China Highlights Tour from Shanghai

Welcome to Shanghai, the futuristic financial capital of China! Meet your guide at the airport and take the private transfer to your hotel. On the way, he will introduce you to his beloved city and double-check your itinerary in Shanghai. About an hour later, check in at your hotel and have the rest of the day recovering from jet lag.

Start your city exploration from the Bund to contrast the colonial trading buildings on the west bank of the Huangpu River and the futuristic skyscrapers on the east. Then, stroll around the former French Concession to discover its villa-lined leafy backstreets. Continue to see a traditional garden - the Yu Garden dating from the 1600s, the bustling Yuyuan Market adjoining, and a silk workshop. Then, cross the Huangpu River to catch panoramic views of the immense metropolis from the top floor of the Shanghai World Financial Center.

It is a leisurely morning at your disposal, glimpsing into local recreation life at the People’s Park or discovering myriads of cultural pieces in the Shanghai Museum. In the afternoon, take a private transfer to the airport for your flight to Guilin. On arrival, be picked up and transferred to your downtown hotel. The evening is yours to explore the beautiful city center dotted with scenic lakes and various bridges.

Today, the four-hour Li River cruise from Zhujiang port, 50 minutes from the city by drive, will take you into an idyllic Chinese landscape painting of snaking emerald water, verdant towering hills, swaying bamboo groves, and floating boats. Disembark the cruise in Yangshuo after lunch, walk through the West Street lined night pubs, stylish stores, and restaurants, and proceed to your hotel on foot or by drive. The rest of the day is yours to relax in your hotel or take an optional tour to enjoy the laidback countryside along the Yulong River.

After breakfast, drive about 1.5 hours back to Guilin. Visit the Reed Flute Cave crammed with all manners of stalactites and stalagmites illuminated by colorful lights, which create a dynamic underground world. Nearby it, stop at a pearl store and then head to the airport for a flight to the next destination. Arrive in Xi'an two hours later, meet your guide and take the private transfer to your hotel.

Meet the Terracotta Warriors today to marvel at the mighty army of Qing Shi Huang, the first emperor who unified ancient China in 221BC. Have a short stop at Xi'an Are Ceramic Factory to learn how to make terracotta soldiers, horses, and chariots. Afterward, drive about an hour back to the city, ramble through the Muslim Quarter and visit the Great Mosque.

Stroll along the Xi'an City Wall, a massive fortification built in the 14th century to get a glimpse into local life: visit a morning market selling all kinds of endemic fruits, vegetables, snacks, and even cheaply disposed clothes; encounter the morning exercisers and even join them to do some simple exercises. Then, take a short drive to the railway station for a high-speed train to Beijing.

Get acquainted with the capital city from Tiananmen Square, the political center and symbolic of China. Nearby, the Forbidden City is an architectural wonder full of traditional Chinese halls, courtyards, gardens, and temples. Walk out from the Gate of Divine Prowess, get across a street, and climb up to the top of Jingshan Park, you will then be rewarded with spectacular panoramas of the ancient royal complex. Next, continue to the Temple of Heaven where the feudal emperors annually worshiped Heaven and prayed for a good harvest. It is another architectural masterpiece you must see in China.

Focus the day on the legendary Great Wall, the Mutianyu section two hours away from the urban center. There, a cable car will take you up and save you a lot of energy for more hikes on it to enjoy the majestic views of the rolling mountains stretching away with the winding walls. On the way back, stop to see a Jade Gallery and the Sacred Road, an integral part of the Ming Emperor’s mausoleum.

Time to say goodbye. Pack up your luggage and happy memories and meet your guide at the appointed time for the private transfer to the airport.