15 Days Beijing, Xi’an, Zhangjiajie, Yangtze Cruise, and Shanghai Tour

Whenever your flight lands your tour guide will be waiting for you at the arrival hall of the airport, greeting you with a smile and name plate. Transfer to your hotel by private van and driver.

You will visit iconic sights of the city: Tian’anmen Square and the Forbidden City.
 
Tian’anmen Square at the heart of Beijing is the largest city square in the world, the witness of many major historical events. Walking northward from the square you will enter the Forbidden City, the imperial palace where treasures are hidden and history happened.

Have lunch at a popular local restaurant, where your guide will help you order dishes to ensure an authentic Chinese flavor.

In the afternoon hop on a rickshaw to explore the charming hutongs (‘lanes’) — traditional Beijing neighborhood areas.

This less-crowded Mutianyusection of the Great Wall offers superb views, as it snakes across mountains. After driving for about 2½ hours from Beijing city center, you will take a shuttle bus to the foot of the mountains. Cable cars are available to take you to a good section (avoiding climbing on steep steps), where you can walk along the wall and enjoy the view. You can descend by cable car, or walk along the wall for about an hour to descend by chairlift.

After lunch at a nearby restaurant, drive back to the city and visit the Temple of Heaven, where ancient emperors held grand ceremonies to pray for good harvests. You will see local people enjoying leisure time inside the park, singing, dancing, and playing chess or musical instruments.

In the morning walk through the Summer Palace, an enormous park with pavilions, vividly-painted corridors, temples, and lakes surrounded by hills.

After lunch, transfer to the airport for your flight to Xi’an. Upon arrival in Xi’an, meet your guide at the arrival hall and go to your hotel by private van and driver.

Drive about one hour to the outskirts of Xi’an and admire the formidable underground army of Terracotta Warriors, which has been guarding ‘First Emperor’ Qin for over 2,000 years. Back in the city, walk on the ancient city wall, which divides the city into its inner and outer parts. Riding a bike on the massive wall is recommended.

Dinner is according to your own arrangement. Feel free to ask your tour guide for some insider recommendations. Transfer to the airport for your evening flight to Zhangjiajie. Upon arrival, meet your guide at the arrival hall for your transfer to a Zhangjiajie city hotel.

Good to Know:
Most flights land at Zhangjiajie at night, sometimes very late, so we use a hotel in Zhangjiajie city upon your arrival, and on days 7 and 8. You should leave big suitcases in the city hotel and only take what you need for two days (one night) in the national park.
    To avoid waiting in long queues, your Zhangjiajie guide might suggest you get up early or alter your attraction schedule. Please kindly understand and cooperate.

Breakfast at a 4-star hotel at Zhangjiajie is very basic, so our guide will prepare bread, coffee, and fruit for you.

Zhangjiajie National Forest Park is located in Wulingyuan Scenic Area, about 40 minutes drive from the city. Tianzi Mountain and Yuanjiajie are the most classic and popular sights of Zhangjiajie.

Take the cable car up Tianzi Mountain, and see through the glass below large areas of grotesque sandstone peaks thrusting up from the ground.

Have a simplelunch on the mountain. If you prefer, we can arrange to have lunch at a McDonald’s on the mountain, and have a break in the air-conditioned building.

The namesake and inspiration of Avatar’s Hallelujah Mountain is located in Yuanjiajie Scenic Area, which you will visit in the afternoon after taking a shuttle bus from Tianzi Mountain.

Alternative:
For getting back to the foot of the mountain, besides taking the cable car, there is also an option of taking Bailong Elevator, a glass elevator built on the side of a cliff, taking only 2 minutes. If you are interested, tell your tour guide in advance so that he/she can arrange to avoid long queues, which might take you 2 hours.

Yangjiajie Scenic Area is a relatively recently developed area in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park. With less people and pristine natural beauty, it takes a bit of an adventure to climb up and down the steep and sometimes narrow steps for the superb view. You will need to climb for about 1 hour, besides taking a cable car, to get up and down.

Alternative:
If you do not want to walk so much, we recommend Gold Whip Stream for a pleasant stroll along the stream, surrounded by grotesque rocks. You might see some monkeys there. Please don’t touch or scare them for safety reasons, but giving them food is ok.

Tianmen literally means ‘Heaven’s Gate’, and Tianmen Mountain does match its name. With an altitude of 1,518 meters (4,980 feet), its scenery is often locked in mist in the morning. Besides its beautiful scenery, it will make your heart beat fast as you walk across its glass walkway, suspended 1,430 meters up; ride the world’s longest cable car from city to mountain top; and take a vehicle down the curvy mountain road of ‘99 Bends’.

Tianmen Cave, a 30-meter-high, doorway-like hole in the mountain, can be reached by climbing 999 steps, if you’d like the challenge.

You will get back to the foot of the mountain at around 2 pm in the afternoon. After a late lunch enjoying local specialty mushroom hotpot, visit Tujia Folk Garden in the city.

Tujia Folk Garden: With woodcarving on the windows, Flying Eaves and colorful wall, Tujia Folk Garden is a masterpiece of nature and manmade. In the park,the famous buildings are Tusi Town, Baoshou or Wave Hand Hall and Tujia Village. Chongtian Tower, which is 48 meters high, has 12 stories with special design. The park shows Tujia customs, special stone, root carving, precious relics and old Tujia folk performance, such as Maogusi Dance and Copper Bells Dance.

Good to Know:
Show Opportunity: Tianmen Foxy Fairy is an outdoor musical telling an old Chinese love story, with Tianmen Mountain and its deep valleys as the backdrop. It has received good reviews on TripAdvisor. The show is on every night. If you are interested, please ask your guide to book tickets for you, at extra cost.

Transfer to the train station for your Yichang-bound train (K1474, departing at 09:15 and arriving at 14:18). To ensure the most comfort for your China train experience, we book soft-sleeper carriages, where 4 people share a cabin.

Upon arrival at Yichang Train Station, meet your local guide for your port transfer, and board your Yangtze River Cruise, which embarks at 21:00.

Good to Know
There’s no dressing code for Yangtze River cruise, wearing comfortable clothing for traveling is completely fine.

Tai chi exercise led by a teacher is offered in the early morning every day.

Sail through the first gorge — Xiling Gorge, and pass through the five-step ship lock and have a shore excursion to the world-famous Three Gorges Dam site.

In the evening, a welcoming banquet is held, hosted by the captain. There’s no dress code for the Yangtze River cruise; wearing comfortable clothing for traveling is completely fine.

Take a shore excursion to visit Shennong Stream in small wooden boats, and see the mountain and water scenery more intimately. The cruise procedes through Wu Gorge and Qutang Gorge.

You have the option of visiting White Emperor City (280 yuan  per person extra), the source of inspiration for many ancient Chinese poets. Enjoy some interesting performances presented by the ship crew in the evening.

You will have a shore excursion to Shibaozhai, a craggy hill by the Yangtze with a red pavilion and a walkway to the temple at the top of the hill. The Captain’s Farewell Banquet is held in the evening.

The cruise will dock at Chongqing port at around 9 am. Your local tour guide will pick you up from the port for your airport transfer and flight to Shanghai. Upon landing in Shanghai, your Shanghai tour guide will meet you at the arrival hall for your hotel transfer and a good rest.

Shanghai’s charm of mixed cultures will be unveiled during your visit to the essential highlights of the city — the classical landscape garden of Yu Yuan; the Oriental Pearl TV Tower with a history museum on the lower floor; and the Bund, where architecture of various Western styles are gathered.

Lunch is at a famous Old Shanghai Restaurant, where authentic Shanghai flavor is served in an old-fashioned dining environment.

Your tour guide, driver, and van will pick you up from your hotel for your to the airport transfer and flight. The guide will accompany and assist you as far as the security check, and then wave goodbye.