The 12-Day (Beijing, Xi‘an, Guilin, Guangzhou & Shenzhen) China Group Tour: Imperial History, Terracotta Warriors & Karst Landscapes

• Itinerary Summary: Arrive in Beijing – Transfer to Hotel – Free Time
• Hotel Star Rating: 4-Star Hotels
• Meals Included: No Food

Arrive in Beijing, the capital of China and the starting point of your journey. Your driver will meet you at the airport and take you directly to your hotel. The rest of the day is yours to rest or explore. Beijing is a city of layers – ancient and modern, imperial and everyday. Take it slow tonight. Tomorrow you‘ll be walking the Great Wall.

• Itinerary Summary: Mutianyu Great Wall – Bird‘s Nest (National Stadium) Exterior
• Hotel Star Rating: 4-Star Hotels
• Meals Included: Lunch

This is the day you came for. After breakfast, head to the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall – less crowded than Badaling, with equally dramatic views. A round-trip cable car is included, making the climb easier and leaving you more time to walk along the wall itself. Mutianyu is about 2.25 km long with 22 watchtowers – you can walk east toward the steeper, more dramatic stretch, or west toward the quieter, forested end. On the way back to the city, stop for an exterior view of the Bird‘s Nest, the iconic stadium built for the 2008 Olympics. It’s a short stop, but it‘s worth seeing against the evening light.

• Itinerary Summary: Tian‘anmen Square – Forbidden City – Temple of Heaven
• Hotel Star Rating: 4-Star Hotels
• Meals Included: Lunch

Today is Beijing’s imperial core. Start at Tian‘anmen Square – a vast public space that sits at the symbolic heart of the country. From there, step into the Forbidden City, the sprawling palace complex that served as the political centre of China for over 500 years through the Ming and Qing dynasties. With its 9,999 rooms – a deliberate nod to imperial numerology – the scale is almost overwhelming. Tickets must be booked in advance using passport information – they are released 7 days ahead and sell out fast. Your guide handles this for you, but your passport is required for entry. The afternoon takes you to the Temple of Heaven, where emperors once performed rituals for a good harvest. Its Hall of Prayer is a masterpiece of wooden architecture.

• Itinerary Summary: High-Speed Train to Xi’an – Free Time
• Hotel Star Rating: 4-Star Hotels
• Meals Included: No Food

Morning high-speed train to Xi‘an – one of China’s fastest bullet trains, covering the distance in about 4.5 hours. Watch the landscape shift from the flat plains of the north to the loess plateau of central China. Upon arrival, check into your hotel. The evening is yours to explore – perhaps take a walk to the Bell Tower area or sample some local street food. Xi‘an is an ancient capital with a different rhythm from Beijing – slower, older, and proud of it.

• Itinerary Summary: Terracotta Warriors – Huaqing Palace
• Hotel Star Rating: 4-Star Hotels
• Meals Included: Lunch

Today you come face to face with one of the most extraordinary archaeological discoveries of the 20th century. The Terracotta Warriors – an army of over 8,000 life-sized soldiers, each with a distinct face, buried for over 2,000 years to guard the first emperor of China in the afterlife. Tickets are 120 RMB for a combined entry to the museum and Lishan Garden. No on-site ticket sales – advance reservation is required. In the afternoon, visit Huaqing Palace, a Tang dynasty imperial retreat famous for its hot springs and as the setting of one of China’s most famous love stories. The palace sits at the foot of Mount Li, with views that have inspired poets for centuries.

• Itinerary Summary: Ancient City Wall – Muslim Quarter – Flight to Guilin
• Hotel Star Rating: 4-Star Hotels
• Meals Included: No Food

Start the day on Xi‘an’s Ancient City Wall – one of the best-preserved city walls in China. You can walk or cycle along the top – the full circuit is about 14 km and offers a unique perspective of the old city. Then descend into the Muslim Quarter, a maze of narrow alleys filled with food stalls, souvenir shops, and the city‘s Hui Muslim community. It’s the best place in Xi‘an to try local snacks like roujiamo (Chinese hamburger) and yangrou paomo (lamb stew with bread). In the afternoon, transfer to the airport for your flight to Guilin. By evening, you’ll be in a different China – one of karst peaks and winding rivers.

• Itinerary Summary: Xingping Ancient Town – Li River Boat Cruise – Ten-Mile Gallery – Yangshuo West Street
• Hotel Star Rating: 4-Star Hotels
• Meals Included: Lunch

Drive from Guilin to Xingping Ancient Town, a quiet riverside settlement that feels preserved in time. From here, take a Li River boat cruise to the exact spot featured on the back of China‘s 20-yuan banknote – where karst peaks rise sharply from the river. A passport copy is required when booking the cruise, and you must bring your physical passport on the day. After the cruise, cycle or drive along the Ten-Mile Gallery, a scenic stretch of road winding through rice paddies and karst formations. End the day in Yangshuo, where West Street buzzes with travellers, street performers, and local restaurants serving beer fish and other regional specialties.

• Itinerary Summary: Yulong River Bamboo Raft – High-Speed Train to Guangzhou
• Hotel Star Rating: 4-Star Hotels
• Meals Included: No Food

Your last morning in the karst country. Take a bamboo raft along the Yulong River – the pace is slow, the water is calm, and the views are pure Guilin: limestone peaks reflected in the still surface, water buffalo cooling off on the banks. It‘s a quiet contrast to the bustle of Yangshuo’s West Street. After the raft, transfer to the train station for the high-speed train to Guangzhou – about 2.5 to 3 hours. By evening, you‘ll be in the southern metropolis, ready for the final leg of your journey.

• Itinerary Summary: Gulong Gorge – Waterfall – Glass Bridge – Cliff Coaster / QQ Coaster – Rafting (Seasonal)
• Hotel Star Rating: 4-Star Hotels
• Meals Included: Lunch

After breakfast, your guide and driver will take you to Gulong Gorge in Qingyuan, about 1.5 hours north of Guangzhou. This is where locals go for a weekend adrenaline fix. The main draws are the waterfall, the glass bridge stretched across the canyon, and the cliff coaster that winds down the mountainside. A package including the glass bridge and rafting is approximately 198 RMB. The glass bridge is 1,314 meters long, suspended over waterfalls and deep valleys. If you‘re visiting in summer, you can opt for white-water rafting instead. Either way, this is a full day outdoors – a gear shift from the city and countryside you’ve seen so far.

• Itinerary Summary: Yongqing Fang – Beijing Road (Grand Buddha Temple) – Shamian Island – Haixinsha Park – Canton Tower (Exterior)
• Hotel Star Rating: 4-Star Hotels
• Meals Included: Lunch

Your only full day in Guangzhou gives you a solid taste of the city‘s character. Start in Yongqing Fang, a restored lane house district that shows Cantonese culture through its preserved architecture and local crafts. Walk through Beijing Road and see the Grand Buddha Temple – a functioning monastery that stands in sharp contrast to the shopping crowds outside. Cross to Shamian Island, where 19th-century European consulates and churches line tree-shaded streets – a quiet break from the city’s pace. End at Haixinsha Park, with a view of Canton Tower from across the river. If you want, you can go up the tower for the night view, but it‘s entirely optional – the real highlights are still ahead.

• Itinerary Summary: Shenzhen Tech Day: Drone Delivery – Driverless Experience – Shenzhen Bay Park – Huaqiangbei
• Hotel Star Rating: 4-Star Hotels
• Meals Included: Lunch

Today you get a glimpse of China‘s future. Drive to Shenzhen, the country’s tech capital, for a day of innovation. Start with a drone delivery demonstration – this is not a gimmick but a functioning service already operating in parts of the city. Then experience a driverless ride – Shenzhen is one of the few cities in the world where autonomous vehicles are open to the public. Afternoon stops at Shenzhen Bay Park, a waterfront green space with views of Hong Kong across the bay, and Huaqiangbei, the world‘s largest electronics market, where you can browse everything from components to gadgets. Return to Guangzhou in the evening.

• Itinerary Summary: Departure from Guangzhou – Airport Transfer
• Hotel Star Rating: N/A
• Meals Included: No Food

Your driver will pick you up from the hotel and take you to the airport for your departure flight. Twelve days, five cities, one route that started at the Great Wall and ended in the tech hub of southern China. You‘ve traveled from imperial history to ancient armies to karst rivers to neon skylines – and that’s the point.