Incredible Zhangjiajie

Our professional guide will meet you at the Arrival Hall of the airport, holding a welcome sign with your name on. Afterwards, he or she will escort you to the carefully selected hotel by a comfortable private vehicle. En route, the guide will give you some basic introduction of Beijing city. After hotel check-in, you are free to enjoy the rest of the day as you like. You may have a good rest in the hotel and get prepared for the forthcoming tour; or stroll around to get familiar with the city.

Today's private China tour will begin with a visit to Tian’anmen Square, which is located in the heart of Beijing City. It is regarded as the world's largest square in downtown area. The Monument to the People's Heroes and the Chairman Mao Memorial Hall are here. You can also see the Great Hall of the People, the National Museum, and the Tian’anmen Tower around the Square.

Next, our guide will lead you to the Forbidden City right to the north of the Square, which is also known as Palace Museum. It was the royal palace of the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368 – 1911 AD). As the best-preserved and the largest wooden royal architectural complex in the world, it also contains a large number of unique and priceless cultural relics. There are also many secrets to discover when you visit the complex. For instance, there is a small door under the terrace into Palace of Heavenly Purity. What was it used for? In rigid feudal hierarchy, it was the channel for the eunuchs and maids to go across in front of the palace fast. Sometimes, it was also the drainage tunnel when in a rainstorm. Emperor Tianqi in late Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644) liked to hide in the tunnel when playing hide-and-seek in his childhood.

★ Privileges of Our Guests
1. Forbidden City is very popular, so it is not easy to buy the entry tickets. But take it easy. We will book them for you once they are released, to ensure a smooth trip.
2. When inside, our guide will accompany you to sightsee along the best route proved by tons of millions of visitors. He or she will also adjust the route based on your preference.
3. The visiting time we have planned is at least 2 hours, so as to cover all important palaces. You are the boss and you decide how long to sightsee there.

★ A La Carte Welcome Lunch with Peking Duck
At noon, enjoy a delicious a la carte welcome lunch (valued at CNY150 per person and included in our price). The restaurant we have selected for you is a noted restaurant welcomed among locals, instead of those touristy eateries with low quality. The dishes are rich and distinctive, and prices reasonable. Peaking Roast Duck is one of their specialties. The guide will assist you with the ordering and give you some other recommendations based on your flavor. You can look forward to more authentic and tasty Chinese food in the following days. Give some hints: distinctive snacks in Xi’an and delicate and fresh dishes in Shanghai.

Next, proceed to Shichahai to see Hutongs. In order for you to better experience the life of old Beijingers, we will arrange a rickshaw ride along the traditional alleyways, which will last for around 40 minutes. Then, walk into the home of a family living in one of the traditional Siheyuan courtyards there, have a talk with the owner, and learn their daily lives.

Afterwards, the guide will accompany you to visit the Temple of Heaven which originally served as a place for emperors to worship the God of Heaven in the Ming and Qing dynasties. The most precious architectures inside are Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest and Circular Mound Altar. At present, it has developed into a large park for the locals to exercise and relax, so you can have a chance to blend in with local life there.

► Dinner Suggestion:
On Hongqiao Street, 300 meters from the East Gate of Temple of Heaven, there is a branch of Hu Guo Si Xiao Chi restaurant, which offers assorted local snacks at wallet-friendly prices. It’s less touristy and frequented by locals. Zha Jiang Mian, noodles with soy bean paste, is a must-try. Accompany it with deserts like Tang Hu Lu (sugar-coated haws), which is refreshing for its delicate balance of sour and sweet. Another you should not miss is Wan Dou Huang (pea cake), famous for its icy, silky, melty texture like those of ice cream. Average cost per person: CNY 30 / USD 4.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, A la carte welcome lunch

Today comes a climax of this private China tour. In the morning, the guide will accompany you to visit Great Wall, a landmark of China and an icon of Chinese nation. The section we have chosen for you is Badaling, the best-preserved and the most famous among all. Standing up there, you will see the Wall zigzagging on the mountain ridges into the distance, very grand and impressive.

Today's lunch will be on your own, and our guide will be happy to provide you some advice.

Afterwards, continue to explore Ming Tombs, the resting place of 13 emperors of the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644). We will focus on its two highlights: Sacred Way and Dingling Tomb. Along the two sides of the Sacred Way, stand 12 stone human figures and 24 stone animals, guarding the tomb for centuries. Dingling Tomb is the only excavated tomb there and the guide will accompany you to go underground to see what treasures have been buried there.

At the end of the day, return to downtown and send you back to the hotel. En route, pass by the Bird's Nest where you can add more amazing photos to your travel album.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast

After breakfast, you will pack your luggage and check out from hotel. The guide will come to pick you up and escort you to visit the Summer Palace. It's a representative Chinese classic garden, as well as one of the best-preserved royal gardens of the country. The lake, mountain, woods, bridges, pavilions and more “get along so well” with each other, showing the super garden building skills of ancient Chinese artisans.

After that, the guide will escort you to the railway station and assist you to get on a high speed train to Xi'an. China high speed train is one of the world’s fastest and most advanced, so a must-try for overseas visitors. It takes about 4.5-5.5 hours on the way and those with shortest duration are always our prior choices.

Upon arrival in Xi’an, an ancient capital city with abundant historic relics, our local guide and driver will pick you up and transfer you to the hotel for check-in.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast

Today, the Terracotta Army Museum beckons! Built 2,200 years ago, the grand military army it houses was sent here to protect Emperor Qin Shi Huang (259 BC - 210 BC) - the first emperor of China - in his afterlife. Dubbed the Eighth Wonder in the world, it will inspire your awe not only with the overall grandeur, but with a superb sculptural craftsmanship. Observe carefully and you will find the soldiers are all different from each other in hairstyles, face shapes, moustaches and more details. Besides, get ready for a brand new visual feast at the newly-introduced exhibition of Archaeological Discoveries at the Mausoleum Complex of China’s First Emperor, featuring 230 representative archaeological discoveries excavated over the past 50 years, one-third of which are on display for the first time! Here, you can see up close such cultural relics as High-ranking Armored Officer Terracotta Figure, Bronze Waterfowl, Gold and Silver Inlaid Musical Bell… They altogether provide a comprehensive perspective to learn about this “underground kingdom” and the splendid artisanal achievements of the Qin Empire. Lunch is on your own, and the guide will give you some recommendations nearby.

★ Privilege of Our Guests
1. The discovery of Terracotta Army is one of the greatest archaeological discoveries in 21st century. After lunch, the guide will accompany you to learn some stories behind the dramatic discovery right at the home of its discoverer, Mr. Yang Zhifa. Mr. Yang is a farmer living nearby and dug out a clay figure when digging a well in 1974. At his home, you will see the hue used to dig out the first clay warrior.
2. Next, make a souvenir on your own for this Terracotta Army trip. At a local workshop, an artisan will guide you to craft a mini terracotta figure. After completing it, you may follow the tradition of Qin artisans to carve your special symbol or name on it, and take it home.

After, return to downtown to visit the Small Wild Goose Pagoda and the adjacent Xi’an Museum. Although experiencing several earthquakes, the brick pagoda still stands there solid. This is because its base is round like a tumbler. What a smart design! Xi’an Museum collects nearly 130,000 pieces of historical relics, most of which are from Zhou Dynasty (11th century BC to 221 BC), Qin Dynasty (221 BC to 206 BC), Han Dynasty (206 BC to 220 AD), and Tang Dynasty (618 to 907). It also displays models of ancient Xi’an city in different time periods.

When the visit is over, send you back to the hotel.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast

After having breakfast in the hotel, the guide will lead you to the City Wall Park, where lots of local people do morning exercises. It is a good place to communicate with them and even join them to play Tai Chi or have other fun.

Afterwards, go up to the City Wall. It is not merely a wall, but a defensive system consisting of the wall, moat, suspension bridges, watch towers, gates, and more. Have a leisurely stroll to find where they are and what were they used for. The perimeter of the City Wall is 13.74 kilometers (8.5 miles), so many visitors choose to cycle along it. If you prefer it, the guide can assist you to rent a bike.

Next, move on to the Great Mosque combining typical Islamic and traditional Chinese architectural features. Later, have a stroll in the nearby Muslim Quarter. It is a food paradise, where all kinds of Xi’an snacks can be found. Surely, we will arrange for you a snack tour there, at a popular restaurant and varieties of mouth-watering snacks are ready for you to try.

In the afternoon, along the way to airport we will visit the Han Yang Ling Museum, also called Yangling Mausoleum of Han Dynasty (202 BC - 220 AD). What makes it different is that the excavation areas are covered by glass. You can go underground and walk on the glass floor to see the excavation spot closely and clearly. If lucky, even see how the archaeologists work on the spot.

After, transfer you to the airport to take the flight to Zhangjiajie. Upon arrival, you will be picked up and transferred to the hotel directly by our local guide and driver.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Local flavor lunch

This whole day will be spent in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park. Firstly, the guide will lead you to Yuanjiajie Scenic Area which is famous for the Southern Sky Column - the shooting spot of the famous movie Avatar.

★ Ride Bailong Elevator – World’s Highest Outdoor Lift
Our guide will lead to take Bailong Elevator to reach the Yuanjiajie Scenic Area. It is the world’s highest outdoor elevator, with the height difference of 335 meters (1,099 feet). It takes only 66 seconds to the top. If climbing on foot, over 3 hours will be needed. If by car, 4-5 hours on the winding mountain road will be needed.

After visiting Yuanjiajie, take a sightseeing car to Tianzi Mountain Nature Reserve, where you can find a large array of valuable and rare plants, as well as diverse animals. Later, head to Golden Whip Stream. This stream stretching for 5,710 meters (3.5 miles) is named after the Golden Whip Rock which looks exactly like a whip shining under the sunlight. At last, take a small train to Ten-mile Gallery. This “gallery” is 5 kilometers (3 miles) long, with lush woods, beautiful flowers, and oddly-shaped rocks on both sides, very scenic.

► Dinner Suggestion:
If you like, after a break in your hotel, walk 20 minutes to and have dinner at the restaurant Yin Xiang Ni Yan, or Image Niyan on Google map, Xibujie Road. This is the only place to sample Chinese giant salamander dish in Zhangjiajie, for which the restaurant is famed and has attracted many celebrities. With wooden architecture built in Tujia ethnic-style and adorned with strings of lanterns, it will arrest your eyes immediately. You will be welcomed at the doorway by folk performances before you step in for local cuisine. If you are interested by these features, the restaurant must be on your list while in Zhangjiajie! Average cost per person: CNY 100 / USD 14.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch

Today's first destination, Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon, will definitely leave you with an unforgettable impression. This Grand Canyon can be regarded as the Zhangjiajie landscape museum, integrating mountains, caves, and lakes. You can have a whole view of karst topography blending with the twitter of the birds and lively animals.

★ Challenge Yourself at World’s Highest Glass Bridge
While visiting Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon, the Glass Bridge hanging over it will be included. It is the world's longest and highest, with a relative height of around 300 meters (984 feet) and a length of 430 meters (1,411 feet). It must be one of the most thrilling experiences in your life to walk cross it.

★ Scenic Cruise on Baofeng Lake with Folk Song Performance
Later, take a boat to cruise on Baofeng Lake, which is surrounded by picturesque landscape. You will also have a chance to listen to beautiful folksongs by local people in traditional costumes.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch

Today’s first stop will be Tianmen Mountain, the highest mountain in Zhangjiajie with an altitude of 1,518.6 meters (4,982 feet). Its name comes from the natural wonder - Tianmen Cave. The cave is named so, literally Heavenly Door, because it looks like a door leading to the heaven if looking afar.

★ Privileges of Our Guests
We will include a round-trip cable car ride at Tianmen Mountain, to save you energy and time for sightseeing. Up on the mountain, we will ensure the visiting time for around 4 hours. After ascending there by cable car, the guide will lead you to walk the Glass Skywalk, then take the 7-level escalator to go down and visit Tianmen Cave and climb 999 Heavenly Stairs. At last, take the cable car to get down. We can also adjust the visiting time per your request.

In the afternoon, visit 72 Qilou. Qilou means high stilt house and “72” indicates there are many of them. Measuring 109.9 meters (360.6 feet) high, it is the highest stilt house style architecture in the world, which has been included in the Guinness World Records. Looking from a distance, it looks like a village of the Tujia ethnic minority floating in the air. In addition to appreciating the distinctive architecture, various snacks are waiting for you to try.

The Zhangjiajie tour will end here. You will then be escorted to the airport and take a flight to Shanghai. When you arrive in Shanghai, our guide and driver based there will transfer you to the hotel.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch

The itinerary in this morning will cover Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Hall and Yu Garden. The Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Hall displays how Shanghai grew from a small fishing village into a giant modern metropolis. It also exhibits the clever city planning with models, photos, videos and more. The Yu Garden with exquisite design and elegant environment is a classic private garden with more than 400 years' history. It’s the best of its kind in Shanghai. After, walking past Yuyuan Bazaar outside the Yu Garden and take the private car to the noted restaurant we have selected for you. An a la carte farewell lunch will be served there.

★ Appreciate Cityscape Joyfully on Huangpu River Cruise
Afterwards, take a pleasant cruise on the Huangpu River, which is flanked by old Euromerican style buildings in the west and outstanding skyscrapers in the east. They are the representative cityscape of Shanghai in the past, present and future.

Free time will then be left for you to explore the Bund for a while. The day will conclude with a leisurely stroll in an old cultural zone, Tianzifang, where you will experience elegant and artsy culture.

► Dinner Suggestion:
Do drop by the Xing’An Restaurant on Xing’An Road, not far away from whichever hotel you choose. It has sat there for three decades and radiates an ambiance that belongs to past Shanghai. It’s said the owner-cook knows how to make Japanese cuisine, which has inspired him to make experiments that later became his featured dishes. Anyway, this is where you can get a taste of distinctive Shanghai cuisine. (Average cost per person: CNY 90 / USD 12.) The Xing’An Road, some 600 meters (0.4 miles) long, is interesting as well. Dating back to 1902, it is a longtang, historical lane in local language, once home to many famous people with old traces found everywhere. For its cultural significance, now the entire lane are being protected. 

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, A la carte farewell lunch

Your 11-day private China tour will come to an end today. Please check out from hotel and get all your belongings ready. According to your homeward flight schedule, our guide and the driver will transfer you to the airport. We wish you a nice journey home and hope to see you again in the future!

Meals: Western buffet breakfast