Beijing, Zhangjiajie & Shanghai Tour

Welcome to Beijing! Your private driver will meet you at the airport or train station and transfer you to your hotel. The rest of the day is free to rest or begin exploring the city on your own.

Overnight in Beijing.

Note: Pickup is included from Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) or any Beijing train station. Pickup from Beijing Daxing International Airport (PKX) is available at an additional cost.

Begin at Tiananmen Square before walking into the Forbidden City, the former imperial palace of the Ming and Qing dynasties. Explore its grand halls and courtyards while learning about life inside China’s imperial court.

Continue to Jingshan Park for a panoramic view over the palace. In the afternoon, visit the Summer Palace, where lakes, landscaped hills and imperial architecture provide a quieter contrast to central Beijing.

In the evening, you may choose to enjoy a Beijing Roast Duck dinner (optional, at additional cost).

Overnight in Beijing.

Visit the Temple of Heaven in the morning. Besides its imperial ceremonial buildings, the surrounding park provides a glimpse of everyday Beijing life.

Continue by road to the Mutianyu Great Wall, around 1.5–2 hours from downtown depending on traffic. Spend the afternoon walking between restored watchtowers with broad views across the surrounding mountains. Cable car and chairlift options are available if you prefer to reduce the uphill walking.

In the evening, you may choose to watch a Peking Opera or Kung Fu performance (optional, at additional cost).

Overnight in Beijing.

After breakfast, drive to visit the Lama Temple, also known as the Yonghegong Temple. It is a temple and monastery of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism and houses the largest wooden Buddha in the world.

Continue to Beihai Park, a former imperial garden centered around a large lake. Walk through the park to see the White Dagoba while getting a glimpse of local life, with Beijing residents exercising, singing and relaxing around the gardens.

Then explore the Shichahai hutongs by rickshaw and on foot. Pass through old lanes and courtyard neighborhoods, and visit a traditional courtyard home for a closer look at local hutong life.

Later in the afternoon, your guide and driver will transfer you to the airport for your flight to Zhangjiajie. Upon arrival, your local driver will meet you and transfer you to your hotel.

Overnight near Wulingyuan.

Spend the day exploring the core landscapes of Zhangjiajie National Forest Park. Ride the Bailong Elevator up the sandstone cliffs to Yuanjiajie, where walking paths connect viewpoints overlooking hundreds of narrow stone pillars and deep valleys.

Explore Yuanjiajie, including viewpoints around the formations associated with the floating mountains in Avatar, before continuing to Tianzi Mountain. Here, the landscape opens to broad views across dense clusters of sandstone peaks, which can look especially atmospheric when mist settles between them.

Descend by the Tianzi Mountain Cableway and return to your hotel after sightseeing.

Overnight near Wulingyuan.

In the morning, drive to visit the Zhangjiajie Glass Bridge — the world’s longest glass-bottomed bridge at 435 meters, hanging 375 meters above the Grand Canyon. After crossing, your guide leads you on a moderate 2-hour hike through the canyon, passing waterfalls, streams, and lush forest.

In the afternoon, return to Zhangjiajie National park and visit Huangshizhai (Yellow Stone Village). Take the cableway up to the mountain-top scenic area and walk between viewpoints overlooking the surrounding sandstone peaks and forested valleys.

In the late afternoon, transfer to Zhangjiajie city for the night. You might consider visiting the 72 Strange Building (72 Qilou) in the evening, a massive 109.9-meter Tujia-style architectural complex with vibrant light shows, cultural performances, and street food that makes it one of Zhangjiajie’s liveliest spots after dark. Overnight at Zhangjiajie city.

In the morning, visit Tianmen Mountain, rising above Zhangjiajie city to about 1,519 meters. Take the cableway up to Tianmen Cave, the huge natural arch known as the “Gateway to Heaven,” with the famous 999-step Stairway to Heaven stretching down the mountainside.

Continue by elevator to the summit area, where you can walk along the cliffside paths and experience one of the glass skywalks, with views across the surrounding mountains and valleys.

After descending the mountain, transfer to Zhangjiajie airport for your flight to Shanghai. Upon arrival, your driver will meet you and transfer you to your hotel.

Overnight in Shanghai.

Begin at Yu Garden, a classical Ming-style garden with traditional pavilions, ponds and rockeries, followed by time to explore the surrounding Yuyuan Bazaar.

Continue to Xintiandi, where restored shikumen houses now contain cafés, restaurants, boutiques and galleries.

In the afternoon, cross to Pudong and visit the Oriental Pearl TV Tower for panoramic views over Shanghai and the Huangpu River. Finish with a walk along The Bund, where historic waterfront buildings face the modern Pudong skyline.

After the tour, you may continue on foot to explore Nanjing Road on your own, or your driver can take you back to your hotel.

In the evening, you may choose to take a Huangpu River night cruise or watch a Chinese acrobatics show (optional, at additional cost).

Overnight in Shanghai.

Drive to visit Tongli Water Town, a historic Jiangnan town near Suzhou known for its canals, stone bridges and traditional riverside houses.

Walk through the old lanes and across the historic bridges, then visit the Retreat and Reflection Garden, a UNESCO-listed classical garden. You may also take an optional boat ride along the canals for a different view of the water town.

After sightseeing, return to Shanghai in the afternoon.

Overnight in Shanghai.

Your private driver will meet you at your hotel and transfer you to Shanghai airport or railway station for your departure. If you’d like to see more of China, we’ll be happy to help you plan the next part of your journey.