10 Days Private Tour of Beijing - Xi'an - Chengdu - Shanghai
- Prices are per person on twin sharing.
- The prices reflect a 12% discount before Dec 31, 2024
- If you are a group of 6 people or more, we will offer a more favorable price for your group size.
- This trip can be customized to meet your individual needs!
Price Includes
- Domestic airfares & train fares
- Hotel accommodation with breakfasts
- A la carte lunches as the itinerary specifies
- Private English-speaking guides
- Private drivers & air-conditioned vehicles
- Entrance fees to tourist sites
Price Excludes
- International airfares
- Entry Visa fees
- Personal expenses
- Tips or gratuities for guides and drivers
Day 1 Entry Beijing
Today, our guide will be waiting for you outside the airport's Arrival Hall, holding our logo sign. Then, a comfortable private drive will take you to the well-selected hotel. Relax for the remainder of the day to recover from the long flight. If you feel all right, you may go out to get a first impression of the city on your own; we will be glad to give you some advice.
Day 2 Beijing
Your private China tour will start from the famous Tiananmen Square, the largest central city square in the world. It is also a place for celebrations and military parades on important days. The guide will then lead you to the north end of the square, through the Tian’anmen Tower, and then visit the majestic Forbidden City, an imperial palace complex built nearly 600 years ago.
After lunch, continue the visit to Yonghe Temple, the best-preserved lamasery in Beijing. It has a unique architectural style, integrating Han, Manchu, Mongolian and Tibetan. Then the Temple of Heaven, where emperors offered sacrifices to the God of Heaven in ancient times. For emperors, offering sacrifices at the Temple of Heaven was the most solemn among all ceremonies, hence it was born a holy place. Nowadays, this former royal temple has been enlarged and also used as a distinctive park by the locals.
Meals: Western buffet breakfast, A la carte welcome lunch
Day 3 Beijing
Morning excursion will take you to visit Mutianyu Great Wall, which boasts its magnificence and natural views. A round-way cable car ride will be included for easier up and down. As one of the seven wonders of the world, the Great Wall is a tribute to the wisdom and painstaking efforts of the ancient Chinese people. Standing on the wall and viewing it as it winds its way along the mountain ridges will leave you with a long-lasting memory. Comfortable shoes are good support for your Great Wall visit.
In the afternoon, return to downtown Beijing, with a photo stop at the Bird's Nest (Olympic National Stadium) when driving by. Then, head directly to Shichahai. We will specially arrange a rickshaw ride there, for you to experience the life of old Beijingers. Passing by the Hutongs and along the lakefront, it will last for around 40 minutes. After, visit one of the well preserved Siheyuan and have a nice talk with the host to learn the life of present Chinese people. If interested, the guide will then drop you off at the nearby bar street; otherwise, he or she will send you back to your hotel for a good rest.
Meals: Western buffet breakfast
Day 4 Beijing to Xi'an by High-Speed Train
This morning, our guide will accompany you to explore the Summer Palace, a luxury resort used by the royal family for leisure and entertainment. Embodying the essence of classical architecture from different areas of China, the royal garden is especially famous for its delicate scenery and ingenious layout.
Then, the guide will transfer you to the railway station and assist you to board a high speed train to Xi'an. How exciting to travel on the ground at a speed of 350 km/h (217 mph)! The travel time varies from about 4.5 to 5.5 hours. To save you time, we will try our best to book one with fewer intermediate stops and a shorter duration. You are recommended to bring some fruits or snacks and prepare a book or a movie device to have a happy time on the train. On arrival, our guide and driver in Xi'an will greet you at the station and escort you to the hotel.
Meals: Western buffet breakfast
Day 5 Xi'an
This wonderful day will start at the world-renowned Terracotta Army Museum, which houses over nine thousand of terracotta warriors, plus horses, chariots, and more, serving as Emperor Qin Shi Huang's (259 BC - 210 BC)’s burial objects near his enigmatic mausoleum. You will marvel at figures so vivid that rumor has it that they were made of real human beings - of course, they were not, but it indeed suggests how incredible the artistic skills of Qin people could be. Be amazed at the facial features and postures that vary from warrior to warrior, as well as the fact that those figures were body parts put together after each being molded, polished, and carved!
Then, return to downtown and visit an ancient landmark of Xi’an- Giant Wild Goose Pagoda. It is a square brick pagoda, the biggest of its kind. Although it has gone through more than 1,300 years of vicissitudes, the pagoda looks still elegant and exquisite with its original features.
Today’s last stop will be the Great Tang All Day Mall, also named Grand Tang Ever Bright City to the south of the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda. As the name suggests, it’s a Tang Dynasty (618 – 907) themed block for displaying the architecture, culture, and customs back then, vibrant both day and night. The guide will assist you in getting dressed in Hanfu, the traditional clothes of Chinese Han group, and “stroll back to ancient China”. It is the most popular costume among locals and tourists to visit the antique block.
At last, send you back to the hotel, or you may get back to the hotel by yourself after staying for a while longer. The hotel we booked for you is not far and the guide will inform you the return way.
Meals: Western buffet breakfast
Day 6 Xi'an to Chengdu by High-Speed Train
This morning, we will first head to the City Wall Park, which is a good place to learn about the leisure and entertainment life of Chinese people, especially the elderly. Here, you will have a chance to join the locals and play Tai Chi, which helps build up your body and keep a peaceful mind. For senior travelers taking a China tour, this offers a great opportunity to compare and contrast the retired lifestyle here with their own.
After experiencing locals’ life, climb up to the ancient City Wall, another historical symbol of this time-honored city. Cycling on the wall is a popular activity and it takes around 2 hours to complete a circle. A sightseeing car is also available and the whole journey takes about 50 minutes. The case you want to have a try, our guide will assist you in renting a bike or buying a sightseeing car ticket on the spot.
A visit to the Great Mosque comes next, together with the bustling Muslim Quarter around. Muslim Quarter is the gathering place of not only Muslims in Xi’an, but also various local snacks. This noon, we will select a noted restaurant there for you to taste some of the best, including hot oil noodles, fried dumplings, and Xi’an Sandwich (Rou Jia Mo).
In the afternoon, you will head to Chengdu by a high-speed train, which takes around 4 hours. Upon arrival, you will be met and transferred to the hotel by our local guide and driver.
Meals: Western buffet breakfast, featuring Xi'an snacks for lunch
Day 7 Chengdu
The Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding will be a top priority on today’s agenda. The giant pandas there are so lovely with chubby bodies and cute appearance. We visit in the morning because they are the liveliest after one night’s rest. You will see them eating their meals and playing together.
After watching the adorable giant pandas, we will head to Xiaojiahe Community and spend a leisurely afternoon there as the locals do.
Then, visit a vegetable market. The market is visited by the locals every day, to shop for vegetables, meat, seafood, seasonings, fruit, and more needed for cooking meals. You can meet someone never seen before. With the assistance of the guide, you could ask about the price and have a better understanding of the price level in China.
Next, you will walk for about 15 minutes to Xiaojia River bank to experience slow-paced life. Locals gather there playing mahjong or cards, drinking tea or just chatting with each other. What a life of the Chengdu people! You may join them to have fun; As a special treat, we will serve you a cup of coffee in the traditional tea bowl with a cover. Sip it slowly, as the locals enjoy their tea,and allow yourself to be captivated by the serene atmosphere. This spot is not only ideal for gaining insights into the authentic life of the locals but is also an unmissable highlight for those planning a China tour for seniors specifically.
Chengdu is way more than merely giant pandas and a chill lifestyle. This city will also mesmerize you with its history-and-mystery-steeped vibe. It’s largely because of the lost ancient Shu Civilization that flourished 4,000 years ago on this land - though its existence has been proved by the relics it left at the Sanxingdui archeological site, there are still several mysteries to be solved.
At the end of the day, the guide will transfer you back to the hotel.
Meals: Western buffet breakfast
Day 8 Chengdu to Shanghai by Flight
Bid farewell to Chengdu today. You will be escorted to the airport and board the flight to Shanghai. After 2.5 hours of flying, you will see our Shanghai guide warmly greeting you at the Arrival Hall.
After, drive to visit the Bund on the west bank of the Huangpu River. It is the most prosperous area of Shanghai in the early 20th century, still preserving many Western-style buildings.
Then, transfer to the hotel for a two-night stay.
Meals: Western buffet breakfast
Day 9 Shanghai
After breakfast, you will be guided to visit Shanghai Museum and Yu Garden. As one of the four most distinguished museums, Shanghai Museum holds a rich and high-quality collection of 120,000 ancient precious works of art. Yu Garden is a classical and elegant garden in the heart of the city. Beautiful vistas there delight visitors in every corner, and one may feel everything in this garden was created by nature. Then, the guide will accompany you to walk through the Yuyuan Bazaar outside the garden to the parking lot and take the private car to a superb restaurant.
A farewell a la carte lunch (valued at CNY150 per person and included in our price) will be arranged there. You can enjoy some fresh and tasty Shanghai and Cantonese dishes based on your flavor.
This afternoon will be spent in the quaint Zhujiajiao Water Town. It is reputed as “Oriental Venice” because of the folk residences built along rivers. It is not as modern and stylish as Shanghai but preserves more traces of the past.
Meals: Western buffet breakfast, A la carte farewell lunch
Day 10 Departure from Shanghai
According to your international flight schedule, our guide and driver will pick you up at the hotel and transfer you to the airport on time. If you prefer to experience the maglev train ride to the Pudong Airport, we can also arrange it for you. We wish you a pleasant homebound journey!
Meals: Western buffet breakfast