Your tour - at a glance
Day 1~3 Arrival & Beijing Tour
Three full days and a half day sightseeing covering the grand Tiananmen Square, historical Forbidden City, spectacular Temple of Heaven, manmade wonder Great Wall of China, royal park Summer Palace, traditional Hutong, etc.
Day 4~5 High Speed Train from Beijing to Jinan & Jinan Tour
Take fast high speed train from Beijing to Jinan. Explore the Spring City by visiting Baotu Spring Park, Daming Lake and Spring City Square.
Day 6 Mount Tai Tour
Transfer from Jinan to Mount Tai and take one full day to explore the Taoist mountain.
Day 7 Qufu Tour & High Speed Train to Shanghai
On this day, visit three main sites of Confucius: the Confucian Temple, The Confucian Mansion and the Confucian Cemetery.
Day 8~9 Shanghai Tour & Departure
Experience the great contrast of Shanghai by visiting the traditional Yu Garden and Jade Buddha Temple, modern and prosperous Shanghai World Financial Center, Nanjing Road and the Bund etc.
Full Itinerary Day by Day
Day 1 Beijing Arrival
Ni Hao, welcome to Beijing, the iconic city as well as the capital of China!
You will be met by local tour guide at the arrival hall of Beijing
Airport and escorted to check in your hotel in downtown by a private
comfortable vehicle. The rest of today is on your own to relax. If you
want to explore nearby, feel free to get some practical suggestions from
your tour guide.
Arrival Ideals: At present, there are many international and domestic flights to Beijing. Besides, you can take a high speed train to this capital city from Shanghai (5-6 hrs), Xian (5.5 hrs), Guangzhou (8-9.5 hrs), etc.
Day 2 Beijing (B, L)
After breakfast, start to explore the historical face of Beijing with a brief visit to Tiananmen Square, now
the largest city plaza in the world. Tiananmen Gate on the northern
side of the square was the site where Chairman Mao announced the
establishment of the People's Republic of China. Stepping into the
Tiananmen, you will see one of the world’s five most important palaces –
the Forbidden City, a huge palace complex of more than
9,000 rooms where 24 emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasties lived.
Pass through various doorways in this magnificent structure to admire
the beautiful and well preserved buildings decorated with yellow-glazed
tile roofs, white marble bases and splendid colorful paintings.
After lunch, drive to the outskirts of Beijing to spend an enjoyable time in the Summer Palace,
the largest and best-preserved royal garden in China. Stroll around
ancient pavilions, mansions, temples, bridges and corridors while
feasting your eyes on the vast lotus in Kunming Lake and the colorful
paintings in the Long Corridor.
Optional activities: 1) You can watch a wonderful
Kungfu Show in the Red Theater (Hong Ju Chang) which usually starts at
19:30; 2) Enjoy the classic Chinese art performance of Beijing Opera at
Liyuan Theater between 19:30-21:00.
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Woo's group visited Tiananmen Square
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Summer Palace Shot by Our Guest Nguyen in 2017
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Forbidden City Photographed by Our Customer
Day 3 Beijing (B, L)
After breakfast, drive about 70km to witness one of the Seven Wonders of the World - the Great Wall. Visit the Mutianyu,
a less crowded yet well-preserved segment of the Great Wall built in
the Ming Dynasty. It will more than live up to all of your expectations! You’ll
take a cable car to ascend the Great Wall, then hike the most beautiful and
interesting part of Mutianyu. It's a wonderful experience to climb up its
rising towers to enjoy scenic views and take brag-worthy photos of the wall
wriggling along mountain ridges. After the exciting time, descend Mutianyu
Great Wall by cable car. (Note: If energy permits, you can hike up or down
which takes about 40 minutes to climb steps. Please tell your likes to your
travel consultant.)
Continue your trip to Ding Tomb, the mausoleum of a
13th century emperor of the Ming Dynasty. Follow your tour guide to
observe its geomantic arrangement as well as visit the underground
palace for a closer observation. Then drive back to Beijing City and
take a short stop at the Beijing Olympic Village to view its famous
Bird’s Nest and Water Cube from the outside.
Optional activity: After the whole day’s tour, treat yourself a great dinner to taste the famous Peking Roasted Duck at Quanjude.
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Ding Tomb
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Mutianyu Great Wall Shot by Our Customer Kim
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Our customers visited Bird's Nest in 2019
Day 4 Beijing & High Speed Train to Qufu (B, L)
After breakfast, drive to the imperial site of the Temple of Heaven. Originally a site used to pay homage to Heaven and pray for good harvests, it is now a bustling place where locals take part in traditional activities such as Tai Chi, dancing, kite flying, water calligraphy, and others.
Then get back to the central city to hop on a rickshaw to experience the Beijing Hutongs - small alleys made by neighboring quadrangle dwellings. Shuttle among different Hutongs to get a feel of the old Beijing lifestyle, visit various antique shops and small boutiques, and truly feel the historical changes of Beijing, also
pay a visit to a local family’s home in the traditional Hutongs.
Your Beijing tour is now about to end. Your tour guide will see you off at railway station for a high speed train trip to Qufu (about 3 hours). Check into to your hotel in Qufu City. The rest of the day is on your own to explore this ancient city.
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Hutong Shot by Our Customer Taylor
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Temple of Heaven in Beijing Shot by Our Customer
Day 5 Jinan & Jinan to Tai’an (B, L)
Today you are going to explore the life story of the great sage Confucius and his influential Confucianism.
After breakfast, you will go to the South Gate of Confucius Temple to watch the grand ceremony of the city gate opening which usually starts at 8 AM, with grand performances of ancient music and dance. Then start to explore Confucius Temple which is the largest and most influential temple of Confucius in East Asia. It was originally constructed on the former residence of Confucius in 478 BC. Today, the Confucius Temple is not only a popular site to learn about Communism culture, but also an important site to hold many ceremonies, festival and events about Communism. The history of the tradition of paying homage in the Confucius Temple can be traced back to 205 BC when the emperor Gao of West Han Dynasty offered sacrifices to memorize Confucius and blessed for good fortune for his empire. Since then, many emperors and high officials followed Gao’s example. In total, there were 12 emperors of different dynasties came to Qufu Confucius Temple personally to worship Confucius.
Next site to the Confucius Cemetery which is the private cemetery of Confucius, his more than 100,000 descendants and some of his disciples. The oldest graves can be traced back to Zhou Dynasty, and the most recent graves belong to the 78th generation of Kong family. They are the witnesser of the dominant position of Confucianism in the long feudal society of China with great value to the study of the evolution of China's tomb system and ancient politics, economy, culture, customs, calligraphy and art.
In the afternoon, you will drive about 75km (1.5hrs) to Tai'an which is located at the foot of Mount Tai. Before checking in to your hotel, you will take a cultural visit to Dai Temple which is the epitome of Mount Tai's history and culture with important historical and artistic values. Originally built in the Han Dynasty, it is the place where ancient Chinese emperors worship the gods of Mount Tai and hold the ceremony of sacrifice. Dai Temple also acts as a national museum. It preserves the sacrificial utensils, offerings and handicrafts of the emperors of past dynasties to worship the God of Mount Tai.
Accommodate in Tai'an city.
Optional evening activity: enjoy the live show "Fengchan Ceremony" which is grand and magnificent in scale, integrated with beautiful music and dances, representing you the vivid scene of how ancient emperors of different dynasties paying homage and offering sacrifice to the God.
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Han Dyansty Cypress in Dai Temple
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Portrait of Confucius
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Dacheng Hall - Most Grandiose Building in Confucian Temple
Day 6 Mount Tai Hiking & High Speed Train to Shanghai (B)
After breakfast, meet your guide and driver in your hotel and drive about 75km (1.5hrs) to Mount Tai (1524m). Mount Tai is the holiest of all mountains in China. Because of its history, majesty and stunning scenery, it was listed as World Cultural and Natural Heritage Site (the first one of its category) in 1987, and was announced to be a World Geopark later in 2006. Mount Tai has been a significant place of worship for over 3000 years. It was regarded by the ancients as the heaven of "direct access to the throne". From Shihuang Emperor of Qin Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty, there were 13 emperors came to Mount Tai to offer sacrifices. The great sage Confucius once hiked the mountain and claimed “the world is small”.
You will arrive at the Tourist Center first, then shift on to a sightseeing bus (about 30mins) and head along a zigzag but stunning road to the halfway point of the Mount Tai – Zhongtianmen (Middle Heaven Gate 800m). The hiking trail starts from here to Nantianmen (South Heaven Gate), which is the most highlighting part of Mount Tai hiking with more than 6000 uprising steps The steep trails demand much energy and time. You can lower your pace with stops to visit the ancient temples, historical relics, spectacular pine trees and stone inscription of different times. Finally, you will get to Nantianmen (South Heaven Gate 1460m), which means you have already put your steps on the top of Mount Tai. It’s time to slow down your steps to explore the essence of Mount Tai. You can wander leisurely on the Heavenly Street, worship in the Jade Emperor Hall which has a centuries old altar used for worshiping ceremony, appreciate rock inscription of Chinese calligraphy, look out over the peaks, enjoy the sea of clouds, etc.
After about 2 hours’ exploration on Mount Tai, you will descend the mountain by a cable car. Take the sightseeing bus back to the tourist center. Your driver is ready to escort you to catch your high speed train to Shanghai (about 4 hours). Be picked up by local tour guide and check in to your hotel in Shanghai downtown.
Meal tips: Lunch is not covered because restaurants on the mountain are not as fancy as those in Tai'an city. You can bring some snacks and food, or buy some from the vendors on the mountain.
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Hiking Trail to Nantianmen of Mount Tai
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Mount Tai Cable Car
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Mount Tai in Summer
Day 7 Shanghai (B, L)
You will take a full day of sightseeing to explore both the past and present of Shanghai. Your first stop is Shanghai Museum,
one of the Best Four Museums in China. This modern museum, with a round
top and a square base which symbolizing the ancient Chinese perception
of the world as "round sky, square earth", has collected many
international-standard exhibits of bronzes, paintings, calligraphy,
sculpture, ceramics, jade from more than 5,000 years ago to the Qing
dynasty. To help you learn about the history and facts
about the relics in the museum easily, an Audio Explanation Device will be
prepared for you.
Then you will take an interesting visit to Yu Garden,
a shining star among all the ancient Chinese gardens in Jiangnan. This
garden fully embodies the traditional design of Chinese architecture
with jagged pavilions with elegant decorations, glittering pools with
roving fish, and pine trees sprouting to the sky, all designed to
refresh your mood and spirit. Adjacent to the garden is the Yuyuan Bazaar where
you can savor tasteful local snacks and explore elaborate traditional
Chinese handicrafts and art works. Next, you will drive several
kilometers to enjoy a panoramic view of the modern face of Shanghai from
the 100th floor (474m) of “the Eye of Shanghai” Shanghai World Financial Center.
You will then be transferred to another popular landmark of Shanghai, Nanjing Road, a
shopping paradise as well as a great place to take a wonderful walk to
experience the modern atmosphere of the City. Lastly, you will stop at
the Bund, originally a simple towpath for transporting
goods but now transformed into a feverish trading district. You will
stroll along the Bund, seeing and feeling the perfect fusion of Chinese
and Western cultures while at the same time taking in the stunning
Shanghai skyline with your own eyes!
Optional activities: 1) Attend an entertaining
Acrobatic Show, including breathtaking “balls of death” acts, chair
balancing, hula hoops, juggling of benches, walking in the air, and
other breathtaking performances (usually performed during
19:30~21:00); 2) Take a relaxing Huangpu River night cruise to see the city’s most significant edifices and streets sparkling under the atmospheric cover of darkness (about 50 minutes).
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Tourists Took Photo at The Bund with Backdrop of Lujiazui
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Yuyuan Bazaar Shot by Our Customer Paul
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474 M High Glass Walkway in World Financial Center
Day 8 Shanghai Departure ( B, L )
After breakfast, about 1 hour's drive will take you away from the city's hustle and bustle to visit Zhujiajiao Ancient Town which
is known as the Venice of Shanghai
Zhujiajiao has a history of 1,700 years and is a well-preserved waterside ancient town. You will stroll along Hundred-year-old North Street, take some awesome pictures on the Fangsheng Bridge, have a panoramic view of Zhujiajiao by climbing up to Yuanjin Buddhist Temple, enjoy some leisure time on the traditionally decorated boat, cruise along the canals and see the old residences, shops and bridges which are filled with classic architectural style in Ming and Qing Dynasties (1368 AD - 1911 AD).
After the water town tour, your guide and driver will escort you to the airport, railway station or port to catch your flight/train/ship to your next destination or home. Tour ends.
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Zhujiajiao Water Town - Relax in the Quaint & Charming Jiangnan Area
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Travel Tips for Traveling China
Beijing Great Wall Hiking Tips
You need to pack some personal gears, such as light and comfortable walking shoes, outdoor coat
and pants.
You'd better also pack sun cream, sun glasses.
Tibet Travel Tips
1. A valid passport, a valid China visa and Tibet Permits are necessary documents for traveling
in Tibet.
2. In Tibet, we suggest you avoid strong activity; do not take shower at the first day; drink
more water
and avoid of alcohol; better not to take oxygen if your AMS symptoms are mild. Always remember
that
if you have any problems or feel uncomfortable, please tell your guide immediately or contact
our
travel consultant.
3. A windbreaker, a pair of durable and comfortable shoes, a down jacket (better with hat),
sunscreen
cream, sun block, skin cream and lip balm, sunglasses, medicine for urgent use.
Panda Volunteer in Chengdu
Chengdu Research Base of Panda Breeding is only available to see giant pandas. If you are interested in
giant panda volunteer experience, please extend to Dujiangyan Panda Base, Wolong Shenshuping
Panda
Base or Ya'an Bifengxia Panda Base instead.
High Speed Train Experience
Taking high speed train to travel around China will be unique and special experience for you.
Instead
of taking flight, you can take high speed train from Beijing to Xian/Xian to Beijing, Chengdu
to
Chongqing, Yichang to Shanghai/Shanghai to Yichang, etc. All are within comfortable traveling
time
to reach the destinations. If you are interested, please feel free to ask our travel
consultants
to arrange high speed train for you.
Practical Info about Traveling with Us
Restaurant & Food
Vegetarian food Requirement
Vegetarian food in Chinese cuisine culture is usually divided into 3 categories: the Monastery
Vegetarian
Food, the Court Vegetarian Food and the Folk Vegetarian Food. And the main ingredients are:
soybean,
taro powder, mushrooms, fresh vegetables and tofu (bean curd). It will be easier to find the
vegetarian
restaurants in big cities of china, such as: Beijing, Shanghai, Xian, HK, etc.
If allergic to some food
We suggest you to list any food or ingredients that you are allergic to and let our travel
consultant
know. Then your travel consultant will mark them in the guide’s itinerary, so that our guides
in
different cities can make some preparations and arrangements in advance.
Do our guide and driver join the meal with us?
The tour guides and driver will be at the same restaurants with you, but they will only join the
meal
when you invite. Sometimes the drivers are shy to join as they usually eat fast and could not
understand
English talk around the table, so the guide will be with you more often.
Will we be able to try some local foods during our visit?
Yes, you will. There will be some meals excluded in your itinerary as you like, and your private
guide
will be delighted to give you some suggestions and take you to the local restaurants, if you
are
interested in local food tasting. But remember, some local snacks may not match your stomach,
so
ask your guided for more information before eating.
Shopping
What to buy in China?
In China, there are myriads of souvenirs for visitors, and each city has its own specialty.
Some of the best buys are:
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Beijing: Cloisonné; Fresh water pearls
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Xi'an: Replicas of the Terra Cotta soldiers; Tangsancai (Tang Dynasty hand
painted China);
Antique Furniture
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Shanghai: Silk carpets
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Hangzhou: Longjing Tea; Silk
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Suzhou: Silk
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Guilin: Scroll paintings; China Southern Sea Pearls
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Yunnan: Mounted Butterflies; Pure tea; Dali Batik (tie-dyed fabric)
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Xinjiang: Carpets; jade articles
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Tibet: Thang-ka(tanka)(Sheep skin wall hangings)
How to bargain?
Bargains are not acceptable in big supermarkets and department stores. But in some night markets
or tourist
shops, you can bargain for a lower price, since the vendors always ask for very high price for
a
certain item. You’d better ask the opinion of the guide first, and then the guide will tell you
the
real value and quality of the item. Please note that when the bargain is processing, the guide
will
be hesitate to help as it may annoy the bosses. Just try to let the guides know you will
bargain
in advance.
What to do with persistent vendors?
If you do not need something from them, just do not ask for price. Some of the venders are very
persisted,
and if they keep selling things to you, you can simply say “No, thanks.” (Chinese
pronunciation:
”Bu, XieXie”). If they do not give up, you just keep silence. Silence is sometimes useful to
handle
this situation.
More Tips for free-time shopping
- 1. If you think you have no desire or interest, you do not feel embarrassed to let our
guide know
DIRECTLY (since some of our guides are enthusiastic in taking you shopping)
- 2. Better to choose the shops run by the state when buying expensive articles.
- 3. Do not shop everything in one city, because every place has its unique local products
which worth
buying.
- 4. Do not feel obligate to buy anything only because the shop attendants are very kind to
you.
- 5. Be smart consumers. Do not spend big money on things you are not familiar with. Do ask
for shop
guarantee, contacts and certificates when purchasing big items like antiques, jade, arts
pieces.
- 6. Leave plenty of time for transactions. When you see something you like - buy it.
Usually, you
would not find it elsewhere and you would not have time to go back.
- 7. Always verify the date of antiques before you purchase them. Antiques dated before 1795
cannot
legally be exported.
- 8. Articles made from rare wild animals are contraband and will be confiscated by customs
without
compensation.
Private tour & Group Tour
A: Private tours
- 1. Private guide, driver and vehicle are for your exclusive use; no matter you are
individually,
or in a family or friends group. The tour is run exclusively for you without strangers.
- 2. Every itinerary can be customized to meet your specific interests/ wishes, that is, you
can choose
your favored hotels, sightseeing spots, the tour length, means of transportation, budget,
etc.
All are free of charge.
- 3. Start the tour on any date you want.
- 4. Escort you through the whole tour. All private transfers during the tour are offered,
including
airport/train station transfer, hotel-attractions round trip transfer.
- 5. The sightseeing during the tour could be based on your own timetable and pace. Flexible
to change
at your short notice.
- 6. Ideal for people who need considerate care and assistance, such as elderly, the
disabled, families
with small children.
B: Group tours
- 1. Low Price;
- 2. Share a guide and driver;
- 3. Share a clean, safe and air-conditioned vehicle;
- 4. Good chance for you to meet and make friends from all over the world;
- 5. Tour date is fixed and unchangeable.
Emergency calls
Call your guide, or if you can’t find your guide, call your travel consultant or our office
immediately.
All the phone numbers include in our confirmation letter. Keep the letter with your during your
trip.
Note: As our Beijing office is using the different guide arranging system, so
we will not
be able to provide the Beijing guide information until the day before you arrival, but once we
have
it, we will email you immediately.