Day 1 – Arrival in Beijing

Our guide will meet you outside the baggage claim area at Beijing Airport and transfer you to your hotel. The rest of the day is at your leisure.

Meals: No meals provided.

Day 2 – Beijing

Attractions: Mutianyu Great Wall, Ming Tombs, Bird’s Nest, Water Cube, Peking Roast Duck Dinner

Today you will have the opportunity to climb the ancient steps at Mutianyu Great Wall which is one of the best preserved sections of the wall and less crowded than Badaling. If you wish you can avoid the steep climb by riding a cable car up. On the way back to Beijing you will visit the Ming Tombs and the magnificent Lingsi Palace. You will also stop by the Bird’s Nest and Water Cube Cube for an outside view of the unique constructions built for the 2008 Olympic Games.

For dinner, you will have a chance to taste the famous Peking Roast Duck.

Meals: Breakfast at your hotel, Dinner – Peking Roast Duck

Day 3 – Beijing

Attractions: Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Hutongs, Temple of Heaven, Peking Opera

You will start today’s tour with a visit to Tiananmen Square, which is the largest city-central square in the world. To the north is the magnificent Tiananmen Gate with its five openings. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the passage in the middle leading to the Forbidden City was reserved for the emperor himself.  Now you can walk through it to explore the largest and best preserved imperial palace in China.

In the afternoon you will have a chance to tour the Beijing ‘hutongs’ by rickshaw. These are the narrow back alleyways where you can get a glimpse of how Beijing used to be. Finally visit the Temple of Heaven where the Emperors once worshiped heaven and prayed for good harvests.

In the evening we offer you the opportunity to enjoy some Peking Opera featuring exquisite costumes and the skilled use of body language.

Meals: Breakfast at your hotel

Day 4 – Beijing to Xi’an

Attractions: Summer Palace

In the morning you will visit the Summer Palace to view the royal gardens and the famous Long Corridor. After lunch you will be transferred to the airport for your flight to Xi’an.

Meals: Breakfast at your hotel

Day 5 – Xi’an

Attractions: City Wall, Terracotta Warriors, Big Wild Goose Pagoda, Dumpling Banquet

Your Xi’an tour begins with a visit to the City Wall which was initially built as a military defense system over 600 years ago. From the wall you can appreciate magnificent ancient constructions and admire the surrounding urban landscape.

Next you will head for Xi’an’s most famous attraction, the Terracotta Warriors. Discovered accidentally in 1974, this incredible army of over 7000 soldiers, archers, horses and chariots in full battle array has guarded Emperor Qin’s tomb since 210BC. Prepare to be impressed.

Afterwards you will visit the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. It was built in the 7th century to house the Buddhist materials that Xuanzang brought back from his epic journey to India. The pagoda is one of the most distinctive and outstanding landmarks of Xi’an.

This evening you will feast on a traditional Dumpling Banquet, a specialty of the region, afterwards enjoying a performance of music and dance from the Tang Dynasty.

Meals: Breakfast at your hotel, Dinner – Dumpling Banquet

Day 6 – Xi’an to Chengdu

Attractions: Shaanxi History Museum, Great Mosque, Muslim Quarter

Start the morning at the Shaanxi History Museum. As part of the Silk Road route Xi’an has a well-documented history and here you can admire the enormous collection of historic and cultural relics.

Then you will visit the Great Mosque and round off your time in Xi’an by exploring the adjacent Muslim Quarter with its myriad of interesting handicraft and snack shops. Be ready to bargain!

Later you will fly to Chengdu and be transferred to your hotel.

Chengdu is the capital of Sichuan Province. It has a long history and is famous as the first place in the world to produce paper money in 1023.

Meals: Breakfast at your hotel

Day 7 – Chengdu

Attractions: Chengdu Panda Breeding Research Centre, Wenshu Temple, Jinli Ancient Street, Sichuan Opera Show

Due to habitat destruction and other reasons, the giant panda is probably the most famous endangered animal in the world. Today you will have the chance to visit the Chengdu Panda Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding which is home to more than sixty giant pandas. The tour guide will pick you up early as the best time to visit is in the morning when the pandas are most active.

In the afternoon you will visit the Wenshu Temple. This Tang Dynasty Buddhist temple is the most impressive, and perhaps also the most used, temple in Chengdu. Afterwards, you will visit Jinli Ancient Street which is part of the old city of Chengdu.

In the evening you will enjoy a Sichuan Opera show featuring traditional musicians. Quick face-changing and fire spitting are the highlights here.

Meals: Breakfast at your hotel

Day 8 – Departure from Chengdu

After breakfast you will be driven to Chengdu Airport to check in for your onward flight.