12 Days China Ancient City Tour to Beijing, Datong, Taiyuan, Pingyao, Xi'an and Shanghai

Day 1: Meet you at Beijing Airport and transfer you to your hotel.

Program:

Upon your arrival in Beijing, you will be picked up by your tour guide at the airport then transferred to your hotel for check-in, have a rest.

Meals: N/A

Day 2: Today's program is downtown highlights discovery, inculde: Temple of Heaven, Tiananmen Square and Forbidden City.

Program:

Enjoy the local people's morning activities in the Temple of Heaven, the No.1 temple in ancient China. Then go to visit the Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City; drive back to hotel.
-The Temple of Heaven: China's largest existing complex of ancient sacrificial buildings occupies an area of 273 hectares. It is three times the area of the Forbidden City, where you may see local people doing the morning exercises, practicing Taiji, dancing and even singing the Pecking Opera
-The Tiananmen Square: Visit the largest city square in the world at the heart of Beijing
-The Forbidden City: Listed by the UNESCO as World Cultural Heritage, the world's largest palace complex covers a floor space of 720,000 square meters. It houses numerous rare treasures and curiosities after 500 years being an imperial palace.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation: 3-Star or 4-Star Hotel in Beijing

Day 3: We will have a great time today by visiting Badaling Great Wall, Ming Tombs and its Sacred Way

Program:

Today you will visit the famous Badaling Great Wall, the Ming Tomb, and Sacred Way of Tomb.
-Badaling Great Wall: One of the Seven Wonders of the World and the symbol of China. With a history of more than 2000 years and approximately 6,700 kilometers The Great wall of China offers a unique opportunity to experience this wonderful country.
-The Ming Tomb: The Ming tombs of the 13 emperors of the Ming Dynasty were located on the southern slope of Mount Taishou (originally Mount Huangtu)
-Sacred Way: an alley lined with statues of dignitaries as well as different holy animals, you will come to the marble tombs of the Ming Dynasty emperors. You will visit one of the biggest tombs.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation: 3-Star or 4-Star Hotel in Beijing

Day 4: Today we will visit the existing largest royal garden Summer Palace, and discover the life of local residents by taking Rickshaw Hutong Tour.

Program:

Visit the Summer Palace in the morning, and take a rickshaw Hutong tour in the afternoon, after rickshaw tour, you will have some free time to further discover Hutong.
-The Summer Palace: Listed as one of the World Heritage Sites by UNESCO, The Summer Palace in Beijing is ranked among the most noted and classical gardens of the world.
-Hutong: Hutongs are a kind of ancient city alley or lane that is typical in Beijing. Most of them are found around the Forbidden City, and many were built during the three dynasties of Yuan, Ming and Qing. Today, the Hutong is a living museum of Beijing s history showing the traditional lifestyle of Beijing people. Tricycles hold two people and peddled by an experienced bicyclist. Stops are made to visit a local family and see first-hand how the people of Beijing live.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation: 3-Star or 4-Star Hotel in Beijing

Day 5: Take a speed train from Beijing to Datong, and visit Yungang Grottoes and grand Hanging Temple

Program:

Take a speed train from Beijing to Datong, and visit the Yungang Cave and the Hanging Temple.
-Yungang Cave: Begun around AD 460, these grottoes are the earliest Buddhist carvings in China Central Plains.
-Hanging Temple: Built precariously into the side of a cliff, the Buddhist Hanging Monastery is made all the more stunning by the long support stilts that extend downward from its base, furthering the appearance that there really isn't a whole lot keeping the structure from one day smashing to bits in the riverbed below

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation: 3-Star or 4-Star Hotel in Datong

Day 6: You will take a speed train ride from Datong to Taiyuan, and visit Jinci Temple after arrive Taiyuan.

Program:

You will take a speed train from Datong to Taiyuan. When arrive Taiyuan, check-in and have lunch; after a short rest, visit Jinci Temple.
-Jinci Temple: Dating from AD 1023, this Buddhist temple is at the source of the Jin River and is a good start for those who interested in Shanxi impressive collection of ancient wooden buildings.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation: 3-Star or 4-Star Hotel in Taiyuan

Day 7: Today the private vehicle will drive you from Taiyuan to Pingyao, visit Pingyao Ancient City and Qiao Courtyard.

Program:

The private vehicle will drive you from Taiyuan to Pingyao (102km, about 1.5 hours driving), and then visit Qiao Family Courtyard and Pingyao Ancient Town.
-Pingyao Ancient Town: Possibly the best-preserved ancient walled city in China. It has a movie-set charm that makes the hearts of even the most hardened expats skip a beat.
-Qiao Family Courtyard House: This ornately decorated resident is where Zhang Yimou's chilling movie Raise the Red Lantern, starring Gong Li, was filmed. The complex consists of six courtyards, containing more than 300 rooms, and was built by Qiao Guifa, a small-time tea and bean-curd merchant who rose to riches.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation: 3-Star or 4-Star Hotel in Pingyao

Day 8: Take a high-speed train from Pingyao to Xi'an, and enjoy Shaanxi Provincial Museum in the afternoon.

Program:

Be Transfer to Pingyao train station for the high-speed train to Xi'an.
Be met at Xi'an train station and transferred to hotel and having lunch, then visit the Provincial Museum in the afternoon.
-The Provincial Museum: Built at the site of a former Confucian temple in the southern part of Xi’an, this is the largest comprehensive museum in the province. It exhibits primarily historical relics of past dynasties and displays precious art treasures

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation: 3-Star or 4-Star Hotel in Xi'an

Day 9: This package's highlight Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses in on today's schedule, after that, visit Big Wild Goose Pagoda and Muslim Quarter.

Program:

In the morning, we will drive to Lintong (about 1 hours to Xian downtown) for visiting the Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses. After that, drive back to Xi'an visit the Wild Goose Pagoda and Muslim Quarter.
-The Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses: The greatest archaeological findings of the century: the army of terra-cotta warriors and the bronze chariots entombed in vast underground vaults at emperor Qin's tomb.
-The Wild Goose Pagoda: It is a well-preserved ancient building and a holy place for Buddhists.
-Muslim Quarter: The Beiyuanmen Muslim Quarter is one of the "must-see" in Xi'an. It starts from the Drum Tower and ends at the Beiyuanmen, totally 500 meters long. Snack is the main attraction in the street. Most of the Xi'an characteristic snack especially the Islamic snack can be easily found here. Many of them are very famous at home, and visitors won't miss the snacks when they visit Xi'an.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation: 3-Star or 4-Star Hotel in Xi'an

Day 10: In the morning, we visit Xi'an Ancient City Wall; on the way to Xi'an Airport, we visit Tomb of Emperor Han Dynasty Jingdi. Then take a flight to Shan

Program:

We will visit Xi'an Ancient City Wall after breakfast, and on the way to the airport, we go to the Tomb of Emperor Han Dynasty Jingdi (Hanyangling / Hanyang Tomb), and then take the flight from Xi'an to Shanghai.
Meet you at Shanghai Airport and transfer you to your hotel.
-The Ancient City Wall: It is the largest and best-preserved present city wall in ancient China and is probably the best military battlement in the world.
-Tomb of Emperor Jingdi: The Jing Emperor's tomb in Han Dynasty which was opened in 2001 and is famous for its rich collections of different kinds of tombs.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation: 3-Star or 4-Star Hotel in Shanghai

Day 11: Today we have all day shanghai tour to The Bund, Jade Buddha Temple, Yu Garden and Shanghai Oriental Pearl TV Tower

Program:

Whole day city tour to the Bund, Jade Buddha Temple, Yu Garden, Yuyuan Market, Oriental Pearl TV Tower.
-The Bund (Waitan): It is one of the most recognizable architectural symbols of Shanghai. It is here where the first British company opened an office in 1846.
-Jade Buddha Temple: It is one of the main tourist highlights of Shanghai and it's also the most famous active temples in China. If you're lucky, you can watch the monks serving a ceremony in a side room.
-Yu Garden (Yuyuan): It is characteristic of the architectural style of the Ming Dynasty and it used to be a private garden with 400 years' history. In front of the garden, there is a market called Yu Market.
-Yuyuan Market: Yuyuan Market found beside Yuyuan Garden is a bazaar of stores that sells traditional Chinese arts and crafts and souvenirs. The stores sell a mish-mash of items including chopsticks, Chinese medicine, walking sticks, fans, silk umbrellas, bamboo and rattan furniture, goldfish, pottery, plus much more. Part of the market has also been transformed into an indoor mall. Food is also a great temptation in Yuyuan Market with local delicacies such as xiao long bao, pigeon egg dumplings and spicy cold noodles from the street stalls or numerous restaurants.
-Oriental Pearl TV Tower: Standing by the Huangpu River with 468 meters high, Oriental Pearl TV Tower is the highest TV Tower in Asia.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation: 3-Star or 4-Star Hotel in Shanghai

Day 12: Transfer you to Shanghai Hongqiao or Pudong International Airport for your next destination. End of Service.

Program:

Be transferred to Shanghai airport for flight to your next destination!
Service Ends!

Meals: Breakfast