Upon your arrival and immigration clearance, our tour representative will meet you outside the baggage claim exit and guide you to your transfer vehicle, which will bring you to your hotel for check-in, rest, and refreshment. Along the way to the hotel, you will catch a glimpse of the new environment that awaits you.

Overnight: Beijing

Spend time at your leisure to adjust to the new time zone, explore the capital city of China on your own, or join us for these optional tours:

Optional Tour 1: Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City Tour with lunch at $70 per person – Get ready to be awed by the largest public square in the world and see the locals stroll and play in Tiananmen Square. Then walk to the legendary Forbidden City nearby, the palace complex of the Ming and Qing dynasties from 1420 to 1912 where Chinese emperors and their household once ruled as the power and political center. This vast palace complex covers over 180 acres in central Beijing and has been touted as a UNESCO World Heritage Site with the largest collection of ancient wooden structures in the world. Feel free to roam from one end of the complex peeking into the former homes of generations of emperors and concubines, and then exit on the other side of this vast magnificent compound. Lunch will be hosted at a local restaurant.

Optional Tour 2: Peking Duck Dinner Banquet with wine served at $40 per person – Enjoy this famous culinary dish that was once served on the imperial court menu and  aptly named after its place of origin– the Peking (Beijing) Duck meal is characterized by servings of deliciously roasted slices of duck skins that you will wrap with steamed rice flour pancakes together with your choice of spring onion stalks and cucumber strips dosed with sweet bean sauce. Served with a glass of wine, this unique culinary experience becomes even more exquisite.

Overnight: Beijing
Meals: Breakfast

See one of the most spectacular man-made structures on Earth, recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site – the Great Wall of China is the longest man-made structure on the planet, spanning over 13,171 miles. Built as a physical barrier against the nomadic enemies from the north, the many Great Walls that have been constructed by successive emperors of different feudal empires were finally linked together to form what it is today. Hike along the Great Wall at JuYongGuan Pass and after spending some free time on your own on the Wall, the tour will proceed with an educational experience at the Jade Museum and the Traditional Chinese Medicine Center to learn about the historical significance of Chinese jade and Chinese medicine to end the day.

Optional evening entertainment available for purchase:the Golden Mask Dynasty Show at $55 per person – an entertainment galore with over 200 performers of Chinese dances, acrobatics, costumes, and lighting, acoustics, and effects.

Overnight: Beijing
Meals: Breakfast

Check out of the hotel in the morning at your leisure, or join the optional morning tour.

Optional Tour: Temple of Heaven and Rickshaw Tour with Lunch at $85 per person – Visit the Temple of Heaven, a spectacular imperial complex of religious buildings located in the southeastern part of Beijing which is also a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. Used by emperors of the last two Chinese dynasties as a sacred temple to pray for a good harvest during annual ceremonies, it houses a magnificent wooden circular building built on three layers of marble stone base completely constructed without nails. You can also be amazed by the Echo Wall there that can transmit sounds over large distances from one end of the perimeter to the other. Chinese rickshaws used to be a common mode of transportation in Beijing in the old days. You can still ride in these rickshaws during your tour through narrow alleyways that connect between the high walls of traditional courtyard residences that are still being preserved under the encroaching skyline of modern skyscrapers.

Depart for flight to Shanghai in the afternoon, and upon arrival at the airport of the sophisticated metropolitan Shanghai. Your transfer will then bring you to Suzhou, often referred to as the "Venice of the East." The city of Suzhou dates back to 514 B.C. With its more tranquil and less bustling atmosphere, it has become a suburban city of getaway for many city dwellers in Shanghai nearby. Visit the famous first street named in the city, Shang Tang Street, that is now a busy and colorful pedestrian-friendly commercial boulevard where one can shop for local handicrafts, snacks, gifts, and necessities. This ancient street with over 1,100 years of history remains a typical style of Suzhou's old alleys where it used to be.

Overnight: Suzhou
Meals: Breakfast

Suzhou is famous for its classical gardens and has been acknowledged as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for this inherent quality. Visit the Lingering Garden where most Chinese gardens around the world are modeled after. See the wonderful visual perspectives created by ancient Chinese landscape artists that once brought Chinese garden design to its greatest heights. Next, learn about the famous asset for trade in the ancient Silk Road at the Silk Spinning Factory. Here you will realize that Suzhou was the source for many Chinese Silk textiles and products for the merchants during ancient international trade. 

Optional Tour: Grand Canal Boat Ride with a Walk Tour at $35 per person – Experience the pleasant wonders of venturing along the Grand Canal in Suzhou observing the lives of locals living along the famous waterway that once linked the delivery of goods all the way to Beijing.

Drive to the nearby city of Wuxi, an ancient city touted as the "Land of Fish and Rice" that is richly endowed with natural attractions and warm, moist climate. The ride will pass the third-largest freshwater lake in China, Lake Tai, and will visit the trendy Nanchang Street full of ancient and modern architectures.

Overnight: Wuxi
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Visit one of the largest freshwater pearl displays in China before lunch and take a ride to the poetic city of Hangzhou. Once famous for providing many legendary Chinese poets with inspiration for their compositions, the West Lake in Hangzhou is a must-see attraction.

Optional Tour: Boat Ride on the West Lake at $35 per person – Take a boat ride onto the West Lake to get close to the scenic beauty of its willow draped islets and picturesque connecting bridges. 

Overnight: Hangzhou
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Hangzhou is famous as the tea capital in China because of its unique climate that is conducive for cultivating tea. Visit the Green Tea Village before moving on to Shanghai located nearby. Upon arrival in Shanghai, stop by The Bund, a five-block riverfront promenade walkway at the edge of the Huang Pu River that divides the city into east and west. The striking contrast of modern skyscrapers on the eastern side of the river casts towering modernity against the lower profiles of traditional European architectural buildings now primarily housing banks and trading houses on the west. Make the best use of your time by joining the optional Shanghai Lujiazui FTZ and Huangpu River Cruise.

Optional Tour: Shanghai Lujiazui FTZ and Huangpu River Cruise at $50 per person – Check out the financial and trade zone of Shanghai on the eastern bank of the Huangpu River commonly known as Pudong. This is where gleaming skyscrapers give Shanghai its imposing skyline and metropolis feel – all surrounded by the iconic Oriental Pearl Tower, stately Jin Mao Tower, Shanghai Tower, and the Shanghai World Financial Center. Then board a riverboat along the Huangpu River cruise between the modern skyscrapers on the East and the neo-classical building of European designs on the western shore, the Bund. Dodge under the two spectacular suspension bridges, the Yangpu and Nanpu bridges and be amazed by the featsof modern engineering connecting the old and new Shanghai.

Overnight: Shanghai
Meals: Breakfast. Lunch

Spend a full day at leisure to explore the city on your own or join the following optional tours:

Optional Tour 1: Shanghai Day Tour with Maglev Train Experience at $65 per person – Check out many of Shanghai's must-see highlights, mingle among the crowd to find great bargains in souvenirs and gifts at local bazaars, and continue to the modern shopping district, Xintiandi for your last-minute shopping needs. Then take the breath-taking ride on the Maglev Train that can speed past 390 km per hour.

Optional Tour 2: Shanghai ERA Acrobats at $55 per person – This permanent show presents the most death-defying and most spectacular combination of stunts, dance, and color that should not be missed. A very highly rated show that is considered as the best in the world that is far more superior in scale, content, and quality than even the Cirque du Soleil shows presented anywhere.

Overnight: Shanghai
Meals: Breakfast

Check out of the hotel in Shanghai and transfer to the airport for flying to Beijing and back home

***Please note the air routine might be changed due to departure dates. Some departure dates might stop by Shenzhen instead of Beijing for transit. Free time to explore Shenzhen on your own  or Join our optional program to explore Shenzhen with us to visit Shekou Seaworld, OCT Harbour and Dongmen Pedestrian Street in Shenzhen.. At the end of this wonderful journey, head to the airport for the flight back home. The land-only tour officially ends in Shanghai.

Optional Tour: Shenzhen One-Day Tour at $75 per person