Day 1: Arrival in Beijing
Welcome to Beijing! Once you walk through customs at the airport, you will see our guide and driver waiting for you. After a short greeting, our guide and driver will take you directly to the hotel to let you have a good rest after the long journey to China and refresh your body and mind for the upcoming best China tour of Beijing, Xi'an and Shanghai.
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After breakfast, we will first take a walk at Tiananmen Square and then visit the Forbidden City. Spend most of the morning strolling among the grand royal palace buildings, enjoying its beautiful ornamentation and exploring its history while following the trail of past emperors' lives. The ancient artworks displayed at these palaces are unique and precious, worthy of detailed appreciation. Around noon, a yummy a la carte welcome lunch awaits, for you to enjoy. Afterwards, we will continue our journey to the Temple of Heaven. It is the largest imperial sacrificial altar in China at which emperors of feudal dynasties presented offerings to heaven and prayed for a good harvest year. Meals: Western buffet breakfast, A la carte lunch
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Today we will spend most of the day visiting the Mutianyu Great Wall, another highlight of our Beijing Xian Shanghai itinerary. As one of the key sections of the Great Wall, it was built along the top of steep mountains and is surrounded by beautiful scenery. We will take a round-trip cable car to ascend the wall and appreciate it at a leisurely pace. As for lunch, there are few nice restaurants around the wall, but we suggest you buy fast food at nearby Subway or Burger King and have a picnic on the Wall. Please ask the guide for directions. On the way back downtown, there is some time to appreciate the unique appearance of the famous landmark, Bird's Nest. Then hang out at a busy local market before heading back to your hotel. Friendly Tips: The fees for round-way cable car at Mutianyu Great Wall are included. However, if you are more interested in taking the chairlift up and luge sliding down, we can also arrange that for you. Meals: Western buffet breakfast
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After breakfast, we will go to the Summer Place for a walk and to breath in the fresh morning air. It is well-kept and is the largest royal garden still existing in China. Built on the base of Kunming Lake and Longevity Hill, with its splendid palace complex, this garden demonstrates the essence of Chinese horticulture, combining the cultural and natural landscape in an elegant way. After, we will go to a Beijing Hutong. While there, take a rickshaw to visit its antique dwellings and experience local life. In the afternoon, the local guide will escort you to the railway station where you take the 4.5-hour bullet train to Xi'an. On arrival, our Xi'an guide will pick you up at the railway station and accompany you to the hotel. Have a good rest to conserve energy ready to continue the trip tomorrow. Meals: Western buffet breakfast
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The Terracotta Army will be the highlight of your time in Xi'an. We will spend the whole morning visiting this miracle. The powerful underground army composed of thousands of life-sized terracotta warriors, horses and bronze chariots has “protected” Emperor Qinshihuang’s mausoleum for over 2,200 years. Each terracotta warrior has different facial expression and manner, standing there quietly as if they have life stories to tell. In the afternoon, we will proceed to Shaanxi History Museum. Covering a time span of one million years, the cultural relics collected in this museum range from the simple stone tools used in initial stages of mankind to all kinds of living implements used up to 1840. It is therefore reputed as a treasure house of ancient Chinese civilization. After, will be more relaxing while going sightseeing on the Xi'an City Wall. Meals: Western buffet breakfast
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In the morning, we will visit Xi'an Museum and the Small Wild Goose Pagoda, with its typical Chinese style Buddhist architecture in China, which gives witness to how ancient India's Buddhism came to China and combined with Chinese culture. Then you will be invited to a local family where you could enjoy an authentic home-cooked lunch. If you like, you could learn to cook local dishes from the families. After that, our Xi'an guide will help you board the flight to Shanghai, the last city of our tour. On arrival at Shanghai airport, you will see our Shanghai guide waiting at the arrival hall, and will then send you to your hotel. Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Home-cooked a la carte lunch
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In the morning, we will spend a deal of time appreciating the fine ancient artworks in Shanghai Museum. The china wares, bronze wares, calligraphy, as well as paintings are extremely delicate. After, we will stroll in the Yu Garden, a quiet and elegant place for relaxation, and later experience a traditional bazaar around the Garden. After the la carte farewell lunch at a nice restaurant, we will head to the Bund, a must-see place in Shanghai. There you can see many old tall buildings in different styles. After, board the Huangpu River cruise ship to explore the history and culture of this international metropolis while enjoying the pleasant view on both banks. Then take a walk along a cultural street before going back to the hotel. Meals: Western buffet breakfast, A la carte lunch
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Day 8: Departure from Shanghai
At the end of our vacation, the local guide will escort you to the airport and see you off there. Hope you have had a wonderful time here and have a safe journey home! Meals: Western buffet breakfast
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