china private tour forbidden city sunset

The Middle Kingdom

Explore the antique treasures of Beijing and Xi'an, make a date with China's cuddly national icon at Chengdu Panda Base in Sichuan, and experience the glitz and glamor of Shanghai, the "Paris of the East."

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Trip Length 11 Days

from USD

$4,501 /person

Private Tour

春 spring

夏 summer

秋 fall

冬 winter

History , Cultural Immersion , Food , Must See Attractions

What we love

Enjoying exclusive access to Emperor Qianlong's private chambers in the Forbidden City
Exploring Xi'an's Muslim Quarter and visiting the city's Great Mosque
Wandering through the classical beauty of Shanghai's Yu Garden

Basic Itinerary

About This Trip

Embark on a journey through China's history, culture and natural beauty. Wander through Beijing's imperial landmarks, examine ancient relics in Xi'an, and admire pandas in Chengdu before rounding off your travels in Shanghai – the "Paris of the East." Along the way, walk upon the Great Wall, explore Xi'an's Muslim Quarter, taste the famous spiciness of Sichuan cuisine, and enjoy a bird's eye view of Shanghai from a Pudong skyscraper. Experience a colorful overview of the fabric of this 5,000-year-old country as you visit China's palaces and pandas.

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Detailed Itinerary | Featured Hotels

TRIP HIGHLIGHTS

- Imperial History
- Imperial History
- Sichuan Cuisine
- The Terracotta Warriors

DETAILED ITINERARY

Day 1 | 3

Beijing

Weave your way through Beijing's ancient, interwoven hutong alleys • Visit the Forbidden City and enjoy exclusive access to the private chambers of Emperor Qianlong • Dine on Beijing's signature Peking duck • Embark on a morning excursion along the majestic Great Wall, built to protect China's heartland from invaders • Escape the crowds with your own exclusive champagne break arranged by WildChina • Delve into the heart of Beijing's contemporary art scene at the 798 Art District, based rather ironically within an abandoned industrial complex • Learn the calming art of taichi in a private lesson at the Temple of Heaven • Enjoy high tea in the Aman Hotel at the Summer Palace
Day 4 | 5

Xi'an

Stroll through the bustling streets and stalls of the Muslim Quarter • Experience Xi'an with more than just your eyes by sampling some of Xi'an's famous dumplings • Embark on a bike ride atop Xi'an's ancient city wall • Learn about Xi'an's 1,300 year old Muslim community by visiting the Great Mosque • Enjoy VIP access to underground murals from the Tang Dynasty at the Shaanxi Museum • View the proudly unflinching, life-sized Terracotta Warriors • Decipher the inscribed stone tablets inhabiting the Stele Forest before trying your hand at calligraphy with an expert provided by WildChina
Day 6 | 8

Chengdu

Wander through the bustling "broad and narrow" alleys, a refurbished historical area • Observe China's iconic, cuddly panda at Chengdu Panda Base • Admire the ancient, alien-like sculptures of Sanxingdui Museum • Visit Qingyang Taoist Temple, considered the birthplace of Lao Tzu, the founder of Taoism • Visit Jinsha Archeological Museum, home to the relics of an ancient kingdom predating Chinese settlement • Learn to play mahjong like a local at Wangjianglou Park • Savor a dinner of Sichuan hotpot • Marvel at the rapid skill of "face-changing" at a Sichuan Opera show
Day 9 | 10

Shanghai

Enjoy lunch in the French Concession • Walk along the Bund, where the colonial buildings of Old Shanghai stand in sharp contrast to the futuristic skyscrapers of Pudong • Dine on delicately steamed dumplings • Marvel at a spellbinding ERA Acrobatics Show • Explore Shanghai Museum with a resident expert • Take in a bird's eye view of Shanghai as you lunch in a Pudong skyscraper • Wander the maze of pavilions and bridges of Yu Garden, the most celebrated classical garden in Shanghai • Uncover the veiled stories of Shanghai's Jewish Quarter, which went from burgeoning business center and political haven to windswept ghost town in a matter of decades
Day 11

Suzhou

Explore Tiger Hill and enjoy classic Chinese gardens • Learn how to make silks at Suzhou Museum • Free time to rest and relax
Day 12

Shanghai

Zip towards Pudong International Airport at well over 400km/hour on the Maglev • Your WildChina guide will help you check in for your departure flight

Let's Plan Your Trip

FEATURED HOTELS

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

What's Included:

All overland transfers with private chauffeur and in-transport refreshments
All admission fees and activity expenses, as noted in the itinerary
All meals as noted in the itinerary with complimentary drinking water
All services of WildChina English-speaking guide(s)
All accommodations, based on double-occupancy and including breakfast, service charge, and government tax
Private chauffeur service to and from airport at start and end of your trip

What's Not Included:

International & domestic flights and relevant taxes
Chinese tourist visa, which is required for most foreign passport holders
Travel, health and trip cancellation insurance
Meals apart from those included in the itinerary and alcohol
Expenses of a personal nature
Excursions and activities not included in the itinerary
Discretionary gratuities for guides and chauffeurs

Tour Reviews

WildChina gave our family (party of 4 with two 20 something children) a truly memorable, first class touring adventure around China, a once-in-a-lifetime experience that we will remember and treasure forever. This was our first private tour anywhere. We tend to research a place and do it "our way." This trip changed my view of traveling—so much of what we did and saw could not have been accomplished on our own, and certainly without any knowledge of Mandarin. And throughout the trip, we luxuriated in the knowledge we were in the safe and savvy hands of WildChina. They made the trip extraordinary—I never could have arranged what they did and as seamlessly. We would highly recommend WildChina to anyone who is thinking about taking a trip to China and would not hesitate to book another tour with them again!
For more reviews, head to TripAdvisor

MMHLondon-Madison, Jan 2020

We had the most wonderful experience with WildChina! First, working with WildChina to plan our trip was a pleasure. They listened to where we wanted to go and the type of experiences we wanted to have, and then formulated a trip tailored to exactly what we had envisioned... I cannot say enough about our local guides and could not begin to choose which one we liked the best, because they were all fantastic. Each guide was very knowledgeable, fluent in English, and very helpful if we had a specific thing we were looking for or wanted to do in their city. The guides were amazing, the hotels were great, and, in short, our trip was perfect from start to finish, mainly because WildChina took care of all the details, large and small... If you are looking for a tour company for an amazing trip to China, I highly recommend WildChina. Cannot think of a single negative aspect of our trip. Thank you, WildChina, for orchestrating our amazing trip to China.
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Sheryl M, Oct 2019

My wife and I are vegan and were pretty worried about our ability to find decent food, but our guides were very helpful at identifying appropriate restaurants and checking with restaurant staff to make sure the dishes we ordered were vegan. Shelly in particular was the perfect combination of knowledgable, fun, flexible, kind, interesting, and accommodating. We were truly sad to say goodbye to her at the airport, and I suspect my wife is already thinking about making another trip to Yunnan province to visit her again!
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Rallanah, Jul 2019

SIMILAR JOURNEYS

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The Middle Kingdom

What we love

Basic Itinerary

About This Trip

TRIP HIGHLIGHTS

DETAILED ITINERARY

Beijing

Xi'an

Chengdu

Shanghai

Suzhou

Shanghai

FEATURED HOTELS

The Peninsula Shanghai

Ritz-Carlton Chengdu

The Opposite House Beijing

Sofitel Legend People's Grand Hotel Xi'an

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Tour Reviews

SIMILAR JOURNEYS