Explore China | 13-Day 12-Night Chengdu + Guilin + Shanghai + Xi'an + Beijing Tour

Welcome to Chengdu, the hometown of giant pandas. Our driver will meet you at the airport/railway station exit and take you to a hotel in downtown Chengdu for check-in and rest. After that, you can arrange your time freely. You can rest at the hotel to relieve jet lag, or take a stroll nearby. Suggestions for free time: Friends arriving in Chengdu in the morning can visit Chengdu's fashion center [Chunxi Road] and the thousand-year-old temple [Daci Temple], and check in at the Chinese-Western-style [Taikoo Li] and the [IFS climbing panda]. Friends arriving in Chengdu in the afternoon can go to [Wenshu Monastery] and [Kuanzhai Alley] to experience the most leisurely and comfortable slow life of Chengdu, or check in at the [Little Bar] from Zhao Lei's song "Chengdu". Suggested ways to arrive 1. By plane: Beijing has two airports in total, namely Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport and Chengdu Tianfu International Airport. Both airports have many international and domestic routes. You can fly to Chengdu from countries such as Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, and Cambodia, and also from most cities in China, such as Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Xi'an, Guilin, Kunming, Lhasa, and Xiamen. 2. By train: Chengdu's rail transit is extremely developed. You can take high-speed trains to Beijing from cities such as Xi'an, Chongqing, Guiyang, Kunming, and Shanghai.

After breakfast, you will drive about 17 kilometers to visit the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in the northern suburbs of Chengdu, to see China's adorable national treasure, the giant panda, and learn about their living habits and conservation status. [Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding], referred to as Chengdu Panda Base, keeps more than 100 giant pandas and is the base with the largest number of captive giant pandas in the world. Here, you can see giant pandas of different ages playing, eating, climbing hills, climbing trees, sleeping, and other cute and interesting scenes in the park. You can also follow your guide to visit the Panda Museum to learn more stories about pandas. In addition, if you come in autumn, you may also have the chance to see adorable giant panda cubs at the Moon Nursery and Sun Nursery. In the afternoon, you will drive about 50 kilometers (1 hour) to visit the Sanxingdui Museum, known as "sleeping for three thousand years, awakening to astonish the world." [Sanxingdui] was unearthed in 1929 and is the largest, longest-lasting, and culturally richest ancient state site discovered so far in southwestern China. Here, you will see the majestic bronze standing figure, the exquisitely beautiful bronze sacred tree, the paper-thin gold mask, the intricately decorated gold staff... and follow your guide's footsteps through the dust of history to explore the ancient Shu civilization and unlock the mysterious stories behind these cultural relics. After the visit, return to downtown Chengdu and stroll through Jinli Ancient Street. [Jinli] is Chengdu's oldest and liveliest bustling commercial district, with a long history dating back as early as the Qin and Han dynasties. Here, you can explore and taste traditional Chengdu snacks, watch interesting folk performances, and admire the beauty of traditional Chinese ancient architecture. Plan B: Chengdu Panda Base + Chengdu Museum + Kuanzhai Alley + People's Park Note: During peak season, the Sanxingdui Museum has a very large flow of visitors during holidays, and tickets are hard to get. If tickets are sold out, your itinerary will be adjusted to Plan B, a downtown Chengdu tour. The itinerary changes are as follows: In the afternoon, you will visit [Chengdu Museum], the largest comprehensive city museum in southwestern China. This is an excellent place to learn about Chengdu's history, culture, and art. The museum has a rich collection of more than 200,000 items, covering precious cultural relics from the Neolithic Age to the Republic of China period, such as bronzes, gold and silver wares, pictorial bricks, stone carvings, ceramics, calligraphy and paintings, and furniture. Among them, the humorous Eastern Han drumming and singing pottery figurine, the mysterious Sanxingdui bronze human-face mask, the exquisite lacquered figure with meridian points, and the delicate openwork gilt sachet are the museum's treasures and are worth careful appreciation. In addition, the intangible cultural heritage of China in Chengdu Museum, such as shadow puppetry, puppet shows, Sichuan opera, Sichuan cuisine, and teahouse culture, is very amazing, allowing you to experience up close the charm of Chengdu's splendid history and culture and unique folk customs. Afterward, you will visit [Kuanzhai Alley], praised as one of the "Ten Most Beautiful Streets in Sichuan." This is the only remaining ancient street from the Qing Dynasty in Chengdu, preserving the authentic old Chengdu style. It is a great place to experience the authentic leisurely and slow life of Chengdu. Strolling leisurely through it, you can admire exquisite ancient architecture, taste authentic old Chengdu food (dan dan noodles, spicy rabbit head, skewers, etc.), and take excellent travel photos. Next, continue to [People's Park], praised as one of the "Most Beautiful Parks in Chengdu," to experience Chengdu culture up close and the slow-paced life of local people. Here, in a century-old teahouse, you can order a cup of fragrant covered-bowl tea, sit on bamboo chairs with a few friends and chat leisurely, experience intangible cultural heritage ear cleaning (at your own expense), and enjoy the tingling "little comfort" that rushes straight to your head, or watch the exciting local mahjong activities and visit the famous matchmaking corner. If you are lucky, you may also encounter locals dancing square dances, practicing tai chi, or playing traditional Chinese musical instruments.

This morning, after breakfast at the hotel, our driver will take you to the train station in advance according to your ticket time to catch a high-speed train to Guilin (about 5 to 6 hours). Welcome to Guilin. Our driver will greet you at the exit of the train station and take you on the rest of your itinerary. First, you will visit Guilin's iconic attraction—Elephant Trunk Hill. Located at the confluence of the Li River and the Peach Blossom River, Elephant Trunk Hill is named for its shape, which resembles a giant elephant drinking water in the river. Afterwards, you will visit Reed Flute Cave, known as "the art palace of nature." Reed Flute Cave is one of China's most famous tourist caves. Inside the karst cave, large numbers of stalagmites, stalactites, stone pillars, stone curtains, and stone flowers are brilliantly illuminated under colorful lights, dazzling and dreamlike. Following the guide's commentary, you can learn about the formation process of stalactites and old stories from the past.

After breakfast, depart from the hotel and drive to the pier (about 1 hour), then take a Li River cruise to enjoy the most beautiful section of the Li River: the Guilin to Yangshuo stretch, about 84 kilometers in total, taking about 4 hours. People often say, "Guilin's scenery is the best under heaven, and Yangshuo's scenery is the best in Guilin." On this cruise, you can personally experience Guilin's picturesque, fairyland-like landscape, learn the legendary stories behind sights such as Waiting-for-Husband Rock and Crown Cave, and enjoy the wonderful experience of traveling within a painting. (Lunch upgrade: We have specially prepared a customized Western lunch for you, and the guide will bring the freshly cooked meal to you in the morning to enjoy on board.) After arriving in Yangshuo, the driver will pick you up from the pier and take you to the hotel to rest for a while, after which you can head out to explore Yangshuo and admire Guilin's most outstanding pastoral landscape. You can choose from the following ways to explore: (1) driving plus walking; (2) cycling; (3) riding a motorcycle (an extra fee may apply). Whichever way you choose, you can travel along country roads and enjoy the beautiful scenery along the way, including karst mountains, rice paddies, villages, and rivers, and you may also see scenes of life such as people working in the fields, children playing by the river, and cattle grazing in the fields. In the evening, head out to explore Yangshuo's busiest district, West Street, a street that perfectly combines Eastern and Western elements and is also the best place to experience Yangshuo's nightlife. Whether you want to taste some local food or find a small shop to order a drink, relax, and enjoy some rare leisure time, this place can meet your needs.

This morning, after enjoying breakfast at the hotel, our driver will take you to the airport in advance according to your flight time, where you will board a flight to Shanghai. Welcome to Shanghai! Our driver will greet you at the airport exit and escort you to your hotel in downtown Shanghai for check-in. You are free to arrange the rest of your time as you wish. If you are tired, you can rest at the hotel to recharge; if it is still early, you can also take a stroll around the neighborhood.

Today you are free to arrange your own itinerary. After a good rest at the hotel, you may head out to explore Shanghai, China's most international and vibrant metropolis. You can stroll through the plane-tree-shaded lanes of the former French Concession, recalling stories of days gone by, or happen upon old villas, cafés, and former residences of literary figures, enjoying a leisurely journey. You may also explore Tianzifang, Shanghai's most culturally rich creative district, to learn about the city's most authentic longtang culture, admire a rich variety of artworks in different styles, and experience the charm of traditional Shanghai culture interwoven with modern art...

After breakfast, you will head to the Lujiazui business district in Pudong, Shanghai, to visit the tallest building in Shanghai and even in China, [Shanghai Tower]. Here, you will take the world's fastest sightseeing elevator (73.8 km/h) directly to the "Top of Shanghai Observatory" on the 118th floor, 546 meters above the ground, and enjoy a 360° unobstructed view of Shanghai's magnificent skyline and panoramic city views, looking down on the famous buildings around you. If you are interested, you can also send a special blessing from above the clouds to family and friends at the Top of Shanghai Air Post Office, currently the highest post office in the world. Afterward, head to visit the [Shanghai Museum East], admire a variety of exquisite precious cultural relics, and gain a deeper understanding of China's long and profound history and culture. The Shanghai Museum East has many cultural relics on display, and especially worth seeing are its famous treasures: • Da Ke Ding: This bronze vessel from about 3,000 years ago is majestic and solemn in appearance and is an outstanding representative of China's Western Zhou bronze culture. • Shang Yang Fang Sheng: As a relic of Shang Yang's reforms, it was not only a physical standard for weights and measures in the Qin Dynasty, but also carries the ultimate code of the rise of Great Qin's economy. • Zi Zhong Jiang Pan: On this bronze water basin vessel from the Spring and Autumn period, more than 30 lifelike aquatic animals are carved. When clear water flows into the basin, these animals all rotate 360°, offering endless fun and showcasing the superb craftsmanship of the ancients. After that, head to [Yu Garden], known as the "best garden in the southeast," to enjoy the scenery of a classical Jiangnan garden in China. Yu Garden was first built in the 38th year of the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty (1559 AD) and has a history of more than 460 years. It was originally a private garden built by Pan Yunduan, the Ming Dynasty provincial administration commissioner of Sichuan, for his father to spend his later years in comfort. Strolling along Yu Garden's winding paths, you can admire China's ingenious garden layout, exquisite classical architecture, and superb brick carvings, stone carvings, clay sculptures, and wood carvings. The Yuyuan Bazaar near Yu Garden is a very lively district where you can taste the most authentic Shanghai cuisine or browse various traditional Chinese handicraft shops. Afterward, you can walk along [Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street], known as "China's No. 1 Commercial Street," to the Bund, about 2 kilometers in total. Along the way, you can appreciate Shanghai's architectural style from the 1930s and 1940s and also browse various century-old brand stores. [The Bund] is located on the west bank of the Huangpu River and is one of Shanghai's landmark attractions, known as the "Exhibition of Ten Thousand Nationalities' Architecture." It brings together 52 exotic buildings of different styles, such as the Shanghai Club, the Peace Hotel, and HSBC, and stepping into it feels like entering the golden age of the former Wall Street of the East. Standing by the river, you can also gaze into the distance at landmark buildings such as Shanghai Tower, Oriental Pearl Tower, Jin Mao Tower, and Shanghai World Financial Center. Tips: 1) Yu Garden is closed on Mondays, so the visit will be changed to Shanghai City God Temple; 2) Shanghai Museum East is closed on Tuesdays, so we will first try to arrange the People's Square branch, and if the People's Square branch cannot be booked, we will coordinate an alternative downtown attraction.

Today our driver will take you to Shanghai Airport to board a flight to Xi'an. Upon arrival in Xi'an, our driver will greet you at the airport/train station exit and escort you to your hotel in downtown Xi'an for check-in. You are free to arrange the rest of your time as you wish. If you are tired, you can rest at the hotel to recharge; if it is still early, you can also take a stroll around the neighborhood.

After breakfast, you will drive about 40 km (1 hour) to visit the Terracotta Army, one of the "Eighth Wonders of the World." The 【Museum of the Terracotta Army】 is a site museum built on the original pits and is China's largest ancient military museum. With your professional guide's vivid commentary, you will tour Pits No. 1, 2, and 3 in turn, learning about the historical background and craftsmanship of the Terracotta Army, as well as the little-known stories behind these thousand-year-old clay figures buried in the river of history. In the afternoon, visit the time-honored Xi'an City Wall. 【Xi'an City Wall】 was first built in the Ming Dynasty, also known as the Xi'an Ming City Wall, and is one of the largest and best-preserved ancient city walls in China. You can climb onto the wall and walk along its historic bricks to feel its charm, or cycle along it and enjoy the superb scenery formed by the ancient wall and the modern city. In addition, near Xi'an City Wall, you can also visit the stunning Bell Tower and Drum Tower. Built during the Hongwu period of the Ming Dynasty, they date back about 600 years. The two structures echo each other majestically, and when night falls, the lights of the Bell Tower and Drum Tower come on together, creating a spectacular sight.

After breakfast, you will head to visit Xi'an's famous cultural landmark, the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. [Big Wild Goose Pagoda] is located within Daci'en Temple and is the earliest existing and largest Tang Dynasty square pavilion-style brick pagoda, with a body of 7 stories and a height of about 64 meters. Here you can admire the ancient architectural style, view the scriptures and Buddha statues that Master Xuanzang brought back from Tianzhu housed in the pagoda, and also climb this thousand-year-old pagoda to look out over the city scenery of Xi'an. Afterward, you will head to Xi'an's famous food and culture street, [Muslim Quarter], to experience the local atmosphere while tasting local specialty foods and snacks. After the tour, our driver will take you to Xi'an Railway Station to take a high-speed train to Beijing. After arriving in Beijing, our driver will greet you at the railway station exit and take you to a downtown Beijing hotel to check in. You can arrange the remaining time freely. If you are tired, you can rest at the hotel and recharge; if there is still time, you can also take a stroll nearby.

After breakfast, you will visit the world-renowned Tiananmen Square. 【Tiananmen Square】is located on Beijing's central axis and is the largest city-center square in the world. It holds an important place in Chinese history and has witnessed countless major historical events. Here you can view the majestic Tiananmen Gate Tower and learn about China's long-standing culture. Afterwards, cross the square to visit the Palace Museum in Beijing. 【The Forbidden City】, also known as the Purple Forbidden City, is located at the center of Beijing's central axis. It was the imperial palace of the Ming and Qing dynasties and is the world's largest and best-preserved complex of wooden palace structures. Here you can visit the important halls along the central axis in sequence, admiring the splendid and exquisite ancient palace architecture while following your guide's commentary to learn more about the historical stories of the Forbidden City. Afterwards, you can also visit the nearby 【Jingshan Park】 (about a 15-minute walk) to enjoy a panoramic view of the Forbidden City and the magnificent scenery of Beijing. In the afternoon, you will take a car to visit the famous royal garden - the Summer Palace. 【The Summer Palace】is the largest and best-preserved imperial garden existing in China, and one of China's four great gardens. It is known as the Royal Garden Museum, with beautiful scenery inside, and its pavilions, towers, lakes, bridges and other views are a feast for the eyes. Tip: The Palace Museum in Beijing is closed on Mondays, and the visiting order will be adjusted according to the actual situation.

After breakfast, you will drive 73 km (about 1.5–2 hours) to visit the Mutianyu Great Wall, part of the Great Wall of China, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. 【Mutianyu Great Wall】 is the longest and best-restored section of the Great Wall, and enjoys the reputation of being "the most outstanding section of the Great Wall." You can first take the cable car up to Watchtower No. 14, then hike westward, enjoying the magnificent mountain scenery and the winding, majestic views of the Great Wall along the way, before reaching the highest point at Watchtower No. 20 to complete your Great Wall journey. After touring the Great Wall, return to downtown Beijing and, along the way, view the exteriors of the 【Bird's Nest】 (Beijing National Stadium) and the 【Water Cube】 (Beijing National Aquatics Center) and take photos with them. Then return to your hotel and rest well.

After breakfast, we will conclude this wonderful journey. Our driver will take you to the airport or railway station for your next destination. If you would like to extend this trip and explore more destinations in China, such as Chengdu, Tibet, Yunnan, Zhangjiajie, Harbin, and more, you can also contact our customer service to arrange it for you. We look forward to welcoming you again someday in the future.