Welcome to Beijing! Upon your arrival at the Beijing Airport, meet our tour representative who will assist you with a transfer and check in to your hotel. Take the opportunity to rest and recover after the flight or head out into the city for your first glimpse of life in China’s sprawling capital city.

The Summer Palace and Kunming Lake excursion is a four-hour visit of the spellbinding complex, the summer retreat of China´s emperors and their families, where they used to relax in the lavish pavilions of Longevity Hill, meditate in the temples and stroll through the landscaped gardens around Kunming Lake. The whole complex is real architectural experience, boasted with beautifully decorated buildings and courtyards, and striking views from the sumptuous Summer Palace. Take a walk between ancient walls of the Temple of Buddhist Virtue, the Hall of Jade Ripples, the Cloud-Dispelling Hall and the Hall of Happiness and Longevity, and discover the tranquillity of the peaceful Kunming Lake. Tour starts at 14:00 from the hotel´s lobby.

Enjoy your breakfast at the hotel and then get ready for a drive to Badaling section of the Great Wall. This stretch was built in 1505 in the strategically important Guan Valley in order to keep out the Mongol hordes coming from the North. Nowadays, tourists flock from all over the world and the Badaling section is the most visited part of the Great Wall. Afterwards, our exploration continues further into China’s past, and we´ll go to visit the Imperial Tombs of the Ming Dynasty and the Great Wall. The Ming Tombs are located in the harmonious landscape of Jundu Mountains and the entrance is accessed through the imposing Great Red Gate, followed by the 7km-long Sacred Way, which is lined with statues of guardians such as camels, elephants, lions, soldiers and imperial chamberlains. Explore the Changling Tomb, the final resting of China’s greatest rulers, Yongle Emperor. To wrap up todays ‘tour we´ll visit a pearl factory and we´ll stop to take photos at Beijing Olympic Park on the way back to the hotel. 

Start the day with breakfast at the hotel then prepare for a full-day tour of Beijing’s most famous landmarks. Start in the enormous Tiananmen Square, one of the world’s largest urban plazas. Stroll from Tiananmen Gate to Meridian Gate, which leads to the Forbidden City. Enter the Forbidden City and take in the sheer majesty of this incomparable treasure which was closed to commoners for centuries. Construction began under the Yongle Emperor in the early 15th century and it was meticulously designed to be in harmony with philosophical, religious and hierarchical principles. All the roof tiles were yellow, the emperor’s colour, and no other building in Beijing could be taller than the Forbidden City. Explore this beguiling UNESCO-listed World Heritage Site and marvel at the magnificent temples, halls, pavilions, palaces and courtyards. Enjoy a local lunch after the visit. Then head on to Jingshan Park, the highest point in Beijing that stretches out over the manmade 45-metre-high hill of the same name and that was built on the Feng shui basis as a private garden for emperors and their families. The views over the Forbidden City and the rest of the capital are breath-taking. To wrap up our sightseeing tour we´ll visit the Temple of Heaven and the pearl market. You will be back in the hotel in the late afternoon.

Wake up to the breakfast at the hotel and begin the day with a ten minutes pedal-powered rickshaw ride through the Beijing’s intricate alleyway ‘Hutongs’. Stop off to visit a local family and enjoy a lunch in this authentic Beijing style with an array of dishes and Chinese hospitality, before taking a leisurely stroll around popular Houhai Lake. From here you will be transferred to Beijing West Railway Station in the afternoon to take a high-speed train direction to Xi’an (estimated departure time from Beijing Train Station is approx. at 15:00 to Xi’an arriving between 19:00-21:00). Once in Xi’an North Railway Station, you will be greeted by the guide who will assist you with the transfer and check in to your hotel. 

Wake up to breakfast at the hotel and get ready for your pick-up for a visit to the Terracotta Warriors Museum. Praised as the eighth wonder of the world, this collection of terracotta warriors, horses, chariots and weapons unearthed at the site of the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor provides a fascinating insight into ancient China. Around 2,000 warriors have been excavated since their chance discover in 1974, but it is estimated that there may be up to an impressive 8,000 in total. This silent army is a fascinating highlight to any tour. On the way back we´ll visit a jade factory and the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. This well-preserved ancient Buddhist pagoda was built in 652 during the Tang Dynasty and it is one of the oldest surviving structures of its kind in China. To wrap up our excursion we´ll visit a local jade factory and we learn about the process of fining and shaping of this beautiful precious stone, adored by the Chinese for its calming effects. Once back in the hotel, enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.

Enjoy your breakfast at the hotel and take a walk around the city walls, that have been protecting the city over the centuries. Breach the walls and head to the historic Muslim Quarter, a bustling section of the city where the majority of Xi’an’s Muslim population live and work. There are several mosques here and several lively market streets. Wander around the market and soak up the bright colourful atmosphere. Take the opportunity to sample a variety of local foods and snacks from the market sellers. In the afternoon, at the indicated time, you will be transferred to Xi’an Railway Station and board into a high-speed train to Shanghai Railway Station. Dinner on board (not incl.).

Early arrival at the Shanghai Railway Station. Our tour representative will meet&greet you and take you to your hotel for breakfast. Leave your luggage at the storeroom of the hotel, hop on the bus for a Shanghai’s old town city tour. Constructed 400 years ago during the Ming Dynasty, the colossal modern city of Shanghai has respectfully sprung up around the remains of its older relative, providing a fascinating window into the past. Visit the sublime Yu Garden, a wonderful example of classical design in the old city centre, tranquil spot for respite from the modern pace of life. After the lunch at the local restaurant (included), visit the Jade Buddha Temple, celebrated for its two magnificent white jade Burmese Buddha statues. Stroll along the seafront in The Bund and witness the world-famous Shanghai skyline first-hand. To wrap up our tour, stroll down to Nanjing Road, a well-known shopping boulevard with all the energy, bright lights and spectacle of Shanghai condensed into one location.

Wake up the breakfast at the hotel and prepare for another experience. Today we´ll drive to Zhujiajiao, water town, commonly called “Venice of China” where we´ll spend a half-day walking between the bohemian cafes and eye-catching high rise buildings. The charm of this picturesque town will be a memorable experience. Once back in Shanghai, we´ll head out to see the Former French Concession that will unveil the quiet and idle face of Shanghai, with the old European architecture. The elegant boulevards and leafy residential rues, as well as grandiose mansions with chateau-style roofs and turrets, will leave an impression that you entered into a different country. The last stop of the day is the Silk Factory, where we will admire this fine handicraft before heading back to the hotel for the evening.

Enjoy your farewell breakfast at the hotel, then prepare to check out of your room at the scheduled time and transfer to Shanghai Airport for your onward or return flight.