11-Day Beijing – Xian – Guilin – Shanghai Private Tour.

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DAY 1 Beijing Arrival and Transfer to Hotel

Your local English-speaking guide will wait for you at the arrivals hall, and you will be escorted directly to your hotel. Check in at the hotel and recover from jet lag.

Free-Time Ideas

• Stroll around Wangfujing’s night street to indulge in local Chinese food delicacies and various shops.
• Watch a fabulous night show, such as the Kungfu or Acrobatics Show. Ask your guide to help you with tickets.

Breakfast and lunch

DAY 2 Tian’anmen Square, Forbidden City, The Temple of Heaven, Explore Hutongs

Your private guide will pick you up in the morning at the hotel lobby at the appointed time. You’ll first walk around Tian’anmen Square — the huge square for massive ‘secret’ meetings and political events.

Then, cross the street to the Forbidden City, the world’s largest imperial palace complex where 24 Ming and Qing emperors once reigned. Your guide will spend 2-3 hours uncovering hidden stories—from imperial rituals to palace intrigues—that are not told by typical tour guides.

Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant for the famous Beijing roast duck.

Continue the tour to the Temple of Heaven, where emperors performed sacred rituals for bountiful harvests. Throughout your tour, you can admire the magnificent ancient architecture, beautiful gardens, and vibrant atmosphere of the Temple of Heaven. Additionally, take the opportunity to learn about the historical significance of this place and its importance in Chinese culture.

Evening Ideas

• Beijing offers two night shows: One is Peking Opera, and the other is an acrobatics show. If you are interested in these cultural performances, you can directly ask your travel expert to add them to your itinerary.

Breakfast and lunch

DAY 3 Exterior visit of Beijing Olympic Stadiums (Bird’s Nest and Water Cube), The Mutianyu Great Wall, Hutong Walking Tour in Dongcheng District

Today, your tour starts at the Great Wall – one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Drive 2.5 hours to the Great Wall at Mutianyu, a UNESCO site. This section is one of the best-preserved ones of the Great Wall, renowned for its photogenic watchtowers and lush mountain vistas, but it is less busy than other sections of the amazing wall. Take a cable car up the wall and return. Your guide will show you the most recommended section to have a walk.

After finishing your lunch in a local restaurant, you’ll be driven back to downtown. Then, get ready to explore the awe-inspiring exterior of the Beijing Olympic Stadiums, the magnificent Bird’s Nest, and the futuristic Water Cube—two iconic landmarks from the 2008 Olympics.

Lastly, you’ll take a stroll around the Hutong area. Walk through the narrow alleys and visit a local family to discover the traditional lifestyle and how these unique residential houses and culture are protected. You can also ascend the Bell Tower to have a bird’s-eye view of the hutong area. The total walking distance on this tour is about 800 meters.

Breakfast

DAY 4 Beijing Train Station Transfer, Beijing to Xi’an by High-speed Train, Xi’an Train Station Transfer

Enjoy your free time in the morning.

Your guide will pick you up in your hotel lobby. You’ll then transfer to the train station to catch an onward train to Xi’an. The train will take four and a half hours.

Your Xi’an guide and driver will transfer you directly to your hotel upon arrival.

Breakfast and lunch

DAY 5 Terracotta Warriors, Xi’an Ancient City Wall, The Muslim Quarter

In the morning, your guide will escort you to Xi’an City Wall, constructed in the 14th century (Ming Dynasty) on the foundations of the Tang Dynasty imperial city. Encircling the city center, this landmark is China’s best-preserved, oldest, and largest ancient urban defense system. Walk along its Ming Dynasty–era fortifications, marveling at panoramic views of old pagodas juxtaposed with modern skyscrapers from the 12-meter-wide ramparts.

Afterwards, visit the world-famous Terracotta Army—the “Eighth Wonder of the World.” Explore three massive excavation pits housing 8,000 life-sized clay soldiers guarding Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s tomb. Allow at least half a day to fully appreciate the intricate details and grasp the sheer scale of this archaeological marvel.

Evening Ideas – Additional Tour

• Tang dynasty show (1 hour): a performance from China’s golden age of the Tang dynasty (618–907 AD), with traditional dress for ladies and gentlemen, performing traditional song and dance. If you are interested in it as well, just inform your advisor.

Breakfast and lunch

DAY 6 Big Wild Goose Pagoda, Small Wild Goose Pagoda and Xi’an Museum, Muslim Quarters, Flight to Guilin in the Afternoon

Today, you’ll discover more of Xi’an and China’s ancient history at the Xi’an History Museum and the Small Wild Goose Pagoda.

The Big Wild Goose Pagoda, a 7th-century Tang Dynasty architectural marvel in Xi’an, was built under monk Xuanzang to enshrine Buddhist scriptures from India, now part of the UNESCO-listed Silk Roads heritage. As China’s oldest intact brick pagoda, it uniquely blends Indian stupa design with Chinese pavilion-style structure, symbolizing the fusion of cross-cultural Buddhist exchange.

Near Xi’an’s Bell Tower, the Muslim Quarter has been a vibrant Hui cultural hub since the Tang Dynasty. Stroll along lantern-lit alleys where the air fills with the scent of grilled meats and cumin. Don’t miss Roujiamo (crispy pork-stuffed flatbread), Yangrou Paomo (lamb stew with hand-torn bread), and Red Willow Skewers—lamb grilled on fragrant branches. Pair with pomegranate juice or sweet Zeng Gao (steamed rice cake) for a taste of Silk Road flavors.

Transfer to Xi’an Airport for boarding your onward flight to Guilin. Your Guilin private tour guide will meet you at the airport.

Breakfast and lunch

DAY 7 Elephant Trunk Hill, Reed Flute Cave, Discover the Folk Culture in Daxu Ancient Town

Today’s tour starts from Elephant Trunk Hill, the iconic site in Guilin, providing a great photo opportunity. It’s a karst hill naturally sculpted into an elephant drinking from the Li River.

Then, take 1 hour drive to Guilin’s urban Daxu Ancient Town, which allows you to experience the authentic local culture. Interact with locals, visit traditional shops, and try local street food. The town has a vibrant market where you can buy handicrafts, traditional medicines, and other local products.

Enjoy lunch at the delightful local restaurant.

After that, you’ll go to the most famous Karst cave in Guilin – Reed Flute Cave. Explore this 180-million-year-old limestone cavern illuminated by rainbow-colored lights. Marvel at stalactite formations resembling crystal curtains and mythical creatures. Do you know who first discovered this cave and the fun story about it? Find out from your guide.

Evening Idea – Additional Tour

• Night Cruise on the Four Lakes of Guilin(1 hour): an ancient circular water system that people refer to as Little Venice. A boat tour lasts about an hour and permits breathtaking, colorful views of life on bridges and river banks, as well as a chance to see fishermen demonstrating how to catch fish using their pet cormorants.

Breakfast, Lunch Onbroad

DAY 8 Li River Cruise（by 4-star boat), Yangshuo Countryside Cycling

The Li River Cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo is a must for you in Guilin.  Stay on the top deck to see the picturesque views of the jagged karst peaks immortalized in traditional ink paintings, which vary as you move along the river. Do reserve a 20 RMB note if possible, to compare the hill view on the note with the view you see from the river.

A simple lunch is provided on the cruise. You arrive in Yangshou at about 1 pm. Later, afternoon cycling in Yangshuo countryside. With us, you’ll ride around rice paddies, and visit a local farming family halfway through the bike trip.

Evening Idea – Additional Tour

• Night Show – Impression Sanjie Liu (1 hour 10 minutes): Directed by the famous Chinese director, Zhang Yimou, who was in charge of the opening ceremony for the 2008 Beijing Olympic games and a lot of world-class movies, the show has a great set up and backdrop — 3 massive peaks which light up when the show is on.

Breakfast, Lunch

DAY 9 Relax in Yangshuo in the morning, Flight to Shanghai around noon time

Relax in Yangshuo, and then take your onward flight to Shanghai, your last stop in China.

Check into your centrally located hotel, then enjoy free time to explore the Bund’s colonial architecture or Nanjing Road’s glittering shops.

Breakfast, Lunch

DAY 10 The Bund, Yuyuan Garden, French concession region, Shanghai Tower

In the morning, go to the Shanghai Tower, the highest skyscraper in China. Take the elevator to the observation deck located on the 118th floor for dizzying views of the Huangpu River and the city’s futuristic skyline—a testament to China’s 21st-century ambition. The elevator ride itself is quite remarkable, as it is known for being one of the fastest elevators in the world.

The riverfront pavement on the Bund has witnessed many changes in Shanghai. It is a great place to walk for a good appreciation of how the old Shanghai still co-exists alongside the new modern, bustling, high-tech city. It provides the perfect angle to take a pictures of the amazing skylines.

Then visit the classical Yuyuan Garden where you will see how the concept of harmony has been applied in garden design.

After lunch, go to the Former French Concession area for a taste of Chinese-style petty bourgeoisie.

Evening Idea – Additional Tour

The ERA Acrobatics Show is guaranteed to give you a wow night. Our Shanghai tour guide will help you book tickets.

Breakfast

DAY 11 Departs Shanghai

You will be transferred to the airport on time for your flight. We will make sure that you arrive at the airport 1.5 hours ahead of departure time for domestic flights and 2.5 hours for international flights.

Extend Your Tour

Tongli Water Town is beautiful and gives you a taste of ancient China. You get a fully-fledged feel for the ancient surroundings by just walking around the fairly large town. Many souvenirs are for sale. Test your bargaining powers.

If you want to visit this water town near Shanghai, let us know on your inquiry form. We’ll arrange it for you.

• Hotels are listed in the itinerary.
• China domestic flights/trains are listed in the itinerary.
• Entrance fees.
• Meals are listed in the itinerary.
• Private transfers.
• Private English-speaking guide and driver.
• Service Charge & Taxes.

Do you want to change this 8-day itinerary according to your schedule and needs?

• Your itinerary is private and can be customized to your needs.
• We will buy your tickets in advance to save you time so that you don’t have to endure long queues.
• If you have booked hotels by yourself, we can delete them from the quotation.

Do you know the ancient Forbidden City has recently become an online hit in China? Do you know why the Great Wall was built?

Our insightful local guides with a wide knowledge of Chinese culture and history will explain everything to you. You can learn many interesting stories from them.

Have you ever been taken by tour guides to shops and bought overpriced merchandise?

• This tour is a no-shopping tour, thus, you will have more time to enjoy your experiences without rushing.