On arrival at Beijing Capital International Airport in Beijing, you will be met by our local representative in China for a brief meet and greet. You will then be transferred to your hotel in Beijing for Check-in.

Beijing is the capital of China and the second most populous city in China after Shanghai. It is one of the oldest cities in the world with its rich history dating back three thousand years. Apart from being the political capital of the country, it is home to headquarters of Chinese state owned companies and houses the maximum number of Fortune 500 companies in the world. Surrounded by mountains on three sides, its climate is similar to Delhi, with hot – humid summers and cold – dry winters.
The day is free to relax and roam around Beijing on your own.

Overnight stay at the hotel in Beijing

After breakfast, we will proceed for a sightseeing tour of Beijing.

We shall begin the city tour with a visit to the famous Tian’anmen Square. Flanked by Soviet style buildings, it was built by General Mao who wanted to display the power of the Communist Party. A flag raising ceremony is performed daily by soldiers of People’s Liberation Army at sunrise. Next, we will visit the world famous UNESCO site – Forbidden City. A large palace complex that was home to Chinese emperors for 500 years, it is the  largest collection of buildings built in Chinese Palatial Architectural style. Finally, we will visit the Summer Palace whose Imperial Gardens provided airy comfort to the royal family during hot summers.

The rest of the evening is free for you to enjoy Beijing on your own.

Overnight stay at hotel in Beijing

SEGV’S RECOMMENDATION – Kung fu is a form of Martial arts that has been developed and practiced in China since last 4000 years. It is not a single fighting style, but a collective term for different fighting styles that are practiced by hundreds of fighting schools in the country. To see the finest showcase of this integral Chinese culture, you should head over to Red theatre to see the heart pumping show – Legends of Kung Fu. A world-class spectacle,  it features the story of a young man set out to attain enlightenment by becoming a master of Kung Fu. The mind blowing stunts performed during the show will surely keep you at the edge of your seats.

After breakfast, we will continue our exploration of Beijing by taking a cable car ride to visit the Great Wall of China.

Claimed to be the only man-made structure in the world to be visible from space, The Great Wall of China is an ancient defensive structure built by successive Chinese rulers from 220 BC, comprising of stone walls and fortifications. With a length of over 13,000 miles, it was built to protect the Chinese citizens from barbaric nomads who attacked from the North. Although it was not very effective in its intended purpose, it did serve to protect and regulate the international trading route along the Silk Road. Counted among the Seven Wonders of the World, it is indeed a sight to behold.

After our visit to the Great Wall, we will drive by Bird’s Nest, which is the national stadium that was built especially for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The stadium with a capacity of 90,000 people is the world’s largest steel structure  and is considered an architectural marvel. Next we will visit the Temple of Heaven where the emperor prayed to God for good harvests and sought atonement and divine clearance.

Rest of the day is free for you to explore Beijing on your own.

Overnight Stay at Beijing Hotel.

SEGV’S RECOMMENDATION – Tai Chi is a form of martial arts practiced in China that is practiced both for its health benefits and defence training. Its quite easy to learn and practice as the movements are performed in a relaxed and slow manner. Its ultimate purpose is to cultivate ‘Qi’ (Life Energy) so that it follows smoothly yet powerfully through our body. You can try out this ancient form of martial arts for yourself in a one hour Tai Chi class at Temple of Heaven.

After breakfast, we will proceed to the Beijing railway station to catch the bullet train to Xian.

One of the four great ancient capitals of China, Xi’an marks the starting point of the historic Silk Road from China to West Asia. Today, it is a bustling city with the highest population in North-West China and is the capital of Shaanxi Province. Several important dynasties ruled China from this region including the Zhou, Han, Qin, Sui and Tang and left behind their legacies in the ancient city walls, muslim quarters and the mind boggling collection of the famous Terracotta Warriors.

After check-in at the hotel, we will proceed for a sightseeing tour of Xi’an City.

We will start the tour with a visit to the ancient city wall which was built by Zhu Yuanzhang, the first emperor of the Ming Dynasty. A majestic defensive structure, it is 12 metres tall and almost equally wide at the top and runs along a length of 13.7 kilometres. Next we will visit the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda which was built in 652 AD during the reign of Tang Dynasty and preserves figurines and sutras of Gautum Buddha that were brought from India by Chinese translator Xuanzang. During the tour, we will also visit Huaqing hot springs, which are 6000 year old and the most famous hot spring in China. Finally, we will visit the exotic Muslim Quarters which gets its Muslim influence owing to Xi’an being an important part of the silk route.

Overnight Stay at the hotel in Xi’an

SEGV’S RECOMMENDATION – If you are interested to learn about Chinese imperial history, Shaanxi history museum is the place to go. With a vast and impressive collection of 3,70,000 artefacts dating from the stone age to civilised life in 1840, its timespan covers a million years. At the museum you can see the silver and gold ware of Tang and Han Dynasty, wall paintings that were displayed on Tang tomb and Terracotta figurines belonging to various dynasties.

After breakfast at the hotel, we will proceed to Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s Mausoleum Site Museum to see the magnificent Terracotta army.

Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of unified China, ordered the construction of the Terracotta Army as his accomplice to the afterlife when he ascended to the throne as a 13 year old. The huge collection features 8000 soldiers, 520 horses, 130 chariots and 150 cavalry horses that were unearthed in 3 pits near his burial site. Other pits feature non-military figures like musicians, officials, acrobats and strongmen. The figurines were discovered in 1974 by some farmers who were digging the site to create a water well, and since then showcase collections have travelled the world attracting huge crowds to museums in London, US and Spain.

After the tour, you are free to explore Xi’an on your own.

Overnight stay at your hotel in Xi’an

SEGV’S RECOMMENDATION – Thrill seekers should not miss the trek to Hua Shan, considered by most people as the “world’s most daredevil hike” in the world. Hua Shan is one of five sacred mountains of Taoism and was once home to hermits, Taoist mystics and sages. Today it attracts trekkers from all over the world. The views are spectacular and the narrow plank walk can bring fear to the hearts of even strong men and women.

After breakfast at the hotel, we will transfer to the airport to catch a flight to Shanghai. At the airport, we will take the Manglev train to reach Longyang Road station. The magnetically levitating train is super-fast, reaching speeds as high as 430 km/h during the 30 km ride. From Longyang Road station, we will transfer to the hotel and proceed to Check-in.

Shanghai is a historic port city which is today become a global centre of finance, international trade and eastern culture. It is the largest city in China and the world’s second most populous city after Tokyo. The ‘showpiece’ city of China, it has a dazzling skyline with some of the tallest buildings in the world and is home to wonderful museums and Michelin starred restaurants.

After freshening up at the hotel, we will go to the Jin Mao Tower to enjoy the sweeping panoramic views of the city from the 88th floor. The tower also has a skywalk on the same floor which is 1.2 m wide and has no rails. You are secured by safety ropes as you get to look down 340 metres for an adventurous experience.

Rest of the day is free for you to explore Shanghai on your own.

Overnight Stay at Hotel in Shanghai

SEGV’S RECOMMENDATION – ‘ERA Intersection of Time‘ is one of the most popular circus show in the world. The show’s storyline showcases the history of  China as the performers present mind boggling acrobatics and martial arts. With special effects awakening all sensory systems from sight to smell, you will be transported to a magical world.

After early breakfast at the hotel, we will proceed for a tour of nearby water town of Zhujiajiao followed by sightseeing tour of Shanghai.

Zhujiajiao is one of the best preserved ancient town of the many water towns near Shanghai. The place is considered the Venice of the East with as many as 36 stone bridges hovering over the numerous rivers that inundate the town. The town has a 5000 year old history and buildings belonging to the Qing dynasty have been preserved in their natural state. We will enjoy a Gondola ride along the town’s famous waterways and later visit the beautiful Kezhi garden.

Later, We will return to Shanghai city and visit the Jade Buddha Temple. The peaceful Jade Buddha temple was founded when a Chinese explorer returned to Shanghai with two Jade Buddhas from Myanmar. The temple has splendid architecture and beautiful Jade statues. Next we will visit the 400 years old beautiful Yu Yuan garden and stroll along the Bund Waterfront from where you can enjoy the city’s magnificent skyline.

Rest of the day is free for you to explore Shanghai on your own or go for shopping in one of the famous shopping districts of Shanghai.

Overnight stay at the hotel in Shanghai

After breakfast, transfer to board a flight to India.

We check out from the hotel to leave Shanghai Pudong International Airport.

Arrive home with pleasant memories of your China tour organised by State Express Global Voyages, which you will treasure for a lifetime.