SHANGHAI
Shanghai is a diverse city—the old alleys in the old part of town, the century-old European-style buildings along the Bund, gardens filled with memories around Chenghuang, skyscrapers of all kinds in Lujiazui—a melting pot of different elements that forges the city’s unique charm. Numerous attractions and delicacies create a travel culture exclusive to Shanghai, and make it a magical place of never-ending attraction for food lovers, travellers, and those who love to party.

XI’AN
Identified by UNESCO as a Famous World Ancient City in 1981, Xi’an is China’s best tourism destination and one of the county’s National Civilized Cities. Cultural relics spread over six locations have been listed as two World Cultural Heritage sites, including the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor and the Terracotta Warriors, Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, Small Wild Goose Pagoda, Daming Palace National Heritage Park (Tang Dynasty), Weiyang Palace Relics (Han Dynasty) and Xingjiao Temple Pagoda.

BEIJING
Beijing is one of “The Four Great Ancient Capitals of China”. In the city, there are countless scenic spots and historical sites, featuring historic figures and cultural heritage. The city boasts historical sites such as the Forbidden City, one of the Five Most Beautiful Royal Palaces in the World; the Temple of Heaven, where the Emperors worship the Heaven, Beihai Park and the Summer Palace, which were imperial retreats, as well as sections of the Great Wall at Badaling, Mutianyu, and Simatai, and Prince Gong Mansion, the world’s largest Siheyuan (courtyard house).

THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA – Walk along China’s Iconic Ancient Wonder
The Great Wall is the military defense project in ancient China, mainly distributed in 15 Chinese provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities, i.e. Hebei, Beijing, Tianjin, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Gansu, Inner Mongolia, Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Shandong, Henan, Qinghai, Ningxia and Xinjiang. Where there is the Great Wall, there are profound imprints of the Chinese history. Here exist the Palace Museum, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace, Terracotta Army and Jiayu Pass, to name just a few. Tracing the Great Wall and one will finally enter the hinterland of China; standing atop the Great Wall and one will be transported to the battle scenes of millennia ago, and envisage the up and downs of Chinese history unfolding.

THE YELLOW RIVER – Come Face to Face with the Mother River
The Yellow River is the second-longest river in China and the sixth in the world with an estimated length of 5,464 km. The river basin was the primary birthplace of Chinese civilization and is thus known as the “Mother River”. Originating in the Bayan Har Mountains on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau in Western China’s Qinghai Province, it flows eastward through Qinghai, Sichuan, Gansu, Ningxia, Inner Mongolia, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Henan and Shandong, before emptying into the Bohai Sea. The river course is dotted with renowned scenic areas including the Baotu Spring, Qufu Ming Dynasty Ancient City and Mount Tai.

DAY 1 ARRIVAL
Arrival. Welcome to China! Transfer to the hotel and free time. You will receive information about the start of the program during the afternoon.
Accommodation : Shanghai for 2 nights

DAY 2 SHANGHAI (B/L)
In the morning, our trip includes a visit around this impressive city. We will know the area of Pudong, located across the Huangpu River, is now the financial district, with its skyscrapers as the Pearl Tower. We include a ferry crossing of the Shanghai River which will give us great views of the two parts of the city. We will stroll the Old City and the Yuyuan Garden, a private garden that was built during the Ming Dynasty. We will enjoy a demonstration of the Tea ceremony, a traditional drink that plays an important cultural role in China. We will pass by one of the most fashionable neighborhoods of the capital, Xintiandi. Lunch included. Then, visit Tianzifang, a former residential area known for its narrow, labyrinthine traditional streets with its small craft shops and art galleries. We finish the visit along the Bund with its old buildings that remind us of the influence of European trade.
Free afternoon. If you wish, you can enjoy a boat trip to see Shanghai at night, it will be an unforgettable experience.

DAY 3 SHANGHAI – LUOYANG (B/L)
Transfer to the station. We take the high-speed train (a train is expected to leave at 07.17 h), and in a little over five hours, through many sections of pretty countryside, we cover the 1,000 km to LUOYANG. Lunch included. We see the impressive Buddhist caves of LONGMEN over more than a kilometre of the rocky walls of the river, where they sculpted more than 100,000 images of Buddha. We will include a boat trip. After this, transfer to the ancient city, where we cross its impressive wall and can enjoy the great traditional activity and its lit up streets.
Accommodation : Luoyang for 1 night

DAY 4 LUOYANG – WHITE HORSE MONASTERY – SANMEXIA – XIAN (B/L)
In the early hours, on the outskirts of Luoyang, we visit the WHITE HORSE BUDDHIST MONASTERY, a huge monastery and place of study where Buddhists from all countries of the world. We continue our route to SANMEXIA. In this historic city we will see the Yellow River and the Baoulon temple with its tall pagoda and we will visit one of the best museums in China: the Guo museum with the funeral carriages of the former state of guo. Lunch included. We continue eastwards, passing the foot of Mount Hua, a holy mountain. XIAN, arrival at the end of the afternoon.
Accommodation : Xian for 2 nights

DAY 5 XIAN (B)
We have arrive in the fascinating city where the silk route originated. First thing in the morning, we will go to see the TERRACOTA ARMY, with its thousands of life size clay soldiers that were found underground. We return to XIAN, where we will visit the Small Wild Goose Pagoda where we will enjoy a brief Chinese calligraphy course . Later, we go across through the walled centre. We will cross the Muslim quarter there and we will enter the mosque, where we will be able to see the multiple cultures and religions that have left their mark on this country. Our tour will also include entry tickets to the Drum Tower where we will enjoy a short show of traditional instrument playing. Free time.

DAY 6 XIAN – LINGFEN – CLAN WANG MANSION – PINGYAO (B)
We leave from Xian in a very modern high speed train and in less than three hours we will arrive in Lingfen. From here, we go in our coach to the MANSION OF THE WANG CLAN, which was built by a wealthy family between the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries. Lunch is included. We continue on to PINGYAO, China’s best preserved historical city, which has 4,000 ancient buildings and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We will enjoy this charming traditional city. Our tour will include entry tickets that allow visitors access to all the temples, mansions and city walls.
Accommodation : Pingyao for 1 night

DAY 7 PINGYAO – WUTAI (B/D)
We travel to one of the most exciting spiritual places in China: WUTAI MOUNTAIN. This place, situated between green mountains and forests, is one of the centres of the Lamaism form of Buddhism. There are more than 40 ancient monasteries (and a similar number of monasteries have been built in more recent years), which are home to a large community of monks. We will visit Nanshan Temple with our guide, and later we will leave time free for you to look for less visited temples, where you can respectfully observe the monks. Dinner included.
Accommodation : Wutai for 1 night

DAY 8 WUTAI – YANMENGUAN – YINKXIAN – HANGING TEMPLE – DATONG (B/L)
After breakfast, we travel along a road of great scenic beauty between the mountains to YANGMENGUAN, which is not far from the border of Mongolia. In one of the mountain passes, we will visit a part of the GREAT WALL OF CHINA here. We will be able to take a tranquil walk, as it is an area with a very small number of tourists. We continue to YINGXIAN, quiet picturesque village with its great wooden pagoda. Lunch included. We continue to the HANGING TEMPLE of Xuancong Temple. Its construction on the wall of a cliff is amazing. Continuing with the coach, at the end of the day, you can stroll in DATONG, a city that has impressive walls and a rebuilt historic centre.
Accommodation : Datong for 1 night

DAY 9 DATONG – YUNGANG – JIMING POST – BEIJING (B)
We leave in the morning to YUNGANG CAVES, China’s most impressive art cave site, which has more than 51,000 statues in its 252 caves that were excavated in the 5th century. We continue to JIMING POST, a small traditional Chinese settlement that preserves its peaceful and provincial life. It was created as a resting place for the mails that were sent from the emperor. Continue to BEIJING, arriving mid-afternoon.
Accommodation : Beijing for 3 nights

DAY 10 BEIJING (B/L)
An exciting day awaits us. We will discover the main points of interest in the Chinese capital. We will have a full day visit in which we will visit some of the main avenues in the city. The Great Chinese Imperial Palace, better known as “The Forbidden City”, the most majestic architectural complex in China from where 24 emperors ruled for almost 500 years. We will also have the opportunity to visit Jingshan Park where the Coal Hill is located, one of the best preserved imperial gardens in Beijing. We ascend to the top of the hill to have the best views (if the day is clear) on the Forbidden City. We will walk through the immense Tiananmen Square one of the largest squares in the world, and from them, we will appreciate the Great National Theater, Beijing Opera House. Lunch is included. Today, we will also visit the SUMMER PALACE, the Imperial House of the Qing Dynasty with its beautiful gardens and lakes. In the afternoon we include a tricycle ride through the traditional neighborhood of Beijing, known as Hutong. In this area we can see the typical life style in these popular neighborhood, visit typical shops and even a traditional house, a Siheyuan, with all its lounges around a courtyard. Return to the hotel and overnight.

DAY 11 BEIJING (B/D)
Today’s program includes an excursion to visit the GREAT WALL OF CHINA (section Mutianyu), a spectacular architectural work. Its history covers more than 2000 years. The day will include a cable car ride up and down to one of the most scenic areas. Returning to Beijing, we will stop in the 798th district, with its contemporary art located in an old military factory. We will also visit the TEMPLE OF HEAVEN, one of the country’s largest sacred complexes and a World Heritage Site. Before returning to the hotel, and as a way to rest from this intense day, we will enjoy a foot massage and we will take a Tai Chi class. We will bid farewell to Beijing with a lacquered duck dinner included.

DAY 12 DEPARTURE (B)
After breakfast, transfer to the airport. End of our services.

 

 

HOTEL OPTIONS OR SIMILAR

Price based on one of the following accommodation or similar. Hotels will be confirmed 3 weeks prior departure.

Shanghai
Sky Shanghai 5*
Mercure Shanghai Century Park 4*
Novotel Shanghai Atlantis 4*

Luoyang
Ramada By Wyndham Downtown 4*

Xian
Novotel Xian Scpg 4*

Pingyao
Fengyan Jianguo Hotel 4*

Wutai
Marriott Mountain Wutai 4*
Friendship Hotel Wutai 4*

Datong
Yungang Meigao Hotel 4*
Datong Yungang Meigao 5*

Beijing
Mercure Beijing Downtown 4*
Grand Skylight Royal Beijing 4*