Best of China

Day 1: Arrival Beijing
Get ready for your China adventure! Your journey begins in the capital city of Beijing. Upon arrival at the airport, you will be met by your guide and driver, who will transfer you to your hotel. The rest of the day is yours to settle in and start getting to know your new surroundings. You will be staying at Xin Qiao Hotel for the night.

Day 2: Beijing
After breakfast, it is time to discover Beijing’s rich heritage as you step back in time to an era when mystery and power reigned. The tour starts today at the symbolic heart of China, Tiananmen Square and later the Forbidden City, to get an overview of China’s communist history while walking through the vast array of halls and monuments. The Forbidden City contains the Imperial Palace Museum which details the history of each dynasty, represented in four palatial halls with antiques and treasures from the Ming to the Qing dynasties. In the afternoon, you will be transferred to go visit and explore the Summer Palace. This UNESCO World Heritage Site comprises walkways, gardens, palaces and lakes. Here you can take your time to stroll around and admire the beauty of the setting along with the ancient architectural structures and collections of cultural relics. Overnight at Xin Qiao Hotel.

Day 3: Beijing
This morning in Beijing takes you to the Temple of Heaven which was founded in the 15th century. The area features a complex of fine buildings set in gardens, surrounded by pine woods. The layout and the individual buildings symbolize the relationship between heaven and earth – the god’s world and the human world – and the special role played by emperors within this association. The temple provides a unique opportunity to see the capital’s past and present exist in cohesion side-by-side. Afterward, you will embark on a 90-minute scenic drive to the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall. This part of the wall is more rugged and covered in expansive greenery. Built as a form of defense by millions of soldiers and peasants, the wall is a remarkable feat of engineering, and archaeologists estimate that it once spanned nearly 10,000 km. In the evening you will be taken back to your hotel. Overnight at Xin Qiao Hotel.

Day 4: Beijing - Xi’an
After breakfast, you will be taken to the train station to embark on a four-hour-plus train journey to Xi'an, once the starting point of the historic Silk Road. Upon arrival in Xi'an, you will be transferred to your hotel. The rest of the day is free at your leisure. Overnight at Xi’an Grand Park Hotel.

Day 5: Xi’an
Xi'an is mostly famous for its army of Terracotta Warriors, which consists of 8,000 figures built under the order of the emperor to accompany him to the afterlife. It is an ancient historic past that dates back over 3,000 years. You will get the chance to visit this ancient place after you have enjoyed a delicious breakfast in your hotel. In the afternoon, we visit a terracotta replication factory to observe how craftsmen replicate the iconic statues at the UNESCO-listed site. Overnight at Xi’an Grand Park Hotel.

Day 6: Xi’an - Shanghai
After breakfast, you will be taken to the airport to board a flight to China's most dynamic city, Shanghai. Upon arrival, you will be transferred to your hotel to freshen up and jump on a tour to visit the city highlights. The first stop is Shanghai Old Street. From here you will walk to Yu Garden, a prime example of a classical Chinese garden that dates back to 1559. This tranquil world of bamboo groves, koi-filled ponds, and Ming Dynasty pavilions remains a serene sanctuary in contemporary times. After tea time in a nearby teahouse, you will head to Tianzifang, a network of alleyways filled with cafes, bars, and boutiques. You will round the day off with a stroll past the European-style villas and buildings of the Former French Concession on the Bund waterfront promenade. From here, you have a great view of the 632-meter-high landmark, the Shanghai Tower, on the other side of the river. Overnight at Metro Park Hotel Hongqiao Shanghai.

Day 7: Shanghai
All day free at leisure to explore this pulsating metropolis. Overnight at Metro Park Hotel Hongqiao Shanghai.

Day 8: Shanghai - Guilin - Yangshuo
After breakfast at your hotel, you will be transferred to the airport to catch a domestic flight to Guilin. Guilin is situated in the southern Guangxi region and is one of China’s most beautiful locations. It features rugged karst mountains and meandering waterways that snake through an idyllic rural countryside of rice terraces. Upon arrival, you will be transferred to Yangshuo, where your hotel is located. The rest of the day is spent free at leisure. Overnight at Yangshuo New Century.

Day 9: Yangshuo
Today, you will go bamboo rafting down the Li River. As you glide through the water, the serene countryside and authentic lifestyle of the locals pass by. Later, we disembark and stroll along Yangshuo’s oldest street, West Street, the place to be to score some souvenirs to take home with you. Overnight at Yangshuo New Century.

Day 10: Yangshuo - Guilin Departure
Your tour with us has ended, and you will be taken to the airport for your departure flight.