China Floating Forests: Beijing, Zhangjiajie & Shanghai

Day 1

Arrive in Shanghai, Hotel Check In

As your flight arrives in Shanghai, you will be met on arrival by your guide for a comfortable transfer into the city and a smooth check in at the The St. Regis on the Bund, a 5 start hotel. Once you have settled in, the remainder of the day is intentionally relaxed, giving you time to refresh after the journey, enjoy the hotel’s facilities, or simply ease into Shanghai’s rhythm at your own pace.

Overnight: Shanghai

Day 2

Zhujiajiao Water Town and an Evening Stroll Along the Bund

After breakfast, meet your guide in the hotel lobby and set out for a gentle afternoon in Zhujiajiao Water Town. With its stone bridges, quiet canals, and traditional lanes, it offers a calmer glimpse of life just beyond the city. You will have time to wander beside the water and enjoy a short rowing boat experience, taking in the scenery without feeling rushed.

Later, return to Shanghai for a walk along the Bund, the city’s iconic waterfront on the Huangpu River. The contrast of historic façades and modern skyline is especially striking here, and you will also have time to explore a few nearby alleyways for a more local feel before returning to the hotel for a relaxed evening.

Overnight: Shanghai

Meals included: Breakfast

Day 3

Shanghai Highlights, Then Fly to Zhangjiajie

After breakfast, take a moment to pack your bags and check out. Your guide will meet you in the lobby and take you to Yu Garden, a beautifully composed private garden dating back to the Ming Dynasty, offering a peaceful start to the day. Continue to the Shanghai Museum, known for its exceptional collections and rare cultural treasures.
From here, you will visit Shanghai Tower for sweeping skyline views, then enjoy a short visit to Zhangyuan, where historic shikumen architecture and a renewed creative energy bring old Shanghai into focus.

Later, you will be transferred to the airport for your late afternoon flight to Zhangjiajie, where you will be met on arrival and taken to your hotel for check in and a restful evening. You will be staying at Hilton Garden Inn Zhangjiajie Tianmen Mountain, a 4 star hotel.

Overnight: Zhangjiajie

Meals included: Breakfast

Day 4

Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, Yellow Stone Village and Golden Whip Stream

After breakfast, meet your guide in the hotel lobby and head into Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, China’s first national forest park and the setting for some of the country’s most extraordinary landscapes. We will take you by cable car to Yellow Stone Village (Huangshi Village), where you will enjoy dramatic quartz sandstone peaks rising in every direction, a view that feels almost otherworldly.

In the afternoon, we will take you on a scenic walk through Golden Whip Stream, following the canyon floor beneath towering cliffs. The walk is around 5 to 7 km and takes approximately 2.5 hours at a relaxed pace. After the walk, we will take you by shuttle bus to the park exit, then we will transfer you back to your hotel for a relaxed evening.

Overnight: Zhangjiajie

Meals included: Breakfast

Day 5

Tianzi Mountain, Yuanjiajie and the Avatar landscapes

After breakfast, meet your guide in the hotel lobby and return to the park for another day of unforgettable scenery. Begin with Tianzi Mountain, where rolling ridgelines, misty viewpoints, and sculpted rock formations create a sense of scale and serenity.

Later, continue to Yuanjiajie and walk the cliffside trail to the famous viewpoint often called the Avatar Site, a breathtaking panorama that has become one of Zhangjiajie’s most recognised scenes. You will then descend via shuttle and the Bailong Elevator, before finishing the day with a visit to Ten Mile Gallery, including a relaxed mini train ride through the valley. Return to your hotel in the late afternoon with time to unwind.

Overnight: Zhangjiajie

Meals included: Breakfast

Day 6

Tianmen Mountain, Heaven Gate, then fly to Beijing

After breakfast, take a moment to pack your bags and check out. Your guide will meet you in the lobby and take you to Tianmen Mountain National Park, where you will ride the world’s longest cable car, an experience in itself as the landscape opens out beneath you.

At the top, enjoy the glass skywalk and visit Heaven Gate, a dramatic natural arch carved into the mountain. After taking in the views, you will descend and transfer back to the city, then continue on to the airport for your evening flight to Beijing.  On arrival, you will be met and transferred to the Waldorf Astoria Beijing, a 5-star hotel, for a smooth check-in and a restful night.

Overnight: Beijing

Meals included: Breakfast

Day 7

Beijing City Highlights, Imperial Grandeur and Hutong Life

After breakfast, meet your guide in the hotel lobby and begin exploring Beijing’s imperial heart. Start at Tiananmen Square, then step into the Forbidden City, once the private world of China’s emperors and one of the most important palace complexes on earth.

Later, slow the pace with a rickshaw ride through the hutongs, where courtyard homes and narrow lanes reveal the city’s older rhythm. If conditions are favourable, you may also choose to visit Jingshan Hill towards dusk for a wide, memorable view across the rooftops of the Forbidden City. Return to your hotel in the afternoon with time to relax before dinner.

Overnight: Beijing

Meals included: Breakfast

Day 8

The Great Wall of China and the Ming Tombs

After breakfast, your guide will meet you at the hotel and you will set off for a full day outside the city. Begin at the Great Wall at Mutianyu, a beautifully restored section known for its sweeping mountain setting and a calmer atmosphere than the busiest stretches. Walk along the ramparts at your own pace, pausing for photographs and taking time to appreciate the scale of this extraordinary landmark.

Later, continue to the Ming Tombs at Changling, the joint burial site of Emperor Yongle and Empress Xu, and one of the most significant tomb complexes of the dynasty. Return to Beijing in the late afternoon and enjoy a restful evening at your hotel.

Overnight: Beijing

Meals included: Breakfast

Day 9

Temple of Heaven and the Summer Palace

After breakfast, meet your guide in the hotel lobby and begin with the Temple of Heaven, a serene ceremonial complex with elegant symmetry and a calm presence that feels worlds away from the city’s pace.

Continue to the Summer Palace, the Qing emperors’ lakeside retreat, where gardens, pavilions, and shaded walkways frame long views across Kunming Lake, with Longevity Hill rising above it. Return to your hotel in the afternoon with time to unwind and enjoy your final evening in the capital.

Overnight: Beijing

Meals included: Breakfast

Day 10

Beijing Departure

After breakfast, take a moment to pack your bags and check out. You will then be met for a smooth private transfer to the airport for your onward flight. Settle into your seat, relax as you journey home, and reflect on the experiences, places, and moments that have shaped your time in China. Until next time, we look forward to creating your next adventure, in China or beyond.

Meals included: Breakfast