8 Days Beijing Luoyang Xian Cultural Tour
Tour Overview
Welcome to the 8-day China’s ancient capital tour of Beijing, Luoyang and Xi’an. In Beijing, you will visit imperial sites such as the Forbidden City, Summer Palace, and Temple of Heaven to uncover the history of royal families. The Great Wall is a must see on a trip to Beijing. We will arrange for you to take the cable car to save time and energy.
Most people’s understanding of Chinese Kung Fu comes from Bruce Lee’s movies. This China tour will take you to the cradle of Shaolin Kung Fu, Shaolin Temple, in Luoyang. The wonderful Kung Fu performance is a highlight. In Luoyang, you will also see the intricate Longmen Grottoes. Finally, go to the life size Terra Cotta Warriors in Xi’an and learn about the local Muslim culture.
Travel destinations: Beijing, Luoyang, Xian
Suitable for: Culture Explorers, History Buffs
Tour type: Private
Highlights of this tour:
- Visit the opulent halls of Forbidden City to unravel imperial secrets.
- Enjoy the breathtaking panorama during your Mutianyu Great Wall hiking.
- Watch the wonderful Kung Fu Show at Shaolin Temple.
- Learn about the Buddhist art at the intricate Longmen Grottoes.
- Marvel at the lifelike Terracotta Warriors through three pits.
- Choose to ride a bike on the top of the Xian Ancient City Wall, enjoying panoramic views of its modern skyline.
Day-by-day Itinerary
- Day 1: Arrival in Beijing
Welcome to the capital of China - Beijing to join an 8-day China cultural tour of Beijing Luoyang Xian. Upon your arrival at Beijing Capital International Airport, your private driver will be waiting for you at the exit of the Arrival Hall with a welcome sign. You will then be escorted to your pre-booked hotel. The rest of the day is free for you.
Meal: N/A
Accommodation: in Beijing
- Day 2: Beijing City TourExplore Chinese Imperial History of the Qing Dynasty
After breakfast, your guide will pick you up for a visit to Tiananmen Square. Located in the city center, the square is one of the largest city squares in the world. It is a sacred site for major celebrations, grand gatherings, and foreign affairs receptions in China.
After that, continue walking a short distance north to the Forbidden City, a royal palace of the Ming and Qing dynasties in China, located at the center of Beijing's central axis. It was listed as a World Cultural Heritage site in 1987. There are nearly 9,000 rooms, and your guide will take you to visit some important sites and tell you stories about what happened here.
Forbidden City After a delicious Chinese lunch, head to the Qing Dynasty royal garden - the Summer Palace. Located in the western suburbs of Beijing, it is the most well preserved imperial palace and garden in China. The entire park covers an area of 3.009 square kilometers, with water surface accounting for about three-quarters. It is composed of Wanshou Hill and Kunming Lake. It was built based on the scenery of West Lake in Hangzhou, drawing inspiration from the design of Jiangnan gardens. To spend your leisurely afternoon, you can choose to take a cruise on Kunming Lake (for an additional fee).
Optional Night Activity: Kungfu Show
Chinese Kung Fu has a very wide influence in the world, and most foreigners know Kung Fu from Jackie Chen and Bruce Lee's films. You can choose to enjoy a superb Kung Fu show at Red Theater. The entire cast is very professional and talented which combines fantastic martial arts, challenging acrobatics and a wonderful story.
Meal: Breakfast + Lunch
Accommodation: in Beijing
- Day 3: Great Wall Hiking TourTake a Cable Car to the Mutianyu Great Wall and Have a Scenic Hike
Today will be the highlight of your Beijing tour as you will be hiking on the famous world's heritage Mutianyu Great Wall. It would be around 2 hours' driving, and you can take this chance to see the urban and suburban scenery of Chinese capital on the way.
Mutianyu Great Wall is the most scenic part of Chinese Great Wall. It was built in the early Ming Dynasty at 1368 and stretches for 5,400 meters. 90 percent of the Mutianyu is covered by vegetation. So in each season this part of the Great Wall will treat visitors with its unique scenery. You will take a cable car to the top. For down the Great Wall, there is also an option of toboggan to see the spectacular scenery from different angles (optional).
Mutianyu Great Wall Afterwards, you will be transferred to visit the Sacred Way. This is an ancient pathway lined with massive stone sculptures leading to the Thirteen Tombs of Ming Dynasty. On the way back to Beijing, stopping to view the Bird's Nest (National Stadium) and the Water Cube from the outside.
In the evening, you can enjoy the famous palace dish - the Peking Roast Duck at Quanjude Restaurant (additional charge).
Meal: Breakfast + Lunch
Accommodation: in Beijing
- Day 4: Beijing to Luoyang Tour by High-speed TrainHave a Rickshaw Ride through Traditional Hutongs
After breakfast, we will go to admire the Temple of Heaven. Located in the southern part of Beijing, this magnificent royal structure served as a complex of sacrificial buildings where emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasties prayed for peace and harvest.
Next, you will experience a rickshaw ride through the traditional hutongs. Go to visit a local family and learn about their daily life and even experience cultural activities such as learning calligraphy and weaving Chinese knots (extra charge).
Beijing Hutong rickshaw ride After lunch, your tour guide will escort you to the Railway Station to board a high-speed train to Luoyang. Upon arrival at Luoyang Longmen Railway Station, a local driver will meet you and transfer you to your hotel in Luoyang.
Meal: Breakfast + Lunch
Accommodation: in Luoyang
- Day 5: Shaolin Temple TourWatch an Exciting Martial Art Performance
After breakfast at the hotel, your tour guide will take you to Dengfeng to explore the legendary Shaolin Temple.
Shaolin Temple was founded in 495 AD and is not only the birthplace of Zen Buddhism, but also the Chinese Kung Fu. It is known as the "the holy land of Kung Fu". The tour guide will take you to visit some major sites and explain the stories of the mountain gate, Heavenly King Hall, Bell Tower, etc.
Shaolin Kung Fu Pagoda Forest has collected over 200 pagodas from the Tang Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty. This site is a graveyard for the departed eminent monks. Pagodas are of different shapes, heights, and arrangements, making them look like a forest, so the place got the name Pagoda Forest. Then, you will watch an exciting martial art performance, a highlight of the scenic area, by the skilled Shaolin Temple monks. It lasts for 30 minutes around.
Next, take the cable car to the starting point of Sanhuang Village, where you can take a hiking trip to Mount Song. Enjoy picturesque mountain views during the hike. Finally, take the cable car down the mountain and return to Luoyang city to rest well.
Meal: Breakfast + Lunch
Accommodation: in Luoyang
- Day 6: Luoyang City TourDiscover the Historical Gems from Museum and Grottoes
Today, your China tour in Luoyang will take you to the Luoyang Museum. Established in 1958, this museum has an exhibition area of 17,000 square meters. It has a collection of 20315 cultural relics, including 5406 precious relics, especially famous for Xia, Shang, and Zhou Dynasty bronze ware, Han pottery figurines, Tang tri colored glazed pottery, and Song Dynasty porcelain
Next, we will transfer to the Longmen Grottoes, the world's largest treasure trove of stone carving art with the most statues. It has gone through more than 10 dynasties and were built for over 1400 years. There are 2345 existing cave niches here, with over 110,000 statues. A large number of colorful paintings were used during construction, but most of them have now faded. Experience the beauty of ancient Chinese grotto art from your tour guide's wonderful commentary.
Longmen Grottoes Later in the day, you will be escorted to take a high-speed train to Xi'an, with a history spanning over 3,000 years.
Meal: Breakfast + Lunch
Accommodation: in Xian
- Day 7: Xian Terracotta Warrior TourVisit Three Pits of the Terracotta Army for Life-sized Warriors
Your China tour in Xian starts after meeting your tour guide. He/She will take you to visit the world-famous Terracotta Army, known as the "Eighth Wonder of the World". You will be guided through Pits 1, 2 and 3, where you can see life-sized warriors, and many horses and chariots. After a Chinese-style lunch, we will drive back to the downtown area.
Terracotta Warriors in Xian Your Xian tour continues to the Ancient City Wall. It is the largest and most well preserved ancient city wall in China, 12 meters high and 12-14 meters wide at the top. It is a closed rectangle with a circumference of 13.74 kilometers. On the city wall, you can choose to ride a bicycle at your own expense and enjoy the scenery inside and outside the city wall.
Next, stroll around Muslim Street, a food street where you can not find almost all the snacks in Xian, including kebabs, steamed buns, Mutton and Bread Pieces in Soup, but also admire many exotic buildings in Islamic style. You will be guided to visit the Great Mosque, one of the two oldest mosques in Xian. The architecture was in traditional Chinese style, combined with Islamic style, with the roofs titled with glazed tiles, and most of the tiles are black.
Meal: Breakfast + Lunch
Accommodation: in Xian
- Day 8: Departure from XianExplore the Ancient Sites and Historical Artifacts
Today is the last day of Xian tour. After breakfast, we head to a UNESCO World Heritage Site - the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. It is a well-preserved ancient building and a holy place for Buddhists, built to hold sutras and figurines of the Buddha that were brought to China from India by the Buddhist translator and traveler Xuanzang in the Tang Dynasty (618-907).
Big Wild Goose Pagoda Afterwards, you will immerse in the rich history of Shaanxi at the Shaanxi History Museum. The collection of artifacts ranges from simple stone tools used by ancient mankind to various types of artifacts used in social life before 1840, spanning over a million years. All kinds of exhibits here will amaze you.
After the tour, your driver will escort you to the airport for your onward journey. Your 8-day Beijing Luoyang Xian tour ends here.
Meal: Breakfast
Accommodation: N/A
Tour Price ($=USD)
From $1119 P.P, which is based on a private tour for 2 people. The price varies depending on the activity, number of people, travel date, and selected hotel.
