17 Days China private tour of Beijing Silk Road Xian and Shanghai

Detailed Itinerary

• Day 1. Entry Beijing  
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  Arrive at Beijing airport or train station. Be met and transferred to hotel for checking in. Remainder of the day is at leisure. If time permit, you may take a walk near your hotel.
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• Day 2. Beijing : Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Summer Palace, Olympic Park  
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  Private tour guide and driver will meet you from hotel lobby at 08:30 a.m. Drive to visit Tiananmen Square, The biggest downtown Square of the world. Many important events took place in this square including the celebration of new China in 1949.
  Tour guide will lead you to walk through the Tiananmen Rostrum and enter the Forbidden City from Wumen Gate. With another name Palace Museum, it was the imperial palace of Ming and Qing dynasties. Rectangular in shape, Forbidden City is the world's largest palace complex. Visit Forbidden City along the central axis from south to north for about 1.5 hours.
  We will walk out Forbidden City from the north gate - Shenwumen Gate.
  
• Have lunch in a nice local restaurant in downtown and take a short rest.
  Drive 20 kilometers around 40 minutes to visit Summer Palace, which was the imperial garden of Ming and Qing dynasty. The garden covers mountain, Land as well as more than 3,000 buildings, such as halls, pavilions, towers, etc. Take sightseeing in this beautiful garden for about one hour and twenty minutes.
  It time permit we will stop at Olympic Park to take an outside view of Bird Nest and Water Cube, before being transferred back to hotel.
• Note
  • Tickets of Forbidden City needs to be reserved in advance. Please send us your scanned copy of passport when make reservation.
•   Buffet breakfast in hotel, lunch in local restaurant,
• Day 3. Beijing : Ming Tombs, Great Wall of China.   
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  After buffet breakfast in hotel, you will be met from hotel at 08:30 a.m. Drive one and half hours to Ming Tombs - the final resting place of Emperors in Ming Dynasty(around 600 years ago).
  We will visit the biggest tomb - Changling Tomb, which was built by the third emperor of the Ming Dynasty in 1409 AD. The main hall of Chang Ling is the largest nanmu wood structure of in China. The visiting time is around one hour.
  Have lunch in a nice local restaurant on the way to Great Wall.
  
• Drive 40 minutes to discover Great Wall of China - the defensive project to prevent the northern invaders in ancient times. We will visit the Great Wall at Badaling section, which was built in 1505 during the Ming Dynasty. This section of the Great Wall is the best preserved and the most popular one. The sightseeing time on Great Wall is around one and half hours.
•   Breakfast, Lunch,
• Day 4. Beijing: Hutong, Temple of Heaven, Beijing Lanzhou  Reach Lanzhou.  
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  This day start from your hotel lobby at 08:30 a.m.
  Drive to downtown area near Drum Tower to discover old Beijing area - Beijing Hutong.
  Beijing Hutongs are lanes or alleys formed by lines of local courtyard. Most of them were built surrounding the Forbidden City over 600 years ago. This is a good place to touch traditional daily life of Beijing local people. Man-powered rickshaw is the best vehicle in Hutong.
  
  Then we will drive to visit Temple of Heaven - the best preserved and the largest sacrificial building complex in the world. In Ancient times, emperor came to the temple every winter to pray for ample harvests and good weather. The main buildings, Circular Mound Altar, Imperial Vault of Heaven and the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest, stands on a 750 meter long south-north axis. The sightseeing of Temple of Heaven is around one hour.
• Be transferred to airport to connect flight to Lanzhou.
  You will be met and transferred to Lanzhou hotel in downtown area.After reaching Lanzhou airport, you will be met and transferred to hotel in downtown Lanzhou.
•   Breakfast in hotel, lunch in local restaurant,
• Day 5. Lanzhou: Binglingsi Grottoes.   
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  Be met from hotel at 08:30am.
  Transfer to visit Binglingsi Grottoes. Also called Bingling Temple Grottoes, Binglingsi Grottoes is one of the six famous Buddhist Caves in China. It was first built in 420 during the Western Qin Dynasty. 183 caves and niches with 694 stone statues, 82 earth statues and 900 square meters murals are distributed on the cliff about 00 meters long and 60 meters high.
• Deliver you back to the hotel after the tour.
•   Breakfast, Lunch,
• Day 6. Lanzhou Xiahe Sangke Grassland  
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  Be met from hotel at 08:30am.
  Drive about 3 hours to Xiahe, a county with profound Tibetan culture and customs.
  Visit Sangke Grassland. Located 13 kilometers west of Xiahe County, Sangke Grassland is a highland prairie surrounded by mountains. The grassland has an average altitude of more than 3000 meters and covers an area of 70 square kilometers. It boasts for lush grass and Tibetan Buddhist ceremonies. Travelers can experience the typical Tibetan customs and enjoy the unique Tibetan snacks.
• Overnight in Xiahe.
•   Breakfast, Lunch,
• Day 7. Xiahe Labrang Monastery, back to Lanzhou.  
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  Be met from hotel at 08:30am.
  Proceed to Labrang Monastery. Labrang Monastery is a holy place for local Tibetans and one of the six Tibetan Buddhism monasteries of Gelug Sect (Yellow Sect) in China. Covering an area of 866,000 square meters, the monastery is a typical Tibetan-style building complex. The most magnificent is Wensi College(Great Sutra Hall). The prayer wheel corridor in the monastery is the longest in the world. Labrang Monastery houses many precious copper pagodas, Buddhist staues and scriptures, paintings and other cultural relics.
• Transfer you back to the hotel in Lanzhou after the tour.
•   Breakfast, Lunch,
• Day 8. Lanzhou : White Pagoda Park, Yellow River Steel Bridge, Gansu Provincial Museum, Yellow River Mother Sculpture, flight to Jiayuguan.  Check in hotel in Jiayuguan.  
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  After buffet breakfast in hotel, you will be met by tour guide and vehicle at 08:30 a.m. Drive to visit White Pagoda Park, which is located on the north bank of the Yellow River with a white pagoda temple on its height. The pagoda is structured in 7 terraces with an octagonal body and 17-meter in height. This is the best place to take a bird view of Lanzhou City.
  We will take a short visit of Yellow River Steel Bridge, which is located closed to White Pagoda Park.
  Have lunch in a nice restaurant of downtown Lanzhou.
  
• Drive to visit Gansu Provincial Museum. The museum offers excellent selection of exhibits relating to Gansu province and the Silk Road. 75,000 cultural relics including natural resources and historical exhibits are exhibited here. The highlight is 'Horse stepping on a flying swallow' - symbol of Chinese tourism.
  Take a short visit of Yellow River Mother Sculpture before being transferred to airport. Flight to Jiayuguan.
  Arrive in Jiayuguan Airport. Your private guide will meet you at the arrival hall.
  Deliver you to hotel in downtown Jiayuguan for check-in.
• Note
  • Lanzhou Stretch Noodles is available for lunch upon request.
•   Buffet Breakfast, Lunch,
• Day 9. Jiayuguan Pass, Overhanging Great Wall, Wei-Jin Art Gallery. Afternoon take train to Dunhuang.   Arrive in Dunhuang and check in hotel.  
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  Be met from hotel at 08:30am.
  Today, start your tour with Jiayuguan Pass. Built in 1372 during the Ming Dynasty, Jiayuguan is the first pass at the west end of the Ming Great Wall. The pass is the most magnificent and the best preserved ancient military fortresses among the passes of the China Great Wall. It is also the vital pass on the ancient Silk Road.
  Then visit Overhanging Great Wall, which was first built in 1539 as an extended part of the Jiayuguan Pass. Some parts of the wall are flat as plain and some parts are steep as precipice. It appears to hang over the cliff, so got its name.
• Move on to Wei-Jin Art Gallery. It is known as the largest subterranean art gallery in the world. Over 1,400 tombs built between 220 AD and 419 AD during the Wei and Jin Dynasties were found here. The exquisite murals on the inner chamber walls reflect the political, cultural, military, and scientific developments of at that time.
  After the tour, deliver you to train station. Take train to Dunhuang.
  
  Arrive in Dunhuang Train Station. Meet your guide at the exit and be transferred to hotel.
•   Breakfast, Lunch,
• Day 10. Dunhuang: Echoing-Sand Mountain and Crescent Moon Lake.  
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  Be met from hotel at 08:30am.
  You will spend a full day in Echoing-Sand Mountain and Crescent Moon Lake scenic area. Echoing-Sand Mountain is a sand mountain range surrounded by rolling ridges and precipitous cliffs. Composed of tinny sands of five colors, The sand dunes have different shapes. Every time when the wind sweeps across the sands, a thunder-like sound can be heard from the mountain.
• Encircled by the Echoing-Sand Mountain, Crescent Moon Lake is reputed as "the first spring in the desert" and has been one of the "Eight Scenic Spots of Dunhuang" since the Han Dynasty (202 BC-220 AD). Existing for hundreds of years, the lake is still crystal clear and never has been buried by the sand.
  Transfer you back to the hotel after the tour.
•   Breakfast, Lunch,
• Day 11. Dunhuang: Mogao Grottoes, Dunhuang Museum.  
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  Be met from hotel at 08:30am.
  Drive to Mogao Grottoes, which is an important stopover on the Silk Road. Mogao Grottoes is a large cave temple combining art of architecture, murals and painting sculptures. It houses 735 caves, 45,000 square meters of murals and 2,415 painted sculptures.
• Proceed to Dunhuang Museum in the afternoon. The museum houses more than 4000 pieces of cultural relics from primitive society to the end of the Qing Dynasty. The material objects providing the plenty evidences to "Silk Road" are also exhibited in the museum.
  Transfer you back to the hotel after the tour.
•   Breakfast, Lunch,
• Day 12. Flight to Xian.  Arrive in Xian and check in hotel.  
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  Be picked up from hotel and transferred to airport. Take flight to Xian.
  
  Arrive in Xian Xianyang Airport. Your private guide will meet you at the exit.
  Transfer you to hotel in Xian for check-in.
  Free for the rest time of the day.
•   Breakfast, ,
• Day 13. Xian: Terracotta Warriors and Horses, Huaqing Palace, Big Wild Goose Pagoda, Dumpling Dinner，Tang Paradise.   
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  Be met from hotel at 08:30am.
  Drive to visit the famous Terracotta Warriors and Horses. Discovered in 1974, Terracotta Warriors and Horses is one of the most significant archaeological finds in 20th century. More than 8,000 life-size, vivid terracotta figures in battle formation represent the guard troops of the Emperor Qin Shihuang, the first Emperor of China.
• In the afternoon, head to Huaqing Hot Spring. First built in Qin Dynasty(221-206BC) and enlarged in the Han Dynasty and the Tang Dynasty (618-907), Huaqing Palace had been used as a hot spring site for over 6000 years and royal gardens for 3000 years. With a grand scale and magnificent architecture, it has become a landmark site for Chinese Tang Culture.
  Move on to Big Wild Goose Pagoda, the masterpiece of the Buddhist architecture. The pagoda is the earliest and largest existing square attic-styled brick tower in Tang dynasty.
• Enjoy Dumpling for Dinner. With different tastes, appearances and cooking techniques, dumpling dinner become an unmissable authentic dainty for travelers to Xian.
  Continue to Tang Paradise in the evening. Tang Paradise is the first and largest cultural theme park. It displays the culture of Tang Dynasty(618-907) from various aspects, including architecture, folk custom, business, politics, entertainment, and arts, etc.. Visitors can enjoy various performances showing the Tang culture.
  Transfer you back to the hotel after the tour.
•   Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• Day 14. Shaaxi History Museum, Great Mosque, Ancient City Wall, Bell and Drum Tower Square.  
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  Be met from hotel at 08:30am.
  First visit Shaaxi History Museum. Featuring an architectural style of the Tang Dynasty, Shaanxi History Museum is the first large state modern museum. It houses over 170,000,0 cultural relics, displaying the history and culture of Shaanxi province and ancient China.
  Then proceed to Great Mosque, the largest and best-preserved Islamic mosque in China. With traditional Chinese architecture and Islamic art, the mosque consists of four courtyards. It is an important spot for religious activities of over 60,000 Muslims in Xian.
• Go on to Ancient City Wall. Built in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) for military defense, Xian Ancient City Wall is the oldest, largest and best preserved city wall in China. You can have a bird's eye view of Xian city from the top of the wall.
  Continue to the Square between Bell Tower and Drum Tower. The two towers face each other across the square. The square is the good place for local people to relax and enjoy leisure time.
  Transfer you back to the hotel after the tour.
•   Breakfast, Lunch,
• Day 15. Xian, Take flight to Shanghai.  Reach Shanghai and check in hotel.   
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  Be met from hotel and transferred to airport. Take flight to Shanghai.
  
  Be met from hotel and transferred to airport. Take flight to Shanghai.
  
  Arrive in Shanghai Pudong Airport. Your private guide will meet you at the exit.
  Transfer you to hotel and the rest time is free.
•   Breakfast,
• Day 16.Yu Garden, Jade Buddha Temple, Nanjing Road, Oriental Pearl TV Tower, The Bund, Huangpu River Cruise.  
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  Be met from hotel at 08:30am.
  Drive to Yu Garden, one of the best gardens in southern China. Built in the Ming Dynasty(1368-1644), the garden features authentic old architectures, rockeries and exquisite carvings.
  Then visit Jade Buddha Temple. First built in 1882, the temple is one of the three famous Buddhist temples in Shanghai. It houses many ancient Buddhist sculptures, rare paintings and Buddhist scriptures, including a sitting Buddha Statue from Burma and a reclining Buddha Statue from Singapore.
• Go on to Nanjing Road, the most famous and busiest shopping street in Shanghai and in the world. It is a shopping paradise with many large commercial buildings, traditional old stores and latest fashion stores.
  Move on to Oriental Pearl TV Tower. With 468 meters high in total, Oriental Pearl Tower is made up of 11 spheres with various interest, commerce, and recreation. It has four major sightseeing observatories at different heights. The most exciting is the 360 degree transparent observatory at the height of 259 meters.
  Walk alone The Bund. It is a famous waterfront along the Huangpu River. 52 European buildings with different architectural styles built in the 19th century show the history of Shanghai city.
  Take a cruise on Huangpu River. It is the good way to discover the old and new Shanghai. You can enjoy the historical European-style buildings on the Bund and the grand Steel and glass structures opposite the river.
  Transfer you back to the hotel after the tour.
•   Breakfast, Lunch,
• Day 17. Departure.  
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  Be picked up from hotel by private guide and transferred to airport for departure.
•   Breakfast, ,