China Explorer

Ni Hao! Welcome to Beijing. You will start your trip by meeting with your local guide at 6pm in the hotel lobby. They will welcome you and go over details about your trip including meeting up with your guides in each city. After that, your guide will take you on an orientation walk.

Accommodation:
• Beijing Chongwenmen Hotel or similar (2 nights)
Meals Included:
• There are no meals included on this day

Today you will explore famous sights of Beijing with your guide. There will be a lot of walking as well as using the subway to get around so make sure you wear comfortable shoes.
After breakfast we will take the metro to Tiananmen Square, one of the world's largest public squares, home to the Monument of the People's Heroes and the Great Hall of the People. Then we enter the Forbidden City, built 1406-1420; a ceremonial and political center of the Chinese government for more than 500 years. It was declared a World Heritage Site in 1987 and is listed by UNESCO as the most extensive collection of preserved ancient wooden structures in the world.
After the Forbidden City, we will stroll through the alleys formed by lines of traditional courtyards known as Hutong and experience the local lifestyle of Old Beijing.
Later, we’ll continue by metro to visit the Temple of Heaven before taking a last metro-ride back to your hotel.

Accommodation:
• Beijing Chongwenmen Hotel or similar (2 nights)
Meals Included:
• Breakfast

We leave in the early morning for the Great Wall at Gubeikou. Gubeikou was a vital mountain pass and dates back to the 16th century. Today’s hike will start from Wohushan Great Wall, which is 665 meters above sea level. As you hike along with your guide you will see lush vegetation and learn how this part of the wall has crumbled because in the 1950s local farmers took bricks from the wall to build their houses. Pass by a local village and walk around the inner circle of the wall, which was the second defense in case the main wall breached. Today you will hike 12km (c.7 miles) - a total of 4-5 hours walking and 3-4 hours resting, enjoying the views and lunch.
Continue walking until late afternoon when you will reach a guesthouse in the village of Erdaoliang in the Jinshanling area where you will spend the night.

Accommodation:
• Jianxia Guesthouse or similar (1 night)
Meals Included :
•Breakfast

In the morning enjoy a home-cooked breakfast in the guesthouse and then drive on for 2 more hours to Jiankou. After a short break, start the hiking on the Great Wall from Jiankou to Mutianyu. The Mutianyu section is repaired so that it is easy to climb up and down. However, Jiankou is untouched and steep, settled on the edge of the mountain top. At midday, enjoy a picnic lunch that is provided by your guide. From the stunning views you can appreciate the difficulty of constructing the wall in ancient times. Hiking distance: approx. 10 km, 6 hours.
In the late afternoon we will take a private transfer to Beijing railway station and board the overnight train to Xian.

Accommodation:
• Overnight on soft sleeper train from Beijing to Xi'an ( 1 night)
Meals Included :
•Breakfast

Upon arrival at Xi'an station you will be met and be transferred to your hotel. Your adventure starts with a walking tour of the ancient City Wall, the most significant and best-preserved wall extant in China stretching over 13 kilometers around Xian. Then we will take a walk around the trendy Muslim quarter and stroll through the narrow streets dotted with small shops, markets and restaurants.
Later we will take the bus to visit the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. Once, the pagoda held old Buddhist relics and classics brought from India by the hierarch Xuanzang. If you are lucky you may catch a fantastic musical fountain show at the north square of the temple.

Accommodation:
• Manxin Hotel Bell Tower or similar (1 night)
Meals Included :
•Breakfast

This morning set off to visit the Terracotta Warriors. You will learn about this incredible archaeological find, discovered in 1976 by farmers digging a well, after being buried for 2,000 years. Three main pits are open for you to view, where just under 2,000 of the total 6,000 warriors – each individually sculpted from clay, each having a different costume, height, and even facial expression – stand in battle formation.
After the tour we will drive on for 1.5 hours to Mt. Huashan. HuaShan is known as "The Number One Precipitous Mountain under Heaven." The mountain is one of the Five Sacred Taoist Mountains in China and has a long history of religious significance. Upon arrival, check into the hotel, which is located at the foot of the mountain, then take an orientation walk around.

Accommodation:
• Lotus Flower Hotel or similar (2 nights)
Meals Included:
• Breakfast, Lunch

Today we will explore the magnificent Mt. Hua Shan. Beginning by taking a cable car to the North Peak, we climb up the Ear-Touching Cliff, Heavenward Ladder and Black Dragon Ridge until reaching the Golden Lock Pass. After a lunch break, continue on to visit the Middle Peak (Jade Maiden Peak) and the East Peak (Facing Sun Peak) before the hike to South Peak (Landing Wild Geese Peak).The South Peak is 2,160 meters above sea level, the highest of the five. Here we will have chance to experience the dangerous Changkong Plank Trail, a 0.3 meter wide plank path built along a seemingly bottomless vertical cliff. Then finally we reach the West Peak. The West Peak is the symbol of Hua Shan; it is the most spectacular of the five peaks. From the West Peak we take the cable car down and return to the hotel. Today you will hike 12km (c.7 miles) - a total of 4-5 hours walking and 3-4 hours resting, enjoying the views and lunch. The cliff trail of Huashan offers excellent opportunities for a thrilling but easy hike.

Accommodation:
• Lotus Flower Hotel or similar (2 nights)
Meals Included :
• Breakfast

After breakfast, transfer to Hua Shan North Railway Station for a fast train to Luoyang.
Upon arrival it is a one-hour journey to Shaolin Monastery. Spend the rest of the day visiting the Hall of Heavenly Kings, the Pagoda Forest, the Dharma Cave and the Martial Arts Training Center. Watch a live Kung Fu performance and witness an incredible display of concentration and skills. In the late afternoon drive back to Luoyang and check into the hotel.

Accommodation:
• Peony Hotel or similar (1 night)
Meals Included :
• Breakfast

Spend the morning exploring the old town of Luoyang. Starting from the ancient cultural street and Luoyi Old Town we experience a lively place with residential areas, snack streets, souvenir shops and old buildings. Next we visit the Luoyang Museum where we can find items and various folk art collections from the Zhou period.
After that, continue to visit the World Heritage Longmen Grottoes. These are located about 12km south of Luoyang. Steep limestone cliffs extend for almost a mile and contain approximately 110,000 Buddhist stone statues, 60 stupas and 2,800 inscriptions carved on steles. Most of the carvings at the Longmen site date between the end of the 5th century and the middle of the 8th century—the periods of the Northern Wei (486¬–534 C.E.) through early Tang dynasties (618–907 C.E.).
Evening transfer to Longmen Train Station for overnight soft sleeper train to Shanghai.

Accommodation:
• Overnight on soft sleeper train from Luoyang to Shanghai (1 night)
Meals Included :
• Breakfast

We arrive in Shanghai in the morning. Today we will enjoy a walking tour that will take us back in time.
The first stop is the City God Temple area, a folk temple neighboring Yuyuan Garden. The City God Temple in Shanghai originated as the Jinshan God Temple, dedicated to the spirit of Jinshan or "Gold Mountain", an island off the coast of Shanghai. It was converted into a City God's Temple in 1403, during the Yongle era of the Ming dynasty. Its popularity turns the surrounding area into a large pedestrian area that hosts an array of shops, restaurants and teahouses, as well as annual temple fair events. Yuyuan Garden is the most extensive ancient garden with Ming and Qing architectural styles. We’ll stroll along the narrow winding lanes (longtangs) of Old Shanghai where we can get a real glimpse into the locals’ daily life.
Shanghai Museum is a highlight of the tour. The museum design is in keeping with Feng Shui principles. It houses a great permanent collection and hosts various exhibitions with over 120,000 pieces.
In the evening, we will explore the Bund. This spectacular array of Art Deco buildings line what was once the most important financial street in Asia.

Accommodation:
• Metropolo Jinjiang Hotel Classiq Shanghai Nanjing Road or similar (1 night)
Meals Included :
• Breakfast

Today is your last day in Shanghai. There are no activities planned, and you are free to leave the accommodation at any time.

Meals Included:
• Breakfast