20 days / 19 nights · escorted China and Yunnan tour
20 days, 9 cities (Beijing, Xi'an, Kunming, Jianshui, Yuanyang, Dali, Lijiang, Guilin, Shanghai)
19 nights in premium hotels
Breakfast and lunch as listed (B/L per itinerary); special diets on request
Tour features: Private English-speaking guide, Forbidden City, Mutianyu Great Wall, Temple of Heaven, Terracotta Warriors, Hanyang Tomb, Kunming Stone Forest, Jianshui and Yuanyang rice terraces, Dali and Erhai Lake, Lijiang Ancient Town, Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, Tiger Leaping Gorge, Li River cruise, Yangshuo countryside, Shanghai Museum, Yu Garden and The Bund, Beijing-Xi'an train, Kunming-Dali train, and domestic flights
20 days / 19 nights · escorted China and Yunnan tour
Route Overview
Arrive in Beijing, the starting city of this 20-day China highlights tour through Beijing, Xi'an, Yunnan, Guilin, and Shanghai. Your guide and driver meet you at the airport and transfer you to the hotel. Check in and rest after the international flight, or take a short walk nearby to settle in before Forbidden City sightseeing tomorrow. Confirm arrival details with your guide so tomorrow's Forbidden City timing stays on schedule.
Included: Airport transfer; Hotel accommodation in Beijing
Start at Tiananmen Square, then enter the Forbidden City, the Ming and Qing imperial palace complex of halls, courtyards, and museum collections. Walk the main axis with your guide and note glazed roofs and palace layout. Later, climb Jingshan Park for a high view over the Forbidden City rooftops before returning to the hotel for overnight. Return to the hotel afterward and rest ahead of the Mutianyu Great Wall excursion.
Included: Tiananmen Square; Forbidden City; Jingshan Park
Travel to the Mutianyu Great Wall and take the cable car up to walk the restored ramparts and watchtowers among forested ridges. Continue to the Ming Tombs area and stroll the Sacred Way toward Chang Tomb, hearing the history of the imperial burial complex from your guide before returning to Beijing for overnight. The afternoon transfer back to the city gives time to rest after the Wall climb.
Included: Mutianyu Great Wall; Round-trip cable car; Ming Tombs
Visit the Temple of Heaven and walk to the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, the circular hall used in Ming and Qing harvest ceremonies. In the afternoon, transfer for the Beijing to Xi'an journey as listed in your inclusions. Your Xi'an guide meets you on arrival and escorts you to the hotel for two nights before Terracotta Warriors sightseeing.
Included: Temple of Heaven; Beijing to Xi'an train
Visit the Terracotta Warriors, life-size clay soldiers arranged in underground pits for Qin Shi Huang's mausoleum, each with distinct faces and ranks. Return to the city and walk the Muslim Quarter for local snacks and craft stalls. A stop at Gao Family Courtyard on Muslim Street may be included for courtyard architecture and local culture before overnight in Xi'an. Overnight again in Xi'an before the Hanyang Tomb visit and flight to Kunming.
Included: Terracotta Warriors; Muslim Quarter; Gao Family Courtyard
Before leaving Xi'an, visit the Hanyang Tomb of Emperor Jing for Han-dynasty pottery figures, murals, and burial exhibits. Then fly to Kunming, known as the City of Eternal Spring for its mild plateau climate. Your local guide meets you at the airport and transfers you to the hotel for overnight before the Stone Forest and Jianshui drive tomorrow. Rest after the flight and prepare for the Stone Forest visit the next morning.
Included: Hanyang Tomb; Flight to Kunming
Explore the Stone Forest, a karst landscape of limestone pillars shaped over long geologic time. Walk marked paths among the formations while your guide explains how water and rock created the site. Afterward, drive about 3.5 hours to Jianshui for overnight before Confucius Temple, Zhu's Family Garden, and Twin Dragons Bridge sightseeing tomorrow. Check in on arrival and rest after the scenic drive through southern Yunnan.
Included: Stone Forest; Transfer to Jianshui
Walk through Chaoyang Gate and visit the Temple of Confucius, then explore Zhu's Family Garden with its pavilions, streams, and stone bridges. Stand on Twin Dragons Bridge to see its seventeen arches reflected in the river. After Jianshui sightseeing, drive about three hours to Yuanyang for overnight near the rice terraces. Settle into your Yuanyang hotel near the terraces and rest for tomorrow's hike.
Included: Twin Dragons Bridge; Confucius Temple; Zhu's Family Garden
Hike among the Bada and Shengcun rice terraces that step down mountain slopes in layered fields. After lunch, continue to Duoyishu Terraces and watch sunset light on Laohuzhui Terraces. If you wish, rise around 5 am for an optional sunrise view at Duoyishu before or instead of the main daytime program, as timing and weather allow. Overnight again in Yuanyang after the terrace viewpoints and sunset light.
Included: Yuanyang rice terraces
Optional: Sunrise at Duoyishu Terraces
Leave Yuanyang after breakfast and drive back to Kunming. Use the afternoon to rest at the hotel, catch up on photos, or take a short walk nearby at your own pace. Overnight in Kunming prepares you for tomorrow's train to Dali, Xizhou Bai houses, Dali Ancient Town, and an Erhai Lake boat ride. Keep the evening quiet so you are ready for the early train to Dali.
Included: Transfer to Kunming; Hotel accommodation
Board the train to Dali, set between the Cangshan Mountains and Erhai Lake. Visit Xizhou for Bai courtyard homes with carved gates and overlapping arches, then stroll Dali Ancient Town's stone streets and whitewashed houses. Toward evening, take a wooden boat on Erhai Lake for mountain and village reflections before overnight in Dali. Overnight in Dali prepares you for tomorrow's cycling circuit around Erhai Lake.
Included: Kunming to Dali train; Dali Ancient Town; Erhai Lake
Cycle around Erhai Lake toward Shuanglang and nearby lakeside villages, with mountain and water views along the route. Pass temples, pagodas, and quiet lanes at a pace suited to the group. Return to Dali for overnight. An optional acrobatics show may be arranged in the evening at additional cost if you prefer more nightlife. Return to the hotel after cycling and rest ahead of the transfer toward Lijiang.
Included: Erhai Lake cycling tour
Optional: Acrobatics show (own expense)
Stop at Shaxi Ancient Town, a preserved Tea and Horse Road relay with stone lanes, bridges, and riverside shops. Continue to Lijiang Ancient Town, with about eight centuries of history, and climb Lion Hill for rooftop views toward Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. Visit the Museum of Naxi Dongba Culture for relics on Naxi life, religion, and customs before overnight in Lijiang.
Included: Shaxi Ancient Town; Lijiang Ancient Town; Museum of Naxi Dongba Culture
Visit Jade Dragon Snow Mountain for high peaks and alpine scenery, following the day's cable or vehicle plan as arranged by your guide. Explore Baisha Village near the mountain foot for Naxi courtyard life, then finish at Black Dragon Pool Park, where still water often mirrors the snow mountain on clear days. Overnight again in Lijiang. Overnight again in Lijiang after the mountain and Black Dragon Pool program.
Included: Jade Dragon Snow Mountain; Baisha Village; Black Dragon Pool Park
Start at Stone Drum Town and walk the iron chain bridge over the churning river. Continue to the First Bend of the Yangtze, where the Jinsha River turns through the canyon with Jade Dragon Snow Mountain in the distance. Finish at Tiger Leaping Gorge for cliff and water views from the designated viewpoints before returning to Lijiang for overnight. Overnight again in Lijiang before free time and the flight to Guilin.
Included: Stone Drum Town; First Bend of the Yangtze; Tiger Leaping Gorge
Enjoy a free morning in Lijiang for last walks in the old town or packing time. In the afternoon, transfer to the airport for your flight to Guilin. Your local guide meets you on arrival and escorts you to the hotel. If time allows, an optional visit to Reed Flute Cave may be arranged before overnight in Guilin. Overnight in Guilin sets up tomorrow's classic Li River cruise to Yangshuo.
Included: Flight to Guilin; Hotel accommodation in Guilin
Optional: Reed Flute Cave
Cruise the Li River between Guilin and Yangshuo among karst peaks reflected in the water, including the mountain profile often linked with the 20-yuan note scene. Disembark in Yangshuo and, when evening comes, stroll West Street for handicrafts and local snacks. Overnight in Yangshuo before countryside exploration and the flight to Shanghai tomorrow. Overnight in Yangshuo after West Street leaves time for countryside exploration next.
Included: Li River cruise; Yangshuo West Street
Explore the Yangshuo countryside on foot, by bike, or by car through paddies and karst hills at a relaxed pace. A visit to a local farmer's house can be arranged if requested with your guide in advance. Return to Guilin and fly to Shanghai. Your guide meets you on arrival and transfers you to the hotel for two nights. Overnight in Shanghai after the flight before museum, garden, and Bund sightseeing.
Included: Yangshuo countryside; Flight to Shanghai
Optional: Local farmer house visit
Visit the Shanghai Museum for ancient Chinese art, calligraphy, silk, and porcelain collections. Continue to Yu Garden and the nearby Yuyuan Market for classical garden architecture and local snacks. Walk The Bund among historic waterfront buildings, then ascend the Shanghai World Financial Center observatory for skyline views before overnight in Shanghai. Overnight again in Shanghai before the airport departure transfer tomorrow.
Included: Shanghai Museum; Yu Garden; The Bund; Shanghai World Financial Center
Enjoy free time at the hotel or nearby until your guide takes you to the airport for the return flight. This closes the 20-day China highlights tour covering Beijing, Xi'an, Yunnan's terraces and towns, Guilin's Li River, and Shanghai. Confirm terminal details and boarding timing so luggage and travel documents are ready for check-in. This marks the end of the escorted China and Yunnan itinerary.
Included: Breakfast; Airport transfer
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