Experience the best of China's cities countryside and culture with a guide
The Highlights of China package is an activity-packed 11-day guided tour. From hanging out with Giant Pandas to exploring major cities, to visiting ancient archeological sites and relaxing in peaceful countryside, the holiday offers a huge range of different activities and locations.
You will enjoy the services of an English speaking guide to ensure that you have a safe and comfortable stay and will have plenty of opportunities to sample local cuisine, as well as attending a cooking class to try making some of your own. Your evenings will be equally exciting, with visits to acrobatic shows and night markets – there isn’t a dull moment on this trip!
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Highlights of China Tour Itinerary
Day 1 Shanghai
Today you will arrive in the city of Shanghai, one of the most important political, cultural and economic cities of China. You will meet your driver at the airport for a private transfer to your hotel where you can relax until your early evening meeting with your tour guide. After the meeting, you will enjoy a short walk to get your bearings before tucking into a delicious welcome dinner at a local restaurant.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Shanghai
Meals: Dinner
Day 2 Explore Shanghai
After a good night’s rest at your hotel, you will head out to explore the vibrant city streets of Shanghai with their eye-catching contrast between futuristic developments and well-preserved historical buildings. You will visit the City God’s Temple and it’s world-famous Yuyuan Garden before moving on to the French Concession area where you can discover the local teahouses, restaurants, and shops.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Shanghai
Meals: Breakfast
Day 3 Explore Beijing
You will move from one major city to another as you leave Shanghai behind you and take the bullet train to the capital. Once in Beijing, you will visit the Summer Palace, a vast collection of palaces, lakes and gardens which make up the best-preserved imperial garden in the world. In the evening you will attend an exhilarating Acrobatics show before enjoying a short orientation walk around the local area.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Beijing
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 4 Forbidden City
Having dipped your toes into the magnificent city the day before, you will continue to uncover the sights and sounds of Beijing. You will travel both by foot and on the public subway to visit sites such as Tiananmen Square and the breath-taking 15th century Forbidden City, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Before the day is done you will wander along the traditional narrow Hutong streets to get a taste of historical Beijing.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Beijing
Meals: Breakfast
Day 5 The Great Wall
After breakfast, you will head by private bus to the incredibly well preserved Mutianyu Section of the Great Wall of China. You will spend the day exploring this extraordinary historical site, which covers over 20,000km and has over 2,500 years of history. Bring along a picnic lunch to enjoy from the top of the wall as you enjoy panoramic views of the Chinese countryside. Afterwards you will transfer back to Beijing to catch the sleeper train to Xi’an.
Overnight Location: Soft sleeper train to Xi’an
Meals: Breakfast
Day 6 The Terracotta Warriors
Today you will visit the ancient Terracotta Warriors. These amazing soldiers were hand sculpted in clay and buried with an emperor to protect him in the afterlife. Each of the 6000 warriors has its own unique battle armour, facial features and height! Afterwards you will visit the Old City Wall around Xi’an and explore the bustling markets, Muslim quarter and Bell and Drum tower.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Xi’an
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 7 Chengdu
You will take the bullet train to Chengdu this morning. You will visit Kuanzhai Alley, a vibrant historical street with its many local businesses and eateries. You will have the chance to try authentic Chinese street food, including sticky rice cakes, fried beef pancakes or even the popular local rabbit’s head. After soaking up the energy of Chengdu, you will head to your hotel for a good night’s rest.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Chengdu
Meals: Breakfast
Day 8 Giant Pandas!
The Giant Panda is an iconic animal of China. Unfortunately, it is now an endangered species with only 1,000 individuals remaining. Today you will visit the Giant Panda Breeding Research Base, home to 800 of the remaining Pandas. You can enjoy watching them playing, snoozing and munching away on bamboo before heading to the airport to catch a flight to Guilin.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Yangshuo
Meals: Breakfast
Day 9 Cycling around Yangshou
You will take to the streets of Yangshuo by bike, heading out into the countryside to enjoy the lovely rural landscape. After exploring the peaceful scenery around Yangshou you will attend a local cookery class where you can have a go at preparing delicious Chinese dishes.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Yangshuo
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 10 Rafting on the Yulong & Hong Kong
Enjoy a relaxing morning as you float along the picturesque Yulong river on a bamboo raft. Later, you will head to Guilin train station to take the bullet train to the metropolis of Hong Kong. Catching the subway to the city centre, you will explore the city at your own pace before meeting up with your guide for a guided tour of the Temple street night market.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Hong Kong
Meals: Breakfast
Day 11 Farewell!
Your amazing adventure has come to an end. Having discovered some of the most special places that China has to offer, it will be a sad farewell to your group and guide. There are no planned activities today, leaving you all the time you need to prepare for your onward journey.
Overnight Location: None
Meals: Breakfast
Highlights of China Tour Prices and Dates
This guided tour from Shanghai to Hong Kong is always run as a custom tour for your group only and the price depends on the size of your group.
The prices below are per person sharing a double or a triple room:
- Guided Groups of 4+: $2,840 USD per person
Please note that the prices depend on the size of your group, as well as your travelling dates.
Book NowAccommodation on Highlights of China Tour
You will stay at a range of accommodation as you travel throughout China, including city centre hotels, rural guesthouses run by local people and a night on the sleeper train. You can expect the facilities of 2 or 3-star hotels at the hotels which you stay in, ensuring a comfortable night’s rest.
Prices for the Highlights of China tour are based on double occupancy of a room, but a supplement can be paid for a private room.
Single Rooms and Solo Travelers
You can pay a supplement of $450 USD to have a private room in a hotel. Contact us and we can try and match single travelers up, where possible.
Hotels on Standard Tour
Metropolo Jinjiang Classiq Hotel in Shanghai ★★★★
This comfortable and cozy boutique hotel in Shanghai is a wonderful option due to its great location and friendly staff.
Dongfang Hotel in Beijing
This simple, but comfortable hotel offers free wi-fi, aircon and a good location to explore the city.
Soft sleeper train to Xi’an
Spending a night on a first-class sleeper train is not only a fun experience, but it also saves time!
Skytel Hotel in Xi’an
This beautiful family-friendly hotel is close to many restaurants and bars and has everything you might need to make your stay comfortable.
Jaho Forstar Hotel in Chengdu
This comfortable hotel has nice rooms, good restaurant and complimentary wi-fi. And it’s only 5 minutes walk from the metro station!
Qinghui Huiguan Boutique Hotel in Yangshuo
This charming hotel has beautiful rooms, lovely atmosphere and welcoming staff.
West Hotel in Hong Kong
West Hotel is a great choice for your stay in Hong Kong. The location will allow you to reach plenty of good restaurants within a short walking distance.
What’s included in Highlights of China Tour?
Meals
10 breakfasts, 1 lunch, 3 dinners are included.
Accommodations
Accommodations for 10 nights along the tour.
Transportation during the Tour
Transportation is included for you and your luggage.
Also Included
- English speaking tour leader throughout the tour (for groups of 6 and more)
- English speaking local guides (for groups of 5 and less)
- A range of fun activities including:
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- Acrobatics show
- Cookery class
- Entrance to Giant Panda Breeding Centre
- Entrance fees to Terracotta Warriors and Great Wall of China
- Cycling and hiking tours
Not included
- Getting to and from starting and ending points of the tour
- Some meals
- Visa
- Insurance
- Personal expenses
- Anything not stated as ‘included’
Optional Extras
- Additional night in Shanghai before the tour
- Additional night in Hong Kong after the tour
Frequently Asked Questions about Highlights of China
China Adventure Travel has over 30 years of experience in tour operation. They specialize in adventure travel, including cycling, hiking, and tailor-made adventure tours. Their philosophy is to develop a trip in China that you won’t ever forget.
Besides adventure tours, China Adventure Travel also offers cultural tours and cultural exchange programs. They consider excellent leadership to be the soul of a trip, so their guides are chosen carefully for their expertise.
They pay great attention to every detail of your trip, and recognize that great service is a culmination of many smaller efforts.
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Charles has been working with China Adventure Travel since graduating from university. He’s patient, personable, and willing to take on any challenge. Guests love his warm smiles and pleasant personality. He’s also an exceptional violinist!
- Q: What’s the best part about leading tours in China?
- A: China is such a big, developing country. Guiding in China allows you to witness the development of our motherland. We bring different tourists to the same place but we can always find something new to share. It’s such an amazing thing.
- Q: What are guests most surprised about when visiting China?
- A: China has well-developed cities like Beijing and Shanghai, but also quite under-developed areas and remote villages far from the cities. It’s all about contrast.
- Q: What is one local dish or drink that anyone visiting China should try?
- A: Too many! China is a country famous for its food. Try Beijing duck, dumplings of all kinds, hot pot, spicy food in Sichuan, noodles in Xian, Cantonese dim sum, and more. We’ve got a long list.