Riches of China
2-Week Shanghai-Hangzhou-Suzhou-Guilin-Xi'an-Beijing Private Tour
Enjoy the deep-rooted cultural and historical sites in Beijing and Xi'an, relax at breathtaking karst scenery in Guilin and Yangshuo, and taste the exquisite lifestyle by wandering in beautiful gardens, along the West Lake and water town in Suzhou and Hangzhou. Immerse into the rich and diverse China.
Visit six cities in 13 days to touch the diverse Chinese culture and real people's life at your own travel pace. We understand that our customers do not need to be herded.
Tour 'Wow' Points
Unveil the Lives of China's Royal Family in their Hidden Halls
Get off the ordinary sightseeing route in the Forbidden City. Listen to the interesting stories of famous personalities that are not told by typical tour guides.


Climb up upon the Greatest Project of Ancient China
Explore the most beautiful section of the Mutianyu Great Wall, where there are fewer tourists.


Lingering in the Best Representative of Chinese Classical Gardens
Enjoy a peaceful walk through the Humble Administrator's Garden. Learn about the principles of gardening in old time and understand the Chinese aesthetics.


Take a Wooden Boat to Explore a Lovely Water Town
Skip the crowded ones and visit the less touristy Longli Water Town. Experience the slow-paced life of locals .


Paint Your Own Oiled-Paper Umbrella
Skip the crowded ones and visit the less touristy Longli Water Town. Experience the slow-paced life of locals .


Be a Tea Farmerin the Tea Plantation
Visit a tea plantation producing the best green tea. Experience picking tea leaves and learn how to process different kinds of tea.


Unveil the Secrets of the Terracotta Army and Make Your Own Terracotta Warriors
Unlock some stories of the world wonder, which can't be googled. Visit a traditional cave dwelling and learn how to make warriors.


Experience Minority People's Life at the Incredible Longji Rice Terrace Fields
Unlock some stories of the world wonder, which can't be googled. Visit a traditional cave dwelling and learn how to make warriors.


Cycle through the Splendid Landscapes
Drop the 'set menu' made for ordinary tourists and see more of Guilin's amazing countryside.






98.8% positive customer reviews among 10,000+
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Great tours!
I had an amazing two trips on the Great Wall and the Forbidden City with the guide Ivy during my stay in China. She was very helpful and answered all of our questions with an enthusiastic approach. I have nothing to say but to highly recommend the trips they offer on the Great Wall hiking/camping and also the in-depth Forbidden City tour! Thank you Ivy and China Highlights. more
May 2023,
Serhat Altay
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Amazing First Time to Beijing with China Highlights
Tom, my private tour guide was there when I landed and accompanied me all the way through to sending me off at the airport after check-in at the end of my trip. Zhao the driver, who also did all the driving during my trip, was calm, confident and knowledgeable in taking us around. Both Tom and Zhao were punctual too. The Great Wall of China Hike I wanted to do started in a very remote, unrestored part of the wall. This would not had been possible without Tom problem solving many issues we had on the way up and I could not have done this on my own a a foreigner. It was well worth the effort and probably the highlight of my trip.The remainder of the tour around Tiananmen Square, Forbidden Kingdom and The Temple of Heaven was paired with a detailed commentary by Tom of which I learnt a lot. more
May 2023,
Munsie
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Beijing - city of surprises
A fantastic guide was waiting for us - Jack, who told all the stories with passion and commitment. He also fulfilled those wishes that were not in the plan. I highly recommend visiting Beijing with this guide. more
May 2023,
Joanna i Piotr Kuzebscy
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Liu Yuan was a superb guide and a lot…
Liu Yuan was a superb guide and a lot of fun to spend time with during my first visit to Beijing. It was a wonderful intensive three days. more
May 2023,
Pam S.
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Great weather and a good trip out with Lily!
Many thanks to my guide Lily for customising the trip to make it as efficient and enjoyable as possible. She arranged to start an hour earlier to beat the crowd and I got to enjoy the Great Wall before the crowd streamed in and while the weather was cool. I requested to switch the next attraction to visit from Temple of Heaven to Ming Tomb and she not only accommodated the prompt request, but made all the necessary arrangements even before the trip coordinator managed to reply! Kudos! Our driver was jovial and friendly, always on top of traffic conditions and took detours to beat slow moving traffic. Hassle free day and I wouldn’t have been able to cover the two attractions so easily and comfortably without them! more
May 2023,
Meibao
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This was our first time traveling to Beijing
This was our first time traveling to China, so we really wanted to experience some of the major historical sights of Beijing together with a tour guide. Our itinerary was very carefully planned out according to our interests and tailored to our needs. First, we went camping on the Great Wall and hiked from Jiankou to Mutianyu, and the next day we got an in-depth tour of the Forbidden City as well as a tour of the Temple of Heaven and a taiji experience in the gardens. Our tour guide, Ivy, was truly wonderful in preparing and organizing our personalized itinerary. She is very friendly and knowledgeable, and she was always able and willing to answer all of our questions. Ivy provided us with a truly amazing first visit to China and I would warmly recommend China Highlights for everyone who wishes to travel to China and I would especially recommend Ivy as a tour guide for your trips! more
May 2023,
Annalina Wheeler
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Tom is the BEST tour guide EVER!
Just had the most AMAZING tour with Tom. He was beyond knowledgeable, so generous with his time and made me feel so at ease which was super important as I am travelling by myself. Thank you Tom for the best day-you have totally made my China trip a fabulous experience, one I will never forget! more
May 2023,
SHARRYN HINCHLIFFFE
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Superb service and wonderful time in Beijing
Superb service from Jack who were with us for 4 wonderful days in Beijing. Jack was clearly knowledgeable about the history and able to deliver insight information to us about places. He was also kind and accommodating to my mother who has bad knees. Both China Highlights and Jack were flexible about the itinerary to ensure that we enjoy the best of Beijing. We'll definitely use China Highlights' services again for our next trip to China. more
May 2023,
Chani
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Amazing Trip
First time booking a trip with China Highlights and was fortunate to have Sunny as my private tour guide. We went to the Jinshanling section of the Great Wall, then arrived and walked around Gubei Water Town, and then visited the Simatai portion of the Great Wall at night. Was a very enjoyable trip as we were able to see a night time drone show in the sky, ride a private boat through the canals of the Gubei Water Town, and eat a delicious lunch at a local restaurant along the way. Sunny is super knowledgeable when it comes to the history of the Great Wall and took the time to explain various interesting facts and stories which made the trip very meaningful. The driver we had was also a very nice man who was always on time and eager to help. Was an unforgettable experience and would highly recommend Sunny and China Highlights :) more
May 2023,
Allen C
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Tour to the great wall from the airport
My guide Tom was ver kind and knowlegable, he explained everything to me about the great wall and even went out of his way to help me the next day at Bejings downtown! amazing service!!! thank you so much Tom! more
May 2023,
Fer Villasefior
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Great tour, fantastic guide!
This tour was fantastic! I loved hearing about the history of the Forbidden City and admiring the views at the Great Wall. William was a fantastic tour guide. We were a group of families with several young children, and he was very accommodating and flexible with timing and arrangements. I totally recommend this tour and William as a guide! more
May 2023,
Ryan Corless
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Four excellent sightseeing days in Beijing
We had wonderful four days in Beijing. The entire trip was tailored exactly to our wishes. From experiencing local food, to exploring the major sites of the city up to hiking the great wall of China. Additionally, we had two amazing guides Ina and Fan taking care of all the tickets and coordination required. Also, they could not only tell us everything about the sights we visited and give us an insight to local customs and traditions, but they did so in perfect German. The chauffeur service from Mr Chang was also excellent, getting us from A to B without any hazzle. The past couple of days were one of the most carefree trips we have had so far. more
May 2023,
Katha
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Great tour from William
Great tour organized by China highlights, our tour guide was William - his knowledge was impressive, his English was great and he was always on time. We did the four day tour including the wall and forbidden city - would definitely recommend to anyone looking for an English tour guide. more
Apr 2023,
Lawrence
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Beijing 2 day private tour
The tour itself was great, private driver to and from, my guide Ivy was great English speaking guide. She was very knowledgeable and passionate about her country. Was a great time exploring the Great Wall of china and then my second day did a city tour (forbidden city, hutong tour, summer palace). Felt extremely safe, and was confident having an English guide. Thank you china highlights. (Provide them what you want and they’ll make it happen). Prices are reasonable as I looked at a few places but for private tour, my own schedule, and confidence of getting around safely you can’t go wrong. more
Apr 2023,
Mark
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Very enjoyable
Everything was to the vest standard, the history all very well explained by the Tour Guide in Beijing, Ivy. Really enjoyed it, and appreciated the time. more
Apr 2023,
Jonathan
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Amazing Beijing Experience
I had an amazing time in Beijing and glad Tom was my tour guide. He went above and beyond and I’m truly grateful. Tom did all that he could to ensure my stay in Beijing for two days was pleasant and thanks to him, I say that it was. The driver was also nice and courteous, I called him Jon. The company is blessed to have a good tour guide like Tom on their team so if you are planning to come down to Beijing, make sure you ask for Tom. Thank you Christy and Kimmy for replying all my emails with questions that I had. more
Apr 2023,
Pedro V
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Great experience
We had a great experience with China Highlights and Roger was highly efficient and helpful planning our itinerary exactly how we needed. more
Apr 2023,
Brenda Sarmanho
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Excellent service and tour guide!!
Excellent service and communication from the travel agent Roger Li and amazing tour and experience of Great Wall of China from our tour guide Amber. Highly recommended! more
Apr 2023,
Evangelos Athanasopoulos
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Maggie was such a tremendous help for…
Maggie was such a tremendous help for our recent Beijing trip. Very prompt and helpful in helping us plan and adjust/amend to our requests. more
Apr 2023,
Hi
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HK-Beijing-Wuhan-Guilin-HK
We travelled first to Beijing for a few days before moving on to Wuhan for the wedding and then for a few days in Guilin along with my son and daughter in law. It was a great trip and all went smothly with the help of the guides we had along the way. William in Beijing and Jenny in Guilin were excellent. Chas in HK was also very helpful in getting us to the right place and the right time to fly home. more
Apr 2023,
Alan Harris
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Suggested Itinerary
Here is a suggested itinerary. We are happy to customize a tour according to your interests and schedule.
Private Transfer from Airport to Hotel
After your flight lands at Shanghai airport, you will be met by your tour guide at the arrival hall, and will transfer you to your hotel by private car and driver. They will assist you with your luggage, hotel check-in, and ensure your trip in Shanghai will go smoothly and worry-free.
Hotel options:
Sunrise On The Bund
Les Suites Orient, Bund Shanghai
Breakfast & Lunch
Shanghai's colonial legacy combined with Chinese culture has created a unique fusion of East and West, and ancient architecture to modernistic buildings. You will visit the Yuyuan Garden, located in the center of Shanghai's old city! From there, you will head to Shanghai Tower, where you can get a magnificent view of the city's ever-changing modern skyline.
Take a look at Shikumen which means "Stone Warehouse Gate", is a traditional Shanghainese architectural style building combining Western and Chinese elements that first appeared in the 1860s.
Then relax at the Bund to look at the high buildings on the other bank of the River.

Breakfast & Lunch
Head to Suzhou by a private transfer. Visit the Tongli Water Town on the way. Get a glimpse of the lives of the locals. Relax on a wooden boat as you are winding through waterways and under many stone bridges.
In the afternoon, enjoy a peaceful walk through the Humble Administrator's Garden that is the best representative of Chinese classical gardens, constructed in the Ming dynasty, which focuses on a central pond with pavilions, terraces, chambers, and towers located nearby.
Hotel options:
Hotel Soul Suzhou
Pan Pacific Suzhou (Deluxe Room)

Breakfast & Lunch
Take a bullet train from Suzhou to Hangzhou. Enjoy a cruise on the famouse West Lake. Appreciate the secenery around the lake, which gave chinese poets a lot of inspiration.
At Chenghuang Pavilion you can have a bird's-eye view over Hangzhou and West Lake. You will have a break and enjoy a Southern Song Dynasty Snacks here. Then visit a workshop of making oil umbrella to learn about this traditional Chinese craftsmanship and paint your own umbrella.
Hotel options:
Haihua Hotel Hangzhou(Standard Room)
Sofitel Hangzhou Westlake (Deluxe Room)

Breakfast & Lunch
Drive to the place of origin of the best Dragon Well tea – Meijiawu Tea Village. A local tea specialist will welcome you with bamboo baskets, and accompany you to the tea plantation. Your first task will be to choose appropriate tea leaves and pick them in the right way. After tea-picking, the tea specialist will take you home and show you the process of stir-frying tea. This process dehydrates the leaves and helps preserve their beautiful green color. If you like, you can have a go—be careful, though, the huge iron pot is very hot (around 200℃). The tea specialist will show you the art of the tea ceremony, and introduce you to the proper way to taste tea.
fly to Guilin in the afternoon.
Hotel options:
Lijiang Waterfall Hotel
Shangri-La Hotel Guilin

Breakfast & Lunch
Your guide and driver are ready to escort you to the Longji Terraced Fields that are built into the hillsides, and look like great chains or ribbons as they wind round the contours in tiered bands. Beautiful when the sun reflects in the water of the paddy fields and glowing with yellow ears when the harvest is ripe, Longji (Dragon's Back) is a feast for the eyes.
The Chinese ethnic minorities, Zhuang people and Yao people live there for generations in wooden house. You will have a chance to interact with them and have a glimpse of their lifestyle.

Breakfast & Lunch
One Day Karst Scenery Tour
Enjoy the beautiful surroundings of karst mountains, bamboo groves, buffaloes bathing in the river during summer and the sound of children swimming along the river banks. The boat will pass the scenery that printed on the Chinese 20 Yuan bank note. The trip along the Li River is a must. You will have a Chinese buffet lunch on the boat. To ensure a better quality of food, we also prepare western lunch box for you which include sandwich, French Pastry, salad.
Arrive at Yangshuo at about 13:30, walk through the West Street, your guide help you check-in at hotel. Take a short break and start the cycling along the Yulong River.
Hotel options:
Yangshuo Mountain Retreat
Yangshuo Ancient Garden Boutique Hotel

Breakfast & Lunch
For this day, we arrange a Chinese cooking class, which lasts for about 3 hours. It begins with going to the local food market to buy materials and ingredients for your cooking class, and then cook 2 or 3 popular Chinese dishes with guidance of a tutor, and taste fruits of your labor in the end.
In the afternoon, transfer to Guilin airport to catch the flight to Xi'an.
Hotel options:
Somerset Xindicheng Xi'an
Wyndham Grand Xi'an South

Breakfast & Lunch
Today we will take you to see the famous Terracotta Warriors buried more than 2,200 years ago. A must visit while in Xi'an. You will get some information and listen to some interesting stories about this world wonder, which can not be googled. Then, you will visit a local workshop to learn how to make a terra-cotta warrior and make one for yourself.
After lunch, You will head back to the city. There you can walk on the Ancient City Wall, or if you prefer, we can rent a bike and cycle along the city wall for a good view of the city.

Breakfast & Lunch
Visit the Big Wild Goose Pagoda in the morning, one of China's most famous Buddhist pagodas built during the Tang Dynasty. Then visit the Muslim Quarter, walk around the many stalls and sample some of their local delicacies.
Catch HSR to Beijing in the afternoon.
Hotel options:
Penta Hotel Beijing
Crowne Plaza Beijing Chaoyang U-Town

Breakfast & Lunch
Start your tour with the Tian'an Men Square. Then walk in to the magnificient Fobidden City.
Usually people spend 2 hours in the Forbidden City and walk along the central axis which is the same with the crowds. To give a much better experience, China Highlights expert escort you in the emperors' house and show you some interesting places you would never find by yourself in the Forbidden City and guide you away from the noisy parts and crush of other tour groups.
The Temple of Heaven was the place that emperors went to worship heaven for good harvests. Nowadays It becomes an ideal place that local people do morning exercises, such as Tai Chi, playing shuttlecock, ball-room dance.

Breakfast & Lunch
Visit the Mutianyu Great Wall. This less-crowded section of the Great Wall is about 2.5 hours' drive from downtown Beijing. A cable-car takes you to a good section (avoiding a very steep climb), where you can walk along the wall, through the watch towers and enjoy superb views as it snakes across the hills and mountains. You can return by cable car, walk down or walk along the wall for about an hour to descend by chairlift or toboggan. Wear good walking shoes and protection from the weather.
Go back to city to visit the Summer Palace. Have a pleasant stroll at luxury garden of royal family. Different kinds of pavilions and long corridors give you full flavor of China.

Transfer directly to the Airport for your departure flight. Your guide will accompany you till the point of security check and wave goodbye.
Trip Notes
Extension based on the tour
Extend the tour:
- Yangtze River Cruise: add 4–5 days (Chongqing to Yichang or vice versa)
- Chengdu: usually add 2–4 days —visit a Panda research center, the Giant Buddha, Mt. Emei, Panda Keeper Program and Jiuzhaigou natural scenery. Choose your favorite.
- Hong Kong: add 2–3 days — visit Victoria Peak, Disneyland, and day tour Macau
Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Hong Kong are China's major entry cities.
Optional Activities
It must be clearly understood that enjoying these extras is your own decision. They are not included in the itinerary or tour price, so you will need to pay separately. The ticket price depends on seating. Ask your guide to book tickets if you want to see any of the following.
- Beijing — Legend of Kungfu Show
- Xi'an — Tang Dynasty Cultural Show plus Dumpling Banquet
- Yangshuo — Impression Third Sister Liu Night Show on the Li River (outdoor)
- Hangzhou —Impression the West Lake (outdoor)
- Shanghai — Chinese Acrobats Show
Price includes:
Start planning your tailor-made tour now. Your 1:1 travel consultant will reply within 1 working day.