9 Days Best of China from Shanghai Tour

Upon your arrival in Shanghai, our guide will be waiting for you outside the customs of the airport. The guide and the driver will transfer you to the reserved hotel, and they will help you with the check-in procedures. We don't have any further arrangements for you today, as you will visit other major destinations in this small group itinerary first, and finally return to Shanghai for a visit before you leave China. Relax yourself in the hotel during the remainder of the day, or you can have a self-exploration with suggestions from the guide. Accommodation: Crowne Plaza Century Park Shanghai (5 stars) 

After the buffet breakfast at the hotel, we will drive you from the hotel to Hongqiao Railway Station for an onward high speed train to Beijing. From 07:00 to 19:00, the train runs at a frequency of nearly 20 minutes, and the train duration lasts for around 4.5 hours. The ticket fare for a second class seat is already included in our price and we will choose a train with proper time schedule for you. Alternatively, frequent flights are available between these two cities, and the air journey takes about 2 hours. If you want a flight trip instead, please contact our travel consultant. When you arrive in Beijing, our guide will pick you up and then escort you to the hotel that we reserve for you. After check-in, dine in a nearby restaurant on your own and have a good rest in the hotel.  Meals: Western buffet breakfast Accommodation: The Great Wall Hotel Beijing (5 stars) - the former Sheraton 

After breakfast, our guide will brief you on the following days' itinerary in the lobby of the hotel. And then you will set out for the first destination, Tiananmen Square. It is located at the heart of Beijing City, which is a symbolic square where many great events take place. After a leisure stroll on the square, you will be led to the Forbidden City behind the Tiananmen Tower. The well-preserved building complex used to be the imperial palace of 24 emperors in Ming and Qing dynasties (1368 - 1911). After 2-3 hours' visiting, it will be lunch time, and we specially serve you an a la carte lunch at a fancy restaurant to taste the real Chinese food and the famous Peking Roast Duck. The meal is valued at CNY150 per person and is included in our price. After a short break, continue your visit to the Temple of Heaven, an ancient imperial sacred place. The Echoing Wall inside is a manmade wonder, which you should never miss. The evening will be the highlight of the day. A wonderful Chinese Kung Fu show is waiting for you at the Red Theatre. If you are a Kung Fu fan, you will be surely amazed at the stunning performances. After this great feast of eyes, our guide and the driver will escort you back to the hotel. Meals: Western buffet breakfast, A la carte welcome lunch

A trip to the world wonder, Great Wall, will make your China group tours from Shanghai memorable and fruitful. After breakfast, our guide and driver will pick you up and head for Mutianyu Great Wall, about 45 miles to the north of Beijing. The drive takes around 2 hours. As you ascend the wall by cable car, you will be impressed with the splendor and majesty of this great project. Two more hours later, you will take the cable car down from the wall. The restaurants near the wall are in low quality. Thus we will not arrange the lunch for you today. You are advised to pack some easy-carry food for energy backup. Our guide will also be glad to offer you some suggestions. On your way back to the city proper, we will pass by the Olympic National Stadium (Bird's Nest), and you can appreciate it at a distance and capture the view with your camera. Then head for a thriving local market providing a wide variety of things including clothing, souvenirs and local products. Meals: Western buffet breakfast

Our arrangement for today is to visit the Summer Palace, old hutongs and courtyards. The Summer Palace was once the resort of the imperial families. In the park, the highlight sights include the Longevity Hill, Long Gallery and Marble Boat. Rowing a boat on Kunming Lake is also worth a try. Following our guide, you will trace the history and culture by having a hutong tour. Hutong alley is a unique part of the local people's life. There are also well-preserved courtyard residences, where you can capture their leisure lifestyle. Moreover, you will have a chance to experience Chinese paper cutting during the Hutong visit. An a la carte lunch will be arranged in a decent restaurant, where you can taste the authentic Beijing cuisine. The meal is valued at CNY150 per person which is included in our price for this small group tour. At last, our Beijing guide will transfer you to the Capital Airport for a flight bound for another ancient capital city, Xi'an. You will land after about two hours air journey. Our Xi'an guide and driver will greet you at the airport and help you check in at the hotel.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, A la carte lunch
Accommodation: Sheraton Hotel  (5 stars)

The first destination of the day is the Terracotta Army, a sound name card of Xi'an City. As Emperor Qin Shi Huang's underground guarding troop with a history of over 2,200 years, the pottery figures, horses and chariots are still perfectly remained. So far three pits are excavated and displayed to visitors, and you could see a lot of life-size soldiers arraying in the pits. The one hour bus ride takes you back to downtown Xi'an, and a local family visit arranged by us comes after that. The hostess would cook an a la carte lunch to treat you in her house, and please make yourself at home. If interested, you can seize the chance to learn to cook some Chinese dishes. After a short rest, our guide will take you to the nearby Xi'an Museum and Small Wild Goose Pagoda surviving from the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907 AD). Inside the temple, you may strike the big bell to pray for health and affluence of your family. We will specially arrange today's dinner for you to try the famous local dumplings. After that, a splendid evening is in store when you are entertained by the fabulous Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Show - a great way for you to imagine Xi'an's glorious past when it served as the capital of the Tang Dynasty.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Home-cooked a la carte lunch, Dumpling Dinner Friendly Tips Since the theater is usually not open in Jan, Feb, Mar and Dec, we will not arrange the show and dumpling dinner for tours starting during the periods. Clients will enjoy free time to relax.

You will spend the whole morning in the City Wall area. Surrounding the wall, there is a park where you can see lots of seniors doing morning exercises, such as sword playing and Tai Chi. Here we will invite a master to teach you how to practice Tai Chi for one hour. Then you will visit the ancient City Wall with our guide's accompany. With a history of 600 years, the wall was constructed as the military defensive system in the Ming Dynasty. It surrounds the city center with a total length of 8.5 miles. You can either take a relaxing stroll or rent a bike to cycle on the wall. The bike rental fee is your responsibility. In the noon, an a la carte lunch valued at CNY120.00 per person is offered by us, ensuring you a joyful dining experience in a well-known local restaurant. Thereafter the guide and the driver will see you off in the airport and you will board a flight to Shanghai in the afternoon. Landing in Shanghai again, you will be met and accompanied to check in at the hotel. Meals: Western buffet breakfast, A la carte lunch Accommodation: Parkline Century Park Hotel Shanghai (5 stars) - the former Crowne Plaza 

Your Shanghai tour will start with Shanghai Museum, where you can have a general overview about the past of this metropolis. After 2 hours' visiting, our guide will lead you to the next stop, Yu Garden. It used to be the dwelling place owned by a celebrity in the Ming Dynasty, which is delicate and elegant in design. There you may witness the unparalleled classic garden architecture. Then move on to a close-by bazaar which is a good place to taste local snacks and purchase souvenirs or craftworks for your family or friends.  Since this is the last day of your guided China group tour, an a la carte farewell lunch will be served at a popular local restaurant, which is valued at CNY120 per person and included in our price.  After lunch, the guide will take you to visit the Former French Concession and then go head to the Bund. The Bund area along the Huangpu River is the best place to appreciate the modern glamour of Shanghai, where skyscrapers tower around. You will also have a one-hour cruise tour on the Huangpu River. Upon returning to the hotel, our guide will say bon voyage to you in the lobby. 

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, A la carte farewell lunch

Your China tour comes to an end today, and a homebound flight is waiting for you. Due to different flight schedules, the hotel-airport escorting service is not included, so you need to transfer to the airport on your own. Taxi is a good choice with less expensive price. If you want to extend your stay and explore further in China, please feel free to contact our travel consultant. We wish you a nice journey home.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast