Explore the best of classic China on this 6-day curated tour that kicks off in Shanghai, travels through the ancient cultural hub of Luoyang, and concludes in the historic imperial capital of Xi’an. This carefully crafted itinerary handpicks top must-see destinations across each stop to deliver an authentic, memorable journey through the heart of China. It also offers unbeatable value with guaranteed competitive pricing and fully secure, trusted payment processes for a totally hassle-free booking experience.
Min 2 · Max 20 people per group
Traveler reviews
This immersive 6-day journey starts in the buzzing, futuristic metropolis of Shanghai, before you travel west via high-speed rail to Luoyang — a millennia-old cultural hub and one of China’s four great ancient imperial capitals. The tour concludes in legendary Xi’an, the ancient starting point of the Silk Road and home to one of the world’s most famous archaeological wonders. This route perfectly contrasts China’s dynamic modern present with its rich ancient past, giving you a complete, unforgettable taste of classical Chinese culture.
Arrive in vibrant Shanghai and check into your accommodation to unwind after your travels. The rest of the day is free for you to explore the local neighborhood, grab a bite of iconic Shanghai street food, or settle in before your adventure begins. 🏨 Novotel Shanghai Atlantis
Today kicks off with a full guided exploration of China’s most dynamic city. You’ll head to Pudong, Shanghai’s gleaming futuristic financial district, and climb the iconic Oriental Pearl Tower for sweeping panoramic views of the entire metropolis. Next, take a gentle scenic ferry across the Huangpu River to soak in the city’s iconic skyline from the water, before ending your day at the classical Yuyuan Garden — a serene centuries-old traditional garden tucked in old town Shanghai. 🍽️ Lunch included | 🏨 Novotel Shanghai Atlantis
This morning you’ll board a smooth, modern high-speed train from Shanghai bound for Luoyang. Once you arrive, your first stop is the UNESCO-listed Longmen Buddhist Caves, a breathtaking site with thousands of hand-carved Buddha statues stretching along the Yi River. You’ll take a scenic boat ride along the river for a unique one-of-a-kind view of the cliffside carvings, then spend the evening wandering the atmospheric cobblestone streets of ancient Luoyang to soak up local culture. 🍽️ Lunch included | 🏨 Mercure Luoyang or Ramada By Wyndham Downtown Luoyang
Today you’ll dive into Luoyang’s 2,000-year history of Buddhism with a visit to White Horse Buddhist Monastery, the oldest officially founded Buddhist temple in China. Next, you’ll stop to take in the sweeping views of the mighty Yellow River, China’s iconic “mother river”, before heading to the historic Baolun Temple. After that, you’ll explore the Guo State Museum, where you can see perfectly preserved ancient imperial funeral carriages from the Western Zhou Dynasty, before continuing on to your final destination of Xi’an for the night. 🍽️ Lunch included | 🏨 Novotel Xian Scpg or Delta By Marriott Xi'an
Start your day with a hearty included buffet breakfast at your hotel, then set off on a full guided tour of Xi’an, one of China’s most famous ancient capitals. The unmissable highlight of today is a visit to the world-famous Terracotta Army Museum, where you’ll come face to face with thousands of life-sized clay warriors built to guard Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s tomb over 2,200 years ago. After exploring the museum, you’ll visit the serene Small Wild Goose Pagoda, a beautiful 8th-century Buddhist pagoda, then take a stroll through the historic walled city center of Xi’an to soak up its old-world charm. 🍽️ Buffet breakfast included | 🏨 Novotel Xian Scpg or Delta By Marriott Xi'an
Enjoy a leisurely buffet breakfast at your hotel to wrap up your cross-China journey. Today is your departure day, with free time to pick up last-minute souvenirs or explore a final local spot before you head to the airport or continue on to your next adventure. 🍽️ Buffet breakfast included
May 2, 2026
This tour was a great way to cross three amazing Chinese destinations off my bucket list in just one week. The local food we got to try at each stop was an amazing added bonus, from soup dumplings in Shanghai to chewy biangbiang noodles in Xi’an. I’m already planning my next trip back to explore more of this incredible country.
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I loved how the itinerary balanced dynamic modern China in Shanghai with thousands of years of history in Luoyang and Xi’an. Every intercity transfer was arranged smoothly, so I never had to stress about figuring out train tickets or logistics on my own.
I brought my retired parents on this tour and every single one of us left completely happy with the whole experience.
HelloChinaTrip’s consultant Lynn helped me adjust a few small booking details before I arrived, and she was so responsive and helpful the whole time. The itinerary is perfectly paced for 6 days—we never felt rushed, but we also got to see all the top highlights without unnecessary downtime. Shanghai’s riverside skyline view at night was unforgettable, Luoyang’s ancient Buddhist rock carvings were stunning, and the Terracotta Army lived up to every bit of hype I’d heard. This is easily the best organized international tour I’ve ever joined.
I booked this tour for my spring break trip and really enjoyed every stop on the curated itinerary. The only downside was that the Terracotta Army site was incredibly wonderful during the Easter holiday week, which made it a little hard to take our time looking at all the warriors. All the transport and entry arrangements were seamless, and I’d still 100% recommend this tour, just try to go outside of peak holiday weekends if you can.
This 6-day Classical China Tour was the perfect introduction to Chinese history and culture.
As a high school history teacher, this tour was everything I wanted and more for my first trip to China. I’ve studied the Terracotta Army and Chinese imperial history for years, but getting to see it all in person with a guide who could contextualize every site made the experience so much richer. Luoyang doesn’t get as much attention as Shanghai or Xi’an among Western tourists, but the Longmen Grottoes were actually my favorite stop on the whole trip. The pacing was great, with enough free time to wander and grab local snacks after our guided site visits. I can’t recommend this tour enough to anyone who wants to see the best of classic China.
Starting in Shanghai gave us such a fun contrast of modern and old China before we headed to the ancient sites. Luoyang’s Longmen Grottoes took my breath away, and ending in Xi’an to see the Terracotta Army was the ideal grand finale. Our guide was super knowledgeable about every historic site we visited.
