Best of China Tour

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. You will visit the Summer Palace, formed mainly 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. At the Summer Palace, one finds a variety of palaces, gardens, and other classical-style architectural structures.

Today you will get to see the only human-made construction visible from space – The Great Wall of China! In the afternoon, you will visit the Ming Tombs (Changling). Its 7km "Sacred Way," also called the "Way of Spirit," is lined with statues of guardian animals and officials, with a front gate consisting of three-arches, painted red, and called the "Great Red Gate." Tonight you can enjoy China’s No. 1 specialty, the Beijing roasted duck dinner at a local restaurant.

In the morning, you will visit China’s largest temple and altar complex, as well as the city’s symbol known as the Temple of Heaven. The Emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties visited this complex for annual ceremonies of prayer to Heaven for a good harvest. If time permits, you can go shopping at the Hongqiao Market or Silk Alley, where you will not leave empty-handed. Take an afternoon flight to Xian, a city that served as China’s capital for more than 1,000 years. You will be greeted at the airport and transferred to your hotel. The rest of the day, you are free to pursue your interests.

Another highlight of your trip will be the Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses Museum, which are in the city’s eastern suburb. It is considered to be the most significant archeological discovery of the 20th century. They were once buried underground for 2,000 years and founded 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! You will first see the panoramic documentary film and then its visit the three main exhibition halls. Your afternoon tour includes the Great Mosque, which is one of the four most famous mosques in China, is the oldest and most renowned founded in 742. And also the Ancient City Wall, which is the best-preserved of its kind in China. You will get to enjoy the Tang Dynasty dinner show in the evening.

After breakfast, you will visit the Provincial Museum, which is one of the first modern museums displaying the history of the ancient Silk Road. After that, visit the Big Wild Goose Pagoda that was built in the 7th century. The pagoda's many functions were to hold sutras and figurines of the Buddha that were brought to China from India by the Buddhist translator and traveler Xuanzang. You will fly to Guilin in the afternoon and will have the rest of the day at your leisure.

Today you will go on a scenic 5-hour Li River Cruise and visit Yangshuo. You will wind through the rising and falling hills and peaks cruising peacefully along the 83km long cruise. It will unfold an elegant art gallery of natural scenic wonders before your eyes. Surrounded by green bamboo shoots, water buffaloes eating grass casually on the fields passing you by, and fisherman fishing or perhaps taking a nap on the bamboo rafts calmly drifting by.

Today you will have a full day of tours beginning with Fubo Hill. On the southern slope of the Hill is Returned Pearl Cave, 1000-year-old Buddha images are etched into the wall of the cave and along with over 200 images of Buddha, most dating from the Song and Tang Dynasties. Next, you will visit the unique Reed Flute Cave. It is a natural limestone cave with multicolored lighting and has been one of Guilin’s most interesting attractions for over 1,200 years. It is over 180 million years old. The cave got its name from the type of reed growing outside, which can be made into melodious flutes. You will also visit the vivid Elephant Trunk Hill, which got its name because it looks like an elephant drinking water. The last spot will be at the beautiful Seven Star Park named for its resemblance to the 'Big Dipper' of the sky. Here there are many caves, lush green hills, a zoo, and a beautiful flower bridge, to name a few attractions. In the late afternoon, you will transfer to the airport for your flight to Shanghai.

Your tour in this flourishing city starts with the Bund, which is Shanghai’s Wall Street. The Shanghai Bund has dozens of historical buildings, lining the Huangpu River, which once housed numerous banks and trading houses from all over the world. You will continue to the Jade Buddha Temple, 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 is centerpiece being the exquisite Jade Rock. Next, you will visit the Shanghai Museum, which is a must-see featuring 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. Later you will enjoy watching the world-class Acrobatic Show at the Grand Theatre.

After breakfast at the hotel, you may have some free time for last-minute shopping before being transferred to the airport for your flight to your next destination.