Classic China High-Speed Train Tour

Upon arrival at Beijing airport, your excellent China tour will begin! Our professional guide will be holding your name sign and waiting for you at the arrival hall according to your flight schedule. Afterward, you will be transferred to the hotel in downtown Beijing.

After breakfast, our tour guide and driver will pick you up at your hotel according to the appointed time. First, you will go to see the famous Tian'anmen Square. Tian’anmen Square is the largest city plaza in the world today. It is located in the center of Beijing, the capital of the People's Republic of China, on the south side of the Forbidden City. On October 1, 1949, the People's Republic of China held its founding ceremony here. Many national symbols such as the Great Hall of the People, the National Museum, and the Monument to the People's Heroes are all located here. And many kinds of large-scale ceremonies are held here.

Then you will visit the Forbidden City (closed on each Monday). The Forbidden City in Beijing is a royal palace of the Ming and Qing Dynasties (1368-1912) in China and is the essence of ancient Chinese palace architecture.  It is a huge palace complex of more than 9,000 rooms where 24 emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasties used to live in. With the Three Great Halls as its center, the Forbidden City in Beijing covers an area of 720,000 square meters. It covers a construction area of about 150,000 square meters. It is one of the largest and best-preserved ancient wooden buildings in the world. Next, you will have lunch at a local restaurant.

After a short rest, you will be transferred to visit the Summer Palace. The Summer Palace, located in northwest Beijing, is said to be the best-preserved imperial garden in the world, and the largest of its kind still in existence in China. It is only a short drive (15 km) from central Beijing, and it takes about 35 minutes by car. Kunming Lake, located in the center of the park, takes up about 75% of the park area. The famous 17-hole bridge spans between Nanhu (‘South Lake’) Island and the east bank. The bridge is 150 meters long. It looks like a long rainbow frame above the blue water.

The Forbidden City

Tiananmen Square

Today, you will have the experience of visiting the Great Wall. First, we will drive for about 1 hour to visit the Ming Tombs. The 7.3 kilometers long Sacred Way is the main way leading to the Ming tombs. The Sacred Way is lined with stone statues which are important decorations of the mausoleum. These statues are usually 12 human figures (including the general, civil officials and meritorious officials) and 24 animals which are lion, camel, elephant, Xiezhi (a mythological unicorn), qilin (one of the four "divine animals, the other three are a dragon, phoenix and tortoise), and horse.

Next, you will visit the Chang Tomb. As the head of the thirteen tombs, the Chang Tomb is the joint tomb of Emperor Yongle and Empress Xu. The Chang Tomb was modeled after the Ming imperial palace and is one of the rarest large-scale palaces in China. 

Then we will drive about half an hour to the Great Wall and you will have an opportunity to climb up to the Great Wall. The Great Wall, as a great project, has become a valuable heritage of the Chinese nation.

On the way back to the hotel, you will have a picture stop at the Olympic Village. As the main residence of athletes and delegation members from all countries and regions, the Olympic village undertakes the service work of all athletes and officials of the Olympic and Paralympic Games in accommodation, catering, entertainment, leisure, etc. And it is also the place where athletes from all countries and regions hold international exchanges and get together.

Great Wall

Chang Tomb

In the morning, our local guide will pick you up at your hotel, and accompany you to the train station and you will take the estimated train G655 09:43/15:31 to Xi’an. Your Beijing tour will end here.

Welcome to Xi’an! Xi'an is one of the first national historical and cultural cities announced by the State Council. It is one of the four ancient capitals in the world, and 13 dynasties, including the Qin, Han, Sui and Tang dynasties, have built their capitals here in the past 2,000 years. And it has been the capital and political, economic and cultural center of China for more than 1,100 years. Upon arrival, our local guide will wait for you at the train station and transfer you to the hotel in Xi’an downtown. 

In the morning, our local guide will pick you up at your hotel. You will start an excellent day by visiting the Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum. It is about 45 kilometers from the central area of Xi’an and it takes about 1 hour by car. More than 1,000 terracotta soldiers were unearthed here, with different and vivid images. The terracotta warriors and horses were originally colored when they were just unearthed. As the terracotta warriors and horses have been buried for more than two thousand years, their colors were oxidized within three hours after they were unearthed. It was regarded as one of the great discoveries in the history of 20th-century archaeology. After that, you will have lunch at the local restaurant.

In the afternoon, you will visit the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. The Big Wild Goose Pagoda is located in the Da Ci’en Temple, which was built during the reign of Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty by Prince Li Zhi in memory of his mother, and was first presided over by Master Xuan Zang. During this period, he supervised the construction of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. The Big Wild Goose Pagoda is the earliest and largest surviving four-sided pavilion-style brick pagoda of the Tang Dynasty. The inside walls of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda are covered with all kinds of paintings and calligraphy, which are priceless treasures handed down from ancient times to the present day.

Big Wild Goose Pagoda

Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum

In the morning, you will be transferred to the train station and take the estimated train G1918 09:33-16:45 to Shanghai. Your Xi’an tour will end here. Welcome to Shanghai!  Upon arrival, you will be transferred to the hotel and have a good rest.

After breakfast, you will visit the Yu Garden (closed on each Monday). Yu Garden is a classical garden ranking among the must-see attractions in Huangpu District, Shanghai. It dates back to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and was owned by a government officer named Pan Yunduan. Yu Garden is located in the northeast of the old urban area of Shanghai, by Fu You Road in the north, An Ren Street in the east, and Shanghai Old City God’s Temple in the southwest. It is the classical garden in the south of the Yangtze River, covering an area of 20,000 square meters.

Then you will have a local experience by strolling around the nearby Shanghai Old Street. If you want to buy some souvenirs for your friends or your family, visiting to Shanghai Old Street is your best choice. The architectural style and business layout of the Old Street from west to east show the historical and cultural evolution of old Shanghai from the Ming and Qing dynasties to the Republic of China.

After lunch, you would take a walk at the Bund. Located on the banks of the Huangpu River in the heart of Shanghai, the Bund is a must-see destination for tourists visiting the city. There stand 52 buildings of various architectural styles, including Gothic, baroque, and neoclassical styles. It is often referred to as "the museum of buildings". The best way to appreciate the buildings is to have a walk along the Bund. Roaming among the architectural complexes, you'll have a better understanding of the century-long charm of this city. And you can also visit Nanjing Road, the busiest shopping area in the metropolis or even across the whole of China. Nanjing Road is about 1,200 meters long, with stores on both sides of the road. There are various modern buildings and old European-style buildings. When the neon lights are flashing at night, the whold street looks very spectacular. You can also take a ride on the "Dangdang Tram". I am sure it will be very interesting.

Then, you will be transferred to visit the Shanghai Tower. Shanghai Tower is located in Pudong New District, with Shanghai World Financial Center to the east and Jin Mao Tower to the north. The tower ranks as the China's tallest building, with a building height of 632 meters. For tourists, a Shanghai tour is not complete without a visit to the Shanghai Tower and a climb to the 'Top of Shanghai Observatory', which is the world's highest indoor observation deck. 

At last, you will be transferred to enjoy the Huangpu River Cruise. The best way to enjoy the scenery along the Huangpu River is to take a Huangpu River cruise. It is said the best place to enjoy the Huangpu River night view is not on the Bund, but on the Huangpu River cruise. A Huangpu River cruise has now become a must-have activity when visiting Shanghai. Taking a Huangpu River cruise, you will see the National Building Museum in Puxi, and the iconic buildings of Lujiazui, such as the Oriental Pearl TV Tower, the Jinmao Tower, the Shanghai World Financial Center and the Shanghai Tower.

Shanghai Tower

Nanjing road

In the morning, our guide will pick you up at your hotel and you will be transferred to the train station and take the estimated train G676 08:30-08:53 to Suzhou. Welcome to Suzhou. Upon arrival, you will first visit Tiger Hill. It is about 17 kilometers from the train station of Suzhou to Tiger Hill and it takes about 35 minutes by car. Tiger Hill has a long history of more than 2,500 years, known as "the first famous spot in Suzhou". Climbing it, you will find a number of historical sites, such as The Tomb of King He Lu, Tiger Hill Pagoda, and the Sword Pool.

Among all these famous attractions, you should not miss Tiger Hill Pagoda. Tiger Hill Pagoda was built in the Sui dynasty (581-618), and was initially built as a wooden pagoda, which was later destroyed by a thunderstrike. When it was rebuilt in 1956, a large number of precious cultural relics were found in the third layer of the pagoda, such as sutra boxes, bronze Buddhas, and bronze mirrors. Tiger Hill Pagoda is now 47.5 meters high, and the pagoda body is all made of brick, weighing more than 6,000 tons. According to records, since the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), Tiger Hill Pagoda has been leaning to the northwest, with the maximum tilt of the pagoda is 3°59'.  This is why it is known as the "Leaning Tower of Pisa in the East". In 1961, Tiger Hill Pagoda was listed as one of the national key cultural relics protection units.

Then you will have lunch at a local restaurant.

In the afternoon, you will visit Shantang Street. Shantang Street is a prosperous tourist and commercial street in Suzhou. Throughout the years, it has always been a favorite place for tourists from all over the world. There are numerous small shops lined along the street, and you can buy some local specialties, such as silk, Biluochun tea, and crab shell cake. If you buy some of these specialties for your friends or families as gifts, they must be very happy.

Then you will visit the Humble Administrator Garden. The Humble Administrator Garden covers an area of 78 acres (about 52,000 square meters) and is divided into four parts: east, middle, west and residence. As one of the four most famous gardens in China, it is a 5A tourist spot and listed in the Key National Historical Conservation Units and valuable cultural relics in the world.

Tiger Hill

Shantang Street

In the morning, our guide will pick you up at your hotel and transfer you to the train station. Then you will take the estimated train G7349 08:42-09:07 to Shanghai. Our guide will wait for you at the train station. Then you will visit the Jade Buddha Temple. Jade Buddha Temple is most famous for the two Jade Buddhas invited back from Burma by Master Huigen of Putuo Mountain at the end of the Qing Dynasty. These two Jade Buddhas are known as "the treasure of the temple". Then you will have lunch at the local restaurant. In the afternoon, you will visit the Shanghai Museum (closed on each Monday). The Shanghai Museum is a large museum of ancient Chinese art, with 12 thematic galleries and a collection of more than 120,000 items. The museum has collections of historical relics from all dynasties and generations, with ancient bronze ceramics, calligraphy and paintings being the most distinctive.

Jade Buddha Temple

Shanghai Museum

Your wonderful China tour will come to an end today. Your professional local guide will pick you up at your hotel and transfer you to the airport.

Editor: Tina Jia

Proofreader: Lexie Jia