Land of Pandas
2-Week Private Tour: Beijing – Xi'an – Chengdu –Yangtze Cruise – Shanghai
This 13-day suggested itinerary covers different elements of China: the historical heritage sites, natural scenery, unique culture, and adorable giant pandas. It makes an ideal tour for first-time visitors who are panda fans or those traveling with children.
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.
Beijing-Xi'an-Chengdu-Yangtze Cruise-Shanghai Tour Map
Tour 'Wow' Points
Find the Hidden Halls in the Forbidden City
Visit 12 selected places in the complex to discover the deep secrets of the imperial families, while typical group tours only visit six spots briefly.
Explore a Top-Ranked Section of the Great Wall
Walk leisurely through the watchtowers, enjoying a superb view of the Mutianyu Great wall snaking across the mountains.
Make a Mini warrior with a Local Artisan Family
Visit a local artisan and learn to make a warrior from the same local clay as the Terracotta Army in his/her authentic cave dwelling, which is a disappearing opportunity.
Experience Taking Care of a Cute Panda
Make panda cakes with your own hands and clean the enclosure for pandas.See how the keeper feed a panda at a very close distance
Witness the Famous Three Gorges of China
Tour the once-treacherous-and-taxing-but-now-tamed-and-tranquil middle reaches of the Yangtze River and enjoy the magnificent landscapes along it in a relaxing way.
Have a Time Travel on the Bund of Shanghai
Experience the charm of old Shanghai during an in-depth Bund visit and Feel the speed of China's development.
Discover real reviews of Highlights Travel Family's best-rated service across trusted platforms.
|
The tour was of The Greta Wall of China
The tour was excellent. Selinda was very knowledgeable about all the aspects of our tour. Selinda was very interesting and knew so much Chinese history more
Mar 2024, Alice W
|
Beautiful Beijing with Ethan & Mr. Chen
Ethan, our wonderful guide, whose praises we can not sing loudly enough, was compassionate, caring, and overall endearing! His sense of ease and familiarity with each sight, which were unfamiliar wonders to us, provided a sense of peacefulness that facilitated full enjoyment - helped too by his punctuality and attention to detail. more
Feb 2024, apisn2023
|
The Highlights and High Life of Beijing with Ethan & Mr. Chen
Ethan, our wonderful tour guide, made our entire trip an absolute joy for us as he was extraordinarily caring, considerate, and generous. Having had the pleasure of taking in the sights of Beijing previously with another lovely guide, Angela, it was spectacular not only to show the family how fantastic the city is but also how high the quality of services provided by China Highlights are. Each day unveiled a new treasure, helpfully detailed by Ethan, and punctuated by delicious and varied local food. Our driver, Mr. Chen, was also a delight, and was equally as key to the overall experience as he was both attentive and almost mystically punctual! more
Feb 2024, Apis
|
Great Time in Beijing
Our 4-day experience in Beijing was unforgettable. Our guide, Selinda, opened the doors to the city's millennia-old history and culture with her knowledge, kindness, and courtesy. We discovered magnificent places, tasted delicious food, and stayed in clean hotels, all accompanied by safe and reliable transportation service. We recommend traveling with China Highlights. more
Feb 2024, Nicola B
|
3rd time the charm, is being charmed for the 3rd time.
This is my 3rd tour of Beijing in the last 18 months and I think that speaks a little to the quality of service you get with China Highlights. Each time the sites are the same but each tour guide managed to present them in new and wonderful ways. Also some attractions that were undergoing renovations have been completed, so there were new things to see as well.A big thanks to Mr. Michael, our tour this time around. He was very gregarious and knowledgeable about all the sites. more
Feb 2024, Jonathan Mueller
|
3rd time the charm, is charmed for the 3rd time
The sites stay the same but each time we have done this tour, the tour guides manage to make it feel like it is the first time you are experiencing it. And, with the constant renovations, this time we were able to see previous areas that were unavailable the last time we came. more
Feb 2024, Jonathan M
|
Great trip and experience!
From beginning to end, China Highlights was very courteous, responsive and attentive in planning and executing a great trip!Aspects and execution of the trip was as discussed and was an overall great experience. Our guide, Michael, was very kind and knowledgeable throughout the tour and would address all questions and help us take lots of photos. Would definitely travel with China Highlights again! more
Feb 2024, Karol
|
3rd the charm is charmed for the 3rd time
This is my 3rd tour of Beijing in the last 18 months and I think that speaks a little to the quality of service you get with China Highlights. Each time the sites are the same but each tour guide managed to present them in new and wonderful ways. Also some attractions that were undergoing renovations have been completed, so there were new things to see as well.A big thanks to Mr. Michael, our tour this time around. He was very gregarious and knowledgeable about all the sites. more
Feb 2024, jkjmueller
|
1 Day in Beijing
Nice views, Not too much people, Jessi (guide ) so friendly and she have a great service & she knows the answer of all your questions more
Feb 2024, Fernando J
|
Fabulous day!
Jesse He ,she is a nice tourist guide patience and take good care for us. We had a wonderful time in Beijing,we did the forbidden city and greatwall We love everything ! more
Feb 2024, Charon R
|
Private trip in Beijing and Luoyang
We spent 3 days in Beijing with Helen as our guide. We went to TianAnMen, Forbidden City and MuTianYu Great Wall to name a few. Helen took great care of us and is very attentive as I travel with my 60+ years old parents, from asking whether we need restroom breaks to making sure that our lunch were all according to our dietary needs more
Jan 2024, Iriana Iriana
|
An excellent day with Linda
Linda (Ling ling)is a great tour guide,provide a lot of knowledge and history of the great wall,and took us to taste very delicious food too,we had a very good time with her!highly recommend her! more
Jan 2024, Angeline Lim
|
Great time in Beijing with Bruce
We stayed in Beijing for three days altogether. We went to the summer palace. the Tian'an'men square, the Forbidden City,the Temple of heaven and the Great Wall. Our tour guide Bruce is very friendly and speaks English fluently. He explained every scenic spot to us patiently and humorously. my family are very satisfied with his service. more
Jan 2024, Mayra C
|
Bucket List Trip to China
My first stop in China was Beijing. Ethan was my guide there. Daily, they would pick me up and take me to the spots on the itinerary. He helped me plan outside activities like a Chinese acrobat show. He even walked me to my seat in my theater so I could easily find my correct chair. What was most helpful was Ethan waiting with me at the train station and even helping me on to my seat and giving the train attendant my meal order. Very little English was spoken by the train attendant. more
Jan 2024, Megan Sandbothe
|
Great Wall at Jinshanling
We went to the Great Wall at Jinshanling which is a very beautiful place which is not that busy. In fact most of the time it felt like we were alone on the wall.The tourguide (Jack) was very knowledgeable and very friendly.A big thumbs up more
Jan 2024, Onno
|
Private trip in Beijing and Luoyang
We spent 3 days in Beijing with Helen as our guide. We went to TianAnMen, Forbidden City and MuTianYu Great Wall to name a few. Helen took great care of us and is very attentive as I travel with my 60+ years old parents, from asking whether we need restroom breaks to making sure that our lunch were all according to our dietary needs. We had great 3 days in Beijing.We also visited Luoyang. Our travel advisor arranged a Business class seat for our high speed train to Luoyang. We were picked up at the station by our guide in Luoyang, Lisa. We then visited Dengfeng to see Songyang academy, shaolin temple, Luoyang grottoes. She also took care of us very well and very knowledgeable about the history. more
Jan 2024, lriana lriana
|
Beijing 2024
We traveled to Beijing with China Highlights in January 2024. Our tour guide Ethan was organized and knowledgeable which made our trip seamless and very interesting!! He helpfully suggested additional activities if we had time in the evenings and assisted us in booking tickets for them. Visiting the Mutianyu Great wall of China was a big highlight of our time in Beijing! more
Jan 2024, Lydia
|
Beijing 2024
We traveled to Beijing with China Highlights in January 2024. Our tour guide Ethan was organized and knowledgeable which made our trip seamless and very interesting!! He helpfully suggested additional activities if we had time in the evenings and assisted us in booking tickets for them. Visiting the Mutianyu Great wall of China was a big highlight of our time in Beijing more
Jan 2024, Explore49612084715
|
Beijing
Fantastic couple days in Beijing. Thank you to my guide Mark who eloquently relayed stories about China history and culture. more
Jan 2024, Steve P
|
Jack is an excellent guide
Jack is an excellent guide, very patient, punctual, wonderful command of english. I recommend him any day. more
Jan 2024, Brahma
|
Itinerary Quick Look
Here is a suggested itinerary. We are happy to customize a tour according to your interests.
Your private guide will be ready to meet and greet you at the arrival hall. A comfortable private car with an experienced driver will transfer you directly to your hotel. Your guide will help you to check-in.
Wander through Tian'anmen Square, the largest city square in the world, and arrive at the Forbidden City, the largest imperial palace in the world. With the help of your private guide, have a little adventure in the previous home to emperors: find some interesting places you would never find by yourself and hide away from the noise of the tour groups.
Have the Beijing-Life discovery walk in the afternoon. You will skip the touristy hutong and explore a neighborhood to discover the ordinary people's lives from their religious beliefs, daily food, hobbies, housing issues and situation in retirement.
Freshen up in the morning and start your day 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.
Then continue to the Great Wall at Mutianyu, which is the section ranked top on TripAdvisor among all the Great Wall sections for its picturesque scenery and beautifully restored architecture.
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 some Beijing roast duck for lunch. Watch the exquisite cutting skills of the chef, taste crispy duck skin, and learn how to eat it in the correct way.
In the afternoon, you will be driven to the airport for your flight to Xi'an. Your Xi'an guide will be waiting for you and will transfer you to your hotel.
Everything in Xi'an is about history. The Terracotta Army, with each figure being unique, has guarded Emperor Qin Shi Huang's tomb since 210 BC. Have a silent conversation with 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.
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. After lunch, hop onto a high-speed train for a 4-hour journey to Chengdu and experience the technological development of China.
Chengdu is the only place in the world where you can get close to giant pandas. Rather than just taking a glance at them in a zoo, you will get very close to these cuddly creatures and learn more about them during the Panda Keeper Program in Dujiangyan Panda Base.
Under the guidance of an English-speaking member of staff, you will clean the panda enclosures, see a panda be fed at a very close distance, watch panda movies, and make cakes for them. Have a simple Chinese lunch with the staff in their canteen. This highest-rated experience will provide you with the memory of a lifetime.
Start your day at Jinli Old Street where you can taste authentic local snacks. Try some famous foods, such as bean jelly in chili sauce, sweet potato noodles, and Sichuan-style wontons. If you are brave enough, try a rabbit's head in chili sauce.
When you've finished eating, visit the Rice Wine Museum, a restoration of an ancient Chinese brewery cellar. Guided by a bilingual expert, you will have the opportunity to find out how the ancient brewery works, before enjoying two complimentary glasses of rice wine.
Take the bullet train to Chongqing after the tour and then check-in for a Yangtze River cruise that departs at 9 pm.
Enjoy tai chi morning exercise if you would like to (available every day).
Take a shore excursion to Fengdu Ghost City in the morning. There are many buildings built according to traditional Chinese geomancy and statues and artwork reflecting Chinese people's imaginations of the netherworld.
Enjoy the cultural activities on the ship in the afternoon and a night show — War Fires of the Three Kingdoms (optional) after dinner.
If you are interested in Chinese calligraphy and history, the optional excursion to White Emperor City is a nice choice. See 10-yuan banknote scenery, calligraphy inscriptions dating back centuries, and a famous fortress.
Cruise through the spectacular Qutang Gorge and the magnificent Wu Gorge at noon.
Enjoy a shore excursion to Shennv Stream in the afternoon, where you will take a boat to discover this tributary of the Yangtze River, with its clear water that runs southwards through deep and narrow gorges.
Enjoy the Crew Cabaret and Talent Show after dinner on the ship.
Disembark in the morning, and then join the shore excursion to the Three Gorges Dam. Getting access to the platform right by the dam, you will enjoy the magnificent scenery of the Yangtze River and the supper project of China.
You will be transferred to the tourist center in Yichang city after the tour. Your private guide and driver will wait for you there and will transfer you to the railway station on time for your bullet train journey to Shanghai.
Note: The shore excursions in the itinerary are arranged by Century Cruises. They could vary depending on the cruise you choose.
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 — Shanghai Tower. From this building, which is the highest outside of Dubai, you will not only enjoy a panoramic view of Shanghai but will also see the future of China.
After traveling around China for 11 days, you might want to do something that's relaxing or "icing on the cake" at the end of your tour. You will have some free time in the afternoon. Your guide will be happy to arrange activities according to your wishes no matter whether you want to relax, experience Shanghai fashion, appreciate art, explore folk customs, shop, or any of many other options.
Your private car, driver, and guide will transport you to the airport and take you all the way to the security gate for your convenience. Relax all the way to the airplane with us.
Hotel Selection
—the Icing on the Cake
Boutique hotels are recommended to enrich your travel experience.
Price includes: