This 14-day natural wonders discovery tour covers the most important historical destinations and extraordinary scenery destinations in China. Discovery with fun. The advantage with comfort!
The itinerary below is only one possibility. Tips to tailor-make your trip are offered as inspiration. Send us details of your preferences and our travel experts will customize this trip to suit your interests, tastes, and budget.
Suggested 14-Day Itinerary
| Day | Highlights |
|---|---|
| 1-4 Beijing |
Explore imperial landmarks, hike the Great Wall, and immerse in local culture |
| 5-6 Xi'an |
Admire the Terracotta Army and explore ancient city heritage |
| 7-9 Zhangjiajie |
Discover stunning natural landscapes and thrilling glass walkways |
| 10-12 Guilin & Yangshuo |
Enjoy a scenic river cruise and explore picturesque countryside |
| 13-14 Shanghai |
Experience the historic Bund and modern skyline |
Beijing-Xi'an-Zhangjiajie-Shanghai Tour Map
Tour 'Wow' Points
Discover the Hidden Halls in the Forbidden City.
While most tour groups only visit the six halls on the central axis, your private guide will take you to the hidden halls for a deeper understanding of the history and dodge the crowds.
Walk on a Delicate Mixture of the Restored and Wild Great Wall
Witness both the wild section and the restored section of the Great Wall to experience the sencse of history and its original glory in the heyday of imperial China.
Meet the Terracotta Army and Make Your Own Terracotta Warriors
Unveil some secrets of the Terracotta Army. See the life-size warriors at the site, get to know how ancient craftsmen made them. Visit a traditional cave dwelling and learn how to make warriors.
Witness the Closest Things on Earth to the Hallelujah Mountains
Marvel at the sandstone peaks which are said to be the inspiration for Avatar's Hallelujah Mountain.
Walk on the World's Longest and Highest glass-floored bridge
Challenge yourself on the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Glass Bridge. Let your heart race with this adrenaline pumping Activity.
Go Cycling in the Most Beautiful Countryside of China.
Experience the picturesque rural China with the rice paddies and the limestone hills. Learn about the daily life of the local farmers.
Enjoy a Half-Day Customized Icing-on-the-Cake Experience in Shanghai.
Whether you want to relax, experience fashion, appreciate art, explore folk customs, or shop; from having fun in a 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.
Discover real reviews of Highlights Travel Family's best-rated service across trusted platforms.
|
|
Beauty of Beijing
Colin (our tour guide) and Xia (our driver) were excellent! Colin took us to the places where it is not as crowded, took us to ecellent restaurants. He is also very knowledgeable with the history. Xia made sure our drive is smooth and dropped us off as close as possible to the areas to limit walking. A great team! Will request for them in the future when we come back. God bless! more
Mar 2025, Len
|
My Family loved China Travel for Beijing.
My family and I really enjoyed the service and itinerary in Beijing with Tom from China Travel. Absolutely above and beyond our expectations and we highly recommend booking with them. ? more
Mar 2025, Brian
|
Beijing March 2025 with Jiang
I had an incredible experience touring Beijing with our guide, Jiang! His deep knowledge of the city's culture and history truly enriched our visit. Jiang’s enthusiasm for sharing fascinating stories and insights made every stop memorable. What impressed me most was his willingness to adapt to changes throughout the tour. Whether it was adjusting our schedule or accommodating special requests, Jiang handled everything with a positive attitude and remarkable patience. He consistently went the extra mile to ensure we were not only having fun but also safe. His friendly demeanor made it easy to connect and enjoy our time together. Additionally, his restaurant recommendations were spot-on—each meal was a delicious adventure that showcased the best of local cuisine. If we return to Beijing in the future, we will definitely seek out Jiang again! more
Mar 2025, Yinkhang
|
Itinerary Quick Look
Here is a suggested itinerary. We are happy to customize a tour according to your interests and schedule.
When your flight has landed, your tour guide will be waiting for you in the arrivals hall of the airport. He/she will greet you with a smile and a nameplate. You will be transferred to your hotel by a private van and driver.
Hotel options:
Penta Hotel Beijing (4-star)
Crowne Plaza Beijing Chaoyang U-Town (5-star)
breakfast and lunch
Start your journey at the Temple of Heaven, which was the place where emperors prayed for a good harvest. Interact with the locals and join them to experience their healthy lifestyle. Lunch is served in a popular local restaurant with authentic local food.
Walk through Tian'anmen Square to explore the mysterious Forbidden City in the afternoon. While most tour groups only visit the six halls on the central axis, your private guide will take you to go deeper into the hidden halls for a fuller understanding of the history and to avoid the tour groups.
Tips to Tailor-Make Your Tour
Do you want to discover more about the lifestyle of Beijingers? Take a rickshaw tour through the hutongs, make dumplings in a local family's home, or experience a local market — let us know what you would like to do on the form to the right.
The hidden hall of the Forbidden Citybreakfast and lunch
Freshen up in the morning and get ready for a 5-kilometer hike along the most recommended hiking route: from Jinshanling to Simatai West.
This section has breathtaking views and offers stunning photo opportunities in different seasons. There are over 15 watchtowers in various styles and in good condition. As this section is half restored, you can see the unrepaired ancient watchtowers and broken sections as well as the restored section of the wall during the hike.
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 you prefer just to take a relaxing walk along the Great Wall, we can arrange a visit to the Mutianyu section with a round-trip cable car for you.
The Jinshanling Great Wallbreakfast & lunch
Walk around the tranquil Summer Palace at a leisurely pace, and enjoy the 300-year-old royal garden. Take a pleasant boat ride on the lake and have a stroll in the long corridors to view the exquisite paintings on the ceilings.
Enjoy lunch and race towards Xi'an on a high-speed train, which is a good way to experience the technological development of China.
Hotel options:
Grand Noble Hotel Xi'an (4-star)
Wyndham Grand Xi'an South (5-star)
The High-speed Train CRHbreakfast & lunch
Visit the Terracotta Army and admire the vividness of the warriors and listen to their stories spanning over 2,000 years.
Then discover a local craftsman's cave dwelling and learn how to make clay warriors with your own hands.
After lunch, return to the city area and visit the 600-year-old ancient city wall. Cycling along the wall provides a good view of the city. You may also walk or take a golf cart on it.
Tips to Tailor-Make Your Tour
Xi'an is a good destination for tasting Chinese dumplings. If you are a food lover, we can arrange a local family visit to learn how to make dumplings, or we can arrange for you to enjoy a dumpling banquet.
The Terracotta Armybreakfast & lunch
Discover more ancient history at Xi'an History Museum and Little Wild Goose Pagoda, then head to the Muslim Quarter and wander through the alleys to taste the local Muslim cuisine.
Transfer to the airport for your evening flight to Zhangjiajie.
Hotel options:
Pullman Zhangjiajie (5-star)
The Big Wild Goose Pagodabreakfast & lunch
Zhangjiajie National Forest Park is located in Wulingyuan Scenic Area, and Tianzi Mountain and Yuanjiajie are the most classic sights.
Take the cable car up Tianzi Mountain and look through the glass walkway to see spiky sandstone peaks below your feet.
After a simple lunch on the mountain, visit Yuanjiajie Scenic Area, which was the inspiration for the Hallelujah Mountains in Avatar.
Tips to Tailor-Make Your Tour
To save some energy, you can descend Tianzi Mountain by taking the cable car or taking the Bailong Elevator, a glass elevator built on the side of a cliff, which only takes 2 minutes. If you are interested in either of these, just let us know.
The Hallelujah Mountainsbreakfast and lunch
Take the world's longest cable car to the top of Tianmen Mountain. During the tour, you will enjoy the unique natural scenery of spiky peaks. Feel your heart beat when you walk across the glass walkway and are then driven down the curvy mountain road known as the 99 Bends.
Continue to visit Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon and walk on the world's longest and highest glass-bottomed bridge. Walking along this glass bridge at 300 meters above ground level will be one of the coolest experiences of your tour.
The Glasswalk in Zhangjiajiebreakfast and lunch
Bullet train from Zhangjiajie to Changsha Railway Station. Take a taxi to Changsha South Railway Station to take a bullet train. After 3½ hours, your tour guide in Guilin will be ready to meet you.
Hotel options:
Lijiang Waterfall Hotel (4-star)
Shangri-La Hotel, Guilin (5-star)
breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Be amazed by Guilin's two landmarks in the city, Reed Flute Cave and Elephant Trunk Hill.
Appreciate the natural limestone cave with multicolored lighting. And then take a picture at Elephant Trunk Hill, the symbol of Guilin.
After lunch, travel back in time when visiting Daxu Old Town, where lots of craftsmen and businessmen used to live. Let's knock on the local people's doors and discover their lasting stories.
The Daxu Old Townbreakfast and lunch
Karst hills, graceful bamboo groves, and cormorants — the stunning view of the Li River is the essence of Guilin. While most tour groups only use a 3-star cruise, we will arrange a 4-star cruise (the highest level with better facilities and a buffet lunch) to ensure you have the best experience of the river's charm.
The cruise arrives in Yangshuo at noon. After you've checked in, you can enjoy your free time to explore the beautiful area near the hotel.
Tips to Tailor-Make Your Tour
If you prefer to enrich your day, Yangshuo provides various activities: a cooking class, a tai chi lesson, a farming experience, and even rock climbing.
Tell us what you want to try in the form on the right, so that we can include it for you.
Hotel options:
Yangshuo Mountain Retreat (4-star)
Yangshuo Ancient Garden Boutique Hotel (5-star)
The Li River Cruisebreakfast
Explore the beautiful countryside along the Yulong River.
Choose whichever type of transport you prefer, whether it's a private car, bicycle, or moped. This is a good opportunity to meet the local people and interact with them. Enjoy a peaceful and memorable morning before flying to Shanghai.
Hotel options:
Sunrise On The Bund (4-star)
Les Suites Orient, Bund Shanghai (5-star)
The Li River Cruisebreakfast
Do more than just take one or two selfies on the Bund. Travel back in time to the golden age of the Bund in the 1920s during our In-Depth Bund Culture Discovery Tour.
Go into some of the old Bund buildings and listen to their stories.
Enjoy lunch and ascend the tallest building in China (the highest outside of Dubai) — Shanghai Tower. There, you will not only enjoy a panoramic view of Shanghai but will also see the development of China.
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 Buildings on the Bundbreakfast
Your tour guide, driver, and van will pick you up from your hotel for your airport transfer and flight. Your guide will accompany and assist you as far as the security check and will then wave goodbye.
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.
1. Extend the Tour
- Chengdu: add 2-3 days — giant pandas, Leshan Buddha and delicious food
- Suzhou and/or Hangzhou: add 1–4 days — water towns, gardens, the Grand Canal, and West Lake
- More destinations: Huangshan, Yunnan and Tibet. 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.
3. Transportation
China is a huge country, so to make your travel experience more efficient, we usually arrange flights to connect to 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. 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.
Vegetarian, halal, kosher, Indian, or gluten-free — all your dietary requirements can be taken care of by our experienced private guides. Let us know if you have any of these dietary requirements during your booking.
Tour Price
Price includes:
- Private air-conditioned business car with big windows and ample space
- English speaking local guide
- Activities, hotels, and meals listed in the itinerary
- 24/7 helpline for while you are traveling
Discover real reviews of Highlights Travel Family's best-rated service across trusted platforms.
|
|
Beauty of Beijing
Colin (our tour guide) and Xia (our driver) were excellent! Colin took us to the places where it is not as crowded, took us to ecellent restaurants. He is also very knowledgeable with the history. Xia made sure our drive is smooth and dropped us off as close as possible to the areas to limit walking. A great team! Will request for them in the future when we come back. God bless! more
Mar 2025, Len
|
My Family loved China Travel for Beijing.
My family and I really enjoyed the service and itinerary in Beijing with Tom from China Travel. Absolutely above and beyond our expectations and we highly recommend booking with them. ? more
Mar 2025, Brian
|
Beijing March 2025 with Jiang
I had an incredible experience touring Beijing with our guide, Jiang! His deep knowledge of the city's culture and history truly enriched our visit. Jiang’s enthusiasm for sharing fascinating stories and insights made every stop memorable. What impressed me most was his willingness to adapt to changes throughout the tour. Whether it was adjusting our schedule or accommodating special requests, Jiang handled everything with a positive attitude and remarkable patience. He consistently went the extra mile to ensure we were not only having fun but also safe. His friendly demeanor made it easy to connect and enjoy our time together. Additionally, his restaurant recommendations were spot-on—each meal was a delicious adventure that showcased the best of local cuisine. If we return to Beijing in the future, we will definitely seek out Jiang again! more
Mar 2025, Yinkhang
|