The Grand Tour of China: Beijing to Shanghai

Day 1

Arrival in Beijing + Hotel Check In

As your flight touches down in Beijing, you’ll be met on arrival by your private chauffeur for a comfortable transfer into the city. The drive offers an introduction to the city’s scale, neighbourhoods, and skyline. On arrival at the Grand Hyatt Beijing, a 5* hotel, you’ll check in and have time to settle in. The rest of the day is free, giving you time to relax or begin exploring independently.

Depending on your arrival time, consider a visit to the Temple of Heaven. Afterwards, enjoy a gentle hutong walk or rickshaw ride through Beijing’s historic courtyard lanes, with the Shichahai area especially atmospheric after dark, ideal before dinner.

Overnight: Beijing

Day 2

Private Guided Beijing Great Wall & Summer Palace

After breakfast, meet your private guide in the hotel lobby and depart Beijing early by private transfer to the Mutianyu section, one of the Great Wall’s most breathtaking stretches. The road climbs into the hills, the city fades, and suddenly the Wall appears, threading along the ridgelines like something imagined. Spend the morning exploring this beautifully restored stretch, with your guide bringing the Wall’s history, watchtowers, and strategic mountain setting to life while tailoring the pace to your preferences.

Afterwards, pause for a leisurely lunch, at your own expense, before continuing to the Summer Palace. In the afternoon, step into the serene world of the Summer Palace on a private guided visit. Wander lakeside paths and shaded gardens, pass ornate pavilions and sweeping corridors, and gain a deeper feel for the traditions and daily life of China’s royal court.

For a polished, effortless evening, dine at Made in China at the Grand Hyatt Beijing, dinner at your own expense, with the signature Beijing roast duck as the perfect centrepiece, then add a few dim sum and seasonal dishes to share.

Optional evening experiences (subject to availability): round off the day with a live performance, either the athletic spectacle of a Kung Fu Show or an atmospheric evening of Beijing Opera, a classic blend of music, costume, and storytelling.

Overnight: Beijing

Meals included: Breakfast

Day 3

Tian’anmen Square, the Forbidden City & Journey to Xi’an

After breakfast at the hotel, meet your private guide and head to Tian’anmen Square, taking a little time to absorb the scale and symbolism of this historic centre. From here, continue beneath the Meridian Gate and into the Forbidden City for a private guided visit of around three hours. Walk through grand ceremonial halls and quieter courtyards as your guide brings the former imperial world to life. Please note, the Forbidden City is closed every Monday.

After your visit, transfer to the railway station and board a high speed train to Xi’an, a journey of around five hours. Upon arrival, your driver will be waiting to escort you to your hotel. Check in at the Sofitel Legend People’s Grand Hotel Xi’an,  a 5* hotel, and settle into the rhythm of Xi’an.

Overnight: Xi’an

Meals included: Breakfast

Day 4

Xi’an’s Legends, Terracotta Warriors & City Walls

After breakfast, leave the city behind and drive east to one of China’s most astonishing sights, the Terracotta Warriors. Inside the vast excavation halls, rows of life-sized soldiers emerge from the earth, each face slightly different, each detail shaped for an emperor who expected his army to follow him into eternity. It’s quiet, monumental, and strangely moving, the kind of place that stays with you long after you leave.

Later, return to Xi’an to step onto the Ancient City Wall, a powerful ring of stone that has guarded the inner city for more than 600 years. Remarkably complete, it is one of the finest surviving city defence systems anywhere in China. Walk its broad ramparts, look out over rooftops and avenues, and feel the scale of a city built to endure.

Overnight: Xi’an

Meals included: Breakfast

Day 5

From Xi’an to Chengdu, Lanes and Teahouses

After breakfast, transfer to the railway station and board a fast train to Chengdu, a journey of around three and a half hours. The landscape shifts as you travel west, and by late morning you arrive in Sichuan’s laid-back capital, where the pace feels softer and the air carries the promise of tea and spice.

On arrival, meet your driver and head to Kuanzhai Alley, Chengdu’s beautifully restored historic lanes. Wander through its mix of courtyards, old façades, and small boutiques, then slow down for a classic Chengdu moment, a tea drink in a traditional teahouse, unhurried, observant, and perfectly local. Overnight in The Ritz-Carlton, Chengdu, a 5 star hotel.

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Overnight: Chengdu

Meals included: Breakfast

Day 6

Chengdu’s Icons, Pandas and the Giant Buddha

After breakfast, meet your driver and set out for the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, a short drive from the city. Arrive in the morning, when the air is cooler and the pandas are at their liveliest, and watch them padding through bamboo groves, climbing, feeding, and, occasionally, tumbling with the kind of charm that feels almost unreal.

Afterwards, continue with your driver to Leshan to see the UNESCO-listed Giant Buddha, carved directly into the riverside cliff. The sheer scale of it is breathtaking, a calm, ancient presence looking out over the confluence below. In the late afternoon, return to Chengdu by road, arriving back in the city as the evening begins to settle in.

Overnight: Chengdu

Meals included: Breakfast

Day 7

Urban Chongqing & the Yangtze River Cruise

After breakfast, meet your driver and transfer to the railway station for a fast train to Chongqing, a journey of around two hours. On arrival, step into a city of steep streets and river light, where modern towers rise from the hills and everything feels in motion. Begin with a visit to Eling Park, a calm vantage point above the skyline, then continue to a lively pedestrian street for a first taste of Chongqing’s energy, bright signs, street life, and the promise of spice.

Later, continue to the pier to board your Yangtze River cruise. Settle into your 5-star standard cabin, then enjoy dinner on board as the city slips away and your journey on the water begins

Overnight:   Yangtze River Cruise

Meals included: Breakfast, dinner

Day 8

Along the Yangtze, From Tai Chi to Fengdu

Today is a day to settle into the rhythm of the Yangtze. Wake to river light and quiet mornings on deck, then begin the day with a gentle Tai Chi session, guided by the onboard doctor, a calm start as the landscape drifts by.

Later, step ashore for an included visit to Fengdu Ghost City, a site with nearly two thousand years of history and a vivid window into traditional Chinese beliefs about virtue, punishment, and the afterlife. Wander past expressive statues and temple architecture, and discover how folklore and spirituality have shaped Chinese culture for centuries.

Back onboard, the afternoon is yours to enjoy the ship’s lectures, cultural activities, and entertainment, with plenty of time to relax between moments. Dining is included throughout the day, with Chinese and Western buffet breakfast, lunch, and dinner, alongside morning tea and coffee and midnight snacks.

Optional evening experience: a shore excursion to The Feng Yan San Guo Show is a large outdoor performance inspired by the Three Kingdoms era, bringing ancient stories to life and celebrating loyalty and bravery.

Overnight:   Yangtze River Cruise

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 9

The Yangtze Gorge Passage

Today unfolds at the heart of the Yangtze’s most dramatic scenery, where history, legend, and landscape drift together. In the morning, you can choose an optional shore excursion to White Emperor City in Fengjie County, set high above the river. This ancient site is famous in Chinese poetry and legend, including the story of Emperor Liu Bei asking the strategist Zhuge Liang to care for his son. From the Kui Gate Viewing Platform, you will see the river narrow between steep cliffs, a view shown on China’s ten-yuan note.

Back on the water, the ship enters Qutang Gorge, the shortest yet most striking of the Three Gorges. Sheer rock walls rise abruptly on either side as you pass through the iconic Kuimen Gate, a moment of pure scale and drama. The journey continues into the gentler beauty of Wu Gorge, where layered peaks, mist-softened cliffs, and winding bends create one of the Yangtze’s most graceful stretches.

Later, step ashore for an included visit to Shennv Stream, a quiet, painterly valley where narrow waterways wind between green hills and sculpted rock formations. Drift through this serene landscape, accompanied by birdsong and the subtle sounds of water, a peaceful contrast to the vast river beyond. Life onboard remains unhurried, begin the day with Tai Chi led by the ship’s doctor, then enjoy the evening’s cabaret or talent show as the river slips past in darkness. All meals are included today, with Chinese and Western buffet breakfast, lunch, and dinner, along with morning tea and coffee and midnight snacks, rounding out a day shaped by both nature and story.

Overnight:   Yangtze River Cruise

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 10

Three Gorges Dam and Transfer to Zhangjiajie

After breakfast on board, disembark at Maoping Port and head ashore to the Three Gorges Dam Project Site, one of the defining highlights of the Yangtze. Visit the River Closure Memorial Park and the Three Gorges Dam Project Museum, chosen for their calmer pace and far-reaching views, and take in the scale and significance of this landmark, from flood control to power generation and river navigation.

Optional, Three Gorges Dam Ship Lift. Rising around 113 metres, this engineering marvel offers a closer perspective on the dam’s mechanics, though peak season can be crowded and seating is not guaranteed.

Later, travel by coach to the Yichang Three Gorges Center Cruise Terminal for departure around midday. On arrival, meet your private driver for the approximately 5-hour journey to Zhangjiajie. Check in at Howard Johnson Neodalle Resort Zhangjiajie, a 5 star hotel, and enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.

Overnight:  Zhangjiajie

Meals included: Breakfast

Day 11

Walking Through the Avatar Mountains of Zhangjiajie

After breakfast, you’ll meet your guide and head into Zhangjiajie National Forest Park. Begin the day by riding the Bailong Elevator, known as the world’s tallest outdoor lift, up to the Yuanjiajie area, famous for its dramatic stone pillars and misty viewpoints that many associate with the landscapes seen in Avatar. From here, continue by the park shuttle to Tianzi Mountain, where wide-open panoramas reveal wave after wave of steep peaks, rugged cliffs and striking rock shapes. Later, take the cable car back down and return to your hotel.

Optional evening ideas: Charming Xiangxi show or 72 Qilou (72 Strange Buildings)

Overnight:  Zhangjiajie

Meals included: Breakfast

Day 12

From Zhangjiajie to Shanghai’s Iconic Skyline

Enjoy a free morning at leisure before transferring to the airport for your afternoon flight to Shanghai, with a journey time of around two hours. On arrival, you will be met by your local guide and head to the Bund for a first glimpse of the city’s iconic skyline, before continuing to your hotel for check-in. You will be staying at The St. Regis on the Bund, Shanghai for two nights.  After settling in, you may wish to enjoy a relaxed Bund evening stroll as the city lights come alive, then head up to Spago Shanghai at your hotel for a drink with skyline views, followed by dinner, at your own expense.

Overnight:  Shanghai

Meals included: Breakfast

Day 13

Shanghai Icons: Yu Garden, Xintiandi and Pudong

After breakfast, set out with your guide for a full day of sightseeing in Shanghai. Begin at Yu Garden, closed on Mondays, then continue with a guided walk through the historic lanes of the Old Chinese Quarter. Later, visit the Jade Buddha Temple before heading to Xintiandi for a more contemporary side of the city, followed by a stop at a silk store. In the late afternoon, enjoy a walk through Pudong’s modern skyline district.

Overnight:  Shanghai

Meals included: Breakfast

Day 14

Departure

After breakfast, you will transfer to the airport for your flight home. Sit back, relax, and savour the memories of your travels. We look forward to creating your next adventure, wherever it may take you.

Meals included: Breakfast