16-Day China Tour: Beijing, Guilin, Hangzhou & Shanghai

Arrive in Beijing, the starting city of this 16-day China tour through Beijing, Xi'an, Chengdu, Guilin, Hangzhou, Suzhou, and Shanghai. Your guide greets you at the airport and transfers you to the hotel. Check in and rest after the flight before Forbidden City, hutong, and Drum Tower sightseeing tomorrow. Your guide confirms timing and meeting points for the next stage of the itinerary.

Start at Tiananmen Square and enter the Forbidden City for the Ming and Qing palace halls and courtyards. Climb Jingshan Park for a rooftop view of the complex. After lunch, take a rickshaw through the Houhai hutongs and courtyard houses, then visit the Drum and Bell Towers. Finish with tea at a nearby teahouse before overnight in Beijing. Your guide confirms timing and meeting points for the next stage of the itinerary.

Gallery: Forbidden CityBeijing hutongs

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Visit the Temple of Heaven, Beijing's large sacrificial complex, then stop at a jade carving factory for a brief look at traditional craft. Continue to Mutianyu Great Wall to hike or take the cable car along the restored ramparts. After lunch, photograph the Bird's Nest and Water Cube from outside at Olympic Park before returning to the hotel. Your guide confirms timing and meeting points for the next stage of the itinerary.

Gallery: Mutianyu Great WallTemple of Heaven

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After check-out, visit the Summer Palace and take a boat on Kunming Lake past the Long Corridor and Seventeen-Arch Bridge. After lunch, board the high-speed train to Xi'an, about four to five hours. Your local guide meets you at the station and transfers you to the hotel for two nights before Terracotta Army sightseeing. Your guide confirms timing and meeting points for the next stage of the itinerary.

Gallery: Summer PalaceKunming Lake

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Visit the Terracotta Army pits of life-size clay soldiers from Qin Shi Huang's mausoleum. Join a pottery workshop to throw and color a small figurine under a craftsperson's guidance. Continue to the Bell Tower, Gao Family Courtyard for paper-cutting and shadow puppetry demonstrations, and the Muslim Quarter for snacks before overnight in Xi'an. Your guide confirms timing and meeting points for the next stage of the itinerary.

Gallery: Terracotta ArmyPottery workshop

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After check-out, visit the Xi'an City Wall, one of China's best-preserved Ming walls, with optional bicycle or sightseeing vehicle access on the ramparts. Stop at the Big Wild Goose Pagoda North Square for photos. After lunch, take the high-speed train to Chengdu, about three to four hours. Your guide meets you and transfers you to the hotel for two nights.

Gallery: Big Wild Goose PagodaXi'an City Wall

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Visit the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in the morning to watch pandas feed and play. Enjoy a Sichuan lunch, then walk People's Park and Jinli Ancient Street for snacks and local shops. Overnight in Chengdu before Jinsha Site Museum, Wuhou Temple, and the flight to Guilin tomorrow. Your guide confirms timing and meeting points for the next stage of the itinerary.

Gallery: Giant pandasJinli Ancient Street

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In the morning, visit the Jinsha Site Museum for gold masks, bronzes, jades, and the Sun Bird ornament. After lunch, continue to Wuhou Temple, a major Three Kingdoms museum linked with Zhuge Liang and Shu Han figures. Fly to Guilin in the afternoon; your local guide meets you and transfers you to the hotel for three nights. Your guide confirms timing and meeting points for the next stage of the itinerary.

Gallery: Wuhou TempleJinsha Site Museum

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Drive about two hours from Guilin to the Longji Rice Terraces, layered hillside fields shaped over centuries by local minority communities. Hike terrace paths and visit ethnic minority villages for views of the dragon-spine contours across the mountains. Return to Guilin for overnight before tomorrow's Li River cruise to Yangshuo. Your guide confirms timing and meeting points for the next stage of the itinerary.

Gallery: Longji Rice Terraces

Cruise the classic Li River section from Guilin toward Yangshuo among limestone karst peaks, with lunch typically served on board. In Yangshuo, walk West Street or use a short sightseeing transfer as arranged. Optional Yulong River cycling may be offered depending on timing. Return by road to your Guilin hotel for overnight. Your guide confirms timing and meeting points for the next stage of the itinerary.

Gallery: Li River cruise

Enjoy a free morning in Guilin for last rest or packing. Check out and transfer with your guide to the airport for a midday flight to Hangzhou. Your local guide meets you and takes you to the hotel to settle in. Evening is free; Hefang Street is a recommended optional stroll for snacks and historic storefronts. Your guide confirms timing and meeting points for the next stage of the itinerary.

Visit Meijiawu Tea Village among Longjing tea gardens to learn about picking and processing at a local farm. Continue to Chenghuang Pavilion for a high view over West Lake. In the afternoon, take a boat on West Lake among classic lakeside scenery before overnight again in Hangzhou ahead of the train to Suzhou. Your guide confirms timing and meeting points for the next stage of the itinerary.

Gallery: West LakeMeijiawu Tea Village

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After breakfast, take the high-speed train to Suzhou. After lunch, visit Lingering Garden, a large Qing-style private garden, then Lion Grove Garden known for its rockeries. Finish with a walk along Pingjiang Ancient Street, a well-preserved canal district, before overnight in Suzhou ahead of Tongli and Shanghai tomorrow. Your guide confirms timing and meeting points for the next stage of the itinerary.

Gallery: Lion Grove GardenLingering Garden

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Drive from Suzhou to Tongli Ancient Town, a Jiangnan water town of canals and historic houses. Take a local boat along the waterways, then have lunch before continuing by road to Shanghai. Check in for two nights and rest after the transfer before Shikumen, The Bund, Yu Garden, and Jade Buddha Temple sightseeing tomorrow. Your guide confirms timing and meeting points for the next stage of the itinerary.

Gallery: Tongli Ancient Town

Walk Shikumen neighborhoods, then The Bund waterfront. Visit Yu Garden beside the City God Temple area, followed by Jade Buddha Temple with its jade Buddha statues. The program may also include a silk museum stop, Lujiazui views, and Shanghai Tower depending on timing. An optional ERA acrobatic show may be arranged in the evening at additional cost. Your guide confirms timing and meeting points for the next stage of the itinerary.

Gallery: The BundYu Garden

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Enjoy free time until your guide and driver meet you at the hotel for the airport transfer. This closes the 16-day China tour from Beijing through Xi'an, Chengdu, Guilin, Hangzhou, Suzhou, and Shanghai. Confirm terminal details and boarding timing so luggage and travel documents are ready for your homeward flight. Your guide confirms timing and meeting points for the next stage of the itinerary.