8 Days China Culture Tour of Beijing, Pingyao, Xian

Day-by-day Itinerary

1. Day 1: Arrival in Beijing

   Welcome to the capital of China - Beijing to join an amazing 8-day China culture tour. Upon your arrival at Beijing Capital International Airport, your exclusive driver will be waiting for you at the exit of the Arrival Hall with a welcome sign. You will then be escorted to your well-selected hotel.

   The rest of the day is left for you to explore this city on your own. Feel free to ask your knowledgeable travel consultant for practical advice and recommendations.

   Meal: N/A

   Accommodation: in Beijing

2. Day 2: Beijing Heritage Tour
   Discover the Imperial Heritage of the Ming and Qing Dynasties in China

   In the morning, your Beijing cultural exploration begins with a visit to Tiananmen Square, one of the largest public spaces in the world where you will learn about many historical events. From there, walk for about 5-10 minutes to the Forbidden City, which is located in the middle of the central axis of Beijing.

   Also known as the "Palace Museum", it used to be the imperial palace of the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911) and is the essence of ancient Chinese palace architecture. There are various routes to visit the Forbidden City. Your tour guide will select the best visiting route for you based on the day's itinerary, and you will learn some basic facts, including when it was built, why it was built, and how many rooms it has.

   

   In the afternoon, drive to the western suburbs of Beijing to enjoy a leisure time in Summer Palace. Covering an area of about 290 hectares, it is the top of the Chinese classical garden. It is a large-scale landscape garden based on Kunming Lake and Wanshou Mountain, which modeled on the West Lake in Hangzhou. It was a summer resort for the Qing emperors and their families. Your tour guide will tell you more about the history of this place.

   In the evening, if you are interested in Chinese Kungfu, you are recommended to pay extra to watch a wonderful Kungfu Show at the Red Theater. Your guide can arrange it for you.

   Meal: Breakfast + Lunch

   Accommodation: in Beijing

3. Day 3: Beijing Great Wall Tour
   Take the Cable Car to the Mutianyu Great Wall for the Beautiful Scenery

   After breakfast, your China tour of Beijing starts at the Temple of Heaven, where you will learn about the fact that it was used for ancient emperors to prayed for good harvests. After that, we will drive north for about an hour and a half to reach the highlight of our Beijing tour - the Mutianyu Great Wall, which was listed as a "World Cultural Heritage" by UNESCO in 1987.

   This section is not only the longest Great Wall in China, but also the most beautiful scenery in the Great Wall. Mutianyu has dense enemy towers, which are not found in other Great Wall sections. To save time and energy, the tour guide will take you on a cable car ride and then hike the Great Wall. Understand its construction history and take exquisite photos.

   For dinner, you are recommended to sample Beijing Roast Duck, a famous palace dish, cooked with charcoal fire, crispy on the outside and tender inside. You will learn the proper way to eat it.

   Meal: Breakfast + Lunch

   Accommodation: in Beijing

   

4. Day 4: Beijing to Pingyao Tour

   After breakfast, say good bye to Beijing and take a high-speed train to a well-preserved ancient town, Pingyao. Upon arrival, the local driver will meet you and transfer you to the comfortable hotel for rest.

   The remainder of the day is at your disposal. Pingyao, located in the central part of Shanxi Province, has numerous cultural relics and historical sites, with over 300 sites. You will delve into the history of Pingyao, Shanxi, and even China in the coming days.

   Meal: Breakfast

   Accommodation: in Pingyao

5. Day 5: Pingyao Discovery Tour
   Explore the Numerous Historical Sites of Pingyao Ancient City

   Today, your China culture tour in Pingyao takes you to the world heritage site Pingyao Ancient City. It is the most well preserved ancient county town in China today, consisting of city walls, shops, streets, temples, residential buildings, and more.

   Firstly, you will be guided to climb the Ancient City Wall and take a panoramic view of the entire ancient town. Next, go to visit Rishengchang Former Bank located on West Street in the ancient city, which is known as the "ancestor of modern Chinese banks". Understand how it operated during the Ming and Qing dynasties.

   

   After having lunch, we take a walk on Ming and Qing Street, which consists of 4 main streets, 8 small streets, and 72 winding alleys. It is the South Street of Pingyao Ancient City, vividly reflecting the cultural brilliance of the ancient city. After that, visit the Temple of City God, which is the earliest City God Temple in China, with a history of nearly 1200 years. You can see the stage, main hall, stele tower, as well as sculptures of Guan Yu (deified as God of War) and Guan Ping (Guan Yu's adopted son).

   Today's last stop is the famous Qiao's Family Compound, about 50 km away from Pingyao Ancient City. A well-preserved traditional residential complex, Qiao Family Compound was originally built in 1756 during the Qing Dynasty Qianlong period, where you can see surprising courtyards, complex wood carvings, and exquisite wall paintings. All of these show rich man’s building style and lifestyle in the Qing Dynasty.

   Meal: Breakfast + Lunch

   Accommodation: in Pingyao

   

6. Day 6: Pingyao to Xian Tour
   Understand the Lives of Wealthy People of the Qing Dynasty

   After breakfast, your tour guide will meet you and transfer you to visit the Zhangbi Ancient Castle, which is a well preserved ancient military fortified village, dating back over 1600 years. You will see various carvings here, involving characters, stories, animals, flowers, etc., which can be seen everywhere in the shadow wall and gable wall head.

   Then, drive to Wang's Family Compound, a grand residential complex and features amazing Chinese traditional architecture, arts, and culture. With an area of over 150,000 square meters, the compound consists of 5 courtyards, more than 300 rooms, and many gardens and pavilions. It reflects the exquisite technique and unique lifestyle of rich merchants in the Qing Dynasty.

   After your cultural exploration in Pingyao, your driver escorts you to the railway station to take a high-speed train to Xi'an, another culturally significant ancient city in China.

   Meal: Breakfast + Lunch

   Accommodation: in Xi'an

   

7. Day 7: Xian Highlights Tour
   Be Amazed by the Life-sized Qin Dynasty Clay Warriors

   Your Xian tour of China will take you to visit the Terracotta Army in the morning. After breakfast, we'll drive for 1 hour to the Terracotta Warriors and Horses in Lintong District, the burial pit of China's first emperor, Qin Shi Huang, which took 38 years to complete. Known as "one of the great discoveries in the history of archaeology in the twentieth century", the Terracotta Army is dubbed as the Eighth Wonder of the World. Here you will see more than a thousand clay soldiers, each with their own distinctive look and demeanor. Learn the stories behind them from your knowledgeable guide.

   

   After lunch, we drive back to the city center to visit the Ancient City Wall. A military defensive system in old times, it is one of the largest and most well-preserved city walls in China. You can take a leisure walk or rent a bike (optional) on the top of the wall and enjoy a panoramic view of the city. After that, transfer you to Muslim Quarter, a paradise for food lovers. Here, you will find many kinds of delicious local snacks such as Biang Biang Noodle, Roujiamo (Chinese Hamburger), and Yangrou Paomo (Mutton and Bread Pieces in Soup).

   In the evening, you are highly recommended to visit the Grand Tang Dynasty Ever-bright City on your own, which is lit up at night. It is like a time travel when you stroll among the many Tang Dynasty style buildings.

   Meal: Breakfast + Lunch

   Accommodation: in Xi'an

8. Day 8: Departure from Xian
   Glimpse Ancient Chinese Civilization at the Shaanxi History Museum

   After breakfast, your Xian tour leads you to the landmark of Big Wild Goose Pagoda, which is located inside the Daci'en Temple. The pagoda, with 7 floors and a height of 64.517 meters, was built under the auspices of the monk Xuanzang, and later stored the scriptures and statues he brought back from India.

   

   Then, take a guided cultural tour to Shaanxi History Museum. The museum houses over 380,000 cultural relics including simple stone tools used in prehistoric times, bronze ware from the Shang and Zhou dynasties, terracotta warriors from various dynasties, gold and silver utensils from the Han and Tang dynasties, and tomb murals from the Tang Dynasty. It is an excellent place to learn about the history and culture of ancient Chinese civilization.

   It is time to say goodbye to our 8-day China culture tour. Later, your driver will escort you to take a flight to your next destination or home. If you want to extend your China tour to other cities, we would be happy to arrange it for you.

   Meal: Breakfast

   Accommodation: N/A