4-Day Private Essence China Tour including Shanghai, Xian, Guilin and Beijing

Explore some of China’s most famous sites on a private 4-day tour to Xi’an, Guilin and Beijing from Shanghai. You’ll travel by private air-conditioned car and plane. At each destination, a local guide meets you and takes you around the top sights. Discover the culture and history of China as you see famous sites like the Terra-cotta Army, the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, Tian’anmen Square. Xi’an City Wall and check out the local muslim quarter, Shanghai Yuyuan Garden, White Jade Buddha Temple, the Bund and Xintiandi area. Cruise down the Li River from Guilin to Yangshuo and admiring the stunning karst peaks. Tour including plane tickets, entrance fee, lunch, English speaking tour guide and private vehicle, you can choose to end your tour in Guilin or return Shanghai. Tour includes the option to book 4 star accommodation with daily breakfast.

• Make sure everyone brings their passport
• Full name and passport number are required to book attraction tickets

Quick itinerary view

Day 1

Shanghai City Highlights

1 Shanghai Museum (Shanghai Bowuguan)

Meet your tour guide in the lobby of your Shanghai hotel, hop on your private air-conditioned vehicle, embark upon your customized tour of the city’s sights. Discuss the historical highlights and attractions you wish to see with your knowledgeable guide who will help you plan an itinerary according to your interests. Then, set off and explore. Typically, you will start with the Shanghai Museum. The museum is divided into eleven galleries and three exhibition halls. With bronze ware, ceramics, and painting and calligraphy as its distinctive collections, the museum boasts 120,000 pieces of rare and precious cultural relics in 21 categories.

2 Jade Buddha Temple

Then, move on to 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.

3 Yu Garden (Yuyuan)

Enjoy lunch in the local restaurant, then explore the 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.

4 Former French Concession

Continue to explore the Former French Concession. Besides its historical and religious factors, Shanghai Former French Concession is also a fantastic place for spending leisure time. Follow your tour guide to wandering the narrow alleyways, dining and one of the million cafes or restaurants(at your own cost), or browsing through the endless art galleries and photographic studios.

5 Xintiandi

Your last stop is the lively nightlife district of Xintiandi. As a window to the past and the future, to China and the world, Shanghai Xintiandi Shikumen attraction was created by converting residential blocks into a multifunctional dining, retail and entertainment center flowing with restaurants, boutiques, cafes and bars of an international standard. Follow your tour guide and explore the area. 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, you will be transferred to airpot for a 2 hour flight to Beijing.

6 Beijing

Your driver in Beijing will hold your name sign waiting at the exit of the arrival hall, then, you will be transferred to your hotel in Beijing.

Accommodation: Overnight 4 Star hotel in Beijing if you choose the option to including the hotel

Meals: Lunch

Day 2

Beijing City Highlights-Xi’an

1 Tian’anmen Square (Tiananmen Guangchang)

Your tour guide and driver will pick you up in the lobby of your Beijing hotel, heading directly to Tian’anmen Square. Tian’anmen Square is the world’s largest public square, it is the home to the National Museum of China, the mausoleum of Mao Zedong and the great Monument to the Peoples’ Heroes. Follow your tour guide, stroll along the square and get to know the histories and stories behind.

2 Forbidden City-The Palace Museum

From there you will pass through the South gate to the magnificent Forbidden City – a 250-acre complex of courtyards, palaces, pavilions and gardens, which served as the imperial palace for emperors and their households for more than 500 years. The Forbidden City was declared a World Heritage Site in 1987. See ancient treasures from thousands of years of history and admire the maze of palaces, gardens and stunning courtyards as your guide informs you about their histories and stories.

3 Niaochao National Stadium

Driving pass by the Olympic park, let your tour guide know if you want to stop for photos.

4 Mutianyu Great Wall

Afterward, enjoy a traditional Chinese lunch in the local restuarnat. Then relax on the 1.5 hours drive to Mutianyu section of the Great Wall. It’s is a bit more rugged and slightly less crowded than more famous Badaling section of the Wall. Over 96% of Mutianyu is covered with trees and orchards. Follow your tour guide to hike up and down different towers, and enjoy the convenient way of cable car round trip ,or toboggan ride at the wall. After your tour finished, you will be transferred to the airport for your flight to Xi’an.

5 Xi’an

Your driver in Xi’an will hold your name sign waiting at the exit of the arrival hall, you will be transferred to your hotel in Xi’an.

Accommodation: Overnight 4 Star hotel in Xi’an if you choose the option to including the hotel

Meals: Lunch    Breakfast

Day 3

Xi’an City Highlights-Guilin

1 The Museum of Qin Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses

Meet your tour guide in the lobby of your Xi’an hotel, hop on your private air-conditioned vehicle, then Heading directly to Terracotta warriors museum. Your tour guide will explain the related histories and stories along the way, feel free to ask questions if you have. Start with a visit to the world-famous Terracotta warriors museum which known as “the Eighth Wonders of the World”. 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.

2 Xi’an City Wall(Chengqiang)

After lunch, perhaps head to the 600 years old Xi’an City Wall. Reach the top of the centuries-old city wall, admire views of the city below.

3 Muslim quarter

Afterwards, heading to muslim quarter, It is the hub of the Muslim community in Xi’an City, Follow your tour guide to stroll around the Muslim food and souvenir market. Try delicious local snacks if you want at your own cost. After the tour, you will be transferred to airport for a 2 hour flight to Guilin.

4 Guilin

Your driver will hold your name sign waiting at the exit of the arrival hall, you will be transferred to your hotel in Guilin.

Accommodation: Overnight 4 Star hotel in Guilin if you choose the option to including the hotel

Meals: Breakfast    Lunch

Day 4

Guilin-Li River Cruise-City Highlights

1 Li River

Your private English-speaking guide and driver will pick you up from your 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. The Li River Cruise is considered as the highlight of any visit to Guilin.

2 Gui Lin Zhujiang pier

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. The cruise usually takes around 3.5 to 4 hours, depends on water condition.

3 Xingping Fishing Village

Li River takes a big turn at Xingping and endowed with beautiful and poetic scenery. It has been reproduced in many Chinese landscape paintings. Even the newly-issued 20 RMB note has the scenery on its back. A photographer once said: ‘Shots from any perspective for this place turn to be impressive and stunning’. You will enjoy a simple lunch on the boat.

4 Ten-Mile Gallery

In the afternoon, you can choose to spend few hours in Yangshuo to explore the Ten-Mile Gallery. Then heading to Guilin airport for your flight to Shanghai. 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.

5 Elephant Trunk Hill (Xiangbishan)

You also have the option to heading back to Guilin and visit the most famous attraction in city — 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. Enjoy a vigorous walk to the top, visit the the Ming Dynasty (1368 – 1644) Puxian Tower which was built to worship Samantabahdra. Get to learn its history from your tour guide, then enjoy the panoramic views of the city, Li Riverand surrounding scenery.

6 Reed Flute Cave (Ludi Yan)

You also can choose to heading back to Guilin and visit the 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). After the tour finished, you can choose to end your tour in Yangshuo/Guilin, Beijing or Shanghai.

Accommodation: Not included

Meals: Breakfast    Lunch