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You are here: Home » China Theme Tours » Chinese Ancient Village Tours » 10 Days China Golden Triangle with Guilin Tour

10 Days China Golden Triangle with Guilin Tour

Beijing / Xian / Guilin / Shanghai

  • Terra-Cotta Warriors - China Discovery
  • Mutianyu Great Wall Shot by Melinda from USA
  • Chusi's Family from USA - West Street, Yangshuo, Guilin
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  • Chusi's Family from USA - West Street, Yangshuo, Guilin
  • Mutianyu Great Wall Shot by Melinda from USA
  • Terra-Cotta Warriors - China Discovery
Tour Type:
Private Tour
questions
Experience:
Departure:
Any day you want
Group size:
You, your family, friends or group
Tour Code:
CD-VT-10
Features:
Our professional tour experts carefully selected this route for you to experience the perfect blend of China's past, present and future. Enjoy the marvelous landscaped in Guilin and experience the contrast of West and East, ancient and modern through the golden triangle cities.

Price from Request

Trip at a Glance

  • Day 1-4: Beijing
  • Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven
    Great Wall, Summer Palace

  • Day 5-6: Xian
  • Terracotta Warriors
    Ancient City Wall, Big Wild Goose Pagoda

  • Day 7-9: Guilin
  • Li River Cruise, Yangshuo
    Elephant Trunk Hill, Reed Flute Cave

  • Day 9-10: Shanghai
  • Urban Planning Exhinbition Center
    Yu Garden & Bazaar, the Bund

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Full Itinerary Day by Day

Day 1 Beijing Arrival

Ni Hao, welcome to Beijing, the iconic city as well as the capital of China!

You will be met by your local tour guide at the arrival hall of your arrival airport or train station, then be escorted to check in to your hotel in downtown by a private comfortable vehicle. The rest of today is on your own to relax. If you want to explore nearby, feel free to get some practical suggestions from your tour guide.

Arrival Ideas: At present, there are many international and domestic flights to Beijing. Besides, you can take a high speed train to this capital city from Shanghai (4.5-6 hrs), Xian (4-6 hrs), Guangzhou (7.5-8 hrs), Chengdu (7.5-10 hrs), Chongqing (7-9 hrs), Hong Kong (8 hrs), etc.

Tour guide picked up our clients at Beijing airport
Day 2 Beijing ( B, L )

After breakfast, you will start a journey through Beijing's storied past with a brief visit to Tiananmen Square, the world's largest public plaza. This iconic site is where Chairman Mao proclaimed the founding of the People's Republic of China from the imposing Tiananmen Gate.

Step through Tiananmen Gate and into the heart of imperial China - Forbidden City. This vast palace complex of nearly 10,000 rooms, once home to 24 emperors from the Ming and Qing dynasties, stands as a marvel of architectural brilliance and historical grandeur. Admire the intricate details, from the dazzling yellow-glazed tile roofs to the refined white marble bases. As you explore the myriad rooms and courtyards, envision the lives of emperors, empresses, and their courtiers.

After leaving the Forbidden City, take a short walk to Jingshan Park, where you can ascend to its summit for a panoramic view. From here, marvel at the sweeping vistas of the Forbidden City to the south and the serene landscapes of Beihai Park, Shichahai Lake, and the iconic Drum Tower to the north. For unforgettable photos, make your way to one of the palace's corner towers, a favorite spot among photography enthusiasts.

Following lunch, drive to the outskirts of Beijing to experience the enchanting Summer Palace. Once the exclusive summer retreat of the imperial family, this site is renowned as China's largest and most well-preserved royal garden. Discover a stunning array of ancient pavilions, grand mansions, serene temples, and elegant bridges. The Long Corridor, stretching along the peaceful shores of Kunming Lake, is adorned with thousands of vibrant paintings that tell captivating stories of history and mythology.

Lastly, be escorted back to your hotel.

Optional Night Activities:
1) Watch a wonderful acrobatic performance at the Chaoyang Theater;
2) Or enjoy the classic Chinese art performance of Beijing Opera at Liyuan Theater.

Mazurek's Group from Poland viewed Forbidden City from Jingshan Park in 2024.The Inner Jinshui River Winding through the Heart of the Forbidden CitySummer Palace Shot by Our Guest Nguyen
Day 3 Beijing ( B, L )

After breakfast, drive about 70km (1.5 h) to witness one of the Seven Wonders of the World – Great Wall. The less-crowded Mutianyu, a well-preserved segment of Great Wall built in Ming Dynasty, lives up to all of your nice expectation. This great wall, linking Gubeikou in the east and Juyongguan in the west, was served as the vital military strategic point from the ancient time. Moreover, Mutianyu section is the “longest great wall in China” so far and since protection work is well done here, tourists can now see its original appearance and enjoy the real ancient culture of great wall. Also, spectacular natural scenery in Mutianyu Great Wall always impresses visitors here for its abundant vegetation. Take cable car or walk about 40 minutes to set your feet on Great Wall. Climb up the rising towers to enjoy scenic views as the wall wriggling along mountain ridges, and take brag-worthy photos of the wall.

Continue your trip to Ding Tomb about 42 km from the great wall (driving for about 1 h), mausoleum of the 13th emperor of Ming Dynasty. Follow your tour guide’s introduction to observe the geomantic arrangement as well as to visit the underground palace to get closer observation. Then, drive back to Beijing City, and take a short stop at the Beijing Olympic Village to view the magnificent Bird’s Nest and Water Cube from the outside.

Optional activity: After the whole day’s tour, treat yourself a great dinner to taste the famous Peking Roasted Duck at Quanjude.

Our customers visited Bird's Nest in 2019Our customer Heidy visited Mutianyu Great Wall Mutianyu Great Wall Shot byMelinda from USA in 2018
Day 4 Beijing & Flight to Xian ( B, L )

Today, your first stop is the charming Beihai Park, then take a lifetime rickshaw tour the ancient alleyway of Hutongs that are still keeping the original layout in the Shichahai area. You’ll stop by a Siheyuan local family and experience what their life is like. Lunch will be arranged at your local family, and you can learn to cook some Chinese dumplings if you like.

Then you will be escorted to the airport for a flight to Xian, the ancient capital of China. Upon arrival, your local guide will greet and guide you to your hotel. The rest of the day is free on your own.

The Locals' Leisure Time in Hutong
Day 5 Xian ( B, L )

Today your first stop is to join the ranks of the incredible Terracotta Warriors, the forbidding sentinels of a death defying emperor, starting out through the silent millennia of history.

In the afternoon, visit the Ancient City Walls, the largest and best-kept city walls on earth. Strolling and cycling on the Walls is quite an enjoyable experience. Today’s tour ends to visit the Bell Tower, a famous landmark of Xian ancient city.

Amazing Terracotta Warriors with 2000 Years History
Day 6 Xian ( B, L )

Today after breakfast, you’ll visit the Great Mosque, a tranquil and historic mosque that has served Xian’s Muslim community for more than a millennium. By the way, you’ll stop by the Muslim Community.

Then head to the age-old Big Wild Goose Pagoda, the symbol of the old-line Xian, a well-preserved ancient building and a holy place for Buddhists.

After lunch, be transferred to the airport and take a flight to Guilin, the finest scenery of China. Be met and transferred to your hotel by the local guide and the rest of today is free at your leisure.

Explore the Home of Buddhism in China
Day 7 Guilin ( B, L )

As the declaration in Chinese textbook "Guilin’s landscape is the best under heaven", today you will explore this best landscape starting with a relaxing sightseeing cruise along the Li River from Mopanshan Pier to Yangshuo Town. Along the 84-kilometer cruise, dazzling scenery overwhelms your eyes like a vast endless Chinese painting of winding river, green limestone karst mountains, fascinating countryside views, amazing scene of A Painting of Nine Horses, and notable view printed on the back of the 20 RMB note. (Please note: Lunch is served by the cruise with simple local Chinese cuisine. And you can take some snacks when getting on board.)

After about 4 hours’ cruise, disembark in Yangshuo Town, and check into your hotel. After a short break, start your impressive exploration of the best charming sightseeing and ideal countryside ease at Yulong River. Let all the refreshing scenes please your eyes and souls to the utmost. Just enjoy every moment with the Karst hills dotted around, chatting stream, rippling mountain reflection, swaying floras, patches of vivid crops, comfortable breeze….There are diverse kinds of ways for your enjoyment of the fun and beauty, including biking, hiking, bamboo rafting and driving. You can easily choose and combine your ideal way(s) and part of Yulong River. (Please tell your likes to your travel consultants before booking the tour, as the final prices will differ by activities you choose.).

Biking (some physically demanding & sightseeing by the river) - Ride to enjoy the river view and the real fields (route: Yangshuo - Jima - Shuiedi Dock - Gongnong Bridge - West Street; for 1.5-2 hours).

Bamboo Rafting (relaxing and interesting & sightseeing on the river) - have fun with the classic bamboo rafting (Route A: Shuiedi Dock - Gongnong Bridge for 40-50 minutes; Route B: Jima Dock - Gongnong Bridge for 1.5 hours) to see the more serene view like pieces of traditional Chinese landscape ink paintings.

Driving (most leisurable and comfortable & sightseeing on the road) - drive and travel from Jima to Gongnong Bridge to appreciate the lovely countryside view (about 0.5 hour). You can get off and on anywhere on the middle way to explore more about your interested place.

After that, walk leisurely on the ancient West Street to witness how the western culture and Chinese culture perfectly and peacefully coexist here. Whether you want to enjoy a cup of drink in bar, taste some local food, or just experience the relaxing atmosphere, you can get it here.

Note: according to the regulations of Yulong River Tourism, children less than 1 meter high and seniors over 70 years old are not allowed to take the bamboo rafting.

Optional evening activity:

Watch the splendid evening performance of Impression Liu Sanjie with the Li River itself as the stage, which was directed by famous director - Zhang Yimou (usually performs for an hour between around 19:45 and 22:20).

Chusi's Family from USA Visited Yangshuo West Street in June, 2018
Day 8 Guilin ( B, L )

Being driven back to Guilin after breakfast (1.5~2 hrs), and have an essential Guilin city tour. The first stop surely is the Elephant Trunk Hill, the city symbol. Then head to visit the fabulous Reed Flute Cave to see the beautiful stalactites, stalagmites, stone pillars, and stone flowers with various shapes.

After the tour, be escorted to the airport for your flight to Shanghai, the most cosmopolitan city of China. Upon your arrival, transferred to your hotel in Shanghai with the private vehicle and help you check in.

Gerhard from Germany visited Reed Flute Cave in August, 2019
Day 9 Shanghai ( B, L )

After breakfast, your guide and driver will pick you up from your hotel to start your Shanghai exploration. Your first stop is Shanghai Museum, one of the Best Four Museums in China. This modern museum has collected many international-standard exhibits of bronzes, paintings, calligraphy, sculpture, ceramics, jade from more than 5,000 years ago to the Qing dynasty. To help you learn about the history and facts about the relics in the museum easily, an Audio Explanation Device will be prepared for you. Next, you will take an interesting visit to Yu Garden, a shining star among all the ancient Chinese gardens in Jiangnan. This garden fully embodies the traditional design of Chinese architecture with jagged pavilions with elegant decorations, glittering pools with roving fish, and pine trees sprouting to the sky, all designed to refresh your mood and spirit. Adjacent to the garden is the Yuyuan Bazaar where you can savor tasteful local snacks and explore elaborate traditional Chinese handicrafts and art works. Next, you will drive several kilometers to enjoy a panoramic view of the modern face of Shanghai from the 100th floor (474m) of “the Eye of Shanghai” Shanghai World Financial Center.

You will then be transferred to another popular landmark of Shanghai, Nanjing Road, a shopping paradise as well as a great place to take a wonderful walk to experience the modern atmosphere of the City. Lastly, you will stop at the Bund, originally a simple towpath for transporting goods but now transformed into a feverish trading district. You will stroll along the Bund, seeing and feeling the perfect fusion of Chinese and Western cultures while at the same time taking in the stunning Shanghai skyline with your own eyes!

Optional Activity - Take a relaxing Huangpu River night cruise to see the city’s most significant edifices and streets sparkling under the atmospheric cover of darkness (about 50 minutes).

Antal's family enjoyed the scenery of Shanghai skyscrapers in March 2024Da Ke Ding in Shanghai MuseumOur Guests visited Yu Garden and Bazaar in 2017
Day 10 Shanghai Departure ( B, L )

After breakfast, your guide and driver will pick you up at your hotel. First, you will pay a wonderful visit to Jade Buddha Temple, the site of the largest Jade Buddha in the world and numerous religious artifacts, ancient statues and Buddhist scriptures. This peaceful kingdom of Buddhism hidden among modern blocks and dominating mansions is a great place for a nice break in this very busy city.

Next, you will be transferred to Tianzifang which is touristic arts and crafts enclave that has developed from a renovated traditional residential area. It is the typical tourist attraction to appreciate the preservation of local Shikumen architecture. In this place full of rich flavor of life, you can leisurely stroll along the clean old alleys to watch the daily life of local Shanghai people, savor a cup of drink at the open-air café, and find some interesting things in the novel shops to feel the international feature mixed with real Shanghai culture.

In the afternoon, your guide will escort you to the airport for your flight to next destination or home.

Spend  Leisure Time at the Mazy Lanes of TianzifangWoo's group visited Jade Buddha Temple with China DiscoveryJade Buddha Temple in Shanghai

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