8 Days Iconic China Tour from Hong Kong to Shanghai & Beijing

Nihao! Welcome to Hong Kong, the Pearl of the Orient and the shoppers' paradise with a mix of Chinese and Western influences. Upon arrival at Hong Kong, 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. You are welcome to ask your tour guide for some useful tips to spend your free time based on your time and interest.

Arrival Ideas:

As Asia's World City, travelers can arrive in Hong Kong easily by air. There are numerous international and domestic airlines for you to enter China and the rest of Asia from Hong Kong. You can visit Hong Kong by air from most cities in China, like Guilin, Beijing, Xian, Shanghai, Kunming, Chengdu, and more. In addition, travelers can take high speed train to Hong Kong from Guilin (3.5 hours), Guangzhou (1 hour), Shenzhen (0.5 hour), Kunming (7.5 hours), etc.

After breakfast, your guide and driver will pick you up at your hotel. It is time to enjoy your full-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.

Then head to Repulse Bay which is known for its silky soft white sand and one of the most expensive residential areas in the world. Lots of luxury villas can be found by the bay, including that of some famous celebrities. By the end of the beach stand the eccentric Kwun Yam Shrine. You can also explore the former colonial style Repulse Bay Hotel and the ornate Life Guard Club built in traditional Chinese style nearby. The last stop for today 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.

It is your free time visit around HK according to your flight time.Then you will head to the airport for your flight to Shanghai (about 2.5-3 hours).

Welcome to Shanghai, China’s most internationalized and vibrant city! Shanghai's long-term fusion of Eastern and Western cultures has contributed to Shanghai's unique culture. Upon your arrival at the airport in Shanghai, the tour guide and driver will meet and greet you at the exit, and then escort you to the well-selected hotel in downtown Shanghai. 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. You are welcome to ask your tour guide for some useful tips to spend your free time based on your time and interest.

Today you will spend the whole day feeling the perfect blend of the West and East in this “Paris of the East” by visiting brilliant museums, traditional Chinese-style gardens, modern skyscrapers, and exotic architecture.

First, 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, your guide and driver will pick you up at your hotel and take you to the train station for your high speed train to next destination - Beijing (about 4.5-5.5 hours). Upon arrival in Beijing, your guide will meet you at the train station and escort you to your hotel. The rest of the day is free on your own so you can explore by yourself around your hotel.

Today you will spend the whole day exploring the ancient citadel Beijing through China’s famous landmarks, epic imperial grandeur and royal gardens.

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 and from here you can take good pictures of Tiananmen Gate showing on CCTV News every day.

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. Listed as a world heritage site, Forbidden City has about 500 years’ history, and served as the political and ritual center of China during the Ming (1368-1644) and the Qing (1644-1911) dynasties. 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!

Then head to Beijing Confucius Temple and Imperial College Museum. The museum is consisting of two parts: Confucius Temple (Kongmiao) and Imperial College Museum (Guozijian). Kongmiao is the place where people paid homage to Confucius during the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), and Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Confucius is the greatest thinker and educationalist in ancient China. Guozijian (Imperial academy) is a kind of university/college in ancient China that can be traced back to the Sui Dynasty (581–618). Guozijian is also the place where the Emperor personally lectures. The college was constructed right next to the temple in accordance with Chinese tradition where a temple is always to the left of a school. This museum is a good place for you to learn more about ancient China's education system and ancient buildings.

At last, you can also enjoy a relaxing time exploring the ordinary local life through the Wudaoying Hutong which is near the museum. It is the coolest non-touristy hutong alleyway street in all of Beijing. Travel through the narrow alleys with many featured shops standing on both sides. 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.

Then, it is time to end your 8-day China tour. Your guide will escort 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.