Chinese Treasures: Beijing, Xi’an, Yunnan… (trip)

Chinese Treasures: Beijing, Xi’an, Yunnan & Shanghai

  • Beijing Airport, China
  • Culture & Nature
Shangri-La
, Lijiang
, Beijing
, Shanghai
, Xi'an, China, Asia

from $4,850* per person13 DaysApril, July-October
Boutique accommodations Exertion level: 5
Operator: WildChina 12 people max
China - where the past, present and future can be experienced all in one. If this is your first and only chance to visit China, then this is the trip. Beijing, Xi’an and Shanghai present the classic images of China – imperial palaces stand side by side with skyscrapers. Beautiful Yunnan province in the southwest, known for its ethnic diversity, traditional lifestyles and stunning natural scenery, forms a contrast to the developed parts of China.

WildChina Founder Mei Zhang handcrafted this itinerary for her closest friends in 2009. We are now making it available for very small groups of 16 discerning travelers for the first time. Travelers will explore the imperial capitals of Beijing and Xi'an, gaining access to an emperor’s childhood home at the Forbidden City, a largely un-restored section of the Great Wall and the famed Terracotta Warriors Museum. We then go off the beaten path, visiting villages and glaciers in the famed Tibetan area of Shangri-La and the UNESCO World Heritage site of Lijiang. Our journey ends in China’s bustling financial center of Shanghai – the “Paris of the East.”

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Locations visited/nearby

Shangri-La , Lijiang , Beijing , Shanghai , Xi'an, China, Asia

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Special information

  • Family oriented trip.

Itinerary

Day 1 - Arrive in Beijing:   
Welcome dinner; trip briefing.

5-Star Hotel or similar (D)

Day 2 - Beijing:   
Forbidden City; lunch around Houhai Lake; pedi-cab tour of Beijing's hutong (traditional alleyways); visit siheyuan (old courtyard homes) and learn traditional Chinese activities; Peking Duck dinner at a renovated siheyuan.

5-Star Hotel or similar (B, L, D)

Day 3 - Beijing:  
Hike along the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall; have a picnic lunch in courtyard of a beautiful farm house; dinner in a modern part of Beijing.

5-Star Hotel or similar (B, L, D)

Day 4 - Xi'an:   
Learn taiji from a master at the Temple of Heaven; fly to Xi’an in afternoon; dumpling dinner; stroll through Muslim Quarter.

5-Star Hotel or similar (B, L, D)

Day 5 - Xi'an:   
Bicycle ride on Xi'an's Ancient City Wall; private calligraphy lesson; Forest of Steles; Up-close visit to the Terracotta Warriors; dinner at a vegetarian restaurant near Big Goose Pagoda Square.

5-Star Hotel or similar (B, L, D)

Day 6 - Lijiang:
Fly to Lijiang in Yunnan via Kunming; free time to relax.

Luxury Boutique Hotel (B, L)

Day 7 - Lijiang:   
Puji Temple and prayer ceremony; Black Dragon Pool & Shuhe old town; dinner party in a local Naxi courtyard home with traditional music.

Luxury Boutique Hotel (B, L, D)

Day 8 - Lijiang:
Meet a Yi ethnic minority shaman; hike in bio-diverse Wenhai valley; Lijiang Old Town; dinner at restaurant overlooking Old Town.

Luxury Boutique Hotel (B, L, D)

Day 9 - Shangri-La:   
Drive to Zhongdian (“Shangri-La”); First Bend of the Yangzte River; Tiger Leaping Gorge; free time to relax.

Luxury Boutique Hotel (B, L)

Day 10 - Shangri-La:   
Songzanlin Monastery; lunch in Old Town; Trinyi Village Community Center and Ecolodge; authentic traditional Tibetan dinner with singing and dancing.

Luxury Boutique Hotel (B, L, D)

Day 11 - Shanghai:   
Fly to Shanghai via Kunming; ERA acrobatics show.

5-Star Hotel or similar (B, L, D)

Day 12 - Shanghai:   
Yu Garden; Shanghai Museum; Lunch in Xintiandi; French Concession; Take in views atop the Shanghai World Financial Center; Huangpu River cruise; Shanghainese farewell dinner.

5-Star Hotel or similar (B, L, D)

Day 13 - Depart Shanghai:  
Maglev train to Pudong International Airport; journey ends.

N/A (B)

B = Breakfast; L = Lunch; D = Dinner

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