In-Depth Discovery of Chinese Culture and Art
16-Day Beijing, Mount Tai, Luoyang, Xian and Shanghai Tour
Suggested Itinerary
You can get on a relaxed mood as soon as you arrive; your guide and driver will be waiting and ready to take you to the hotel.
The Great Wall in Mutianyu is famous for having the most watchtowers, but not so crowded as many other parts; yet for convenience there is a cable car to take you to the top.
The Temple of Heaven is a magnificent complex of unique circular buildings, designed to please the heavens with an annual sacrifice performed here by every dynasties emperors. The surrounding parkland is thick with ancient pine trees, adding to the mysterious atmosphere.
Nowhere was Chinese art patronage more concentrated than in Beijing. Tiananmen Square has two magnificent gates intricately decorated in Ming Dynasty style, and the same theme continues into the Forbidden City. The rich symbolism through the arts is intimately connected with the culture,it can be seen everywhere in the former palace, and in the precious artifacts displayed in the Treasure Houses. Your guide will make sure you get the most out of the experience.
A Hutong Tour is a chance to see a world fast changing and disappearing; the narrow alleyways lined with old trees leading to traditional courtyard houses. Your visit to a local family gives you a rare insight into life here.
The Summer Palace was the Imperial families' favorite relaxing place, with pavilions and theaters in a beautiful landscape by a lake. It is still a delight to eyes, and a calm place to have a leisurely walk; except at weekends when local families arrive to have picnics.
In the afternoon a train ride takes you to Jinan, where you will be met by the local guide.
This morning your private car takes you up to Mount Tai, the first among the holy Buddhist Mountains with stone steps leading through magnificent gates to temples and shrines. It was believed to be the entrance to heaven and therefore a site for rituals and sacrifices by the Emperors. There is a cable car ride to ascend to Nantianmen, where you can see the mountain from bird's eye view.
Dai Temple at the foot of Mount Tai is where the God of the Mountain was worshipped. It is a smaller scale copy of the Imperial Palace in Beijing, or Forbidden City as it is also called. Afterwards, your journey continues to Qufu.
Qufu is the birthplace of Confucious, and the home of the famous Three Confucians, or Confucian Sites. Confucius Temple was originally his home, consecrated as a temple soon after his death. Confucian Mansion was then built for his direct descendants, who were bestowed favor and even imperial princesses as wives, and had the largest private estate in China in their time. Confucian Family Graveyard has a 2300 year history and has Confucious' grave among others.
In the afternoon you will return to Jinan in the comfort of your own vehicle.
Daming Lake has been the subject of poems for 1,500 years due to its scenery, and still is a beautiful place to have a stroll. Baotu Spring Park in built around some of the springs that keep the lake's water clear all year round; the delicate pavilions and flowering trees make it a refreshing place to stroll.
After dinner you will board a train to Zhengzhou, where on your late arrival you will be met at the station and taken directly to the hotel.
Anyang was the last Bronze Age capital of the mysterious Shang Dynasty, also called Yin Dynasty. Yin Xu Museum displays the finds from excavations; especially interesting are the oracle bones which explain the cultural and religious practices of the time.
Shaolin Temple has been the subject of legends and mystery for centuries, and the home of martial arts. The monks display their prowess during the shows in a small theater on the temple grounds. Pagoda Forest is a densely packed memorial place; each pagoda commemorates an accomplished master of Shaolin.
This day is dedicated for lessons in learning the basic techniques of Kungfu in Shaolin Temples.
Longmen Grottoes, carved into the limestone banks of Yi River, are a marvelous art gallery in beautiful natural surroundings. The styles of the statues change through the centuries, ending at Tang Dynasty elegant carvings.
White Horse Temple is considered to be the cradle of Chinese Buddhism; its history stretches over 2,000 years, although the buildings are mainly from Ming Dynasty. Guanlin Wholesale Market on the way back is an interesting experience of a true countryside market, where villagers come for their goods.
Xi'an City Wall is a stunning place to get an overview of the old part of town. You have a chance to circumnavigate the whole 14km circuit by bike, but there are also rickshaws available. If it rains, going to see the Bell Tower is an alternative.
Good to Know:
If you're not up for the whole ride that's fine also, you guide can take you to the most interesting parts.
Shaanxi History Museum has a collection of finest artifacts found in the province, including remarkable Tang Dynasty murals. This area was the center of China and a capital during the first 13 dynasties, so the exhibitions tell of the development of a nation as well.
The Terracotta Warriors and Horses are the most stunning archeological find in a single location. It is not only culturally important to understand warfare but also an artistically unique creation of production line combined with unique detailing added to each soldier as final touches. In short, it is a marvel.
Big Wild Goose Pagoda was built on the 7th century to house Buddhist relics, and is still a very elegant structure despite the wear from hundreds of years of visitors and pilgrims.
Your morning flight takes you to Shanghai, and to explore its two most famous streets: Nanjing Road, the shoppers' heaven with all its glamorous shops, and the Bund, an elegant promenade and architectural show room in one. Make sure you stay in the area until after dark; it is particularly charming in the evenings.
Yuyuan Garden is a wonderful example of Ming Dynasty design, built by an official after his retirement and then lost in a card game by his son. Jade Buddha Temple is named after two priceless white jade statues decorated with precious stones.
Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Hall showcases the proud city of the future, whereas the Shanghai World Financial Center lets you admire the present cityscape from 474m above ground on its observation deck.
Price includes:
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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