Highlights of China: Beijing to Shanghai

Board your overnight flight to Beijing today.

Welcome to China! Settle in to your hotel this evening.

Delve into more than 2,000 years of Beijing’s history with a local guide.

• Stroll across the expanse of Tiananmen Square
• Wander through the Imperial Palace, also referred to as “The Forbidden City”
• Walk through Meridian Gate and see the Palace of Heavenly Purity, where the  Ming dynasty emperors lived
• Admire the Imperial Garden’s traditional design features
• Exit through the Gate of Divine Prowess
• Get to know your Tour Director and fellow travelers at a family-style welcome lunch

Spend a free evening in Beijing or add an excursion.

Head outside of Beijing to marvel at one of the world’s most impressive structures: the Great Wall.

• Stop at a Jade Factory on the way to watch a demonstration of how the gemstone is carved to create impressive sculptures
• Tour the Great Wall at the Juyong Pass
• Enjoy free time to explore the many ramparts and towers, admiring panoramic views as you go
• Sit down for an included family-style lunch before traveling back to Beijing

Please note: The Juyong Pass cannot be reached by cable car or elevator. Walking  is required to reach this less crowded, more scenic section of the Great Wall.

Enjoy a free evening in Beijing or add an excursion.

Discover Beijing’s modern and ancient traditions on today’s tour.

• Participate in a Tai Chi lesson alongside locals in Temple of Heaven Park
• Discover the health benefits of this traditional form of exercise, which combines easy, flowing arm and leg movements
• Enter the Temple of Heaven for a guided tour
• Walk down the Long Corridor to enter the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests
• Learn about the history of the Ming Dynasty at the Imperial Vault of Heaven

Fly to Xi’an this afternoon and sit down for an included family-style dinner.

Take a panoramic tour of Xi’an, one of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China  and the starting point of the Silk Road.

• Pass the Drum Tower and the Bell Tower, which marks what was once the center of the city
• Walk along the 14th-century city walls to see watchtowers and ramparts that were built by the Ming Dynasty

Head outside of the city this afternoon to visit one of the country’s most famous UNESCO World Heritage Sites—the Terracotta Army.

• Visit a local workshop to learn how the clay statues were made
• See some of the 8,000 life-size pottery soldiers that represent the expansive army of the first Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang
• Watch a noodle-making demonstration and enjoy an included family-style lunch
• See Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s mausoleum
• Visit the Exhibition Hall to see two sets of bronze chariots and horses that were excavated from the archaeological site in 1980

Please note: Depending on flight times on day 5, you may visit the Xi’an City walls  on the afternoon of day 5.

Spend a free evening in Xi’an or add an excursion.

Fly to Guilin this morning. Then, meet up with a local guide to explore the stunning Reed Flute Cave.

• Walk along the pathways as colorful lights illuminate the stalactites and stalagmites
• Learn about the cave’s unique geological features and see some of the markings on the walls that date back to the Tang Dynasty

Next, pay a visit to a tea plantation located on the foothills of Yao Mountain. You'll pick tea leaves and learn about the tea-making process. Then, enjoy an included family-style dinner.

As you travel to Yangshuo, stop in the ancient town of Fuli for a guided tour.

• Walk along the cobblestone streets to explore the town, which sits on the banks  of the Li River
• Visit a local shop to learn about the town’s artistic roots and how local shopkeepers design traditional fans and scroll paintings

Next, a guided tour takes you through the Chinese countryside and introduces you  to the people who call this area home.

• Stop at a local farmer’s house to meet the family and find out how they tend to their rice paddy
• Learn about what the family’s daily life is like

Continue on to Yangshuo and sit down for an included family-style dinner. Then, explore the bustling markets that line West Street with your Tour Director.

This morning, board a bamboo raft and leisurely float down the scenic Yulong River. Pass by towering limestone peaks, grassy rice paddies, and grazing water buffaloes  as you go. Then, enjoy an included family-style lunch 

Spend a free evening in Yangshuo or add an excursion.

Fly to Shanghai this morning. Then, ride the Shanghai Maglev train—a magnetic levitation train that’s distinguished as one of the fastest trains in the world— on your way to your hotel. 

Sit down for an included family-style dinner. Then, enjoy a free evening in Shanghai or add an excursion.

Meet up with a local guide to learn about Shanghai’s culture on today’s tour.

• Enter the Jade Buddha Temple to see the white jade statues of sitting Buddha  and reclining Buddha
• Visit a silk factory to learn how the fabric is produced
• Stroll through the Yuyuan Garden, the “Garden of Happiness”
• Enjoy free time to shop at the Yuyuan Bazaar before taking part in a traditional Chinese tea ceremony
• Walk along the Bund, Shanghai’s historic waterfront promenade

Celebrate your trip at a farewell dinner in Shanghai’s French Concession neighborhood this evening.

Transfer to the airport for your flight home or continue on to explore Hong Kong.