Family Happiness
A journey to China is truly an adventure, bejeweled by this ancient oriental kingdom's history, cultures, lifestyles, and landscapes. We will help you spend quality time with your children, and help you all to discover more while experiencing China in a fun way. This 11-Day China Family Tour will let you have a time travel into the history and also plunge to the future. It includes exclusive and family-friendly activities and hotels.
The detailed itinerary below is just for inspiration. Every day can be and should be tailor-made, as your family vacation deserves to be unique. You can read our tips for tailor-making your tour to help you start, and talk to your 1-to-1 travel advisor to personalize your journey.
Suggested 11-Day Family Tour
| Day | Highlights |
|---|---|
| 1-4 Beijing |
Discover Beijing's imperial treasures, from the Forbidden City to the Great Wall, and savor local culture in the hutongs |
| 5-6 Xi'an |
Marvel at the Terracotta Army, bike the ancient city wall, and explore historical sites like the Big Wild Goose Pagoda |
| 7-9 Guilin & Yangshuo |
Experience Guilin's karst landscapes, cruise the Li River, and enjoy a farming experience in Yangshuo |
| 10-11 Shanghai |
Explore Shanghai's modern marvels, from Yu Garden to the Bund, and ascend the Shanghai Tower |
Beijing-Xi'an-Guilin-Shanghai Tour Map
Tour 'Wow' Points
Discover the Mythical Animals in the Forbidden City
Explore the Forbidden City in a way that's specially designed for families with kids.
Walk on the Great Wall and Slide Down from It
Visit a less-crowded Great Wall section at Mutianyu and try an exciting toboggan ride.
Be Like an Imperial-Era Chinese Child in the Hutongs
Learn Chinese calligraphy when you visit a local family living in a traditional hutong district. Play with a Chinese yo-yo made of wood or bamboo in the courtyard. Taste a popular snack loved by hutong children.
Practice a Family Morning Excercise in the Temple of Heaven
Feel the relaxing lifestyle of the local people and learn doing Tai Chi at the Temple of Heaven where the emperors prayed for good harvests.
Make Your Own Terracotta Warriors in A Local People's Cave Dwelling
Not only visit the Terracotta Warriors Horses Museum to see the life-sized Terracotta Army, but olso make a mini one by yourself.
Be Invited by a Local Chinese Family and Learn to Make Dumpling
Step into a local family's apartment. Have a glimpse of their life and make dumplings and enjoy a home-cooked meal together.
Bike around the Picturesque Countryside
Enjoy a bike ride to see the rice paddies and the peaceful village. How great these activity are to interact with the mountains and water.
Experience Farming and Making Snack with Local People
Rural life in China could be more interesting than what you might expect. Learning to make popular local dessert, helping local people pick vegetables, or ploughing a paddy could be a great travel memory.
Discover real reviews of Highlights Travel Family's best-rated service across trusted platforms.
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Amazing and Effortless Experience Overall!
China Highlights is totally legit and they planned our visit in Beijing perfectly, they were also great with being flexible to meet our unique needs and timelines, with multiple changes on the fly. Our guide in Beijing, William, was amazing as well! William was friendly, kind, thoughtful, funny, and also was great at keeping us on track timing-wise (as we didn’t make this particularly easy for him lol). Cannot recommend both China Highlights and William to anyone else looking to visit China for the first time! more
Jun 2025, jamesrkable
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A culture of hospitality and smiles
Beijing was prettier and far less crowded than anticipated. Colin aka Po Po, our guide, enhanced the experience with his knowledge and wicked sense of humour. He made every moment special for us.We spent about three days in Beijing and surrounds. China highlights offerings were high quality, including accomodation, car, driver, guide and selection of real local restaurants. Being vegetarian wasn’t an issue at all. Visiting historical quarter of Beijing along with Hutong walk and Confucius Beijing temple were unique experiences- which became more special with Colin’s interest in philosophy and wonderful global perspective. Despite language barriers- we were greeted by scores of locals with genuine smile and curiosity. We shall be back (hopefully with Colin) to explore this wonderful culture. more
Jun 2025, Inderjeet
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Beijing group tour
We had a group tour for our clients and William was our guide. He was knowledgeable, kind and flexible throughout the tour. Our clients loved the way he explained diverse topics. We would recommend him for our future groups too.Thank you William and God bless! more
Jun 2025, Prima Rodrigues
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Suggested Itinerary
Here is a suggested itinerary. We are happy to customize a tour according to your interests.
When you arrive in Beijing, your local tour guide, driver, and a well-maintained private van will be waiting for you.
Your guide will assist you with your luggage and help you to check in at your hotel for a worry-free start to your stay.
Hotel options:
Novotel Beijing Peace (4-star)
Crowne Plaza Beijing Chaoyang U-Town (5-star)
Proudly the largest world-famous square, Tian'anmen Square has witnessed numerous historical events and is also in front of the Forbidden City.
Walk northward from the square to enter the renowned Forbidden City. Besides the main palaces on the axis, you will also explore some places that are not on the touristy route and interest kids more. These include the library of the princes, the Archery Pavilion (the tools of the army gallery), and the Hall of Clocks and Watches. Play a game about the nine sons of the dragon and the auspicious beats in the Forbidden City.
In the afternoon, explore the hutongs - the narrow alleys between rows of quadrangle dwellings. Pay a visit to a local family who lives in a traditional and original quadrangle dwelling. There, you can try your hand at Chinese calligraphy. Learn to write the Chinese characters that mean 'family' or 'good luck'.
Tips to Tailor-Make Your Tour
If you are traveling in summer (June to October), the Water Cube Water Park has many water slides and is highly recommended for water-loving kids.
Explore the Forbidden CityHow long is the Great Wall? If only we got a nickel for every time we were asked this question… Once you step on this man-made wonder, a sense of wonder eclipses the statistics.
After a Tai Chi class and a visit to the Temple of Heaven and lunch, your day will be dedicated to the Great Wall. The Mutianyu section is an all-time favorite because of its close distance to Beijing, top ranking on TripAdvisor, and easy accessibility. Usually, we recommend families to take a chair lift up and take a toboggan back down so the children can have more fun, but we can also arrange a round-trip cable car depending on your preferences.
Tips to Tailor-Make Your Tour
For a unique experience, a visit to Simatai, the only Great Wall section that's lit up and open at night, is highly recommended.
If your family love hiking, we can arrange a 2-hour, 4-hour, or even multi-day wild Great Wall hiking experience for you.
The Great WallThe Summer Palace, as indicated by its name, provided the royal court with cool surroundings thanks to its lush gardens, beautiful pavilions and theaters, and a big lake for boat trips. Make this morning a leisurely outing before you leave for Xi'an.
It is 1,075 kilometers (668 miles) between Beijing and Xi'an and a bullet train journey cuts the commute from 15 hours down to 6 hours. Get on and enjoy the speedy yet steady journey. A private car and friendly guide will escort you to your hotel in Xi'an.
Hotel options:
West Capital International Hotel (4-star)
Wyndham Grand Xi'an South (5-star)
The High-speed TrainCharged up for the day, you will kick start it with a biking experience on the ancient city wall in Xi'an. This aged and renovated defense project surrounded Xi'an during its days as ancient China's capital for several centuries.
Drive out of town to the massive site of the Terracotta Army. Most of emperors throughout history devoted their lives and money in pursuit of eternal life — Emperor Qin Shi Huang was no exception. As his funeral objects, this grand array of life-size horses, chariots, cavalries, infantries, and weapons displays the tip of the iceberg of his ambition for immortal life and power.
Did you know that all the terracotta warriors were originally colored? The old paint has faded with time yet the craftsmanship still shines. You will try to make your own terracotta warrior inside a traditional cave dwelling.
The Terra Cotta WarriorsPay a visit to the starting point of the Silk Road: the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. Then visit Xi'an History Museum to appreciate thousands of cultural relics and learn about the splendid history of Xi'an and its important role in Chinese history.
Fly southbound to Guilin. Transfer to your hotel and rest in the afternoon.
Hotel options:
Lijiang Waterfall Hotel (4-star)
Shangri-La Guilin (5-star)
The Big Goose PagodaNo matter whether you are a geology fan or not, you are still bound to be amazed by Guilin's spectacular karst features as you step into Reed Flute Cave. Although lights were only added to this site some decades ago, a fascinating fact is that it has been Guilin's most-visited attraction for over 1,200 years.
Pull yourself back to reality and, after lunch, learn the art of embellishing a Chinese landscape painting with pebbles from the Li River. Then you will visit the ancient town of Daxu. Daxu used to be the primary port back in the glorious days when Guilin was Guangxi's provincial capital. Those days are long gone yet Uncle Chow might still have some interesting stories to tell you.
Tips to Tailor-Make Your Tour
If your family is interested in learning Chinese, we can arrange a 1 to 2-hour private session for you to catch up with some of the daily expressions.
Chinese brush painting is also a good option when considering how to spend your afternoon.
Chinese landscape painting with Li River pebblesThe beautiful Li River has inspired many poets and artists. We have arranged a 4-hour cruise trip for you to discover the source of their inspiration. You will reach Yangshuo in the early afternoon.
After checking in at your hotel, meet a local family in Gaotian village who are busy with their farm work and could use your help. Planting, ploughing, sowing, harvesting, or milling — roll up your sleeves for some experiences that your children might never learn at school. Return to your hotel and kick back by the swimming pool.
Tips to Tailor-Make Your Tour
Don't want to get your hands dirty? We have other options for you: Chinese calligraphy, painting, a cooking class, a tai chi lesson, or rock climbing.
Hotel options:
Yangshuo Mountain Retreat (4-star)
Yangshuo Ancient Garden Boutique Hotel (5-star)
Farming ExperienceYangshuo is the place that finally slows you down. Escape from the cities and be with your family in beautiful surroundings. Peddle through lush fields, humble villages, and bustling local markets — a cycling trip creates precious family moments.
You will be taken back to Guilin for your flight to Shanghai. Transfer to your hotel and rest for the day.
Tips to Tailor-Make Your Tour
The cycling distance is about 10 to 15 kilometers (7 to 10 miles) and takes 1 to 2 hours. It's suitable for almost all ages and levels of physical fitness.
For families with younger children (up to 10 years old), you may choose between bikes, an electric buggy, or electric bikes, which look like a motor scooter, but are much more environmentally friendly and are only seen in Asia!
Hotel options:
Sunrise On The Bund (4-star)
Les Suites Orient, Bund Shanghai (5-star)
Biking in the countrysideVisit a classic Chinese garden, the Yu Garden, to appreciate the traditional beauty of Chinese architecture. Walk along the Bund and listen to the stories behind the famous buildings with colonial style. Get to the top floor of the Shanghai Tower to see China's future.
Half-Day Customized Icing-on-the-Cake Experience
After traveling in China for around 10 days, you might want to do something different at the end of your tour. Do you want to have some relaxation time? Do you have any unfulfilled trip wishes? In the magic city of Shanghai, your private guide will make your wishes come true!
Whether you want to relax, experience fashion, appreciate art, explore folk customs, or shop; from having fun in fancy bar to exploring an art center, trying nail beauty, testing your popularity in the marriage market, or just buying some lovely gifts, we will make it happen. Just tell us what you're interested in.
If you don't know what you want, just let your guide make the arrangements. You will not be disappointed!
The BundAfter we have escorted you to the airport, you will wave goodbye to China.
Thanks for allowing us to create such a wonderful journey and we hope to see you again soon!
Trip Notes
Every element of the tour above can be tailored. Feel free to tell us your ideas and we will be happy to make adjustments for you.
Extend the tour:
- Luoyang: Add 2–3 days for a Chinese kung fu experience.
- Chengdu: Add 2–3 days to join a panda keeper program to feed a panda and have your photo taken next to a panda.
- Hong Kong: Add 2–3 days for Victoria Peak, Hong Kong Disneyland, and a day-tour of Macau.
- Free days: Yangshuo and Shanghai are popular destinations to add one or more free days to explore on your own.
- More destinations: Visit Zhangjiajie for its glass bridge, Suzhou for its water towns, and go on a Yangtze River cruise. Inform us of your interests and we will offer you some recommendations.
2. Accommodation
Various types of accommodation are available, including famous 5-star hotel chains, 4-star hotels in the best locations, good value 3-star hotels, or boutique hotels that reflect the style of the region.
Whatever your accommodation preferences are, our travel experts will seek out and find the perfect one for you.
Most hotels in China allow a maximum of three people in one room. If there are more than three people in your group, we will check if there is a family room available or do our best to arrange interconnecting or adjoining rooms.
3. Transportation
China is a huge country so, to make your travel experience more efficient, we usually arrange flights to connect your destinations.
China's high-speed rail network is a fast-paced way to travel. We recommend taking high-speed trains for journeys of less than 6 hours to interested customers — please tell us if you are one of them.
4. Car Seats, Strollers, and Cribs
To maximize the safety of your children, we can arrange for car seats and baby strollers to be provided at your request during the private transfers in big cities.
For infants under 2 years old, we will inform your hotel to arrange a crib for you. No extra cost is needed.
The number of car seats, strollers, and cribs are limited. Please inquire and confirm early to reserve them.
5. Meals
Lunches at popular local restaurants are included for you so you can taste authentic Chinese food. Your guide will assist you with ordering the dishes.
Most families enjoy eating local Chinese food as there is plenty of variety and different flavors. Some children may prefer Western food or have some special requirements for meals.
Western, vegetarian, halal, kosher, Indian, gluten-free… — all dietary requirements can be catered for by our experienced private guides. Let us know if you have any of these dietary requirements during your booking.
Tour Price
Price includes: