Tour Code: TGB-BXCZS-425-14D
Beijing, Xi’an, Chongqing, Zhangjiajie, Shanghai
Arrive in Beijing, where your local guide and private driver will be waiting to welcome you at the airport. You will then be transferred by private vehicle to your hotel for check-in. The rest of the day is free to relax, recover from the flight, and get ready for the journey ahead.
Accommodation: Beijing
Hotel: Carefully selected local 5-star hotel
Meals: None
Morning:
Begin the day at Tiananmen Square, the symbolic heart of Beijing and one of the most important public spaces in China. From here, continue into the Forbidden City, where your guide will lead you through grand gates, open courtyards, ceremonial halls, and quieter palace corners along Beijing’s historic central axis. As you walk through the former imperial palace of the Ming and Qing dynasties, the scale, order, and detail of China’s court culture gradually come into view.
Afternoon:
After visiting the Forbidden City, head to Jingshan Park and walk up to the hilltop viewpoint for a panoramic view over the palace rooftops. Later, continue to Shichahai, a historic lakeside area surrounded by hutongs, old courtyard homes, cafés, and everyday neighborhood life. It offers a slower, more local contrast to the grand imperial sites visited earlier in the day.
Evening:
Free time at your own pace. If you would like to continue exploring, Qianmen Street is a good option for old Beijing shopfronts, local snacks, and a lively evening walk.
Accommodation: Beijing
Hotel: Carefully selected local 5-star hotel
Meals: Breakfast
Morning:
Travel out of Beijing to the Mutianyu Great Wall, one of the most scenic and well-preserved sections near the city. Take the cable car up the mountain, then walk along the ancient watchtowers and stone ramparts as the wall follows the ridgelines into the distance. It is one of the most memorable moments of the Beijing section and a classic highlight of any first trip to China.
Afternoon:
Return to the city and stop at the Olympic Park area for exterior views of the Bird’s Nest and the Water Cube. These modern landmarks offer a sharp contrast to the Great Wall, showing another side of Beijing’s city identity.
Accommodation: Beijing
Hotel: Carefully selected local 5-star hotel
Meals: Breakfast
Morning:
Visit the Summer Palace, one of Beijing’s finest imperial gardens. Walk along the lakeside, take in views of Kunming Lake and Longevity Hill, and see how pavilions, corridors, bridges, and water views come together in a graceful classical garden landscape.
Afternoon:
Transfer to the railway station according to your train schedule and take the high-speed train to Xi’an. Upon arrival, your local guide and private driver will meet you at the station and transfer you to your hotel for check-in.
Accommodation: Xi’an
Hotel: Carefully selected local 5-star hotel
Meals: Breakfast
Morning:
Visit the Terracotta Warriors Museum, one of the most extraordinary archaeological discoveries in China. Standing before rows of life-sized soldiers, horses, and chariots, you can feel the scale and ambition of the Qin Empire and the powerful legacy left behind by China’s first emperor.
Afternoon:
Return to the city and walk along the Xi’an Ancient City Wall, one of the best-preserved city walls in China. From the top, you can look over the old city, its gates, rooftops, and surrounding streets, seeing how ancient Xi’an still sits inside a living modern city.
Later, continue to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda area for exterior views of this important Tang-dynasty landmark. As evening falls, walk into Datang Everbright City, located nearby. The area comes alive with Tang-style architecture, illuminated streets, cultural sculptures, street performances, music, and lively crowds. It is a relaxed and atmospheric way to experience Xi’an’s Tang heritage after dark.
Accommodation: Xi’an
Hotel: Carefully selected local 5-star hotel
Meals: Breakfast
Morning:
Start the day at the Little Wild Goose Pagoda, a quieter Buddhist site with a calm, old-temple atmosphere. Your guide will share the story of the pagoda’s long history, including the well-known tale of its cracks appearing and closing again over time. Continue to the nearby Xi’an Museum, where relics from different dynasties help trace the city’s development and its role as one of China’s great ancient capitals.
Afternoon:
Visit the Bell Tower and Drum Tower area, two of Xi’an’s most recognizable landmarks. Here, you can see how the old city’s rhythm of “morning bell and evening drum” is still reflected in its historic center, with traditional architecture framed by modern streets.
Later, walk through the Muslim Quarter, a lively neighborhood filled with narrow lanes, food stalls, local shops, and the everyday energy of Xi’an. It is a good place to experience the city’s street life and sample local snacks at your own pace.
Accommodation: Xi’an
Hotel: Carefully selected local 5-star hotel
Meals: Breakfast
Morning:
Take the high-speed train from Xi’an to Chongqing. After arrival, your local guide and private driver will meet you at the railway station and transfer you into the city.
Afternoon:
Begin your Chongqing experience with the Yangtze River Cableway, one of the city’s most iconic ways to cross the river. As the cable car moves above the water, you can take in views of the Yangtze River, bridges, hillside buildings, and the layered skyline that makes Chongqing so distinctive.
Continue to Baixiangju, a retro residential complex known for its old walkways, river views, and unusual city angles. From here, you can see how cable cars, buildings, bridges, and steep terrain come together in a way that feels very different from China’s flatter northern cities.
Evening:
Visit Hongya Cave, one of Chongqing’s most famous night scenes. As the lights come on, the riverside stilt-house-style buildings glow against the cliffs, creating a dramatic view of old-style architecture, river reflections, and modern city lights.
Accommodation: Chongqing
Hotel: Carefully selected local 5-star hotel
Meals: Breakfast
Morning:
Start at the Liziba Light Rail viewing area, where you can watch Chongqing’s famous train passing directly through a residential building. It is one of the clearest examples of the city’s unusual vertical design. Continue to Eling No.2 Factory, a former industrial site now transformed into a creative district with retro buildings, small cafés, photo spots, and city views.
Afternoon:
Walk along the Mountain City Trail, one of the best places to feel old Chongqing on foot. The route follows stairways, cliffside paths, old streets, and hillside neighborhoods, with glimpses of traditional stilt-style buildings and river views along the way.
Later, visit Shibati Traditional Style Area, where restored lanes, stone steps, local shops, and old-city architecture show the layered character of Chongqing’s upper and lower town.
Evening:
Head to Nanshan One Tree Hill for a panoramic night view over Chongqing. From the viewpoint, you can look across the Yuzhong Peninsula, the meeting of the Yangtze and Jialing rivers, bridges, high-rises, and the glowing city lights that make Chongqing so striking after dark.
Accommodation: Chongqing
Hotel: Carefully selected local 5-star hotel
Meals: Breakfast
Morning:
Take the high-speed train from Chongqing to Zhangjiajie. Upon arrival, your local guide and private driver will meet you at the railway station and transfer you into the city.
Afternoon:
Visit Tianmen Mountain National Forest Park, one of Zhangjiajie’s most dramatic landmarks. Ride the long mountain cable car up toward the summit, with sweeping views of forested cliffs, deep valleys, and the famous winding mountain road below.
At the top, walk along the cliffside pathways and experience the glass skywalk, where the mountain drops away beneath your feet. Continue to Tianmen Cave, the huge natural arch set high in the cliffs and often called the “Gateway to Heaven.” Your guide will explain the landscape, the mountain setting, and the natural forces that shaped this remarkable site.
Evening:
Explore the 72 Wonder Towers, a bold architectural landmark with striking night lights, local cultural elements, and a lively evening atmosphere. It is a vivid introduction to Zhangjiajie after dark.
Accommodation: Zhangjiajie
Hotel: Carefully selected local 5-star hotel
Meals: Breakfast
Morning:
Take the Bailong Elevator up to Yuanjiajie, one of the most iconic areas of Zhangjiajie National Forest Park. From the mountaintop paths and viewing platforms, you can see towering sandstone pillars rising from deep forest valleys — the landscape often associated with the “Avatar Mountains” and the famous Hallelujah Mountain inspiration.
Continue to Yangjiajie, a wilder and more rugged part of the park. Here, mountain ridges, natural stone walls, narrow paths, and viewpoints around Tianbo Mansion and Wulong Village reveal a more dramatic side of Zhangjiajie’s peak forest scenery.
Afternoon:
Visit Tianzi Mountain, known for its wide panoramic views and classic formations such as Imperial Brush Peaks and Fairy Scattering Flowers. The scenery here feels more open and layered, with peaks stretching across the horizon.
Later, take the sightseeing train through the Ten-Mile Gallery, a valley route surrounded by unusual rock formations, including the Old Man Gathering Herbs and Three Sisters Peaks.
Accommodation: Zhangjiajie
Hotel: Carefully selected local 5-star hotel
Meals: Breakfast
Morning:
Enjoy a slower morning in Zhangjiajie with a visit to a local Tujia cultural site, where you can learn more about the traditions, architecture, and everyday customs of the Tujia people, one of the main ethnic groups in this region. After two days of mountain scenery, this gives the journey a gentler cultural pause before leaving Zhangjiajie.
Afternoon:
Transfer to the airport and take your flight to Shanghai. Upon arrival, your local guide and private driver will meet you at the airport and transfer you to your hotel for check-in.
Accommodation: Shanghai
Hotel: Carefully selected local 5-star hotel
Meals: Breakfast
Morning:
Begin at Yu Garden, a classical Chinese garden tucked inside the old city area of Shanghai. Walk through its pavilions, rockeries, ponds, bridges, and quiet courtyards, where the feeling is very different from the modern skyline nearby. Continue through the City God Temple area, a lively neighborhood of traditional-style buildings, local snacks, small shops, and old Shanghai street atmosphere.
Afternoon:
Walk along Nanjing Road, one of Shanghai’s most famous shopping streets, where historic storefronts, modern malls, and busy pedestrian life show the city’s commercial energy. Later, visit the observation deck of Shanghai Tower. From high above the city, you can look across the Huangpu River, the Bund, Lujiazui, and Shanghai’s dense skyline in every direction.
Evening:
End the day at the Bund, Shanghai’s most iconic waterfront. Stroll along the Huangpu River as the historic buildings on one side and the skyscrapers of Lujiazui on the other light up after dark. This is one of the best places to feel Shanghai’s contrast between old-world elegance and modern city power.
Accommodation: Shanghai
Hotel: Carefully selected local 5-star hotel
Meals: Breakfast
Morning:
Start the day with a walk along Wukang Road, one of Shanghai’s most atmospheric streets. Lined with plane trees, historic villas, cafés, small boutiques, and old residential buildings, this area shows a softer and more nostalgic side of the city. Stop by the Wukang Mansion for photos, then enjoy time to wander, browse local shops, or pause at a café at your own pace.
Afternoon:
Continue to Lujiazui, Shanghai’s modern financial district, for close-up views of the Oriental Pearl Tower, Shanghai Tower, Jin Mao Tower, and other landmark skyscrapers. The area gives a strong sense of the city’s modern skyline and fast-paced urban character.
Later, visit Xintiandi, a stylish area built around restored shikumen houses. Here, traditional Shanghai lane-house architecture has been transformed into a lively district of shops, restaurants, bars, and open-air streets, creating a clear contrast between old Shanghai character and contemporary city life.
Accommodation: Shanghai
Hotel: Carefully selected local 5-star hotel
Meals: Breakfast
Morning:
Enjoy breakfast at the hotel and some free time at your own pace, depending on your flight schedule. You may relax at the hotel, take a short walk nearby, or do some last-minute packing before departure.
At the arranged time, your private driver will transfer you to the airport. Your 14-day journey through Beijing, Xi’an, Chongqing, Zhangjiajie, and Shanghai comes to an end, with our team available to assist until your departure.
Accommodation: None
Meals: Breakfast
Carefully selected local 5-star hotels are arranged in Beijing, Xi’an, Chongqing, Zhangjiajie, and Shanghai for a smooth and comfortable journey.
Final hotel details will be confirmed before departure, and room upgrades or alternative options can be arranged based on your preferences and budget.
Professional English-speaking guides will be arranged in each destination, including Beijing, Xi’an, Chongqing, Zhangjiajie, and Shanghai, to assist with sightseeing, transfers, and local coordination throughout the trip.
Guide services are arranged according to the itinerary, helping each part of the journey run smoothly and clearly.
Admission tickets to the main attractions listed in the itinerary are included.
China domestic travel accident insurance is included for the duration of the tour.
Policy details can be provided upon request.
International transportation to and from China is not included in the tour price. We are happy to assist with flight recommendations or booking arrangements to help ensure a smooth connection with your itinerary.
China visa application and related fees are not included.
Comprehensive international travel insurance is not included.
The travel accident insurance included during your trip in China does not replace full international travel insurance.
Guests are advised to arrange suitable coverage before departure.
Any experiences, tickets, or transportation not specified in the itinerary are not included.
Optional shows, special experiences, or upgrades arranged during free time may incur additional costs.
Personal expenses such as shopping, individual purchases, and discretionary spending are not included.
Gratuities for your guide and driver are not included and remain at your discretion.
Yes. This tour is a strong choice for first-time visitors who want to see more than the standard Beijing, Xi’an, and Shanghai route. It combines imperial landmarks, ancient capital history, trend-setting Chongqing with its mountain-city atmosphere, Zhangjiajie’s dramatic landscapes, and Shanghai’s modern skyline in one well-balanced journey.
The best time for this itinerary is usually from March to May and from September to early November, when the weather is generally comfortable for sightseeing in Beijing, Xi’an, Chongqing, Zhangjiajie, and Shanghai.
Summer is also possible, especially if your travel dates are fixed. However, July and August can be quite hot in some cities, and Chongqing is known for very warm summer weather. If you prefer milder temperatures and a more comfortable sightseeing pace, spring or autumn would be a better choice.
Yes. Professional English-speaking guides are arranged in each destination according to the itinerary, including Beijing, Xi’an, Chongqing, Zhangjiajie, and Shanghai. They will assist with sightseeing, transfers, local explanations, and practical on-the-ground support during the trip.
Yes. This tour is mainly offered as a small-group departure on selected dates, but the same route can also be arranged as a private tour. A private version gives you more flexibility with travel dates, pace, hotel preferences, and some itinerary details.
Yes, but the pace should be considered carefully. Most city sightseeing is manageable, while Zhangjiajie includes cable cars, elevators, viewpoints, mountain paths, and some walking. Families or older travelers who prefer a slower pace may find the private version more comfortable.
Small Group Tour Inquiry:
Tell us your preferred small group departure, and we’ll send you the current availability, pricing, and next steps for booking.
You are inquiring about:
14-Day Essential China Tour: Beijing, Xi’an, Chongqing, Zhangjiajie & Shanghai
Share your travel plans and preferences, and we’ll prepare a tailored quote for your trip. We’ll get back to you within 24 hours with the next steps.
Your details are used only to prepare your itinerary and will never be shared.
Have questions about your China trip? Send us your question and get practical advice from our local travel team.
Get in Touch
