13 Days Best of China Family Tour with Relaxing Yangtze Cruise

Beijing / Xian / Guilin / Yangtze River / Shanghai

  • Family Yangtze River Cruise
  • Chusi's family from USA - Elephant Trunk Hill, Guilin
  • Kim - Mutianyu Great Wall
  • Family Yangtze River Cruise
  • Chusi's family from USA - Elephant Trunk Hill, Guilin
  • Kim - Mutianyu Great Wall
Tour Code:
CD-FT-13
Tour Type:
Private Tour
Departure:
You Choose!
Experience:
Overview:
A wonderful combination of the best of China with a relaxing Yangtze River Cruise. Enjoyable, interesting and comfortable for every one of you.Discover more about Chinese history, culture, landscapes, and people!
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Highlights

Visit:
Forbidden City
Tiananmen Square
Temple of Heaven
Great Wall
Summer Palace
Terracotta Warriors
Ancient City Wall
 
Li River
Yangshuo
Yangtze River Cruise
Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center
Yu Garden and Bazaar
The Bund
Nanjing Road
Experience:
Trace back Chinese history in ancient capitals, Beijing and Xian;
Enjoy amazing landscapes in picturesque Guilin;
Relax yourselves on a comfortable cruise ship through Li River and Yangtze River;
View China's new look in modern metroplis-Shanghai.

Sampling Itinerary Day by Day

Day 1 Beijing Arrival

Ni Hao, welcome to Beijing, the iconic city as well as the capital of China!

You will be met by your local tour guide at the arrival hall of your arrival airport or train station, then be escorted to check in to your hotel in downtown by a private comfortable vehicle. The rest of today is on your own to relax. If you want to explore nearby, feel free to get some practical suggestions from your tour guide.

Arrival Ideas: At present, there are many international and domestic flights to Beijing. Besides, you can take a high speed train to this capital city from Shanghai (4.5-6 hrs), Xian (4-6 hrs), Guangzhou (7.5-8 hrs), Chengdu (7.5-10 hrs), Chongqing (7-9 hrs), Hong Kong (8 hrs), etc.

Tour guide picked up our clients at Beijing airport

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Day 2 Beijing ( B, L )

Today’s tour begins to visit the Tiananmen Square, the world’s largest plaza. Walking through Tiananmen Gate, you’ll enter the splendid Forbidden City, China’s No.1 palace complex adorned with imperial treasures.

In the afternoon, you’ll visit a Siheyuan local family and experience what their life is like. And you can learn to cook some Chinese dumplings if you like. Then, you’ll take a lifetime rickshaw tour the ancient alleyway of Hutongs that are still keeping the original layout in the Shichahai area.

After the tour, back to your hotel.

The Locals' Leisure Time in Hutong

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Day 3 Beijing ( B, L )

This morning, you'll drive approximately 70 km (about 1.5 hours) to the iconic Mutianyu Great Wall, a less-crowded yet beautiful section of this World Wonder. Begin your adventure by ascending the wall via an enclosed cable car, reaching No. 14 Watchtower, your starting point for an unforgettable experience. Hike westward along the wall, passing through towering watchtowers and capturing breathtaking panoramic views. The trail is moderate, suitable for most fitness levels, including families with children. For the more adventurous, challenge yourself by climbing the Great Man Slope to No. 20 Watchtower, the highest point, offering an even more spectacular vista. After exploring the wonderful sightseeing, hike back to No. 14 Watchtower and descend by the enclosed cable car.

Optional Toboggan Experience: For an extra thrill at Mutianyu, consider taking the toboggan ride or the chairlift cable car to descend the Great Wall, both available at No. 6 Watchtower. Note that there might be a queue, especially during peak seasons like Chinese holidays.

Continue your trip to Sacred Way, a 7-kilometer-long passage leading to the Imperial Tombs of the 13 Emperors of the Ming Dynasty. The Emperor, known as the Son of Heaven, would travel from Heaven to his country through the Sacred Way and return to Heaven through this road. Take a walk through the largest archway in China and the Great Palace Gate, and you'll see the magnificent stone guard statues of 12 sets of mythical animals and 12 officials. Then, drive back to Beijing and take a short stop at the Beijing Olympic Village to view its famous Bird’s Nest and Water Cube from the outside.

Lastly, be escorted back to your hotel.

Optional Night Activity: After the day's tour, treat yourself to a great dinner and taste the famous Peking Roasted Duck, a world-renowned dish with crisp skin and juicy meat.

Our customers visited Bird's Nest in 2019Our Guest at the Sacred Way Our customer Heidy visited Mutianyu Great Wall

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Day 4 Beijing & Flight to Xian ( B, L )

After breakfast, retreat to outskirts of Beijing to spend an enjoyable time in Summer Palace, the largest and best-preserved royal garden in China. Stroll around ancient pavilions, mansions, temples, bridges and corridors. Feast your eyes on the vast lotus in Kunming Lake and the colored paintings in Long Corridor.

Then, get back to central city to hop on a rickshaw to experience Beijing Hutongs – small alleys made of neighboring quadrangle dwellings. Shuttle among different Hutongs to feel the old Beijing life style, meet various antique shops and small boutiques, feel the historical changes of Beijing, also pay a visit to a local family's home in the traditional Hutongs.

Till now, your Beijing tour is about to end. Your tour guide will see you off at airport. After a 2-hour flight journey, you will arrive at Xian Xianyang Airport. Be pick up by your tour guide, and escorted to your hotel in Xian. The rest of today is on your own to explore this ancient capital of China

Rebeca's group from Mexico visited the Temple of Heaven

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Day 5 Xian ( B, L )

After breakfast, drive about 40 km to discover one of the greatest man-made wonders in the world - the Terracotta Warriors and Horses, built by the first emperor of China Qin Shihuang to protect him in his afterlife. Over 8,000 life-size warriors, horses and chariots, buried in 3 pits for more than 2,000 years until uncovered by a local farmer in 1974, form an ancient military army with complete battle units of infantry, cavalry, etc. Standing in front of these figures, one can’t help being amazed not only by the ambition of Emperor Qin Shihuang but also by the fabulous artistic skills of ancient Chinese artisans. (Before the Terracotta Warriors Museum visit, you will have a rare opportunity to make a miniature Terracotta Warrior on your own under the instruction of a local potter.)

After lunch, return to Xian to spend a leisure time on the Ancient City Wall, the largest and best-preserved ancient city wall in China. Just like the merchants and envoys on the Silk Road thousands of years ago, you will enter the interior of the city walls through the Hanguang Gate. There you will visit a mini museum to see the real Tang Dynasty city wall ruins from over 1400 years ago, including gateways, cross-sections of the wall, and the remains of water channels. After the museum visit, get up to the city wall to enjoy a leisure stroll and pleasant panoramic views of Xian city. Rent a bike (extra cost: 45RMB) to enjoy a relaxing cycling on the Wall is strongly recommended. The cycling routes and duration are flexible. Feel free to discuss with your tour guide. Leave the City Wall, then go to wander leisurely around the bustling and lively Muslim Quarter, a place where you can try different local snacks and explore Muslim culture.

This evening you will be offered an interesting visit to Grand Tang Dynasty Ever Bright City which is a great place to walk, enjoy amazing nightscape and most importantly recall the prosperity and glory of the mighty Tang Dynasty. Seeing this area at night is totally different as the lighting is marvelous yet tastefully done.

Optional activity: enjoy a wonderful Tang Palace Dance Show (usually from 8pm to 9pm) after (or without) a hearty dumpling dinner.

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Day 6 Flight to Guilin from Xian ( B, L )

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Today will be free until being transferred to the airport and take a flight to Guilin. Your Guilin local guide will meet you in the airport and take you to check into your hotel in Guilin. After a little rest, head to visit the Elephant Trunk Hill, the city symbol.

Then head to visit the fabulous Reed Flute Cave to see the beautiful stalactites, stalagmites, stone pillars, and stone flowers with various shapes.

Chusi's Family from USA Visited Elephant Trunk Hill in June, 2018
Day 7 Guilin Li River Cruise ( B, L )

As the declaration in Chinese textbook "Guilin’s landscape is the best under heaven", today you will explore this best landscape starting with a relaxing sightseeing cruise along the Li River from Mopanshan Pier to Yangshuo Town. Along the 84-kilometer cruise, dazzling scenery overwhelms your eyes like a vast endless Chinese painting of winding river, green limestone karst mountains, fascinating countryside views, amazing scene of A Painting of Nine Horses, and notable view printed on the back of the 20 RMB note. (Please note: Lunch is served by the cruise with simple local Chinese cuisine. And you can take some snacks when getting on board.)

After about 4 hours’ cruise, disembark in Yangshuo Town, and check into your hotel. After a short break, start your impressive exploration of the best charming sightseeing and ideal countryside ease at Yulong River. Let all the refreshing scenes please your eyes and souls to the utmost. Just enjoy every moment with the Karst hills dotted around, chatting stream, rippling mountain reflection, swaying floras, patches of vivid crops, comfortable breeze….There are diverse kinds of ways for your enjoyment of the fun and beauty, including biking, hiking, bamboo rafting and scooter. You can easily choose and combine your ideal way(s) and part of Yulong River. (Please tell your likes to your travel consultants before booking the tour, as the final prices will differ by activities you choose.).

Biking (some physically demanding & sightseeing by the river) - Ride to enjoy the river view and the real fields (route: Yangshuo - Jima - Shuiedi Dock - Gongnong Bridge - West Street; for 1.5-2 hours).

Bamboo Rafting (relaxing and interesting & sightseeing on the river) - have fun with the classic bamboo rafting (Route A: Shuiedi Dock - Gongnong Bridge for 40-50 minutes; Route B: Jima Dock - Gongnong Bridge for 1.5 hours) to see the more serene view like pieces of traditional Chinese landscape ink paintings.

Driving (most leisurable and comfortable & sightseeing on the road) - drive and travel from Jima to Gongnong Bridge to appreciate the lovely countryside view (about 0.5 hour). You can get off and on anywhere on the middle way to explore more about your interested place.

After that, walk leisurely on the ancient West Street to witness how the western culture and Chinese culture perfectly and peacefully coexist here. Whether you want to enjoy a cup of drink in bar, taste some local food, or just experience the relaxing atmosphere, you can get it here.

Note: according to the regulations of Yulong River Tourism, children less than 1 meter high and seniors over 70 years old are not allowed to take the bamboo rafting.

Optional evening activity:

Watch the splendid evening performance of Impression Liu Sanjie with the Li River itself as the stage, which was directed by famous director - Zhang Yimou (usually performs for an hour between around 19:45 and 22:20).

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Day 8 Flight to Chongqing from Guilin ( B, L )

In the morning, you will be free until your guide escorts you to the airport for your flight to Chongqing. Upon your arrival at Chongqing, the largest city in Southwest China, your local guide will pick you up and guide an essential city tour including Erling Park, Huguang Gild Hall and Ciqikou Old Town.

After the tour, you will be transferred to your Yangtze Cruise ship, and your lifetime Yangtze River cruise starts!

The Locals Making Candies in Ciqikou Old Town

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Day 9 Yangtze Cruise ( B, L, D )

Shore excursion to the Fengdu Ghost City to check why it has been regarded as the "City of Ghosts". It is where the devil lives according to Chinese legend. The temples built on Ming Mountain show punish instruments and demon paintings, depicting the Chinese people’s imagination of hell.

Note: Some cruise ships make the shore excursion to the Shibaozhai Pagoda. Shibaozhai, like a pearl on Yangtze River, is 278 kilometers away from Chongqing. As the gem of Chinese Architecture, the 12-story, 18th Century red wooden temple is an architectural delight full of Legends and beautiful stories.

You have the final say on which excursion to make, as we can book any of the cruise ships at great rates!

Peter's Family enjoyed a leisure break on Yangtze River Cruises
Family Yangtze River Cruise
Day 10 Yangtze Cruise ( B, L, D )

Shore excursion to Lesser Three Gorges by smaller vessels.

The Lesser Three Gorges, like a shinning pearl hiddden in remote mountains, are much smaller, narrower and have some dramatic scenery to offer. That is the most splendid river adventure throughout China for you.

Note: Some cruise ships make the shore excursion to the Shennong Stream. Shennong Stream is a collection of local culture. The nature scenery, boat tracker, local sampan, ancient hanging coffins, unique ethnic minority Tujia culture… all is worth your exploration.

You have the final say on which excursion to make, as we can book any of the cruise ships at great rates!

Three Gorges

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Day 11 Yangtze Cruise & Flight to Shanghai from Yichang ( B, L )

Today's highlight is your morning excursion to the world-famous Three Gorges Dam. Be prepared for your check-out procedure and the ship will arrive in Yichang at about 11:30.

Our guide will expect you on board and visit the Yichang Museum if time permits. After lunch at a local famous restaurant, drive to the Yichang airport and take the flight to Shanghai.

Be met and transferred to you hotel in Shanghai, and the rest of today is at your own pace.

The Magnificent Three Gorges Dam

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Day 12 Shanghai ( B, L )

After breakfast, your guide and driver will pick you up from your hotel to start your Shanghai exploration. Your first stop is Shanghai Museum, one of the Best Four Museums in China. This modern museum, with a round top and a square base which symbolizing the ancient Chinese perception of the world as "round sky, square earth", has collected many international-standard exhibits of bronzes, paintings, calligraphy, sculpture, ceramics, jade from more than 5,000 years ago to the Qing dynasty. To help you learn about the history and facts about the relics in the museum easily, an Audio Explanation Device will be prepared for you. Next, you will take an interesting visit to Yu Garden, a shining star among all the ancient Chinese gardens in Jiangnan. This garden fully embodies the traditional design of Chinese architecture with jagged pavilions with elegant decorations, glittering pools with roving fish, and pine trees sprouting to the sky, all designed to refresh your mood and spirit. Adjacent to the garden is the Yuyuan Bazaar where you can savor tasteful local snacks and explore elaborate traditional Chinese handicrafts and art works. Next, you will drive several kilometers to enjoy a panoramic view of the modern face of Shanghai from the 100th floor (474m) of “the Eye of Shanghai” Shanghai World Financial Center.

You will then be transferred to another popular landmark of Shanghai, Nanjing Road, a shopping paradise as well as a great place to take a wonderful walk to experience the modern atmosphere of the City. Lastly, you will stop at the Bund, originally a simple towpath for transporting goods but now transformed into a feverish trading district. You will stroll along the Bund, seeing and feeling the perfect fusion of Chinese and Western cultures while at the same time taking in the stunning Shanghai skyline with your own eyes!

Optional Activity - Take a relaxing Huangpu River night cruise to see the city’s most significant edifices and streets sparkling under the atmospheric cover of darkness (about 50 minutes).

Our guests from Singapore visited Shanghai Museum in March 2019The Tranquil  Yu Garden with Classical Chinese Style  to Relax Enjoy Shopping on Fashion Nanjing Road
Taylor's family visited Yu Garden Dragon Wall with China Discovery
Day 13 Shanghai Departure ( B, L )

After breakfast, your guide and driver will pick you up at your hotel. First, you will pay a wonderful visit to Jade Buddha Temple, the site of the largest Jade Buddha in the world and numerous religious artifacts, ancient statues and Buddhist scriptures. This peaceful kingdom of Buddhism hidden among modern blocks and dominating mansions is a great place for a nice break in this very busy city.

Next, you will be transferred to Tianzifang which is touristic arts and crafts enclave that has developed from a renovated traditional residential area. It is the typical tourist attraction to appreciate the preservation of local Shikumen architecture. In this place full of rich flavor of life, you can leisurely stroll along the clean old alleys to watch the daily life of local Shanghai people, savor a cup of drink at the open-air café, and find some interesting things in the novel shops to feel the international feature mixed with real Shanghai culture.

In the afternoon, your guide will escort you to the airport for your flight to next destination or home.

Spend  Leisure Time at the Mazy Lanes of TianzifangThe Reclining Jade Buddha in Jade Buddha TempleWoo's group visited Jade Buddha Temple with China Discovery

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