8-Day Classic China Tour: Beijing, Xi'an & Shanghai

Board your international flight toward Beijing, the starting point of this 8-day classic China tour through Beijing, Xi'an, and Shanghai. Meals, beverages, and entertainment follow your airline schedule. Use the flight day to organize travel documents, pack for changing city weather, and confirm arrival details so your guide can arrange the airport transfer smoothly once you land in China's capital.

Arrive in Beijing, China's capital and the first stop on your classic China itinerary. Meet your local English-speaking guide in the arrivals hall at Beijing Capital International Airport, then transfer by private vehicle to your hotel. Check in and rest after the long journey. The remainder of the day is free to settle in, adjust to the time difference, and prepare for Forbidden City and Great Wall sightseeing tomorrow.

Begin in Tiananmen Square, among the largest public squares in the world, then enter the Forbidden City, the imperial palace complex used from the Ming dynasty through the Qing dynasty. For nearly 500 years it housed emperors and their households and served as the ceremonial and political center of Chinese government. Walk the courtyards and halls with your guide as you follow the classic Beijing sightseeing route. Optional: a hutong rickshaw tour with lunch at a local family home is available at your own expense.

Gallery: Forbidden City courtyard hallsForbidden City imperial palace roofs

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Travel to the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall, a well-preserved stretch of Ming-dynasty fortifications set among forested hills north of Beijing. Walk the wall and watchtowers at a comfortable pace suited to the group. After lunch, visit a jade museum to learn how jade has been carved and valued in Chinese culture. Optional evening: The Golden Mask Dynasty Show is available at your own expense.

Gallery: Mutianyu Great Wall watchtowersGreat Wall mountain ridge path

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After breakfast, fly from Beijing to Xi'an, a former capital of China with a long imperial history spanning multiple dynasties. Upon arrival, visit the Small Wild Goose Pagoda inside Jianfu Temple in southern Xi'an, a Tang-dynasty landmark linked to Buddhist translation and study. Transfer to your hotel and settle in for two nights in Xi'an before tomorrow's visit to the Terracotta Army Museum.

Gallery: Small Wild Goose Pagoda exteriorJianfu Temple pagoda grounds

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Visit the Terracotta Army Museum, one of the major archaeological finds of the twentieth century. Unearthed in 1974, the underground figures were made to guard the tomb of Qin Shi Huang, China's first emperor. Walk through the excavation pits to see ranks of life-sized terracotta soldiers, each with individual facial features and armor detail. Your guide explains the site layout and conservation work before you return to Xi'an for the evening.

Gallery: Terracotta Army excavation pit

After breakfast, transfer to the airport and fly to Shanghai, the final city on this classic China tour. Upon arrival, check in at your hotel. The afternoon is free for rest or independent exploring. Optional visits to Yu Garden or the Shanghai Museum can be arranged at your own expense if you prefer guided time before tomorrow's Bund sightseeing and departure transfer.

Visit the Shanghai Museum, home to a large collection of Chinese art and cultural objects. Continue to a silk factory to see traditional weaving and finished textiles, then walk The Bund along the Huangpu River. West of the river you see European-style trading houses and banks; east across the water rise the modern towers of Pudong. After the tour, transfer to the airport for your departure flight, completing the 8-day classic China journey through Beijing, Xi'an, and Shanghai.

Gallery: The Bund Huangpu River promenade