14 Days Wonderful China Tour with Golden Triangle Cities, Nature & Hong Kong

Nihao! Welcome to Beijing, the capital city of China! Upon your arrival at the airport/train station in Beijing, the tour guide and driver will meet and greet you at the exit, and then escort you to the well-selected hotel in downtown Beijing. The rest of the day is free on your own so you can have a good rest for the jet lag or explore by yourself around your hotel.

Arrival Ideas:
Beijing is well connected by air and high speed rail. There are two airports - Beijing Daxing International Airport and Beijing Capital International Airport operating many international and domestic airlines. Travelers can go to Beijing by air from most cities of China, like Hong Kong, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Xian, Guilin, Hangzhou, Kunming, Wuhan, Xiamen, Guiyang, Chongqing, and Lanzhou. In addition, travelers can take the high speed train to Beijing from Xian (4-5 hours), Shanghai (4.5-6 hours), Zhengzhou (2.5-3 hours), Wuhan (4-5 hours), Harbin (5-5.5 hours), etc.

Free Time Ideas:
You are welcome to ask your tour guide for some useful tips to spend your free time based on your time and interest.

After breakfast, your guide will pick you up at your hotel and then head to Tian’anmen Square, which is the world’s largest public square and also the symbol of China. It has witnessed many big events in China over the past decades.

Walk across the square and you will visit the might and splendor of the awe-inspiring Forbidden City, the world’s largest palace complex and one-time home to 24 emperors of China. With over 8,728 rooms, the Forbidden City is not only China’s largest and best-preserved collection of ancient buildings, but also a city within the city, like the Vatican in Rome. Enter through Meridian Gate and visit along the central axis to ensure you won’t miss any highlighted palaces. You can admire its brilliant architecture and numerous ancient art treasures while listening to your guide and learning more about the emperors’ stories hidden inside the Imperial Palace. Later, take another 15-minute walk up to Jingshan Park, where you can have a magnificent panorama of modern Beijing and princely views over the russet roofs of the Forbidden City.

In this afternoon, drive to the “Museum of Royal Garden” - Summer Palace, which used to be the resort for royal families to flee summer heat. The grounds, temples, gardens, pavilions, lakes, bridges, gate-towers, and corridors are a marvel of landscaping. Enjoy the leisure walk and take your time to appreciate the imperial architectures, hilltop views, and beautiful lakes, which offer a pastoral escape into the landscapes of traditional Chinese painting.

Recommended Optional Activity: You can try the famous Peking Roasted Duck at Quanjude this evening.

In this morning, you will head northwest of Beijing (about 1.5-2 hours’ drive, 73km) to the Great Wall at Mutianyu. The Great Wall boasts a history over 2,000 years and stretches more than 3,000 miles across several provinces of northern China, making it one of the most impressive ancient masterpieces on the planet. Mutianyu Great Wall is connected with the Jiankou Great Wall in the west and the Gubeikou Great Wall in the east. Mutianyu is the longest and best fully-restored Great Wall with fewer tourists and is also famed for its 23 Ming-era watchtowers and stunning views. Take the cable car up to the 14th watchtower and then enjoy the memorable hiking time on the wall while visiting its western route. With the green pines and cypresses covering the surrounding area, and the winding wall standing majestically on the vast land, you will capture the most stunning natural scenery in this section. Challenge yourselves while climbing up to the 20th watchtower where you could fulfill your Great Wall dream. Cherish the chance and take photos as many as you like!

After the once-in-lifetime experience, head back to downtown Beijing and have the chance to take photos with the exterior of the Bird's Nest (Beijing National Stadium) and Water Cube (Beijing National Aquatics Center). They were both designed for the 2008 Beijing Olympics and used for the 2022 Winter Olympic Games.

After that, transfer back to your hotel and have a good rest tonight.

This morning you will head to Temple of Heaven. Located in Beijing's Tiantan Park, the Temple of Heaven is much bigger than the Forbidden City and smaller than the Summer Palace. As a World Heritage, the Temple of Heaven (Taoist temple) is also known for its rigorous symbolic layout, peculiar structure, and magnificent decoration. The Temple of Heaven used to be a place to offer sacrifice to Heaven by 22 Chinese emperors twice a year for good harvests. You can learn more about the grand praying ceremony there, as well as observe the amazing designs such as the Echo Wall and the Triple Sound Stones. Nowadays, it is also a park for local people to do morning exercise and you are welcome to join them.

If there is more time, you can also enjoy the relaxing time exploring the ordinary local life through the old Hutongs. Take a rickshaw tour to travel through the narrow alleys with many featured shops standing on both sides.

After the tour, you will be escorted to the train station for a high-speed train to Xian (about 4.5-5.5 hours). Welcome to Xian, the capital of 13 ancient China dynasties! Upon your arrival at the train station, the tour guide and driver will greet you at the exit, and then escort you to the hotel in Xian.

After breakfast, your guide and driver will pick you up at your hotel. Drive about 40km (about 1 hour) to uncover one of the greatest archaeological discoveries in the world - the Terracotta Army Museum, which was built by the first emperor of China - Qin Shihuang to protect him in his afterlife. There are about 8,000 vivid life-size Terracotta Warriors found so far. First, pay a visit to the largest and most imposing pit which is believed to contain over 6,000 terracotta figures of soldiers and horses. You will be amazed by the subterranean life-size army of thousands silently standing and guarding the emperor and also be awed by the fabulous artistic skills of ancient Chinese artisans. Next, move to another pit where you can feast your eyes with around 1300 warriors and horses. You can get to examine the ancient army array by visiting the kneeling and standing archers, the chariot war array and numerous troopers holding weapons, etc. (Note: If you are interested, you can learn how to make a mini terracotta warrior.)

After lunch, drive back to downtown to visit the Ancient City Wall (also known as the Fortification of Xian). The city wall is a kind of defensive structure in Ancient Times and represents one of the oldest, largest, and best-preserved Chinese city walls. Spend some time leisurely walking on the wall and enjoy its inner and outer walls, watchtowers, and moat, and have panoramic views of modern Xian. (Optional biking experience: If you want to cycle on the ancient city wall, please tell your ideas to your travel expert.)

Late in the afternoon, go to explore the vivid local life when you go to wander happily around the bustling and lively Muslim Quarter. It is a paradise mixed with different local snacks and Muslim culture.

This morning, your guide and driver will pick you up at your hotel and take you to visit Shaanxi History Museum. Regarded as “the Pearl of ancient dynasties and house of Chinese treasures”, it has collections of 130,000 historical artifacts, showing visitors a miniature overview of thousand years of Chinese history and the splendid ancient cultures of old times. Enjoy the educational visit while exploring historical relics ranging from bronze ware from the Western Zhou Dynasty, and terracotta figures, to gold and silverware and murals discovered in Tang tombs. Later, pay a visit to the Tang-style Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, the landmark of Xian situated in the Da Ci’en Temple.

After the tour, you will be escorted to the airport for a flight to Shanghai (about 2 hours). Welcome to Shanghai, China’s most internationalized and vibrant city! Upon your arrival at the airport, the tour guide and driver will greet you at the exit, and then escort you to the hotel in Shanghai.

In this morning, you will head to Shanghai Museum for an awe-inspiring visit to view the finest collection of art and learn about profound Chinese history. Built in the shape of an ancient bronze cooking vessel called a ding, Shanghai Museum has a round top and a square base, symbolizing “round sky, square earth”. It contains 120,000 cultural relics which showcase incredible artifacts of Chinese art throughout 5000 years’ history. Immerse yourselves in the Exhibition Hall of Bronze and Ceramic to appreciate the elaborate bronzes and exquisite artifacts. You won’t miss the chance to enjoy the top treasures - Da Ke Ding (bronze food vessel over 3000 years ago), and Bianzhong of Marquis Su of Jin (ancient musical instruments). Next, move to Yu Garden, the most celebrated classical Chinese garden hidden in the bustling Shanghai downtown area. Enjoy a leisure walk and visit the Chinese architecture, and feast your years with exquisite sculptures and carvings. Yuyuan Bazaar outside the garden is a fun place to taste some local snacks as well as buy some traditional Chinese handicrafts and artworks.

After that, you will take a stroll along Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street, where lots of well-known brands, restaurants, cafes, souvenir shops, and towering buildings stand on both sides. Continue your walk to the Bund, the top 1 place to visit on the Shanghai bucket list. Reputed as “An Exhibition of International Buildings”, the Bund is a collection of 52 buildings in various international architectural styles. Overlook the amazing skyline and skyscrapers of the Pudong Area from the Bund. The last stop today is the Shanghai Tower, the tallest building in China and the second in the world, at a height of 362 meters. Ascents up to 546 meters over the 118th floor for a breathtaking panoramic view of modern Shanghai.

This morning, you will be free until your guide and driver take you to the airport to catch a flight to Guilin (about 3 hours).Welcome to Guilin, the most picturesque paradise in China! Upon your arrival at the airport in Guilin, the tour guide and driver will meet and greet you at the exit, and then escort you directly to Longsheng County, where the famous Longji Rice Terrace with the most fantastic rural scenery in China is located. You will be dropped at Ping’an Village at Longji Rice Terrace (about 2.5 hours’ drive). You will spend your night at Ping’an Village. (Note: You need to walk about 900 steps from Ping’an Village Tourist Center to your hotel. Please wear comfortable shores today.)

Longji Rice Terrace, also called Dragon’s Back Terraced Fields, is an incredible farm engineering with a history over 650 years. It is also a ethnic paradise where you can experience the Yao and Zhuang people’s unique ethnic culture and taste local specialty food. If weather permits, you can watch the beautiful sunrise from a great location on the terraces. After breakfast, it is time to fully explore best highlights of Longji Rice Terrace at a very comfortable pace. The rice terrace is layer upon layer, like the changing ladder created by nature leading to the blue sky, forming a majestic painting between heaven and earth. Hike on the well paved paths and get to Seven Stars Accompany the Moon and Nine Dragons and Five Tigers. The two sites are very good location for photography where you can catch superlative views of terraces and villages. The whole hiking takes about half day.

After the memorable time at Longji Rice Terrace, you will be transferred back to Guilin city. You will have free time after your hotel check-in. Taking a walk along the Binjiang Road is the recommended activity for your leisure time.

“East or west, Guilin landscape is the best”. After breakfast, you will go to explore the most stunning natural scenery along the Li River, which is renowned as one of the “the world’s top 10 watery wonders” by National Geographic. Drive about 1 hour from your hotel to the pier and start a 4.5-hour relaxing sightseeing Li River cruise trip to Yangshuo. Along the 84-kilometer scenic cruise, you will feast your eyes with endless Chinese paintings of winding rivers, numerous green limestone karst peaks, grazing water buffalo, farmers working in the fertile fields, and idyllic villages nestled at the bases of the hills. (Note: Lunch is served on the cruise with simple local Chinese cuisine.)

After arriving in Yangshuo, the driver will pick you up from the dock and drive to your hotel in Yangshuo town for a short rest. Then it's a relaxing moment for an impressive exploration of the Yangshuo countryside with its beautiful rural landscape. You can either hop on a bike or rent an electric scooter to explore the postcard-like karst hills and rice paddies and pass by some tranquil villages. Let all the picturesque scenes please your eyes and your souls to the maximum for total relaxation.

Later, you will stroll leisurely along the West Street, which is the most prosperous area in Yangshuo. Restaurants, bars and souvenir shops along the street are always full of guests. It is a fusion of western culture and Chinese culture and it is the best place to spend your nightlife here. Whether you want to enjoy a cup of coffee, taste some local food or just throw yourself into the vivid atmosphere... all you can get.

After breakfast, catch the morning time to relax yourself more in Yangshuo countryside. You will take a bamboo-rafting trip along the Yulong River. Sit back on a non-motorized raft steered along the emerald Yulong River by a gondolier and appreciate the picturesque rural scenery along the river - how peaceful and idyllic is.

After the leisure time, transfer back to Guilin for further exploration. Start your visit to the Symbol of Guilin - Elephant Trunk Hill. Located on the intersection of Li River and Peach Blossom River, the Elephant Trunk Hill looks like a huge elephant drinking water in the river. And then you will pay a visit to the Reed Flute Cave, which is a classic scenic spot of karst landform. The amazing stalactites and stalagmites in the cave look like animals or plants. When the colorful neon lights are on, you will feel like walking in a crystal palace.

In this morning, you are free until your guide and driver take you to the train station for a bullet train to Hong Kong (about 3.5 hours). Welcome to Hong Kong, the Pearl of the Orient and Shoppers’ Paradise. Upon arrival at Hong Kong West Kowloon Railway Station, your local tour guide and driver will meet there and escort you to your hotel. The rest of the day is yours to have fun on your own.

Optional Transfer Ideas: If the high speed train from Guilin to Hong Kong is tight, you will perform the Plan B to get to Hong Kong. You will take a high speed train from Guilin to Shenzhen or Guangzhou first, and then change to another high speed to Hong Kong. In this way, more trains are available for choice.

After breakfast, your guide and driver will pick you up at your hotel. It is time to enjoy your half-day Hong Kong trip. The first stop is to pay a visit to the highest point of Hong Kong - Victoria Peak (about 552 meters). You will take the famous Peak Tram, which was operated for more than 110 years, and travel through the verdant woods to explore some hidden old buildings left by the old Hong Kong. Get atop to the observation deck to overlook the amazing Hong Kong skyline and beautiful harbor views. Seize the rare time to take some photos from atop. The second stop is to go to the Aberdeen Fishing Village, a peaceful traditional fishing village with the rows of old junks and sampans where you will get a very interesting contract and change of pace to the Hong Kong business district and Kowloon. The third stop is Stanley Market. Walk through the bustling market selling fancy petty commodities and enjoy browsing the stalls with clothing and souvenirs can’t find elsewhere. To relax a little bit, you can order a cup of coffee or beer at the seaside café or pub to spend time getting away from the crowds. After the tour, you will be escorted back you your hotel.

Free Time Ideas:

If your energy permits, you can explore on your own to Sik Sik Yuen Wong Tai Sin Temple and Nan Lian Garden in this afternoon. And enjoy a memorable walk along the Avenue of Stars and admire the stunning views of Victoria Harbor and Hong Kong Island with its numerous skyscrapers. If time allows, watch “A Symphony of Lights” at 20:00, which transforms the Hong Kong skyline into an outdoor audio visual feast for the senses.

It is time to end your 14-day China tour. You will have some free time in Hong Kong and explore more on your own till your guide escorts you to the airport/train station for your flight or high speed train to your next destination.

Thank you for choosing Asia Odyssey Travel for your China tour, and we are always here working for you and hope to see you again for your next trip to China/Asia!