China is a charming travel destination with a long history, rich culture, fabulous landscapes, and delicious food. With 19 days in China, you could have a deep travel experience covering 5–7 cities. Below are some of the tour options that we recommend based on our 25 years in the business.
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1. A Classic 19-Day China Tour Itinerary for First-Timers
For most first-time travelers to China, we recommend combining China's historical and cultural cities with beautiful natural wonders to create a variety of life-long memories. The top 4 must-visit destinations in China are Beijing, Xi'an, Guilin, and Shanghai, which would take you about 10 days to visit. For the other 9 days, we recommend "panda-ville" Chengdu in the west and Hangzhou, Suzhou, and Huangshan (the Yellow Mountains) to explore classical eastern China.
Days 1–4: Beijing

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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Der Partner für eine individuelle China Reise
Die Agency (in unserem Fall vertreten durch Tutu Sun) hat für uns eine perfekte Reise organisiert. Sehr gute Kommunikation im Vorfeld der Reise und vor Ort. Zu 100% verl?sslich, immer pünktlich und an jedem Ort sehr freundliche und engagierte Guides. Wir k?nnen eine Buchung bei diesem Unternehmen absolut und uneingeschr?nkt empfehlen. In Beijing hatten wir mit Herrn Chen 3 interessante Tage inklusive einer sehr spannenden individuellen Wanderung auf der grossen Mauer. more
Aug 2023,
Jeanne K
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Beijing Tour
Bruce was an amazing guide and very knowledgeable. He got me past ALOT of long lines fast and knew all the best places to go to take pictures! Also provided good recommendations for additional activities! If you get Bruce you’re in good hands! more
Aug 2023,
Anthony L
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Great two weeks in China with China Highlights
The trip included Shanghai where Kris was our amazing guide, Guilin and Yangshuo with Gary who did an amazing job at adjusting the schedule to meet our needs given the incredible heat, Chengdu with Helen who shared her passion for the Pandas with us, had fun in the peoples park with us and introduced us to the local opera which was fascinating and ensured we were able to taste amazing Sizhuan food without burning up! We then moved on to Xian with Jenny who ensured we got to the Terracotta army early enough to get an amazing view, took us to try our hand at making our own warriors, was very knowledgable about the history of Xian which was very interesting and lastly allowed us to try making dumplings which we all loved. Our final stop was Beijing. Ethan was our tour guide and he again did an amazing job ensuring we got to the Great Wall of China early enough to see the amazing wall without too many people and whilst it was still relatively cool, share his great knowledge of the Forbidden City and Summer Palace with us, introduced us to the Beijing Hot Pot and importantly ensured we were able to celebrate our sons 18th birthday in style and with his favourite Chinese food!! Thank you again for making our 2 weeks so special and we will for sure be back very soon. more
Aug 2023,
Sandra
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There is tour guides and there is felix
I had a blast with this tour! Felix is such an amazing person and so knowledgeable! He understands how to share knowledge and make us interested! Me and my friends had a wonderful day with Felix around the city I highly recommend China Highlights and would most likely recommend felix!!! more
Aug 2023,
PrettoMauricio
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Jennifer is an awesome guide and the…
Jennifer is an awesome guide and the tours were great! more
Aug 2023,
Renan Santos
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Beijing2023 a not to be missed experience!!
We spent 3 days in Beijing with Jennifer as our tour guide. The Great Wall, Forbidden City and the Summer Palace were all amazing, the Hutong tour was very interesting and we enjoyed seeing a typical home from that era. Jennifer was a wealth of information in Chinese history with names and date’s giving us insight into what we were seeing and the historical significance. She was warm, friendly, kind and professional and I would highly recommend her to enhance your trip more
Aug 2023,
Rita A
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Amazing Time at Honk Kong, Beijing and The Great Wall
We were a group of 10 people, our trip started at the beautiful Hong Kong, we had the best guide ever, Ken Ku, a really polite man and He always was worried for our needs. We met the Abeerden harbour, the beach side, the grand Buda, beautiful templesVictoria Peak, Temple Street, Jade market and lots of amazing places. Also we spend some days at Beijing and there we were in the main places you should go. The Summer Palace, Tiananmen Place, Chaoyang theater and spectacular show. We also travelled to the Mutianyang area to see the unveliable Great Wall, we eat in spectacular restaurants, we had a comfortable and fresh bus to travel all places. I tried to resume everything but still missing things. Thanks to all the team and our guide Lluvia in Beijing, She was so sweet. more
Aug 2023,
Community Manager
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High quality and flexibility
Bruce has been a very good guide to us. We spent different days with him, trekking on the great Wall, visiting forbidden City, hutong, summer palace and many other places in Beijing. He was also able to arrange for me a last second calligraphy class in a school as well. I strongly recommend him to anyone visiting the city. more
Aug 2023,
Isabella L
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Amazing 3 day tour in Beijing with Linda
We are from France and arrived in the best conditions. First of all, Linda, our Beijing tour guide came to pick us up, and we knew straight away that the 3 next days would be amazing. She is incredibly kind, so professional and very passionate. We’ve learned so much with her, from the Great Wall to the Summer Palace, through the hutong and more for you to discover! We are so grateful to have met her and we highly recommend her for your future journey to Beijing. Thank you some much Linda and hope to see you again soon! more
Aug 2023,
Remi Crozet
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Amazing 3 days in Beijing with Linda
We are from France and arrived in the best conditions. First of all, Linda, our Beijing tour guide came to pick us up, and we knew straight away that the 3 next days would be amazing. She is incredibly kind, so professional and very passionate. We’ve learned so much with her, from the Great Wall to the Summer Palace, through the hutong and more for you to discover! We are so grateful to have met her and we highly recommend her for your future journey to Beijing. Thank you some much Linda and hope to see you again soon! more
Aug 2023,
Alain
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Amazing Trip
We had a great experience with china highlights. Very helpful and careful. Our trip was splendid, very comfortable and safe cars. Our guide Jack gave us good tips and knowledge. more
Aug 2023,
Allan Lima
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Our Amazing China Trip with China Highlights…
Our China Trip with China Highlights was absolutely and truly remarkable. The service we received from China Highlights guides (Jack in Beijing, Mervyn in Xi'an, William in Guilin and Martin in Shanghai), drives and their office team was second to none. more
Aug 2023,
Somma Mohammadi
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China, beyond what you hear!
Beijing: A mega-historical city. Our tour guide, Jack welcomed us in the airport with a big smile. We stayed at a nice hotel in CBD. In China, if I want to name a problem, it would be language barrier that hardly you can find people who can speak English. Thanks to our tour guides we did not have any issues in our trip. Also, with so many free apps for translation, there is zero problem even we don’t speak any Chinses. Beijing, with the combination of old and new buildings, living side by side, you feel the city is transiting from old to modernism with a high speed. But with the rich history inside the town, I got distracted to chase signs of modernism and rather preferred to sink in the deep well of this ancient history. The resting time inside my 5 star hotel, was a place to think of the Forbidden City, the Great Wall and waiting to see the next wonder which was expecting us in the next day. Amongst all the famous and popular areas that you are expected to visit, I was most impressed when the tour introduced us to a local family in a traditional part of the town to have an afternoon tea with them. That provided us the opportunity to know how traditional people still live. How hospitable these people were. The tour always got our opinion for foods and our answer always was Chinese food. Local Chinses Food. Diversity of the menu is big and everyone can choose multiple options. Meats, pork, chicken, seafood, vegetarian… you name it. After 3 days we went to Xi-An with “bullet train”. This was another careful choice by the tour to give us the opportunity to see the cities and villages on our way. The train with a speed of 310 km/hr was very convenient and clean. On the way, I could see the fast tracking of new construction sites and developments. One think that was interesting for me, most of the machineries that were being used, seem to be “made in China”. Xi-An We arrived at Xi-An at a night maybe 9 pm. This city is the starting point of The Silk Road. Welcomed by our tour guide Mervyn, we entered a smaller city than Beijing. You could see that Xian was more regulated than Beijing. The city was live with many people walking around. We inspected the mysterious Terracotta Warriors where the venue was overly populated by visitors. But what completed the experience for us, thanks to our tour, was meeting a local artist who taught us how these warriors were made with clay. Each of us, even kids, was given some clay and moulds and we made our little statues. After that we visited the city museum where I could see how Chinese were using nice plates and bowls 1500 years ago, some were as fashionable as those we use today. I also visited Muslim district. It was interesting how different religions live peacefully next to each other inside this ancient city. And the surprise here, was visiting a busy street and trying street foods by our choice, and it was all shouted by China Highlights . Oh, I cannot say how much we loved this. Mingling with people and nice shop keepers, taking photos, testing the foods, … Guilin And then we flew to Guilin. Which is a smaller city in East China. It was night. We were welcomed by our tour guide, William. Friendly man with some sense of humour which we all loved it. At night we could not see much comparing to Beijing and Xian. Full of little restaurants on each side of the street and people all out, like it is a national celebration. Later William told us, how people in this city like to enjoy their time. We stayed in Shangri-La in Guilin, very high quality in foods, accommodation and entertainment. This hotel really respects its brand regardless of the location. In the morning when I opened the curtain, I wasn’t sure if the scene in front of me is a minotaur or a natural scenery. Series of mountain peaks, sitting next to each other, like those that you see in cartoons. So, first day we started going to rice terraces in the rural area of Guilin. The extent of beauty cannot be described in writing, but feel free to google “rice terraces, Guilin” and trust your eyes. After some hiking through the terraces, we got to this small village, without proper modern access but all narrow footpaths. We entered a local house and tried local food. Sticky rice cooked and smoked in bamboo, that we learn and prepared it ourselves. Beef, pork, vegetables, rice wine… It was a feast better than those you can find in any luxury restaurant in the cities. The next day we boarded on a ferry to flow on the Li River from Guilin to Yangshuo. Here I witnessed the peaky range of mountains that I had seen from my hotel window yesterday. It was close to 40 degrees outside, but it couldn’t stop me from staying on the roof deck and enjoying the scenery. Day after, we were off to next destination, Shanghai. Unfortunately, the flight had major delay that night. But few interesting things happened in the airport that I cannot miss to add them. First and for most, was the continues support of our tour guide, William, who checked on us until 1:15am when the plane eventually took off and even, I saw his later follow up to make sure we landed safe and been handed to the next guide in Shanghai. This is beyond normal responsibility that you expect. On top of that, we had Kimi, our tour supervisor who kept checking on us. Kimi kept updating us of his follow up with the airline which was happening in the background. In addition to that, kids liked to have KFC which was only available on the other side of security gate. In China, rules are strict and if you have passed the security checks, it is very difficult to cross the gate and start it again. But here, police were so nice and helpful, who kindly helped my family to get their food, stayed with them and after some formalities, escorted them to pass the security gate without any hassle. Maybe 2 or 3 policemen and women, spent 45 minutes of their time to make sure, visitors are in comfort inside the airport and in response to our appreciation they told us, we are just doing our normal work! Oh, I remembered, in China police does not carry guns, when walking on the streets. This is the level of safety! Shanghai Around 4 am, we landed in Shanghai. Welcomed by our very friendly and knowledgeable tour guide, Martin. When we arrived to the hotel, we just went to bed and rest. In the morning, I thought the beds are smaller than King Size as we had in our contract. I checked it with Martin. He double checked with hotel and explained to us the standards are bit different in each hotel. But never the less, they upgraded our rooms to sweets to ensure of our comfort. The new rooms were generously large, double bathroom and shower and high level… it was a heavenly gift mostly for the kids. Next day, we had a walk through the city. Where I was amazed by the tall buildings, modern urban design, strict traffic rules and in one word, a modern city with its high-class citizens. What amazed me even more, was that all these had happened in the last 30 years. We tried to visit the Shanghai Tower, but the queue was more than 3 hours wait, so we gave up. Next day we went to Disney Land. The “Promised Land” for the kids, from the minute we decided to visit China. I, personally am not a fan of manmade excitements, but even me spent 11 hours in Disney Land and enjoyed my time like everyone. This was a good example of cross-cultural understanding between China and the West. And last day, we did some walk around the city before we are taken to the airport. And here was a catch of the day as we have had in every other city. Martin came to us and said he has arranged to visit the restaurant-bar of J- Hotel in level 120 of Shanghai Hotel which is even 2 floor higher than the public observatory that we could not visit yesterday. We were shouted by China Highlights to spend some time in this most luxurious bar! And this is how we left China with the most unforgettable memories. And by the way, we had our two young children with us, 6 and 8 years old. And not that they have been practicing hiking or walking in the past. Like other kids, they prefer watching TV and games, but the walks and places were so attractive to drag them all way with us for 110km walking in 12 days. more
Aug 2023,
Shaha R
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At rather short notice Carol organised…
We were appreciative of all our guides (Jenny, Jacob, Helen, Nur, Karem and Felix) who all spoke good English, were mindful of our needs and flexible in their approach. We really enjoyed our journey out west along the ancient Silk Road and while it had some challenges we have returned with so many great memories. more
Jul 2023,
Gary McPhee
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Trip Beijing - Shanghai 9 days
After hearing that China was opening its doors for tourists, even though our tour schedule is for next year, Roger Li convinced us to book early because the price was affordable and if it turns out that we cancel the booking, China Highlights will return the full down payment His expertise, patience, and insightful suggestions have been invaluable in work out our itinerary. Roger has been diligent in addressing all our queries, making this planning phase a breeze. Roger Li has been great at working with us and our changing agenda. He is very responsive and very professional Highly recommend his services . Georges N. more
Jul 2023,
Georges
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a happy tour in Beijing
My son Taylor booked the tour for us from chinahighlights. we stayed in Beijing for four days.Bruce was our tour guide. He spoke fluent English and there was no barrier between us. He was very patient, he met us at the airport and our flight was delayed for three hours, but when I met him, he was smiling and very warm. He was very professional, He explained every scenic spot to us carefully. We learned a lot about Chinese history from him.We had planned to visit a local Beijing family to learn how to make some Chinese food, but because they were traveling, we couldn't. Bruce rearranged the itinerary for us, and we went to the Confucian Temple and the Imperial College, which was a great place to visit. more
Jul 2023,
lois A
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China Highlights goes above and beyond!
Beijing would take a lifetime to fully explore, but we only had 2.5 days. Fortunately, Cactus, our amazing China Highlights tour guide got us up and going early (the July heat was unbearable!) and guided us through the city and it's treasures. It's was clear she loved history as much as we did and she gave us insight into the rich physical and cultural past, present, and future of the city, country, and all of the dynasties. She answered our questions, fed us well, and even parted us with a beautiful gift that we will cherish for a long time. A few days after our tour, we had a few lingering questions and she helped us find what we were looking for and she even made a reservation at a restaurant for us that we were struggling to do with our limited language skills. She went above and beyond. Anyone traveling in Beijing would be lucky to tour the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, and so much more and even luckier to have Cactus as their guide! more
Jul 2023,
Kaila W
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Great day with our guide Tom
We had an amazing tour with our guide TOM. Everything ran smoothly from the pick-up from our hotel and all the transport between the sites. The tour is well organized and completely hassle free as all of the tickets for the sights are arranged by your tour guide and we had just the right amount of time at each sight with the option to spend more time at each if we liked. Our guide TOM was so knowledgeable about all the sites we visited and answered all of our questions. We got a cable car up to the Great Wall which was lovely and scenic, we also weren’t too tired to walk along the wall when we reached the top. It was honestly the highlight of our trip to Beijing. Thanks to China highlights,we highly recommend to everyone for China highlights and best tour guide TOM more
Jul 2023,
Aline F
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A reimagined schedule leads to fantastic 2 day tour
We booked a 2-Day tour and were assigned Olivia Tian as our tour guide. She was excellent. Very knowledgeable about the sights we did see and made sure to keep everyone informed. Both my Chinese in-laws and myself (American) had great time. Olivia also made the most of our time by rearranging our schedule a bit to take advantage of the weather and time. The original plan was Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Great Wall on Day 1 and Temple of Heaven, and Summer Palace on Day 2. Instead, we did the Great Wall first time on day 1, which meant it was cooler for the hiking. And we did a bit of a faster tour through the Temple of Heaven to be able to catch a theatrical show Olivia recommended. If you enjoy performing arts, the $40-55USD per person tickets are well worth this 60 minute show, the Golden Mask. Great Wall, Temple of Heaven and the Golden Mask Show made up the 1st day. Day 2 was Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, and the Summer Palace. All were great and Olivia was awesome at knowing some shortcuts and getting us by some of the lines where she could. The day ended sort of early (around 330pm) but depending on how much hiking you did at the Great Wall, (and how fit you are), this might be just what you want. Overall, Olivia provided an excellent touring experience and I can't help but recommend her to others looking for a trip to Beijing. more
Jul 2023,
Jonathan M.
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A reimagined schedule leads to fantastic 2 day tour
We booked a 2-Day tour and were assigned Olivia Tian as our tour guide. She was excellent. Very knowledgeable about the sights we did see and made sure to keep everyone informed. Both my Chinese in-laws and myself (American) had great time. Olivia also made the most of our time by rearranging our schedule a bit to take advantage of the weather and time. The original plan was Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Great Wall on Day 1 and Temple of Heaven, and Summer Palace on Day 2. Instead, we did the Great Wall first time on day 1, which meant it was cooler for the hiking. And we did a bit of a faster tour through the Temple of Heaven to be able to catch a theatrical show Olivia recommended. If you enjoy performing arts, the $40-55USD per person tickets are well worth this 60 minute show, the Golden Mask. Great Wall, Temple of Heaven and the Golden Mask Show made up the 1st day. Day 2 was Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, and the Summer Palace. All were great and Olivia was awesome at knowing some shortcuts and getting us by some of the lines where she could. The day ended sort of early (around 330pm) but depending on how much hiking you did at the Great Wall, (and how fit you are), this might be just what you want. Overall, Olivia provided an excellent touring experience and I can't help but recommend her to others looking for a trip to Beijing. more
Jul 2023,
jkjmueller
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In Beijing, spend 2 days to explore the iconic attractions — the Forbidden City, Summer Palace, and Temple of Heaven. To save time and get a better knowledge of the Forbidden City, our guide would find the best way for you to visit and lead you to some off-the-beaten-track areas of interest.
One day is needed to visit the Great Wall. For a better experience, our guide would usually take you to the less-crowded and fully-restored Mutianyu Great Wall section. If you would like to hike on the Great Wall, our guide would typically arrange a hiking trip from Jinshanling to Simatai — two adjacent Great Wall sections. At Jinshanling, you can enjoy a beautiful sunset on a clear day surrounded by well-preserved watchtowers and wall remnants joining them. You could even a have a picnic on the Great Wall.
For a special experience and a less-crowded environment, we recommend you take a night tour at Simatai, the only section open at night. When the weather's clear, you could enjoy romantic moments when the Great Wall is soaked in starlight.
Families with teenagers, we recommend you spend a day having a Chinese cultural experience to learn more about Chinese culture. Do tai chi exercises in the morning with a master and join a Chinese calligraphy course, for example.
Days 5–6: Xi'an

In Xi'an, most visitors spend a day with the Terracotta Warriors, Xi'an's must-visit attraction. To help you get a better understanding of the Terracotta Army's history and how it was made two thousand years ago, our private guide would take you to a local business that makes terracotta warriors in the original way. There you can make a unique warrior with your own hands and bring it home as a souvenir.
The other day in Xi'an could be a relaxing one, though still filled with history and culture. Riding a bike on the medieval City Wall, and head over to the Muslim Quarter to taste local cuisine and snacks in the markets.
Days 7–8: Chengdu

In Chengdu, the hometown of giant pandas, join our one-day Panda Keeper Program tour to get close to those adorable animals in the Panda Reserve. Our guide will help you get the most out of your time as a volunteer, cleaning the panda enclosures, making their favorite cakes, and seeing how they are fed in the program.
Chengdu is famed for its cuisine. Try Sichuan cuisine (hot pot) and enjoy some free time in a traditional teahouse. If you are interested in Chinese cooking, we can arrange a food tour or cooking class in Chengdu to help you learn some basic skills and knowledge.
Days 9–11: Guilin

Renowned for its beautiful karst landscapes, Guilin is one of the top destinations for China first-timers. In Guilin, spend a day on a Li River cruise from Guilin city to Yangshuo to enjoy the breathtaking river-and-mountain views.
In Yangshuo, we can arrange a biking tour to explore the beautiful paddy fields in the countryside. Visit a local farmer's house and experience their life and farming activities, such as feeding water buffaloes, planting, or harvesting according to the season.
If you are visiting Guilin in autumn, then spend a day at Longji Terraced Fields to view the golden rice tiers and experience interesting minority traditions.
Days 12–13: Hangzhou

Hangzhou is best known for its picturesque West Lake, which is surrounded by elegant gardens, temples, and historical buildings. Our guide would arrange a boat tour of the lake, a visit to famous Leifeng Pagoda, or a stroll through the gardens of nearby Guozhuang Village.
Days 14–15: Suzhou

In Suzhou, people are wowed by its beautiful gardens, classical Chinese architecture, and historical canals. Our guide would take you to the UNESCO World Heritage site — the Classical Gardens of Suzhou — to appreciate beautiful combinations of art and nature. Humble Administrator's Garden, Lingering Garden, and Master of the Nets Garden are some of the most famous ones.
If you are interested in Chinese silk products, Suzhou is the right place for you. We can arrange a short visit to the Silk Museum, where you could see the process of silk-making or purchase souvenirs made of silk.
Days 16–17: Huangshan (The Yellow Mountains)

Known for its unique and beautiful scenery, Huangshan deserves two days. Take a cable car to view the abundant breathtaking views of imaginatively-named rocks and trees. To help you experience local life there, we recommend visiting Bishan Village and staying in a typical Hui-style inn (where you could enjoy quiet moments with your partner). In the morning, have a walk around its idyllic countryside to breathe the fresh air and enjoy the picturesque village views.
Days 18–19: Shanghai

As the last stop on this trip, Shanghai offers a vast choice of entertaining activities to wind down. Shanghai's must-visit attraction and locale is the Bund, which offers incredible views of the contrasting city skylines.
Join our in-depth culture discovery tour for more stories and secrets behind the old buildings of the Bund. Our local guide would help you get a better understanding of Shanghai's impressive modernity and flourishing history.
In your last days in China, make full use of your time to relax fully or do activities you are interested in, such as shopping, visiting museums, drinking coffee on top of the skyscrapers, or just having a rest in a top Chinese spa treatment hall.
2. A 19-Day China Tour Itinerary with Holy Tibet
If Tibet is your dreamland or bucket-list trip destination, then you may like this itinerary, which combines five of the top China destinations with more-adventurous Tibet.
- Days 1–4: Beijing
- Days 5–7: Lhasa
- Days 8–9: Xi'an
- Days 10–12: Zhangjiajie
- Days 13–15: Guilin
- Days 16–19: Shanghai
It will take you about 3 days to explore the highlights of Lhasa. More days would be needed if you are interested in visiting Everest Base Camp.
In Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, our private guide would introduce you to the best ways to explore and get to know the Potala Palace. Spend some leisurely time wandering around Barkhor Street — see devout Buddhists praying and experience the buzz of local Tibetan life. If you are interested in rural Tibetan life in remote areas, we can arrange a visit to a Tibetan village in the hills.
There, live the life of a Tibetan nomad for a day. Take part in their daily activities, including horse riding, milking yaks, printing prayer flags, and other things that the nomads do.
It's important to remember that visiting Tibet requires a travel permit, which can only be applied for by an approved travel agency. Also, some areas are restricted for foreign travelers and require additional permits, which we could also obtain.
3. A 19-Day China Tour Itinerary with Picturesque Yunnan
If you are interested in China's diversified minority culture and natural sightseeing, then you will like this itinerary, which combine the top destinations and the picturesque Yunnan.
- Days 1–4: Beijing
- Days 5–6: Xi'an
- ays 7–10: Yunnan
- Days 11–14: Guizhou
- Day 15: Fenghuang Ancient Town
- Days 16–19: Shanghai & Suzhou
As one of the popular travel destinations in China, Yunnan is renowned for its picturesque landscape and diversified minority culture. In this itinerary, you will visit Kunming and Lijiang.
In Kunming, spend a day to visit the Stone Forest, which is a geological wonder with towering limestone formations that resemble trees, animals, and other shapes.
Spend two or three days in Lijiang, which is renowned for its UNESCO World Heritage Site, Lijiang Old Town. You can see many ancient buildings, canals, and old streets. Another famous attraction in Lijiang is the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, where you can see beautiful mountain ranges and stunning views.
You will also discover Guizhou, a less-visited destination. There you could explore its vibrant ethnic villages and traditions.
4. A 19-Day China Tour Itinerary with a Yangtze Cruise: Best for Retired Couples
If you are looking for a more-relaxed and romantic trip after retired, then this itinerary would be good for you. We select from the best star-rated Yangtze cruise ships as well as lining up some delightful destinations in this trip to help you create romantic memories in China.
- Days 1–4: Beijing (see above for details)
- Days 5–8: Xi'an (as above)
- Days 9–11: Chengdu (as above)
- Days 12–17: Chongqing and a Yangtze Cruise
- Days 18–19: Shanghai(as above)
In Chongqing, spend a day to explore some of the top attractions in the city and have a hot pot dinner. The second day, you will take a Yangtze Cruise ship from Chongqing to Yichang. During the trip , you will see the breathtaking engineering of the Three Gorges Dam and learn about Chinese customs and traditions, as ships provide onboard activities, such as tea ceremonies, calligraphy lessons, and a Chinese medicine workshop.
5. A 19-Day China Itinerary with a Silk Road Adventure
If you are interested in Silk Road history and culture, then this itinerary will be good for you. In this itinerary, you will visit the top destinations and the silk road cities of China.
- Days 1–5: Beijing (see itinerary 1 above)
- Days 6–8: Xi'an (as above)
- Days 9–10: Zhangye
- Days 11–13: Dunhuang
- Days 14–19: Xinjiang (Turpan, Urumqi, Kashgar)
In Zhangye, which is home to the Rainbow Mountains, you will have a chance to take a camel ride along the ancient trade route that connected China to the West to experience ancient Silk Road trade life.
In the city of Dunhuang, you will visit Mogao Caves, where you would see a stunning array of ancient Buddhist art, including murals, statues, and colorful frescoes. Our guide could lead you to visit some that are not open to the general public.
In Xinjiang, visit the city Turpan, Urumqi, and Kashgar to learn more about Uygur culture, by seeing the traditional music and dance performances, as well as visit bustling bazaars and markets. You'll also have the opportunity to try a variety of Xinjiang cuisine, such as Uighur and Kazakh dishes.
Cost for 19- Day Tour in China
The cost for a China tour during peak season is quite different from the off season. Prices in the peak season can be 50 to 100% higher than the low seasons.
For example, the flight price from the U.S. or Europe to China varies a lot depending on the travel time and airline you use, which is usually from around US$1,200 to US$3,000 for an economy round trip.
The peak travel times in China are on the first weeks of May and October (China's two golden weeks), summer holidays, and Christmas and New year holidays.
For most visitors who book a private tour with us in China, the average cost per day is about US$220–350 per person, including flights/trains within China, 4- or 5- star hotels, lunches, attractions, guides, and private transport.
Thus, a 19-day tour for two people would cost about US$8,400–13,300. A tour for a family of four may cost US$11,800–18,600 (kids under 10 get 30–50% off). Your international flights are not included in this price.
How to Travel around China
It is convenient travel through the whole country by flights or high-speed trains in China. Most of the tourist cities are connected by high-speed rails and airports.
If you book a tour with us, we will arrange the suitable travel routes according to your preferences, seamlessly booking the flight/train tickets you need.
Tour China with Us
Whether you're interested in history, culture, or natural beauty, there's something for everyone in China. Let's create your dream trip! All our tours can be customized. Just contact us.
- 11-Day Beijing, Xi'an, Guilin, and Shanghai — the TOP itinerary for first-timers
- 12-Day Panda Keeper and Classic Wonders — the above plus pandas
- 8-Day Beijing–Xi'an–Shanghai Highlights Tour — the classic Golden Triangle itinerary