12 Days China Cultural Tour of Beijing, Xi'an, Guilin,Guangzhou and Hong Kong

Summary

Day 1 Arrive in Beijing
Day 2 Beijing: Mutianyu Great Wall, Ming Tombs, Bird's Nest & Water Cube
Day 3 Beijing: Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace
Day 4 Beijing--Xi'an by Bullet Train
Day 5 Xi'an: Terra-cotta Warriors, Big Wild Goose Pagoda, Tang Dynasty Show, Dumpling Banquet
Day 6 Xi'an--Guilin by Flight
Day 7 Guilin: Boat Cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo, Li River Cruise
Day 8 Guilin--Guangzhou by Bullet Train: Reed Flute Cave, Elephant Trunk Hill, leave for Guangzhou
Day 9 Guangzhou: Chen Clan Academy, Guangzhou's Former European Concession, Lizhiwan, Yuexiu Park, Six Banyan Temple 
Day 10 Guangzhou--Hongkong by Bullet train
Day 11 Hongkong: Free on your own
Day 12 Departure Hongkong

Day 1

Welcome to China! Upon your arrival in Beijing, our Beijing local guide will pick you up at the exit of airport with a welcome signage "China Private Tour". And then, drive you to your hotel for check-in. The rest day is free for you to recover your jetlag or explore the city on your own. 

Day 2

In the morning, our guide will pick you up at your hotel lobby. Your tour starts with Great Wall (Mutianyu Section), it about 70KM far way from downtown. There is an old saying "If you haven't climbed the Great Wall, you haven't seen China." Many of your friends who visited China before might have told you this. It is indeed an experience of life. As one of the best-preserved parts of the Great Wall, Mutianyu section of Great Wall used to serve as the northern barrier defending the capital and the imperial tombs. It's known for its beautiful surroundings - dense woods and rich pastures changing colors with the seasons of a year. 

Great Wall

Your lunch is offered near the Great Wall at a local Chinese restaurant.

After lunch, you'll visit the Sacred Way, affiliated with the Ming Tombs, is a main attractions arranged for you. The Ming Tombs lie in Changping County, about 50 kilometers (31 miles) northwest from the urban area of Beijing. It is actually a tomb cluster of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), including thirteen emperor's mausoleums, seven tombs for concubines and one grave for eunuchs.  

On the way return to the downtown Beijing, you will see the National Stadium (Bird's Nest) & Water Cube. Its located at the Olympic Green, the stadium cost US$428 million. The design was awarded to a submission from the Swiss architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron in April 2003 after a bidding process that included 13 final submissions. Water Cube is one of the best venues of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, it was chosen through public appraisals as one of “China ten big new architecture views” by The U.S. magazine "Business Weekly". 

After dinner, you will be taken back to your hotel.

Day 3

In the morning, you will be picked up at your hotel lobby.

Firstly, you will pay a visit for Tian'an men Square. It is the largest city plaza in the world. Tiananmen Square is the geographical center of Beijing City. It is the largest city square in the world, occupying an area of 440,000 square meters (about 109 acres), and able to accommodate 1000000 people at one time. Tiananmen Gate on the northern square was the site where the Chairman Mao announced the establishment of the People's Republic of China.

Tian'an men Square

Next to the one of the world’s 5 most important palaces – Forbidden City, The Forbidden City, also named the Palace Museum, shares the honor of being one of five world-famous palaces with the Palace of Versailles in France, Buckingham Palace in England, the White House in the U.S. and the Kremlin in Russia. The incomparable palace occupies an area of 720,000 square meters (177.9 acres) and has approximately 8,700 rooms. A high red wall with a total length of 3,400 meters (3,718 yards) encases the palace. 

Have lunch at the local famous Peking Roast Duck restaurant, taste the most famous duck in Beijing and try some local cuisine in Beijing. Roast duck — or Peking Duck, as it's often known — has been served in Beijing for around 600 years, according to Liu. First served by palace chefs during the Ming dynasty, it has royal pedigree.

Forbidden City

In the afternoon, drive about 6km to next imperial site - Temple of Heaven. The temple was constructed in 1420 during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), and was enlarged during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). It is the grandest cult architecture complex in the world and a masterpiece of the Chinese people created in ancient times. It covers 2,700,000 square meters (667 acres). Emperors of the two dynasties used to worship the heaven and pray for rich harvests, as the feudal emperors thought they were the son of the heaven. 

Next, you will visit Summer Palace. It first built in 1750, largely destroyed in the war of 1860 and restored on its original foundations in 1886 – is a masterpiece of Chinese landscape garden design. The natural landscape of hills and open water is combined with artificial features such as pavilions, halls, palaces, temples and bridges to form a harmonious ensemble of outstanding aesthetic value.

After dinner, you will be taken back to your hotel.

Day 4

You will have a free time to go around Beijing city until our driver drive you to Beijing train station, and you will experience the high-speed train of to Xi'an. How excited! It takes around five hours. You can enjoy the scenery on the way from Beijing to Xi'an

Upon arrival, our Xi'an local guide will pick you up at the exit of Xi'an train station with a signage “China Private Tour” and drive you to your hotel, after check-in, the rest day is free on youe own to explore the city or relax at hotel.

Day 5

After breakfast, our guide will meet you at the pointed time. Today, you will visit the highlights of Xi'an city.

Firstly, drive you to Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses Museum (around 50 minutes for one way), it known as “the eighth Wonders of the world”, the museum shows a surprisingly high level in sculpture which is listed as the most significant discovery of the 20th century. Up to now, there has discovered a total of 179 accompanying burial pits of different connotations and various shapes in Qinshihuang’s Mausoleum area. The discovery of these pits has provided all important significance in the research of the burial system of the Qinshihuang’s Mausoleum, the characteristics structures and characteristics of the burial pits. 

Terra-cotta Warriors

Your lunch is arranged at a local Chinese restaurant to try Xi'sn authentic dishes.

After lunch, you will be taken back to Xi'an downtown and continue your visit to Big Wild Goose Pagoda, also named Giant Wild Goose Pagoda. It is a Buddhist pagoda located in southern Xi'and became the symbol of the old-line Xi'an. It was built in 652 during the Tang dynasty and originally had five stories. It is rated as a National Key Cultural Relic Preserve. One of the pagoda's many functions was to hold sutras and figurines of the Buddha that were brought to China from India by the Buddhist translator and traveler Xuanzang.

Later, you will have a Xi'an Dumpling Banquet. Our guide will lead you to Shaanxi Grand Opera House and help you find your seat for the most famous Xi'an Dumpling Banquet within the Opera House. In Xian, a must for visitors to try is the delicious dumplings. While tasting those dumplings, customers will be astonished by the cooks' smart cooking methods include steaming, boiling, pan-frying, deep frying, and roasting. It seems that all of the indigenous meat and vegetables can be used for the dumplings' stuffing, such as pork, mutton, beef as well as celery, radish, cabbages, etc. Nowadays, by the cooks' continuously improving, the dumpling has been one of the local best foods to entertain visitors from home and abroad.

Xi'an Dumpling Banquet

After dinner, you will enjoy the local colorful and splendid Tang Dynasty Dance Show, which is a performance of music and dance that imitate the Tang Dynasty over one thousand-year ago. The Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Show, a wonderful performance of the ancient music and dance, is a must when you visit Xian.

After the tour, you will be taken back to your hotel.

Day 6

Today is free on your own until our driver transfer you to the airport and you will fly to Guilin. It takes around 2 hours from Xi'an to Guilin.

Upon arrival, our Gulin local guide will pick you up at the exit of airport with a signage "China Private Tour" and the rest day is free on youe own to explore the city or relax at hotel.

Day 7

In the morning, our guide and driver will pick you up from the hotel, drive you to the Pier, where you will start the Guilin Li River cruise to Yangshuo. The boarding time is scheduled at 9:30am, and the whole journey takes about 4 hours. With our guide's company and interpretation, you could immerse yourself in the stunning karst landscape made up of rolling hills, verdant forests, odd caves and tranquil villages along the Li River. A simple Chinese lunch will be offered on board before you reach Yangshuo.

Li River Cruise

After disembarkation, you will drive into the picturesque countryside of Yangshuo by an energy-saving battery car, or you could choose to cycle around at your own pace. 

At the end of this Guilin-Yangshuo tour, you will be transferred back to the hotel in Guilin by our private vehicle, it takes around 1.5 hours. You will have a dinner before back to hotel.

Day 8

In the morning, our guide will pick you up at your hotel lobby. The first stop is Reed Flute Cave, a natural limestone cave that is estimated to be 180 million years old. Stroll into cave chambers illuminated with multicolored lighting and admire the interior of stalactites, stalagmites and otherworldly rock formations.

Elephant Trunk Hill

And then, you will visit Elephant Trunk Hill. It is a  riverside park in Guilin, located on the western bank of the Li River. Said to resemble an elephant drinking water, the peak affords panoramic views of the city, Li River and surrounding scenery.

You will have a Chinese lunch at local restaurant. After lunch, transfer to Guilin West Railway Station for the bullet train to Guangzhou. The train takes about three and a half hours, which is very comfortable. 

Once arrived in Guangzhou, you will be picked up at the exit of Guangzhou train station by our Guangzhou lcoal guide with a welcome signage "China Private Tour" and take you for dinner. After dinner, drive you to your hotel in Guangzhou.

Day 9

In the morning, you will be picked up at your hotel lobby. The first stop is The Chen Clan Academy, is a unique complex and a fascinating monument to South China's culture and to anyone from Guangdong Province with the common surname Chen. You will spend 1 hour inside.

And then, continue your tour to the heart of Guangzhou's Former European Concession, France and England both set up shop on this sandy river island in 1859 toward the end of the Opium Wars, Shamian Island is home to a number of colonial era buildings, including a restored French Catholic church, Our Lady of Lourdes;

Lizhiwan

Next, pay a visit for Lizhiwan, a 743 meters (813 yards) canal which links Shamian Island and Liwan Lake, you will have the chance to explore this attractive waterway which is surrounded by greenery, period-style buildings and numerous shops and restaurants selling traditional Cantonese food.

You will have a Chinese lunch at local restaurant to try some cantonese food. Guangzhou city also regarded as paradise of food.

After lunch, Yuexiu Park, the largest park in downtown Guangzhou covering an area of 860,000 square meters (212.5 acres) and consisting of three artificial lakes and Yuexiu Mountain's seven hills.

The final stop is Six Banyan Temple. It is an ancient Buddhist temple which was built in 537 during the Liang Dynasty. 

After dinner, you will be taken back to your hotel.

Day 10

Today, our guide and driver will meet you at your hotel lobby and escort you to Guangzhou train station to Hongkong. Upon arrival, meet your Hong Kong at the exit of train station with a welcome signage "China Private Tour" and drive to hotel. The rest day is free on your own to explore the city.

Day 11

Today still free on your own to explore the city. Our guide will give you some good recommendation for shopping,eating...

We recommend Temple Street night market in Kowloon near you hotel, open from 4pm to midnight. There is an astonishing variety of clothing, electronic gadgets, luggage etc. Even if you're not into shopping, the narrow streets and atmosphere are an experience to remember.

Day 12

Our guide and driver will meet you at appointed time and transfer you to airport. You'll fly back home. And your wonderful 12 Days China Tour of Beijing, Xi'an, Guilin,Guangzhou and Hong Kong come to the ends. Have a pleasant trip!

Price Per Person in US Dollars

Price Includes 1. All  transfer and city transportation 2. Air-conditioned car or van 3. Hotels specified in the itinerary, all based     on two persons sharing one standard room; 4. Meals specified in the itinerary: Western     breakfast in hotels, Chinese lunch and     dinner in local restaurants 5. Sightseeing: All arrangements mentioned     in the itinerary will be covered 6. Admission Fee: All first admission/entrance fee     s in the itinerary 6. Tour guide: Conducted by a professional     tour guide

Price Excludes 1. International air-tickets 2. Airport departure tax. 3. International or domestic air tickets which     are not listed in the itinerary. 4. Insurance coverage of personal loss, illness     or damages incurred during your trip 5. Tips to the tour guide and driver 6. Meals not specified in the itinerary. 7. Personal expenses: phone bills, laundry,     optional tours, postage, excess baggage     charge, entertainment fees out of the     itinerary. 8. Single Room Supplement.