14-Day China Tour with Zhangjiajie, Guilin & Classic Cities

Begin at Tiananmen Square before entering the Forbidden City, the former seat of China’s imperial court after Arrive in Beijing; Mutianyu Great Wall and Beijing Hutongs follows on the next day. After lunch, continue to the Temple of Heaven, where emperors once prayed for good harvests. An Acrobatic Show leads into an a la carte welcome dinner featuring authentic Peking Roast Duck. The sightseeing connects Beijing’s imperial planning, ceremonial spaces and living city history instead of presenting the landmarks as isolated photo stops. (B+L+D).

Travel beyond central Beijing to the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall, using either the round-trip cable car or a chairlift ascent with a toboggan descent after Imperial Beijing and Evening Shows; Summer Palace and High-Speed Train to Xi’an follows on the next day. Celebrate the visit with red wine and a buffet lunch, drive past the Olympic Bird’s Nest, then return to old Beijing for a rickshaw ride through the hutongs and a visit with a family in a traditional courtyard home. (B+L).

Spend the morning at the Summer Palace, a Qing-dynasty imperial retreat arranged around gardens, pavilions and water after Mutianyu Great Wall and Beijing Hutongs; Terracotta Army and Tang Dynasty Evening follows on the next day. After a lunch of local flavors, board the high-speed train to Xi’an, where you are met and transferred to the hotel. Food and market stops are selected for regional character, with dietary preferences and a comfortable sightseeing rhythm considered in advance. (B+L).

Meet the thousands-strong Terracotta Army and visit the home of the farmer credited with discovering the first warrior after Summer Palace and High-Speed Train to Xi’an; Xi’an Local Life, City Wall and Museums follows on the next day. After lunch, make a miniature clay warrior of your own and continue to the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda. The day closes with a dumpling dinner and a Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Show. (B+L+D).

See the city from a more local perspective at Xi’an City Wall Park, where a master leads a shadowboxing practice before you ascend the ancient wall after Terracotta Army and Tang Dynasty Evening; Fly from Xi’an to Guilin follows on the next day. Continue to the Muslim Quarter for an a la carte local lunch, then visit the Great Mosque and Shaanxi History Museum to connect the city’s communities with its long history. (B+L).

Transfer for the flight to Guilin and continue to the hotel on arrival after Xi’an Local Life, City Wall and Museums; Li River Cruise to Yangshuo follows on the next day. Your first look at the region includes Reed Flute Cave and Elephant Trunk Hill, two contrasting landmarks that introduce Guilin’s limestone landscape. Reed Flute Cave, riverside landmarks and the surrounding limestone peaks introduce the distinctive karst landscape of Guilin. (B). After Xi’an Local Life, City Wall and Museums, use the journey time for planned comfort stops and keep water and valuables close at hand.

See Guilin’s karst peaks from the water during the Li River cruise to Yangshuo after Fly from Xi’an to Guilin; High-Speed Train from Guilin to Zhangjiajie follows on the next day. On arrival, walk along West Street and explore the surrounding countryside before returning to Guilin by road. Before setting out for Li River Cruise to Yangshuo, the guide checks the day's weather, access and walking conditions. Around Li River Cruise to Yangshuo on Day 8, wear shoes with reliable grip, carry water and a light layer, and use the planned rest points for photographs; the distance can be shortened without replacing the named highlight if conditions turn.

Keep the morning free in Guilin, then settle in for the approximately seven-hour high-speed train journey to Zhangjiajie after Li River Cruise to Yangshuo; Zhangjiajie National Forest Park follows on the next day. A transfer to the hotel is arranged after arrival and check-in. Zhangjiajie’s sandstone peaks are experienced from complementary elevations, with lifts, cableways and walking sections coordinated around current access. (B). The transfer toward High-Speed Train from Guilin to Zhangjiajie includes sensible comfort stops around the actual road or rail schedule.

Spend a full day among Zhangjiajie’s sandstone pillars after High-Speed Train from Guilin to Zhangjiajie; Grand Canyon Glass Bridge and Golden Whip Stream follows on the next day. Ride the Bailong Elevator to Yuanjiajie for Hallelujah Mountain, continue through Yangjiajie and its Natural Great Wall, then visit Tianzi Mountain before descending by cable car. Once High-Speed Train from Guilin to Zhangjiajie is complete, Zhangjiajie’s sandstone peaks are experienced from complementary elevations, with lifts, cableways and walking sections coordinated around current access. (B+L).

Cross the Glass Bridge suspended above Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon, then return to Zhangjiajie National Forest Park for a hike beside Golden Whip Stream; Tianmen Mountain and Flight to Shanghai follows on the next day. Together, the two visits pair a high viewpoint with a closer look at the forest floor and rock formations. On Day 11 at Grand Canyon Glass Bridge and Golden Whip Stream, Zhangjiajie’s sandstone peaks are experienced from complementary elevations, with lifts, cableways and walking sections coordinated around current access. (B+L).

Use the round-trip cableway to explore Tianmen Mountain, including the Glass Skywalk and Tianmen Cave, also known as Heaven’s Gate after Grand Canyon Glass Bridge and Golden Whip Stream; Old and New Shanghai follows on the next day. After lunch, take the approximately two-hour flight to Shanghai. At Tianmen Mountain and Flight to Shanghai on Day 12, Zhangjiajie’s sandstone peaks are experienced from complementary elevations, with lifts, cableways and walking sections coordinated around current access. (B+L). The transfer toward Tianmen Mountain & Flight to Shanghai includes sensible comfort stops around the actual road or rail schedule.

Start in the classical setting of Yu Garden and continue to Shanghai Museum after Tianmen Mountain and Flight to Shanghai; Depart Shanghai follows on the next day. Later, walk along the Bund to read the city’s trading history in its waterfront architecture, then view both banks from a Huangpu River cruise. The day contrasts Shanghai’s classical gardens and historic waterfront with the architecture and skyline of the modern Huangpu River. (B). The transfer toward Old & New Shanghai includes sensible comfort stops around the actual road or rail schedule. Keep water and valuables in hand luggage; on arrival, the guide prioritizes check-in and the named local visit before the next day's Depart Shanghai instead of adding an unrelated detour.

Check out before 12:00 after Old and New Shanghai. Private-tour guests receive an airport transfer; guests on the group-tour option arrange their own transport to the airport. During Depart Shanghai, the guide links the named sights through local history and details visible on the ground. At Depart Shanghai on Day 14, allow time to walk rather than photograph each stop from the vehicle, ask before photographing people or ceremonies, and choose a nearby local meal so the visit remains focused on this part of the route.