11-Day China Classic Tour
Explore Beijing and Xi’an’s Rich Heritage
- Custom
You can customize any of our small group or private tour itineraries. Just book a specific tour and let us know your preferences, and we’ll design a personalized China experience for you.
11-Day China Classic Tour
City
Beijing
Xi 'an
Guilin & Yangshuo
Shanghai
Classic Wonders
Join us on an unforgettable 11-day journey through China’s top cities, where you’ll explore the most iconic destinations and five UNESCO World Heritage sites. This tour is perfect for first-time visitors eager to experience China’s rich history, vibrant culture, modern innovations, and stunning landscapes.
At Hello China Trip, we offer a variety of travel experiences, and the itinerary below is just one option. Feel free to share your preferences with us, and our team of travel experts will tailor the tour to fit your unique interests, tastes, and budget. Let us help you create the perfect China adventure!
Suggested 11-Day Itinerary
Experience rich history: the Great Wall, Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace and Tian’anmen Square
Uncover the Terracotta Warriors, bike along the ancient City Wall, explore the lively Muslim Quarter and Xi’an History Museum
Admire the stunning Longji Rice Terraces, enjoy a scenic Li River cruise, and relax in the charming countryside of Yangshuo
Explore modern Shanghai: the iconic Bund, panoramic views from Shanghai Tower, and a personalized city experience
Tour 'Wow' Points
Unveil the Lives of China’s Royal Family in their Hidden Halls:
Witness the Great Wall and Enjoy the Dreamy Night Views:
Understand Beijing by Tasting Its Traditional Food:
Unveil the Secrets of the Terracotta Army and Make Your Own Terracotta Warriors:
Enjoy a Cruise in the Painting Gallery of the God:
Feast Your Eyes on the Best Scenery of the Rice Terraces:
The Longji Rice Terraces are known widely for the awe-inspiring view. Standing on top of such a huge man-made wonder is itself an extraordinary experience.
Visit a Minority Family and Explore Their Centuries-Old Lifestyle:
Enjoy lunch with a Yao family who invite you into their home. Learn how to stuff and cook rice inside a bamboo tube, sip the freshly-extracted oil tea.
Discover the Rural China by Exploring the Less Touristy Villages:
To experience the daily life of the local farmers will let you see another side of China.
Discover the Hidden Stories of the Bund and Ascend Shanghai Tower:
Travel back in time to the golden age of the Bund in the 1920s. You will walk a route that seldom tourist will find by themselves, see the most original bricks, and hear some interesting stories that you’ll never find in history books.
Enjoy a Half-Day Customized Icing-on-the-Cake Experience:
Whether you want to relax, experience fashion, appreciate art, explore folk customs, or shop; from having fun in a fancy bar to exploring an art center, trying nail beauty, testing your popularity in the marriage market, or just buying some lovely gifts, we will make it happen.
Itinerary Quick Look
Here is a suggested itinerary. We are happy to customize a tour according to your interests and schedule.
Day 1 Beijing Arrival:
Welcome to majestic Beijing! To ensure your arrival is stress-free, your private tour guide will meet you in the arrivals hall and transfer you to your hotel in a private car. Your luggage and hotel check-in will be taken care of.
Hotel options:
Novotel Beijing Peace
Crowne Plaza Beijing Chaoyang U-Town
Day 2 The Temple of Heaven and the Forbidden City:
Breakfast & Lunch
Start your journey at the Temple of Heaven, a dignified complex of religious buildings, symbolizing the relationship between Earth and Heaven. There you will see local people doing morning exercise in their unique ways. Lunch is served in a popular local restaurant with authentic local food. Your guide will help you to order the dishes you like.
Walk through Tian’anmen Square to explore the mysterious Forbidden City. Being the largest imperial palace in the world. Get off the ordinary sightseeing route in the Forbidden City. Listen to the interesting stories of the famous personalities that are not told by typical tour guides.
Tips to Tailor-Make Your Tour
Do you want to discover more about the life of Beijingers? Take a rickshaw tour through the hutongs, make dumplings in a local family's home, or experience a local market
Day 3 Day and Night Tour of the Great Wall:
Breakfast & Lunch
After breakfast, travel to the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall. Listen to the stories about this world wonder. Your guide will show you the most recommended section to have a walk.
Head to Simatai Great Wall in the afternoon. Spend the afternoon wandering around the Guibei Water Town, which is at the foot of the Great Wall. You can also enjoy a soak in a hot spring if you want to.
When it gets dark, your guide will accompany you to take the cable car up to the Simatai section to enjoy the stunning night views, which is a different experience from the day version. It’s the only section that’s open and lit up at night.
Tips to Tailor-Make Your Tour
Would you like a more romantic experience? Go there between April and October to enjoy a nice dinner at a special restaurant, from where you can see the Simatai section of the Great Wall lit up all along the mountain ridges at night.
Hotel options:
William Edgar Hotel
Beijing Water Town Hot Spring Resort
Day 4 The Summer Palace and High-speed Train to Xi’an:
Breakfast & Lunch
Enjoy breakfast and travel back to Beijing city to explore the Summer Palace, a royal masterpiece of Chinese landscaped gardens.
Take a high-speed train to Xi’an after lunch.
Tips to Tailor-Make Your Tour
Do you love hiking? We can arrange a 2-hour, 4-hour, or even multi-day wild Great Wall hiking experience for you.
Hotel options:
Somerset Xindicheng Xi’an
Wyndham Grand Xi’an South
Day 5 The Terracotta Warriors and a Traditional Cave Dwelling:
Breakfast & Lunch
In the morning, uncover the mystery of the underground army that dates back thousands of years at the Terracotta Army Museum.
Then discover a local craftsman’s cave dwelling and learn how to make a mini terracotta warrior.
In the afternoon, visit the ancient city wall that has been guarding the inner city for 600 years.
Walking along the wall provides a good view of the city. You can also rent a bike to cycle around the wall.
Day 6 Xi’an City Highlights and Flight to Guilin:
Breakfast & Lunch
Discover more of Xi’an and China’s ancient history at Xi’an History Museum and Little Wild Goose Pagoda, then head to the Muslim Quarter and wander through the alleys to taste the local Muslim cuisine.
Fly to Guilin in the afternoon.
Hotel options:
Lijiang Waterfall Hotel
Shangri-La Hotel Guilin
Day 7 Longji Terraced Rice Fields and Ethnic Minority Culture:
Breakfast & Lunch
Begin your day by exploring the Longji Terraced Rice Fields.
Built into the hillsides, the terraces are beautiful when the sun reflects on the water of the paddy fields, and the fields glow when the harvest is ripe.
The Zhuang minority have lived there for generations in wooden houses, and the people eat their own unique food, such as bamboo rice and oil tea.
Sit around a bonfire in a traditional kitchen, make bamboo rice with the host.
Tips to Tailor-Make Your Tour
Are you very active and love hiking? Then you'll love the 5-hour hiking trip between the villages of Ping'an and Dazhai through the Longji Terraced Rice Fields.
Day 8 Li River Cruise:
Breakfast & Lunch
A cruise along the Li River is an unforgettable experience. Between spectacular limestone peaks, you will see graceful bamboo groves, farmers tending rice paddies, and lumbering water buffalo cooling off in the river.
Disembark in Yangshuo town around 1:30 pm and explore the famous West Street. Transfer to the cozy hotel in the countryside and enjoy your free time in the rest of the day.
Tips to Tailor-Make Your Tour
Yangshuo offers a relaxing atmosphere and various activities: a cooking class, a tai chi lesson, a farming experience, and even rock climbing. Tell us what you want to try in the right form so that we can enrich your tour.
Hotel options:
Yangshuo Mountain Retreat
Yangshuo Ancient Garden Boutique Hotel
Day 9 Countryside Lifestyle and flight to Shanghai:
Breakfast & Lunch
Drive toward the south of Yangshuo to explore the peaceful villages. You might meet someone on his way to the fields with a water buffalo or someone working in the paddy.
Visit an old couple who still live in a traditional house. Learn about their lifestyle and philosophy of living.
Continue to drive pass an old ferry along the Li River. The old buildings in the ancient style are the memory of the busy water transportation on the Li River in the past. Then you will take a ferry and a local farmer’s taxi (a kind of motorbike with three wheels) to the local market.
Your guide will show you around to explain the different types of food and show you the local people’s daily necessities.
Fly to the modern city of Shanghai in the afternoon.
Hotel options:
Sunrise On The Bund
Wanda Reign Hotel
Day 10 Shanghai Highlights with Bund Discovery:
Do you just want to take a couple of selfies at the Bund like most tourists? Let’s take you on a journey back to the golden era of the Bund in the 1920s with our In-depth Bund Culture Discovery Tour, where you can experience the rich history and vibrant culture of this iconic area.
After enjoying a delicious lunch, you’ll ascend to the highest building in China, the Shanghai Tower, where you can not only take in a stunning panoramic view of Shanghai but also get a glimpse of the future of China.
Half-Day Customized “Icing-on-the-Cake” Experience
After traveling across China for about 10 days, you might be looking for something a little different at the end of your journey. Do you want some time to relax, or do you have any unfulfilled travel wishes? In Shanghai, your private guide will help make them come true!
Whether you want to unwind, explore fashion, appreciate art, delve into folk customs, or go shopping, we’ve got you covered. From enjoying cocktails at a trendy bar to visiting an art center, from trying out nail beauty treatments to experiencing the unique marriage market, or even shopping for charming gifts, we’ll make it happen. Just let us know what you’re interested in.
If you’re unsure of what you want to do, leave it to your guide to curate a memorable experience. We promise you won’t be disappointed!
Hotel options:
Sunrise On The Bund
Wanda Reign Hotel
Day 11 Shanghai Depature:
Breakfast
As your China trip comes to end, your tour guide and driver will collect you from your hotel and transfer you to Shanghai Pudong International Airport for your flight home.
Trip Notes
Every element of the tour above can be tailored. Feel free to tell us your ideas and we will be happy to make adjustments for you.
Extend the tour:
- Suzhou and/or Hangzhou: add 1–4 days — water towns, gardens, the Grand Canal, and West Lake
- Chengdu: add 2–3 days — a panda keeper program, have your photo taken next to a panda, and the Leshan Giant Buddha
- Hong Kong: add 2–3 days — Victoria Peak, Hong Kong Disneyland, and a day-tour of Macau
- Free days: Yangshuo and Shanghai are popular destinations to add one or more free days to explore on one’s own.
- More destinations: Zhangjiajie, Huangshan, and Tibet… Inform us of your interests and we will offer you some recommendations.
Accommodation
Various types of accommodation are available, including famous 5-star hotel chains, 4-star hotels in the best locations, good value 3-star hotels, or boutique hotels that reflect the style of the region. Whatever your accommodation preferences are, our travel experts will seek out and find the perfect one for you.
Most hotels in China allow at most three people in one room. If there are more than three people in your group, we will check if there is a family room available or do our best to arrange interconnecting rooms or adjoin rooms.
Transportation
China is a huge country, so to make your travel experience more efficient, we usually arrange flights to connect to your destinations.
China’s high-speed rail network is a fast-paced way to travel. We recommend taking high-speed trains for journeys of less than 6 hours to interested customers — please tell us if you are one of them.
Meals
Lunches at popular local restaurants are included for you so you can taste authentic Chinese food. Your guide will assist you with ordering the dishes.
Vegetarian, halal, kosher, Indian, or gluten-free — all your dietary requirements can be taken care of by our experienced private guides. Let us know if you have any of these dietary requirements during your booking.
Hotel Selection
Boutique hotels are recommended to enrich your travel experience.
Tour Price
From USD3,099 p/pBased on a private tour including 4-star hotels for 2 people. Price varies depending on program, travel date, number of people and chosen hotel
Price includes:
Want a More Personalized Best China Tour?
Talk to us about booking a private or custom tour for your unique China experience.
Travel Memories
Video Testimonials
Chinese Street Food Tour in Beijing
Happy Customer from United States
Testimonials
Winter Tour
We joined the China Winter Tour to Harbin for the Ice Festival. It was spectacular! The snow sculptures were breathtaking, and our guide, Tom , made sure we stayed warm and comfortable. The hotpot dinner was the perfect end to our icy day. Highly recommended for winter lovers!
Sofia
A Memorable Great Wall Experience!
We booked the Great Wall of China Tour with HelloChinaTrip, and it exceeded our expectations! From the moment we started in Beijing, our guide, Emily, made every step of the journey engaging and informative. Visiting both the Mutianyu and Jinshanling sections allowed us to experience the Wall’s grandeur in a relaxed, unhurried way. The hidden historical stories shared by Emily made the tour unforgettable. We also enjoyed delicious local meals along the way, thanks to their excellent recommendations. Truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience!
Alexandra
A Dream Family Vacation!
Our Family Tour with HelloChinaTrip was phenomenal! We explored Shanghai, Hangzhou, and Suzhou over 10 days, and everything was perfectly organized. Special thanks to our guide, Lily , who was patient and fantastic with the kids, keeping them entertained and engaged with fascinating stories. The itinerary was a perfect mix of history, culture, and fun activities. We especially loved the boat ride on West Lake. This trip created lasting family memories we’ll cherish forever!
Oliver
Incredible Silk Road Adventure
We embarked on a 12-day Silk Road Tour, and every moment was magical. From Dunhuang’s Mogao Caves to Kashgar’s bustling markets, the journey was packed with highlights. Our guide, Michael , was passionate and knowledgeable, providing insights that brought ancient history to life. The accommodations were excellent, and the transportation was seamless. This tour gave us a profound appreciation for China’s rich cultural tapestry. Highly recommend!
Nadia
Yangtze River Cruise – Truly Unforgettable!
The Yangtze River Cruise with HelloChinaTrip was an experience we’ll never forget. The 5-day journey aboard the luxury vessel was comfortable and well-planned. Our guide, Jason, shared stories about the Three Gorges that added depth to the stunning scenery. The onboard activities and meals were excellent, and every detail was taken care of. This was the highlight of our trip to China!
Liam K
A Magical Panda Tour!
Our Panda Tour in Chengdu was everything we hoped for! We visited the Giant Panda Breeding Research Base, and our guide, Sophia , provided fascinating insights into panda conservation efforts. Watching the pandas play and feed was heartwarming. The tour also included some wonderful stops at local temples and markets. An unforgettable day that connected us deeply with China’s wildlife and culture.
Mariko
Tibet Tour
Our 8-day Tibet Tour with HelloChinaTrip was an extraordinary journey. From the Potala Palace to the stunning Namtso Lake, every site was awe-inspiring. Our guide, Tenzin , was knowledgeable and deeply connected to his culture, sharing stories that made our visit to Tibet incredibly personal. The logistics were seamless, and we felt well taken care of in this remote region. A once-in-a-lifetime adventure!
Samuel
Nature Tour of Guilin
Our nature tour through Guilin and Yangshuo was beyond beautiful. The Li River cruise and the hike through the Longji Rice Terraces were the highlights. Our guide, Leo , knew every hidden viewpoint and local story. The stunning landscapes and warm hospitality made this an unforgettable trip.
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