Famous Mountains & Cities | 11 Days 10 Nights Pure-Play Small Group Tour of Shanghai + Huangshan + Xi'an + Beijing

Welcome to Shanghai, the "Magic City." Our driver will greet you at the airport/train station exit and escort you to your hotel in downtown Shanghai for check-in. You are free to arrange the rest of the 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 numerous 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 5 train stations in total. You can take the high-speed rail to Shanghai from 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), Wuhan (3.5-4.5 hours), and other places.

After breakfast, you will head to the Lujiazui business 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 the ground, where you can enjoy a magnificent 360° panoramic view of Shanghai's skyline and the city, looking down on the famous buildings around you. If you are interested, you can also send a special blessing from above the clouds to your family and friends at the Top of Shanghai Air Post Office, currently the highest post office in the world. Afterwards, you will visit the [Shanghai Museum East], to admire a variety of 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 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 is not only a physical standard of weights and measures from the Qin Dynasty, but also carries the ultimate code of the rise of the Qin economy. • Zi Zhong Jiang Pan: This bronze water basin from the Spring and Autumn period is carved with more than 30 lifelike aquatic animals. When clear water flows into the basin, these animals all rotate 360°, endlessly fascinating, and it further demonstrates the superb craftsmanship of the ancients. Afterwards, you will head to [Yu Garden], known as the "Crown of Famous Gardens in the Southeast", to enjoy the scenery of China's classical Jiangnan gardens. 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 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 take in Shanghai's architectural style of the 1930s and 1940s, and also browse various century-old time-honored 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 foreign-style 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 look out 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 will be replaced by a visit to Shanghai City God Temple; 2) Shanghai Museum East is closed on Tuesdays, and we will first try to arrange the People's Square branch. If the People's Square branch cannot be booked, other downtown attractions will be arranged as a replacement.

After breakfast, you will have some free time in Shanghai until the driver takes you to the train station to catch the high-speed train to Huangshan. Upon arrival in Huangshan City, our driver will meet you at the train station exit and take you to your downtown hotel for check-in. After that, you can arrange your time freely.

After breakfast, drive about 80 kilometers (about 1.5 hours) to visit Huangshan, known as the "most fantastic mountain under heaven." [Huangshan] is famous worldwide for its oddly shaped pines, grotesque rocks, sea of clouds, hot springs, and winter snow, and is even praised with the saying, "Having returned from the Five Great Mountains, no other mountains are worth seeing; having returned from Huangshan, no other mountains are worth seeing." Its gorgeous, majestic, and ever-changing scenery can be called the essence of the Five Great Mountains, and it holds the most exalted position among China's famous mountains. After arriving at the foot of Huangshan, transfer to the scenic shuttle bus to Yungu Temple and take the cable car to the Beihai Scenic Area to enjoy the majestic mountains, strange pines, and magnificent mountain scenery. First, walk to Shixin Peak (1,683 m above sea level) to experience Huangshan's steepness and admire many famous Huangshan pines, such as the Harp Pine, Black Tiger Pine, Interlocking Pine, and Dragon Claw Pine. Then hike for about 40 minutes to Paiyun Pavilion to enjoy the beautiful scenery of Huangshan's West Sea Scenic Area. Looking out, you will see peaks like a forest of arrows, layer upon layer. Whenever mist and clouds linger, they appear and disappear, much like countless islands in the sea. Next, visit the Flying Stone, one of Huangshan's famous landmark sights. The Flying Stone is about 12 meters high and weighs 600 tons. Although its base has very little contact with the ground and it looks precarious, it has always stood firm, which is truly amazing. After the visit, walk to Huangshan's second-highest peak, Bright Summit, where the view is open and the light is abundant, allowing you to overlook the magnificent surrounding peaks. After sightseeing, take the cable car down the mountain and return to your hotel in Huangshan city for rest.

After breakfast, you will visit Hongcun, known as the village in a Chinese painting. [Hongcun] was built during the Shaoxi reign of the Southern Song Dynasty, with a long history of about 900 years. It is an ancient village featuring Huizhou-style architecture, and more than 140 well-preserved ancient Ming and Qing residences remain in the village. Its lake and mountain scenery coexist harmoniously with layered buildings and courtyards, and its natural landscape and cultural connotations complement each other, making it a wonder of world historical and cultural heritage. Here, you can stroll along the village paths and visit attractions such as South Lake, Nanhu Academy, Moon Pond, and Chengzhi Hall, or follow your guide's commentary to learn about Huizhou culture and Huizhou-style architecture. Then, continue to [Xidi Village] near Hongcun. Compared with Hongcun, Xidi has fewer tourists and is quieter, allowing you to experience a more authentic ancient village atmosphere. Xidi has a history of nearly a thousand years, and many buildings from the Ming and Qing dynasties, including ancient residences and ancestral halls, are well preserved in the village. It is one of the main birthplaces of Huizhou culture, known as the "Museum of Ming and Qing Residences", and was once named one of the "Best Tourism Villages" in the world. The Huizhou-style architecture here is very exquisite, with horse-head walls as a major highlight, and it also has many distinctive buildings. Among them, the Hu Wenguang Memorial Archway is one of the landmark buildings of Xidi Village. It is 12.3 meters high and entirely carved from the bluestone unique to Yixian County. It is not only the treasure of Xidi Village, but also a masterpiece of Huizhou-style architectural art. The Hu ancestral hall, where the Hu family of Xidi worshipped their ancestors, is grand and spectacular, with a rigorous and symmetrical layout and exquisite carving techniques. The Jing'ai Hall inside was originally the residence of Shiheng Gong, the 14th-generation ancestor of the Hu family of Xidi, and is now the best place to learn about Xidi's folk culture. As another landmark building of Xidi, Lingyun Pavilion has an overall simple and ancient style and a powerful momentum, with fine carvings and vivid painted decorations inside, making it very worth seeing. Here you can also watch traditional performances such as Huangmei opera, throwing embroidered balls, and tea ceremony. After the visit, return to Huangshan City and head to Tunxi Old Street. [Tunxi Old Street] is the best-preserved ancient commercial street in China with architectural styles from the Southern Song, Ming, and Qing dynasties. Strolling along the flagstone road of the old street, you can admire the traditional ancient Huizhou architectural style, browse the shops with strong local characteristics, and discover authentic local food and snacks.

After breakfast, our driver will take you to the train station to catch the high-speed train to Xi'an. Upon arrival in the ancient capital of Xi'an, our driver will meet you at the train station exit and take you to your hotel in downtown Xi'an for check-in.

After breakfast, you will drive about 40 kilometers (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 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, No. 2, and No. 3 in sequence, learning about the historical background and production techniques of the Terracotta Army, as well as the little-known stories behind these thousand-year-old clay figures buried in the long river of history. In the afternoon, visit the time-honored Xi'an Ancient City Wall. The [Xi'an Ancient City Wall], first built in the Ming Dynasty and also known as the Xi'an Ming City Wall, 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 musical fountain on Bell and Drum Tower Square and the lights of the Bell Tower and Drum Tower light up together, creating a spectacular scene.

After breakfast, you will visit Xi'an's famous cultural landmark — the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. [Big Wild Goose Pagoda] is located inside Daci'en Temple and is the earliest existing and largest square pavilion-style brick pagoda of the Tang Dynasty. The pagoda has 7 stories and is about 64 meters high. Here you can admire the ancient architectural style, view the scriptures and Buddha statues brought back from Tianzhu by Master Xuanzang that are kept 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 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 for check-in. You can arrange the remaining time freely. If you are tired, you can rest at the hotel to recharge. If it is still early, you can also take a walk 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 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 explanations 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 take a car to visit the famous royal garden, the Summer Palace. [The Summer Palace] is the largest and best-preserved royal 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 simply breathtaking. 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 kilometers (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 China's Great Wall, and has the reputation of being "the most outstanding section of the ten-thousand-li Great Wall." You can first take the cable car to Watchtower No. 14, then hike westward, enjoying the magnificent surrounding mountain scenery and the winding, majestic views of the Great Wall along the way, before reaching the highest point, Watchtower No. 20, to complete your Great Wall journey. After touring the Great Wall, return to downtown Beijing and, along the way, view the exterior 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, this wonderful journey will come to an end. 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, Yunnan, Tibet, Xinjiang, 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.