10-Day Beijing, Xi'an, Guilin and Shanghai Group Tour

Madeline

Three Cities, Three Very Different Sides of China

This is a good choice if you want more than China’s major landmarks. The route combines imperial history, the Terracotta Warriors, pandas, local food and traditional cultural experiences before ending with Shanghai’s modern cityscape.

What I liked about this journey was how noticeably the atmosphere changed from one city to the next. Beijing was all about history at first. Walking through Tian’anmen Square and the Forbidden City, then standing on the Mutianyu Great Wall, gave me a strong sense of the scale of China’s imperial past.

Xi’an slowed the pace down in a different way. The Terracotta Warriors were the obvious highlight, but I also enjoyed walking along the Ancient City Wall and seeing the city from above. The trip became more hands-on in the Beijing hutongs, where I learned to make and eat dumplings. It was a simple activity, but it made the old neighbourhood feel much more connected to everyday life.

Then came Chengdu, which felt completely different. At the Giant Panda Breeding Research Base, the pandas were an obvious highlight, but I enjoyed the slower local experiences just as much. At People's Park, I sat down for a traditional gaiwan tea experience, watching locals relax around the park. Later, the Sichuan Opera experience introduced me to the famous face-changing performance, which was one of the most memorable cultural moments of the trip.

Shanghai ended the journey on a completely different note. From Yuyuan Garden to the Shanghai World Financial Center, Nanjing Road and the Bund, the city felt much more modern and fast-paced. After ten days of historical sites, local traditions and hands-on experiences, it was a fitting place to finish.