11 Days China Highlights Tour: Beijing, Shanghai, Guilin, Xi’an and Chengdu
- Duration
- 11 Days / 10 Nights
- Pace
- Easy
- Group size
- Private, on your dates
- Best season
- All year
The trip at a glance
The best of inland China in 11 days: the Great Wall and the Forbidden City, the Bund and the old town of Shanghai, the Li River through the limestone hills of Guilin, the Terra-Cotta Warriors of Xi'an, and giant pandas in Chengdu. A private tour for your own party, and the natural companion to any Tibet trip.
A prelude or a finale to Tibet. This tour ends in Chengdu, the main gateway to Lhasa. Take it before your Tibet tour and fly from Chengdu to Lhasa on the last day. Take it after Tibet and fly from Lhasa to Beijing to begin here. Or take it on its own and fly home from Chengdu, which has direct international flights.
Read the full overview
Five cities, five different Chinas. Beijing is the imperial capital. Shanghai is the modern port. Guilin is the river and the hills that Chinese painters have drawn for a thousand years. Xi’an is the ancient capital of the first emperor. Chengdu is the easy-going tea-house city of Sichuan, and home of the pandas.
We stay with you from start to finish. We run Tibet with our own team. For the inland cities on this tour we work with local partners we have known for years, and we remain your one point of contact for the whole journey.
As a private tour, the order and the pace are yours. Start in Shanghai instead of Beijing, add a night in Yangshuo, or swap a city. Tell us what you want to see and we will shape the route.
Photo credits: Li River near Yangshuo, Luka Peternel, CC BY-SA 4.0; Li River, Huangdan2060, CC0; Great Wall at Juyongguan, Peter K Burian, CC BY 4.0; Shanghai skyline, Ernest Jourdier, CC BY 4.0; Terra-Cotta Army, Joe Hart, CC BY 2.0; giant panda, George Lu, CC BY 2.0; all via Wikimedia Commons.
- Beijing
- high-speed train
- Shanghai
- flight
- Guilin
- flight
- Xi'an
- high-speed train
- Chengdu (fly home, or on to Lhasa)
Where you go, and how high you sleep
The route, stop by stop
Beijing → high-speed train → Shanghai → flight → Guilin → flight → Xi'an → high-speed train → Chengdu (fly home, or on to Lhasa)
- Arrive in BeijingDay 1
- Juyongguan Great Wall and Yonghegong Lama TempleDay 2
- Tian'anmen, the Forbidden City and the Summer Palace, then to ShanghaiDay 3
- Yu Garden, the old city, Zhujiajiao and the BundDay 4
- Nanjing Road, then to GuilinDay 5
- Li River cruise to YangshuoDay 6
- Reed Flute Cave and Elephant Trunk Hill, then to Xi'anDay 7
- Terra-Cotta Warriors, Qin Mausoleum, Huaqing Hot Spring and a Tang showDay 8
- Wild Goose Pagoda, the City Wall and the Muslim Quarter, then to ChengduDay 9
- Giant Panda Base, Kuanzhai Alleys and a Chengdu teahouseDay 10
- Depart from Chengdu, or fly to LhasaDay 11
Day by day
Days 1–2 · Beijing hotel
Arrive in Beijing
Our guide meets you at the airport and takes you to your hotel. In the evening, a Peking duck dinner at a well-known restaurant.
Juyongguan Great Wall and Yonghegong Lama Temple
Walk on the Juyongguan section of the Great Wall, built through a mountain pass north of Beijing. In the afternoon visit the Yonghegong Lama Temple, the largest Tibetan Buddhist temple in the city.
Tian'anmen, the Forbidden City and the Summer Palace, then to Shanghai
Cross Tian'anmen Square and walk through the Forbidden City, the palace of the Ming and Qing emperors. In the afternoon see the Summer Palace with its lake and gardens. In the evening take the high-speed train to Shanghai, about four and a half hours.
Yu Garden, the old city, Zhujiajiao and the Bund
Visit the Yu Garden and the old city in the morning. In the afternoon drive out to Zhujiajiao, an old water town of canals and stone bridges. In the evening walk along the Bund and see the Pudong skyline across the river.
Nanjing Road, then to Guilin
A free morning with time to walk along Nanjing Road, Shanghai's main shopping street. In the afternoon fly to Guilin, about two and a half hours.
Li River cruise to Yangshuo
Cruise down the Li River from Guilin to Yangshuo, four to five hours past the limestone hills, villages and water buffalo on the banks. Spend the afternoon in Yangshuo and its West Street, then drive back to Guilin.
Reed Flute Cave and Elephant Trunk Hill, then to Xi'an
Visit Reed Flute Cave, a large limestone cave with lit rock formations, and Elephant Trunk Hill on the riverbank, the symbol of Guilin. In the afternoon fly to Xi'an, about two hours.
Terra-Cotta Warriors, Qin Mausoleum, Huaqing Hot Spring and a Tang show
Visit the Terra-Cotta Warriors, the army buried with China's first emperor more than 2,200 years ago, then the Qin Mausoleum and the Huaqing Hot Spring at the foot of Mount Li. In the evening enjoy a Tang Dynasty music and dance show.
Wild Goose Pagoda, the City Wall and the Muslim Quarter, then to Chengdu
Visit the Wild Goose Pagoda, walk on top of the Ancient City Wall and spend time in the Muslim Quarter. In the afternoon take the high-speed train to Chengdu, about four hours.
Giant Panda Base, Kuanzhai Alleys and a Chengdu teahouse
Visit the Giant Panda Base in the morning, when the pandas are most active. In the afternoon walk through the Kuanzhai Alleys, a restored old neighbourhood, and sit in a teahouse as the people of Chengdu do.
Depart from Chengdu, or fly to Lhasa
Our guide takes you to Chengdu airport for your international flight home, or for the flight to Lhasa if Tibet is next.
What is included
Included
- Airport and station pick-ups and transfers
- Private vehicle and English-speaking guide in each city
- Hotels as listed in the itinerary, with daily breakfast
- Entrance tickets for the sights listed in the itinerary
- The Li River cruise with lunch on board
- High-speed train tickets and the domestic flights between the cities as listed
Not included
- International flights, and the flight from Chengdu to Lhasa
- China visa
- Lunches and dinners not listed
- Personal expenses and tips
- Single room supplement
Photos from this route
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Can I combine this China tour with a Tibet tour?
Yes. That is how most of our guests take it. The tour ends in Chengdu, from where Lhasa is a flight of about two and a half hours, so a Tibet tour can follow straight on. You can also do Tibet first and start this tour afterwards by flying from Lhasa to Beijing.
Is it better to do Tibet before or after this tour?
Both work. Tibet after is the easier order: you spend the first week at low altitude, and the days you travel inland give us time to arrange your Tibet Travel Permit. Tibet first suits guests whose international flights arrive in Lhasa from Kathmandu.
Why does the tour end in Chengdu?
Chengdu is the main gateway to Lhasa and has direct international flights, so from Chengdu you can go on to Tibet or fly home. Ending there keeps both choices open.
Can I change the order of the cities?
Yes. This is a private tour. Start in Shanghai, drop Guilin for more time in Xi'an, or add a night in Yangshuo. Tell us your dates and what matters to you and we will shape the route.
How do I travel between the cities?
High-speed trains from Beijing to Shanghai and from Xi'an to Chengdu, and flights into and out of Guilin. We book all tickets and your guide meets you at every station and airport.
Is a Tibet permit needed for this tour?
Not for the inland cities. If you add Tibet, we arrange the Tibet Travel Permit for you once the Tibet part is confirmed.
What does it cost?
Please send us your dates, the number of travellers and whether you want to add Tibet, and we will reply with the price within 24 hours.
Add Tibet before or after this tour
This tour ends in Chengdu, the gateway to Lhasa, so Tibet fits on either end. Here are the two most common ways our guests join the two. We arrange the Tibet Travel Permit and the connecting flight, and you have one point of contact throughout.
Tibet after this tour (finale)
Fly from Chengdu to Lhasa on Day 11 and carry straight on. The simplest add-on is our 4-day Lhasa tour:
- Fly Chengdu to Lhasa, rest and get used to the altitude
- Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple and Barkhor Street
- Tibet Museum, Norbulingka and the Sera Monastery debate
- Depart from Lhasa
Tibet before this tour (prelude)
Start in Lhasa, then fly to Beijing and begin Day 1 here. Guests who want Everest as well usually take our 8-day Lhasa to Everest Base Camp tour first:
- Lhasa: Potala, Jokhang, Sera and the Tibet Museum
- Yamdrok Lake, Gyantse and Shigatse
- Everest Base Camp and the Rongbuk Monastery
- Back to Lhasa, then fly to Beijing for this tour
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