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Enchanting Travels China Tours
A girl dressed in ancient Chinese Miao nationality clothing. Located in Lijiang Ancient City, Yunnan Province, China

China’s Imperial Cities & Legendary Landscapes

19 Days from $7,890 USD / person

Sample Itinerary

Day 1 – 4

Your English speaking guide will accompany you from Shanghai (Pudong) airport to your hotel in a private vehicle

3 Nights

Shanghai

The busy and dynamic Shanghai is China’s biggest city and a global financial hub. Here, glitzy skyscrapers, luxury stores and trendy bars mix effortlessly with narrow alleyways lined with temples and old style lane houses where local communities thrive. Rapid economic development has led to a variety of architectural styles, from art deco to cutting edge contemporary. The Bund, a waterfront promenade lined with colonial era buildings lies at the heart of the city. The Pudong district’s futuristic skyline, including the Shanghai Tower, the Jin Mao Tower, Tony’s Farm, and the Oriental Pearl TV Tower with distinctive pink spheres lie across the Huangpu river. The classical Yuyuan Gardens is a popular tourist attraction dotted with traditional pavilions, pagodas, walkways, and emerald pools filled with swimming fish. The streets outside boast old style houses and Xiao Long Bao dumpling stalls. A burgeoning art scene encompasses several arts and culture centres such as the Foster + Partners and Heatherwick Studio. Dining and nightlife are nothing short of exciting with plenty of swanky bars, Michelin restaurants, hole-in-the-wall cafes and street food joints. Designer boutiques, bustling markets, and quirky antique and vintage stores color the shopping scene.

Hotel options

SSAW Boutique Hotel Shanghai Bund – Opt 1
Room Deluxe Room
Meals Breakfast
Style Boutique
Central Hotel Shanghai – Opt 2
Room Superior Business Room
Meals Breakfast
Style International
Day 4 – 6

Your guide will meet you at your hotel and accompany you to Shanghai (Hongqiao) airport in a private vehicle

Board your flight from Shanghai to Zhangjiajie (Duration: 2-3 hrs)

Your English speaking guide will accompany you from Zhangjiajie airport to your hotel in a private vehicle

2 Nights

Zhangjiajie

Zhangjiajie is the gateway to one of the most fascinating landscapes on our planet. This UNESCO World Heritage site houses the delicate and protected natural history zone of the Wulingyuan Scenic Area, which includes endangered wildlife species as well as unusual rock formations. This spectacular corner of the Middle Kingdom sports the world’s largest concentration of rugged quartzite sandstone columns, much like countless spires of ethereal cathedrals. The area also has stone caves with innumerable stalactites and stalagmites, dense forests, mountain rivers, misty waterfalls and natural bridges. Made famous by the popular Hollywood movie, Avatar, the Wulingyuan area is also home to many delicate populations of plant and wildlife typical to the region.

Hotel options

Pullman Zhangjiajie Hotel – Opt 1
Room Cozy Room
Meals Breakfast
Style International
Pullman Zhangjiajie Hotel – Opt 2
Room Cozy Room
Meals Breakfast
Style International
Day 6 – 8

Your chauffeur will drive you from Zhangjiajie to Longsheng in a private vehicle (Duration: 7 hrs)

2 Nights

Longsheng

Longsheng county in the northeast of Guangxi is known for its 700-year-old rice terraced fields and ethnic villages with unique architecture. The Longji (‘Dragon’s Backbone’) rice terraces, built on mountain slopes like cascading swirls, are set among ethnic minority villages including Zhuang and Yao and make for scenic hikes. Each community is characterized by distinct customs, both in their appearance as well as their traditions, such as the Yao women, who are famous for having the longest hair in the world! Expect homely restaurants serving authentic Chinese food and rice wines, while roadside vendors sell local favorites such as rice cooked with meat, vegetables, and spices. Outside of town, a visit to the Longsheng hot springs and the Huaping National Natural Reserve can be particularly rewarding.

Hotel options

Longji Ping'an Hotel – Opt 1
Room Standard Room
Meals Breakfast
Style Guest house
Longji Ping'an Hotel – Opt 2
Room Standard Room
Meals Breakfast
Style Guest house
Day 8 – 11

Your chauffeur will drive you from Longsheng to Yangshuo in a private vehicle (Duration: 2 hrs)

3 Nights

Yangshuo

Yangshuo may be like any other modern Asian city with neon lights, construction sites and a buzzing nightlife, but it is the surrounding countryside that draws the crowds. The dramatic karst country with its rugged limestone landscape, picturesque riverscapes and hiking trails attract intrepid travelers from around the world. The Li and the Yulong rivers come together at Yangshuo, creating China’s rich river system that ultimately catches up with River Yangtze and the Pearl River Delta. Taking a riverboat cruise or a rustic bamboo-raft ride down the Li River is an enjoyable and leisurely way of admiring the lovely countryside with its emerald rice fields. The more adventurous travelers prefer to cycle down the paddy fields. While in Yangshuo, give the popular beer fish a try, which is a dish of catfish or carp cooked in a delicious beer sauce, and washed down with local beer.

Hotel options

Yangshuo Secret Garden – Opt 1
Room Couple Room
Meals Breakfast
Style Boutique
Li River Resort – Opt 2
Room Standard Room
Meals Breakfast
Style Guest house
Day 11 – 13

Your chauffeur will drive you from Yangshuo to Guilin in a private vehicle (Duration: 1.5 hrs)

Board your flight from Guilin to Xi’an (Duration: 2-3 hrs)

Your English speaking guide will accompany you from Xi’an airport to your hotel in a private vehicle

2 Nights

Xi’an

Xi’an is represented around the world by its timeless army of terracotta warriors, each man distinct from his brother beside, before or behind him. Such meticulous craftsmanship often makes one seriously wonder if they were not an army of actual warriors turned into stone by an ancient curse from the gods! Whether Emperor Qin Shi Huang, China’s first monarch, expected to rule in his afterlife is still a moot point of discussion. The fact remains, however, that this subterranean army with its battle horses have stood guard over his mausoleum for more than two thousand years! This UNESCO World Heritage site on the ancient Silk Road has been the capital of numerous royal dynasties through the centuries. It has many other sites worth visiting, such as the Hanyangling Museum, the ancient city wall and the tombs of Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty and that of China’s only female monarch, Empress Wu Zetian, at the Qianling Mausoleum. A visit to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda and catching a traditional palace dance performance from the Tang era should be on your must-do list as well.

Hotel options

Grand Mercure Xian on Renmin Square – Opt 1
Room Classic King Room
Meals Breakfast
Style International
Sofitel Xi'an on Renmin Square – Opt 2
Room Superior Room
Meals Breakfast
Style International
Day 13 – 15

Your guide will meet you at your hotel and accompany you to Xi’an train station in a private vehicle

Board your train from Xi’an to Pingyao (Duration: 2.5-3.5 hrs)

Your guide will meet you at Pingyao train station and accompany you to your hotel in a private vehicle

2 Nights

Pingyao

The Pingyao settlement in central Shanxi is located on the east bank of the Fen River, a 90-minute drive southwest of Taoyuan airport. A regional financial hub in the 16th century, it is famous for its Ming and Qing urban planning and architecture. The walled old town in Pingyao is UNESCO World Heritage-listed and has more than a hundred streets lined with around 4,000 17th to 19th-century shops and houses, complete with red lanterns that have stood the test of time. Discover ancient towers and temples such as the Confucius Temple and the Shuanglin Temple. With a setting that almost resembles a period film on ancient China, the walled city invites you to explore its heritage buildings and local ways of life on foot or a golf cart; taxis and cars being off-limits in most areas.

Hotel options

Yunjincheng Mansion – Opt 1
Room Superior Room
Meals Breakfast
Style Heritage
Pingyao Dejuyuan Hotel – Opt 2
Room Standard Room
Meals Breakfast
Style Heritage
Day 15 – 18

Your guide will meet you at your hotel and accompany you to Pingyao train station in a private vehicle

Board your train from Pingyao to Beijing (Duration: 4 hrs)

Your guide will meet you at Beijing train station and accompany you to your hotel in a private vehicle

3 Nights

Beijing

The energetic megacity of Beijing is a rich tapestry of the old and new, where imperial palaces, museums and buzzing ancient alleyways rub shoulders with cutting edge architecture, new shopping malls and modern buildings. The rich history of an ancient culture is evident in the many historic sites including former imperial palaces in the Forbidden City, the immense paved stone Tiananmen Square surrounded by Soviet-style buildings, the royal gardens of Summer Palace, and the Temple of Heaven built in Confucian design. Museums such as the Capital Museum and National museum showcase the city’s customs, folklore and traditions, taking you back thousands of years. The stunning National Centre for the Performing Arts and other art galleries feature operas and contemporary and international artworks reflective of the city’s buzzing art scene. Narrow alleyways (hutongs), over 800 years old, are home to many locals, and criss-cross the heart of the city, giving you a glimpse of street life and a taste of amazing street food. Food lovers can delight in local and international cuisine from a staggering range of eateries, from street food stalls to upscale restaurants and bars, not to forget the city’s vibrant nightlife. You could shop till you drop in quaint boutiques in the hutongs, or in the many trendy malls and high street shopping streets.

Hotel options

The Orchid – Opt 1
Room Courtyard Room
Meals Breakfast
Style Boutique
Double Happiness Beijing Courtyard Hotel – Opt 2
Room Chinese Room
Meals Breakfast
Style Heritage
Day 18 – 19

Your chauffeur will drive you from Chengde (Jinshanling) to Beijing in a private vehicle (Duration: 2.5 hrs)

1 Night

Chengde

Chengde’s stunning beauty leaves you in no doubt as to why it was chosen as a summer retreat during the imperial Qing dynasty. Nestled snugly among the verdant rolling hills to the north of Beijing, the town is washed by the Wulie River that flows past. Once the favored hunting grounds of the Qing emperors, centered around the imposing summer palace complex of Bìshǔ Shānzhuāng, today it remains a popular hill resort. The grand imperial gardens within the palace walls are the lands largest and designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Many of the sprawling 18th-century villas within the palace complex have been turned into public museums and libraries. The World Heritage area also includes eight Buddhist temples on the hillsides beyond the city walls. These temples are known to have hosted various political dignitaries during the imperial era, including the Panchen Lama.

Hotel options

Dhawa Jinshanling – Opt 1
Room Valley King Bed Room
Meals Breakfast
Style International
Dhawa Jinshanling – Opt 2
Room Valley King Bed Room
Meals Breakfast
Style International

Transfer to the airport

International Departure

Price & Inclusions

Option 1

From $7,890 USD / person

Option 2

From $7,990 USD / person

Prices are in USD and exclude international flights. This trip price is based on low season rates for accommodation and other applicable services, and may change depending on availability, currency fluctuations and number of people traveling together. For high season prices, please contact us with your exact travel dates and preferences.

Price Includes
  • Accommodation and meals, as specified in the itinerary
  • Activities and excursions, as specified in the itinerary
  • Transportation services, as specified in the itinerary
  • Your Trip Coordinator: a 24/7 point of contact supporting you during your trip
  • Carbon emissions offsetting for your trip
Not Included
  • Entrance fees and meals, unless mentioned in the itinerary description
  • Tips and personal expenses
  • Visa and tourism fees
  • Travel, health, and cancellation insurance
  • International airfare

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