• Trending China Tour: Chongqing, Zhangjiajie & Wangxian Valley

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    Tour Code: ODY-CN-2618

    Destination: Beijing, Xi’an, Chengdu, Chongqing, Zhangjiajie, Wangxian Valley

Duration

15 Days

Tour Type

Private & Bespoke

Tour Style

Classic

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About This Trip

This journey is designed for travelers who want to visit China’s most popular destinations and experience local Chinese life and culture more deeply.

In 15 days, travel from Beijing to Zhangjiajie, from the Terracotta Army in Xi’an to the Bund in Shanghai. Ride high-speed trains across China, taste regional flavors, watch pandas play in Chengdu, join locals for a game of mahjong, see a train pass straight through a residential building in Chongqing, and spend a night in Wangxian Valley, a cliffside village.

Itinerary Summary

DAYPLACEHIGHLIGHTS
1 – 4BeijingThe Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Great Wall, Summer Palace
5 – 7Xi’anTerracotta Warriors, Ancient City Wall, Local Family Visit
8 – 9ChongqingLiziba Monorail, Hongya Cave, Hotpot Dinner
10 – 11ZhangjiajieZhangjiajie National Forest Park, Bailong Elevator, Golden Whip Stream, Huangshi Village
12 – 13Wangxian ValleyWangxian Valley Night Views
14 – 15ShanghaiThe Bund, Yuyuan Garden, DJI Drone Technology Experience Center, A Ride on Autonomous Vehicle
Quick Question

Itinerary

After you land, your private guide is waiting at arrivals, holding a sign, navigating the terminal chaos with practiced ease. By the time you reach the hotel, you can just relax and get over the jet lag comfortably. Tomorrow, the real Beijing starts.

🍽 Local dining

◷ Flexible timing

▱ Beijing

Step into the heart of China’s imperial past at the Forbidden City, when the morning light catches the gold tiles. Your experienced guide will share fun facts while you walk through the palaces and courtyards. From nearby Jingshan Park, climb up and look back across the golden rooftops of the palace and see how Beijing’s historic center was carefully arranged.

While the city continues to evolve, the traditions and local character of Beijing’s hutongs have been passed down through generations. In the narrow lanes of Xicheng District, discover traditional courtyard homes, former residences, and stories of the people who shaped the city’s cultural history.

End the day with a short Peking Opera performance accompanied by a local drink, offering a first introduction to one of China’s most distinctive performing arts.

🍽 Local dining

◷ Flexible timing

▱ Beijing

This morning, visit Temple of Heaven, which functions as both monument and neighborhood park. Under old cypress trees, you’ll find local people in loose clothing practices tai chi with steady concentration.

Later, travel beyond the city to Mutianyu Great Wall, one of Beijing’s most scenic sections. Away from the busiest stretches, the wall follows forest-covered mountain ridges, passing watchtowers that offer sweeping views over the surrounding countryside.

🍽 Local dining

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▱ Beijing

Explore the Summer Palace, a peaceful lakeside retreat where emperors escaped the summer heat. Walk along the covered corridors, admire traditional gardens, and see how architecture and nature were carefully combined to create one of Beijing’s most elegant imperial landscapes.

In the afternoon, board a 5.5-hour high-speed train to Xi’an. As the scenery changes outside the window, travel towards the ancient city that once served as the starting point of the Silk Road and home to numerous dynasties.

🍽 Local dining

◷ Flexible timing

▱ Beijing

After breakfast, meet one of China’s greatest archaeological discoveries at the Terracotta Warriors. Standing at the edge of excavation pits, the underground army makes an immediate impression. Row after row, they face the same direction, thousands of figures arranged in formation.

Return to the city and experience Xi’an from above with a bicycle ride along the ancient city wall. Cycling across the restored fortifications, you’ll see traditional neighborhoods within the old city and the new buildings rising beyond its historic boundaries.

🍽 Local dining

◷ Flexible timing

▱ Beijing

The morning starts in a kitchen of local family that smells of garlic and sesame oil. Join your hosts in preparing regional favorites such as dumplings and hand-pulled noodles, you’ll be showed how to pinch dumpling edges. If you’re interested, be accompanied and go for a local market to choose fresh ingredients and see how locals shop for daily meals.

The train to Chengdu takes about 4 hours, and you’ll find it easy to relax into the local pace after you arrive.

🍽 Local dining

◷ Flexible timing

▱ Beijing

Start the morning at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, where bamboo forests and carefully designed habitats provide a home for giant pandas. Early hours are often the best time to observe these gentle animals when they are most active.

Continue to People’s Park, where Chengdu’s local lifestyle comes alive. Join a traditional tea experience, watch residents gather for conversation and games, and try your hand at mahjong, a favorite pastime deeply connected to Sichuan social life.

Later, explore Kuanzhai Alley, a historic neighborhood where restored courtyard buildings now sit alongside cafés, shops, and local streets.

🍽 Local dining

◷ Flexible timing

▱ Beijing

Take a 2-hour high-speed train ride from Chengdu to Chongqing, a city built on steep hillsides, with buildings stacked at unlikely angles.

Then you’ll head to Liziba Station to see the monorail pass through a residential block and the train car slides directly between apartment floors, which is a practical solution to a tight space. Continuing to Eling Second Factory, a former industrial site transformed into a creative district with galleries, cafés, and viewpoints overlooking the city.

In the evening, sit down for Chongqing hotpot, famous for its bold flavors and lively atmosphere. Finish the day at Hongya Cave, where traditional-style buildings climb the hillside above the river, glowing with lights after sunset.

🍽 Local dining

◷ Flexible timing

▱ Beijing

Discover Chongqing’s everyday life through its dramatic hillside neighborhoods. Walk through Baixiangju, where stairways, apartment blocks, and narrow passages reveal how residents adapt to the city’s steep terrain.

At Kuixing Building, experience Chongqing’s unusual urban design, where roads, pedestrian bridges, and buildings intersect across different elevations. Continue to Jiefangbei, the city’s lively commercial center. Then take a 2.5-3 hours’ high-speed train to Zhangjiajie.

🍽 Local dining

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▱ Beijing

Zhangjiajie National Forest Park covers a vast area, but the internal shuttle buses connect the main sections, saving you from long walks between trailheads.

The Bailong Elevator lifts you up the cliff face, glass lift showing the valley drop away as you rise. At the top, Yuanjiajie’s sandstone pillars (famously known as “Avatar Mountains”) rise around you. The shuttle then takes you to Tianzi Mountain, where the views spread wider across distant ridges. Back at the valley floor, the Ten-Mile Gallery train moves at a relaxed pace along the bottom of the peaks.

🍽 Local dining

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▱ Beijing

Today’s exploration follows a gentler pace through the valleys of Zhangjiajie. Walk along Golden Whip Stream, the water is clear, and the path follows the stream’s curves, the sound of running water and birdcall replacing the roar of the tourist crowds. It’s a different Zhangjiajie of more intimate.

Continue to Huangshi Village, one of the park’s classic viewpoints, where broad panoramas reveal layers of sandstone peaks and forested ridges stretching toward the horizon.

🍽 Local dining

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▱ Beijing

The train to Shangrao takes about 6 hours, crossing through agricultural land and small towns. From the station, a private car takes you to Wangxian Valley, a cliffside mountain village.

As evening arrives, wooden buildings, pathways, and terraces built into the mountainside begin to glow under warm lights, creating a scene that feels like a traditional Chinese village brought to life.

🍽 Local dining

◷ Flexible timing

▱ Beijing

Spend a relaxed morning exploring Wangxian Valley at your own pace. Wander through old-style streets, sample local snacks, and enjoy quieter corners of the valley before returning to Shangrao for your high-speed train to Shanghai.

After 3 hours, arrive in China’s most international city, where historic neighborhoods and futuristic architecture exist side by side.

🍽 Local dining

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▱ Beijing

Begin along the Bund, Shanghai’s famous waterfront promenade, you’ll walk along and watch joggers and early-morning photographers set up their tripods. Then discover the traditional Chinese garden of Yu Garden, each corner revealing another koi pond or carved doorway.

Later, experience Shanghai’s innovative side with an indoor drone activity at DJI’s flagship store and an autonomous vehicle ride through the city.

End the day at Shanghai Museum East, where modern exhibition spaces present China’s art, history, and cultural heritage from fresh perspectives.

🍽 Local dining

◷ Flexible timing

▱ Beijing

At the scheduled time, transfer to the airport for your departure flight. Your journey ends with memories of ancient capitals, mountain landscapes, authentic local experiences, and the many different faces of modern China.

🍽 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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