10 Days Shanghai Xian Beijing Top China Tour with Hangzhou West Lake & Water Town

Nihao! 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/train station 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.

Arrival Ideas:

Travelers can go to Shanghai easily by air or high speed train. There are two airports - Shanghai Pudong International Airport and Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport operating numerous international and domestic airlines. Travelers can go to Shanghai by air from most cities in China, like Beijing, Xian, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Guilin, Kunming, Lijiang, Lhasa, and more. In addition, travelers can take high speed train to Shanghai from Beijing (4.5-6 hours), Xian (6-7.5 hours), Huangshan (2.5-3 hours), Guangzhou (7-8.5 hours), Suzhou (0.5 hour), Hangzhou (about 45 mins), Wuhan (3.5-4.5 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.

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 will meet you in the hotel lobby and escort you to a peaceful walk in the Jade Buddha Temple in bustling Shanghai, among the modern blocks and mansions. It is one of Shanghai's few active Buddhist temples with about 70 resident monks. In this Shanghai must-see attraction, you will see the largest Jade Buddha in the world and local people throng to pray for prosperity. If there is still some time, you can transfer to Tianzifang in the former French Concession area of Shanghai. It is a place to find tourist arts and crafts， appreciate the preservation of local Shikumen architecture, and watch the daily life of local Shanghai people. Then you will head to the train station for your bullet train to Hangzhou (about 1 hour).

Welcome to Hangzhou, the Heaven on Earth! Upon your arrival at the train station in Hangzhou, the tour guide and driver will meet and greet you at the exit, and then escort you to the well-selected hotel in downtown Hangzhou. You can visit around your hotel for your leisure time in this leisure city.

It is a full day to follow your tour guide to discover Hangzhou, Heaven on Earth. In the morning, stroll along the charming West Lake (Xi Hu) like locals, you can use your camera to record the classical beauty of China no matter if it is rainy or sunny. West Lake has influenced poets and painters throughout Chinese history for its natural beauty and historic relics. In all four seasons, you can admire West Lake through its beautiful stone bridges, unique pavilions, green tree-lined causeways, and leisurely boats on the lake.

After that, head to Lingyin Temple, a Zen Buddhist temple with a history of about 1,700 years. As the oldest and most famous temple in Hangzhou and one of the Top 10 ancient temples of Chinese Buddhism, you will listen to stories and history behind the towering trees, numerous pagodas, and Buddhist grottoes. With impressive landscape and Buddhist culture, you will see the largest statue of the Buddha Sakyamuni in the lotus position, and believers light the incense for praying. Then move to Six Harmonies Pagoda (Liuhe Pagoda), a representative ancient pavilion-style tower in China. Located on Yuelun Mountain overlooking the Qiantang River to and south of the West Lake, it is one of the true masterpieces of ancient Chinese architecture. It is said that the reason for building this pagoda is to calm the tidal waters of the Qiantang River.

Next, pay a visit to China National Tea Museum, the only national museum focusing on tea and tea culture in China. You can learn about China's tea history and various tea customs in China, the tea production process, and all kinds of tea wares. At last, you can walk at Hefang Street which is the most prosperous place in Hangzhou since ancient times. After the tour, have a nice rest at your hotel.

This morning you will head to Wuzhen Water Town (Wuzhen Ancient Town). It is one of the six famous ancient water towns south of the Yangtze River with a history of 1300-year-old. As one of China's top ten historical & cultural towns, it is a wonderful place to learn more about its restored architecture and canals, well-preserved lifestyle, and special folk customs. You can see the houses lining the waterways and the bustle of traders near bridges and ports and piers. Through its ancient docks, pavilions, and corridors, you will fall into a romantic atmosphere that hails old China. After the tour, you will be escorted to airport for your flight to Xian (about 2.5 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 downtown area. Have a good rest tonight.

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.

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.

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 Giant Wild Goose Pagoda (Big Wild Goose Pagoda). Standing in the Da Ci’en Temple complex, the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda (World Heritage) was originally built in Tang Dynasty which is about 1,370 years ago, it is functioned to collect Buddhist materials that were taken from India by the hierarch Xuanzang. You can learn more from your guide about Xuanzang who set off from Chang'an (the ancient Xi'an) along the Silk Road, using 17 years to traversing 100 countries, finally arriving in India, the cradle of Buddhism.

After that transfer to 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.

After the tour, you will be transferred to the train station for your bullet train to next destination - Beijing (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 Tian’anmen 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!

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.

Then, it is time to end your 10-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.