The 14-Day (Beijing, Xi‘an, Chongqing, Zhangjiajie, Shanghai) Private China Odyssey: Imperial Grandeur, Wild Nature & Futuristic Skylines

• Tian‘anmen Square, Forbidden City & Summer Palace – A Dive into Imperial Majesty
• 4+ star hotels
• Breakfast Included

Start your morning at the symbolic heart of China: Tian’anmen Square, one of the world‘s largest public squares. Feel the vastness as you see the Monument to the People’s Heroes and the grand entrance to the Forbidden City. Step through the Gate of Supreme Harmony into the Forbidden City – a 600-year-old palace complex with over 9,000 rooms. Your guide will bring history to life with tales of emperors, concubines, and intrigues. After lunch (on your own, try Peking Duck nearby), head to the Summer Palace, a masterpiece of Chinese landscape design. Walk along the Long Corridor, climb Longevity Hill for a view of Kunming Lake, and imagine the royal family escaping summer heat here.

• The Great Wall at Mutianyu & Olympic Bird’s Nest – Conquer an Ancient Wonder
• 4+ star hotels
• Breakfast Included

Today you tackle one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Drive to the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall – less crowded, fully restored, and surrounded by lush forest. Take a cable car up, then walk along the watchtowers, feeling the wind and history. For a fun twist, slide down via toboggan (a mountain cart on a track). Afterward, head back to Beijing to see the iconic Bird‘s Nest (National Stadium) from the 2008 Olympics. Snap photos of its steel lattice exterior as the sun sets – a perfect contrast between ancient and modern China.

• Temple of Heaven, Hutong Rickshaw Ride & Bullet Train to Xi’an
• 4+ star hotels
• Breakfast Included

Begin at the Temple of Heaven, where Ming and Qing emperors prayed for good harvests. Join local retirees doing tai chi or flying kites in the surrounding park. Then dive into Beijing‘s old alleyways – the Hutongs. Hop on a rickshaw for a lively ride through narrow lanes, peek into a courtyard home, and taste a traditional Bean Juice (Douzhi) – an acquired taste, but a true local experience! After lunch, board a high-speed train (approx. 5 hours) to Xi’an, the ancient capital. Check into your hotel and enjoy a free evening. Wander the Muslim Quarter for sizzling lamb skewers and persimmon cakes.

• The Terracotta Army, Big Wild Goose Pagoda & Dazzling Tang Paradise
• 4+ star hotels
• Breakfast Included

No trip to Xi’an is complete without the Terracotta Warriors. Standing in Pit No.1, facing thousands of life-sized soldiers each with unique faces, is a spine-tingling moment. Your guide will explain how they were buried for 2,200 years. Afternoon: visit Daci‘en Temple and climb the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, a Tang dynasty icon. As evening falls, walk into Tang Paradise (大唐不夜城 – “Great Tang All Day Mall”) – a pedestrian street bursting with colorful lanterns, street performers, and giant statues of Tang poets. Try Roujiamo (Chinese hamburger) and a cup of sour suanmeitang (plum juice) while watching a live “flying princess” show.

• Museum Treasures, Cycling on the City Wall & Bustling Muslim Quarter
• 4+ star hotels
• Breakfast Included

Morning at the Xi‘an Museum, home to exquisite Tang tri-color pottery and a panoramic view of the Small Wild Goose Pagoda right next door. Then head to the Ancient City Wall – one of the best-preserved in China. Rent a bicycle (or take a golf cart) and ride along the 14-km top, peeking through watchtowers. For lunch, dive into the Muslim Quarter (回民街) – a sensory overload of sizzling skewers, sticky rice cakes, and biangbiang noodles (hand-pulled, wide as a belt). Don’t leave without trying a persimmon pancake and a cup of pomegranate juice.

• Bullet Train to the Mountain City – Free Evening in Chongqing
• 4+ star hotels
• Breakfast Included

After breakfast, board a high-speed train (approx. 5 hours) to Chongqing, a futuristic metropolis built on steep hills where two rivers meet. Upon arrival, check into your hotel. The evening is free – we recommend heading to Jiefangbei CBD to see the neon-lit skyscrapers, then find a hole-in-the-wall hotpot joint. Chongqing is the birthplace of spicy hotpot – order a bubbling pot of red chili oil, dip thin slices of beef and tripe, and cool your mouth with a local beer.

• A Day of Stairs, Old Walls, a River Cable Car & Stilted Houses
• 4+ star hotels
• Breakfast Included

Today is a deep dive into Chongqing‘s unique geography. Start at Shancheng Alley (山城巷), a narrow stone stairway lined with old teahouses and street artists – taste a spicy bean curd from a granny‘s cart. Walk to Baixiang Street and see the Baixiang Building (白象楼), a famous spot for photos. Then explore the Dongshuimen City Wall ruins – a remnant of ancient Chongqing. Next, ride the Yangtze River Cable Car soaring over the muddy Yangtze – locals still commute this way. End at Hongya Cave (洪崖洞), a cliff-side complex of stilted houses that looks like a floating palace when lit at night. Grab a bowl of sour and spicy noodles (suanlafen) at a food stall.

• Monumental Steps, a Train Through an Apartment & Ancient Porcelain Village
• 4+ star hotels
• Breakfast Included

Morning: climb the Eighteen Steps (十八梯), a historic stone staircase that connects the upper and lower city – now restored with old-timey shops selling dingding candy (a crunchy malt sweet). Then walk to Jiefangbei (People‘s Liberation Monument), the central landmark. Next, head to Liziba Station, famous for the light rail train that passes right through a residential building – watch from the viewing platform as the train disappears into the 19th floor. After that, visit Ciqikou (Porcelain Village), an ancient street by the river. Try Chen’s Mahua (sesame crisps) and chicken offal skewers. In the late afternoon, take a high-speed train to Zhangjiajie (approx. 4 hours). Check in and rest.

• Into the Avatar Mountains: Glass Elevator & Floating Peaks
• 4+ star hotels
• Breakfast Included

Today you enter the real-life inspiration for Pandora in Avatar. Start at Zhangjiajie National Forest Park. Ride the Bailong Elevator (百龙电梯), a glass lift built onto a cliff face – it shoots you up 330 meters in seconds, revealing jaw-dropping sandstone pillars. Explore Yuanjiajie Scenic Area, including the famous “Hallelujah Mountain” (renamed from “Southern Sky Column”). Walk the narrow bridge between peaks. After lunch (try local Tujia bacon), head to Tianzi Mountain, where the “sea of peaks” looks like an army of stone generals. Take the cable car down as the sun turns the pillars golden.

• The Heaven‘s Gate Mountain: Cliffside Walkways & a Twisting Road
• 4+ star hotels
• Breakfast Included

Drive to Tianmen Mountain (Heaven’s Gate Mountain). Board the longest cable car in the world (7.5 km) – the ride alone is an adventure, lifting you from the city to the mountain top. Walk the Glass Skywalk – a transparent path jutting out over a sheer drop – not for the faint-hearted! Then climb down 999 steps to the iconic Heaven‘s Gate (a natural arch in the cliff). After descending, visit the bizarre 72 Strange Buildings (七十二奇楼) – a cluster of colorful, tilted, and surreal architectural creations. Snap quirky photos and snack on spicy stinky tofu from a street vendor.

• Flight to the Bund – Evening Stroll along the Huangpu River
• 4+ star hotels
• Breakfast Included

After breakfast, take a short flight (approx. 2 hours) to Shanghai, China’s most dazzling metropolis. Check into your hotel and enjoy a free afternoon. We suggest you head to The Bund at dusk – watch the colonial-era buildings glow on one side and the futuristic Pudong skyline (Pearl Tower, Shanghai Tower) blink on the other. For dinner, wander into Yunnan Road Food Street and try shengjianbao (pan-fried pork buns) and xiaolongbao (soup dumplings).

• Classic Gardens, Artsy Alleys & the Neon Pulse of Shanghai
• 4+ star hotels
• Breakfast Included

Morning: explore Yu Garden, a classical Ming-era garden hidden inside the old city. Walk through the adjacent Yuyuan Bazaar – taste a pumpkin cake and watch a sugar painter create edible art. Then head to Tianzifang – a maze of alleyways filled with boutiques, art studios, and craft beer bars. Sip a coffee in a converted shikumen lane house. Next, stroll down Wukang Road, a leafy avenue lined with French colonial villas – look for the iconic Wukang Mansion (a ship-shaped building). Return to The Bund for daytime views, then finish at Nanjing Road, China‘s busiest pedestrian street. Treat yourself to crab roe xiaolongbao for dinner.

• Last Morning in Shanghai – Farewell Transfer
• 4+ star hotels
• Breakfast Included

Enjoy a leisurely final morning. Do some last-minute souvenir shopping – maybe green tea or silk scarves – or simply relax at a riverside café. Your private driver will pick you up at the agreed time and escort you to the airport for your departure flight. Take home unforgettable memories of China‘s imperial past, spicy mountains, and futuristic skyline. Safe travels