The Wall of China has to be seen to be believed. You can read the fact that it is 5,500 miles long but the real impact is to see it stretching away from you for miles which ever way you turn. The sheer feat of human endeavour shouts out from every laid brick.
My private tour to Great Wall of China and to Forbidden city was arranged in a perfect way starting from the airport pick-up till the final hotel drop-off. Enjoyed the trip to the fullest and would definitely plan another trip through this local travel specialist in the future.
Your English guide and driver will pick you up at arrival lobby of the Tianjin port first, then explore great highlights of Forbidden City, Tian'anmen Square and the Great Wall in just 2 days.
On the first day, you will visit the amazing Tianamen Sqaure and the Forbidden City , which were built in the year 1420. Tiananmen Square was the world's biggest city square, and the Forbidden City used to be an imperial palace for more than 700 years. The Great Wall of China really needs no introduction!
Visit these three integral monuments of Chinese history and culture and discover the best sights and attractions that Beijing has to offer.
Embark on this well-organized and guided private tour of China, including domestic flights. You will experience the amazing Chinese history and discover its interesting ancient culture in capital cities such as Beijing and Xian.
In Beijing, you can explore amazing highlights such as the Great Wall of China, Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven and Summer Palace from Beijing, and you may also watch some evening shows in Beijing, then experience more ancient historic highlights at Xi'an, Shanghai or Guilin.
Explore the wonderful Yangtze river cruise and arrive Shanghai, the last destination of your tour, a symbol of modern day China.
Crossing the Gobi Desert and visiting the 'lost' cities of the old Silk Road was really special. Over 2000 years of cultural heritage in two weeks. Fantastic.
Hike a classic section of the Great Wall in Hebei Province. Camp, explore and trek between small villages after exploring the iconic sights of Beijing. This innovative itinerary takes in a remote section of the Great Wall outside Beijing in Hebei Province. Hosted by local families, we camp in comfort in exclusive locations and explore the Great Wall over five days, trekking between villages. The scenery is vast and diverse as we trek our way through tall swaying corn cropped field to distant green river valleys with one of the great wonders of the world as our backdrop. Host families provide us with true rural hospitality in the 'real China' and allow us rare interaction, including visits to family homes. In Beijing we visit the capital’s major historic sites such as the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square. We also indulge in the culinary delight that Chinese cuisine is so famous for. The Beijing food experiences will no doubt compete with the trek itself as one of the highlights of this entirely unique adventure.
The Beijing driver will be holding a sign with your name on it and pick you up from your Beijing hotel lobby at 04:50 in the morning. You will then go to the domestic departure exit of terminal 1 of Beijing International Airport and fly to Xi'an directly. Then the Xi'an tour guide will be holding a sign with your name on it at Terminal 2 of Xianyang International Airport.
Start the morning trip to Xi'an Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum first. You will see impressive numbers of life-sized sculptures of ancient warriors and horses which is the most amazing discovery of the 20th century. These sculptures were built around 1900 years ago to protect the tomb of the first emperor of China. Later on have lunch at a nice and clean restaurant.
Then, head to the magnificent Xi'an Ancient City Wall. It is the most complete, most well-preserved ancient city wall. If you feel interested, you can go cycling on the wall, and it is also the largest ancient city wall in China. Stroll along the city wall and enjoy the landscape of Xi'an.
After that, you will be transferred back to the domestic departure exit of Terminal 2 of Xianyang International Airport. Your Beijing driver will be waiting for you at the domestic arrival exit of Terminal 1 of Beijing International Airport at 21:15 to take you back to your Beijing hotel.
Fabulous & remarkable trip! Jansen went above & beyond with his customer service & taking care of everyone’s special needs and requests. The itinerary was fantastic and the guides were marvelous. Dianna also did a great job and was very accommodating.
My only critique is that we should have been provided more information on the difficulties with using credit cards and ATM’s in China and the prevalent use of cash only. I have traveled to 55 countries & never had difficulty using credit cards & ATM’s until China. Most places wouldn’t take US Visa or Mastercard & ATM’s wouldn’t give me Chinses yen
At approximately 08:00am in the morning, your English-speaking guide will arrive at your Shanghai hotel lobby to pick you up. Climb into a comfortable air-conditioned vehicle and begin your 2.5-hour journey to Hangzhou. Upon arrival, start your first activity, a cruise on the West Lake.
From the cruise, you will have the best view of the West Lake and town of Hangzhou. After your cruise tour, head to the famed Lingyin Temple, also known as the Temple of the Soul's Retreat. There, your guide will tell you the history of the temple.
Afterwards, make a brief stop at a local Chinese restaurant for a traditional Chinese lunch. Next, head to Meijiawu Tea Village located on a hill in the western part of Hangzhou. Inhabited by more than 500 households, Meijiawu Tea Culture Village is picturesque surrounded by mountains and waters. It is a main production base and protected area of the fragrant West Lake Dragon Well Tea. As a leisure tourist spot, it features tea culture in a farm style. This is truly the best way to get an insider look into China's tea culture.
After your tour of the Meijiawu Tea Village, board the vehicle and make your way back to your Shanghai accommodation.
Discover the best of China from Shanghai on this 22-day Essentials tour. Enjoy the view over Shanghai from a rooftop bar and explore the lush scenery of Yangshuo by bike and bamboo raft. See giant pandas and other rare species in Chengdu, marvel at the fascinating Terracotta Army in Xi'an and opt to visit the Shaolin Temple. Walk along the Great Wall and camp beside a deserted section, discover the highlights of Beijing independently, learn Mandarin with several included lessons and hike to the top of Jiuyao Mountain in Hangzhou.
A trip to China isn’t complete without a visit to the Great Wall. One of the seven wonders of the world, the Wall covers an enormous 8,850 kilometers across China. One of humankind’s biggest engineering miracles, the best way to enjoy the beauty of the wall is by hiking across it.
On this four-day tour, hike along the Great Wall near Beijing and visit the not-to-be-missed places in the capital such as the Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City and the Hutong. Lower your pace and walk along beautiful mountain ridges and the unrestored and less known sections of the Great Wall. The breathtaking views are often without another traveller in sight!
Staying in the villages at the foot of the mountains is a great opportunity to connect with the friendly hosts and learn about rural life in China.
8:00: Meet Your Guide
Meeting Time: 8:00am, please arrive 5 minutes earlier.
Meeting Place: At the Gate of Lao She Teahouse (Qianmen Branch), easy to locate on map
Address: Building 3, Zhengyang Market, Qianmenxi Main Street, Xicheng District.
Transportation: Take a taxi there from your hotel, with address in Chinese provided by our travel consultant. Or take the subway line 2, get out of the Qianmen stop from the exit C, and walk a few minutes there.
Waiting Time: 10 minutes
8:10: Visit Tiananmen Square
Follow your guide to take a morning walk around Tiananmen Square, and you can shoot distant view photos of the brilliant landmark buildings such as the Monument to the People's Heroes, the Great Hall of the People and the Memorial Hall of Chairman Mao.
9:00: Visit Forbidden City
Walk through the Gate of Heavenly Peace with the great Chairman Mao's portrait on it; you come to this morning's highlight - the 600-year-old Forbidden City - the largest and the most intact imperial palace complex of the Ming and Qing Courts (1368 - 1911 AD).
The majestic Forbidden City has 9,999 rooms! Which are the most essential and interesting parts? We will spend three hours or so exploring the main buildings centering upon the central axis, which splits the entire compound into two symmetrical halves.
After the trip is completed, you will find yourself already near the North Gate of the Forbidden City. It’s your choice to leave with your guide or take advantage of your ticket to linger inside longer to explore the Imperial Garden for more photos. There are cafes and Beijing snacks sold in the peripheral zone, so you can just tackle your lunch here before continuing your own exploration. Your guide will be glad to provide you suggestions to get back to your hotel.
11:30: End the Tour
As we finish touring, we are already near the North Gate. It’s your choice to leave with your guide or take advantage of your ticket to linger inside longer to explore the Imperial Garden for more photos.
Your guide will be glad to provide you ways to get back to your place or assist you in hailing a cab. Safe travel!
