14 Days China Tour of Beijing Xian Guilin Yangshuo Nanjing Suzhou Zhouzhuang Shanghai

Detailed Itinerary

• Day 1. Beijing arrival.   
• 
  Upon arrival at Beijing airport or train station, you will find your guide waiting at the exit.
  Drive you to hotel for check in.
  Free day at leisure.
•   , ,
• Day 2. Beijing: Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Summer Palace, Olympic Park.  
• 
  Pick you up from hotel at 08:30 in the morning.
  Proceed to Tiananmen Square first. Located in the heart of modern Beijing City and the site for massive parades and rallies, Tiananmen Square is the largest public square in the world.
  Enter Forbidden City from the north end of Tiananmen Square. Forbidden City was once the home of 24 emperors of Ming and Qing Dynasties(1420-1912). Being the world's largest palace complex, it consists of 90 palaces and courtyards, total 980 buildings.
• After lunch, drive to Summer Palace. Known as the "Museum of Royal Gardens", Summer Palace is a blend of hills, open water and ancient architectures. It was the summer resort for the emperors of Qing Dynasty(1644-1912).
  Move on to Olympic Park. Built for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, Olympic Park presents a unique cultural landscape to the world. There are 14 competition venues here including the famous Bird Nest and Water Cube.
  Transfer you back to the hotel.
•   Breakfast, Lunch,
• Day 3. Beijing: Ming Tombs, Badaling Great Wall.  
• 
  Pick you up from hotel at 08:30 in the morning.
  Drive to Ming Tombs, best preserved tomb area with 13 emperors' mausoleums. We will visit the the largest and the first built mausoleum, Changling. Covering an area of about 120,000 square meters, Changling Tomb is divided into three courtyards and the main buildings include Ling'en Gate, Ling'en Hall, Lingxing Gate and Treasure City.
• Move on to the famous Badaling Great Wall. The Great Wall was originally built to protect the empire from northern invaders. Badaling sectionis the best preserved and most visited one. It is close Beijing city and featured with magnificent architectures and breathtaking nature scenery.
  Transfer you back to the hotel.
•   Breakfast, Lunch,
• Day 4. Beijing Hutong, Temple of Heaven, flight to Xian.   Reach Xian and check in hotel.  
• 
  Pick you up from hotel at 08:30 in the morning.
  Start your today's trip with Beijing Hutong. These narrow lanes surrounded by traditional courtyard residences have a history of over 800 years. Take a rickshaw through hutongs to experience the culture and life style of old Beijing.
  Then visit Temple of Heaven, the largest sacrificial building complex in the world. It was the place where emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1912) came to perform worship to the God of Heaven and pray for good harvests.
• After lunch, transfer you to airport for flight to Xian.
  
  Arrive in Xian airport. Be picked up by local guide and transferred to the hotel.
•   Breakfast, Lunch, , ,
• Day 5. Xian: Terracotta Army, Huaqing Pool, Stele Forest Museum, Dumpling Dinner and Tang Dynasty Show.  
• 
  Pick you up from hotel at 08:30 in the morning.
  Drive about 40 kilometers to visit Terracotta Army. With a history of over 2,000 years, Terracotta Army is a large collection of pottery figures，chariots and horses in battle formations. More than 8,000 life-size terracotta figures depicting the imperial guard troops show military power of Qin Dynasty (211-206 BC).
• After lunch, visit Huaqing Pool. Huaqing Pool had been a resort palace for many dynasties because of its natural beauty and hot spring resources. Many anecdotes are related to the pool,especially the love story between the Emperor Xuan Zong and his favorite concubine Yang.
  Move on to Stele Forest Museum. The museum is a treasure trove of stone steles and calligraphic arts. It houses more than 4,000 steles and epitaphs from the Han Dynasty (202 BC-220 AD) to the present.
• Have dumplings for dinner. Chinese Dumpling is traditional food for Chinese New Year. It is a symbol of Chinese culture.
  Enjoy Tang Dynasty Show. The show presents the essence of music and dance art of the Tang Dynasty over a thousand years ago. English translations will help you understand the show.
  Transfer you back to the hotel.
•   Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• Day 6. Xian: Shaanxi History Museum, Big Wild Goose Pagoda, Ancient City Wall, Banpo Museum.  
• 
  Pick you up from hotel at 08:30 in the morning.
  Drive to Shaanxi History Museum. The museum features an architectural style of the Tang Dynasty. Over 1,700,000 cultural relics show the hisory and culture of Shaanxi province and ancient China.
  Then visit Big Wild Goose Pagoda with a history of more than 1300 years. The pagoda is one of the most famous Buddhist pagodas in China. It was built with layers of bricks without any cement in between.
• Move on to Ancient City Wall, which is the oldest and best preserved city wall in China. As one of the most important landmarks of the city, Xian Ancient City Wall was built in Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) for military defense.
  Proceed to Banpo Museum. The museum was built on the site of Banpo Village Ruins and is the prehistoric sites in China. It depicts a matriarchal society based on farming and displays the culture and social life of the Neolithic Matriarchal community of Yangshao about 6000 years ago.
  Transfer you back to the hotel.
•   Breakfast, Lunch,
• Day 7. Xian flight to Guilin.  Reach Guilin, Reed Flute Cave, Elephant Trunk Hill.  
• 
  Pick you up from hotel in the morning and transfer to airport for the flight to Guilin.
  
  
• Arrive in Guilin airport. Be picked up by local guide and transferred to Reed Flute Cave. known as "the Palace of Natural Arts"，Reed Flute Cave is a brilliant karst cave with various stalactites, stone pillars and rock formations created by carbonate deposition.
  Then visit the symbol of Guilin city, Elephant Trunk Hill. Resembling a giant elephant drinking water from the river, Elephant Trunk Hill features karst landforms and some ancient constructions.
  Transfer you to the hotel for check-in.
•   Breakfast, , Lunch, ,
• Day 8. Li River Cruise to Yangshuo.  
• 
  picked you up from hotel at 07:30-08:10 in the morning.
  Drive to cruise port to take Li River Cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo. You are like touring in a landscape painting, the green mountain refecting on the clear water, buffalo grazing on the bank, farmers working in rice fields and fishermen standing on bamboo rafts. The cruise will last about 4.5 hours and lunch is on board.
• Reach Yangshuo in the afternoon. Disembark and take a short exploration in this old town has a history of over 1,400 years. Yangshuo has a reputation as a foreigners’village in Southern China and very popular among foreign and Chinese tourists.
  Transfer you back to the hotel in Guilin with private car.
•   Breakfast, Lunch,
• Day 9. Guilin: Seven Star Park, Fubo Hill. Flight to Nanjing.  Reach Nanjing and check in hotel.  
• 
  Pick you up from hotel at 08:30 in the morning.
  Proceed to the largest park in Guilin, Seven Star Park. The park combines elegant hills, crystal water, fantastic caves and some cultural relics.
  Go on to Fubo Hill. Half of the hill stands in the Li River and the other half on the land. Fobo Hill features artificial buildings and unique caves. You may have a panorama of Li River and Guilin City on the top.
• Afterwards, transfer you to airport for the flight to Nanjing.
  
  Arrive in Nanjing airport. Be picked up by local guide and transferred to the hotel.
•   Breakfast, Lunch, , ,
• Day 10. Nanjing: Mausoleum of Dr. Sun Yat-sen, Ming Xiaoling Tomb.  
• 
  Pick you up from hotel at 08:30 in the morning.
  Drive to Mausoleum of Dr. Sun Yat-sen. Dr. Sun Yat-sen is the first president of Republic of China. His Mausoleum is regarded as the most outstanding mausoleum in th history of Chinese modern architecture.
• Move on to Ming Xiaoling Tomb in the afternoon. Xiaoling Tomb is the mausoleum of the first emperor and his empress during the Ming Dynasty(1368-1644). It is listed as World Cultural Heritage site because of its magnificent scale and unique design.
  Transfer you back to the hotel.
•   Breakfast, Lunch,
• Day 11. Take train to Suzhou.   Reach Suzhou, Tiger Hill, Garden of the Master of the Nets, Humble Administrator's Garden.   
• 
  In the morning, take a soft seat train D to Suzhou.
  
  Arrive in Suzhou Train Station. Be picked up by local guide and delivered to Tiger Hill. Also called "the Leaning Tower of Pisa in China", Tiger Hill is the oldest and largest Buddhist pagoda in the south of Yangtze River.
• Then visit Garden of the Master of the Nets. The garden is the smallest but the most exquisite in design among the gardens in Suzhou. It was first constructed in 1140. All the buildings in the garden are placed around the pond.
  Move on to Humble Administrator's Garden, the largest of all classical gardens in Suzhou. Featuring pond, bridges, rockeries, pavilions and halls, Humble Administrator's Garden is the representative of Chinese classical gardens.
  Transfer you to hotel for check-in.
•   Breakfast, , Breakfast, Lunch,
• Day 12. Zhouzhuang Water Town.  
• 
  Pick you up from hotel at 08:30 in the morning.
  Have a full day relaxing exploration in Zhouzhuang Water Town. With a history of about 1,000 years, Zhouzhuang Water Town is called the "Venice of the East". This ancient town is famous for well-preserved residential houses, distinctive stone bridges, elegant watery views and local culture.
• Tansfer you back to the hotel in Suzhou after the tour.
•   Breakfast, Lunch,
• Day 13. Take Train to Shanghai.   Reach Shanghai, Shanghai Museum, Yu Garden, The Bund.  
• 
  Take a soft seat train to Shanghai in the morning.
  
  Arrive in Shanghai Train Station. Be picked up by local guide and proceed to Shanghai Museum. The museum is famous for its large collection of remarkable ancient artworks. More than 120,000 pieces of cultural relics are on display including bronze wares, ceramics, jade, sculptures, paintings and calligraphy works.
  
• Go on to Yu Garden, a private garden built in the Ming Dynasty(1368-1644). The garden is a Chinese classic garden with Jiangnan style.
  Take a walk along The Bund. It is a waterfront promenade on the west bank of Huangpu River. 52 various European-style buildings stand here and the iconic skyscrapers in Lujiazui area are located across the river.
  Transfer you to hotel for check-in.
•   Breakfast, , Lunch, ,
• Day 14. Shanghai: Oriental Pearl TV Tower, Departure.  
• 
  Pick you up from hotel at 08:30 in the morning.
  First go to Oriental Pearl TV Tower, the most recognizable landmark of Shanghai City. With a height of 468 meters, the tower has four major sightseeing observatories at different heights. The most exciting is the 360 degree transparent observatory at the height of 259 meters.
  Afterwards, transfer you to airport or train station for departure.
•   Breakfast, ,