Welcome to China! Upon your arrival, your friendly tour guide will be holding your name-sign and will greet you at the arrival hall, then take you to the hotel. After checking into the hotel, you will have a rest to recover from jet lag and get ready for tomorrow's discovery.

Free time idea: If you would like to explore the city, both hotels are in good locations and you could walk around and discover local life in the nearby neighborhood or do some shopping in the local malls. Your tour guide will give you several easy and enjoyable suggestions.

After a night's sound sleep, you will be refreshed for today's exploration. First, you will visit Tiananmen Square and then move to Forbidden City, the largest collection of wooden constructions preserved today which is also known as Palace Museum. As the imperial palace for both the Ming and Qing Dynasty and home to 24 emperors, the Forbidden City witnessed the rise and fall of the two dynasties from the year 1420 to 1912. Follow your professional local guide to admire the magnificent halls and discover some amazing palaces ordinary tour groups do not cover to learn more about ancient imperial life.

Then take a rickshaw ride to discover the traditional Hutong alleys where common people used to live. Follow your insider tour guide to visit an old Hutong courtyard and learn Chinese calligraphy from the hospitable host. You could learn to write down your own Chinese name and keep your work as a memorable souvenir.

The Forbidden City

Ride a rickshaw to discover the Hutong alleys

In the morning, you will first visit the Temple of Heaven in the morning and delight in the beautiful architectures where emperors used to hold ceremonies to pray for good harvest and luck for the next coming year. Encounter locals gathering here for morning exercises and enjoy the lively scene of various activities including Taichi, group dance and shuttlecock kicking. You are more than welcome to join these friendly local people to experience the relaxing atmosphere.

Next, you will travel to the Mutianyu Great Wall, the greatest defensive system built by ancient Chinese. Snaking around on top of the mountains for over 13,000 miles, the Great Wall successfully stopped nomadic groups and protected central Chinese states and empires. Mutianyu section is the quieter part as well as the longest part of the Great Wall extant today. A Round-trip Cable Car is included to make your exploration easier and to save more time for you to spend on the wall. Enjoy some hiking on top of the Wall, be amazed by the impressive construction and take in the spectacular surrounding views.

Afterwards, drive back to the city and have a stopover to the iconic Bird's Nest and Water Cube.

The Temple of Heaven

The quieter Mutianyu Great Wall

Venture into the Summer Palace, the imperial garden and delight in its picturesque scenery of gardens, halls, pavilions and exquisite paintings. Enjoy a boat cruise along the Kunming Lake and experience the royal way to escape their summer in this beautiful resort specially built for the imperial family.

Afterwards, you will be taken to the railway station to take a 4.5-hour high-speed train to travel to another ancient capital Xian. Upon arrival, meet your friendly Xian guide and drive to your hotel.

High-speed train ride: China probably has the world's best high speed train system. This fastest 4.5-hour train between the two cities is arranged for you to take in the magnificent authentic rural views of China during the ride.

The Summer Palace

About 1-hour drive from the downtown area, you will get to the Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses Museum. Here you will see the life-sized clay figures guarding the emperor and his tomb in his afterlife were discovered, each owning distinctive facial expression, hair style, figure as well as uniform. Both the Great Wall and Terra-cotta Army were built by the order of the first emperor, Qin Shihuang Emperor, who created the history of Chinese feudal society.

Afterwards, enjoy the opportunity to make a mini terra-cotta figure and you will further understand the impressive work done by ancient Chinese 2,000 years ago.

Then drive back to the city to ascend the largest and best-preserved City Wall and have an overview of this old capital.

Afterwards, drive to the famous local Muslim Quarter and unveil the ancient Great Mosque built in traditional Chinese style. Wonder around the bustling street and enjoy some bargained shopping in the famous bazaar.

Terracotta Warriors with unique faces

Learning to make mini terra-cotta figures.

After breakfast, approach to the tranquil Small Wild Goose Pagoda that was built in 8th century for prayer, health, and luck to the emperor. Discover its architectural miracle with your local tour guide. Then proceed to the Xi'an Museum and unveil the earlier history of China before 13th century from the treasures stored here.

On the way to the airport, visit the Hanyang Tombs (Hanyangling Mausoleum), tomb of Emperor Jingdi. Marvel atop a glass walkway and closely appreciate the miniatures of terra-cotta figures of maids, eunuchs, animals, etc. Follow your insider local guide and find out the mystery of the mini naked figures without arms.

Afterwards, farewell to Xi'an and you will fly to Shanghai. Upon arrival, your Shanghai tour guide will pick you up and take you to your hotel.

Good to know: Hanyang Tombs is a truly hidden gem that most tour groups ignore but it is worth your time for a better understanding of the emperor's next life beliefs as well as the history of the prosperous Han Dynasty in an impressive way.

Small Wild Goose Pagoda

Hanyang Tombs

Start today's tour with a visit to the Yu Garden and enjoy the beautiful layout, which also presents the philosophy of Chinese people's life. Learn about Chinese classic architectural philosophy how chambers, halls, pavilions, ponds and rockeries were beautifully built in harmony.

Then head to Nanjing Road and the Bund which is regarded as the World Architecture Museum. Catch a sight of the packed skyscrapers and admire the aged colonial buildings that witnessed Shanghai's vitality.

Enjoy a panoramic view of the Bund from the top of Shanghai Tower and be amazed by the booming economy of this cosmopolitan.

Continue to visit Xintiandi (New World of Shanghai) and enjoy a leisurely stroll in Shanghai's old French Concession where you will be able to see the traditional Shikumen constructions. You will walk into the Shikumen Museum, a traditional residence that preserves the old house style from the 1920s era.

The Bund with its magnificent highrises

Traditional Shikumen residence of 1920s

Your 8-day wonderful China vacation ends here and you will be transferred to the airport for your departure flight. Have a nice journey home!

Tips: A free day is arranged for more flexibility for your departure international flight. If you are departing on a late flight and would like to explore more, e.g. a water town, please tell your travel specialist.