11-Day Shanghai, Zhangjiajie, Xi’an & Beijing Group Tour: From City Skylines to Avatar-Inspired Landscapes

Itinerary Summary: Arrive in Shanghai – Airport Pick-up – Hotel Check-in – Free Time

Hotel Star Rating: 3-Star Hotels

Meals Included: No Food

Your driver will meet you at the airport and transfer you to your hotel in central Shanghai. After checking in, the rest of the day is free for you to relax or explore the city at your own pace.

If you still have energy after your journey, take a walk outside and experience the atmosphere of Shanghai. The city combines modern high-rise buildings with traditional neighbourhoods, where busy streets, local shops, and everyday life exist side by side. You may discover small lanes, street markets, and local stores while walking through the city. There is no fixed schedule for today — simply enjoy your first impression of Shanghai and return to your hotel whenever you are ready.

Itinerary Summary: Shanghai Tower – Shanghai Museum – Yu Garden & Bazaar – Nanjing Road – The Bund

Hotel Star Rating: 3-Star Hotels

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Start your Shanghai exploration from above at Shanghai Tower, China’s tallest building at 632 metres. Take the high-speed elevator to the 118th-floor observation deck, where you can enjoy a panoramic view of the Huangpu River, Pudong skyline, and the city’s vast urban landscape.

Continue to the Shanghai Museum, where you can explore China’s history through thousands of valuable cultural relics, including ancient bronzeware, ceramics, and calligraphy works. The museum offers a closer look at the craftsmanship and traditions that have shaped Chinese civilization over centuries.

Next, visit Yu Garden, a classical garden built during the Ming Dynasty. Hidden behind the surrounding streets, the garden features traditional Chinese landscaping, including winding bridges, carefully arranged rockeries, pavilions, and peaceful ponds.

After exploring the garden, walk through the nearby Yuyuan Bazaar, a lively area filled with traditional shops, local snacks, and souvenirs. Continue to Nanjing Road, Shanghai’s most famous shopping street, stretching about 5.5 kilometres through the heart of the city.

End your day at The Bund, where historic European-style buildings stand along the Huangpu River opposite the modern skyscrapers of Pudong. The contrast between old and new Shanghai creates one of the city’s most iconic views.

Itinerary Summary: Flight to Zhangjiajie – Airport Pick-up – Hotel Check-in – Free Time

Hotel Star Rating: 3-Star Hotels

Meals Included: Breakfast

Morning flight from Shanghai to Zhangjiajie. By the time you land, the landscape has changed completely—flat cityscape replaced by the dramatic quartz-sandstone peaks that have made this region famous.

Upon arrival, you‘re met at the airport and taken to your hotel. The rest of the day is yours. Zhangjiajie’s town is small and walkable, and the evening is a good time to explore the local food scene. There‘s no plan—just time to settle in before the mountains tomorrow.

Itinerary Summary: Wulingyuan Scenic Area – Bailong Elevator – Yuanjiajie – Tianzi Mountain

Hotel Star Rating: 3-Star Hotels

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Today you enter Wulingyuan Scenic Area, a UNESCO World Heritage site covering 26,000 hectares. You take the Bailong Elevator—326 metres in 90 seconds, rising along a cliff face that would take hours to climb. At the top, you‘re in Yuanjiajie, where the quartz-sandstone pillars rise vertically from the valley floor. The “Southern Sky Column” stands 150 metres tall and served as the visual inspiration for the floating mountains in Avatar. From there, you move to Tianzi Mountain, 1,262 metres above sea level. The view shifts from individual pillars to a sea of them—spread across the valley like a stone forest. On clear days, the view reaches 40 kilometres.

Itinerary Summary: Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon – Glass Bridge – Baofeng Lake

Hotel Star Rating: 3-Star Hotels

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Morning visit to the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon. The canyon cuts 7.5 kilometres through the landscape, reaching depths of over 300 metres. The Glass Bridge spans it at that height—430 metres long, designed by Israeli architect Haim Dotan and opened in 2016. The bridge can hold up to 800 people, but the real test is standing on the 99 layers of ultra-clear glass and looking straight down.

After the bridge, you visit Baofeng Lake, a high-altitude lake fed by underground springs, sitting at 400 metres above sea level. A boat tour takes you across the lake, through a narrow gorge and beneath a waterfall. The water is deep green and clear—you can see submerged branches near the surface. The tour lasts about 45 minutes.

Itinerary Summary: Tianmen Mountain – Flight to Xi’an

Hotel Star Rating: 3-Star Hotels

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Your last morning in Zhangjiajie is a big one. Tianmen Mountain is a 1,518-metre peak reached by the world‘s longest high-altitude cable car—7.5 kilometres, rising 1,279 metres. The car leaves the city and climbs straight into the clouds. At the top, Tianmen Cave is a natural arch punched through the cliff face, 131.5 metres high and 57 metres wide. You reach it by climbing the 999 steps—a staircase that feels like a pilgrimage.

Then you walk the Guigudao, a 1,600-metre plank path built into the cliff at 1,400 metres, running along the middle of the rock face. One hand on the rock, one hand on the rail, and nothing but air below. In the afternoon, you transfer to the airport for the flight to Xi‘an.

Itinerary Summary: Terracotta Warriors – Ancient City Wall – Bell Tower / Drum Tower

Hotel Star Rating: 3-Star Hotels

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

The morning visit begins at the Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum, located about one hour from downtown Xi’an. Discovered in 1974, this archaeological site covers approximately 20,000 square metres and is one of China’s most important historical discoveries.

The museum’s main attraction, Pit 1, displays thousands of life-sized terracotta soldiers, horses, and chariots arranged in military formations. Each figure features different facial details and clothing styles, offering valuable insight into the military organization, craftsmanship, and burial traditions of the Qin Dynasty. The site was created to protect and accompany Emperor Qin Shi Huang in the afterlife and reflects the remarkable skills of ancient Chinese artisans.

After returning to the city centre, visit the Ancient City Wall of Xi’an, one of the best-preserved city walls in China. Originally built during the Ming Dynasty in the 14th century, the wall stretches approximately 13.7 kilometres around the old city area. Visitors can walk along the top or rent a bicycle to explore the historic surroundings while enjoying views of both the traditional city centre and modern districts.

The day ends at the Bell Tower or Drum Tower, two iconic landmarks located in the heart of Xi’an. Built over 600 years ago, these structures once played an important role in marking time for the ancient city and remain symbols of Xi’an’s long history.

Itinerary Summary: Giant Wild Goose Pagoda – Muslim Quarter – High-Speed Train to Beijing

Hotel Star Rating: 3-Star Hotels

Meals Included: Breakfast

Morning visit to the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, a seven-storey brick pagoda built in 652 AD. It was constructed to house Buddhist scriptures brought back from India by the monk Xuanzang—he spent 19 years on the road, and this tower was his library.

From there, you walk into the Muslim Quarter, a dense network of streets that has been home to Xi‘an’s Hui Muslim community for centuries. The stalls sell lamb skewers, flatbread, and a hundred other things you won‘t see anywhere else. It’s a place to eat, watch, and get lost in the crowd.

Afternoon high-speed train to Beijing. The journey takes about 4.5 to 6 hours. Upon arrival, you‘re met at the station and taken to your hotel.

Itinerary Summary: Tian‘anmen Square – Forbidden City – Jingshan Park – Summer Palace

Hotel Star Rating: 3-Star Hotels

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

The day begins at Tian’anmen Square, one of the largest public squares in the world and an important landmark in modern Chinese history. Located at the heart of Beijing, the square has witnessed many major historical events and remains one of the city’s most recognizable places.

From Tian’anmen Square, enter the Forbidden City, the former imperial palace of China’s Ming and Qing dynasties. As the political centre of the country for more than 500 years, the palace complex contains nearly 1,000 buildings and over 9,000 rooms. Walking through the palace gates, visitors can explore the courtyards, halls, and architectural details that once served China’s emperors and royal families.

Continue to Jingshan Park, located just north of the Forbidden City. This artificial hill was created using soil excavated during the construction of the palace moat during the Ming Dynasty. From the top of the hill, visitors can enjoy a panoramic view of the Forbidden City, with its traditional layout and rows of golden rooftops stretching across the historic centre of Beijing.

In the afternoon, visit the Summer Palace, a former royal retreat built around Kunming Lake. Known for its combination of lakes, gardens, and traditional architecture, the palace represents the elegance of Chinese imperial garden design. Walk along the famous Long Corridor, decorated with thousands of painted artworks that showcase traditional Chinese stories and scenery.

Itinerary Summary: Mutianyu Great Wall – Bird‘s Nest & Water Cube (Exterior)

Hotel Star Rating: 3-Star Hotels

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Today, visit the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall, located about 73 kilometres from central Beijing. Compared with the more crowded Badaling section, Mutianyu offers a more comfortable sightseeing experience while preserving the original character of the Ming Dynasty Great Wall. The restored section stretches approximately 5.4 kilometres and includes 22 watchtowers along the route.

To make the visit easier, take a round-trip cable car to reach the upper section of the wall near Tower 14. This allows more time and energy to explore the wall itself, including the watchtowers and mountain views along the route.

Visitors can choose different walking directions according to their interests. The eastern section offers more dramatic mountain scenery, while the western section provides a quieter route surrounded by forest landscapes. Walking along the ancient stone paths, you can experience the structure and scale of one of China’s most famous historical landmarks.

On the way back to Beijing, stop for photos at the Bird’s Nest and Water Cube, the two iconic venues built for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. After the visit, return to the city.

Itinerary Summary: Departure from Beijing – Airport See-off

Hotel Star Rating: N/A

Meals Included: Breakfast

Your driver picks you up from the hotel and takes you to the airport for your departure flight. Eleven days, four cities—from Shanghai‘s skyline to Zhangjiajie’s peaks, from Xi‘an’s ancient army to Beijing‘s imperial heart. The contrasts will stay with you long after you’ve left.