Day 01: Arrival in Beijing
Our guide will meet you outside the baggage claim area at Beijing Airport and transfer you to the hotel. The rest of the day is on your own to explore the city.

 

Day 02: Beijing
Visit the Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City and the Temple of Heaven. The Beijing Duck Dinner is served at a famous restaurant followed by a lively Peking Opera performance at the Liyuan Theatre.
- Tiananmen Square - the largest central city square in the world with an area of 440,000 square meters (108 acres), which can hold one million people for meeting at one time. The solemn flag ceremony is performed everyday at sunrise and sunset on the square drawing the attention of people who are passing there. Besides, Tiananmen Gate on the north of Changan Street across the square is the entrance to the imperial Forbidden City.
 - Temple of Heaven - In the center of the south-north axis of the Temple of Heaven, there are the Imperial Vault of Heaven and its bounding wall - the Echo Wall. If you whisper a word at the walls one root, another people will hear your voice clearly at the other root.(B,L,D)

 

Day 03: Beijing
Visit the Great Wall. To avoid having lunch at shopping site restaurants, you will be driven to have Sichuan food at a local popular restaurant. Visit the Sacred Way and the Ming Tomb in the afternoon. On the way back to downtown, drive by the Birds Nest (Olympic National Stadium). You will see its appearance at a distance.  
Descriptions:
 - Ming Tomb - During the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the emperors funeral is arranged by following steps: First, the Board of Rites together with the cabinet or Hanlin Academy hold a discussion and draw a draft for the funeral arrangements according to the passed-away emperors edict. Then, the draft is submitted to the new emperor for approval. Approved by the emperor, the funeral is conducted according to the rites. As for the empress funeral, the Board of Rites makes a draft for the funeral arrangements first and then submits it directly to the emperor. After being approved, the funeral is held.(B,L)

 

Day 04: Beijing - Xian
Visit the Summer Palace and the Lama Temple. Take a flight to Xian and transfer to the hotel.
Descriptions:
 - Summer Palace - You may choose to enter the Summer Palace from the East Palace Gate. After entering the gate, you will walk into the administrative area of the emperors. The first architectural complex that visitors will see is the Hall of Benevolence and Longevity (Renshoudian). Originally constructed in 1750, the hall was firstly called Qinzheng Hall to inspire rulers to manage state affairs diligently. Since the reign of Emperor Guangxu, its name was changed to Renshoudian, which is based on the famous Confucian saying The ruler who reigns benevolently will have a long life.(B,L)

 

Day 05: Xian
Visit the Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum. In the afternoon, visit the Big Wild Goose Pagoda and the City Wall. This evening you will be entertained with the marvelous Tang Dynasty Show.
Descriptions: 
 - Terracotta Warriors - When going around the Museum of Qin Terracotta Warriors and Horses visitors will see a hill not far from it. Whats it? It is the Mausoleum of the Emperor Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor in Chinese history. This great imperial tomb really leaves todays people many doubt and thinking. Also, there are many documents and materials written about the mystery of this tomb. The Historical Records, whose author is Sima Qian, a famous historian in early Han Dynasty, kept that the underground palace was totally a replica of the imperial palace above ground.
 - Big Wild Goose Pagoda - situated in the Da Cien Temple, it is one of the notable Buddhist pagodas in China. The pagoda was built with bricks. No cement was used between each layer. There houses a bell on the east side and a drum on the west side inside the temple. The bell along with the drum was the tool to strike time for the monks.(B,L,D)

 

Day 06: Xian - Zhangjiajie
Visit the Great Mosque and a local family. After enjoying the a la carte lunch at a famous local restaurant, take a flight to Zhangjiajie and transfer to the hotel.
Tips: For your convenience of sightseeing in Zhangjiajie, we arrange the Baizhangxia hotel which is quite near to the scenic area for you. Due to the local conditions, the hotel services, meals and facilities cannot be compared with the ones in big cities like Beijing and Shanghai, but it is indeed the one that most clients recommended.(B,L)

 

Day 07: Zhangjiajie - Fenghuang
Drive to Fenghuang and check in at a local hotel. Visit the Fenghuang (Chinese called phoenix) ancient town, you can wander along dozens of alleys paved with flagstones between the houses and pay a visit to the former Residence of a versatile writer, Shen Congwen.
Tips: Driving from Zhangjiajie to Fenghuang will take about 5 hours and this is the only way to Fenghuang. Nothing can be substituted. So please get ready for the long drive.(B,L)

 

Day 08: Fenghuang - Zhangjiajie
Drive back to Zhangjiajie. Visit the Huangshi Stockade Village and Jinbian Stream in the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park.
Tips: One day is not enough to cover all sites of Zhangjiajie scenic area. Please do not worry, you need not pay the second time admission fee if you continue the visit on the second day since your tickets are valid for two days. We suggest you take some chocolates and cookies while touring. It is a very energy-consuming journey. 
 -  Zhangjiajie National Forest Park - 97 percent of the park is covered by the plants and trees. The green plants, queer peaks and tranquil creeks form the picturesque landscape. Another distinctive feature is the pillarlike formations eroded in the nature throughout the park. The nature has each stone postured vividly and uniquely. You will find yourself in a fairy tale as you visit the Huangshi Stockade Village and Jinbian Stream (Golden Whip Stream).(B,L)

 

Day 09: Zhangjiajie - Shanghai
Visit the Mt. Tianzi Scenic Spot and the Ten-mile gallery in Suoxiyu Nature Reserve. Take a flight to Shanghai and transfer to the hotel.
Shanghai - Situated west to the Pacific Ocean, east of the Asia continent, Shanghai is an important coastal city. It is the busiest cargo port in China and Asia. Located at the mouth of Yangtze River, it is significant in terms of transport. The Huangpu River is the shipping artery of the city.(B,L)

 

Day 10: Shanghai
Visit the Shanghai Museum and the Yuyuan Garden. After lunch we will transfer you to the Bund area, where you will take a cruise tour on the Huangpu River. The cruise will start at 14:00, reach the Wusongkou pier and then get back to the Bund at 17:00. Then leave you some free time to explore the Bund area on your own. Tonight a memorable a la carte dinner is served at your hotel, whose restaurant Wang Bao He has a history of around 260 years and is the best place to serve Shanghai Cuisine. The dinner will be followed by the Portman Acrobatic Show. 
 - Shanghai Museum - Founded and first open to the public in 1952, Shanghai Museum has become a national key museum, boasting permanent galleries of ancient bronze, sculpture, ceramics, jades, paintings, calligraphy, seals, Numismatics, furniture of the Ming and Qing Dynasty as well as arts and crafts of Chinese minorities.(B,L,D)

 

We will see you off at the airport today. We wish you have a pleasant journey home and thank you for choosing TravelChinaGuide.

Tips: In general, the check-out time for the hotel room is 12: 00 at noon. If your international flight departs late in the afternoon or evening, you are advised to have your luggage checked at the concierge of the hotel. It is usually free of charge. Please do remember to fix a meeting time with your guide beforehand. Our guide and driver will see you off at the airport. (B)