12 Days in CHINA: Panda Tour – A/R Flight from Italy included

Your journey will begin in Beijing, one of the most mysterious cities in the world. Upon arrival, you will be greeted by the TCT tour guide at Beijing International Airport and transferred to your hotel. After checking in, you’ll be free to take a good night’s sleep to get through jet lag. In the coming days, you’ll explore this ancient city, which is also China’s political and cultural heartland.

[09:00-09:30] Our guide will welcome you to the hotel room and begin exploring the historic city of Beijing.

[09:30-12:30] You will reach Tiananmen Square, the largest public square in the world. Cross the square and visit the Forbidden City, the largest and most complete ancient imperial palace in the world. Excursion to Jingshan Park, which offers a beautiful panoramic view of the Forbidden City atop Coal Hill.

[12:30-14:00] Lunch at a local Chinese restaurant along the way to experience authentic Chinese cuisine.

[14:00-16:30] Reach the Rear Lake (Houhai), a wonderful place to discover the history of Beijing city and its endless charm. A stroll through Nanluoguxiang Alley, one of Beijing’s most famous Hutong neighborhoods, a mix of history, fashion, and souvenir boutiques. Then we’ll stop at a tea house.

[16:30-17:30] Back to the hotel after today’s tour. You are free to ask the guide for suggestions for evening activities, such as the nightly show and the place to dine with Peking Roast Duck.

[08:00-08:30] Our guide will welcome you to the Hotel room and begin exploring the Great Wall.

[08:30-12:30] By car you reach the Mutianyu Great Wall, very popular among foreign visitors. Upon arrival, you can choose to hike the Great Wall or take the cable car and wander around.

[12:30-13:30] Lunch at a local Chinese restaurant near the Great Wall.

[13:30-16:30] Return to Beijing, with the possibility of resting by car. On the way there is a stop at a jade shop. Upon arrival in the city center, take an orientation walk through the Olympic Park and visit the Bird’s Nest and Water Cube, the extraordinary architecture built for the Beijing Olympic Games.

[16:30-17:30] Return to the Hotel after today’s visit. We recommend a traditional Chinese foot massage or having fun at the Sanlitun bar in the evening.

[09:30-10:00] You will be welcomed in the Hotel room and enjoy a half day of pleasure tours before leaving Beijing.

[10:00-11:30] Visit to the Temple of Heaven, a masterpiece of antiquity and the largest existing structure in China for sacrifice to heaven. You will also be able to see many locals doing exercises in the square and are full of vigor. After that, go into the nearby pure Hutong and pretend to be a real Pekingese for a while.

[11:30-12:30] Lunch à la carte at a popular local restaurant, the atmosphere may be noisy but the food is tasty.

After lunch, transfer to the train station for the 5-hour train to Xi’an. Your Xi’an tour guide will be waiting for you at the train station and will help you transfer to your hotel.

[09:00-09:30] You will be welcomed into the hotel room and begin today’s tour of the ancient city.

[09:30-12:30] Reach the Terracotta Warriors and explore one of the world’s most important archaeological finds, with troops, horses and carriages in battle formation. The shuttle bus will be arranged for your convenience. Then you will have the opportunity to visit the ceramic figurine factory, where you can learn how to make a ceramic figurine.

[12:30-14:00] A Chinese lunch will be organized near the Terracotta Warriors Scenic Area.

[14:00-17:00] In the afternoon you visit the Bell Tower, the largest in structure and shape and the best preserved in China. Then visit the Gao Courtyard, a wonderful choice for appreciating the ancient residences and exploring the local culture of paper cutting and shadow puppetry. Keep strolling through the Muslim Quarter and enjoy the shopping time; you can also brave the various local snacks.

[17:00-17:30] Back to the hotel. Tonight we recommend you attend the Tang Dynasty Show with dinner at your own expense.

[09:30-10:00] You will have enough time to pack and leave. You will be welcomed in the hotel lobby and take a day-long leisure tour of Xian before leaving for Chengdu.

[10:00-12:30] Visit the Ancient City Wall, which is one of the oldest and best-preserved Chinese walls. You can choose to cycle around the wall (***The bike ride is optional and is excluded from the price***). (Bicycling is not recommended for people aged 65 and over.）Afterwards, visit the Great Wild Goose Pagoda. It is the iconic building of Xi’an and a symbol of the ancient Chinese capital, and you will also have the opportunity to witness the spectacle of the fountain in the North Square.

[12:30-13:30] After lunch, continue to Xian North Railway Station. Take a 4-hour high-speed train to Chengdu. Your Chengdu tour guide will be waiting for you at the station and will help you transfer to your hotel.

[08:30-09:00] Meeting in the hotel room and start of the Panda tour at the Chengdu Research Base for Giant Panda Breeding.

[09:00-13:00] Transfer to visit the Chengdu Research Base for Giant Panda Breeding, about 10 km from central Chengdu. This beautifully landscaped park is home to around 80 giant pandas and other rare animals, such as the red panda, black-necked crane, white crane, and more. Walking along the beautifully designed walkways, you can get a good angle through the giant pandas’ open enclosures.

The best time to visit the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding is in the morning, when the pandas are most active during the day. Leave the hotel early in the morning and arrive at the center before 9:00 AM, so you can see the pandas feeding around 9:30 AM. After feeding, you can choose to visit the Panda Museum and watch a 20-minute video at the Panda Theatre to learn about giant panda research and breeding. Then you can walk along the walkways to observe pandas or other rare animals. Additionally, you can also choose to deliver a postcard or other panda souvenir from the Panda Post to yourself or your family and friends. The Panda Post is the only post office to have its own zip code 610088 and postmark.

[13:00-14:00] Lunch at a popular local restaurant where you can sample Sichuan food.

[14:00-16:00] We will take you to Chengdu People’s Park, where you will find many locals dancing, exercising, playing cards, playing mahjong, licking their ears and looking for a wedding. They enjoy free time in the park. If you are interested, you can try joining them.

We will sit in a tea house to have a cup of tea and feel the leisure life of the premises.

Afterwards, we will show you the way to go to the famous Kuan Zhai Alley, made up of several ancient streets from the Ming and Qing dynasties. We’ll stop at a Chinese-style Starbucks where you can grab a cup of coffee to enjoy the afternoon of leisure.

[16:00-17:30]Return transfer to Chengdu City, where we recommend attending the Sichuan Opera.

[09:30-10:00] We meet in the hotel room and begin exploring the culinary art of Sichuan.

[10:00-12:30] Visit to the Jinsha Ruins Museum, which is the museum established at the Jinsha Ruins site and is also a museum showcasing the categories of ancient Shu culture in the Sichuan area during the Shang and Zhou dynasties.

[12:30-13:30] Lunch or hotpot at a local restaurant.

[13:30-16:00] Visit to Wuhou Temple. It is the largest museum on the site remaining from the Three Kingdoms period and a very quiet oasis in the city. Walk along Jinli Ancient Street, near Wuhou Temple.

[16:00-17:30] Transfer to the airport to catch the overnight flight to Guilin, where the local guide will meet you and transfer you to your hotel.

[08:00-08:30] You will be welcomed in the Hotel room and begin exploring the Li River on a cruise.

[09:30-14:00] Enjoy the Li River Cruise with buffet lunch on board. A deluxe cruise will be organized with adequate facilities and good service. Savor the fairytale landscape as you sail along the river’s meanders to Yangshuo. You can climb onto the sun deck or simply sit and appreciate the picturesque landscape from the window. After disembarking, you can walk along the West Way or take the tourist car to the parking lot.

[14:30-16:00] You’ll take a bike ride through Yangshuo Countryside and ride leisurely along the Yulong River to appreciate the clear river surrounded by countless hills.(For safety reasons, it is not recommended for the elderly. A pleasant walk in the countryside is a better choice.)

Return to Guilin for the overnight stay.

[08:00-08:30] You will be welcomed in the Hotel room and begin to explore this beautiful city.

[09:30-14:00] Visit the Cane Flute Cave, a famous scenic spot offering a magical fairyland with stalactites and stalagmites in fantastic shapes and colors. Transfer to the hotel for check-in before the à la carte lunch at a local Chinese restaurant. After a break at noon, you reach Elephant Trunk Hill, the symbol of the city of Guilin. The hill has the appearance of a huge elephant that stretches its trunk to drink the water of the Li River. Afterwards, walk along Shanhu Lake and Ronghu Lake.

In the afternoon, go directly to Guilin Airport to catch an overnight flight to Shanghai. The local Shanghai guide is waiting for you at the airport exit to meet you and transfer you to your hotel.

[09:00-09:30] You will be welcomed into the Hotel room and begin exploring New and Old Shanghai.

[09:30-12:30] Walk in the Shikumen, the old alley with old buildings, a mix of traditional Western and Chinese culture, where local residents still live. Enjoy an orientation walk on the Bund, which was a center of foreign trade in the late 19th century. Continuation of the visit to Yu’s Garden, a traditional Chinese garden in central Shanghai.

[12:30-13:30] A la carte lunch at a local popular restaurant with the guide’s assistant.

[13:30-16:30] In the afternoon, visit the Jade Buddha Temple and stop at the Silk Museum. Then head to the new Lujiazui CBD area and enjoy your free time on the Riverside Promenade. Grab a cup of coffee and take a short break. Finally, visit the Shanghai Tower, the tallest building in the city. Enjoy the trip to the top of Shanghai and the panoramic view of the city.

[16:30-17:30] Back to the hotel. We recommend attending the ERA Acrobatic Show, one of Shanghai’s most popular evening entertainments.

Free day available and transfer to the airport for your return flight. We can arrange the magnetic levitation train ride to Pudong Airport if you are interested, or we will take you directly to the airport. End of Service