On arrival into Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) or Beijing Daxing International Airport (PKX), you will be met by your dedicated tour guide outside the baggage claim area. On the way to your pre-booked four or five star inner city hotel, your guide will point out the highlights and history of Beijing. Spend the rest of the day exploring this incredible city.

Meals included: None

After breakfast today explore Beijing with your guide who will collect you from the hotel. Visit the world’s largest city square, Tiananmen Square. Make your way across the road to the magnificent Forbidden City, a culturally historic landmark in China, which was the former residence of Chinese royalty for five centuries. After the Forbidden City tour, exploration continues with a visit to the Summer Palace. Appreciate the beautiful gardens and imagine the lifestyle of royalty and courtiers who enjoyed this summer resort during imperial times. A stopover at Beijing’s stadium and pool – the Bird’s Nest and Water Cube – built for the 2008 Summer Olympics and Paralympics – provides a modern contrast to China’s ancient history. Return to the hotel.

Meals included: Breakfast

Note: Your tour guide may adjust your itinerary due to closure of the Forbidden City each Monday.

In the morning, commence the day’s adventure with exploration of the Mutianyu Great Wall, a less frequented part of China’s 1,400-year-old iconic landmark, located approximately 70 kilometres from Beijing. Take a pleasant and comfortable round-trip cable car transfer over the picturesque scenery, then walk the wall to take in the Ming dynasty guard towers and sensational views. On return to the city in the afternoon, exploration continues with a visit to the Confucius Temple and Imperial College Museum. Stroll through the hutongs nearby and experience local life as you wander through quaint shops, enjoy a coffee, and gain an insider’s view of a real Beijing community.

Meals included: Breakfast

Start today with a visit to the remarkable Temple of Heaven, where emperors from the Ming and Qing Dynasties performed ceremonies and rituals to pray for good harvests and blessings for the country. Transfer to the Beijing West railway station and be checked in by your guide to travel by high speed rail train to Xi’an. Approximately a five hour trip, travelling at 300 kilometres per hour, you can relax and absorb the diverse landscape along the way. On arrival at the Xi’an North Station, your local tour guide will meet and escort you to your inner city four or five star hotel.

Meals included: Breakfast

Today’s tour highlight is the world-renowned Terracotta Army. Recognized as the largest underground military base in the world, take in this extraordinary archaeological discovery, which houses thousands of unique life-sized figures. Return to the city and visit the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, one of two iconic Buddhist pagodas in Xi’an. You may have a chance to explore the top of the pagoda and look out over Xi’an’s 1,400 years of history, before enjoying a contemplative walk through the temple and gardens. Continue on and take in the quiet of Xi’an’s Great Mosque, located in the middle of the city’s old block. Built mid seventh century, the Great Mosque is the oldest and largest Islamic mosque in China. Mix with locals and find food of every flavor in Muslim Quarter, which is bustling with authentic eateries and travel souvenirs. Today’s final destination is Xi’an’s famous Bell Tower and Drum Tower Square. Return to your hotel for a relaxed evening or book a dinner, show, or both for an evening of entertainment.

Meals included: Breakfast

After breakfast and check out from your hotel, the tour guide will take you to Xi’an’s ancient City Wall, currently the largest and best-preserved wall of its type in China. Enclosing China’s former capital city and almost 14 kilometers long, enjoy your free time by exploring on foot or bicycle. Following on from the morning’s activities, you’ll be driven to the Xi’an airport for your flight check in to Hangzhou. On arrival in Hangzhou, you’ll be met by your guide and driven to the hotel.

Meals included: Breakfast

This morning your guide will collect you from the hotel for a visit to the UNESCO World Heritage site West Lake. Travel by boat to the amazing Red Carp Pond, and the Lingyin Temple standing on the western corner of the lake, which dates back to 326 AD. Opposite the temple you will see the magnificent Feilai Peak, which houses over 300 Buddha statues inside grottoes and caverns. In the afternoon, escape from the bustle and immerse yourself in tea culture. You’ll make your way to the Dragon Well (Longjing) tea plantation and experience all aspects of the tea-making process, from picking, stir-frying and rolling tea. Marvel at the artful performance of a traditional tea ceremony and way of tasting tea. While you’re here, you can also visit the nearby China Tea Cultural Museum. With its collection of tea varieties, tea sets and machines for producing tea, the museum offers a wonderful insight to Chinese tea history and culture. You will then be transferred back to your hotel.

Meals included: Breakfast

Check out from your hotel and travel with your guide to the Hangzhou railway station to catch the high speed train to Suzhou. You’ll be collected by your Suzhou guide and commence your time here with a visit to the Master of the Nets Garden, as well as the well-preserved Tongli Water Town. One of Suzhou’s most prominent gardens, the Master of the Nests Garden was built in 1174 and covers an area of approximately 6,700 square meters. It is a wonderful demonstration of the creativity and symbolism that are a feature of classical Chinese gardens. Tongli is a picturesque water town famed for its sprawling network of rivers, ancient bridges and traditional houses. On leaving Tongli you will be taken to the railway station by your guide to board the high speed train to Shanghai. On arrival in Shanghai, you will be greeted by your guide and taken to your hotel.

Meals included: Breakfast

Commence your tour of Shanghai with a visit to the Shanghai Museum, a massive museum housing over 140,000 artifacts, presenting the full history and culture of this cosmopolitan city. Enjoy a walk along The Bund, iconic and prestigious, one of the most well-preserved examples of old Shanghai glamour. Walk Nanjing Road, the busiest shopping precinct in China. Change tempo and visit Yuyuan Garden, where you can marvel at the artistically designed traditional Chinese gardens; then stroll around the nearby Yu Garden Bazaars. Make the most of your afternoon by wandering the quieter streets of Dongping Road or Sinan Road in the Former French Concession, where you will find the essence of classic Shanghai.

Meals included: Breakfast

Note: As the Shanghai Museum is closed to public on Mondays, a visit to the Shanghai History Museum is arranged as an alternative.

Check out from the hotel and end your tour with a private transfer to the railway station or airport for your departing train trip or flight.

For small group tour travelers, a transfer service from your hotel to Hongqiao or Pudong Airport can be arranged on request.

Meals included: Breakfast