Beijing – Datong – Pingyao – Xi’an Cultural Tour

Welcome to Beijing! Your private driver (or w/ guide) will meet you at the airport or train station and take you to your hotel. Spend the rest of the day resting or exploring the nearby area on your own. Your guide can offer suggestions depending on your interests.

Start your day at Tiananmen Square, the largest public square in the world and the ceremonial heart of modern China. Continue into the Forbidden City, the imperial palace of the Ming and Qing dynasties. Walk through its grand halls, courtyards and museums to learn about court life and ancient imperial traditions.

Continue to Jingshan Park for a short climb to the hilltop pavilion, where panoramic views overlook the golden roofs of the Forbidden City and central Beijing.

In the afternoon, visit the Summer Palace, an expansive retreat built around Kunming Lake and Longevity Hill. Recognized by UNESCO as a masterpiece of Chinese garden design, it features pavilions, bridges, painted corridors and peaceful lakeside views.

Optional evening: enjoy Beijing’s signature dish, Peking roast duck, at a well known restaurant such as Quanjude or Da Dong. 

Depart early for the Jinshanling Great Wall, one of the most scenic and less crowded stretches near Beijing, the drive takes about 2.3-5 hours. From the mid-gate entrance, take the shuttle bus and begin your hike from Zhuanduokou toward Houchuankou, covering about 8 km of varied terrain.

This 3–4 hour hike includes restored watchtowers and original, rugged sections, offering panoramic mountain views and excellent photo opportunities. After the hike, return to Beijing. You may choose to be dropped off at your hotel or near Donghuamen Night Market for evening snacks.

Begin your morning at the Temple of Heaven, where emperors once held ceremonies to pray for good harvests. Today it is also a lively public park where locals practice tai chi, dance and play traditional games.

Continue to the Shichahai Hutong area to experience old Beijing life. Enjoy a rickshaw ride through the narrow lanes, visit a traditional courtyard home, and walk along the historic Yandai Xiejie, which has an 800-year history surrounding Beijing’s Drum Tower. You’ll have free time to browse shops or enjoy local snacks in Nanluoguxiang.

In the afternoon, take a high-speed train to Datong (approx. 2 hours). Upon arrival, meet your local driver and transfer to your hotel.

This morning, drive about 1.5 hours to the Hanging Monastery, a remarkable temple built into the cliffs of Mount Heng. Suspended more than 50 meters above the ground, this unique site combines Buddhist, Taoist, and Confucian elements in a single complex. Explore its walkways, halls, and ancient wooden structures as your guide explains how the monastery has remained standing for over 1,500 years.

In the afternoon, continue to the Yingxian Wooden Pagoda (Fogong Temple Pagoda), the oldest and tallest all-wooden pagoda in China. Built in 1056 during the Liao Dynasty without using a single nail, the pagoda is an outstanding example of early Chinese engineering and architectural craftsmanship.

After the visit, return to Datong for an overnight stay.

Begin your day with a visit to the Yungang Grottoes, one of China’s three most important Buddhist cave sites, along with the Longmen and Mogao Grottoes. This UNESCO World Heritage Site contains 252 caves and more than 51,000 Buddha statues, ranging from tiny carvings to towering cliff-side sculptures—an extraordinary display of early Buddhist art in China.

Continue to the Huayan Monastery, one of the best-preserved temple complexes from the Liao and Jin dynasties. Built in 1140, the monastery features grand wooden halls, fine Buddhist statues, and a peaceful courtyard layout. Part of the complex now serves as a local museum showcasing Datong’s religious history.

Later in the afternoon, visit Datong’s famous Nine Dragon Screen, a magnificent glazed wall dating back over 600 years. It is the largest and oldest surviving nine-dragon screen in China, known for its vibrant colors and intricate craftsmanship.

Return to your Datong hotel for the evening.

Take a morning high-speed train to Pingyao (about 2–2.5 hours). Upon arrival, your local guide and driver will meet you and transfer you to your hotel. In the afternoon, begin your guided tour of Pingyao Ancient City, one of the best-preserved walled towns in China.

Start with the Pingyao Ancient City Wall, where you can walk along the ramparts for panoramic views of the old streets and traditional courtyard homes. Continue to the Rishengchang Former Bank, China’s first draft bank founded in 1823 during the Qing Dynasty, to learn how Pingyao became the financial center of ancient China.

Stroll down the lively Ming and Qing Street, a narrow pedestrian road lined with traditional shops, teahouses and merchant residences. Its well-preserved architecture makes it feel like stepping back 200 years.

Next, visit the Temple of the City God, known for its ornate wood carvings, colorful paintings and atmospheric courtyards. End the afternoon at the Pingyao Ancient Government Office, an excellent example of a traditional county yamen that shows how local administration worked in imperial China.

If time allows, you may explore additional small temples, shops or alleyways on your own. Overnight in Pingyao.

After breakfast, drive to the Wang Family Compound, located in Jingsheng Town about 50 km from Pingyao. Built during the Ming and Qing dynasties by a very successful merchant clan, this vast compound is considered one of the finest examples of traditional northern Chinese residential architecture. Often called the “Folk Forbidden City,” it features more than 100 courtyards, beautifully arranged halls, ancestral temples, intricate stone and brick carvings, and decorative gate towers that reflect the family’s wealth and cultural influence. As you explore its maze of courtyards, your guide will share stories about Shanxi merchant history and the family’s role in China’s trading networks.

Continue to the Shuanglin Temple, this UNESCO-listed temple is famous for its 2,000+ painted clay sculptures dating back to the Song, Yuan and Ming dynasties. 

In the late afternoon, take a high-speed train to Xi’an (approx. 3 hours). Upon arrival, your driver will transfer you to your hotel.

Today your tour will begin with a short drive into the suburb to visit the Terracotta Warriors and Horses. Here you can embrace this more than 2,000 years lost history with what is now called the eighth wonder of the world. See the more than 10,000 clay warriors and their chariots, none of which are the same!

Afterward, you will be driven back in a private car to Xi’an where in the afternoon, you will visit the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, the landmarks of Xi’an. It’s said the pagoda was built to house the Buddhist sutras brought back from India by a famous monk named Xuanzang. Here, you can enjoy a bird’s-eye view of the city and samples of ancient architecture.

A short drive will then take you to the final stop of the day which is Xi’an Muslim Quarters, a vibrant and bustling area that offers a unique cultural and culinary experience. Overnight at Xi’an.

In the morning, visit Shaanxi History Museum, which is often touted as one of the best of China, with a collection of 370,000 elaborate relics. You will feel that you have come to the ancient Xi’an because the museum is built in the architectural style of the Tang dynasty.

After you and your guide have left the museum, enjoy a delicious local lunch and then continue on to visit the famous Xi’an City wall, one of the oldest and best-preserved walls in China. Your last stop on the tour is Shuyuan Men, a perfect place to grab some last minute souvenirs. It presents you what the building and people’s life in Tang dynasty. Your guide will ensure you reach the airport or train station for your departure from Xi’an.