14-Day Tour: Beijing, Xi'an, Guilin, Zhangjiajie, Shanghai

Arrive in Beijing, the starting city of this 14-day China tour through Beijing, Xi'an, Guilin, Zhangjiajie, and Shanghai. Your driver meets you at the airport and transfers you to the hotel for check-in. Spend the rest of the day resting and settling in after the flight before Temple of Heaven, hutong, and Forbidden City sightseeing tomorrow. Confirm arrival details with your guide so tomorrow's Forbidden City timing stays on schedule.

Begin at the Temple of Heaven, where Ming and Qing emperors once prayed for good harvests. Take a rickshaw through traditional hutong alleys and visit a local family for a look at courtyard daily life. After lunch, continue to Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City, the large wooden palace complex of the Ming and Qing courts, before overnight in Beijing.

Gallery: Forbidden CityBeijing hutongs

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Travel to the Mutianyu Great Wall and take the cable car up and down the restored ramparts among forested ridges. Have lunch near the Wall, then stop in the city for photos at the Bird's Nest and Water Cube Olympic venues from 2008. Return to the hotel in the late afternoon and rest before the Summer Palace visit and high-speed train to Xi'an tomorrow.

Gallery: Mutianyu Great WallOlympic venues

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In the morning, explore the Summer Palace on Kunming Lake; optional lake boating is available if you wish. After lunch, transfer to the train station for the high-speed train to Xi'an. Your local guide meets you at the station and escorts you to the hotel for two nights before City Wall, pottery workshop, and Terracotta Army sightseeing. Overnight in Xi'an prepares you for City Wall and Terracotta Army sightseeing.

Gallery: Summer PalaceKunming Lake

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Begin at the Xi'an Ming City Wall, where you may optionally cycle along the ramparts. Continue to a pottery workshop to make a miniature terracotta figurine, then explore the Terracotta Army archaeological pits after lunch. Later, stroll Bell Tower Square in the city center before overnight in Xi'an ahead of the flight to Guilin tomorrow. Overnight again in Xi'an before the courtyard visit and flight to Guilin.

Gallery: Terracotta ArmyXi'an City Wall

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Enjoy a free morning at leisure. At check-out, visit the Gao Family Courtyard on Muslim Street for the historic residence and a shadow-puppetry introduction. Continue to the North Square of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda for photos and the musical fountain show when scheduled. Transfer to the airport for a late-afternoon or evening flight to Guilin and hotel check-in for three nights.

Gallery: Big Wild Goose PagodaMuslim Street courtyard

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Drive about two hours to the Longji Rice Terraces for layered hillside fields and mountain views. Lunch in Ping'an Village may feature traditional bamboo-cooked dishes. In the afternoon, walk through Yao and Zhuang villages and nearby paddies before returning to Guilin around 5:00 PM. An optional Four Lakes night tour may be arranged at additional cost. Overnight in Guilin after the terraces sets up tomorrow's Li River cruise.

Gallery: Longji rice terraces

Board a Li River cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo, about four hours among limestone karst peaks reflected in the water. On arrival, stroll West Street at your own pace for shops and snacks. Return by road to Guilin for overnight. An optional Yangshuo Impression show may be arranged at additional cost if timing allows. Overnight again in Guilin before Elephant Trunk Hill and the train to Zhangjiajie.

Gallery: YangshuoLi River cruise

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After breakfast, visit Elephant Trunk Hill, Guilin's landmark karst formation, then Reed Flute Cave for illuminated rock formations. Lunch at a local restaurant, then transfer to the station for the high-speed train to Zhangjiajie. Your guide meets you on arrival and escorts you to the hotel for three nights before Tianmen Mountain sightseeing. Overnight in Zhangjiajie after the train leaves time for Tianmen Mountain next.

Gallery: Reed Flute CaveElephant Trunk Hill

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Spend the day at Tianmen Mountain, covering the cable car, glass skywalk, Tianmen Temple, bonsai garden, Tianmen Cave, and the Avenue to Heaven as timing allows. On the return, stop at the Tujia Ethnic Minority Cultural Park for local culture and architecture. An optional Tianmen Fox Fairy evening show may be arranged at additional cost. Overnight again in Zhangjiajie before Yuanjiajie and Tianzi Mountain sightseeing.

Gallery: Tianmen MountainTianmen Cave

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Take the Bailong Elevator to Yuanjiajie for sandstone pillar peaks and a natural stone bridge viewpoint. Continue by electric shuttle through Tianzi Mountain Nature Reserve among mountains, valleys, and forests. Optionally ride the mini-train through the Ten-Mile Gallery at additional cost before returning to the hotel for overnight. Overnight again in Zhangjiajie before the glass bridge, Baofeng Lake, and flight to Shanghai.

Gallery: Tianzi MountainYuanjiajie peaks

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After breakfast, visit the Grand Canyon Glass Bridge for high canyon views. After lunch, explore Baofeng Lake by boat among waterfalls and clear water, with traditional Tujia folk songs often part of the cruise. Transfer to Zhangjiajie Airport for an evening flight to Shanghai and hotel check-in for two nights. Overnight in Shanghai after the flight before Yu Garden and The Bund sightseeing.

Gallery: Baofeng LakeGrand Canyon Glass Bridge

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Walk historic Shikumen lanes for local street life and Shanghai architecture. Visit Yu Garden and the nearby Yuyuan Bazaar by Old City God Temple Street. After lunch, tour the Shanghai History Museum in the Oriental Pearl Tower and ride to the second observation sphere for panoramic views. Drive through Lujiazui and finish at The Bund before overnight. Overnight again in Shanghai before the airport departure transfer tomorrow.

Gallery: The BundYu Garden

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Enjoy free time at the hotel or nearby until your guide and driver meet you for the airport transfer. This closes the 14-day China tour from Beijing through Xi'an, Guilin, Zhangjiajie, and Shanghai. Confirm terminal details and boarding timing so luggage and travel documents are ready for your homebound flight check-in. This marks the end of the escorted Beijing-to-Shanghai itinerary.