18 Days China Tour from Chengdu to Beijing Xian Guilin Yunnan Shanghai

Day-by-day Itinerary

1. Day 1: Chengdu Arrival

   So happy to see you on our 18-day private tour in China from Chengdu! Upon your arrival at the Shuangliu Airport, your local driver will pick you up and transfer you to the downtown hotel. The rest of today is free for you at leisure. Note: If you land at Tianfu Airport, the transfer fare may be slightly higher.

   Meal: N/A

   Accommodation: in Chengdu

2. Day 2: Chengdu Highlights
   Watch Pandas Tumble, Sip Tea in Spice-scented Alleys

   After breakfast, meet your guide in the lobby of your hotel and continue by car, to the high point of today's Chengdu tour - the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. Approximately 10 km from downtown Chengdu, it was established for the purpose of protecting and breeding endangered wild animals unique to China. By the end of 2024, there are 244 pandas in the base. Witness cute pandas climbing trees, eating bamboo, rolling and other daily activities. You will also see baby pandas, red pandas and black swans.

   

   After lunch, we go visit Wenshu Monastery, the oldest preserved Buddhist temple in Chengdu and the temple facing south that is a totally typical Qing Dynasty architecture. Stroll through the peaceful gardens, feel the Zen meditation and admire the ancient architecture. Finally hang out through Kuanzhai Alley. Composed of three old streets and the courtyard community between them, the Wide and Narrow Alley is a food paradise. Here, you can taste the leisurely pace of life in Chengdu, experience tea tasting, and try spicy snacks.

   Meal: Breakfast

   Accommodation: in Chengdu

3. Day 3: Chengdu to Leshan
   Descend 333 Steps to See 71-meter-high Buddha

   Today we will drive for 2 hours to Leshan Giant Buddha Scenic Area. The Great Buddha is 71 meters high and has ears that are 7 meters long, making it the largest cliff carved statue in China. Can you imagine? It took 90 years to complete. You can also see two King statues with a height of more than 16 meters on the cliffs on both sides of the big Buddha. You need to climb 333 steps to observe the solemn expression of the Buddha up close. If you're interested, you can pay for a boat ride on site to get a panoramic view of the giant Buddha.

   After the visit, we drive to Emeishan city. At night you can explore Emeishan's nightlife on your own. The tour guide will give you some good advice.

   Meal: Breakfast

   Accommodation: in Emeishan

   

4. Day 4: Mt. Emei Exploration
   Take Cable Car to the Golden Summit for Amazing Views

   Following breakfast we will drive to Mount Emei. A UNESCO World Heritage site, it is widely recognized for beautiful scenery and a deep Buddhist culture, as well as exceptional levels of biodiversity. Millions of visitors come each year to Mount Emei, to hike, take photographs and experience its culture, with 3,200 species of plants and 2,300 species of animals.

   When you arrive at the base, you'll follow your guide to a sightseeing bus that will take you to Leidongping, where you will continue by foot on an easy 30-minute hike to Jieyin Hall before taking a cable car to the incredible Golden Summit (3,077 meter), where - weather permitting - you should get a chance to see the sea of clouds covering the peaks. Also on the summit is a wonderfully decored golden statue of a Bodhisattva. You may ask yourself, how is it possible that such a magnificent structure was erected at such a high elevation?

   After soaking in the beautiful views, return via cable car to Leidongping and transfer to the sightseeing bus down the mountain. Warm note: put any food items deep within your bag, as the resident monkeys are occasionally aggressive.

   Finish the Emei Mountain tour, you'll be comfortably escorted back to your hotel in Chengdu.

   Meal: Breakfast

   Accommodation: in Chengdu

   

5. Day 5: Chengdu to Beijing by Flight
   Enjoy Sunset on the Great Wall and Illuminated Water Town

   Pack your luggage in the morning and check out of the hotel in Chengdu. The driver will take you to the airport to board a flight to Beijing.

   Upon arrival, the Beijing tour guide will pick you up and send you to Gubei Water Town. Located on the northeast side of Miyun, Gubei is a popular scenic area rebuilt on the basis of an ancient village. It is not accessible by car so suitable for walking tours. You can also take a boat tour and enjoy the scenery of the water town.

   Between 5:30 pm and 6 pm, your guide will take you on a cable car up the Simatai Great Wall (due to the insufficient lighting at night and steep terrain at night, for safety reasons, all tourists must take the cable car to get up and down the Great Wall). During the night tour, only the section from East No.5 Tower to East No.6 Tower is open. Enjoy the beautiful sunset on the Great Wall and the Gubei Water Town illuminated by colorful lights. After the visit, take the cable car down to the Great Wall. Check in at a hotel in Gubei Water Town.

   Meal: Breakfast

   Accommodation: in Gubei Water Town

   

6. Day 6: Jinshanling Great Wall Exploration
   Hike Ming Dynasty Dragon's Back through Watchtowers

   After breakfast, drive half an hour to Jinshanling Great Wall. It is the most well preserved section of the Ming Great Wall. The Jinshanling Great Wall was first built in 1368, has a length of about 15 km, starting at Wangjing Tower in the East and finishing at Longyukou in the West. This section of the wall has a lot of enemy towers, consisting of 5 passes and 67 watchtowers, as well as 3 beacon towers. The Kylin Screen Wall, Bricks with Characters, and General Tower are the three wonders of the Jinshanling Great Wall. Follow the guide to explore ancient military defense systems and learn the stories behind them.

   If your physical strength is limited, you can take the cable car up and down the Great Wall. The tour guide will help you buy tickets on site. After the tour, we drive back to the hotel in downtown Beijing to check in.

   Meal: Breakfast

   Accommodation: in Beijing

   

7. Day 7: City Highlights in Beijing
   Explore Royal Heritages from Palace to Temple

   The first stop on today's tour of Beijing is Tian'anmen Square, one of the largest city squares in the world, covering an area of 440,000 meters, or 62 standard football fields. In the center of Beijing, there are many buildings to see on the square, including the Tiananmen Gate Tower, the Monument to the People's Heroes, and the Great Hall of the People (from the outside).

   You are walking north and will find the Forbidden City. The Forbidden City (also called the Palace Museum) was the imperial palace of the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing dynasties (1644-1911). The Forbidden City is the best-preserved wooden ancient architecture complex in the world and has been a World Heritage Site since 1987. Join your guide on a journey through time and space to witness the life of the Chinese royal family.

   

   In the afternoon you will be taken on a visit to the Temple of Heaven, the most extensive ancient sacrificial architecture complex in China. In the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Emporors prayed to heaven here for valleys and rain. In 1998 it was opened to the public as a proper park. The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests is the main building, circular with three layers of eaves, and is where the Emperor held sacrificial ceremonies. After the visit, return to the hotel.

   Meal: Breakfast

   Accommodation: in Beijing

8. Day 8: Beijing to Xi'an by Bullet Train
   Spend a Leisurely Time at Summer Resort of the Qing Dynasty Emperors

   You will have a relaxing morning in the Summer Palace, the largest royal garden in China, built in 1750. This is almost one hundred percent made up of Wanshou Mountain and Kunming Lake and more than 3,000 ancient structures including pavilions, bridges, corridors and buildings in the park. Learn more about its story from your knowledgeable guide. If you are interested, you can go boating on Kunming Lake (optional, extra charge).

   After lunch, be taken to the railway station by high-speed rail to the ancient capital of thirteen dynasties, Xi'an. Upon arrival, the local driver will send you to a hotel in the city center for check-in.

   Meal: Breakfast

   Accommodation: in Xi'an

   

9. Day 9: Terracotta Army Tour
   Be Amazed by the Life-size Clay Soldiers

   After breakfast, the local guide in Xi'an will wait for you in the hotel lobby. Then drive 1 hour to Lintong District to visit one of the greatest archaeological discoveries in the 21st century - the Terracotta Warriors and Horses. This is a set of life sized clay sculptures arranged in a battle formation, ordered to be built by the first emperor of China. You will spend 2-2.5 hours visiting 3 pits, among which Pit 1 is the largest, with over 6,000 warriors inside, lifelike and each with a unique facial expression.

   Return to the city after lunch. The guide will take you up the iconic Ancient City Wall. This is the largest and most well preserved city wall in the world, with a total length of 13.74 meters. The city wall has four main gates, among which the South Gate is the most exquisite. Usually, some important welcoming ceremonies are held in the square in front of the South Gate. You can take a bike on the city wall to save energy (optional, at your own expense). After the visit, return to the hotel to rest.

   Meal: Breakfast

   Accommodation: in Xi'an

   

10. Day 10: Fly to Guilin from Xi'an
    Admire Xian City Landmark, Feast on Muslim Flavors

    After having breakfast, you will visit one of Xi'an city's landmarks, the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. The Pagoda is located in the Daci'en Temple, a Buddhist holy site founded in the Tang Dynasty. It is built to house large numbers of Buddha statues, scriptures, and relics that had been transported back to the city from India by Xuanzang. If you want to, visitors can climb the top of the pagoda to overlook the views of Xi'an (fees to climb the pagoda are paid on site).

    Afterwards, go to Huimin Street, which is a place where Muslims live in Xi'an. Besides the mosque, the most popular here are various snacks. You can taste Xi'an special food such as Biangbiang Noodles, Mutton and Bread Pieces in Soup, Roujiamo, Liangpi.

    In the afternoon, you will be sent to Xi'an Xianyang International Airport to take a flight to Guilin. What awaits you in Guilin is the breathtaking scenery of mountains and rivers.

    Meal: Breakfast

    Accommodation: in Guilin

    

11. Day 11: Li River Cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo
    Enjoy a Scenic Cruise along the Li River

    Today is the highlight of this 18-day China tour. You will take a cruise from Guilin along the Li River to Yangshuo Town. Along the way you can appreciate beautiful karst peaks, see water buffaloes laboring in the fields, and fishermen passing on bamboo rafts... The ride takes 4 hours and the wonderful landscape and countryside will not disappoint you. Buffet lunch will be provided on board.

    After arriving in Yangshuo, the guide will take you to experience the rural life in China. You can join local farmers to try it out. Then have the opportunity to take a bamboo raft to visit Fuli Bridge. With a history of hundreds of years, it boasts a beautiful surrounding environment.

    Take an evening walk on West Street alone. The oldest street in Yangshuo, dating back more than 1,400 years; it has been a key communication bridge between East and West since the 1980s. You can discover many Western cultures and elements. Relax at a hotel in Yangshuo at night.

    Meal: Breakfast

    Accommodation: in Guilin

    

12. Day 12: Guilin to Kunming
    Marvel at the Beautiful Stalagmites in Crystal Palace

    Drive for around 2 hours, back to Guilin city from Yangshuo to visit the Reed Flute Cave, which is known as the "Palace of Nature's Art". The cave is 240 meters deep and is filled with a large number of beautiful and translucent stalagmites, stalactites, stone pillars and stone flowers, which were most formed 700,000 years ago. The Crystal Palace and Shiling Chaoxia are the most famous.

    Leave the visit and go to this ancient town that is older than a thousand years, Daxu Ancient Town. Daxu was flourishing at that time in the Republican period with wide commercial streets, over ten docks and a famous meeting town for merchants. Walk along the narrow blue stone path in-between the buildings built from the Ming and Qing dynasty. Visit a bamboo weaving workshops, a shoe making workshop and an old-fashioned hair salon.

    Finally, you will be taken to the airport by plane to Kunming, the capital city of Yunnan province.

    Meal: Breakfast

    Accommodation: in Kunming

    

13. Day 13: Kunming Stone Forest Visit
    Wander Black Stone Forests, Then Seek Zen in Ancient Temple

    Meet your Kunming tour guide and she/he will take you to visit the Naigu Stone Forest Scenic Area, located 8 km north of the Stone Forest. Due to its resemblance to a pine forest when viewed from above, it is named "Black Pine Rock". In Yi language, "Naigu" means "black", hence it is called Naigu Stone Forest. The stone peaks are black in color, different from the bluish gray of the Stone Forest. The water of Baiyun Lake at the entrance is like a mirror, with clear water and abundant fish.

    Afterward, head to Yuantong Temple, one of the oldest Buddhist temples in Kunming with a history of over 1,200 years. It is also the largest temple in Kunming city. Follow your guide to explore some important halls and learn about their stories. After the tour, take a plane to Shangri-La.

    Meal: Breakfast

    Accommodation: in Shangri-La

    

14. Day 14: Shangri-La's Essence
    Wander Golden-roof Temple and Enjoy Beautiful Lakes

    The Shangri-La tour will take you to visit Songzanlin Monastery in the morning, the largest Tibetan Buddhist temple in Yunnan Province. From the outside, it looks like a group of ancient castles with golden roofs and red and white walls. Hence it is also known as the 'Little Potala Palace'. Entering each hall, you can see exquisite murals and golden Buddha statues.

    Then, transfer you to Pudacuo National Forest Park. This beautiful environment has been kept in great shape from lakes and wetlands to forests, creeks, and rare wildlife. Bita Lake is among the best of the park, and you can stroll around the lake on a four-kilometer walking trail. There is also a small island in the middle of the lake where ducks, black swans, and other aquatic birds live.

    Meal: Breakfast

    Accommodation: in Shangri-La

    

15. Day 15: Drive to Lijiang
    Challenge Hiking World's One of the Deepest Canyons

    After breakfast, drive to Lijiang. On the way, we will visit one of the deepest canyons in the world - Tiger Leaping Gorge, with a vertical height difference of over 3,900 meters. The Tiger Leaping Gorge is divided into three sections, and we will hike up the narrowest section. Legend has it that a tiger once jumped the giant stone here to the opposite bank, hence the name "Tiger Leaping Gorge". After the visit, continue driving to your hotel in Lijiang to rest.

    Meal: Breakfast

    Accommodation: in Lijiang

    

16. Day 16: Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Adventure
    Glaciers, Blue Valleys, Trace Naxi Wisdom through Ancient Murals

    Good morning. Today is a highlight of the Yunnan tour! Yulong (Jade Dragon) Snow Mountain, with an altitude of over 4,000 meters, boasts landscapes such as glaciers, alpine meadows, primitive forests, and snow capped mountains. Yulong Snow Mountain means silver-colored mountain rocks in Naxi. Thirteen snow peaks stretch endlessly, resembling a "giant dragon" soaring and dancing, hence it is called the "Jade Dragon".

    Entering the scenic area, we first arrive at the Ganhaizi Tourist Center. Ganhaizi is a plateau meadow surrounded by mountains on three sides, where tourists can enjoy a panoramic view of Yulong Snow Mountain. Take the cable car to Glacier Park (4680 meters), the largest glacier in Yulong Snow Mountain, with a total length of 2.9 kilometers. At the end of the glacier are various ice forests, which appear blue-green due to sunlight refraction.

    

    After descending the mountain, transfer to the bus towards Blue Moon Valley. The riverbed here consists of white limestone, which gives the entire river a whitish color. Thus it is called "Baishui (White Water) River". Because on sunny days the water appears blue, and the valley is crescent shaped, it is called "Blue Moon Valley". Seen from a distance, it resembles a blue moon set at the base of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain.

    In the afternoon, exit the Yulong Snow Mountain Scenic Area and head to appreciate Baisha murals in Baisha Village, the birthplace of Naxi culture. Most of the murals were created during the Ming and Qing dynasties, blending the flowing and colorful style of Tibetan Buddhist painting. They are considered treasures of mural art.

    Afterward, be guided to visit a Naxi family, learn about Naxi music, unique Dongba script, and lifestyle. Last, go to visit Black Dragon Pool, also known as Yuquan Park. Located at the base of Elephant Mountain, Deyue Tower is the symbol of the park, with the beautiful snow covered mountains behind it often seen in promotional videos.

    Meal: Breakfast

    Accommodation: in Lijiang

17. Day 17: Lijiang to Shanghai by Flight
    Ming Dynasty Garden's Tranquility & Bund's Glittering River of Lights

    This morning, we will depart from picturesque Yunnan and take a flight to the international metropolis of Shanghai. After arrival, the tour guide in Shanghai will first take you to enjoy lunch. Afterward, we drive to the hotel to rest.

    Your guided Shanghai trip starts in the afternoon. Yuyuan Garden is the most popular traditional cultural "card" in Shanghai. Built in the Ming Dynasty, this garden has a history of over 450 years. It was originally a private garden, built by its owner to allow his father to enjoy his later years. Entering the Yu Garden, you can see elegant pavilions, green trees and man-made lakes. After that, take a stroll around the Yuyuan Market nearby.

    Known as the International Architecture Exhibition Group, the Bund is a must see on a trip to Shanghai. Here, you can appreciate various styles of architecture, including British, Italian, French, and Spanish... And enjoy the beautiful night view of Huangpu River.

    Optional night activity:

    Attend an entertaining Acrobatic Show or take a relaxing Huangpu River night cruise for the spectacular scenery on the bank.

    Meal: Breakfast

    Accommodation: in Shanghai

    

18. Day 18: Shanghai Departure

    This is the end of your 18-day private tour in China. Our driver will transfer you from your hotel to Shanghai Pudong Airport for departure. Safe travels!

    Meal: Breakfast

    Accommodation: N/A