Private Tour 8-Day in Beijing, Xi’an & Shanghai

🍽 Breakfast Included

Today we will visit the capital of China - Beijing. Tiananmen was the main gate of the Beijing imperial city during the Ming and Qing dynasties. It was first built in the 15th year of Yongle in the Ming Dynasty (1417). At the northern end of Tiananmen Square is the Palace Museum. The Forbidden City in Beijing is one of the largest and best-preserved ancient wooden structures in the world. It is a national 5A-level tourist attraction and was listed as a world cultural heritage site in 1987. Afterwards, we will go to the Royal Garden of the Qing Dynasty in China and the national 5A-level tourist attraction—the Summer Palace.

Itinerary:
Beijing → Tiananmen Square (30 mins) → Palace Museum (3 hours) → Summer Palace (1.5 hours, including cruise, if there is no boat in winter, it can be reduced by ￥20 per person) → Hotel

Note: Today’s walking distance is approximately 15,000 steps, mainly for urban sightseeing. Please wear comfortable casual shoes.

Tiananmen Square

Tiananmen Square is a city square in the city center of Beijing, China, named after the eponymous Tiananmen, located to its north, which separates it from the Forbidden City. The square contains the Monument to the People's Heroes, the Great Hall of the People, the National Museum of China, and the Mausoleum of Mao Zedong. Mao Zedong proclaimed the founding of the People's Republic of China in the square on October 1, 1949, the anniversary of this event is still observed here. The size of Tiananmen Square is 765 x 282 meters (215,730 m2 or 53.31 acres). It has great cultural significance as it was the site of several important events in Chinese history.

The Palace Museum

The palace consists of many separate halls and courtyards. The outer buildings of the palace became a museum in 1914, although the imperial family continued to live in private apartments until 1924. In 1925, after the former emperor Puyi of the Qing dynasty was moved out, the Palace Museum was formally established. Many of the halls surrounding the museum are presented as if they had appeared in dynastic times. The main buildings of the museum include the Hall of Supreme Harmony, one of the largest wooden buildings in China. The Hall of Preserving Harmony displays a fine collection of works of art, many from the imperial treasures. Among the more impressive works is a 14-metre- (47-foot-) long Yuan fresco that was taken from the Xinghua Temple. Other areas of the palace contain displays of bronze, sculptures, pottery and porcelain, jade, and silks. Some of the treasures are exhibited in the northeast corner of the palace, known as the Palace of Peace and Longevity.

The Summer Palace

Using Kunming Lake, the former reservoir of the Yuan dynasty’s capital and Longevity Hill as the basic framework, the Summer Palace combined political and administrative, residential, spiritual, and recreational functions within a landscape of lakes and mountains, in accordance with the Chinese philosophy of balancing the works of man with nature. Kunming Lake contains three large islands, corresponding to the traditional Chinese symbolic mountain garden element, the southern of which is linked to the East Dike by the Seventeen Arch Bridge. An essential feature is the West Dike with six bridges in different styles along its length. Other important features include temples and monasteries in Han and Tibetan style located on the north side of the Hill of Longevity and the Garden of Harmonious Pleasure to the north-east.

🍽 Lunch included

🍽 Dinner Special

🍽 Breakfast Included

Today, we will go to the Mutianyu Great Wall, a national 5A-level tourist scenic spot, which enjoys the reputation of “the Great Wall, Mutianyu's unique beauty". The wall of the Great Wall remains intact, which better reflects the ancient charm of the Great Wall and has profound historical value and high cultural value. In 1987, the Mutianyu Great Wall was included in the "World Cultural Heritage" list by UNESCO. After that, we will go to the Beijing Olympic Park, check in the main stadium of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, the National Stadium - the Bird's Nest and the National Aquatics Center - the Water Cube.

Itinerary:

Beijing → Mutianyu Great Wall (3 hours) → Beijing → Olympic Park: National Stadium & National Aquatics Center (outside visit, 1 hour) → Hotel

Meal Arrangements:

Breakfast: Included at the hotel

Lunch: Included

Dinner: Included

Mutianyu Great Wall

Mutianyu is a section of the Great Wall of China located in Huairou District within the city limits of Beijing 70 kilometers (43 mi) northeast of the center of the city. The Mutianyu section of the Great Wall is connected with Jiankou in the west and Lianhuachi in the east. As one of the best-preserved parts of the Great Wall, the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall used to serve as the northern barrier defending the capital and the imperial tombs. Built mainly with granite, the wall is 7 to 8.5 meters (23 to 28 ft) high, and its top is 4 to 5 meters (13 to 16 ft) wide. Compared with other sections of the Great Wall, Mutianyu Great Wall possesses unique characteristics in its construction. Watchtowers are densely placed along this section of the Great Wall - 22 watchtowers on this 2,250-meter (7,380 ft) stretch.

National Stadium

The National Stadium, also known as the Bird's Nest, is an 80,000-capacity stadium in Beijing. The stadium was designed for use throughout the 2008 Summer Olympics and Paralympics. It was used again in the 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics. The structural form of the stadium is popularly described as a 'bird’s nest', with its pattern inspired by Chinese-style 'crazed pottery'. Seemingly random, the pattern abides by complex rules for which advanced geometry was defined.

National Aquatics Center

The National Aquatics Centre, and colloquially known as the Water Cube and the Ice Cube, is an aquatics center at the Olympic Green in Beijing, China. The facility was originally constructed to host the aquatics competitions at the 2008 Summer Olympics and Paralympics. During the Olympics where it hosted diving, swimming and synchronized swimming events.

🍽 Lunch included

🍽 Dinner Special

🍽 Breakfast Included

This morning, we will go to the national 5A-level scenic spot - the Temple of Heaven, which is the place where the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties "worshiped heaven" and "prayed for the valley." It is the largest ancient sacrificial building complex in China. The Temple of Heaven Park is surrounded by two altar walls, which are divided into two parts: "inner altar" and "outer altar.” The "Circular Mound Altar" for offering sacrifices to heaven on the winter solstice, the fasting palace where the emperor lived before offering sacrifices, and the Kagura Department for performing sacrificial ceremonies and music. After lunch, we will take the high-speed train to Xi'an, the ancient capital of 13 dynasties.

Itinerary:
Beijing → Temple of Heaven (1 hour) → Take the high-speed rail from Beijing to Xi'an (no tour guide on the high-speed rail)

Meal Arrangements:

Breakfast: Included at the hotel

Lunch: Included

Dinner: Included

Temple of Heaven

The Temple of Heaven is an axial arrangement of Circular Mound Altar to the south, opening to the sky with the conically roofed Imperial Vault of Heaven immediately to its north. This is linked by a raised sacred way to the circular, three-tiered, conically roofed Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests further to the north. Here at these places the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties as interlocutors between humankind and the celestial realm offered sacrifice to heaven and prayed for bumper harvests. To the west is the Hall of Abstinence where the emperor fasted after making sacrifices. The siting, planning, and architectural design of the Temple of Heaven as well as the sacrificial ceremony and associated music were based on ancient tenets relating numbers and spatial organization to beliefs about heaven and its relationship to people on earth, mediated by the emperor as the “Son of Heaven”. Other dynasties in China have built altars for worshipping the heaven, but the Temple of Heaven in Beijing is the masterpiece of ancient Chinese culture and is the representative work of numerous sacrificial buildings in China.

🍽 Lunch included

🍽 Dinner Special

🍽 Breakfast Included

Today we will first go to the national 5A-level tourist attraction and the first batch of national first-level museums - Qinshihuang Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum. It is based on the Terracotta Warriors and Horses of Qin Shihuang, and it is a site museum built on the original site of the Terracotta Warriors and Horses Pit. It is also the largest ancient military museum in China. In December 1987, UNESCO included the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor (including the Terracotta Warriors and Horses Pit) in the "List of World Cultural Heritage". Then go to the national 5A-level tourist attraction - Huaqing Palace, also known as "Huaqing Pool", with Lishan Mountain in the south and Weishui River in the north. It is well-known at home and abroad for its unchanging hot spring resources, the historical allusions of the princes of the Fenghuo Opera, the love story between Tang Minghuang and Yang Guifei, and the place where the "Xi'an Incident" took place, and has become a landmark scenic spot for Chinese Tang Palace cultural tourism. After returning to downtown Xi’an, we will first go to Bell and Drum Tower Square and Huimin Street. On the east side of the square is the Bell Tower with a history of more than 600 years, and on the west side is the largest Drum Tower in the country; Huimin Street is the concentration of Xi’an snacks. In the Muslim area, you can still feel a strong Muslim atmosphere here. Afterwards, we will visit the Big Wild Goose Pagoda in the Da Ci'en Temple. The Big Wild Goose Pagoda is the earliest and largest brick pagoda with square pavilions in the Tang Dynasty. It is a typical material evidence of the integration of Chinese culture, and it is a landmark building that condenses the wisdom of the ancient Chinese working people. Finally, we came to the only large pedestrian street imitating Tang Dynasty buildings in the country with the background of Tang culture - Datang Everbright City, which is also a landmark scenic spot in Xi'an.

Itinerary:

Xi'an → Qinshihuang Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum (3 hours) → Huaqing Palace (1 hour) → Muslim Street (1 hour) → Bell and Drum Tower Square (30 mins) → Da Ci'en Temple & Big Wild Goose Pagoda (1 hour, Big Wild Goose Pagoda does not include tower boarding tickets) → Free time at Datang Everbright City

Meal Arrangements:

Breakfast: Included at the hotel

Lunch: Included

Dinner: Included

Note: Today’s walking distance is approximately 10,000 steps, mainly for urban sightseeing. Please wear comfortable casual shoes.

Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor

Located at the northern foot of Lishan Mountain, 35 kilometers northeast of Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, Qinshihuang Mausoleum is the tomb of Emperor Qinshihuang, founder of the first unified empire in Chinese history during the 3rd century BCE. As the tomb of the first emperor who unified the country, it is the largest in Chinese history, with a unique standard layout and has a large number of exquisite objects. It testifies to the founding of the first unified empire- the Qin Dynasty. The grave mound, sites of constructions, burial tombs and burial pits in Qinshihuang Mausoleum truthfully maintain their original location, material, formation, technology and structure, which authentically reflect the constricting regulation of the Mausoleum and palace life along with military systems of the Qin Dynasty. The numerous unearthed cultural relics reflect the highest technical level of pottery, chariot assembly, metallurgy, and metal processing in the Qin Dynasty.

Huaqing Palace

Huaqing Palace, also known as Huaqing Hot Springs, is a well-known historic site and an AAAAA tourist attraction of China. It gets its fame for being the place where the romantic story of Emperor Tangxuanzong of Tang Dynasty (618-907) and his beloved Yang Guifei (or Concubine Yang) took place.

As a matter of fact, the site had been as an imperial palace for emperors' short stays away from the capital for more than 3000 years. Emperors of Zhou, Qin, Han, Sui and Tang dynasties spent the winter at this place every year. Emperor Zhouyouwang of Western Zhou Dynasty (1046BC-771BC) is said to be the first emperor who ordered to build a palace at the site. In the following dynasties, the palace was repaired and expanded for several times, given the name of "Hot Spring Palace" and finally denominated "Huaqqing Palace" by Emperor Tangxuanzong. The palace was constructed above hot springs; hence the site is also called "Huaqing Hot Springs".

Huimin Street

Muslim Street of Xi'an, known as Huimin Jie as well by Chinese, is a Muslim community in the city. The district houses the architectures in the style of Ming and Qing dynasties. The Drum Tower is located in the south and memorial archway is located in the north, embracing many ancient courtyards as well as some 10 mosques in diverse sizes that built in different time. It is also where there are about 20,000 Muslims retaining their pristine religious tradition and lifestyle. Huimin Street is a famous "snack street" due to its rich delicious local Xi'an delicacies and typical Shaanxi snacks that are concentrated here. It attracts visitors home and abroad. This featured bluestone-paved old street is also the favorite haunt for locals because of the tastiest food and leisure atmosphere. 

Bell Tower and Drum Tower Square

The Bell Tower and Drum Tower Square are located at the intersection of East, West, South and North Avenue. According to research, this was once the site of Shangshusheng (Department of State Affairs) during the Tang Dynasty. On the north side of the square, there are a number of prestigious and long-established shops; and under the square is the Century Golden Flower Mall. In addition, there is a musical fountain built on the Bell Tower.

Dayan Pagoda

Giant Wild Goose Pagoda or Big Wild Goose Pagoda is a monumental Buddhist pagoda located in southern Xi'an, Shaanxi, China. It was built during the Tang dynasty and originally had five stories. It was rebuilt in 704 during the reign of Empress Wu Zetian and its exterior brick facade was renovated during the Ming dynasty. One of the pagoda's many functions was to hold sutras and figurines of Gautama Buddha that were brought to China from India by the seventh-century Buddhist monk, scholar, traveler, and translator Xuanzang. Today, the interior walls of the pagoda feature engraved statues of Buddha by the renowned 7th-century artist Yan Liben. This pagoda was added to the World Heritage List, along with many other sites along the Silk Road, as part of the "Silk Roads: the Routes Network of Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor" site in 2014.

Grand Tang Dynasty Ever-bright City

Grand Tang Dynasty Ever-bright City is located between the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda and Tang Paradise, full of Tang stylistic elements. Ever-bright City's Central Axis View Avenue is a 1,500-meter central and sculptured pedestrian street that runs from the north and south. It is surrounded by nine groups of themed groups such as the emperor, historical figures, heroic stories, and classic works of art, offering three-dimensional representations of the Tang Dynasty's supremacy in the fields of religion, art, science and technology and to highlight the great country.

🍽 Lunch included

🍽 Dinner Special

🍽 Breakfast Included

Today, we will climb the ancient city wall of Xi'an from the south gate, Yongning Gate, which is a national 5A-level tourist attraction. The city wall of Xi'an completely surrounds the "defense" strategic system. The thickness of the city wall is greater than its height, and it is as stable as a mountain. Xi'an City Wall, the oldest and best-preserved ancient city wall in the world, continues the historical context of the entire ancient capital Chang'an, and blooms its magnificence, magnificence and broadness to the world with its unique charm, showing the world The profundity, wisdom and inclusiveness of the ancient capital. After lunch, we will fly to Shanghai.

Itinerary:
Xi’an → Yongning Gate & Xi’an City Wall (1 hour) → Fly from Xi’an to Shanghai by plane (no tour guide on the plane)

Yongning Gate

The south gate of the Xi’an City Wall is Yongning Gate. It’s often referred to as South Gate. The gate was constructed during the early years of the Sui Dynasty. It is the city gate that has been around the oldest in Xi’an. It is the gate that is on the east side of the three gates of the imperial city for the Sui Dynasty. The Chinese people have the belief that the south is where you will find the god of fire. Thus the south gate, which is known as Yongning, is intended to be used to pray to god of fire.

🍽 Lunch included

🍽 Dinner Special

🍽 Breakfast Included

This morning we will visit China's largest city - Shanghai. Walking into Yu Garden, a national 4A-level tourist attraction, there are various pavilions, towering rocks, and green trees in the garden. Then we will go to the Chenghuang Temple, which is located in the old city of Huangpu District, Shanghai. It is an ancient temple with rich historical and cultural characteristics. After lunch, we will visit the Shanghai Museum. The collection of cultural relics in the museum includes 31 collections of bronze, ceramics, calligraphy and painting, sculpture, oracle bones, seals, currency, jade, furniture, weaving and embroidery, lacquerware, bamboo and wood tooth corners, and cultural relics of ethnic minorities, among which bronze, ceramics, calligraphy and painting are the most important. Then, we will proceed to the Shanghai French Concession. Finally, we will go to Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street and the Bund on the banks of the Huangpu River. The Bund is a symbolic scenic spot in Shanghai, and its essence lies in the architectural complexes of different countries and the night view of the Pujiang River. Finally, join us for a delicious Roast Duck Welcome Dinner to round off the day.

Itinerary:

Shanghai → Yu Garden (1 hour) → Town God's Temple (1 hour) → Shanghai Museum (1.5 hours) → Shanghai French Concession (1 hour) → The Bund & Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street (1.5 hours) → Hotel

Meal Arrangements:

Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel

Lunch: Included

Dinner: Roast Duck Welcome Dinner

Note: Today’s itinerary includes regular city sightseeing with approximately 15,000 steps of walking. We recommend wearing comfortable casual shoes.

Yu Garden

Yu Garden is located in the northeast of the old city of Shanghai, adjoining with the City God Temple. It is a world famous classical garden in the southern Yangtze which was built more than 400 years ago in the Ming Dynasty. It is regarded as one of the representatives of the traditional culture in Shanghai. It displays the main features of traditional Chinese architecture with many rocks, trees, ponds, dragons, and zigzag bridges.

Town God‘s Temple of Shanghai

Town God’s Temple of Shanghai or Temple of the City Gods, officially the City Temple of Shanghai, is a folk temple located in the old city of Shanghai. It commemorates the elevation of Shanghai to municipal status and is the site of the veneration of three Chinese figures honored as the city gods of the town. 

Shanghai Museum

The Shanghai Museum is a museum of ancient Chinese art, situated on the People's Square in the Huangpu District of Shanghai, China. Rebuilt at its current location in 1996, it is considered one of China's first world-class modern museums and famous for its large collection of rare cultural pieces. The museum has a collection of over 120,000 pieces, including bronze, ceramics, calligraphy, furniture, jades, ancient coins, paintings, seals, sculptures, minority art and foreign art. The Shanghai Museum houses several items of national importance, including one of three extant specimens of a "transparent" bronze mirror from the Han Dynasty.

Shanghai French Concession

The Shanghai French Concession was a foreign concession in Shanghai, China from 1849 until 1943, which progressively expanded in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The concession came to an end in 1943, when Vichy France under German pressure signed it over to the pro-Japanese Reorganized National Government of China in Nanjing. For much of the 20th century, the area covered by the former French Concession remained the premier residential and retail district of Shanghai and was also one of the centers of Catholicism in China. Despite re-development over the last few decades, the area retains a distinct character and is a popular tourist destination.

The Bund

The Bund or Waitanis is a waterfront area and a protected historical district in central Shanghai. The area centers on a section of Zhongshan Road (East Zhongshan Road No.1) within the former Shanghai International Settlement, which runs along the western bank of the Huangpu River in the eastern part of Huangpu District. The area along the river faces the modern skyscrapers of Lujiazui in the Pudong District. The Bund usually refers to the buildings and wharves on this section of the road, as well as some adjacent areas. This region has a significant European influence, with the style of many structures most comparable to that of European cities, particularly Gothic, Baroque, Neoclassical, Romanesque, Art Deco, and Renaissance architecture.

Nanjing Road, Shanghai

Nanjing Road is a road in Shanghai, the eastern part of which is the main shopping district of Shanghai. It is one of the world's busiest shopping streets, along with Fifth Avenue, Oxford Street, Orchard Road, Takeshita Street and the Champs-Élysées. Nanjing Road is the world's longest shopping district, around 5.5 km long, and attracts over 1 million visitors daily. As a century-old shopping street in Huangpu District, Shanghai, Nanjing Road was a witness of the city's history. Over time, it has been restructured, undergoing significant changes. Big traditional stores no longer dominate the market since modern shopping malls, specialty stores, theaters, and international hotels have mushroomed on both sides of the street. 

🍽 Lunch included

🍽 Dinner Special

🍽 Breakfast Included

Today we will end our pleasant 8-day trip. You can book a suitable flight to leave the Shanghai Pudong International Airport(PVG) OR Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport (SHA) according to your needs. Our staff only provides one drop-off service from the hotel to airport.