13-Day Sichuan, Guangxi and Historic Cities Group Tour

Welcome to Chengdu, the panda hometown in southwestern China! Upon your arrival at the airport/train station in Chengdu, the driver will meet you at the exit, and then escort you to the well-selected hotel in downtown Chengdu. The rest of the day is free on your own so that you can have a good rest for the jet lag or explore by yourselves around your hotel. Arrival Ideas: Chengdu is well connected by air and high-speed rail. There are two airports - Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport (成都双流国际机场) and Chengdu Tianfu International Airport (成都天府国际机场) operating many international and domestic airlines. Travelers can go to Chengdu by air from most cities in China, like Hong Kong (香港), Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou (广州), Xian, Guilin, Hangzhou (杭州), Kunming (昆明), Lhasa (拉萨), Lanzhou (兰州), Wuhan (武汉), Xiamen (厦门), Guiyang (贵阳), Chongqing (重庆).

After breakfast, you will travel approximately 17 kilometers by coach to the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding (成都大熊猫繁育研究基地), located in the northern suburbs of Chengdu. Here you can admire China’s endearing national treasure—the giant panda, and learn about their living habits and conservation efforts. Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding (commonly known as Chengdu Panda Base) is home to more than 100 giant pandas, making it the base with the largest captive giant panda population in the world. You can watch giant pandas of all ages playing, eating, climbing hills, climbing trees, sleeping and engaging in other lovely and interesting behaviors. Accompanied by a guide, you may also visit the Panda Museum (大熊猫博物馆) to discover more stories about pandas.

On this day, you will be escorted to the train station in Chengdu for your high-speed train journey to Guilin (5-6 hours). (Note: In some circumstances, you may take a flight from Chengdu to Guilin, which takes about 1.5 hours.) Welcome to Guilin, the land of nature's masterpieces. Upon your arrival in Guilin, your driver will meet you at the exit of the train station/airport and escort you to your hotel in downtown Guilin. In this afternoon, start your visit to the Symbol of Guilin - Elephant Trunk Hill (象鼻山). Located at the intersection of the Li River (漓江) and Peach Blossom River (桃花江), Elephant Trunk Hill looks like a huge elephant drinking water from the river. Then you will pay a visit to the Reed Flute Cave (芦笛岩), a classic scenic spot with karst landforms. The notable stalactites and stalagmites in the cave resemble animals or plants.

“East or west, Guilin landscape is the best”. After breakfast, you will go to explore the most dramatic natural scenery along the Li River, which is renowned as one of the “the world’s top 10 watery wonders” by National Geographic. Drive about 1 hour from your hotel to the pier and start a 4.5-hour relaxing sightseeing Li River cruise trip to Yangshuo. Along the 84-kilometer scenic cruise, you will feast your eyes with endless Chinese paintings of winding rivers, numerous green limestone karst peaks, grazing water buffalo, farmers working in the fertile fields, and idyllic villages set at the bases of the hills. (Note: Lunch is served on the cruise with simple local Chinese cuisine.) After arriving in Yangshuo, the driver will pick you up from the dock and drive to your hotel in Yangshuo town for a short rest.

On this day, you will be transferred to the airport for the flight to Shanghai (about 2.5 hours). Welcome to Shanghai! Upon your arrival, your driver will meet you at the airport and escort you to your hotel in downtown Shanghai. Enjoy a good rest today.

Today is a free day on your own to explore China’s most internationalized and lively city - Shanghai. Here, you will find an endless range of delicious food, modern architecture, cultural sites and shopping at every corner. You can take a walk along the exotic streets and absorb atmosphere of vitality. Enjoy your day

Today, your group will have full day to experience the well suited blend of East and West in the "Paris (巴黎) of the East." Explore brilliant museums, classical gardens, futuristic skyscrapers, and dramatic architecture - all in one lively city. First, head to Pudong and the Lujiazui (陆家嘴) financial district, home to a trio of well-known skyscrapers. The Shanghai Tower (上海中心大厦), China’s tallest and the world’s second-tallest building at 632 meters (2,073 ft), soars with a dramatic 120-degree twist from base to peak. Ride the world’s fastest elevators (64 km/h) to the "Top of Shanghai Observatory (上海天文台)" on the 118th floor, 546 meters above ground. Enjoy sweeping 360-degree views of the city, with the Jin Mao Tower (金茂大厦) and Shanghai World Financial Center (上海环球金融中心) below. Later, visit the Shanghai Museum (上海博物馆) (East), one of the world’s finest museums of ancient Chinese art.

On this day, you will have some time till be met in the hotel lobby and escorted to the airport for your flight to Xian (about 2.5 hours). Welcome to Xian, the capital of 13 ancient China dynasties! Upon your arrival in Xian, the local driver will greet you at the exit of the airport, and then escort you to your hotel in Xian downtown area. Enjoy some time on your own after the hotel check-in

After breakfast, your guide and driver will pick you up at your hotel. Drive about 40km (about 1 hour) to uncover one of the greatest archaeological discoveries in the world - the Terracotta Army Museum (秦始皇帝陵博物院), built by the first emperor of China, Qin Shihuang (秦始皇), to protect him in the afterlife. Around 8,000 vivid life-size Terracotta Warriors (兵马俑) have been found so far. First, visit the largest and most imposing pit, believed to contain over 6,000 terracotta figures of soldiers and horses. You will be amazed by this subterranean life-size army of thousands standing silently to guard the emperor. Marvel also at the fabulous artistic skills of ancient Chinese artisans. Next, move to another pit where you can see around 1,300 warriors and horses.

This morning, you will go to visit the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda (大雁塔), one of Xi'an's most recognizable landmarks and symbol of the magnificence of the Tang Dynasty. This seven-story pagoda standing in the tranquil Da Ci'en Temple (大慈恩寺) is one of China's best examples of a Tang-style pagoda (squarish rather than round). It was completed in AD 652 to house Buddhist sutras brought back from India (印度) by the monk Xuan Zang (玄奘). His travels inspired one of the best-known works of Chinese literature, Journey to the West. Later, you will have the opportunity to explore the lively and bustling Muslim Quarter (Muslim Street). This historic quarter, situated just behind the Drum Tower (鼓楼) about 430 meters west of the Bell Tower in downtown Xian, has been around for over 1,000 years.

Today you will spend the whole day exploring the ancient citadel of Beijing through China's famous landmarks, imperial grandeur, and royal gardens. After breakfast, your guide will pick you up at your hotel and head to Tiananmen Square (天安门广场), the world's largest public square and symbol of China. It has witnessed many major events in China's history over the past decades, and from here you can take great photos of Tiananmen Gate (天安门城楼), seen daily on CCTV News. Walking across the square, you will visit the mighty and splendid Forbidden City, the world's largest palace complex and former home of 24 Chinese emperors. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, the Forbidden City has about 500 years of history, serving as the political and ritual center of China during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties.

In this morning, you will head northwest of Beijing (about 1.5-2 hours’ drive, 73km) to the Great Wall at Mutianyu. The Great Wall boasts a history over 2,000 years and stretches more than 3,000 miles across several provinces of northern China, making it one of the most impressive ancient masterpieces on the planet. Mutianyu Great Wall is connected with the Jiankou Great Wall (箭扣长城) in the west and the Gubeikou Great Wall (古北口长城) in the east. Mutianyu is the longest and best fully-restored Great Wall with fewer tourists and is also famed for its 23 Ming-era watchtowers and dramatic views. Take the cable car up to the 14th watchtower and then enjoy the memorable hiking time on the wall while visiting its western route.

It is time to end your 8-day China group tour. You will have some time in Beijing and explore more on your own till be escorted to the airport/train station for your flight or high speed train to your next destination. Trip Extension Ideas: If you want to explore other Asia (亚洲) destinations rather than return home right away, we would be glad to assist you with an extension trip. Feel free to tell us your ideas! Price: What’s Included & What’s Excluded The above price is based on a group tour for 2 people sharing one standard double-bed room in 3-star hotels. Price varies depending on travel date, group size, hotel class, program in your itinerary and possible fluctuation of currency exchange rate.