Beijing, Xian and Shanghai

Upon arrival at the Beijing Capital International Airport, you will be greeted and then transferred to the hotel. The rest of the day will be at your leisure.

After breakfast at the hotel, you will meet your guide and begin your sightseeing tour of Beijing. The first stop of your full-day tours is at the Tiananmen Square, the largest public square in the world (imagine 109 football fields)! Next, you will visit the massive Forbidden City, which was built during 1405 – 1420 and was the seat of the emperors for almost 500 years. It now houses the Palace Museum and consists of endless halls, throne rooms, and palaces, which are generally divided into political, living, and enjoyment area. It contains an extensive collection of artwork and artifacts were built upon the imperial collections of the Ming and Qing dynasties. In the afternoon, you will visit China’s largest temple and altar complex, as well as the city’s symbol known as the Temple of Heaven. Emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties visitedd this complex for annual ceremonies of prayer to Heaven for a good harvest. Tonight you can enjoy China’s No. 1 specialty, the Beijing roasted duck dinner at a local restaurant.

This morning after breakfast at the hotel, you will visit the Ming Tombs (Changling). Its "Sacred Way," also called the "Way of Spirit," is lined with statues of guardian animals and officials, with a front gate consisting of a three-arches, painted red, and called the "Great Red Gate." From here you travel further northeast to the highlight of any trip to Beijing, the Great Wall. You will visit the Great Wall at the Mutianyu section, which is considered to be the most well-preserved section of the wall where you will have lunch at a local restaurant. You can spend the rest of the evening at your leisure.

In the morning, you will visit the Summer Palace, mainly formed by water and favored by royal families in the Qing Dynasty (1644 – 1911 AD). Longevity Hill and the Kunming Lake mostly dominate the Summer Palace. It covers an expanse of 2.9 square kilometers, three-quarters of which is water. Longevity Hill is about 60 meters (200 feet) high and has many buildings positioned in sequence. The front hill is rich with splendid halls and pavilions, while the back hill, in sharp contrast, is quiet with natural beauty. The central Kunming Lake covering 2.2 square kilometers was entirely human-made, and the excavated soil was used to build Longevity Hill. In the Summer Palace, one finds a variety of palaces, gardens, and other classical-style architectural structures. This afternoon you will take a flight to Xian, also known as Chang’an (Ever-lasting Peace) and the most important city in China’s northwest region. You can spend the rest of the day at your leisure.

Another highlight of your trip will be the Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses Museum, which are in the city’s eastern suburb. They were once buried underground for 2,000 years and were found during a local farmers’ sinking of a well; it is stunning to all viewers. They have unearthed approximately 8,000 figures discovering they all have unique faces after running them through facial recognition software. It is estimated that there are 80,000 on-site still buried under the city! Your afternoon tour includes the Great Mosque, which is one of the four most famous mosques in China being the oldest and most renowned founded in 742 and the Ancient City Wall. You will get to enjoy the Tang Dynasty dinner show in the evening.

In the morning, you will visit the Shaanxi Provincial Museum, which is mainly devoted to the history of the Silk Road and is one of the first museums with modern facilities in China. The museum houses over 300,000 items, including murals, paintings, pottery, coins, as well as bronze, gold, and silver objects. Between 1983 and 2001, the modern museum was built. Nearby you will visit the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, which was originally built 1,300 years ago to house Buddhist scriptures brought back from India. This afternoon you will take a flight to Shanghai. Upon arrival, you will get transferred to the hotel for check-in, and the rest of the evening is at your leisure.

Today after breakfast, your full-day tour will start with the Shanghai Museum. It is the best of its kind in China; the museum has a collection of over 120,000 pieces, including bronze, ceramics, calligraphy, furniture, jades, ancient coins, paintings, seals, sculptures, minority art, and foreign art. The Shanghai Museum houses several items of national importance, including one of three extant specimens of a "transparent" bronze mirror from the Han Dynasty. You will continue to the Jade Buddha Temple, which was named after the two pieces of white jade statues imported from Burma by sea. Then you will visit the Yu Garden, also known as the "Garden of Peace or Happiness" with its intricate design and complete with pavilions, lakes, bridges, and it's centerpiece being the exquisite Jade Rock. Later you will enjoy watching the world-class Acrobatic Show at the Grand Theatre in the evening.

You are free to explore Shanghai before you get transferred to the airport for your flight to your next destination