Imperial China

Arrival – Tian’anmen Square – Temple of Heaven – Old Quarters

Arrival in Beijing. Meet your local guide and transfer to the hotel.

Visit the iconic Tian’anmen Square, the heart of modern China.

Explore the Temple of Heaven (Tiantan Park), a vast imperial complex in a 273-hectare park. Lunch during the visit.

Stroll by the lake and take a rickshaw ride through the hutongs, Beijing’s traditional alleys.

Dinner with a local family. Return to the hotel.

Forbidden City – Coal Hill – Summer Palace

Breakfast.

Visit the Forbidden City, the imperial palace built between 1407 and 1420 during the Ming Dynasty. Discover the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the Palace of Abstinence, the concubines’ quarters and more.

Climb Coal Hill for panoramic views of the city.

Lunch at a local restaurant.

Afternoon visit to the Summer Palace, the imperial garden and lakeside retreat.

Dinner at a local restaurant, followed by a kung fu performance. Return to the hotel.

Great Wall – Ming Tombs – Spirit Way – Peking Duck Dinner

Breakfast.

Excursion to the Great Wall (Mutianyu section). Ascend and descend by cable car.

Lunch, then visit Zhaoling Tomb, one of the thirteen Ming imperial mausoleums, reached via the Spirit Way, lined with statues.

Return to Beijing.

Dinner featuring the famous Peking duck. Overnight at the hotel.

Lama Temple – Confucius Temple – Peking Opera School

Breakfast.

Visit the Lama Temple, home to a 26-meter Maitreya Buddha, and the Confucius Temple.

Lunch at a local restaurant.

Visit the Peking Opera School (or a walk in Liulichang Antiques District if school is closed).

Relax in a traditional teahouse.

Dinner, then transfer to the train station.

Overnight in first-class sleeper cabin (soft sleeper) to Xi’an.

Terracotta Army – Shangli Village – City Walls – Tang Dynasty Show

Arrival in Xi’an. Breakfast at the hotel.

Excursion to the Terracotta Army, the funerary art of Qin Shi Huang.

Lunch in the rural village of Shangli.

Return to Xi’an and visit the City Walls, with the option of a bike ride.

Enjoy a dumpling banquet (jiaozi) and a Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Show. Return to hotel.

Small Wild Goose Pagoda – Great Mosque – Calligraphy – Flight to Guilin

Breakfast.

Visit the Small Wild Goose Pagoda, and see locals practicing morning exercises.

Walk through the Muslim Quarter and visit the Great Mosque.

Lunch and Chinese calligraphy workshop.

Transfer to the airport and fly to Guilin. Dinner onboard.

Meet your guide and transfer to hotel.

Li River Cruise – Fan Workshop – Bike Ride

Breakfast.

Drive to Yangshuo. Lunch at Meiyou Café.

Enjoy a cruise on the Li River, winding between karst mountains to Fuli.

Visit a local fan workshop, then return to Yangshuo.

Take a bike ride through nearby rice paddies and streams.

Dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight at hotel.

Free Morning – Reed Flute Cave – Fubo Hill – Flight to Shanghai

Breakfast and free time in the morning.

After lunch, return to Guilin and visit the Reed Flute Cave, known for its illuminated rock formations.

Climb Fubo Hill for city views.

Transfer to the airport and fly to Shanghai. Dinner onboard.

Arrival and transfer to hotel.

Bund – Grand Hyatt – Old Town – Yu Garden – Xintiandi – French Concession

Breakfast.

Walk along the Bund, then visit the Grand Hyatt Hotel for a panoramic view.

Lunch at a local restaurant.

Stroll through Old Shanghai and visit the 16th-century Yu Garden.

Explore Xintiandi and the French Concession, and visit a museum of old houses.

Dinner and return to hotel.

Urban Planning Center – Shanghai Museum – Jade Buddha Temple – Nanjing Road

Breakfast.

Visit the Urban Planning Exhibition Center and Shanghai Museum.

Lunch at a local restaurant.

In the afternoon, discover the Jade Buddha Temple, then enjoy some free time for shopping on Nanjing Road.

Dinner and return to hotel.

Classical Gardens – Silk Workshop – Tongli Village

Breakfast.

Depart for Suzhou. Visit the Garden of Cultivation (Yipu) and the Master of the Nets Garden.

Lunch in town.

Visit a silk-spinning workshop.

Discover Tongli, a charming canal town. Walking and boat tour of the old quarter.

Return to Shanghai. Dinner and overnight.

Transfer to the Airport

Breakfast.

Transfer to the airport for your return flight.

End of services.