10 Days China Essence Tour

Tour Route: Beijing, Xian, Guilin, Shanghai

"Guilin's scenery is the best in the world!" All Chinese people know this saying. This tour includes the Golden Triangle cities (Beijing, Xian & Shanghai) plus the beautiful Guilin, which are the top 4 destinations that you can't miss for the first time visitor. Climb up the breathtaking Great Wall, be amazed at the the majestic Terracotta Warriors Museum, enjoy an fantastic Li River cruise and cycling tour in Yangshuo countryside to explore the great landscape under heaven, and visit Ancient and Modern Shanghai.

TCT-02
Daily
Private Tour
Day 1 Arrive in Beijing

After you arrive in Beijing, our local guide will pick you up and then drive to hotel for a good rest.

Meals: No meal
Day 2 Beijing

A buffet breakfast & real fresh coffee will kick start your day. Your private guide will wait for you on time at your hotel lobby.
First stop, Tiananmen Square. It is the third largest city square in the world. It has great cultural significance as it was the site of several important events in Chinese history.
Next visit the Forbidden City, which is 24 emperor's palace in Dynasty Ming and Qing. It is called Gu Gong in Chinese, located in the Center of Beijing. It is the ancient palace which has the largest scale, most magnificent, and best reservation in the world.
Explore the construction art and royal dignity in the largest, most beautiful and exquisite imperial garden--Summer Palace.

Free-time Ideas(Optional): Kungfu Show/Peking Opera is highly recommended in Beijing. Your guide can help you get tickets.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 3 Beijing

In the morning, you take a scenic drive through the countryside and mountains to reach China's most renowned monument—Great Wall (Mutianyu section, less crowed). Take a cable car up to the Great Wall, climbing up the venerable ramparts,you will marvel at this great constructions. On the way down, those of you feeling adventurous can choose the gravity-propelled toboggan!
In the afternoon, visit Ding Tomb, mausoleum of the 13th emperor of Ming Dynasty.
Drive back to Beijing city, have an exterior visit of Beijing Olympic Village (Bird's Nest and Water Cube).

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 4 Beijing to Xian

In early morning visit the Temple of Heaven, the sacred altar for worshiping the God of Heaven in the world. Watch local people playing Taichi morning exercises.
Take a rickshaw ride to visit old Hutong, you can see the ancient Beijing lanes and quadrangle houses that have been preserved for 700 years, you also have a chance to visit a local family and have lunch there.
In the afternoon, be transferred to Beijing West Railway Station, your Beijing tour ends here. Take Chinese new G High Speed Train to Xian, which costs about 4.5 hours, You will have a view of the countryside between Beijing and Xian.
After arrival at Xian North Railway Station, be welcomed by our Xian guide and transfer to your hotel.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 5 Xian

In the morning, visit one of the greatest man-made wonders in the world-Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum. The terracotta warriors and horses of life size are arranged in battle formations at the museum.
After lunch, be driven back to city area to visit Ancient City Wall--the best preserved ancient city wall in China. The wall which is 12 meters high and 18 meters wide encircles the city and is perfect for panoramic view of the city.
Followed by a relaxing wandering around the bustling and lively Muslim Street, where you can taste the most famous Xian food and experience local culture.

Free-time Ideas(Optional): Enjoy the Dummpling Banquet and Tang Dynasty Dance Show.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 6 Xian to Guilin

First site to visit today is Shaanxi Historical Museum, where over 300,000 invaluable historical items are on exhibition.
Visit the Big Wild Goose Pagoda-- the very important Buddhism temple in China.
After sightseeing, be transferred to Xian airport and fly to Guilin. Be met by our Shanghai guide and transfer to your Guilin hotel.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 7 Guilin to Yangshuo

Enjoy the wonderful Li River Cruise to Yangshuo with the buffet Lunch on the cruise. which is the most beautiful landscape in China. Cruising on the Li River will help you to get rid of the noise and press from the city, it will costs about 4-4.5 hours to arrival Yangshuo.
Disembark in Yangshuo town, pass through the West Street. After check-in your Yangshuo hotel, enjoy a Yangshuo countryside sightseeing tour by cycling or using our private car.

Free-time Ideas(Optional): Enjoy the famous Impression of Sanjie Liu in the evening.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 8 Guilin to Shanghai

In the morning, be transferred back to Guilin(about 1.5 hours). Visit the symbol of Guilin city- Elephant Trunk Hill,which is the must-see attraction in Guilin.
Then visit Reed Flute Cave, which is a natural limestone cave with multicolored lighting and has been one of Guilin’s most interesting attractions for over 1200 years.
After sightseeing, fly to Shanghai. Be met by your Shanghai guide and check into your hotel.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 9 Shanghai

Today you will taste the feature of Shanghai both "Classic and Modern".
First stop is Yu Garden,which reflects a very typical southern China garden style. Jagged pavilion with elegant decoration, glittering pools with roving fish, sprouting pine trees, all these pleasant scenes refresh your mood. Continue to visit the nearby Yuyuan Market which is a bustling bazaar in old town of Shanghai. Visit Old French Concession for the featured architectures there.
Drive to Pudong New Area to explore the modern Shanghai, visit Oriental Pearl Tower, you can have a bird view of Shanghai.
Lastly, enjoy a leisure walk along the Bund to appreciate the historical architecture and the skyline of this modern city along the Huangpu River.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 10 Shanghai Departure

Your private car, driver and guide will be ready and waiting at your hotel lobby to get you to the airport on time. Sit back and relax as they help you check-in and escort you to the correct security gate.

Meals: Breakfast
Travel Period 2-5 travelers 6-9 travelers
Dec.1- Feb.28 US$1910 US$1580
Mar.1- Nov.30 US$1980 US$1650

1. The price is based on stay in China four star hotels. If you want to deduct, upgrade or downgrade the hotel, please indicate this while sending the inquiry.
2. You will enjoy more discounts if there is more people join the tour.
3. Prices may vary according to your travel time and are higher in the high season, e.g. Qingming Festival Holiday (Apr. 4 - 6, 2020 ), Labor's Day Holiday (May 1 - 3, 2020) ,Dragon Boat Festival Holiday (Jun. 25 - 27, 2020) and National Day Holiday (Oct 1- Oct 8, 2020).

1. All arrangements and first admission/entrance fees of scenic spots specified in the itinerary.
2. Meals as listed in the itinerary.
3. Well-equipped private commercial vehicle with excellent private guide and driver accompanied on your tour between airports, train stations, scenic spots and hotels.
4. Four Star Hotel based on two persons sharing one room with twin beds. All hotels as listed in the itinerary serve daily western or Chinese breakfast.
5. Beijing-Xian high speed train, Xi'an-Guilin-Shanghai airfare with airports taxes, fuel charges.
6. Travel Agency’s Liability Insurance with your tour inside China.
7. Chinese government taxes and the city construction fees on your travel tour.

1. China entry visa fees.
2. International or domestic airfare or train tickets not included in the itinerary.
3. Meals not specified in the itinerary and extra and alcoholic or beverages during meals.
4. Tips for guides and drivers.
5. Personal expense: e.g. mini bar, personal telecommunications, laundry, excess baggage charges etc.)
6. Excursions and activities not included in itinerary.
7. Single room supplement.

Interested in this itinerary but would like to make changes to the hotels, destinations, sites, or anything else? Contact us here to customize this itinerary just for you.

It is flexible to change the duration, attractions, starting and ending cities according to your interests. Also the tour can be extended or shorten as your preference, just let your trip consultant know.
All of the tour packages exclude the international airfares. We suggest you can book it one your own. You can compare the price between OTAs (Expedia, Priceline, Sky scanner...) and the airlines. When you have a confirmed date, set alarm and compare it always.
As the China Visa, we cannot apply for you as we are an China inbound travel company. However, we can send you our invitation letter with our company's official seal to you after you booked the tour from us, which could assist you to get China Visa from China embassy easily. Usually, we suggest you to apply the visa about one month or one month and a half before your travel date.
For the breakfast, it is offered by the hotel you stay, usually Chinese and Western buffet breakfast. As for the lunch, we offer 80RMB per person for a standard Chinese meal at a nice tourist restaurant. If you want to order other kind of meals, such as vegetarian, Muslim meals, Indian Meals, please let your trip consultant know. Dinner usually will be left for you to choose the food you prefer. Our guide will help you to balance each meal such as your taboo, your preference and avoid repeated food. You have to pay for the extra cost if you want to take better or more. The meals on Yangtze Cruise are fixed Chinese and Western Buffet.
All the hotels can be replaced by your favorite ones or you can book your own hotels. And the hotel room we offered here usually is standard with twin beds. If you want to have king-size bed room or suite, please let your trip advisor know. Besides, all the accommodation are quoted on two persons sharing one room. The room supplement must be paid if you want to have a single room.
* Most hotels we offered in our tour package have WIFI in the lobby, and some of which have WIFI in hotel rooms. If you need the WIFI in your room, please make sure with your trip advisor.
We have non-shopping private tour and tour with carefully selected shops. For tour with shops, the price will be lower, and you will enter one or two shops in every tourist city. The shops could be jade, silk, pearl, Chinese tea etc., all of which have strong China's character and is worthy to buy. Each shop will take you around 45 minutes. We promise there is no compulsory consumption at all. You get the situation in your hands.
* Department stores, supermarkets, boutiques, hotel and restaurants in most cities of China do accept the credit card with the sigh of MasterCard, VISA and JCB. However, it does generate commission charge. Please check the regulations with your bank manager.
All domestic flight we offered is the economic class, which you can carry one hand-on luggage no more than 5 kg for free. The total of free registered luggage is no more than 20kg. Excess luggage will charge you some extra fees, be aware of that. The free registered luggage allowance in China domestic train is 20kg.
The insurance provided by us is called Travel Agencies' Liability Insurance, which covers accidents occurring during the activities arranged by travel agency. It does not cover mishaps or physical problems occurring outside the guided tour period or caused by clients themsevles, so we highly suggest you purchase the full coverage travel insurance from your country of origin.
For group of 1-4 passengers, recommend US$ 4-8 per tourist per day for guide, and US$ 2-5 per tourist per day for guide; for group of 5 and above, recommend US$ 2-5 per tourist per day for guide, and US$2-4 per tourist per day for driver. Besides, we highly recommend you to tip every day to encourage better service from them in the next coming days. However, if you have genuine reason not to tip, don't.
Usually, the deposit of tour package accounts for 30% of the total quotation, and the balance should be paid 30 days before your tour date. Payment methods we accept include Bank Transfer and PayPal, Credit Card and so on. More details you can check the Payment Guide page. Moreover, Children who are less than 12 y/o have their own discounts, please contact with your trip advisor.

How many days in advance can book reservations for train tickets in China?
Asked by Silvia (Oct.17, 2012)

Lead To China Trip Advisor (Oct.17, 2012) replied:
There are five ways to buy train tickets: online, by telephone, auto ticket selling machine, railway station ticket selling window, and local train ticket office. You can book train tickets at most 12 days on line and by telephone and 10 days in a ticket window at a railway station or a local train ticket office.While it will have a little change during peak seasons.

How much is the cable car ticket at Badaling Great Wall? Included?
Asked by Jeff (Aug.06, 2012)

Lead To China Trip Advisor (Aug.06, 2012) replied:
No, not included. The cable car ticket is 60RMB for single trip and 80RMB for round trip per adult. Children under 120 cm enjoy half price.

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