China Essentials: History, Culture & Scenery

Nihao! Welcome to Shanghai, a city that blends Eastern tradition and Western flair into something genuinely its own.

Your private guide and driver will meet you at Shanghai Pudong or Hongqiao International Airport (or the train station) and take you straight to your hotel downtown. The rest of the day is yours — rest up after the flight, or head out and explore the neighbourhood around your hotel.

Getting to Shanghai
Shanghai is well connected by air from cities like Beijing, Xi’an, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Guilin, Kunming, Lijiang, and Lhasa. High-speed trains also run in from Beijing (4.5–6 hours), Xi’an (6–7.5 hours), Huangshan (2.5–3 hours), Suzhou (30 mins), or Hangzhou (45 mins).

Free Time Ideas
Ask your guide for recommendations such as good coffee, a quiet park, or a solid dinner spot nearby.

Today, choose the route that suits you best.

* Classic Route: Shanghai Museum → Shanghai Tower → Yu Garden → Nanjing Road & The Bund

Morning
Start at the Shanghai Museum, shaped like an ancient bronze ding vessel, a nod to the old Chinese idea of “round sky, square earth.” Inside, 120,000 relics span 5,000 years of history; the Bronze and Ceramic galleries are worth lingering in, especially the 3,000-year-old Da Ke Ding.

Next, visit Yu Garden, a Ming-dynasty garden tucked into the middle of the city, with winding paths, ornate rockeries, and traditional architecture. Just outside, the Yuyuan Bazaar is a good spot to try local snacks or pick up traditional handicrafts.

Afternoon
Stroll down Nanjing Road, often called China’s “Number One Commercial Street,” lined with everything from historic shops to international brands. Continue on to The Bund, sometimes called an “exhibition of international buildings” for its mix of colonial-era architecture facing the futuristic Pudong skyline.

Finish at Shanghai Tower, China’s tallest building. Take the elevator up to the 118th-floor observatory, 546 metres above the ground, for a wide view over the city.

* Modern Route: High-Tech Experience → Magnolia Plaza → Yu Garden → The Bund

Morning
Spend 2.5–3 hours exploring Shanghai’s smart-city side, with two experiences to choose from: handling a robot dog, or riding in a self-driving robotaxi.

Afternoon
Head up to Magnolia Plaza’s 360-degree observation deck for sweeping views over the Huangpu River and Pudong’s towers, then visit Yu Garden before finishing with an evening walk along The Bund.

Optional Extensions

• Xiaolongbao Making Class: a full dumpling-making experience, working toward the traditional “18-fold” technique.
• Tong Han Chun Tang TCM Experience: a look into traditional Chinese medicine, including custom herbal sachet crafting.
• Sunset Cocktails: drink in hand as the Shanghai skyline lights up.
• Huangpu River Cruise: a dusk cruise between the Bund’s old façades and Pudong’s modern towers.

Morning
Your guide will meet you at the hotel for a quieter visit to the Jade Buddha Temple, an active Buddhist site tucked between Shanghai’s skyscrapers and home to around 70 resident monks. Inside, you’ll find the temple’s namesake, one of the largest jade Buddha statues in the world, along with local worshippers going about their morning prayers.

If time allows, we’ll also stop by Tianzifang in the old French Concession, a cluster of narrow lanes filled with small galleries, craft shops, and well-preserved Shikumen architecture.

Afternoon
Transfer to the airport for your flight to Zhangjiajie (around 2.5 hours). Welcome to Zhangjiajie, home of the real-world scenery behind Avatar‘s floating mountains.

Your local guide and driver will meet you at the airport and take you to your hotel in the Wulingyuan area. Evening free to rest up before the days ahead.

Morning
Spend the day exploring the Wulingyuan Scenic Area, home to over 3,000 sandstone pillars. Start with the Bailong Elevator, the world’s tallest and fastest outdoor lift, which takes you from the valley floor to the peaks in about 90 seconds.

From there, hike into Yuanjiajie, the actual filming location behind the “Hallelujah Mountains” in Avatar. Look out for the South Sky Pillar, a 150-metre column rising straight out of the valley, and stop at the Enchanting Platform for a view over hundreds of narrow peaks. The Backyard Garden nearby is worth a quieter stroll too.

Afternoon
Continue by sightseeing bus to Tianzi Mountain, named after Xiang Dakun, a local Tujia leader from the early Ming dynasty. Hike up to He Long Park for a viewing deck over the stone peaks, then move on to the Dianjiang Terrace, which looks out over the misty “West Sea Stone Forest.”

Your last stop is the Ten-Mile Gallery, where a small green train carries you through the valley past unusual rock formations, the kind of scenery that looks like it’s been lifted straight from a Chinese ink painting.

Morning
Head to the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Glass Bridge, 430 metres long and 300 metres above the canyon floor, making it the world’s longest and highest glass bridge. Walking across the transparent panels takes a moment to get used to, but the views down into the canyon are worth it.

Afternoon
Continue to Baofeng Lake for a boat cruise. Ringed by forest and unusual stone peaks, it’s a quieter contrast to the morning, glide across the water while local minority singers perform folk songs from the shore.

Morning
Your guide and driver will meet you at the hotel for a visit to Tianmen Mountain, one of the more dramatic mountains in the region. Ride the cable car, at 7,455 metres, the longest in the world, for a 30-minute journey from the city up to the mountain, passing close to Heaven’s Door and the winding Avenue Toward Heaven along the way.

At the top, visit Tianmen Temple, a Qing-dynasty Buddhist structure set among the forest.

Afternoon
If you’re up for a challenge, walk the Glass Skywalk, a transparent path 1,430 meters above the valley floor, or the 1.6-kilometre Cliff-Hanging Walkway built along the mountain’s edge. Afterward, take the escalator down to Tianmen Cave, a natural stone arch 131.5 meters high and known as “Heaven’s Door”, the highest natural arch of its kind in the world.

(Tianmen Mountain is also known for wingsuit flying. You might get to see it in action.)

Take the cable car back down, then transfer to the airport for your evening flight to Xi’an (around 2 hours). Your local guide will meet you at the airport and take you to your hotel.

Morning
Drive to the Terracotta Army Museum, built by Qin Shihuang, China’s first emperor, to guard him in the afterlife. Around 8,000 life-sized warriors have been found here so far. Start at the main pit, where thousands of soldiers stand in formation, then move to the second pit for a closer look at the archers, cavalry, and chariots, all remarkably detailed for figures over 2,200 years old.

(Interested in sculpting your own miniature terracotta warrior? Just let us know.)

Afternoon
After lunch, head back into the city to walk the Ancient City Wall, one of the oldest and best-preserved fortifications in China, with old watchtowers and a moat set against the modern skyline.

Later, wander into the Muslim Quarter, a lively street-food hub and one of the best places in Xi’an to sample local snacks.

Morning
Visit the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, inside the Da Ci’en Temple complex, a UNESCO World Heritage site dating back 1,370 years to the Tang dynasty, originally built to house scriptures the monk Xuanzang brought back from India. Ask your guide about his 17-year journey along the Silk Road, it’s a good story.

Before leaving Xi’an, try a Hanfu experience, dress in traditional Chinese clothing for some memorable photos against the temple’s old architecture.

Afternoon
Transfer to the station for the high-speed train to Beijing (roughly 4.5–5.5 hours). Your local guide will meet you on arrival and take you to your hotel. The rest of the day is free.

Morning
Start at Tian’anmen Square, the world’s largest public square and a familiar backdrop from national broadcasts.

Walk across to the Forbidden City, home to 24 emperors across the Ming and Qing dynasties. With over 8,000 rooms, it’s the largest and best-preserved imperial palace in the world. Follow the central axis through its grand halls while your guide fills in the history behind them.

Afterward, a short walk brings you up to Jingshan Park, where the hill gives you one of the best views in Beijing, the Forbidden City’s golden rooftops below, with the modern skyline rising behind.

Afternoon
Visit the Summer Palace, once known as the “Museum of Royal Gardens”, the retreat imperial families used to escape the summer heat. Wander through lakes, bridges, temples, and pavilions at your own pace.

Optional Activity
For dinner tonight, try Peking Roasted Duck at Quanjude, a classic Beijing dining experience.

Morning
Drive northwest (around 1.5–2 hours) to the Mutianyu Great Wall, known for being well-restored and quieter than other sections, with 23 original Ming-era watchtowers running along the ridge.

Take the cable car up to the 14th watchtower and set out on foot from there. If you’re up for a longer walk, continue on to the 20th watchtower for the most complete views of the wall stretching into the distance.

Afternoon
Back in Beijing, stop for photos at the Bird’s Nest and Water Cube, both built for the 2008 Summer Olympics and used again for the 2022 Winter Games. Transfer back to your hotel afterward.

Morning
Visit the Temple of Heaven, set within Tiantan Park, a Taoist temple complex known for its precise symbolic layout and detailed decoration. For centuries, 22 Chinese emperors came here twice a year to pray for good harvests. Look out for the Echo Wall and the Triple Sound Stones, two of the site’s more curious architectural details. Today, it’s also a popular spot for locals doing their morning exercise, feel free to join in.

Afternoon
If time allows, take a rickshaw ride through the old Hutongs, weaving through narrow lanes lined with small shops and a slower, more local side of Beijing.

Then it’s time to wrap up your 11-day China tour. Your guide will take you to the airport or train station for your onward journey.