After your flight lands in Beijing, your tour guide will meet you and transfer you to your hotel downtown. After checking in, you can rest at the hotel or explore Beijing at your own pace.

Take a leisure stroll on Tiananmen Square before passing through Tiananmen Gate to reach the Forbidden City in central Beijing, the world’s largest and best-preserved wooden building complex. It was also where grand ceremonies were held, and emperors and their wives lived in ancient China.

In the afternoon, head for the Summer Palace and experience a 15-minute boat ride on Kunming Lake. Stop at Longing Pearl Store if you want to know about pearls.

Optional: At night, a Chinese Kung Fu Show is recommended for you to enjoy Chinese martial art.

In the morning, pay a visit to the Temple of Heaven, where emperors in the Ming and Qing Dynasties worshipped Heaven and prayed for harvest and rain. Nowadays, it has become a good place for people to do morning exercise, and you can also join them. After that, drive to the majestic Great Wall at the Mutianyu section. Take a cable car up and hike along the wall to marvel at the tall, strong, and continuous fortification built as early as the 7th century B.C.

Be escorted back to your hotel in the late afternoon.

After breakfast, leave for the airport to catch the flight to Urumqi, the capital of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in northwest China. Continue to fly to Kashgar, an oasis city in Xinjiang. After getting to Kashgar Airport, your private guide will meet you and escort you to the hotel for check-in.

Today, take a drive along Karakorum Highway (said to be the highest paved international road in the world) to Karakul Lake, which is about 200 km from Kashgar and at an altitude of 3,600 m. The lake is a salty and breathtaking alpine lake, surrounded by perennially snow-capped mountains, where you can relish beautiful and serene nature. In the late afternoon, you will pass by the Tomb of Mahmud Kashgari, a famous linguist from around the 11th century, en route back to Kashgar.

Visit the historic mosque in China – Id Kah Mosque, Abkh Khoja Tomb, and Sunday Bazaar. The bazaar has been a pivotal trading point along the Silk Road for over 2,000 years and is also one of the biggest markets in Central Asia. Later, head for the airport to take the flight to Urumqi, once a central hub on the Silk Road. Your local guide and driver will greet you and transfer you to the hotel in Urumqi to check-in.

Today, you will visit the Southern Pasture, Nanshan Yurts, and a local Nanshan Kazak family. These visits will allow you to immerse in the prairie’s natural scenery, learn about nomadic people’s living conditions, and have an insight into local life. Just get away from all the annoyance and enjoy the relaxing time here.

After breakfast, set out for Turpan. Upon arrival, you will visit the Gaochang Ancient City, a precious cultural ruin with nearly 1,300 years of history. Next, explore the Bezaklik Thousand Buddha Grottoes, an excellent place to learn about Chinese Buddhist Culture. Then, pay a visit to the Astana Tombs, the Flaming Mountain, and the Tuyoq.

Today, start with a tour of the elegant, circular, and tapered Islamic Emin Minaret (Sugong Tower) made of wood and brick. Later, explore the natural fortress at Jiaohe Ruins and move to Karez Irrigation Site to marvel at one of the most excellent Chinese-engineered systems made 2,000 years ago.

Drive to Urumqi afterward for the flight to Xi’an. Upon arrival, be picked up and escorted to the hotel.

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Explore the mysterious Terracotta Warriors discovered under the ground as the first stop of your Xi’an tour. You will be amazed at the large number of yellow clay ancient soldiers, horses, and chariots made in 200 B.C.

In the afternoon, drive back downtown and stroll on the well-known Ancient City Wall. Visiting Muslim Street and tasting local snacks will be the perfect end to the day.

Optional: We recommend Tang Dynasty Show as a night activity if you do not want to get back to the hotel too early.

This morning, take part in a calligraphy class at Tangbo Art Museum to learn about the “Four Treasures of Study” of China. On the way to the airport, pay a visit to the pretty impressive Hanyang Tomb, the tomb of Emperor Jing, the fourth emperor of the Han Dynasty.

After that, fly to Shanghai and be transferred to your hotel by your local guide and driver.

Start Shanghai city sightseeing from the tour to Shanghai Museum. Move to Yu Garden, an extensive ancient Chinese-style garden built in 1559. By contrast with the imperial garden in Beijing, it is a private garden with the delicate and elegant architectural style of South China. Later, come to Yuyuan Market, a silk workshop and the former French Concession, and then end today’s tour with a leisure stroll on the Bund.

Optional: After a full day’s walking, you may enjoy watching an acrobatic show as a night activity to relax.

It is time to say goodbye to China. You will be taken to the airport for your international flight and bring the fantastic travel memory home.

• Chengdu: add 2-3 days — giant pandas, Leshan Buddha and delicious food
• Suzhou and/or Hangzhou: add 1–4 days — water towns, gardens, the Grand Canal, and West Lake
• More destinations: Huangshan, Yunnan and Tibet. Inform us of your interests and we will offer you some recommendations.