• Best of China Tour With Yangtze

    ★★★★★

    4.9/5 969 Latest reviews

    Tour Code: ODY-CN-2313

    Destination: Beijing, Xi’an, Guilin, Yangtze Cruise, Shanghai

Duration

13 Days

Tour Type

Private & Bespoke

Tour Style

Classic

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About This Trip

Starting in Beijing and ending in Shanghai, this 13-day tour will show you the best of China. You will hike the Great Wall and experience the traditional Hutong lifestyle in the capital city, marvel at the Terracotta Warriors and walk around the Muslim Street in Xi’an, and admire the natural beauty of Li River and Reed Flute Cave in Guilin. What else? View the impressive Three Gorges Dam by the Yangtze River Cruise, and explore the city highlights of Shanghai.

Itinerary Summary

DAYPLACEHIGHLIGHTS
1 – 4BeijingThe Great Wall, Forbidden City, Summer Palace, Temple of Heaven, Hutongs
5Xi’anTerracotta Army, Muslim Quarter
6 – 7GuilinLi River Cruise, Reed Flute Cave
8 – 11Yangtze River CruiseThree Gorges Dam, Shibaozhai, Shennv Stream
12-13ShanghaiThe Bund, Yu Garden, Shanghai Museum
Quick Question

Itinerary

Welcome to Beijing, the captivating capital of China! When your flight lands at Beijing Airport, your personal tour guide will be ready to welcome you at the arrival hall exit and take you to your hotel in a private vehicle. The rest of the day is free for you to relax and recover from the long flight.

🍽 Local dining

◷ Flexible timing

▱ Beijing

On the first day of your China tour, start off to visit the solemn and respectful Tiananmen Square at the core of Beijing. Nearby, you’ll see today’s highlight – the Forbidden City. Splendid palaces, imposing pavilions, elegant ornamentation, and cultural relics, all of these will tell you about the historical stories behind the 600-year-old royal residence.

This afternoon, enjoy some time relaxing in Summer Palace, China’s most extensive and best-preserved imperial garden. Walk around this royal garden, and if the weather permits, enjoy a boat ride on Kunming Lake.

🍽 Local dining

◷ Flexible timing

▱ Beijing

No trip to Beijing will be complete without visiting the majestic Great Wall. After breakfast, a 2-hour drive will take you to the Mutianyu Great Wall, a less-crowded section with breathtaking scenery. Taking the cable car up to the wall, you’ll spend 2 or 3 hours hiking along the stone steps and get amazed by the ancient Chinese’s creativity.

Continue driving to Changling Tomb, the largest and best-preserved one of the Thirteen Ming Dynasty imperial tombs. Finally, return to your Beijing hotel for the night.

🍽 Local dining

◷ Flexible timing

▱ Beijing

The first stop of today’s exploration will be the Temple of Heaven along with its surrounding park. As an imperial complex of religious buildings, the temple will surprise you with its rich history and sacred architecture, while the park offers you a chance to observe and even partake in the morning exercise of the locals. Following this, sit back in an outdated rickshaw and weave your way through Hutong’s narrow alleys to see the traditional houses of old Beijing.

After your visit, fly about two hours to the time-honored Xi’an and settle into your downtown hotel with your local guide’s help.

🍽 Local dining

◷ Flexible timing

▱ Beijing

Today will be one of the most memorable parts of your trip to China, as you will uncover the mystery of the underground army of Terracotta Warriors. Qin Shi Huang, China’s first emperor, commissioned the Terracotta Army to serve him in the afterlife and guard his mausoleum. You will surely be astonished by the thousands of vivid life-size clay statues.

Before retiring to your hotel, try out ethnically Muslim dishes and visit Chinese-style Great Mosque at downtown’s Muslim Quarter.

🍽 Local dining

◷ Flexible timing

▱ Beijing

Flying about 2 hours to Guilin in the morning, you’ll see another face of China.

Upon arrival, visit the Reed Flute Cave before checking into your hotel. Stepping into the cave, you will see various shapes of stalactites and stalagmites illuminated by colorful lights and learn about how they were formed.

🍽 Local dining

◷ Flexible timing

▱ Beijing

Li River is the most representative scenery of Guilin’s karst landform. After breakfast, you will be taken to Zhujiang Pier for a leisurely cruise along the famed river down to Yangshuo. You will be immersed in the unique scenery formed by towering karst peaks, bamboo groves, and rice paddies along the river. Depending on the water level, it will take around 3.5 to 4.5 hours.

After the cruise, your tour guide will accompany you passing through the busy West Street and assist in checking into your hotel. The rest of today is to relax or explore at your own leisure.

🍽 Local dining

◷ Flexible timing

▱ Beijing

After breakfast, your guide will take you to the railway station for your high-speed train (about 5-6 hours) to Chongqing. On arrival, be picked up and taken to the dock, where you settle into your cabin for the Yangtze cruise. The ship usually departs from Chongqing at 9:00 pm.

🍽 Local dining

◷ Flexible timing

▱ Beijing

Have a leisurely morning on the board to enjoy the scenery on both sides of the Yangtze River. In the afternoon, take the included excursion to Shibaozhai, a historical red pavilion hanging on a solitary hill to serve as a path to the top of the hill, where you can get a sweeping view of the surrounding area.

Optional: This morning, you could take an optional land tour to Fengdu Ghost City, organized by the cruise company.

🍽 Local dining

◷ Flexible timing

▱ Beijing

Enjoy another leisurely morning while the cruise continues. In the afternoon, join the group to visit Shennv Stream. A wooden flat-bottom boat will take you to the depth of the valley, relishing in the stunning scenery and glimpsing into the original life of locals.

Optional: If you’re interested in Chinese history, an optional tour to the White Emperor City may be a nice choice.

🍽 Local dining

◷ Flexible timing

▱ Beijing

After breakfast, embark on a shore excursion to the massive Three Gorges Dam, a must-see engineering wonder in China. Disembark the cruise at noon, and your private tour guide in Yichang will pick you up and transfer you to the train station for your train to Shanghai.

After arrival, be transferred to the hotel for check-in.

🍽 Local dining

◷ Flexible timing

▱ Beijing

Begin your day with a visit to the Shanghai Museum, where ancient relics and exquisite artworks take you on a journey through China’s rich history. Next, step into the tranquil beauty of Yu Garden, with its classical pavilions, koi-filled ponds, and intricate rockeries. Explore the vibrant Yuyuan Market, a maze of stalls offering local snacks and unique crafts. Then, wander through the charming Former French Concession, with its tree-lined streets and colonial architecture. End the day at the Bund, where the iconic skyline meets the colonial-era buildings, offering a stunning glimpse of Old Shanghai from the 1920s.

🍽 Local dining

◷ Flexible timing

▱ Beijing

Time to say goodbye to China. Enjoy some free time until the tour guide picks you up and transfers you to the airport for your homebound flight.

🍽 Local dining

◷ Flexible timing

▱ Beijing

Why Choose Inner Mongolia Jiuhong Travel Service Co., Ltd.

12-Year TripAdvisor Award

Travellers’ Choice winner every year since 2013

No Commission Shopping

Zero shopping stops, zero pressure, zero hidden agendas

100% Private

Every tour is exclusively yours — no strangers, no shared buses

Expert Local Guides

Licensed, English-speaking guides with deep local knowledge

Real reviews from real travellers

  • u003cemu003eu003cemu003eI highly recommend Inner Mongolia Jiuhong Travel Service Co., Ltd. The team is very easy to work with, has excellent ideas and the guides are knowledgeable and easy to be with. Very solid itineraries and execution — flexible, high quality, and great value for money.u003c/emu003eu003c/emu003e
    James T.
    Verified · TripAdvisor
  • u003cemu003eu003cemu003eWe visited both Xi’an and Shanghai under Jiuhong’s arrangement and received the same first-class service in both cities. The guides were knowledgeable, flexible, and happy to discuss all aspects of modern China — giving insights difficult to obtain elsewhere. Strongly recommended.u003c/emu003eu003c/emu003e
    Greenfly
    Couples · Verified · TripAdvisor
  • u003cemu003eu003cemu003eWe had a wonderful action-packed day. Fei Fei was amazing — her knowledge was very impressive and she was a real pleasure to be with. This was certainly the highlight of our stay in this beautiful city. Thanks so much.u003c/emu003eu003c/emu003e
    Ludovic V.
    Couples · London, UK · Verified · TripAdvisor

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