13-Days Private Tour of Beijing-Xi'an-Chengdu-Chongqing-Yangtze River Cruise-Tichang-Shanghai

Tour Type: Private Tour, any part of the itinerary can be customized
Guide & Driver: English-speaking guide, experienced driver with an air-conditioned vehicle
Highlights:
Must-see sights in China - Mutianyu Great Wall, Forbidden City, Terracotta Army.
Have a once in a life chance to get close to adorable Giant Pandas in their hometown.
Admire the Three Gorges scenery on Yangtze River cruise & feel totally relaxed.
Take in the impressive skyline of Shanghai as you walk along the Bund.Day 1 Arrival in Beijing
As soon as your flight lands in Beijing today, your guide is already at the airport waiting for you, holding a welcome board with your name. Together with the driver, they will then transfer you to the hotel.

The rest of the day will be on your own arrangement. You can either have a rest at the hotel to recover from jet lag or take a stroll nearby. Should you need any information on how to plan your free time, you may just seek advice from the tour guide.
Day 2 Beijing
Your splendid China tour package begins this morning with a stroll on Tiananmen Square – one of the largest urban squares in the world. Afterward, follow the guide to walk northward to reach the Forbidden City, where emperors of the Ming (1368 - 1644) and Qing (1644 - 1911) dynasties lived and dealt with state affairs. Accompanied by your informative guide with rich experience, you will be amazed at the world’s largest wooden palace structure and hear about some most interesting stories behind the magnificent complex. When visiting the palaces of concubines, you will learn much about the daily life of those ladies in the Qing Dynasty. They needed to get up at about 5:00 am, to get dressed in luxurious clothes, with gorgeous jewelry and headwear, served by eunuchs and maids. After that, they need to send their respects to the empress at 6:00, and those concubines who made mistakes would be punished. After the nervous meeting, they would enjoy a free day.

★ Taste Authentic Chines Dishes including Peking Roast Duck
After the visit to the giant palace museum, you will be offered a hearty a la carte lunch valued at CNY 150 per person at a decent local restaurant, where you can also order the famous Peking Roast Duck. This is a famous court dish from hundreds of years ago. Rolling it up in a thin pancake and eat with scallions, cucumbers, sweet sauce and other seasonings, you will enjoy its mellow and light sweet taste at once.

In the afternoon, your guide will lead you to visit the Yonghe Temple, which used to be a palace but later becomes the largest Tibetan Buddhist monastery in the capital city. The magnificent lamasery features beautiful pavilions, spectacular halls, and an 18-meter-high (59 ft.) sandalwood carved Buddha. Then we will head to the Temple of Heaven, where ancient emperors worshiped the God of Heaven and prayed for good harvests. You can enjoy the super symmetrical and beautiful Chinese architecture and learn about the past royal worship ceremony.

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