Beijing Xian Hangzhou Huangshan Shanghai 13 Days Tour

Day By Day Itinerary

Arrival in Beijing, met and transferred to your hotel ( booked by us ) in Beijing. In the afternoon, visit Temple of Heaven, the place where the emperors of Ming and Qing Dynasties worshipped heaven and prayed for peace and harvest. You are at your leisure to take a good rest or explore the city for the remainer of the day.

Meal: No

Starting the day with a visit to Tiananmen Square, the world largest square of this kind. Then move on to the imperial palace, also known as the Forbidden City, the complex of imperial palace, which was home to the Emperors of Ming and Qing dynasties for over 500 years.

Today you have a la carte lunch with an a la carte menu at a nice local restaurant, where you could enjoy the authentic Chinese food. After lunch, continue to visit Summer Palace, the largest and most beautiful Chinese imperial garden. It is regarded as a museum of gardens in China. Then visit a Tea market where you can taste the famous Chinese tea and see Chinese tea ceremony in a big Chinese tea market and buy the local Chinese teas.

Tonight you are arranged to see the Kung Fu Show at Red Theatre (middle Seating Area). This is a great show. It tells a story of Chin Yu entering the monastery and making his way through life to finally becoming the Abbott. There are many demonstrations of Kungfu and strength throughout the show. The costumes and the choreography are great. Unfortunately people are not allowed to take photos nor video it. You can however purchase a DVD of the show. The show lasts about one hour and 15 minutes. After the show, transferred back to your hotel

Meals: Hotel Western breakfast and a la carte lunch

After breakfast, you are picked up at your hotel around 8:00am. Drive to the Ming Tombs ( Dingling, one of the 13 Ming Dynasty Tombs complex ). From the Yongle Emperor onwards, 13 Ming Dynasty Emperors were buried in this area. You will visit Dingling, the tomb of the Wanli Emperor, which is the only one of the Ming Dynasty Tombs to have been excavated. Visited the Jade Factory where they explained the difference types of jade and how jade can be carved in a great variety of shapes.

After Chinese lunch, head to Mutainyu Great Wall to start your highlight of your Beijing tour, hiking the Great Wall of China, a massive military defense works which was left from the Ming dynasty. It is a very spectacular view. You will take lots of pictures. Back to your hotel.

Meals: Hotel Western breakfast and Chinese lunch

After breakfast, take morning flight for Xian. Met by our English speaking tour guide and visit the Terra-cotta Army - a lifetime viewing of the extraordinary 2200-year-old terra-cotta Army of China's First Emperor-Qin Shihuang. The emperor Qin Shi Huang who was the first emperor to unite China in 221 BC started to build his own mausoleum 35 years before his death. His son finished the mausoleum after his death. The Terracotta Army was to protect him after his death. Only a small part of the Terracotta Army has been restored. The museum shows different stages in the slow restoration process. Then, you will take a short visit to the Pottery-making House.

After having the local flavor - Dumpling Dinner, enjoy Tang Dynasty Show in the evening. Transferred back to your hotel.

Meals: Hotel Western breakfast, Chinese lunch and dumpling dinner

After breakfast at hotel, your city tour begins with a visit to the Shaanxi Provincial History Museum - a large modern museum of the national level where you will see the artifacts that have been collected in Shaanxi Province since the upper Cave Man 18,000 years ago. Then move on to Big Goose Pagoda ( Ascending the pagoda is optional). The Pagoda is over 1000 years old and has 6 levels. It was used to store and protect Buddhist writings in the past.

Today you have a la carte lunch with an a la carte menu at a nice local restaurant, where you could enjoy the authentic Chinese food. After lunch, visit the Great Mosque, the biggest and most preserved complete Chinese existent mosque. It was first built at the Tianbao first year (742 years) during Tang Dynasty. Then visit the Xian City Wall, a symbol of great significance of the famous historic cultural city of Xian. The City Wall started to be built in 194 B.C. The wall is 25.7 KM in length and is 12-16 meters in the base. Bicycles can be rented to ride. The wall encloses a city area of 36 square k ilometers. Transferred back to your hotel.

Meals: Hotel Western breakfast and a la carte Chinese lunch

Take a morning flight to Hangzhou, the capital city of Zhejiang Province. After lunch, first head to Lingyin Temple. Lingyin Temple is a Buddhist temple of the Chan sect nestled in the Flying Peak north-west of Hangzhou. The Flying Peak features a large number of grottos and religious rock carvings.

Then continue to visit the Qinghefang Pedestrian Street. It is the best-preserved histotical street in Hangzhou. A great number of time-honored shops with over a hundred year are located here. Return to your midtown hotel in Hangzhou.

Meals: Hotel Western breakfast and Chinese lunch

Start your Hangzhou with the boating on the West Lake. Taking one- hour boating on the lake and after the West Lake cruising, continue to visit Leifeng Pagoda. Ascending to the top of the pagoda and looking down, one has a panoramic view of West Lake and the whole city of Hangzhou.

Today you have a la carte lunch with an a la carte menu at a nice local restaurant, where you could enjoy the authentic Chinese food.

After lunch, head to Six Harmonies Pagoda. The Six Harmonies Pagoda is located south of West Lake on a high land called Yuelun Hill overlooking the Qiantang River. Originally the pagoda was in 970 A. D. with the aim to press down the tidal bore of the Qiantang River tidal bore. Then you are taken to Longjing Tea Plantation to experience the traditional method of making Longjing (Dragon Well) Tea as well drinking, picking, smelling or buying. Return to your hotel in Hangzhou.

Meals: Hotel Western breakfast and a la carte Chinese lunch

You have a free and leisure morning in Hangzhou. After lunch, you are driven along the expressway from Hangzhou to Huangshan that takes you about 2 hours. Arriving at International Hotel in Huangshan, met by our local Englih speaking tour guide and check-in at Huangshan International Hotel in Huangshan. You are free and at your own leisure to walk around the old town in Tunxi. Stay overnight in Tunxi.

Meals: Hotel Western breakfast and Chinese lunch

After breakfast at your hotel, check out and deposit your suitcases in the hotel, take your valuables, passport and a bag with a change of clothes.

Then drive along Huangshan Expressway to Huangshan Scenic Area, about 1.5-hour's drive, 80km north from your hotel in Tunxi. Get off at Tangkou Township (汤口镇). Then change for the local green bus and continue to drive for about 15 minutes along the zigzag mountain road before you get to the bus station at Yungu at Huangshan Scenic Area.

Taking a 5-minute walk from bus station to Yungu Telpher Station (云谷索道). Actually there are two cable stations in Yungu. We take the new telpher station. The 10-minite ride takes you to the White Goose Telpher Station(白鹅岭索道) on the top of White Goose Ridge of Huangshan Mountain.

Taking a 0.8km pleasant walk from White Goose Telpher Station (白鹅岭索道) to Stalagmite Peak（石笋矼)
We got off the cable car at White Goose Telpher Station and walk along the White Goose Ridge towards Stalagmite Peak, the first peak on your Huangshan Trip. From the cable car station to the Stalagmite Peak is 0.8 km. It is a pleasant walk teemed with amazing views of pine trees, colourful leaves and various peaks with comfortable temperature under azure sky.

Taking a 0.2km walk from Stalagmite Peak （石笋矼) to Beginning-to-Believe-Peak（始信峰)
This 20-minute walk is a little difficult than that of from the White Goose Telpher Station to Stalagmite Peak. The mountain road is a bit steep. On the way, you can still enjoy the different views of pine trees and unknown peaks.

Taking a 1km walk from Beginning-to-Believe Peak（始信峰) to A Flower Blooming on Brush Tip（妙笔生花)
After enjoying the fantastic view of Beginning-to-Believe Peak, you walk 1 km towards to another famous attraction – A Flower on the Tip of a Brush Pen. This 1km walk is also quite interesting. Especially you could see some unique pine trees. One of the pine trees is called "Umbrella Pine" named by Secretary of United Nations – Mr.Kofi Anna and his wife Nane Anna when they paid a visit to Huangshan on May 20-21,2006.

Check in at your hotel - Beihai Hotel 北海饭店
Waking just over 100 meters from the A Flower Blooming on Brush Tip, you get to your hotel on the Huangshan summit. It is a 4 star hotel with over 500 rooms. In front of Beihai Hotel, there is a row of rooms which accomodate Post, China Mobile, Bank and Police Station.

After lunch at your hotel, you are free for rest of the day. Dinner included at your hotel and prepare for next morning's the first Light of the Morning (Dawn) if fine weather (don't forget to check the sunrise time from the hotel front desk - usually around 6:00am).

Meals: Hotel Western breakfast, Chinese lunch and dinner

Around 5:30am, after simple washing and putting on the winter jacket available in your room, hurry down and hike about 500 meters up to Dawn Pavilion（曙光亭)by using flashlights, the best point to view the dawn and twilight in Huangshan. If you are lucky, you will catch the first sun light, but the sunrise is blocked the Beginning-to-believe Peak. Maybe that's why it is called "Dawn Pavilion" instead of "Sunrise Pavilion".

After breakfast and check out around 8:30am and begin 2-hour sightseeing at Dawn Pavilion（曙光亭), Refreshing Terrace (清凉台)and Stone Monkey Gazing over the Sea of Clouds（猴子观海).

0.05km Walk from our Beihai Hotel to Dawn Pavilion (曙光亭).
The Down Pavilion is your first sight in the morning. The steps leading to the pavilion is a little steep, but it isn't hard to climb up if you keep your slow pace. As the name implies, the Dawn Peak is one of teh best place to see the first light of the sun in Huangshan Mountain. The peak is 1625 in altitude. From this peak, you can also see and admire the granite forest peaks in Huangshan Mountain.

Refreshing Terrace (清凉台)
Continue to walk from Dawn Peak, soon you will meet the Refreshing Terrace, a perfect flatform to overlook the granite peaks and the sea of clouds. The rocks consist of fine granular porphyritic granite. The rock platform overhangs the cliffs.

Stone Monkey Gazing over the sea of clouds （猴子观海)
Next to Refreshing Terrace is the peak called "Stone Monkey Gazing over the Sea of Clouds". But the short hike from Refreshing Terrace is a little tiring with steep steps.

Finishing all the sightseeing in Huangshan, have a 2km walk back to White Goose Telpher Station(白鹅岭索道) and take the cable car down the mountain. Take the green bus back to Tangkou Township (汤口镇) where you are arranged to have your lunch around 11:40am.

After lunch, take a 40-minute bus ride from Tangkou Township (汤口镇) to Hongcun Village (宏村). Hongcun Village is located at the foot of the southwest side of Mt. Huangshan, only 11kms away from Yixian town. It is a unique, buffalo-shaped ancient village. The locals liken Leigang Hill as the "head", two huge trees on the hill as the "horns", the residences in the village as the "body" a winding stream as the "intestines", a crescent pond as the "stomach" and the four bridges as the "four feet". Because of this extraordinary vernacular dwellings of the village, Hongcun Village was added to the list of the World Cultural Heritage by UNESCO in late 2000. It is also the location for the famous prize film "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon".

After one hour visit in Hongcun Village, drive about 60km back to Tunxi Huanshan and take your suitcases deposited in the hotel.

After dinner, then take the evening flight for Shanghai Met and transferred to your hotel in Shanghai. Free for rest of the day.

Meals: Hotel Western breakfast, Chinese lunch and dinner

You will have a free and leisure morning on your own. After Chinese lunch, continue to visit Yu yuan Garden. Yuyuan is the famous gardens in Shanghai where you will see how a large beautiful garden was made by a rich rice merchant 400 years ago. Adjoining these gardens is an old shopping area with narrow streets and buildings that were of a typically old Chinese style. There are many small streets and lanes where vendors sell their products and food stuffs to the tourists and local people. Shopping at a local silk store.

Finally visit the new development zone in Pudong - Lujiazui, which is teeming with the futuristic, avant-garde buildings - Oriental Pearl Tower, Jin Mao Building, Bank of China Tower. Taking the elevator to the 88-storey Observation Deck of Jinmao Tower where you will have a spectacular view of the whole city.

Meals: Hotel Western breakfast and Chinese lunch

First visit Shanghai Museum, the selection of over 112,000 Chinese cultural relics from the Old Stone Age to modern times. You will be amazed to see the pottery that is over 10,000 years old. You have to go quickly though all the 4 floors. Then proceed to visit the pedestrians only Nanjing Pedestrian Road, a walking bustling street that is always packed with people watching other people. Then move on to the Bund, one of the most noted waterfront and architectural symbols of Shanghai. Then visit a Silk Factory, where you can bargain for silk products and China's traditional silk arts.

Today you have a la carte lunch with an a la carte menu at a nice local restaurant, where you could enjoy the authentic Chinese food. After lunch, take one hour cruising on Huang Pu River. You start with the Hangpu River Cruise that will take you along the skyscrapers on the new area known as Pudong. Then you ruise to the west side of the river that has many skyscrapers and the famous Bund that has a row of the early 20th century buildings near the river. Back to your hotel.

Meals: Hotel Western breakfast and a la carte Chinese lunch

Transfer to airport for departure or free on your own and end your pleasant China trip.

Meals: Hotel Western breakfast

Hotels in Use for this tour :

Price inclusion: 1.Private air conditioned vehicle 2.Chinese meals as listed 3.Entrance fees as listed 4.Englsih Speaking tour guide 5.12-night double occupancy stay at our designated hotel with breakfast 6.Beijing - Xian - Hangzhou airfare; Huangshan - Shanghai airfare (economic class);Hangzhou - Huangshan bus ticket 7.The above private transfer is customized for you, your family or your friends exclusively. No other travelers will join in your group.

Price exclusion: 1.Gratuities to drivers and guides. 2.A La Carte Lunch

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