13 Days Shanghai Guilin Yangtze Xian Beijing Small Group Tour

The journey

Tour type: Small group of maximum 16 travelers, guaranteed departures. The published day-by-day itinerary below is supplied for this route.

From $2,799 per person

Highlights

• Arrival in Shanghai | Airport Pick-up and Hotel Check-in
• Shanghai City Tour | Shanghai Tower, Shanghai Museum, Yu Garden & Bazaar, Nanjing Road & The Bund (BL)
• Shanghai to Guilin by Flight | Elephant Trunk Hill, Reed Flute Cave(B)
• Guilin to Yangshuo Tour | Li River Cruise, Yangshuo Countryside, West Street (BL)

Day by day

• Day 1 — Arrival in Shanghai | Airport Pick-up and Hotel Check-in: Nihao! Welcome to Shanghai, China’s most internationalized and vibrant city! Shanghai's long-term fusion of Eastern and Western cultures has contributed to Shanghai's unique culture. Upon your arrival at the airport/train station in Shanghai, the driver will meet and greet you at the exit, and then escort you to the well-selected hotel in downtown Shanghai. The rest of the day is free on your own so you can have a good rest for the jet lag or explore by yourself around your hotel.
• Day 2 — Shanghai City Tour | Shanghai Tower, Shanghai Museum, Yu Garden & Bazaar, Nanjing Road & The Bund (BL): Today, your group will have full day to experience the perfect blend of East and West in the "Paris of the East." Explore brilliant museums, classical gardens, futuristic skyscrapers, and stunning architecture - all in one vibrant city.
• Day 3 — Shanghai to Guilin by Flight | Elephant Trunk Hill, Reed Flute Cave(B): In this morning, you will be transferred to the airport for your flight to Guilin (about 2.5 hours). Upon your arrival in Guilin, your driver will meet you at the exit of the airport and escort you to your hotel in Guilin's downtown area.
• Day 4 — Guilin to Yangshuo Tour | Li River Cruise, Yangshuo Countryside, West Street (BL): “East or west, Guilin landscape is the best”. After breakfast, you will go to explore the most stunning natural scenery along the Li River, which is renowned as one of the “the world’s top 10 watery wonders” by National Geographic. Drive about 1 hour from your hotel to the pier and start a 4.5-hour relaxing sightseeing Li River cruise trip to Yangshuo. Along the 84-kilometer scenic cruise, you will feast your eyes with endless Chinese paintings of winding rivers, numerous green limestone karst peaks, grazing water buffalo, farmers working in the fertile fields, and idyllic villages nestled at the bases of the hills. (Note: Lunch is served on the cruise with simple local Chinese cuisine.)
• Day 5 — Guilin Tour & High Speed Train to Chongqing | Board Yangtze Cruise: On this day, you will be transferred to the train station for a high-speed train to Chongqing (about 4-4.5 hours). Welcome to Chongqing, the Mountain City of China! Upon your arrival in Chongqing, your driver will meet you at the exit of the train station and escort you to Chongqing Chaotianmen Port to board your Yangtze cruise. You will have some time after the cruise ship check-in and you can go around the area of Chaotianmen Port. Your memorable relaxing cruise journey starts at 21:00!
• Day 6 — Yangtze River Cruise | Shore Excursion to Fengdu Ghost City or Similar （BLD）: On this day, your cruise will sail peacefully along the Yangtze River. Wake up leisurely and enjoy the fascinating river view with misty or gentle sunshine shining over the river. Have your buffet breakfast and start your beautiful day. There are some activities well designed by the cruise that you can do shore excursions to visit traditional Chinese cultural sites or stay onboard to relax and learn some Chinese culture.
• Day 7 — Yangtze River Cruise | Three Gorges & Shennv Stream or Similar（BLD）: Today, you will have a full day to view the beautiful Three Gorges. First, you will sail through Qutang Gorge which is celebrated for its magnificent, peculiar and precipitous scenery in the world. Marvel at the incredible Kui Gate. Next, go through Wuxia Gorge which is serene and secluded and presents a panorama of lovely scenery and then pass through Xiling Gorge well known for its rugged shoals and turbulent waters. Follow the guide’s live interpretation and appreciate the breathtaking scenery onboard.
• Day 8 — Yangtze River Cruise to Yichang | Flight to Xian, Xian Airport Pick-up & Hotel Check-in (B): After breakfast, it is time to go through the check-out procedure and you’ll disembark at Maoping Port. The highlighted attraction today is the largest hydropower project in China - Three Gorges Dam. Catch the chance to view the dam and the system of locks. The body of the dam is immense with a height of 181 meters and spanning 2335 meters across the Yangtze River and 115 meters in width. (Optional experience: you can choose to sail through the world’s largest ship lift - Three Gorges Dam Ship Lift to very closely marvel at the huge dam which is a totally fresh and exciting experience for travelers.)
• Day 9 — Xian City Tour | Terracotta Warriors, Ancient Wall, Bell Tower （BL）: After breakfast, your guide and driver will pick you up at your hotel. Drive about 40km (about 1 hour) to uncover one of the greatest archaeological discoveries in the world - the Terracotta Army Museum, built by the first emperor of China, Qin Shihuang, to protect him in the afterlife. Around 8,000 vivid life-size Terracotta Warriors have been found so far. First, visit the largest and most imposing pit, believed to contain over 6,000 terracotta figures of soldiers and horses. You will be amazed by this subterranean life-size army of thousands standing silently to guard the emperor. Marvel also at the fabulous artistic skills of ancient Chinese artisans. Next, move to another pit where you can see around 1,300 warriors and horses. Examine the ancient army formation, including the kneeling and standing archers, the chariot war array, and numerous troopers holding weapons.
• Day 10 — Xian tour: Giant Wild Goose Pagoda and Muslim Quarter; Train Station Transfer | Beijing Train Station Pick-up & Hotel Check-in (B): This morning, you will go to visit the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, one of Xi'an's most recognizable landmarks and symbol of the magnificence of the Tang Dynasty. This seven-story pagoda standing in the tranquil Da Ci'en Temple is one of China's best examples of a Tang-style pagoda (squarish rather than round). It was completed in AD 652 to house Buddhist sutras brought back from India by the monk Xuan Zang. His travels inspired one of the best-known works of Chinese literature, Journey to the West. Later, you will have the opportunity to explore the vibrant and bustling Muslim Quarter (Muslim Street). This historic quarter, situated just behind the Drum Tower about 430 meters west of the Bell Tower in downtown Xian, has been around for over 1,000 years.
• Day 11 — Beijing City Tour | Tian’anmen Square, Forbidden City, Jingshan Park, Summer Palace (BL): Today you will spend the whole day exploring the ancient citadel of Beijing through China's famous landmarks, imperial grandeur, and royal gardens.
• Day 12 — Beijing Great Wall Tour | Mutianyu Great Wall, Glimpse of Bird’s Nest & Water Cube (BL): In this morning, you will head northwest of Beijing (about 1.5-2 hours’ drive, 73km) to the Great Wall at Mutianyu. The Great Wall boasts a history over 2,000 years and stretches more than 3,000 miles across several provinces of northern China, making it one of the most impressive ancient masterpieces on the planet. Mutianyu Great Wall is connected with the Jiankou Great Wall in the west and the Gubeikou Great Wall in the east. Mutianyu is the longest and best fully-restored Great Wall with fewer tourists and is also famed for its 23 Ming-era watchtowers and stunning views. Take the cable car up to the 14th watchtower and then enjoy the memorable hiking time on the wall while visiting its western route. With the green pines and cypresses covering the surrounding area, and the winding wall standing majestically on the vast land, you will capture the most stunning natural scenery in this section. Challenge yourselves while climbing up to the 20th watchtower where you could fulfill your Great Wall dream. Cherish the chance and take photos as many as you like!
• Day 13 — Departure from Beijing | Hotel Check-out and Airport See-off (B): It is time to end your 8-day China group tour. You will have some time in Beijing and explore more on your own till be escorted to the airport/train station for your flight or high speed train to your next destination.