China Tour and Kungfu Experience
11-Day Beijing, Xian, Luoyang, Dengfeng, Zhengzhou and Shanghai Tour
China is the birthplace of Shaolin Kungfu, and on this tour you are taken to the very mountain where the monks still practice their art. You will see the great cities of Beijing, Xian and Shanghai and their famous sights as well as the quiet waters of Luoyang.
Suggested Itinerary
Your vacation couldn't have a better start than your own guide and driver meeting you at the airport and take you to your hotel.
We take you to the less visited section of the Great Wall, Mutianyu, which is a less touristy part. A cable car takes you up to make sure you make the most of trekking where the views are best over the watchtowers in the distance. An option for coming down is the toboggan run, although sometimes it is so popular that the waiting time cab be too long.
The Temple of Heaven has a collection of buildings used by the Emperor once a year to make a sacrifice for good harvest. The structures form a line on a South to North axis, which was considered very lucky. The surrounding park has become the place where locals come to exercise and practice their hobbies, be it singing, kungfu or flying a kite.
In the evening your guide will take you to experience that famous delicacy of Beijing: Roast Peking Duck.
Tiananmen Square is a symbol of China's national pride, where a flag raise each morning gathers asizablecrowd; at times you have to arrive by 4am for the 7am event. Our day startslater than that, visiting Tiananmen Square, from which you can see Chairman Mao's mausoleum and National Museum as well as the Great Hall of the People, each standing imposingly around the square.
Directly from the square you will access the Forbidden City or Palace Museum as it is now also called. The size makes it more of a small town instead of a palace; one visit is never enough to see everything. Many buildings have been renovated, and even more wings opened to the public. The architecture is steeped in symbolism; your guide will tell you more.
Hutongs are an essential part of Beijing life, and the best way to tour the winding alleyways is by a rickshaw. Your guide will also take you to meet a local family, who has for generations lived in the same house. Afterwards you can walk along the charming Silver Ingot Bridge and find out all the information you can get just from a closed gate to a hutong dwelling.
The area is near some great shopping streets, so you may wish to stay there on your own, just tell your guide.
Good to Know
There is a famous acrobatic Kongfu show in Beijing, ask for more details.
There is perhaps no better way to explore Yangshuo's countryside, than by bike or eCart. After experiencing the bustle of local traffic you will soon be in Yangshuo's rural countryside roads and lanes. It is not only the scenery that captivates but people and culture all around you.
This morning is dedicated to visiting the Summer Palace, a haven of the emperors and now a popular place for locals to relax. The extensive gardens and the lake are just as much part of the allure as are the pavilions and towers; make sure you spend some time meandering among the willows.
On the way back to the hotel a stop at the Olympic Park area allows you to see up close the impressive Bird's Nest and Water Cube, although time does not allow for an internal visit. After lunch you are taken to your hotel to prepare for your flight to Xi'an. Your guide will take you to take care of everything.
One of the most memorable experiences in China is to see the Terracotta Army. Still standing in place of their original discovery, standing firm after over 2000 years underground. Discoveries are still made; some new soldiers which still show the painted effects have recently been put on display. Don't miss the film about the discovery process.
The elegant Big Wild Goose Pagoda is a landmark in Xi'an, and stands on the grounds of Da Cien Temple, located in a large garden.
Good to Know:
Qujiangchi Park near the pagoda is a great place for a stroll after dinner; the buildings around the lake are lit charmingly.
Shaanxi History Museum has beautiful displays which tell the story of Chinese history, as this is where the center of events was in ancient times. Your guide will help you get the most out of the experience, as many of the guide boards are not in English.
The ancient city wall of Xi'an is a wonderful place to get some fresh air and see the city from a vantage point. It is one of the best preserved city fortifications in the world, and so level on top that you can rent a bike and cycle the whole 14km circuit.
After lunch you take a short train ride to Luoyang, where you will be met at the station and taken to your hotel.
Luoyang Grottoes have more than 100 000 carvings and statues of Buddha, all carved along a river bank, a truly magnificent art display in a natural environment.
White Horse Temple on the other side of Luoyang is considered to be the cradle of Buddhism in China; many renowned monks from abroad have visited in times past to gain wisdom and knowledge.
Your guide and driver will take you to Dengfeng, and the place all Kungfu aficionados know: Shaolin. Even the name sounds mysterious and legendary. Wushu martial arts were developed here by the Shaolin monks, and they display their skills in a fantastic show.
The Pagoda Forest on the foot of the Shaoshi Mountain consists of over 200 brick pagodas, all built in memory of a particular Kungfu master.
You will spend the night in Shaolin, and enjoy the vegetarian delights in the Yongtai Nunnery canteen.
The morning is spent in transfers from Dengfeng to Shanghai, and at lunch time you will arrive in Shanghai, and enjoy the culinary delights in true Shanghai style.
The past and present of Shanghai contrast in the afternoon: you will stroll on the Bund, said to be an architectural museum of European buildings, and explore the Nanjing Road, which is a gleaming new shopping paradise.
Shanghai Museum is by far the biggest, and very possibly the best museum in China. Well laid out exhibitions are further clarified by an excellent audio guide.
Yuyuan Garden is a peaceful oasis in the middle of the busy city, and a wonderful example of ancient garden design. From it you emerge on a busy Yuyuan Market area, where you can buy those all important little mementoes and souvenirs.
The Shanghai World Financial Center has a thrilling observation deck: the floor is made of glass, and at 474 m (1,555ft) it is quite vertigo inducing.
Price includes:
China Highlights, Asia Highlights, and Global Highlights collaborate to provide families and couples with personalized and stress-free experiences in diverse destinations.
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Magical Adventure
Wow this tour was honestly the best tourI have ever taken! Our guide Simon Yao was simply superb! His English was excellent and he was very easy to talk to. He was personable and friendly but not overpowering or overbearing. Very knowledgeable about history. Thankfully the weather was good so we were not super hot !Finally at the wall we were amazed by it's beauty and grandeur. It really is something and pictures don't do it justice. more
Nov 2023,
Annika M
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Excellent two day visit to Great Wall
Our guide ‘Mark’ was incredible. So friendly, knowledgable and funny. The itinerary was perfect, we got to see two different parts of the Great Wall (one of which at night which was magical) and our hotel stay in Gubei was wonderful. Highly recommend to anybody visiting Beijing more
Nov 2023,
James_Wolstenholme
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Great day out with Mark, thanks China Highlights!
We did a 1 day private tour with China Highlights to see Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, and the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall. Communication was great throughout - from trip planning/booking with Roger and from our guide Mark who contacted us the day before to confirm meet up time/location. Avoided a lot of the queues and definitely learned quite a bit of history from our guide Mark…thanks again! No language barriers/issues…highly recommended. more
Nov 2023,
ykeezy
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China Three (3) Cities Tours
To the tour guides, Ethan, Jason and Tony, you guys have made my visit an awesome and memorable experience. All the tour guides spoke english and communicated very effectively. They are knowledgeable about all the sites visited including, Great Wall of China, The Forbidden City, Panda Breeding and Research Center, Leshan Giant Buddha, Hallelujah Mountains, Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon and Glass Bridge, and Tianmen Mountain. The tour guides ensured I got the most out of my time I stayed in the various cities Beijing, Chengdu and Zhangjiajie. more
Nov 2023,
Kadar
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13 days in China
We booked a 13 day’s tour of China with China Highlights. Our travel advisor, Ms Leah Zhou organised an itinerary that suited what we wanted. She was really helpful and patient will all our needs. Leah helped us organised our 30th Wedding Anniversary Dinner and my 60th Birthday celebration?? in Beijing. For this to be possible, she had to liaise with our guide in Beijing. The flowers and cake were a real surprise. My husband and I, were really touched at the good service provided by China Highlights and Ms Leah Zhou. Thank you China Highlights and Ms Leah Zhou for your constant care of your customers. I will certainly recommend China Highlights to my friends. more
Nov 2023,
Eda Adams
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Perfect Beijing experience
Covering all major sights our exploration of Beijing and surroundings was flawless guided by Lily, along with her knowledgeable and balanced information on Chinas culture and history. In particular, Lily was able to adjust the tour according to personal preferences, e.g. focus on photography, as well as suggesting additional activities like an impressive authentic artistic show. I highly recommend China Highlights as China tour operator and Lily Liu as excellent guide regarding the Beijing area. more
Nov 2023,
Perfect Beijing experience
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Anne and Bob’s tour of Beijing
We did the China Highlights tour of Beijing with our excellent guide Mark and his driver. We thoroughly enjoyed seeing the Beijing highlights including the Lama Temple, the Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City and the Lama Temple. The Summer Palace with the boat ride and the Garden of Virtue and Harmony were memorable also and the Mutianyu Great Wall was a highlight. We were impressed with Mark as a guide. He knew his history and he was kind and thoughtful. He took us to some excellent restaurants and we were introduced to some beautiful food. We enjoyed his company and will always remember him. more
Nov 2023,
BendigoBob
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Amazing Beijing Tour with Risa!
Risa gave us a wonderful tour of the city! She thoroughly explained the cultuaral importance of each exhibit while also educating us on the Chinese culture. Appreciated having this wonderful Beijing trip with Risa:) more
Nov 2023,
Angelica M.
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Amazing Beijing Tour With Risa!
We were very kindly received in Beijing by our tour guide Risa. She gave us a very thorough tour of the city and showed us wonderful places, while also explaining the important history/culture of China! Very beautiful city filled with many things to do and full of culture! This was very well planned and made it very easy for us to visit the city and foreigners:) Thank you Risa! more
Nov 2023,
Angelica M
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Do Beijing like a local
They organised my trip very quickly and efficiently. On the day, Anna was very friendly to me, my mum and my baby. Very accommodating to our needs. The car was immaculately clean and very comfortable. We visited everything we initially wanted and more. Also, Anna took us to the best meal we had in China. It makes a difference to have a local choosing the dishes! more
Nov 2023,
Natali A
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Must-see Beijing sights in two days
Going on the guided tour gave me the opportunity to visit the main 'must-see' Beijing attractions in two days' time. Although I prefer to travel on my own, it simply would not have been possible for me to arrange tickets and figure out logistics to the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace and Great Wall with such a compressed schedule and short notice. My guide, Lucy, was very knowledgeable about Chinese history and cheerfully accompanied me through two grueling days. Traffic in and around Beijing is bad, and the sights are notnin walking distance from one another. Our driver, Li Li Mon, patiently fought the traffic allowing me to snooze in between the long more
Nov 2023,
Marcis J
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China Highlights - Great Wall Mutianyu
I arranged a private tour with China Highlights to see the Great Wall, as I had a few hours to spare near Beijing. I was promptly collected, taken to the wall via comfortable car and escorted all the way by my allocated tour guide Jack. The day was highly memorable and thoroughly enjoyable, we walked 20 watchtowers across the Wall and then took the luge back down. The knowledge and history of the Great Wall was shared and Jack’s English was great. Fantastic day, thanks for your great hospitality, Jack! more
Nov 2023,
Daniel White
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Great Day in China!
The experience was great! Amazing learning about history and culture.Thanks for everything Lucy! more
Nov 2023,
Evandro S
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Unforgetable experience
It was the best experience foi my whole life. Thanks a thousand to Lucy for all her assistente and knowledge regarding China. If you are planing to know China as native perspective do not think twice Luci is the best. more
Nov 2023,
Evandro F
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Amazing experience in Beijing
Spent 3 days in Beijing under China Highlights! Our tour guide Jennifer spoke excellent English and was very knowledgeable in Chinese history. Not only was she friendly, she was always on hand to help me with my heavy luggage. She also recommended us very good chinese restaurants for lunch and dinner. She went beyond her call of duties to make sure we had a enjoyable time in Beijing. China highlights also surprised me with a birthday cake on my birthday. Kimi Huang who was my consultant was ever ready to answer all my queries promptly. Thank you for making our trip a memorable one. more
Nov 2023,
Delltravellor
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Great Experience on Beijing Day Visit with tour guide Lucy Yubo
She took me on a side excursion to see the next door park where locals exercise and she took me yo some shops also to get hat and gloves for the cold. Our last stop was 978 Art Center which was super interesting. My day was relaxing, fun, and very special as I feel I learned something much about both China’s past and present. I highly recommend booking a tour to see Beijing in this way. more
Nov 2023,
Nancy H
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Memorable Beijing & Gubei with China Highlights
Jack as the tour guide is a good story teller. He is inquisitive. He knows when to leave us alone exploring the sights and pick out interest again with the historical facts and stories.Then, we explored Jinshanling that provides a balanced view between reconstructed and ruined walls. Finally, we explored the Forbidden City and The Summer Palace. In between, we enjoyed authentic Chinese cuisines which were delicious. more
Nov 2023,
Dian W
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Beijing 2 day tour
Spent 2 days in Beijing with Ethan as my guide and had a fantastic experience. Ethan is very knowledgeable, easy company and takes excellent photographs. The organisation was excellent as well including the driver for the tour as well the airport pick up. more
Nov 2023,
Tam
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My very first trip to Beijing
My guide Jack was excellent- very knowledgeable, organised, kind, helpful, and great English speaker. So I learned a lot about the fascinating history of China while enjoying breathtaking sceneries and monuments. more
Nov 2023,
Amanda Barbosa
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Thank you Mark and China Highlights for an amazing trip!!
Mark was the first sight that we had after getting off the plane and what a beautiful site he was! We felt very safe having him as our first tour guide! We sure appreciate having him guide us through Beijing wouldn’t replace him with anyone!! Thanks Mark for all of your hard work and preparation! more
Nov 2023,
adyn h
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