18 Days Experience the Southwest Paradise of China

Tour Highlights:

 Enjoy the hisotrical and cultural sightseeing in Beijing and Xian, like Forbidden City and Terracotta Warriors.

 Be amazed by the magnificent Great Wall in Beijing.

 You will be impressed by the incredible natural beauty of Guilin and the amazing Yunnan.

 

Best Travel Time: Suitable for the whole year, best from April to November.

Day 1Arrival Beijing

Transfer service to hotel

Meals: No Meals

Arrive in Beijing, the capital city of China and one of the great travel destinations of the World, offers sights and cultural relics found no where else on Earth. Be met at the ansferred to your hotel. Free at leisure for the rest of the day.

Day 2Beijing

Tian'anmen Square, Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Depart from your hotel in the morning to visit Tian'anmen Square, the World's largest urban square and the Forbidden City, the largest and most complete ancient imperial palace in the world. Then visit the Temple of Heaven in the afternoon. You might easily imagine the vivid spectacle of a great sacrifice to the Heavens for a good harvest here.  Peking Opera is available for your optional night entertainment(on your own expense)

Day 3Beijing

Mutianyu Great Wall, Bird Nest, Water Cube

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

The star attraction of China is its Great Wall, a massive defensive structure built to keep intruders from entering the mainland. Today you will have the opportunity to traverse the ancient steps of Mutianyu Great Wall which is one of the best-preserved and most accessible sections. Then back to the city. Enroute we will have a photo stop at Bird Nest and Water Cube. Peking Roasted Duck will be a good choice as your optional dinner(on your own expense).

Day 4Beijing - Xian

Hutong tour, Take high speed train to Xian

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

In the morning, take a relaxing Hutong Tour by rickshaw to visit the ancient lanes and alleyways of Beijing. This Hutong Tour will give you an insight into the lives of ordinary Chinese people and reveal their social culture in today's Beijing City. Be transferred to the train station for the flight to Xian in the afternoon.

Day 5Xian

Terracotta Warriors, Xian City Wall, Muslim Quarter

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Enjoy your full day visit to the Terracotta Warriors, one of the world's most important archaeological finds, with troops, horses and carriages in battle formation. And then, visit the massive Xian City Wall, which stretches round the old city. Xi'an was always a walled city, and today’s wall represents one of the oldest and best preserved Chinese city walls, as well being one of the largest ancient military defensive systems in the world. After that, you could have a free time at Mulism Quarter for you to explore the local specialty and snacks. There is also the option to attend fantastic Tang Dynasty Show with Dinner(on your own expense).

Day 6Xian - Guilin

Shaanxi History Museum, Small Wild Goose Pagoda, Fly to Guilin

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Finish up your Xian tour by visiting the famous Shaanxi History Museum. After lunch, visit to Small Wild Goose Pagoda, where you could also have chance to visit Jianfu Temple as well as the local shadow play. Then you will be transferred to the airport to board a short flight to Guilin, a well-known scenic city in southwestern China.

Day 7Guilin

Longji Rice Terraces Scenic Area, Minority Village

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

It will be a quite different day today. Pick up from hotel lobby in the morning, drive for about 2 hours to visit the famous Longji Rice Terraces Scenic Area, enjoying the magnificent view created by the man-made power. You will also have chance to visit the local minority village and enjoy the local food which can be only seen in mountainous area. There are Zhuang and Yao people residing here. In the late afternoon, drive back to Guilin for overnight. Four Lake Night cruise can be your optional night activities which you could discuss and book with the local guide.

Day 8Guilin

Li River Cruise to Yangshuo, West Street, Countryside tour, Drive back to Guilin

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch box

In the morning you will be driven to the Pier for the Li River Cruise (about 4 hours, lunch served on board). Savour the fairy-tale scenery while cruising down the meandering river to Yangshuo. The landscape from Guilin to Yangshuo is truly a masterpiece of nature. The crystal waters, straight-out-of-a-painting mountains, peaceful farm fields, hard-working-but- ever-smiling fishermen and wandering water buffaloes inspire poetic musings of Guilin’s charming life.  After disembarkation, have a walk along the famous West Street. In the late afternoon, take a bicycle riding to enjoy the beauty of Yangshuo countryside and Yulong River area before the transfer back to Guilin.

Day 9Guilin - Kunming

Elephant Trunk Hill, Reed Flute Cave, Fly to Kunming

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Today before you flight to Kunming, you will have a short city tour to Elephant Trunk Hill, the symbol of Guilin City and then the colorful Reed Flute Cave, the showcase of distinctly-colored stalactites and stalagmites. After the tour, be transferred to the airport for your short flight to Kunming.

Day 10Kunming

Stone Forest

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Depart from your hotel in the morning, you will take a visit to the Stone Forest, created by ancient winds and water erosion over millions of years. The tall rocks seem to emanate from the ground in the manner of stalagmites, with many looking like trees made of stone, creating the illusion of a forest of stone. It has been known since the Ming Dynasty as the first wonder of the World. After the tour, you will be driven back to Kunming.

Day 11Kunming - Dali

Fly to Dali, Erhai Cruise, Three Pagoda, Xizhou Bai's Houses, Dali Ancient Town

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

In the morning, you will be transferred to the airport for a short flight to Dali, the ancient political, economic and cultural center of Yunnan area. Upon arrival, you will first be transferred to the pier and take an Erhai Cruise for relaxing. Then in the afternoon, then visit Three Pagodas, the symbol of the history of Dali, and Xizhou Bai's Houses (Yan's Courtyard included) where you can see what the Bai people's houses like. Then drive back to check in hotel in ancient town and visit Dali Ancient Town, a gateway to the ancient Silk Road in Southwestern China.

Day 12Dali - Lijiang

Take train to Lijiang, Lijiang Ancient Town

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Optional tours & activities in Dali: Half day tour to visit Mt. Cangshan; Riding a bicycle around Erhai Lake to enjoy the beautiful landscape; Or you can learn tea making with local people.

Free at leisure in the morning for you to explore Dali before departure. Then check out from hotel at noon time and take train (about 2 hours) from Dali to Lijiang. Our local guide will help you to check in at the station. Upon arriving at Lijiang, the local tour guide will pick you up and help you with hotel check-in.  You can choose to walk around in Lijiang Ancient Town , walking down the cobblestone streets over 700 years and see the Naxi way of life which chaned little over time.

Day 13Lijiang

Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, Yufeng Temple, Baisha Mural

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

In the morning drive about half an hour to visit Jade Dragon Sown Mountain (cable car and green vans available in the scenic area). After lunch, visit Yufeng Temple, displaying a harmonious mix of architectural styles of Han Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhism, Taoism and local Naxi Dongba Religion. And then visit Baisha Mural in the ancient capital of Naxi Kingdom in Baisha village.

Day 14Lijiang - Shangri-La

Drive to Shangri-La (4 hours), The 1st Bend of Yangtze River, Tiger Leaping Gorge

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

In the morning, take another 4hours driving, the famous lost paradise Shangri-la is waiting for you, a place with stunning scenery, the azure sky and the hospitality of unsophisticated people. Enroute, we will have stop at Tiger Leap Gorge, which the upstream of Yangtze River. Besides, we will also view the 1st Bend of Yangtze River.

Day 15Shangri-La

Songzanlin Lamasery, Potatso National Park

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Today, begin your exciting tour with a visit to Songzanlin Lamasery, the largest Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Yunnan, then visit Potatso National Park (green vans available in scenic area) after lunch. As China's first national park, it mainly consists of two lakes- Shudu and Bita, the distance between takes about half an hour's driving by green van.

Day 16Shangri-La - Shanghai

Fly to Shanghai

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Enjoy your own free time then you will be transferred to the airport for your flight to Shanghai. Arrive in Shanghai and be transferred to the hotel to catch up on some rest.

Day 17Shanghai

Yuyuan Garden, the Bund, Jade Buddha Temple, Shanghai Oriental Pearl TV Tower

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

A full day of sightseeing starts with Yuyuan Garden, a Chinese classic garden in city downtown. Then visit Chenghuangmiao Old Street and the Bund, Shanghai’s famed waterfront promenade. After a local food lunch, Continue the trip to Jade Buddha Temple and Shanghai Oriental Pearl TV Tower, which is the most famous landmark of Shanghai. In the evening, the breathtaking Acrobatics Show is available for your optional night entertainment.

Day 18Departure Shanghai

Transfer service to airport

Meals: Breakfast

The vacation is over all too soon as you're transferred to the airport to board the homebound flight, bidding a fond farewell to China, and we know you'll be back.

Service Ends