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Detailed Itinerary
Please note that this is a typical itinerary, and actual activities may vary to take advantage of weather conditions, local events, and to allow serendipity to play a hand in your experience. Accommodations are as outlined in the itinerary, although we reserve the right to change these should the need arise.
DAY 1
Welcome to Beijing
You are greeted at the airport by our local guide upon arrival in Beijing, and taken directly to our hotel, located near the Forbidden City. The afternoon is free to rest or independently explore the nearby Wangfujing shopping district. Tonight, gather for a welcome dinner at the Red Capital Club to meet fellow travelers and enjoy traditional Chinese cuisine.
Hao Yuan Courtyard Style Hotel, Beijing
DAY 2
Cultural exploration of Beijing
Walking – easy, 2-4 hours.
The morning is full as we head out first to visit Tiananmen Square, Beijing’s famed public plaza and the site of many important historical events since the 15th century, when it was built during the Ming Dynasty. Adjacent to Tiananmen, the Forbidden City was once the Imperial Palace for Ming and Qing emperors, spanning 500 years of dynastic rule. We’ll have the morning to explore this World Heritage Site, an enormous complex of palace rooms, museums, and gardens, which were once strictly off limits to the public. The City has 980 surviving buildings encompassing 9,999 rooms. Discover the amazing collection of 17th- and 18th-century clocks made by master craftsmen around the world for Qing emperors. Especially impressive are the Chime Clock, 20 feet high, and the fascinating Water Clock. Marvel at the imperial collections housed in the Treasure Hall, including gold and jade dinner services, feather dresses, ivory mats, statuary, royal seals, and many other spectacular curios.
After lunch, tour Old Beijing’s hutong area, traditional courtyard homes connected through a labyrinth of alleyways. Many hutongs have been razed in recent years to make way for modern buildings. From our seat in a quaint yet comfortable pedicab, we explore these long-established communities and get a feel for what Beijing once looked like. As we cruise through the narrow streets, watch elders at roadside tables intent on a game of mahjong, observe shopkeepers hawking their fare, like jian bing (pancakes) and baozi (steamed buns), and hear calls announcing the arrival of the knife sharpener or cardboard collector.
Tonight, enjoy a classic Peking Duck dinner, a Beijing specialty that can be traced back to the thirteenth century and which later became one of the favorite dishes of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).
Hao Yuan Courtyard Style Hotel, Beijing
DAY 3
Explore Beijing and Great Wall
Walking – easy, 1-2 hours; or Hiking – moderate, 3-5 hours.
Following breakfast, depart for explorations of the Great Wall. Though the underlying architecture dates from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the original plan and some construction date back to the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC). Choose between a visit to the Mutianyu section or the Jinshanling section, both situated among scrub-covered mountains.
Mutianyu Option: Take a short and easy hike up to the wall (a cable car is available), and walk along the reconstructed battlement to explore the watchtowers. Next, drive to the village of Sancha, near Huanghuacheng, an older section of the Great Wall and located on the boarder of Huairou and Yanqing counties. Many families here are farmers who cultivate a variety of grains, as well as fruit and nut trees. You will have the opportunity to meet with a local family and learn about farming chestnuts, an important crop in this region.
Jinshanling Option: This more strenuous, four-hour hike along an unreconstructed part of the Great Wall, from Jinshanling to Simatai, offers stunning views of the Wall as it snakes over precipitous mountain ridges. Please consider this option only if you are in good physical condition with strong hiking stamina.
Both groups will return to Beijing later to attend an evening Chinese acrobatics show, a 2,500-year-old tradition that originated during village harvest festivals. Using what they call chi kung, the philosophy of inner strength, acrobats focus the body and mind to work in harmony to perform amazing feats of balance, juggling, and dance.
Hao Yuan Courtyard Style Hotel, Beijing
DAY 4
Explore Beijing; Beijing to Xi’an
Walking – easy, 2-4 hours.
In the morning, visit the Temple of Heaven, a shrine where emperors once prayed for a fruitful harvest, leaving offerings of grain, silk, and animals. Constructed by the Ming Dynasty during the early 15th century, the temple’s harmonious design and bold colors make it a masterpiece of Chinese architecture as well as a celebrated World Heritage Site. The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests is the largest temple in the complex, and its triple tiers were built without a single nail.
This afternoon, we navigate our way through Panjiayuan Market, an enormous collection of vendors’ stalls representing a wide variety of arts and crafts from twenty-four provinces around China. A flea market of monumental proportions, this sprawling bazaar carries everything from purported antiques to Mao kitsch, large and small. Try your hand at bargaining but remember that most “antiques” are simply exquisite forgeries.
This evening, fly to Xi’an and gather for dinner at one of our favorite local restaurants.
Tang Paradise Hotel, Xi’an
DAY 5
The Terra Cotta Warriors and Xi’an
Walking – easy, 3-5 hours.
After breakfast, we explore the incredible excavations of the Terra Cotta Warriors, an army of thousands of clay figures who were buried with Emperor Qin Shi Huang Di after 210 BC. One of the century’s greatest archaeological finds, the warriors were accidentally discovered by farmers, and each of these life-sized figures are as individual in their appearance as their real-life counterparts—no two are alike. Standing inside the gigantic Quonset hut that protects the treasures from the elements, you get a sense for the enormity of the army and the amazing craftwork that went into producing each figure. Scholars estimate that it took 700,000 workers to create the warriors over a 38-year period. You will marvel at the sweeping views across the ranks of soldiers, and get a close-up look at some of the figures in glass cases.
Continue on to the Shaanxi History Museum, which houses murals, paintings, pottery, and coins, as well as numerous other bronze, gold, and silver treasures dating from the time when Xi’an was China’s ancient capital. As sunset approaches, take a stroll along the Ming Dynasty city walls that still circle the old section of Xi’an. This evening you are treated to a dumpling banquet, for which Xi’an is famous, featuring numerous varieties of Chinese dumplings sculpted into artful shapes. Following supper, explore the city streets and shops near our hotel for a taste of local culture.
Tang Paradise, Xi’an
DAY 6
Xi’an to Longsheng via Guilin
Walking – easy to moderate, 1-2 hours.
Fly to Guilin in the morning and drive to the magnificent terraced rice fields of Longsheng, carved into the hillsides over hundreds of years by the local Zhuang and Yao peoples. When flooded, the rice paddies’ reflecting water resembles scales on a dragon’s back, from which the Longji (“Dragon’s Back”) terraces, takes its name. Guilin is renowned for spectacular karst formations, which were thrust up from the limestone sea bed that covered the region more than 300 million years ago. Spend the afternoon on an easy hike through the countryside of Longsheng, taking in splendid views and meeting some of the minority hill people along the way. Tomorrow you will have more opportunity to explore the area on foot.
This evening, settle into our superb lodge, situated on a mountain overlooking the sculpted rice terraces below. The all-wood lodge is built in traditional style, using tongue-and-groove instead of nails, and features modern comforts. Each of the lodge’s sixteen rooms are designed around a different theme, and throughout you’ll find exquisite art and antiques. Stroll down one of the many paths from the lodge, camera in hand, to discover additional scenic views.
Li’an Lodge, Longsheng
DAY 7
Explore Longsheng rice terraces; Longsheng to Guilin
Optional hiking – moderate, 4-6 hours.
We set out on an all-day hike, traversing the mountain roads, terraced slopes, and bamboo forests that connect several Zhuang and Yao minority villages. Yao women are skilled at embroidery, and you may notice the fine flower patterns on the edges of their garments. The Zhuang are the most populous of China’s minorities, and one of the best integrated with the Han, China’s main population. They are known for their festival singing and dancing. Traditional religions of the Yao include nature worship, ancestor worship, and Daoism, while the Zhuang add Christianity and Buddhism to the list. As we explore the countryside on foot, soak in the poetic atmosphere, and the astonishing carved terraces that shimmer and swirl across the landscape for miles. Shrouds of hanging fog add an eerie beauty, accentuating the stacked earth. Return to Guilin late in the afternoon for some time on your own.
Sheraton Guilin Hotel, Guilin
DAY 8
Guilin to Yangshuo
Li River cruise – 2-3 hours.
Walking – easy, 2-3 hours.
This morning, we take a leisurely boat cruise along the Li River to Xinping, an ancient town near Yangshuo. Sit back and enjoy the idyllic tranquility of Chinese rural and river life amid the mountains, bamboo forests, reed beds, and bizarre rock formations. Keep your eyes open for fishermen using cormorants to help with their catch. Such landscape has inspired Chinese artists for thousands of years.
Disembark in Xinping to visit local residences and a rice noodle factory before lunch. Drive along the old Chinese “Pony Express Road” to Fuli, a town with a 1,000 year history and only 4,000 people. One out of every four villagers here makes a living painting fans and umbrellas. Stroll through the narrow stone streets and visit the local market. This evening, we head for the river to watch the fishermen demonstrate the use of cormorants to catch fish, a traditional skill that has been passed down for centuries.
Yangshuo Mountain Retreat, Yangshuo
DAY 9
Explore Yangshuo
Optional biking and walking exploration - easy to moderate, 3-5 hours.
Today we have option to hop on bikes and head for Aishan via an old country road to the village of Yongcun, passing picturesque hamlets along the way, which are tucked among lush vegetation and bordered by rice fields. Notice Moon Hill in the distance, an unusual limestone arch with a hole eroded in the center. The hole is believed to have been created by an ancient underground river long since disappeared. After lunch, reach the summit of Moon Hill by ascending 819 steps for a spectacular bird’s-eye-view of the surrounding hills. Then we get back on our bikes and continue our explorations of the surrounding country. Depending on the season, you may see farmers walking their water buffalo along the roads or working them in the fields. Stop to chat with rice farmers and learn about their ages-old lifestyle.
Yangshuo Mountain Retreat, Yangshuo
DAY 10
Yangshuo to Shanghai
City walking – easy, 2-3 hours.
Fly to Shanghai after breakfast, dramatically shifting gears from the traditional and bucolic to the pulsating rhythms of China’s cutting-edge future. In the afternoon, take a walking tour of the tree-lined avenues of the city’s French Concession. Many of the elegant homes here were built before WWII and create a charming atmosphere for strolling. Mingled among the houses we find trendy shops and cafés, testament to China’s up-and-coming, well-heeled younger generation. We’ll also sample a few of China’s most famous teas in a local tea shop and get a glimpse inside one of the formal homes, either the home of Sun Yatsen or Song Qingling.
For the next two nights, we’ll stay at the Grand Hyatt Shanghai, billed as the highest hotel in the world. It offers sweeping views of the city and is located among the 21st-century cityscape of Pudong, Shanghai’s financial and commercial hub on the east bank of the Huangpu River.
Grand Hyatt Shanghai, Shanghai
DAY 11
Explore Shanghai
Walking – easy, 3-5 hours.
Spend the morning at the Shanghai Museum, housing a world-class collection of Chinese bronzes, jade, pottery, ceramics, paintings, and calligraphy. We’ll have ample time to explore all five floors with the aid of an excellent, self-guided audio system. Have lunch at Shanghai Ren Jia, where we enjoy a selection of dumplings and noodle soups. Later, explore the 16th-century Yu Garden, a classical Chinese garden with more than thirty pavilions linked by a maze of corridors, courtyards, and bridges over ponds. At the Shikumen Museum, discover the recreation of a typical Shanghai home from the 1920s. After dinner, we take a walk around the Bund for a great look at both old and new Shanghai.
Grand Hyatt Shanghai, Shanghai
DAY 12
Departure from Shanghai
The morning is free for last-minute explorations before heading to the airport for our flight home.