China Culture Relics Classic Tour
9-Day Beijing, Datong, Pingyao and Xi'an Tour
This tour include the most important historical sites in China- Great Wall, Yungang Grottoes, Pingyao Ancient Twon and Terra-Cotta Warriors. Connected by flight/bullet train, enjoy this culture relics tour by the most efficient way.
Highlights
- Experience the most authentic ancient parts of China — the Great Wall, the Terracotta Warriors, and Pingyao Ancient Town.
- Walk into one of the "world's top ten most odd and dangerous buildings" — the Hanging Temple, which was built 1,500 years ago and is hanging on a cliff.
- Explore one of the biggest ancient grottoes in China — the Yungang Grottoes — a real art treasury for Buddhism.
- Roam in Pingyao Ancient Town and enjoy the age-old charms of China as it was in the Middle Ages.




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
Your private tour guide will be waiting for you at the airport. You will have a comfortable private vehicle (non-smoking) with an experienced driver. The guide will help you to check-in at your hotel.
You will visit the royal palace that was once home to 24 emperors and see the traditional residential area of the local people. First, go to the world's biggest square, Tian'anmen Square, and then visit the Forbidden City; climb to Jingshan Park (Coal Hill) to have a bird's-eye view of the Forbidden City; have a rickshaw ride in the hutongs, and visit a local family.
You will have lunch in the hutong area and taste the most authentic local food.
Good to know:
Things to do in the evening include acrobatic shows, a kung fu show, and a Beijing opera show.

The Temple of Heaven was the place for emperors to pray for a good harvest, and now is it also a place for the locals to take their morning exercise. Visit the Temple of Heaven in the morning and join in with the tai chi if you want to.
Among the three sections of the Great Wall near Beijing, the Great Wall at Mutianyu is less crowded and most suitable for walking. A round-trip cable car has been arranged so that you can put your energy into walking through the watchtowers and taking photos of the superb scenery.
Lunch is in a garden-style restaurant near the Great Wall.
Good to know:
A Peking duck dinner will be a great reward for conquering the Great Wall. The Quanjude Roast Duck Restaurant is the most famous restaurant for Peking duck; it was founded in 1864 and now has many branches in Beijing.

Built in 1750, the Summer Palace was the royal garden. Although it was destroyed several times during periods of war, you can still see its magnificence from what remains of it. The visit includes the Garden of Virtue and Harmony, which was the garden that emperors used to enjoy shows in. This garden has several sections that have different functions.
Buddhism is the main religion in China, and the Lama Temple was the top Buddhist temple during the late Qing Dynasty (1644–1911).
Lunch will be arranged in a local restaurant near the Summer Palace.
In the late afternoon, you will be driven to the airport in order to fly to Datong.

The formation of the Yungang Grottoesbegan in the year 460, and there are now 45 grottoes housing over 51,000 Buddhist statues. It is one of the biggest ancient grottoes in China and a real art treasury for Buddhism. A golf cart will be available so that you do not need to walk the long distances between the grottoes, and will have more time to see the statues.
The Hanging Temple is the only temple in China that combines Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism. Built on a cliff, the Hanging Temple is listed as one of the "world's top ten most odd and dangerous buildings".
The Yingxian Wooden Pagoda, one of the UNESCO World Heritage sites, is the oldest and tallest surviving wooden structure in China.
In the late afternoon, you will drive to Taiyuan and spend a night there. Have a good rest and prepare to enjoy the breathtaking ancient culture the next day.

You will start the tour from Taiyuan, visit the Jinci Temple, and then drive for one hour to Pingyao.
Pingyao Ancient Town is the best preserved walled ancient town in China. You will spend half a day there and visit the main sites, such as the Rishengchang Former Bank, the Armed Escort Company Museum, and the Ancient City Wall.
The Shuanglin Temple is considered to be the "unrestored glory" of Pingyao Ancient Town. Over 2,000 colored mud sculptures are preserved under the humble-looking roofs. Every sculpture has its own face and expression, and each of them is a rare treasure.
Getting Around in the Pingyao Ancient Town:
There is no taxi or public transportation within the tiny town. You can use the following available means of transportation for getting around:
Rickshaw: This man-driven vehicle is the main means of transportation here. It is very easy to find one that can take you for a stroll around the old streets.
Electro Mobile: It's a kind of sight-view storage battery car which can accommodate 1-20 people.
Bicycle: It is maybe the easily way to tour around. Bicycles are available for rental just In front of your hotels. This is a popular means of transportation for many tourists to explore the ancient city wall when visiting there.

The Zhenguosi Temple is the third oldest wooden architectural structure in China. There isn't a single nail in the entire temple; the whole structure has been made from mortise and tenon joints. Twelve kilometers away from the ancient town, there is a little-known tourist site at the Zhenguosi Temple, and it is like an undiscovered gem.
The Wang's Family Compound has a nickname — the Forbidden City in Folk. Different from the famous Qiao's Family Compound, the Wang family was an official family, having had a higher social status. The family's generations lasted for over 300 years and built the compound that is about 250,000 square meters in size, among which 45,000 square meters (one fifth) is open to tourists. The area is comprised of 123 courtyards and 1,118 rooms. You will spend about two hours there.
Lunch will be arranged on the way. After the trip, your tour guide and driver will escort you to the train station, and you will take the bullet train to Xi'an.

The Terracotta Warriors and Horses are one of the "Eight Wonders of the World". Each of the life-sized warriors has its own face and expression.
The arranged lunch will let you experience some traditional Hunan and Sichuan cuisine.
The Big Wild Goose Pagoda was built in the 7th century and was used to store the Buddhist scriptures and relics that the monk called Xuanzang brought from the West. The Fountain Square in front of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda is recommended in the evening.

Riding a bicycle on the Xi'an City Wall will be a good start to the day. The Ancient City Wall of Xi'an is a great place to have a view of the city, and you can experience the age-old charms from on top of the bricks.
Shaanxi History Museum has four major galleries housed in a large, Tang-style building. It has a vast and impressive collection, which is beautifully displayed.
The Muslim Quarter is not far away. It is the most bustling area in Xi'an that is full of local snacks and souvenirs.Lunch will be arranged in a nearby local restaurant. After the trip, you will be taken to the airport where your tour guide will assist you with the check-in process and wave goodbye at the security gate.

Trip Notes
1. Hanging Temple Tips:
Comfortable shoes and a light backpack are suggested, as for all excursions.
The stairs to the Hanging Temple are narrow, only allowing one person to pass, and the rail is short, so be careful. It is 60 to 90 meters above the ground, so people who fear heights should consider this before going up.
Continuing heavy rain might cause rock falls, so for safety the temple will be closed in bad weather.
The viewing platform that under the mountain and opposite the river is a great place to have a full view of the Hanging Temple. People can take pictures from the square if they don't plan to go up, or when the temple was closed due to bad weather.
Note: Due to the continuing rain and large area rock falls, tourists are not allowed to climb the mountain and go into the Hanging Temple since 13th Oct. 2015. People can still have a full view of the Hanging Temple at the viewing platform that under the mountain and opposite the river. We will continue to watch the situation and update the information.
2. Accommodations in Pingyao Ancient Town
Most hotels and hostels in the ancient town are in traditional Chinese style, you will see antique courtyard and wooden furniture, and even have a chance to experience sleeping on a "kang"-- heatable brick bed that popular in North China. Extra quilt can be required to soften the bed.
3. Easy Trip Planning
Our 1 to 1 private travel advisors will give you professional suggestions, you can alter the itinerary, extend or shorten it to suit your price, interest and schedule. Feel free to tell us your requirements, and we are happy to help you arrange with our professional knowledge and experience.
4. Payment Methods
We now offer 3 payment methods: PayPal, credit card authorization via fax and wire transfer. PayPal is recommended for its safety and efficiency. You can pay USA dollars, Australian dollars, European dollars and Great Britain Pound directly with your credit card or debit card, even if you don't have PayPal account.
Price includes:
Start planning your tailor-made tour now. Your 1:1 travel consultant will reply within 1 working day.