Sample Itinerary

Day 1 - Beijing
Arrive Beijing, capital of the People's Republic of China, is the nation's political, economic and cultural centers as well as a hub of transportation and international exchanges. Its rich cultural and artistic heritage is brought to life by burgeoning urban development.

After going through immigration and customs, you’ll be met by your English speaking guide for private transfer to your hotel. Consider the Grand Beijing Hotel. This centrally located, deluxe 5 star hotel has a very good location with the Wangfujing Shopping Street on the East and the Forbidden City on its West. Your room can have a Forbidden City view.

NOTE: China has a wide selection of excellent 4 and 5 star hotels that MILA Tours can recommend.

Day 2 - Beijing
9:00 AM - Tour of Tian’annmen Square, the center of Beijing and the world’s largest city square with 440,000-square-meters that can hold 1 million people. Proceed to the Forbidden City, a 720,000-square-meter former Imperial Palace for the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Built during the 1406-1420 period, it is the largest complex in existence in China and is a UNESCO world cultural heritage site.

Lunch can be at the Xuxiangzhai Restaurant, a Buddhist Vegetarian restaurant. Many of their dishes are cooked with bean curd which can taste like pork, beef or lamb.

After lunch, tour the Summer Palace (Yiheyuan), built in 1750. By far the best-preserved imperial garden in China it contains the Yonghegong Lamasery (Lama Temple). The Yonghegong (Palace of Harmony and Peace) had been the mansion of Emperor Yongzheng during his days as the crown prince. After he ascended the throne he had it converted into a lamasery, which has remained as such to this day. The tour can include a Kunming Lake Boat Ride and a visit to a Pearl Store.

Welcome Dinner featuring Roast Duck, a Beijing specialty. (B, L, SD)

Day 3 - Beijing
9:00 AM – Tour to the Great Wall, an emblem of Chinese civilization and a cultural phenomenon that is a UNESCO world cultural heritage site. The 6350 km Great Wall served in China’s feudal years as a mammoth defense bulwark that serpentined its way across mountains and valleys in the northern part of the country. Tour includes a visit to the Ming Tombs where 13 emperors are buried.

Dinner on your own. (B, L)

Day 4 - Beijing /XIAN
9:00 AM Tour of a Hutong, back alley residential area of quadrangle dwellings where old traditions remain very much alive. Touring these hutongs is a special travel experience in Beijing. The tour will include Prince Gong's Mansion, visiting Drum Tower (including a Drumming Performance), touring a Courtyard House and chatting with the residents. You will have lunch with local families where the neighborhood hosts will cook authentic local Beijing dishes.

After lunch, fly to Xian (an excellent overnight train is also available with private sleeping compartments). Upon arrival, you’ll be met at the airport for private transfer to your hotel.

That evening visit the Tang Dynasty Dumpling Dinner Show where more than 30 varieties of dumplings are served. After dinner, enjoy a singing and dancing performance from the Tang Dynasty. (B, L, SD)

Day 5 - Xian
9:00 AM - Visit to the Grand Mosque, which has more than 1,200 years of history and is one of four grand Islamic mosques in China. The design is a mix of architecture, combining traditional Muslim and Chinese styles. Visit the famous Terra Cotta Army Museum. In March 1974, villagers of the Xiyang Village, while welling, found by chance the Emperor Qinshihuang's Tomb Figures made up of Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses that were buried in battle formation. The Museum of Emperor Qinshihuang's Tomb is one of the 10 most famous places in China, and is a world cultural heritage site by UNESCO.

After lunch at the museum’s Friendship Restaurant, tour the Terra Cotta Army Workshop to see how the famous Terra Cotta soldiers and horses were made.

Dinner on your own. (B, L)

Day 6 – Xian/Guilin
Morning on your own. Afternoon transfer to the airport for flight to Guilin, a scenic city with a fabulous landscape that is characterized by green mountains, sparkling waters, strange cave formations and statuesque monoliths. You’ll be met at the airport for private transfer to your hotel. That evening, enjoy dinner at the Longze Tea Restaurant, where different kinds of tea are used as spice. (B, L, SD)

Day 7 - Guilin
8:00 AM –Drive to the port to embark on a Li River Cruise. The Lijiang River has inspired many poems and paintings with its unique Karst landforms. Sites along the way include the “Three Hills," "Nine Horses in Picture Hill," "Xingping, " "Green-Lotus World,” and the Reed Flute Cave, the ”art hall created by nature." On the way back visit Elephant Trunk Hill.
Dinner on your own. (B, L)

Day 8 - Guilin/Shanghai
Morning flight to Shanghai, China's leading industrial and commercial city and a major financial center that is located on the southern shore of the Yangtze River estuary. You’ll be met at the airport for private transfer to your hotel.

After lunch, tour the Yuyuan Garden, perhaps the best classical garden example in Shanghai. The neighboring Yuyuan Bazaar, known as the "Old City God's Temple Market," is a rising shopping area. Your tour can include a Huangpu River Cruise, the Shanghai Museum and a visit to the sophisticated Nanjing Road shopping complex of specialty stores, exotic restaurants and cultural and recreational facilities.

You’ll also want to visit the picturesque Bund, an emblem of the new Shanghai. Over fifty modern skyscrapers extend 1.5 km on the western shore of the Huangpu River to create a museum display of modern architecture and one of the world’s most famous skylines. The wide riverfront promenade along the eastern side of the Bund provides a captivating view of Shanghai.

Enjoy dinner and the world-famous Shanghai Acrobatic Show this evening. (B, L, D)

Day 9 – Shanghai/Zhouzhuang/Shanghai
9:00 AM - Day tour to Zhouzhuang, a traditional water town that is intersected by flowing rivers and streams with 400 year old buildings and a leisurely slow pace to life. This is a wonderful location for photos of “old China. After lunch, visit a Silk Factory as part of your exploration. Farewell dinner that evening in Family Xi’s Garden Restaurant in Shanghai. The restaurant was originally a villa of the Koumingtang governor before 1949. (B, L, D)

Day 10 - Shanghai
Take time to visit the Nanjing shopping street before your private transfer to airport and your home. (B)