Impression of China | 15-Day 14-Night Panoramic Group Tour of Beijing + Xi'an + Chengdu + Guilin + Chongqing + Yangtze River Cruise + Shanghai

Welcome to Beijing, the capital of China. Our driver will meet you at the airport/train station exit and take you to a downtown Beijing hotel to check in and rest. After that, you can arrange your time freely, either resting at the hotel to ease jet lag or exploring the surrounding area. Suggested ways to arrive 1. By plane: Beijing has two airports, namely Beijing Daxing International Airport and Beijing Capital International Airport. Both airports have numerous international and domestic routes. You can fly to Beijing from countries such as Malaysia, Singapore, the United States, Australia, Canada, Japan, and Cambodia, and also from most cities in China, such as Hong Kong, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Xi'an, Guilin, Hangzhou, Kunming, and Wuhan. 2. By train: Beijing's rail transit is extremely developed. You can take high-speed rail to Beijing from cities such as Xi'an, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Zhengzhou, Wuhan, and Harbin.

After breakfast, you will visit the world-famous Tiananmen Square. The 【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 see the majestic and solemn 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 architecture. Here you can visit the important palaces in sequence along the central axis, admiring the splendid and exquisite ancient palace architecture while following the guide's commentary to further understand the historical stories of the Forbidden City. Afterward, you can also go to 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 a large and well-preserved imperial garden in China, one of China's four great gardens, and is known as the museum of imperial gardens. The scenery in the garden is beautiful, with pavilions, towers, lakes, bridges, and other views too numerous to take in. Tip: The Forbidden City 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, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The 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 Watchtower No. 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, Watchtower No. 20, to complete your Great Wall tour. After visiting the Great Wall, return to downtown Beijing and pass by the exterior of the Bird's Nest (Beijing National Stadium) and the Water Cube (Beijing National Aquatics Center) for photos. Then return to the hotel and have a good rest.

Today our driver will take you to Beijing Railway Station to take the high-speed rail to Xi'an. The journey takes about 4.5~5.5 hours, and along the way you can get an overview of China's towns and mountain scenery. After arriving at Xi'an Railway Station, our driver will meet you at the station exit and take you to begin the subsequent itinerary. First, you will visit Xi'an's famous cultural landmark - the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda. 【Giant Wild Goose Pagoda】is located within Daci'en Temple and is the earliest existing and largest Tang Dynasty square pavilion-style brick pagoda, with seven stories and a height of about 64 meters. Here you can admire the ancient architectural style, view the scriptures and Buddha statues brought back from Tianzhu by Master Xuanzang 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 visit Xi'an's famous food culture street - 【Muslim Quarter】, experiencing the local living atmosphere while tasting local specialty snacks, such as roujiamo, Biangbiang noodles, and more.

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 pits, and it is also China's largest ancient military museum. With the vivid commentary of a professional guide, you will visit Pits 1, 2, and 3 in sequence, learning about the historical background of the Terracotta Army, its craftsmanship, and the little-known stories behind these thousand-year-old clay figures buried in the long river of history. In the afternoon, head to visit the time-honored 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 in China. You can climb onto the wall, walk on the historic blue bricks, and feel the charm of the ancient city wall, 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.

This morning, after breakfast at the hotel, our driver will take you to the railway station in advance according to your ticket time to catch the high-speed train to Chengdu (about 3-4 hours). Welcome to Chengdu. Our driver will greet you at the railway station exit and escort you to a hotel in downtown Chengdu 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 stroll around the neighborhood.

After breakfast, you will take a car for 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, has raised 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, and you can also follow the guide to visit the Panda Museum to learn more stories about pandas. In addition, if you visit in autumn, you may also have the chance to see adorable giant panda cubs in the Moon Nursery and Sun Nursery. In the afternoon, you will take a car for about 50 kilometers (1 hour) to visit the Sanxingdui Museum, known as "sleeping for three thousand years, astonishing the world upon waking." 【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 gold mask as thin as a cicada's wing, the gold staff with intricate patterns..... and follow the guide's pace to travel through the dust of history, explore the ancient Shu civilization, and unlock the mysterious stories behind these artifacts. 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 food and snacks, watch interesting folk performances, and also 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 for sightseeing in downtown Chengdu. The itinerary changes are as follows In the afternoon, you will visit the largest comprehensive city museum in southwestern China - 【Chengdu Museum】. 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, furniture, and more. Among them, the humorous Eastern Han drumming and singing pottery figurine, the mysterious Sanxingdui bronze human-face mask, the exquisite lacquered figure marked with acupuncture points, and the finely crafted openwork gilt sachet are the treasures of the Chengdu Museum and are worth careful appreciation. In addition, the Chinese intangible cultural heritage in the Chengdu Museum, such as shadow puppetry, puppet shows, Sichuan opera, Sichuan cuisine, and teahouse culture, is very stunning, allowing you to experience up close the charm of Chengdu's splendid historical culture and unique folk customs. Afterwards, 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, and is a great place to experience the genuine leisurely and slow life of Chengdu. Strolling leisurely through it, you can admire the exquisite ancient architecture, taste authentic old Chengdu food (dandan noodles, spicy rabbit head, skewers, etc.), and take excellent travel photos. Next, continue to visit 【People's Park】, praised as one of the "Most Beautiful Parks in Chengdu," to experience Chengdu's leisurely culture up close and the slow pace of local life. 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, and also experience intangible cultural heritage ear cleaning (at your own expense), enjoying the "little comfort" of a tingling sensation rushing straight to your head, or watch the local exciting mahjong activities and stroll through 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 railway station in advance according to your ticket time to catch the high-speed train to Guilin (about 5–6 hours). (PS: In some cases, you may fly from Chengdu to Guilin, with a flight time of about 1.5 hours.) Welcome to Guilin. Our driver will meet you at the railway station/airport exit and take you to begin the rest of the itinerary. First, you will visit Guilin's iconic attraction, Elephant Trunk Hill. The 【Elephant Trunk Hill】 is located at the confluence of the Li River and the Peach Blossom River, and is named for its shape, which resembles a giant elephant drinking water in the river. Afterward, head to visit Reed Flute Cave, known as the "Palace of Natural Art." The 【Reed Flute Cave】 is one of China's most famous tourist caves. Inside the karst cave, a large number of stalagmites, stalactites, stone pillars, stone curtains, and stone flowers are brilliantly colorful and dreamlike under colorful lighting. You can follow the guide's commentary to learn about the formation process of stalactites and old stories.

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 of sights such as the Waiting-for-Husband Rock and Crown Cave, and enjoy the wonderful experience of traveling through 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 on board in the early morning.) Upon arrival in Yangshuo, the driver will pick you up from the pier and take you to the hotel to rest for a while. Then you can head out to explore Yangshuo and admire Guilin's most spectacular pastoral scenery. 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 karst mountains, rice paddies, villages, and rivers along the way, and you may also see scenes of 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. This is 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 breakfast at the hotel, our driver will, according to your ticket time, take you to the railway station in advance to take the high-speed rail to Chongqing. Welcome to Chongqing! Our driver will meet you at the railway station exit and take you to Chaotianmen Dock to board the Yangtze River cruise. After completing the boarding procedures, today's Yangtze River cruise journey will officially begin at 21:00 in the evening. Tip: During summer from March to September, if the water level is too high or too low, there may be a situation where you are transferred by vehicle from Chongqing to Fengdu to board the ship, about a 2.5-hour drive, with a relatively high frequency especially in March-April and July-August

Today the cruise will sail peacefully along the Yangtze River. After getting up in the morning, you can first go to the restaurant to enjoy the buffet breakfast. After that, you can enjoy the charming river views along the Yangtze River, or choose to use the cruise's rich entertainment facilities/activities. In the afternoon, you will go ashore with the guide to visit Fengdu Ghost City. The 【Fengdu Ghost City】, also known as "Youdu," is famous for many buildings and sculptures representing the Chinese underworld, such as the Heng Ha Shrine, the Son of Heaven Hall, the Naihe Bridge, the Yellow Springs Road, the Home-Viewing Terrace, and the Medicine King Hall. It is renowned at home and abroad for its mysterious ghost culture. You can follow the guide's commentary to learn many legends about ghosts and gods in the Chinese underworld or traditional Chinese myths. If interested, you can also visit the Shibao Pagoda at your own expense. The 【Shibao Pagoda】 is the tallest and most multi-storied existing folk chuandou-style wooden structure in China, and is called one of the "Eight Strange Buildings of the World." Climbing the 12-story redwood pagoda offers a panoramic view of the Yangtze River. Tip: The above itinerary is for reference only. The attractions visited may vary depending on the cruise company. We will choose the most suitable cruise for you according to your preferences.

Today, continue your Yangtze River Three Gorges cruise and follow the guide's commentary to learn about the scenery and legends of the Three Gorges. First, you will sail through the Qutang Gorge, which combines grandeur, wonder, and steepness, and see Kuimen, the background image on the 10-yuan RMB note and known as the "Gate of Chinese Landscape." The Qutang Gorge is the shortest, narrowest, and most perilous section of the Three Gorges, with a total length of 8 kilometers. The cliffs on both sides look as if they were cut by knives and axes. The mountains are high and the gorge is narrow; looking up at the blue sky, the clouds form a single line. The water in the gorge is deep and the current is swift, and at the narrowest point the river surface is less than fifty meters wide, with turbulent waves that are breathtaking. Afterwards, pass through the Wu Gorge, known for its deep seclusion and beauty. On both sides of the Wu Gorge, green mountains stretch endlessly and peaks stand like screens. As the boat travels through the gorge, sometimes a great mountain looms ahead and the rocks seem to block the way; then suddenly the peaks turn and the path opens, revealing another world beyond the clouds, like a winding gallery full of poetic charm. Finally, pass through the Xiling Gorge. The Xiling Gorge is the longer gorge among the Three Gorges, with bright and magnificent scenery inside. On both sides, peaks tower high and cliffs rise straight from the river, with steep ridges and cliffs stretching across the sky, jagged rocks, cascading springs like hanging silk, and ancient vines and trees that block out the sun. In the afternoon, follow the guide ashore to visit Shennü Stream. Shennü Stream, also known as "Beauty Stream," is 15 kilometers long. Inside, the mountains are high and the valleys deep, the scenery is beautiful, and the stream water is deep and dark green, like an ink-wash painting. You will transfer to a local boat and travel downstream along the stream, admiring up close the beautiful scenery of its peaks and gorges and the mysterious hanging coffins on the cliffs. If you are interested, you can also join the local Tujia song and dance performance, which is very lively and joyful. Afterwards, return to the cruise ship, attend the captain's dinner in the evening, enjoy a delicious meal, and stay overnight on the cruise ship. Tip: The above itinerary is for reference only. The attractions visited may vary depending on the cruise company. We will choose the most suitable cruise for you according to your preferences.

After breakfast, check out, disembark at Maoping Port, and visit the world's largest water conservancy project - the Three Gorges Dam. 【Three Gorges Dam】has a total length of 2,309 meters, with the entire line poured to the designed elevation of 185 meters, and the maximum impounded water level can reach 175 meters. It is the world's largest concrete gravity dam. After visiting the Three Gorges Dam, you will take a tour bus arranged by the cruise company at around 12:30~13:30 to Yichang Three Gorges Center Cruise Terminal. In the afternoon, we will take you to the railway station to take the high-speed rail to Shanghai. After arriving in Shanghai, our driver will meet you at the railway station exit and take you to a downtown Xi'an hotel to complete the check-in procedures.

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 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 cultural relics and gain a deeper understanding of China's long and profound history and culture. The Shanghai Museum East has many 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 the physical standard of weights and measures in 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° accordingly, full of fun, and further demonstrate the superb craftsmanship of the ancients. Afterwards, you will visit [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 Sichuan provincial administration commissioner, 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. 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 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 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.

After breakfast, we will conclude this wonderful journey. Our driver will take you to the airport or train station for your next destination. If you wish to extend this trip and explore more destinations in China, such as 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.