Ancient and Modern Splendor | 8-Day 7-Night Group Tour of Shanghai + Xi'an + Beijing

Welcome to Shanghai, the "Magic City." Our driver will meet you at the airport or train station 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. Suggested ways to arrive 1. By plane: Shanghai has two airports - Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) and Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport (SHA), with many direct domestic routes, such as Beijing, Xi'an, Chengdu, Kunming, Harbin, Hong Kong, etc., as well as direct international routes, such as Malaysia, Singapore, Los Angeles, Japan, etc., making transportation very convenient. 2. By train: Shanghai has a total of 5 railway stations. You can take the high-speed rail to Shanghai from places such as Beijing (4.5-6 hours), Xi'an (6-7.5 hours), Huangshan (2.5-3 hours), Guangzhou (7-8.5 hours), Suzhou (0.5 hours), Hangzhou (about 45 minutes), and Wuhan (3.5-4.5 hours).

After breakfast, you will head to the Lujiazui commercial district in Pudong, Shanghai, to visit the tallest building in Shanghai and 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 ground, where you can enjoy a magnificent 360° panoramic view of Shanghai's skyline and the city, looking down on the famous buildings around. 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. Afterwards, visit the [Shanghai Museum East], admire various exquisite precious artifacts, and gain a deeper understanding of China's long and profound history and culture. The Shanghai Museum East has a large number of artifacts on display, and especially worth seeing are its famous treasures: • Da Ke Ding: This bronze vessel from about 3,000 years ago has a majestic and solemn 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 is not only a physical standard of weights and measures of the Qin Dynasty, but also carries the ultimate code of the rise of the Qin 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°, endlessly fascinating, and it also showcases the superb craftsmanship of the ancients. Afterwards, head to [Yu Garden], known as the "crown of famous gardens in the southeast," to enjoy the scenery of classical Jiangnan gardens in China. Yu Garden was first built in the 38th year of the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty (1559 AD), with 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 the winding paths of Yu Garden, 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. Afterwards, 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 of 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 World Architecture." It brings together 52 exotic buildings of different styles, such as the Shanghai Club, Peace Hotel, HSBC Building, and others. Stepping into it feels like entering the golden age of the former Oriental Wall Street. Standing by the river, you can also look 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, and the visit will be changed to Shanghai City God Temple; 2) Shanghai Museum East is closed on Tuesdays, and priority will be given to arranging the People's Square branch. If the People's Square branch cannot be booked, other downtown attractions will be arranged as a replacement.

Today our driver will transfer you to Shanghai Airport for your flight to Xi'an. Upon arrival in Xi'an, our driver will meet you at the airport exit and escort you to your hotel in downtown Xi'an for check-in. You can arrange the rest of the time freely. 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 area.

After breakfast, you will drive about 40 kilometers (1 hour) to visit the Terracotta Army, one of the "Eighth Wonders of the World." The 【Terracotta Army Museum】 is a site museum built on the original site of the Terracotta pits and is also China's largest ancient military museum. With the vivid commentary of a professional guide, you will visit Pits No. 1, 2, and 3 in sequence, learning about the historical background of the Terracotta Army, its production techniques, and the little-known stories behind these thousand-year-old clay figures buried in the long river of history. In the afternoon, visit the historic Xi'an Ancient City Wall. The 【Xi'an Ancient 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 existing in China. You can climb onto the wall and walk on the historic blue bricks to feel its charm, or ride a bicycle to enjoy the superb scenery formed by the ancient city wall and the modern cityscape together. In addition, near the Xi'an Ancient City Wall, you can also visit the amazing Bell Tower and Drum Tower. The Bell Tower and Drum Tower were first built during the Hongwu period of the Ming Dynasty, about 600 years ago. The two buildings echo each other from afar and are magnificent. When night falls, the lights of the Bell Tower and Drum Tower come on together, creating a spectacular scene.

After breakfast, you will visit Xi'an's famous cultural landmark — the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda. [Giant Wild Goose Pagoda] is located inside 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 and that are collected in the pagoda, and also climb this thousand-year-old pagoda to look out over the city scenery of Xi'an. Afterwards, you will head to Xi'an's famous food and culture street — [Muslim Quarter], to experience the local living atmosphere while tasting local specialty snacks. After the visit, 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 it is still early, 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. Afterward, cross the square to visit the Palace Museum. [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. Afterward, you can also visit the nearby [Jingshan Park] (about a 15-minute walk) to overlook the panoramic view of the Forbidden City and the magnificent scenery of Beijing. In the afternoon, you will drive to visit the famous royal garden, the Summer Palace. [The Summer Palace] is the largest and best-preserved royal garden in China and one of China's four great gardens. It is known as the Royal Garden Museum, with beautiful scenery, and its pavilions, towers, lakes, and bridges are a feast for the eyes. Tip: The Forbidden City in Beijing is closed on Mondays, and the visiting order will be adjusted according to the actual situation.

After breakfast, you will drive 73 kilometers (about 1.5-2 hours) to visit the Mutianyu Great Wall, part of the Great Wall, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. 【Mutianyu Great Wall】 is the longest and best-restored section of the Chinese Great Wall, and has the reputation of being "the most outstanding section of the Great Wall." You can first take the cable car to Tower 14, then hike westward, enjoying the magnificent mountain scenery and the winding, majestic views of the Great Wall along the way, and finally reach the highest point at Tower 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 the hotel and have a good rest.

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, etc., you can also contact our customer service to arrange it for you. We look forward to welcoming you again someday in the future.