9 days Golden triangle Beijing Xi'an Shanghai tour

Upon your arrival in Beijing by either train or plane, be met and assisted to your hotel by a local guide and driver. The rest of the day is free for you to rest or explore. 

Today will be a day of touring Beijing's best offerings, you will begin to learn about the rich history and cultures of this Capital city. Following breakfast in your hotel, have a short drive to Tian'anmen Square, located in the center of Beijing city, is the largest public square in the world.

Afterwards, cross the street, enter into the Forbidden City, the largest surviving palace complex and the former home of the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties. Consisting of 980 buildings and with 8,707 bays of rooms, Forbidden city is the best example of classical Chinese architecture in the world.

After lunch, head to the UNESCO World Heritage Summer Palace, a royal garden. This beautiful garden is covered with spectacular scenery a manmade lake named Kunming that is best overlooked from Longevity Hill (Wanshou  Shan), a place once reserved for the imperial court only. Enjoy the beautiful scene and see the ancient palaces, temples and gardens dating back to the Qing dynasty. The Summer Palace is also well known as one of the four classic gardens in China.

In the evening, you can choose to enjoy a performance of Chinese Kung Fu Show (Optional).

After breakfast, drive to visit the Temple of Heaven, a holy imperial temple where emperors went to worship to the God of Heaven and pray for an good harvest. The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest (Qinian Dian) is the main building at the Temple of Heaven, and it's well known for its unique and magnificent triple-gabled circular appearance.

In the afternoon, you can choose to visit one of the below Great Walls:

Drive about 2.5 hours to Mutianyu Great Wall. Once arrival you will enjoy about 3 hours of walking along this wonderful ancient wall. See with your own eyes this national treasure and photography the magnificent scenery of the wall winding its way across the mountains. Comparing to Badaling, Wutianyu Great Wall is less crowded. You can assend the great wall by cable cars or walk up.

Drive about 2.5 hours to Huanghuacheng Great Wall. Less touristy than other parts of the Great Wall close to Beijing, Huanghuacheng is an extremely rewarding, and impossibly steep, section of the Wall. Undulating across the hillsides east and west of a small reservoir and offering spectacular views of the surrounding countryside, it has undergone only partial restoration and is refreshingly free of the hawkers who can make visits to other sections a trying experience.

On the way back to the downtown, stop to overlook Olympic Green. (Optional: If you are interested in the local life, we can also drop you off at the Donghuamen night market or Sanlitun Bar Street, where you can get closer to local Beijing).

After breakfast, drive to visit the Lama Temple, which also known as the Yonghegong Temple. It is a temple and monastery of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. It contains the largest wooden Buddha in the world. (Optional: You can visit Beihai Park instead of you are more interested in the local people’s life).

Then explore the secret Beijing hutongs with a one to two hours visit to Beiluoguoxiang, this less visited portion of Beijing fading history is located in the old east part of the city. During your visit, the local guide will tell you the history and traditional cultures of old Beijing. In the afternoon, take the high-speed train to Xi'an (about 5 hours). Upon arrival in Xi'an, to be picked up and transferred to hotel.

Your first day in Xi'an starts with a visit to the 8th wonder of the world, the Terracotta Warriors and Horses, one of the must see attractions of China. Built for Qing Shi Huang, the first emperor of China to defend his mausoleum and prepare him for rule in the afterlife. You will see more than 10,000 life size clay warriors and their chariots, waiting for their emperor to awaken them.

Late morning, drive back to the downtown Xi'an about 30 minutes and continue visiting the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. This ancient building has been rebuilt over the centuries but is considered the key landmark of Xi'an, and can offer a unique bird's eye view of the city.

Xi'an is famous for its Muslim culture, and after lunch you and your guide will visit the Muslim Quarters and Great Mosque. Feel the unique ethnic atmosphere of Hui cultural minority as you safely walk through the narrow streets. In the evening, you can choose to enjoy a traditional dumpling banquet followed by a Tang Dynasty culture show. (Optional)

Today you will visit several culturally rich spots in Xi'an city. After breakfast, head to Shaanxi History Museum, one of the best museums in China. View the more than 370,000 relics with your guide, to gain a clear understanding of Shaanxi history and culture. Enjoy your lunch and then continue on your day.

Next is a stop to the oldest and best preserved city walls in China, Xi'an City Wall. Time permitting you can choose to rent bicycles and ride around the whole thing. Or head straight to Shuyuan Men, this ancient street where you observe people's life as it was during the Tang dynasty. A great place to buy some local souvenirs for your family or friends.

Late in the afternoon, drive to the airport and fly to Shanghai, the last destination of this tour. Your Shanghai local guide will meet you at the airport and assist you to your hotel.

Begin your first day in Shanghai by visiting Yu Garden accompanied by your guide. Yu Garden was built during the Ming Dynasty by a government officer called Pan Yunduan. Here you will see the famous Exquisite Jade Rock and many other beautiful landscape architecture in the garden. Afterwards, your guide will take you to the Shanghai Urban Exhibition Hall to help you get a clear understanding of this modern city.

In the afternoon, you will visit Shanghai World Financial Center, or to locals is called the "bottle opener" because of its unique appearance. It is also one of the tallest buildings in the world. Then walk through Nanjing Road and see the beautiful scenery of the Bund in Shanghai.

In the evening you can choose to enjoy a Chinese Acrobatics show (Optional).

As one of the last days of the tour, we have left it open and flexible, have one full day free to explore Shanghai. Go shopping or walk around this city. If you need, you can ask our guide to give you some suggestions on where to go or what to see. There are also some beautiful water towns near Shanghai, such as Zhouzhuang. No matter your plan WindhorseTour will help to ensure it is successful, all out tours can be customized according to your requirements.

After breakfast, drive to Shanghai Hongqiao Airport or Pudong Airport. Your China 9 day tour ends We are certain your tour to China will be full of ever lasting memories.