14-Day Traditional China Tour from Beijing: Taian, Qufu, Xuzhou, Nanjing, Suzhou, Tongli, Shanghai, Luoyang, White Horse Monastery, Sanmexia, Chengdu | Ticket Admission Included |

Welcome to China. After the border and customs formalities, an assistant will be waiting for you, to give you basic initial information and accompany on the transfer to take you from the airport to the hotel. Free time.

18.30hrs.- We meet our guide and our fellow passengers in the hotel reception area. Then we go on to familiarise ourselves with the city. We provide a transfer to Wangfujing street, a pedestrian and commercial street full of life with many shops and restaurants. Dinner included and return to hotel.

Note: All the following hotels are for your reference only, you may check-in other similar hotels.

 

07.30hrs- An exciting day awaits us. We will discover the main points of interest in the Chinese capital. We will have a full day visit with a local guide in which we will visit some of the main points in the city. We will start walking through the immense Tiananmen Square one of the largest squares in the world, and from them, we will appreciate the Great National Theater, Beijing Opera House. Then, the Great Chinese Imperial Palace, better known as "The Forbidden City", the most majestic architectural complex in China from where 24 emperors ruled for almost 500 years. We will also have the opportunity to visit Jingshan Park where the Coal Hill is located, one of the best preserved imperial gardens in Beijing. We ascend to the top of the hill to have the best views (if the day is clear) on the Forbidden City. Lunch is included. In the afternoon we include a tricycle ride through the traditional neigbourhood of Beijing, known as Hutong. In this area we can see the typical life style in these popular neighborhood, visit typical shops and even a traditional house, a Siheyuan, with all its lounges around a courtyard. We will finish our visit knowing the SUMMER PALACE, the Imperial House of the Qing Dynasty with its beautiful gardens and lakes.

We finish the visit around 18.30 hrs..- You can return to the hotel with the bus or stay in the center (in this case, return to the hotel will be by your means. We always recommend you to bring the hotel card written in Chinese to explain to the taxi driver where do you want to go).

Note: For reasons of heritage protection and increased visitor safety, the governing body of the Imperial Palace or Forbidden City has reduced the daily capacity of visitors for an indeterminate period of time. For this reason, we cannot guarantee that such a visit will take place. If it cannot be carried out, it would be replaced by a visit to the Confucius Temple and also the Lama Temple, both also emblematic of Chinese history and culture.

Note: Sometimes there is a large number of tourists in the Great Wall and it may be advisable to go walking avoiding the delays that may exist in the climb by funicular

Landscapes: Great metropolis of Beijing leaving the city, green mountains area around the wall.

07.30hrs.- Beijing, departure. Today’s programme includes an excursion to the Great Wall. 09.30 hrs.- GREAT WALL OF CHINA (section Mutianyu). Arrival to this spectacular architectural work. Its history covers more than 2000 years. The day will include a cable car ride up and down to one of the most scenic areas. Free time to have lunch and enjoy the comercial area and the Exhibition Center on the Wall.

Returning to Beijing, we will stop in the 798 th district, with its contemporary art located in an old military factory. We will also visit the TEMPLE OF HEAVEN, one of the country’s largest sacred complexes and a World Heritage Site. Before returning to the hotel, and as a way to rest from this intense day, we will take a Tai Chi class and enjoy a foot massage. We will bid farewell to Beijing with a lacquered duck dinner included. Return to the hotel at 21.00hrs.

Scenery: Interesting landscapes from the train. Fantastic in the Taishan mountain.

Notes: Wear comfortable shoes, we climb one of the sacred mountains of China. - The indicated schedule of the train can be modified. Every traveler must carry their own luggage on the train.

06.30hrs.- After breakfast, we go to the train station. We take one of China´s high speed trains. Expected train departure at 08.35 hrs from Beijing. At 300 km/hour, in two hours we arrive at TAIAN, situated at the foot of Mount Taishan, which is considered the most sacred mountain in China. We will visit the DAI Temple, a magnificent complex of Taoist temples from the 11th century. From here, the pilgrimage route begins. Lunch included. After this, our visit will include the cable car that ascends to the "gates of heaven" of the sacred mountain. The last phase has to be done walking on foot up its steep staircase among hundreds of pilgrims.

17.45 hrs - Taian- Departure. We travel by bus on the excellent Chinese highways.

19.15hrs.- QUFU, arrival to the city of Confucius, chinese thinker of the fifth century BC initiator of Confucianism, a small city in which it will not be difficult to walk through its historic center that offers a lot of tourist life. We recommend you a stroll.

Scenery: Green landscapes, hills and wide agricultural plains.

07.30hrs.- We visit the city of Confucius, We will enjoy the opening ceremony of the temple, musical and colorful (on some dates it may not be done). Our trip will include a visit and entrance to the Mansion and the Confucius Temple.

10.30hrs.- Qufu- Departure. We will continue our trip by coach.

13.00hrs.- XUZHOU. Arrival. Lunch included. We will discover the impressive underground Mausoleum of the Han Emperor, and we will be surprised by the sight of the terracotta army in the museum (similar, but smaller in size, to the extremely famous ones in Xian). After that, in the bus, we will pass by the beautiful Lake Yunlong, which is located in the centre of the city.

About 17:00hrs we arrived at our hotel. Accommodation. The city of Xuzhou is commercial and pleasant, you can take a walk on your own.

Scenery: Great agricultural plains. Beautiful entrance in Nanjing taking the suspension bridge over the Yangtze River.

08.00hrs.- Xuzhou- Departure. We travel through large agricultural areas. We enter Nanjing across the Yangtze River, the longest river in Asia.

13.15 hrs.-, we arrive in NANJING, a city of eight million people and considered by many to be the most pleasant in China. We will be amazed by the activity and commercial life of this modern metropolis. We will visit the Purple Mountain, where we will look round the SUN YATSEN mausoleum and the picturesque Lingu Temple.

About 18.00 hrs accommodation at the hotel. We suggest you to stroll in the city, modern, pleasant and full of commercial life and restaurants. Free time later on. Overnight.

Scenery: Plain and lakes

Note: We can first visit Suzhou and then Tongli.

07.30hrs.- Nanjing- Departure. We continue our route to the south of China. 10.45hrs.- SUZHOU, arrival to the city which has wonderful gardens that are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Lunch is included. This city was the main silk producer in the world, and was always associated with beauty and elegance. We include entrance tickets to the garden of the humble administrator. We will have free time to stroll along the very picturesque Pingjian road.

15.15hrs.- Suzhou- Departure. We soon enter the immense megalopolis of almost 25 million inhabitants.

16.00hrs.- TONGLI, arrival to this charming lake town with its small houses next to the canals and their gondolas. We included a nice boat ride.

18.00hrs.- Tongli- Departure.

20.00hrs.- SHANGHAI. Arrival.

08.30hrs.- In the morning, our trip includes a visit round this impressive city. We will know the area of Pudong, located across the Huangpu River, is now the financial district, with its skyscrapers as the Pearl Tower. We will walk around the elevated walkways with a spectacular view of the modern towers and take a local ferry to cross the river to get a view of the scenery from the water and see the city life. We come to the Bund, with its 19th-century European style buildings. Then we will go to the Old City and the Yuyuan Garden, a private garden that was built during the Ming Dynasty. We will enjoy a demonstration of the Tea ceremony, traditional drink that plays an important cultural role in China. We will pass by one of the most fashionable neighborhoods of the capital, Xintiandi. Lunch included. Then, visit Tianzifang, a former residential area known for its narrow, labyrinthine traditional streets with its small craft shops and art galleries. We finish the visit along the Bund with its old buildings that remind us of the influence of European trade.

We finish the visit around 18.30 hrs..- You can return to the hotel with the bus or stay in the center (in this case, return to the hotel will be by your means. We always recommend you to bring the hotel card written in Chinese to explain to the taxi driver where do you want to go).

Scenery: Plains, mountains, a variety of scenery seen from our comfortable train.

Note: The train timetable may be changed. Each passenger must carry their luggage on the trip. Do not carry sprays/aerosols larger than 100ml in your suitcase as they may be removed by the security checkpoint.

05.30 hrs.- Departure from the hotel. Picnic type breakfast. Transfer to the railway station. We take one of the fantastic Chinese high-speed trains. The train is expected to leave at 07.17 hrs.- Enjoy your railway trip, scenery of inland China, large plains, rice paddies, mountainous areas and greenery.

13.10 hrs.- LUOYANG – LONGMEN - Arrival -. Lunch included. After this we will see the LONGMEN CAVES-. The impressive Buddhist caves over a kilometre long. In the rocky wall of the river, more than 100,000 images of Buddha were cut. We will walk along its base and visit the most spectacular of them, including a boat trip to see them from the water.

Note: The boat ride may be suspended due to adverse weather conditions or river flooding.

17:30 Departure from Longmen

18:15 Arrival to Luoyang and and are transferred to the old city, going in through its impressive wall and where we can enjoy the great traditional activity and its lit up streets. We are shown the life of a small provincial capital of inland China. Return to the hotel.

Scenery: Pleasant scenery.

07:20 Hrs. Departure from the hotel

08:10 Hrs.- Arrival at the WHITE HORSE BUDDHIST MONASTERY, a huge monastery and place of study where Buddhists from all countries of the world.

09:30 hrs.- Departure from the monastery.

11:30 Hrs.- Arrival to SANMEXIA, in this historical city bathed by the waters of the Yellow River, we will visit the Baoulon temple with its high pagoda and visit one of the best museums in China: the Guo museum with the funeral carts of the ancient state of Guo. Lunch included.

14:30 Hrs.- Departure. We continue to the east, we will see Mount Hua, a sacred mountain.

18:30 Hrs.- XIAN, arrival and overnight.

Note: You must present your passport for entry to the Terracotta Army Museum.

08.00hrs.- First thing in the morning, we will go to see the TERRACOTA ARMY, with its thousands of life size clay soldiers that were found underground. This fantastic archaeological site is less than an hour from the center of Xian.

Free time for lunch.

13.50hrs.- Terracota Army. Departure.

14.50 hrs.- XIAN. We will visit the Small Wild Goose Pagoda where we will enjoy a brief Chinese calligraphy course. Later, we go across through the walled centre. We will cross the Muslim quarter there and we will enter the mosque, where we will be able to see the multiple cultures and religions that have left their mark on this country. Our tour will also include entry tickets to the Drum Tower where we will enjoy a short show of traditional instrument playing. Free time.- We will then take a walk through its Muslim quarter and enter the mosque, where we can think about how the different cultures and religions that have populated the scenery have left their mark.

At around 18:30 p.m. we finish our visit. You can return to the hotel or walk around on your own in the active historic center.

We leave Xian in a very modern high-speed train, and in just over three hours we cover the 700 km that separate us from CHENGDU. On arrival we will go to the Panda Bear research and breeding centre, a reserve where 120 giant pandas and 76 red pandas live. Lunch included. In the afternoon we will take a stroll through the People´s Park, with its small lake, the local people doing Taichi, and its tea houses

Today we include full-day tour of Sichuan Province, with its pleasant landscapes and traditional villages. In DUJIANGYAN we see the traditional irrigation system, which has been working for more than 2000 years and is a world heritage site. QUINGCHENG SHAN, "mountain of the green city" is a Taoist holy mountain. Its paths through the forests show us caves, pavilions and centuries-old wooden temples, lunch included. Finally, we will visit the ancient city of JIEZI with its alleys with over a thousand years of history. Return to CHENGDU.

After breakfast, end of our services.