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Why Travel with Discover Beijing Tours
Unique Experiences
Enjoy a premium trip that goes beyond the typical tourist attractions.Well-Selected Local Guides
Knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and attentive — your personal local guides will share interesting stories, insider information, and even create unexpected highlights!Your Booking is Risk-Free
Cancel up to 24 hours before the travel date in advance for a full refund
12 Days Iconic China Tour with Chengdu Pandas & Guilin Li River
China has diverse landscapes, time-honored history, splendid cultures, and adorable and precious animals. Then, what are the icons of China? What do you want to see for your first-time trip to China? The Forbidden City and Great Wall in Beijing, Terracotta Warriors in Xian, the Bund in Shanghai and the Giant Pandas in Chengdu are usually the classic symbols of China. How about spend two days in the typical Chinese-painting like natural scenery in Guilin and Yangshuo? If it meets your interests, this 12 days iconic China tour will be very suitable for you.
You’ll land in Beijing first to explore the imperial palaces, royal parks, majestic Great Wall and traditional Hutongs, arrive in Xian to see many ancient wonders like Terracotta Warriors and Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, and travel in Chengdu to have a close contact with giant pandas. Continue the relaxing journey to the natural paradise to fully appreciate karst landscape and idyllic rural scenery in Guilin and Yangshuo. Last but not the least, explore Shanghai – its cultural traditions are as remarkable as its modern development. Go and create your wonderful memories in China!
- Make sure everyone bring passport with
- Full names and passport numbers are required to book tickets for attractions.
Itinerary Quick Look
Day 1 Beijing City Tour | Tian’anmen Square, Forbidden City, Old Hutongs
After meet your tour guide, start by exploring one of the world’s largest public areas, Tian’anmen Square. Pass through the south gate to the Forbidden City, stroll around the courtyards and halls of the Forbidden city with your tour guide, and learn the histories and stories about this massive palace. You will visit most important buildings inside the Forbidden City.
Stop in a local restaurant for lunch, then discover the Lama Temple in the afternoon. Lama Temple is one of the largest and most important Tibetan Buddhist monasteries in the world.
For evening, you can enjoy an amazing Chinese show, such as the Acrobatic show, Kongfu show or Peking opera.(at your own cost) After the show finished, you will be transferred back to your hotel in Beijing
Day 2 Beijing Great Wall Tour | Mutianyu Great Wall, Bird’s Nest & Water Cube
After meet your guide, heading to Mutianyu Great Wall.
Once arrive at the The Mutianyu Great Wall, you’ll enjoy a less hurried experience and take time to marvel at this wondrous structure and the surrounding hillsides. Hiking up and down for about 1.5 hours at the various sections of the Wall, exploring the watch and beacon towers
Stop at a Local Restaurant for lunch. On the way to city stop to take photos at the iconic “Bird’s Nest”– the Beijing National Stadium, where hosts many spectacular events of the 2008 Summer Olympics.
Continue to the Drum Tower area, stroll around the local Hutong neighborhood. Get to know the local life and people. You also can explore the Houhai lake area and Nanluoguxiang Hutong allays.
After the tour finished, you will be transferred back to your hotel in Beijing.
Day 3 Beijing Temple of Heaven | Beijing to Xian by High Speed Train
Begins with the Temple of Heaven, once visited by the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties for annual prayer ceremonies. Follow your tour guide to explore many important buildings including: Hall of Prayer for good harvest, Danbi Bridge. 9 dragon Juniper and more
Spend time in the pearl market to purchase your China souvenir, your guide will teach you how to negotiate price in the market. Next, see the pandas in the Beijing Panda House and have a delicious Peking duck lunch in the local restaurant.
Continue to the Summer Palace, a well-preserved royal garden that’s renowned for its beautiful landscape and spectacular architecture, and is considered one of the most classical gardens in the world.
After the tour, you will be escorted to the train station for a high-speed train to Xian (about 4.5-5.5 hours). Welcome to Xian, the capital of 13 ancient China dynasties! Upon your arrival at the train station, the tour guide and driver will greet you at the exit, and then escort you to the hotel in Xian.
Day 4 Xian City Tour | Terracotta Warriors, Ancient Wall, Muslim Quarter
The Museum of Qin Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses
Upon arrival,Your guide will pick you up at the hotel lobby. You will heading directly to the world-famous Terracotta warriors museum which known as “the Eighth Wonders of the World”. Your tour guide will explain the related histories and stories on the way, feel free to ask questions if you have. The museum divided into three sections: No.1 Pit, No.2 Pit, and No. 3 Pit. The original site was found by four local farmers while drilling a well in 1974 and now it has turned into the most important attraction in Xi’an. Stroll around the museum and get rich information from your tour guide.
Xi’an City Wall (Chengqiang)
Enjoy a delicious lunch in a local restaurant, depending on your time, you can visit the 600 years old Xi’an City Wall. Reach the top of the centuries-old city wall, admire views of the city below.
Muslim Quarter
If you have extra time, your tour guide will take you to explore the famous Xi’an Muslim Quarter.
Day 5 Shaanxi History Museum | Xian to Chengdu by High Speed Train
This morning, your guide and driver will pick you up at your hotel and take you to visit Shaanxi History Museum. Regarded as “the Pearl of ancient dynasties and house of Chinese treasures”, it has collections of 130,000 historical artifacts, showing visitors a miniature overview of thousand years of Chinese history and the splendid ancient cultures of old times. Enjoy the educational visit while exploring historical relics ranging from bronze ware from the Western Zhou Dynasty, and terracotta figures, to gold and silverware and murals discovered in Tang tombs. Later, pay a visit to the Tang-style Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, the landmark of Xian situated in the Da Ci’en Temple.
After the tour, you will be escorted to the train station for a high speed train to Chengdu (about 3.5-4 hours). Upon your arrival in Chengdu, your guide will meet you at the exit of the train station and escort you to your hotel in Chengdu downtown area. The rest of today is free on your own to explore this laid-back city well known for Giant Pandas and Sichuan cuisine. The Sichuan hotpot and Sichuan Opera are highly recommended evening activities.
Day 6 Chengdu Classic Tour | Chengdu Panda Base, Jinli Old Street
Giant Panda Breeding Research Base (Xiongmao Jidi)
Meet up at the lobby of your Chengdu Downtown hotel in the morning, greeting by your knowledgeable and friendly personal guide then transferred by an air-conditioned vehicle to Giant Panda Breeding Base. Upon arrival, spend some leisure time to see the Giant pandas including new born babies, teenagers and adult pandas. Learn about the different stages of panda’s life from infancy to adulthood. Visit the research laboratory, the museum, the panda playground, the animal hospital, and the facility’s beautiful lake. You can take photos these enchanting and endangered creatures as they relax in their natural environment
Wenshu Yuan Monastery
Afterwards, heading back to city, on the way your tour guide will introduce several landmarks, shopping area and things to do in Chengdu City, discuss with your guide then decide the places you want to go. Typically you will visit to Wenshu Yuan Monastery. Wenshu yuan Monastery is the best-preserved Buddhist temple in the city with hundreds of bronze, wooden and stone statues, and Buddhist relics. Since the Tang (618-907) dynasties, over 500 pieces of painting and calligraphy by celebrities have been stored here. Stroll around the courtyard with your tour guide, get to know about the Buddhism in China, see how locals pray here with incense. Admire different culture relics and explore its exquisite garden and solemn halls.
Wuhou Memorial Temple
Then, move on to the Wuhou Memorial Temple which was built in the 6th century in memory of the Emperor Liu Bei and the Prime Minister Zhuge Liang of the Shu Kingdom. Follow your tour guide to explore important buildings including: the Temple of Liu Bei, the Temple of Zhuge Liang and Sanyi Temple, and the Tomb of Liubei. Get to know the histories and stories behind.
Kuanzhai Alley
Continue your visit to Kuanzhai Alley which is a popular entertainment and nightlife block, with traditional Chinese style buildings, Follow your tour guide, explore the area and get to know Chengdu’s folk culture, local life. Then, check out the Well Allay which shows the new life of Chengdu people, as well as the most open, most diverse, and most dynamic zone in the area.
Songxianqiao Curio Art City
Enjoy lunch in the local restaurant, then explore the famous Songxianqiao Curio Art City. Here is a good place to shop for your China souvenir, your tour guide will teach you how to negotiate price.
Chengdu Renmin Park
Finally, stroll around Chengdu Renmin Park, here is the best place to experience the local life, join the locals dancing, singing, sit down and enjoy the local tea to enjoy the Chengdu’s relax life.
Jinli Pedestrian Street (Pass By)
If you have been to these places before, and want to do something different, just feel free to discuss with your tour guide. Other sites in city you may interested to go: Jinli Pedestrian Street, once was one of the busiest commercial streets during the Shu Kingdom (221-263). Today, you can find boutique shops, modern bards and restaurants, and all types of local snacks. *Chengdu Museum *QingYang Palace *Sichuan Museum You can also choose to visit a local fresh market, or park, or massage. After the tour finished, you will be transferred to your hotel in Chengdu.
Day 7 Chengdu to Guilin by Flight
After breakfast, you can explore on your own until your guide and driver escort you to the airport for your flight to Guilin (about 2.5 hours). Upon your arrival in Guilin, your guide will meet you at the exit of the airport and escort you to your hotel in Guilin downtown area. You will have free time after your hotel check-in. Taking a walk along the Binjiang Road and tasting the rice noodles are recommended activities for your leisure time.
Day 8 Guilin to Yangshuo Tour | Li River Cruise, Yangshuo Countryside, West Street
Your private English-speaking guide and driver will pick you up from your Guilin downtown hotel’s lobby at 8:00am and you will be transferred to Zhujiang Pier, where you will embark and start the boat cruise down the Li River to Yangshuo County.
River Li cruise is approximately 4-hour ( The duration will depend on weather and river levels). Along the river, enjoy breathtaking views of peaks and pinnacles, crystal-clear water and picturesque pastoral countryside scenery. The river generally has three sections. Various attractions like peaks and villages along the river have interesting descriptive names, which calls for much of your imagination to see what it is like.
Listening to tour guide’s legendary stories about the attractions is a delightful experience when you are appreciating the landscapes. Most are mystical fairy and love stories.
To maximize your experience, tour including the 4-star cruise ticket which is the highest level. It offers better facilities and a buffet lunch.
You will arrive Yangshuo around 1:30 pm, follow your tour guide to stroll around West Street, explore various shops, craft-works shops, painting and calligraphy stores, backpack shops, cafes, your tour guide will help you to negotiate price if you want to purchase any souvenir.
The afteernoon activities is flexiable, discuss with your tour guide on where you want ot go, then set off and explore.
1: Take a walk or ride a bike to explore Yangshuo’s countryside Yangshuo’s countryside is one of the handfuls of places left that reminds you of nature’s quietness and pureness.
2: Explore the Ten-Mile Gallery in Yangshuo. Sauntering down a country road makes you feel like you are travelling in a painting. This is true of the Ten-Mile Gallery in Yangshuo County, a fairyland on earth. As the name implies, Ten-Mile Gallery is a picturesque road stretching from the Yangshuo town area to Moon Hill, endowed with rolling hills, endless fields, idyllic villages and clear rivers on both sides.
3: Stop at Moon Hill for photos
4: Butterfly Spring Park and other sites.
At the end of the tour you will be trasnfrred back to Guilin by a private vehicle. If you prefer to stay in Yangshuo, simply let you guide know in advance and you will be transfered to your accommodation in Yangshuo after the tour.
Day 9 Guilin to Shanghai by Flight | Elephant Trunk Hill, Reed Flute Cave
Meet your tour guide in the lobby of your Guilin hotel, discuss the city highlights and attractions you wish to see with your guide who will help you plan an itinerary according to your interests. Then, set off and explore.
You also can follow our sample itinerary, feel free to tell your guide if you want to make any changes during the tour.
Your first stop is Elephant Trunk Hill. Elephant Trunk Hill is the landmark of Guilin. It has been a famous tourism destination since the Tang Dynasty (618 – 907). The hill looks like a giant elephant drinking water from the river. Elephant Trunk Hill enjoys green mountains, clear water, fantastic caves and beautiful rocks.
Continue to Guilin Fubo hill. Fubo Hill stands next to the Li River and rises abruptly out of the surrounding landscape, it is famous for both natural beauty and historic art. Follow your tour guide to explore etchings of Buddha dating back to the Song and Tang Dynasties (618 – 1279) at Thousand-Buddha Cave and Pearl-Returning Cave. Admire the Sword-Testing Rock and get to know the legendary stories behind it.
Enjoy a delicious lunch in the local restaurant, afterwards, heading to Reed Flute Cave.
Over millions of years, dripping water has eroded the cave to create a special world of various stalactites, stone pillars and rock formations. Explore important spots in the attraction such as : Tower-shaped Pine, Crystal Palace etc. Despite the fantastic natural scenery inside Reed Flute Cave, there are many writings on the wall. There are 77 travelogues and poems left, which are derived from the Tang Dynasty (618-907).
Next, stroll around the Seven Stars Park. The Seven Stars Park is endowed with elegant mountains, clear water, miraculous stone forest, deep and serene valleys, plentiful animals and plants and valued cultural relics. It has been popular since the Sui (581-618) and Tang (618-907) Dynasties. You will have a chance to stand on the oldest bridge in Guilin in the park
After the tour, you will be transferred to the airport for the flight to Shanghai (about 2.5 hours). Welcome to Shanghai, China’s most internationalized and vibrant city! Upon your arrival in Shanghai, your guide will meet you at the exit of the airport and escort you to your hotel in downtown Shanghai. You will have free time after your hotel check-in.
Day 10 Shanghai City Tour | Shanghai Museum, Yu Garden, Nanjing Road & The Bund
Zhujiajiao Ancient Town
Meet your tour guide in the lobby of your Shanghai hotel, hop on your private air-conditioned vehicle, heading directly to Zhujiajiao Ancient Town. (1 hour drive) Sit back and enjoy the scenery along the way. With a history of more than 1,700 years, Zhujiajiao Ancient Town is regarded as Shanghai’s Venice. Unique old bridges across bubbling streams, small rivers shaded by willow trees, and houses with courtyards attached all transport people who have been living amidst the bustle and hustle of the modern big city to a brand-new world full of antiquity, leisure and tranquility.
Zhujiajiao Kezhi Garden
Follow your tour guide to explore the ancient town, stroll along Beidajie, many buildings has a history of hundred years. Explore Kezhi Garden. The architecture in the garden is a combination of the Chinese traditional and the Western styles. It consists of three parts – the main hall, the garden and an artificial hill area. The most iconic landmark of the garden is a five story building with a pavilion on its roof, which is the tallest building in old Zhujiajiao.
Zhujiajiao Chenghuangmiao Temple (Pass By)
Admire the God of Mercy at Chenghuangmiao Temple.
Zhujiajiao Museum of Humanities & Arts
Explore Qing Dynasty Post Office where you can find antique post cards of old Shanghai and letters written on bamboo. Explore Tong Tian He Chinese Pharmacy and take photos of different bridges.
Zhujiajiao Bridge
Later, enjoy a relaxing boat riding on the canal to see beautiful surrounding.
Yu Garden (Yuyuan)
Enjoy lunch in the local restaurant, then go back to Shanghai city, and visit Yuyuan Garden, Yuyuan Garden is the largest ancient gardens with Ming and Qing style architecture. Follow your tour guide to explore the garden, learn how to form a perfect garden. Then visit the Old City God Temple, where various of local snack shops and streets are scattered around. Since Yuyuan Garden is not open on Monday, so you can choose to visit Jade Buddha Temple instead.
Jade Buddha Temple
If you choose to visit Jade Buddha Temple, you will see the White Jade Buddhas which were brought here from Burma in the nineteenth century. Stroll around halls and courtyards in the temple with your tour guide, learn the history about the temple and buddhism in China, see how the locals come to worship and burn incense.
The Bund
Continue to the Bund, where you will see amazing city skyline, including the Oriental Pearl TV Tower, Shanghai World Financial Center Shanghai Tower, Shanghai Tower and colonial buildings along the Huangpu River. Take a walk and stop for photos.
Shanghai Tower
From the Bund, move on to Shanghai Tower which is the highest building of China. Take the high-speed elevator to the observatory and enjoy a panoramic view of the whole city with a 360 degrees dimension from the observatory. If you have already visit some of those places above before, and want to do something different. Please feel free to discuss with your tour guide on where to go, you can choose these attractions or activities base on your interests: Shanghai Museum/ Pearl TV Tower/World financial center/Jinmao Tower After the tour, your guide will take you back to your hotel in Shanghai.
Day 11 Shanghai Departure | Hotel Check-out and Airport See-off
It is time to end your 12-day China tour. You will have some free time in Shanghai and explore more on your own till your guide escorts you to the airport/train station for your flight or high speed train to your next destination.
Thank you for choosing Asia Odyssey Travel for your China tour, and we are always here working for you and hope to see you again for your next trip to China/Asia!
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