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12 daysDuration
Private TourPrivate experience, no group joining
50 peopleMaximum group size
2 peopleMinimum to book
6 - 99 yearsAge range for participants
EnglishGuide language
Relaxed
Minimal physical effort, perfect for travelers seeking an easy-going experience.
Starts
Guangzhou, China
Ends
Beijing, China
Highlights
Guangzhou: formerly known in the West as Canton, it has long been China's busiest trade hub, establishing connections with the outside world dating back to the 16th century.
Xiamen: formerly known in Western circles as Amoy, this island city is emerging as southern China’s most sophisticated city.
Guilin: Guilin's natural endowments will amaze you, yet, thanks to imperfect urban planning, there is a pervasive feeling that the city is past its prime.
Shanghai: home to the world's second-tallest tower and a city with a diverse architectural heritage is like no other cities on earth.
Beijing: From ancient walled capital to showpiece megacity in barely a century, it spins a breathless yarn of history, culture and innovation.
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What's Included
Accommodation
Superior Hotel Category = Mandarin Hotel Guangzhou or similar 4*Superior Hotel Category = Pan Pacific Hotel or similar 4*Superior Hotel Category = Guilin Bravo Hotel or similar 4*Superior Hotel Category = Shanghai SSAW Boutique Hotel or similar 4*Superior Hotel Category = Super House International Hotel or similar 3.5*11 nights' accommodation
Meals
11 breakfasts1 Lunch on board (Day 6)1 Dinner at a local restaurant (Day 7)
Transport
Arrival private transfer from Guangzhou International Airport (Day 1)Private transportation as mentioned in the itineraryHigh-speed train ticket from Guangzhou/Xiamen, Shanghai/Beijing on the basis of per seat per person, with 2nd class seat (clients carrying own luggage to board the train)Domestic flights as mentioned in the itinerary Xiamen/Guilin/Shanghai in Economy Class with 1 piece of 20kg suitcase per person per flight and airport tax and fuel surchargeDeparture private transfer to Beijing International Airport (Day 12)
Guide
Operated with English-speaking local guide during the scheduled activities (Day 1-11)
Others
7 Lunches at local restaurants (Day 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 10, 11)All entrance fees and activities mentioned in the itinerary (entrance fee of the complex and first entry only): Shamian Island visit (Day 1); Chen Family temple and Xiaozhou Village visits (Day 2); Hua'an Hakka house clusters and Zhangzhou visits (Day 3); Gulangyu Island ferry and visit (Day 4); Reef flute cave visit and Elephant trunk hill photo stop (Day 5); Li River Cruise (Day 6); Shanghai propaganda poster museum (Closed on Mondays) (Day 7); Yu Garden, Jade Buddha Temple, and French Concession Quarter visits (Day 8); Temple of Heaven visit (Day 9); Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City (complex, closed on Monday), Beijing's few remaining 'hutongs' and Buddhist Miaoying Temple visits (exterior visit) (Day 10); Huanghuacheng Great wall, and 798 Art District visits (Day 11)Meet & Greet (Day 2, 5, 7, 9)
What's Excluded
Customer Reviews
This tour has not received any customer reviews yet. However, you can expect a PremierThis travel specialist is consistently delivering tours which receive customer ratings above 4.8 on average. tour and service level as the travel specialist who runs it has received 290 reviews for other tours with an average 4.8rating.
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Sistema di prenotazione semplice e intuibile. In caso di necessità le istruzioni presenti sul sito sono risultate utili e chiare. Nessun problema riscontrato
1 week ago
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Itinerary
From colonial boulevards to earthen fortresses, the China Explorer, Private Tour invites you to experience the nation’s diversity over twelve captivating days. Starting in Guangzhou, you’ll stroll tree-lined Shamian Island, a tranquil enclave of preserved colonial architecture, before venturing to Hakka House—Mulan’s cinematic home, renowned for its ingenious defensive design.
Sail the Li River, named one of the world’s top watery wonders, and walk the less-frequented Water Great Wall, offering panoramic views and serenity far from tourist crowds. In Beijing, stand on Tiananmen Square, site of pivotal moments in Chinese history, and explore sections of the Great Wall dating back to the Ming Dynasty. Each day delivers a fresh perspective, with all accommodations, transport, and meals arranged for a stress-free experience.
The USP? A rare blend of urban charm, architectural marvels, and natural wonders, this tour package is specially crafted for seniors and those who appreciate rich variety at a relaxed, enjoyable pace.
day 1 - Arrival Guangzhou – Shamian Island – Guangzhou (45km – 1hr)
Welcome to Guangzhou! Upon arrival, you will be greeted by the guide and driver at the arrivals hall. Then hop on the transfer to Shamian Island if time allows (the recommended arrival time to enjoy this excursion is before 3:00 pm). It’s a well preserved colonial area. There’re approx. 150 old buildings on Shamian Island and more than a third were built during the island's 19th-century colonial period. Explore on foot, admire the sturdy Victorian houses, wrought iron gates, and generous gardens, and listen to your guide’s stories before you are escorted to the hotel for check-in. Rest of the day at leisure.
Overnight in Guangzhou.
day 2 - Guangzhou – Xiaozhou Village (25km – 1hr) – Xiamen (4.5hrs By High-speed Train, Included)
Breakfast at the hotel, and then meet your tour guide at the hotel lobby. Admire the exquisite woodcarvings, copper-iron castings, and handcrafts at Chen Family temple, a memorial to the Chen people of Guangdong Province. The temple was also a learning and living place for generations of the Chen family who came to the town to take the imperial examination. The temple has a typical ancestral temple layout in the province. Lunch at a local restaurant (included). Immerse in Xiaozhou Village, a hidden centuries-old local village still inhabited by locals. Cafés, art studios, alongside stone streets, bridges and gardens, are all nestled into an active, vibrant neighbourhood of long-time locals. Transfer to high speed train station in 2nd class high speed train for Xiamen, alternatively known as Amoy in Hokkien pronunciation. It was an important port for foreign trade for centuries and now a perfect mix of urban energy and laid-back vibes. Upon arrival, transfer to the hotel.
After breakfast we will be on our way to visit the highlight of this trip, Hua’an Hakka house clusters. A Hakka house is a large, enclosed and fortified earthen building in rectangular or circular shape usually seen in south-eastern China. Rated as a UNESCO World Heritage site, it’s inscribed as "exceptional examples of a building tradition and function exemplifying a particular type of communal living and defensive organization in harmonious relationship with their environment". After lunch at a local restaurant (included), we head to Zhangzhou downtown to visit the old city of Zhangzhou, an important port for foreign trade in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). The city boasts a rich cultural legacy and colourful folk customs and one of the birthplaces of the Hokkien culture. Drive back to the hotel in Xiamen.
Overnight in Xiamen.
day 4 - Xiamen – Gulangyu Island (20min By Ferry)
Breakfast at the hotel. Take a ferry to Gulangyu Island. Gulangyu Island, literally “the islet of drum wave” supposedly the sound of the ocean waves crashing on the rocks like the thundering of mighty drums. Lunch in a local restaurant (included). Just 2 square km, the pedestrianized islet is a tiny gem nestled in the embrace of Xiamen Island with historic architectural treasures that date from the days when Gulangyu was an International Settlement. The island was one of the five original treaty ports opened up to trade in 1842. Along with bizarre colonial architecture and a curious number of Christian churches, there’re some residential houses among which Shuzhuang garden is a perfect example of the three most important characteristics of Chinese gardening. Built in 1931 by a wealthy Taiwanese businessman. Gulangyu is colloquially referred to as “Piano Island”. You would be amazed to know with a population of just 20,000 there’re 5,000 pianos. Come visit a piano museum. It exhibits more than 40 old pianos, including a gilded piano, a piano with four corners, the earliest one in the world, and a mechanical piano operated by pumping pedals. Although we enjoy refined cuisine and elaborate meals at restaurants, it’s often our street food quests around the world, raw on-the-ground journeys that convey authenticity, that yield some of life’s most revealing moments and enlighten us in unexpected ways. Xiamen is known for its fresh seafood, abundant tropical fruits and lively street food scene. Pick your like and savour your taste buds (own expense). Take the ferry and transfer back to the hotel. Overnight in Xiamen.
day 5 - Xiamen – Guilin (105min By Flight, Included) – Reef Flute Cave – Elephant Trunk Hill – Guilin (50km – 1.5hr)
Breakfast at the hotel. Head to the airport for a flight to Guilin. Greeted by guide and driver, you’re on your way to Reef flute cave, a massive limestone cave over 180 million years old and a top site in Guilin. Its name comes from the lush green reeds growing outside that are hollow and can be made into flutes. Being forgotten for almost about 1000 years, the cave was rediscovered in the 1940s by a group of refugees fleeing from Japanese troops during WWII. Gaze in awe at a cave filled with dazzling stalactites, stone pillars and ever-changing formations that are created through thousands of years of water dripping and erosion into the cave, walk past illuminated stone pillars, stalactites and stalagmites, marvel at the mesmerizing cave, you would feel like stepping into a wonderland. Lunch at a local restaurant (included). Stop at Elephant trunk hill, a signature of Guilin. It’s named after its shape of a giant elephant stretching its trunk to Li River. (Photo stop, entrance fee excluded).
Overnight in Guilin.
day 6 - Guilin – Li River (4hrs By Cruise) – Guilin
Breakfast at the hotel. Float down the Li River, to see one of China's natural masterpieces, listed as one of the World’s top ten watery wonders by America National Geographic Magazine. Verdant hills, bamboo forests, crystal clear water, fishing boats with cormorants standing on board and ancient villages sit along the river, composing charming views. Li River Cruise starts from Zhujiang Wharf to Yangshuo Town taking nearly 4 hours to complete the journey. Simple lunch included on board Amble down West Street – Yangshuo's oldest street turned lively shopping area, a great place for souvenirs (own expense). Drive back to Guilin.
Overnight in Guilin.
day 7 - Guilin – Shanghai (100min By Flight, Included)
Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to airport, fly to Shanghai, the face of modern China, is teeming with energy and activity, and offers travellers a true diversity of areas and experiences. You’ll be met and greeted by the guide and driver after arrival in Shanghai. Lunch on own arrangement. Find your way to the Shanghai propaganda poster museum (closed on Mondays), a hidden gem of a museum, although small, it gives an absorbing insight into China's recent history. It houses a vast, private collection of propaganda posters of Mao-era communist revolutionary propaganda artworks charting post-war Chinese history. Many rescued from recycling centres and rubbish bins and spanning the '40s through the late 1970s. Walk along the Bund, This riverfront location is a time-honoured symbol of Shanghai and shows pieces of the city’s Neoclassical European imperial past. (Offers a glimpse into Shanghai's earlier interactions with the West.) Dinner at a local restaurant (included).
Overnight in Shanghai.
day 8 - Shanghai
Breakfast at the hotel. Drive to Yu Garden, wander the maze of pavilions and arched bridges of Yu Garden, one of Shanghai’s premier sights. The Pan family, rich Ming Dynasty officials, founded these gardens, which are a fine example of Ming garden design. The adjacent bazaar was originally a temple (the city god temple) built in the 16th century. Today the area is also home to a lively market that specializes in traditional Chinese arts and crafts. You can peruse antiques, silk fans, bamboo articles, shell carvings, paintings, or simply try some Shanghai Xiaolongbao (soup dumplings), vegetarian buns and chicken soup (own expense). Followed by a visit to Jade Buddha Temple, the temple is an active site of worship and home to a couple of famous Buddha statues that were brought from Burma in the 1800s. It took ten years to complete its construction. Lunch at a local restaurant (included). Take a walk in the French Concession Quarter, home to the city’s most stylish streets. The former Shanghai French Concession was a region under French control from 1849 until its return to the hands of the Chinese government in 1946. While this Shanghai neighbourhood is no longer of French ownership, the area is still ruled by a laid-back attitude and European architecture. Now one of the most vibrant shopping districts in Shanghai, the former French concession is where much of Shanghai’s disposable cash is splashed.
Overnight in Shanghai.
day 9 - Shanghai – Beijing (5hrs By High-speed Train, Included)
Breakfast at the hotel. Morning Transfer to high speed train in 2nd class seat for Beijing, upon arrival visit Temple of Heaven, situated in southeast Beijing, was built in the first half of the 15th century, for the use of Ming and Qing Dynasty emperors to worship the heavens and pray for a good harvest. The main architectural themes are: “on the earth” which is represented by the square-shaped 'Palace of Abstinence' in the west, much like The Forbidden City but on a smaller scale; whereas the circular-shaped Qinian Dian (Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests) and Huanqiu (Circular Mound Altar) are thought to be connected with heaven. The park serves as a recreational ground for local people. Dancing, fencing, flag waving and Taichi may be seen at any time. Transfer to the hotel.
Overnight in Beijing.
day 10 - Beijing
Breakfast at the hotel. Meet your tour guide at the hotel lobby. Drive to Tiananmen Square, gaze across it and take in the full weight of its historical and cultural significance. People travel from all over the world to see Mao’s portrait and visit his mausoleum, which lies on the opposite end of the Square. Walking towards to Forbidden City, where emperors ruled, concubines fluttered their fans, and eunuchs schemed for five hundred years. It is a life preserved in chambers, where emperors ruled, gardens, where empresses and concubines strolled and in the palace where the emperor's courtesans lived for centuries behind the towering red walls. Lunch at a local tourist restaurant (included). In the afternoon, venture to one of Beijing’s few remaining ‘hutongs’ or traditional lanes in the backstreets of the city to gain a perspective into fascinating and authentic ‘old’ Beijing. Hutongs, the narrow alleys and lanes first laid out during the Yuan dynasty (1268-1364AD), and the siheyuan, traditional courtyard homes that border these leafy streets, define old Beijing. Here, we can get an idea of what the entire city once looked like and experience the traditional way of life, the silhouette of imperial dynasties, Chinese local lifestyle, the impact of western countries. Visit the Buddhist Miaoying Temple, which has an iconic White Stupa that was completed in 1279, under the leadership of Kublai Khan.
Overnight in Beijing.
day 11 - Beijing
Breakfast at the hotel. Drive to Huanghuacheng Great wall. Literally the Yellow Flower Wall, is considered one of the most scenic sections of the wall, and a great place to go for a not-too-strenuous hike along the country's most iconic landmark. At either end of this stretch of the Great Wall are two lakes, made by dams built in the 1970s and ‘90s. Up on the wall, you’ll have unobstructed views of both lakes from high above, with the Great Wall dipping majestically down into the water. Lunch at a local tourist restaurant (included). After lunch, delve into the heart of Beijing’s contemporary art scene at the 798 Art District, based rather ironically within an abandoned industrial complex, built by East Germans in the 1950s, Chinese contemporary artists moved in the 1990s, transforming this decommissioned factory district into a hotspot of modern art, culture and design. From avant-garde galleries to cutting-edge food and drinks, make sure you set aside some time to explore what this area has to offer.
Overnight in Beijing.
day 12 - Departure Beijing (30km – 30min)
Breakfast at the hotel. A leisure time before transferring for your departure flight.
Premier tour and service level as the travel specialist who runs it has received 290 reviews for other tours with an average 4.8rating.
