Magnificent China | 15-Day 14-Night Pure-Play Group Tour of Beijing + Xi'an + Chengdu + Guilin + Zhangjiajie + Shanghai

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

After breakfast, you will head to 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 see the majestic and solemn Tiananmen Gate Tower and learn about China's long-standing culture. Afterwards, cross the square and head 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 also the world's largest and best-preserved wooden palace complex of the Forbidden City. Here you can visit the important palaces in sequence along the central axis, admiring the splendid and exquisite ancient palace architecture while following your guide's commentary to further understand the historical stories of the Forbidden City. After the visit, 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 existing in China and one of China's four great gardens. It is known as the museum of imperial gardens, with beautiful scenery inside, and its pavilions, towers, lakes, bridges, and other views are simply breathtaking. Tip: The Beijing Palace Museum 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. [Mutianyu Great Wall] is the longest and best-restored section of the Chinese Great Wall, and enjoys the reputation of "Mutianyu stands out among the Ten Thousand Li 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 catch a high-speed train to Xi'an. The journey takes about 4.5 to 5.5 hours, and along the way you can take in panoramic views of Chinese towns and mountain scenery. Upon arrival at Xi'an Railway Station, our driver will greet you at the station exit and take you on the rest of your itinerary. First, you will visit Xi'an's famous cultural landmark - the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda. Located within Daci'en Temple, the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda is the earliest and largest existing square pavilion-style brick pagoda of the Tang Dynasty. It has seven stories and stands about 64 meters tall. Here you can admire the ancient architectural style, view the Buddhist scriptures and statues brought back from India by Master Xuanzang that are housed in the pagoda, and climb this thousand-year-old pagoda to look out over the city of Xi'an. Afterwards, you will head to Xi'an's famous food and culture street - Muslim Quarter, where you can soak up the local atmosphere while savoring local specialty snacks such as roujiamo and Biangbiang noodles.

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 site of the terracotta pits and is also China's largest ancient military museum. Under the vivid commentary of a professional guide, you will visit Pits No. 1, 2, and 3 in sequence, 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 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 enjoying breakfast at the hotel, our driver will take you to the railway station in advance according to your ticket time, to board 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 your hotel in downtown Chengdu 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.

After breakfast, you will drive about 17 kilometers to 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. 【Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding】, or Chengdu Panda Base for short, houses 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 come 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 drive 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 exquisite bronze sacred tree, the paper-thin gold mask, the gold staff with intricate patterns... and follow the guide's footsteps through the dust of history to 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 commercial district, with a long history dating back to 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 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, the 【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 rapping pottery figurine, the mysterious Sanxingdui bronze human-face mask, the exquisite lacquered acupuncture figure, and the delicate openwork gilt sachet are the museum's treasures and are worth careful appreciation. In addition, the intangible cultural heritage in the 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 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. It is a great place to experience the leisurely, slow life of Chengdu. Strolling through it, you can admire exquisite ancient architecture, taste authentic old Chengdu food (dan dan noodles, spicy rabbit head, skewers, etc.), and take great travel photos. Next, continue to 【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, you can sit in a century-old teahouse, order a cup of fragrant covered-bowl tea, and chat leisurely with a few friends on bamboo chairs. You can also experience intangible cultural heritage ear cleaning (at your own expense), enjoying the "little comfort" that sends a tingling sensation 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 in the square, practicing tai chi, or playing traditional Chinese instruments.

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 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 subsequent itinerary. First, you will visit Guilin's landmark attraction - Elephant Trunk Hill. 【Elephant Trunk Hill】is located at the confluence of the Li River and Taohua River, and is named because its shape resembles a giant elephant drinking water in the river. Afterwards, go to 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, there are large numbers of stalagmites, stone bamboo shoots, stone columns, stone curtains and stone flowers. Various scenes shine brilliantly and colorfully under the illumination of colorful lights, like a dream. You can follow your 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 around 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 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 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. Then you can head out to explore Yangshuo and admire Guilin's most outstanding 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 fields, villages, and rivers along the way, 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 breakfast at the hotel, our driver will, according to your ticket time, take you to the railway station in advance to catch the high-speed train to Zhangjiajie (about 7 hours). Welcome to Zhangjiajie! Our driver will meet you at the railway station exit and take you to the hotel to check in.

Today you will have a full day to tour Wulingyuan Scenic Area. First, you will visit China's first national forest park, 【Zhangjiajie National Forest Park】, and take the scenic shuttle bus to the Bailong Elevator, known as the "World's No. 1 Elevator." This elevator once broke the Guinness World Record for the highest outdoor elevator and is also the fastest and heaviest outdoor sightseeing elevator. It takes only 66 seconds to smoothly take you from the foot of the mountain to the top, letting you experience the shock and excitement of rising from a deep valley straight to the clouds in an instant. After reaching the mountaintop platform, you can take in the magnificent surrounding mountain scenery. Then hike into the real-life Pandora world of Yuanjiajie, the filming location of the movie Avatar and the site of the real Hallelujah Mountain (formerly South Heaven Pillar). Here, you can walk along the trails and visit major attractions such as Mihun Terrace and Back Garden in sequence, immerse yourself in Zhangjiajie's fantastical peaks as you walk, and gain an in-depth understanding of Zhangjiajie's geological and landform features during the tour. Afterwards, take the scenic shuttle bus to visit the 【Tianzi Mountain Nature Reserve】, known as the "King of Peak Forests." Here you will hike to Helong Park to visit the bronze statues of Marshal He Long and his warhorse, and enjoy the magnificent scenery of towering peaks from the nearby viewing platform. Then head to Dianjiang Terrace to overlook the spectacular scenery of the West Sea peak forest and feel the awe-inspiring view of numerous peaks standing like soldiers in formation. Finally, visit Ten-Mile Gallery and take the scenic train through scenery like a traditional Chinese ink painting. After the tour, return to the hotel to rest.

After breakfast, you will head to visit Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon, hailed as "one of the most beautiful canyons in the world," and experience the world's longest and highest fully transparent glass bridge, the Yuntian Du Glass Bridge. This is the world's first cable-stayed glass suspension bridge with large-variable spatial cables, about 375 meters long and paved with 99 panes of fully transparent glass. From a distance, the glass bridge is as thin as a cicada's wing, "invisible" amid the mountains, waters, and sky. The bridge deck is about 300 meters above the valley floor. Walking on the bridge, you can take in the magnificent scenery of the entire grand canyon and look down at the deep canyon beneath your feet, which is very thrilling and exciting. Afterward, head to visit the mirror-like Baofeng Lake. Baofeng Lake sits surrounded by mountains, and its water is emerald green and crystal clear, reflecting the blue sky, white clouds, and surrounding mountains, like an exquisite ink-wash painting. You can take a quaint cruise boat through the landscape, immersively enjoy the beauty of the surrounding lakes and mountains, and enjoy a leisurely and peaceful time.

This morning, you will visit [Tianmen Mountain National Forest Park]. Tianmen Mountain is about 8 kilometers from downtown Zhangjiajie. It is the first sacred mountain of western Hunan and a mountain suitable for visitors of all ages. You will take a cable car directly to the summit (about 30 minutes), and from the cable car you can take in the 99-bend winding mountain road and the surrounding magnificent mountain scenery. After reaching the summit, visit Tianmen Temple, one of only five Buddhist temples in the world preserving Buddha relics, and enjoy the pleasant scenery of layered green peaks around you. Afterward, you can begin two exciting cliff walkway hikes. First, walk the fully transparent glass skywalk, 1.6 meters wide and 60 meters long. Walking on it feels like strolling above the clouds, with majestic mountains beside you and a bottomless valley below, extremely thrilling. Then walk the 1,600-meter-long Ghost Valley Plank Road. The entire walkway clings to the cliff like a giant dragon, and while walking you can overlook the mountains, an experience both thrilling and spectacular. Then take the escalator to Tianmen Cave, the most unmissable attraction in Tianmen Mountain Scenic Area and the world's highest natural karst cave through a mountain. After sightseeing, take the elevator to the cable car station, then ride the cable car down the mountain. Finally, head to Zhangjiajie Airport to fly to Shanghai. After arriving in Shanghai, our driver will meet you at the airport exit and take you to a downtown Shanghai hotel for check-in.

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 magnificent 360° panoramic view of Shanghai's skyline and the city, overlooking the famous buildings around. 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, head to visit the [Shanghai Museum East]. Admire various exquisite and precious cultural relics and gain an in-depth understanding of China's long and profound history and culture. The Shanghai Museum East has numerous cultural relics on display, and especially worth seeing are those renowned treasures of the museum: • 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 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°, full of fun, and it also demonstrates 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 gardens in Jiangnan, China. Yu Garden was first built in the 38th year of the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty (AD 1559), 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 peace. Strolling along the winding paths of Yu Garden, you can admire China's exquisite garden layout, beautiful 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 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 World Architecture". It gathers 52 exotic buildings of different styles, such as the Shanghai Club, Peace Hotel, HSBC Bank, etc. 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 coordinated as replacements.

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 would like to extend this trip and explore more destinations in China, such as Tibet, Yunnan, Xinjiang, Qinghai, 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.