China Unveiled: From Imperial Cities to Avatar Mountains

Nihao! Welcome to Beijing.

Your private guide and driver will be waiting at the airport or train station exit to take you to your downtown hotel. The rest of the day is free. You can settle in after the flight, or head out to explore the area near your hotel if you’re not ready to stop yet.

Getting to Beijing
Beijing is well connected by both air and high-speed rail, with two international airports handling flights from across China and the world. If you’re coming from elsewhere in China first, high-speed trains run to Beijing from Xi’an (4–5 hrs), Shanghai (4.5–6 hrs), and Zhengzhou (2.5–3 hrs).

Free Time Ideas
Ask your guide for suggestions based on your schedule and interests. They’ll have plenty of ideas nearby.

Morning
Your guide will meet you at the hotel to start at Tian’anmen Square, the world’s largest public square and the site of many key moments in modern Chinese history.

Walk across to the Forbidden City which is over 8,700 rooms, home to 24 emperors, and remarkably well preserved for its age. Entering through the Meridian Gate, you’ll follow the central axis, taking in the most important halls while your guide fills in the stories behind them.

From there, a short walk up to Jingshan Park rewards you with a rooftop view over the Forbidden City’s golden tiles, with the modern Beijing skyline rising behind it.

Afternoon
Trade grand halls for something smaller-scale: a rickshaw ride through the old Hutongs, past traditional courtyard homes and small family-run shops tucked into narrow alleyways.

Optional Activity
Try Peking Roasted Duck for dinner at the historic Quanjude (全聚德) restaurant. Please ask your guide to help with reservations.

Morning
Drive around 2 hours (73km) northwest to the Mutianyu Great Wall. This section is known for being well-restored while staying quieter than other parts of the wall, with 23 original Ming-era watchtowers strung along the mountain ridges.

Take the cable car up to the 14th watchtower and walk the western route from there, where the wall winds through pine and cypress forest, with a high density of original stone towers and battlements along the way.

If you’re up for a longer walk, continue on to the 20th watchtower which is the highest point accessible at Mutianyu, with the wall stretching toward the horizon in both directions.

Afternoon
On the way back into the city, stop for photos at the Bird’s Nest and Water Cube, the stadium and aquatics center that hosted both the 2008 Summer Olympics and the 2022 Winter Games.

Your guide can suggest local dining options nearby if you’d like to explore the neighborhood this evening.

Morning
Visit the Summer Palace, once known as the “Museum of Royal Gardens”, the retreat imperial families used to escape the summer heat. Wander through temples, pavilions, and bridges built around a lake, with hilltop views that look like they’ve been lifted straight out of a Chinese landscape painting.

Afternoon
Transfer to the station for the high-speed train to Xi’an (roughly 4.5–5.5 hours).

Welcome to Xi’an, capital city to 13 Chinese dynasties over the centuries. Your local guide and driver will meet you at the station and take you to your hotel.

Morning
Drive about an hour (40km) to the Terracotta Army Museum which is built to guard the tomb of Emperor Qin Shihuang and one of the most significant archaeological finds anywhere.

Start at Pit 1, the largest vault, home to over 6,000 life-sized soldiers and horses standing in battle formation, no two faces quite the same. Then move on to Pit 2 for the specialised units: kneeling archers, cavalry, and chariot arrays, along with a close look at weapons and armour that are over 2,000 years old.

(If you’re interested, you can also join a workshop to sculpt your own miniature terracotta warrior.)

Afternoon
Head back into the city to walk the Ancient City Wall, one of the oldest and best-preserved city fortifications in China, with old gates and watchtowers set against the modern skyline beyond.

In the late afternoon, wander into the Muslim Quarter, narrow streets packed with food stalls, craft shops, and the everyday buzz of Xi’an’s Islamic heritage.

Morning
Visit the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, a Tang-dynasty landmark inside Da Ci’en Temple, built in 652 AD to house Buddhist scriptures the monk Xuan Zang brought back from India.

Take your time around the pagoda grounds, then try a Hanfu experience, dress in traditional flowing robes and walk through the temple gardens for photos your guide will help you set up.

Afternoon
Transfer to the airport for your flight to Zhangjiajie (around 2 hours). Welcome to Zhangjiajie, where the floating mountains from Avatar turn out to be very real.

Your guide and driver will meet you at the airport and take you to your hotel, with the rest of the afternoon free.

Morning
Head into the Wulingyuan Scenic Area, home to over 3,000 sandstone pillars rising straight up from the valley floor. Your guide will lead you to the Bailong Elevator, the world’s tallest outdoor lift, which carries you up to the peaks in about 90 seconds.

Spend the morning in Yuanjiajie, the area that inspired the “Hallelujah Mountains” in Avatar. You’ll see the South Sky Pillar, a 150-metre vertical rock column, and the Enchanting Platform, looking out over hundreds of stone spires.

Afternoon
A sightseeing bus takes you to Tianzi Mountain, where He Long Park and the Dianjiang Terrace overlook the “West Sea Stone Forest”, dense clusters of jagged peaks that often seem to float above the canyon mist.

Your last stop is the Ten-Mile Gallery, where a small electric train carries you through the valley past unusual rock formations and thick greenery.

Your guide can suggest local Tujia-style dining options for the evening.

Morning
Head to the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Glass Bridge, stretching 430 metres between two cliffs and hanging 300 metres above the canyon floor, making it the longest and highest glass bridge in the world.

Walking across the transparent surface, with the valley floor visible straight down below your feet, is an experience that takes most people a moment to get used to, and the views across the canyon are worth every step.

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

Morning
Your guide and driver will collect you from the hotel and take you to the station for the high-speed train to Guilin (around 7.5 hours), a good stretch to sit back and watch the scenery shift as you head south.

Afternoon
On arrival, your Guilin guide will meet you at the station and take you to your downtown hotel. The rest of the day is free.

Take a walk along Binjiang Road by the Li River, or go find a bowl of Guilin’s famous rice noodles at a local shop, a good, casual introduction to the city.

Morning
Drive about an hour to the pier for your Li River Cruise which is 84 kilometres of scenery that National Geographic has ranked among the world’s top “watery wonders.”

Over 4.5 hours, you’ll pass limestone peaks, water buffalo grazing along the banks, and small villages where farmers still work the land right up to the river’s edge.

Note: A simple Chinese-style lunch is served on board. If you’d prefer, we can arrange a packed lunch instead, including grilled sausages, sandwiches, milk, coffee, and fruit, with at least 2 days’ notice (fruit selection may vary by season).

Afternoon
On arrival in Yangshuo, your driver will meet you at the dock and take you to your hotel. After a short rest, head out into the Yangshuo Countryside, known for views that look almost too perfect to be real.

Explore by bike or electric scooter, riding through rice paddies and quiet hamlets well away from the main roads.

Later, take a walk through West Street, Yangshuo’s lively centre and a genuine mix of Chinese and Western influences with cafés, bars, and small craft shops line the street. Grab a coffee, try a local snack, or just take in the evening buzz before heading back to your hotel.

Morning
Head back into Guilin. Start at Elephant Trunk Hill, the city’s best-known landmark, sitting right where the Li River meets the Peach Blossom River, and yes, it really does look like an elephant dipping its trunk into the water.

Next, visit Reed Flute Cave, a karst cave filled with stalactites and stalagmites lit up in colour, some formations shaped uncannily like animals or plants.

Afternoon
Transfer to the airport for your flight to Shanghai (around 2.5 hours). Welcome to Shanghai, a sharp change of pace from everything you’ve seen so far. Your Shanghai guide will meet you at the airport and take you to your hotel.

The evening is free, maybe a stroll along the Bund, or just exploring the streets near your hotel.

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, its round top on a square base is a nod to the old Chinese idea of “round sky, square earth.” Inside, over 120,000 relics span 5,000 years of history; don’t miss the Bronze Gallery, home to the 3,000-year-old Da Ke Ding and the ancient bronze bells known as the Bianzhong of Marquis Su of Jin.

From there, head up Shanghai Tower, China’s tallest building, and take the high-speed elevator to the 118th-floor observatory (546 metres up) for a 360-degree view over the city.

Afternoon
Visit Yu Garden, a classical Ming-dynasty garden tucked into the middle of the city, with tranquil pavilions, ornate rockeries, and detailed carvings. Just outside, the Yuyuan Bazaar is a good spot to try steamed soup dumplings or pick up souvenirs.

Walk down Nanjing Road, lined with everything from century-old shops to modern brands, leading you toward the river. It ends at The Bund, sometimes called an “exhibition of international architecture” for its 52 historic buildings, with the Huangpu River and Pudong’s futuristic skyline stretched out on the other side.

* 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: operating 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 skyline, then visit Yu Garden before finishing with an evening walk along The Bund.

Optional Activities

• Xiaolongbao Making Class: an English-language dumpling workshop, from dough to steamer, working toward the traditional “18-fold” technique.
• Tong Han Chun Tang TCM Experience: visit this historic medicine shop and pick up herbal sachets, medicine beads, or browse the museum exhibit.
• Sunset Cocktail: drink in hand as the sun goes down and Shanghai’s skyline lights up.
• Huangpu River Cruise: a sunset cruise past the Bund’s old façades and Pudong’s glowing towers.

After breakfast, enjoy some free time to explore on your own, pick up last-minute souvenirs, wander a nearby neighborhood, or just relax before you head off.

When you’re ready, your guide and driver will take you to the airport or train station for your onward journey.