13 Days China Group Tour from Chengdu with Classic China Exploration

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 $2,599 per person

Highlights

• Arrival in Chengdu | Airport Pick-up and Hotel Check-in
• Chengdu Classic Tour | Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, Sanxingdui Museum, Jinli Ancient Street（BL）
• Chengdu to Guilin by High Speed Train | 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 Chengdu | Airport Pick-up and Hotel Check-in: Nihao! Welcome to Chengdu, the panda hometown in southwestern China! Upon your arrival at the airport/train station in Chengdu, the driver will meet you at the exit, and then escort you to the well-selected hotel in downtown Chengdu. The rest of the day is free on your own so that you can have a good rest for the jet lag or explore by yourselves around your hotel.
• Day 2 — Chengdu Classic Tour | Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, Sanxingdui Museum, Jinli Ancient Street（BL）: After breakfast, you will travel approximately 17 kilometers by coach to the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, located in the northern suburbs of Chengdu. Here you can admire China’s endearing national treasure—the giant panda, and learn about their living habits and conservation efforts.
• Day 3 — Chengdu to Guilin by High Speed Train | Elephant Trunk Hill, Reed Flute Cave (B): On this day, you will be escorted to the train station in Chengdu for your high-speed train journey to Guilin (5-6 hours). (Note: In some circumstances, you may take a flight from Chengdu to Guilin, which takes about 1.5 hours.) Welcome to Guilin, the land of nature's masterpieces. Upon your arrival in Guilin, your driver will meet you at the exit of the train station/airport and escort you to your hotel in downtown Guilin.
• 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 — Yangshuo - Guilin to Shanghai by flight |Airport Pick-up & Hotel Check-in (B): On this day, you will be transferred to the airport for the flight to Shanghai (about 2.5 hours). Welcome to Shanghai! Upon your arrival, your driver will meet you at the airport and escort you to your hotel in downtown Shanghai. Enjoy a good rest today.
• Day 6 — Shanghai Free Day | Tour Shanghai by Yourself (B): Today is a free day on your own to explore China’s most internationalized and vibrant city - Shanghai. Here, you will find an endless range of delicious food, modern architecture, cultural sites and shopping at every corner. You can take a walk along the exotic streets and absorb atmosphere of vitality. Enjoy your day
• Day 7 — 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 8 — Shanghai Airport Transfer | Xian Airport Pick-up & Hotel Check-in (B): On this day, you will have some time till be met in the hotel lobby and escorted to the airport for your flight to Xian (about 2.5 hours).
• 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.