7 Days Classic Bejing & Shandong Tour

Itinerary Details Day by Day

Day 1 Beijing Arrival

Welcome to Beijing, the capital of China, rich in history and culture.

Your lifetime China tour begins with welcome from your local guide at the Beijing airport. Then be escorted to your hotel in a private vehicle. The rest of today is yours to acclimatize or explore the vast metropolis on your own.

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 marvel at the Temple of Heaven where the emperors worshipped heaven and prayed for peace and harvest. After the tour, return back to your hotel.

Day 3 Beijing (B, L)

This morning tour will take you to size up the world-famous Great Wall (Badaling section), the key symbol of China. Flexible visiting time allows you to enjoy a lifetime trekking trip (1-2 hours' hiking), or witness the breathtaking views of this man-made wonder by taking a cable car. After the Wall visit, you'll take a leisurely stroll along the tranquil Sacred Road to explore the Ding Tomb of Ming Imperial Tombs.

In the evening, try the flavorful dish of Peking Roast Duck Dinner. (Optional)

Day 4 Beijing & High Speed Train to Jinan (B)

Today after breakfast, you’ll visit the fabulous Summer Palace, the largest and best-preserved imperial garden in China, the next “must see” site after the Great Wall and the Forbidden City.

Then, you will be escorted to Beijing South Train Station to take a 2-hour high-speed train to Jinan. Upon arrival, you guide will meet you at the airport or train station and escort you to your hotel Jinan. Your guide will help you check in.

After a little bit rest and fresh up, head to Spring City Square, the awesome place to experience the local life at its most vibrant.

Day 5 Jinan & Jinan to Tai’an (B, L)

After breakfast, your guide and driver will pick you up at your hotel. Your first stop today is to visit Daming Lake, relax yourself with the picturesque scenery. As the biggest lake in Jinan, it offers you the beautiful views of pavilions, buildings in willows and shades and lotus full of ponds. Later, head to visit Baotu Spring Park, where Baotu Spring, the best spring under the heaven, is. There are many clear and crystal spring pools and magnificent pavilions in the park, which make it a fairyland in the city center. 

In the afternoon, drive 1 hour to Tai’an. The activity in Tai’an today is to visit Dai Temple. Founded in Han Dynasty, it is the largest and best-preserved architectural complex of Mount Tai. As a Taoist Temple, Dai Temple was a place where the emperor made sacrifice and worship the God of the Mount Tai and pray for peace and prosperity.

After the tour, transfer back to your hotel in Tai’an.

Day 6 Mount Tai to Qufu (B)

After breakfast, our guide and driver will pick you up at your hotel. Today, you’ll visit Mount Tai, leader of the “Five Taoist Mountain in China”. Take the private car to the Halfway Gate to the Heaven. Then, you could have 1.5 hours’ hike to the top of the Mt. Taishan (if physical condition limits, you could take cable car to South Gate to the Heaven). On the top, visit South Heavenly Gate, Heavenly Street, Jade Emperor Peak, Inscription on the Cliff, Sun Rising Peak and more. 

Afterwards, take cable car and private car to get down from the mountain and transfer to Qufu. Stay overnight in Qufu.

Day 7 Qufu & Qufu Departure (B, L)

On this day, pick you up at your hotel in Qufu. Today, you’ll have in depth exploration of Confucianism in the hometown of Confucius. 

The highlight is to visit “San Kong”, the name given collectively to the three main sites of Confucius: the Confucian Temple, The Confucian Mansion and the Confucian Cemetery. You will get a full understanding about the life of Confucius, as well as the Confucian culture.

After the tour, be escorted to train station to catch a train to your next destination. Service ends!

This trip is from Per Person

What's included?

• Transportation as listed;
• All attraction entrance fees as listed;
• All meals as listed;
• Professional licensed English-speaking guide;
• Accommodations as listed;
• Domestic flights or high-speed train as listed;
• Luggage Transfers: Between airports and hotels;
• Arrangements: The tour cost includes planning, handling, operational and communication charges;
• Private escorted tour only for your group members.

What's excluded?

• China Entry Visa Fees;
• Personal expenses;
• International Airfare or Train Tickets to enter or leave China;
• Tips to your tour guide and driver;
• Tourist sites which are not listed in the itinerary;
• Any meals which are not specified in the tour itinerary;
• Excess Baggage Charges;
• Single Room Supplement.

Practical Info about Traveling with Us

Restaurant & Food

The restaurants we will take you for lunch or dinner are all designated tourist restaurants approved by local tourist administration bureau. They have very good sanitary conditions and the food is prepared fresh and clean.

Note: If you have any special dietary needs, just let your travel consultant know while booking.

Vegetarian food Requirement

Vegetarian food in Chinese cuisine culture is usually divided into 3 categories: the Monastery Vegetarian Food, the Court Vegetarian Food and the Folk Vegetarian Food. And the main ingredients are: soybean, taro powder, mushrooms, fresh vegetables and tofu (bean curd). It will be easier to find the vegetarian restaurants in big cities of china, such as: Beijing, Shanghai, Xian, HK, etc.

If allergic to some food

We suggest you to list any food or ingredients that you are allergic to and let our travel consultant know. Then your travel consultant will mark them in the guide’s itinerary, so that our guides in different cities can make some preparations and arrangements in advance.

Do our guide and driver join the meal with us?

The tour guides and driver will be at the same restaurants with you, but they will only join the meal when you invite. Sometimes the drivers are shy to join as they usually eat fast and could not understand English talk around the table, so the guide will be with you more often.

Will we be able to try some local foods during our visit?

Yes, you will. There will be some meals excluded in your itinerary as you like, and your private guide will be delighted to give you some suggestions and take you to the local restaurants, if you are interested in local food tasting. But remember, some local snacks may not match your stomach, so ask your guided for more information before eating.

Vehicles

We offer sedan cars, SUVs, business vans (MPV), and different types of buses. Different vehicles will be used according to different group size.

Shopping

What to buy in China?

In China, there are myriads of souvenirs for visitors, and each city has its own specialty.

Some of the best buys are:

• Beijing: Cloisonné; Fresh water pearls
• Xi'an: Replicas of the Terra Cotta soldiers; Tangsancai (Tang Dynasty hand painted China); Antique Furniture
• Shanghai: Silk carpets
• Hangzhou: Longjing Tea; Silk
• Suzhou: Silk
• Guilin: Scroll paintings; China Southern Sea Pearls
• Yunnan: Mounted Butterflies; Pure tea; Dali Batik (tie-dyed fabric)
• Xinjiang: Carpets; jade articles
• Tibet: Thang-ka（tanka）(Sheep skin wall hangings)

How to bargain?

Bargains are not acceptable in big supermarkets and department stores. But in some night markets or tourist shops, you can bargain for a lower price, since the vendors always ask for very high price for a certain item. You’d better ask the opinion of the guide first, and then the guide will tell you the real value and quality of the item. Please note that when the bargain is processing, the guide will be hesitate to help as it may annoy the bosses. Just try to let the guides know you will bargain in advance.

What to do with persistent vendors?

If you do not need something from them, just do not ask for price. Some of the venders are very persisted, and if they keep selling things to you, you can simply say “No, thanks.” (Chinese pronunciation: ”Bu, XieXie”). If they do not give up, you just keep silence. Silence is sometimes useful to handle this situation.

More Tips for free-time shopping

• 1. If you think you have no desire or interest, you do not feel embarrassed to let our guide know DIRECTLY (since some of our guides are enthusiastic in taking you shopping)
• 2. Better to choose the shops run by the state when buying expensive articles.
• 3. Do not shop everything in one city, because every place has its unique local products which worth buying.
• 4. Do not feel obligate to buy anything only because the shop attendants are very kind to you.
• 5. Be smart consumers. Do not spend big money on things you are not familiar with. Do ask for shop guarantee, contacts and certificates when purchasing big items like antiques, jade, arts pieces.
• 6. Leave plenty of time for transactions. When you see something you like - buy it. Usually, you would not find it elsewhere and you would not have time to go back.
• 7. Always verify the date of antiques before you purchase them. Antiques dated before 1795 cannot legally be exported.
• 8. Articles made from rare wild animals are contraband and will be confiscated by customs without compensation.

Private tour & Group Tour

A: Private tours

• 1. Private guide, driver and vehicle are for your exclusive use; no matter you are individually, or in a family or friends group. The tour is run exclusively for you without strangers.
• 2. Every itinerary can be customized to meet your specific interests/ wishes, that is, you can choose your favored hotels, sightseeing spots, the tour length, means of transportation, budget, etc. All are free of charge.
• 3. Start the tour on any date you want.
• 4. Escort you through the whole tour. All private transfers during the tour are offered, including airport/train station transfer, hotel-attractions round trip transfer.
• 5. The sightseeing during the tour could be based on your own timetable and pace. Flexible to change at your short notice.
• 6. Ideal for people who need considerate care and assistance, such as elderly, the disabled, families with small children.

B: Group tours

• 1. Low Price;
• 2. Share a guide and driver;
• 3. Share a clean, safe and air-conditioned vehicle;
• 4. Good chance for you to meet and make friends from all over the world;
• 5. Tour date is fixed and unchangeable.

Emergency calls

Call your guide, or if you can’t find your guide, call your travel consultant or our office immediately. All the phone numbers include in our confirmation letter. Keep the letter with your during your trip.

Note: As our Beijing office is using the different guide arranging system, so we will not be able to provide the Beijing guide information until the day before you arrival, but once we have it, we will email you immediately.

Check What our Customers Say...

Hi Zeva,

Thanks for Advise, you also take care of yourself. Hoping we will be in touch, after this episode. You have blessed time, till we contact again.

Bobby

Bobby - 2020.03.14‚ , March 14, 2020

Zeva, 

China is still on our list, but not at this time. We have canceled other trips until a later date. I will contact you when we start making our plans to visit China.

Thanks,

Don

Don - 2020.03.11‚ , March 11, 2020

Hello Zeva!

Unfortunately, we will not be visiting China this year. We are very sad. Our daughter was working in Shanghai but had to come back to the U.S. so we will not be visiting her there.

If we decide to plan a trip to China in the future we will certainly contact you.

I hope you remain healthy!

Kim

Kim - 2020.03.09‚ , March 09, 2020

How Travel Experts Service you at China Discovery

"Highest Standards of Quality and Honesty" is the core value of each specialized team at China Discovery.

Eveyone in our company is working hard for only one goal, which is to ensure the highest level of service, luxury, and attention to detail from the minute you begin planning your trip, to the day you return home.