xi Street and in the afternoon you can enjoy biking in the countryside.
Day 9 Visit Silver Cave, the largest cave in Guilin, a splendid limestone cave that runs through 12 mountains. Return to Guilin. Fly to Shanghai.
Day 10 Shanghai Museum is a large museum of ancient Chinese art. Enjoy lunch in Xin Tian Di, a neighborhood of old Shikumen (a type of tenement found only in Shanghai). Visit the Old Town Bazaar, the Bund, the busiest shopping area in Shanghai, the famous waterfront and a symbol of Shanghai.
Day 11: Travel by train to Suzhou to visit the Humble Administrator’s Garden, amongst the best of Suzhou’s classic gardens. Enjoy a boat ride on the small canals. The Garden of the Master of Nets is the smallest among the four most famous classic gardens in Suzhou, yet the finest. Return to Shanghai.
Day12: Depart Shanghai.