12-Day China Family Private Tour: Beijing to Shanghai

Meals: No Meal
Hotel: In Beijing

Arrive in Beijing, meet your YUNSKY guide at the airport and transfer to the hotel. After check-in, keep the rest of the day free to rest after the journey.

Beijing Opera

Meals: Breakfast, A la carte Chinese lunch
Hotel: In Beijing

Begin at Tian'anmen Square, then walk into the Forbidden City for more than two hours among its palace halls, gardens and collections. Have an à la carte Chinese lunch at a local restaurant before the afternoon program.

Visit the Temple of Heaven, Beijing's historic ceremonial complex, then walk for about 30 minutes through a quieter Hutong. Visit a local family and learn Facial Makeup Painting for Beijing Opera.

Return to the hotel after sightseeing. Your guide can provide information about optional Beijing evening performances.

Good to know:
1. Besides facial-makeup painting, optional Hutong activities can include Chinese calligraphy and painting, Chinese knotting or paper-cutting, a Chinese yo-yo demonstration, or making dumplings or kites with a local family.

2. Besides exploring the Hutong on foot, your family can also choose a bicycle or rickshaw. Tell the travel planner which option best suits you.

Activities in Hutong

Meals: Breakfast, A la carte Chinese lunch
Hotel: In Beijing

Leave the hotel in the morning and drive about two hours to the Mutianyu Great Wall, one of Beijing's best-known restored sections. The itinerary includes the cable car and slideway, allowing more time on the wall.

Have an à la carte lunch near Mutianyu. On the drive back to Beijing, stop outside the Bird Nest and Water Cube, two prominent venues built for the 2008 Olympic Games.

Return to the hotel. Ask your guide for suggestions about Peking Roast Duck Restaurant.

Good to know:
1. Mutianyu Great Wall generally has fewer crowds than some other restored sections. Depending on weather and preference, use the cable car both ways or combine the ascent with the slideway descent.

2. If your family would like more time on the wall, a picnic lunch can be arranged when requested at the time of booking.

3. In summer, swimming in the Water Cube can be considered as an optional family activity.

Mutianyu Great Wall

Meals: Breakfast, A la carte Chinese lunch
Hotel: In Xian

Check out and visit the Summer Palace, Beijing's largest surviving imperial garden. See Longevity Hill, Kunming Lake and the Long Corridor, with a boat ride available during the visit.

Have lunch en route to Beijing West Railway Station, then take the high-speed train to Xi'an in a second-class seat; the journey lasts about 5-5.5 hours. Meet the local guide at the station and transfer to the hotel.

Good to know:
Beijing zoo can also be added if your family would like to see giant pandas while in Beijing.

Summer Palace

Meals: Breakfast, A la carte Chinese lunch
Hotel: In Xian

Drive to the Terracotta Warriors and view the excavated soldiers, horses and chariots in battle formation. A shuttle bus is included. Afterwards, visit a local family and learn to make mini version of pottery figurine by hand to take home.

Have the scheduled Chinese lunch near the Terracotta Warriors scenic area.

Return to central Xi'an and visit the Ancient City Wall, one of the country's best-preserved historic city walls. Bicycle rental is optional and excluded from the price; if weather prevents the wall visit, the Bell Tower will be visited instead.

Good to Know:
1. Bike-riding on the ancient city wall is permitted only for children older than 10 or taller than 1.4 meters (4.6 feet). Younger children can walk or use the golf cart.

2. Shaanxi History Museum holds a large collection of historic artifacts and may suit families interested in Chinese culture. The museum is closed on Mondays.

Terracotta Warriors

Meals: Breakfast, A la carte Chinese lunch
Hotel: In Shanghai

See the exterior of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda and, when available, the North Plaza fountain show. Continue to Gao's Courtyard for its traditional residence and shadow-puppetry culture, then walk through the Muslim Quarter for local streets, shops and snacks.

After lunch, transfer to Xi'an airport for the flight to Guilin. Meet the local guide on arrival and continue to the hotel.

Shadow Play

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Hotel: In Guilin

Drive to Daxu Ancient Town and walk its cobbled lanes, Wanshou Bridge, historic buildings and Ming-era docks. Return toward Guilin along the Li River after the old-town visit.

Have lunch at Jolie Vue Boutique Hotel, with a view toward Elephant Trunk Hill.

Walk beside Fir Lake and Banyan Lake for about 0.5-1 hour, then continue to Reed Flute Cave for a one-hour visit among its stalactites and stalagmites.

Fir Lake

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch-box on cruise
Hotel: In Yangshuo

Transfer to Zhujiang Pier for the approximately four-hour Li River Cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo. After disembarking, walk along West Street  and check in at the nearby hotel.

In the afternoon, visit a local farm family in Gaotian Village and take part in the scheduled activity: farm in the land . Depending on the season, the work may include ploughing, sowing, planting or harvesting.

Return to the Yangshuo hotel after the farming activity.

Good to know:
Families who prefer another activity can choose bike-riding in countryside area, painting class or a Taichiquan course with a local instructor.

The optional Impression Liusanjie is available in Yangshuo; ask your guide in advance if you would like it arranged.

Li River Cruise

Meals: Breakfast
Hotel: In Shanghai

Keep the morning relaxed, then transfer to Guilin airport for the flight to Shanghai.

Good to know:
Optional Yangshuo morning activities include a countryside tour by bike or bamboo rafting in Yulong river. Ask in advance if you would like the itinerary adjusted.

Bike-riding in Yangshuo

Meals: Breakfast, A la cart Chinese lunch
Hotel: In Shanghai

Begin at The Oriental Pearl TV Tower and visit Shanghai City History Museum , then ascend to the tower's second sphere for an elevated view of Shanghai. Continue through Lujiazui to see the modern Pudong skyline.

Walk along the Bund beside the Huangpu River and compare its historic waterfront buildings with the skyline opposite. Lunch is served at a nearby local restaurant.

After lunch, visit Yuyuan Garden, then explore Shanghai Old Street  and Nanjing Road . Return to the hotel; the optional Acrobatic Show, including ERA, can be arranged in the evening.

Good to know:
Revolving Restaurant Oriental Pearl Tower sits 267 meters above the city and offers buffet dining with wide views. Request it in advance if you would like this optional meal arranged.

Oriental Pearl TV Tower

Meals: Breakfast
Hotel: In Shanghai

Enjoy a free day in Shanghai and make your own plans.

Good to know:
1. Shanghai Disney Resort is an optional full-day family choice in Pudong, with its theme park, two themed hotels, Disneytown and Wishing Star Park.

Other optional ideas include a half-day visit to Zhujiajiao or Xitang, or a day trip by high-speed train to Hangzhou or Suzhou. Share your preference in advance if you would like the program tailored.

Meals: Breakfast

Keep the day free until the airport transfer. A Maglev ride to Pudong Airport can be arranged if requested; otherwise, transfer directly by road.

Service Ends