Through the Ages | 8-Day 7-Night Pure-Play Tour of Beijing + Xi'an + Shanghai

Welcome to Beijing, the capital of China. Our driver will greet you at the airport/train station exit and take you to your downtown Beijing hotel to check in and rest. After that, you can arrange your own time freely. You may rest at the hotel to ease jet lag, or take a stroll nearby. Suggested ways to arrive 1. By plane: Beijing has two airports, namely Beijing Daxing International Airport and Beijing Capital International Airport. Both airports have many 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. [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 Tiananmen Gate Tower and learn about China's long history and culture. Afterwards, cross the square to visit the Beijing 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 along the central axis in order, admiring the splendid and exquisite ancient palace architecture while following the guide's explanations to learn more about the historical stories of the Forbidden City. After that, 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 take a car 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 inside, and its pavilions, towers, lakes, and bridges are breathtaking. Note: The Forbidden City is closed on Mondays, and the visiting order will be adjusted according to the specific 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. [Mutianyu Great Wall] is the longest and best-restored section of the Great Wall of China, and is renowned as "the finest 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, before reaching the highest point at Watchtower No. 20 to complete your Great Wall journey. After visiting 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.

Today our driver will take you to Beijing Railway Station to take a high-speed train to Xi'an. The journey takes about 4.5 to 5.5 hours, and along the way you can get a general view of China's towns and mountain scenery. After arriving at Xi'an Railway Station, our driver will greet you at the station exit and take you to begin the following itinerary. First, 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 seven stories and a height of about 64 meters. Here you can admire the ancient architectural style, view the Buddhist scriptures and 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 Xi'an's city scenery. Afterwards, you will visit Xi'an's famous food and culture street - 【Muslim Quarter】, where you can feel the local living atmosphere while tasting local specialty snacks, such as roujiamo, Biangbiang noodles, and more.

After breakfast, you will take a car for about 40 kilometers (1 hour) to visit the Terracotta Army, one of the "Eighth Wonders of the World". [The Museum of Qin Terracotta Warriors and Horses] is a site museum built on the original site of the terracotta pits and is China's largest ancient military museum. With the vivid explanations of a professional guide, you will visit Pits No. 1, 2, and 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, head to visit the time-honored Xi'an Ancient City Wall. [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 in China. You can climb onto the wall, walk on the historic blue bricks, feel the charm of the ancient city wall, and enjoy the excellent 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 turn on together, creating a spectacular scene.

This morning, after breakfast at the hotel, our driver will, according to your schedule, take you to Xi'an Xianyang Airport or Xi'an North Railway Station in advance for your journey to Shanghai. (About 2 hours by plane, about 6 hours by train) Welcome to Shanghai. Our driver will meet you at the airport exit and escort you to your downtown Shanghai hotel 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 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.

After breakfast, we will conclude this wonderful 8-day China Ancient and Modern Exploration Tour of Beijing, Xi'an, and Shanghai. Our driver will transfer 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 Chengdu, Tibet, Yunnan, Zhangjiajie, Harbin, etc., you may also contact our customer service to arrange it for you.