Why Travel with Discover Beijing Tours
Unique Experiences
Enjoy a premium trip that goes beyond the typical tourist attractions.
Well-Selected Local Guides
Knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and attentive — your personal local guides will share interesting stories, insider information, and even create unexpected highlights!
Your Booking is Risk-Free
Cancel up to 24 hours before the travel date in advance for a full refund
99.6% positive customer reviews among 1500+
Why Travel with Discover Beijing Tours
Unique Experiences
Enjoy a premium trip that goes beyond the typical tourist attractions.Well-Selected Local Guides
Knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and attentive — your personal local guides will share interesting stories, insider information, and even create unexpected highlights!Your Booking is Risk-Free
Cancel up to 24 hours before the travel date in advance for a full refund
17-Day China Epic Itinerary: From Imperial Capitals to Avatar Peaks
Embark on a 17-day epic China adventure spanning imperial capitals, ancient deserts, and Avatar-like peaks. Discover the Terracotta Army’s grandeur, walk the Great Wall’s winding paths, and get up close with cute giant pandas in Chengdu. With private transfers and tailored itineraries, this journey blends history, nature, and local charm for an unforgettable experience.
- Make sure everyone bring passport with
- Full names and passport numbers are required to book tickets for attractions.
Itinerary Quick Look
Day 1: Beijing | Imperial Icons & Ancient Rituals
Your guide shares fun facts about Beijing on the way. Start with the Temple of Heaven, where Ming and Qing emperors prayed for good harvests.
Enjoy a local Chinese lunch. Then explore Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. Spend 2–3 hours wandering the imperial palace with your guide to learn its history and stories. After the tour, return to your self-booked Beijing hotel.
Day 2: Beijing | Royal Gardens & Great Wall Adventure
Check out of your hotel in the morning. Head to the Summer Palace, China’s best-preserved royal garden. It’s a living museum of traditional Chinese gardening art.
Drive 1 hour to the Mutianyu Great Wall. Stop for a tasty local lunch first. Then take a 30-minute scenic drive to the wall. Your guide shares its legendary history along the way. Enjoy free time to admire mountain views. Choose a cable car, ski lift or toboggan ride at your discretion.
Day 3: Xi’an | Terracotta Warriors & Ancient Heritage
Meet your guide at your self-booked Xi’an hotel. Take an air-conditioned vehicle to the Terracotta Warriors Museum. It’s hailed as the “Eighth Wonder of the World” and discovered by four farmers in 1974. Explore three exhibition pits with your guide for fascinating historical details.
Enjoy a local lunch. Then drive to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, a well-preserved Tang Dynasty landmark. It was built to store Buddhist sutras brought back by monk Xuanzang’s 17-year Silk Road journey. Wander the pagoda, temple and gardens with your guide. Learn about the Silk Road and Chinese Buddhism.
Later, wander the Muslim Quarter, Xi’an’s vibrant Muslim hub. Follow your guide through food and souvenir markets. Try local snacks at your own cost. Return to your self-booked Xi’an hotel after the tour.
Day 4: Xi’an | City Wall Stroll & Pagoda Re-Visit
Start the day with a walk on Xi’an’s 600-year-old ancient city wall. Feel the weight of history in every brick. Then revisit the Big Wild Goose Pagoda to explore its hidden corners and tranquil atmosphere.
Day 5: Xi’an → Zhangye | Colorful Danxia & Giant Buddha
Your guide picks you up and transfers you to Xi’an Railway Station. Take a 4-hour morning train to Zhangye. Enjoy a local lunch before heading to Zhangye Danxia Geopark. This 200-million-year-old landscape has rainbow-hued rocks and is one of China’s most beautiful landforms. Take the park’s battery bus to 2–4 viewing platforms with your guide. Snap stunning photos of the colored rocks.
Next, visit Dafo Temple, built in 1098. It houses China’s largest indoor sleeping Buddha and well-preserved main buildings. Stroll the courtyards with your guide to learn Buddhist history and culture. After the tour, take a 4-hour train to Lanzhou. A driver meets you at the station and transfers you to your self-booked Lanzhou hotel.
Day 6: Jiayuguan → Dunhuang | Great Wall Pass & Desert Gateway
After breakfast, meet your guide and driver. Head to Jiayuguan Heritage Scenic Resort. Start with the Great Wall Museum to learn about Jiayuguan Fortress, the “Impregnable Pass under Heaven” and a key Silk Road hub.
Enjoy a local lunch. Then explore Xuanbi Great Wall, built in 1539 with gravel and loess. Hike up the wall with your guide to admire mountain views. Then take a 4-hour private drive to Dunhuang.
Day 7: Dunhuang | Mogao Caves & Desert Wonders
After breakfast, meet your guide and driver. Visit the Mogao Caves Digital Exhibition Center. Watch two documentaries to learn about the caves’ history and art. Then explore the UNESCO-listed Mogao Caves, the world’s largest Buddhist art treasure house. Carving started in 366 AD and lasted 1,000 years. It has 492 caves with murals and 2,000+ sculptures. Your guide explains the murals’ stories as you wander.
Enjoy a local lunch. Then head to Mingsha Shan (Echoing-Sand Mountain). Its multicolored sands roar in strong winds. Climb the dunes for desert and Crescent Moon Pool views. This lake has existed for centuries without being buried by sand. It’s known as “the first spring in the desert”. After the tour, return to your self-booked Dunhuang hotel or head to the railway station.
Day 8: Turpan | Silk Road Oases & Ancient Ruins
Take a 3-hour train to Turpan. The journey passes wind farms, saltwater lakes and pastures. Your guide shares Silk Road history along the way. Choose 2–3 attractions based on your interests (your guide tailors the itinerary):
- Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves: 5th–14th century grottos on Flaming Mountains cliffs.
- Emin Minaret: Xinjiang’s largest ancient tower and China’s only Islamic top 100 tower.
- Karez Irrigation System: One of China’s three great projects, irrigating Turpan for centuries.
- Ancient City of Jiaohe: A 2,300-year-old earthen city and UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- Flaming Mountains: China’s hottest place with summer temperatures up to 47.8 °C.
- Astana Tombs: A 4th–8th century cemetery with preserved mummies and artifacts.
Enjoy a local lunch during the tour. At day’s end, transfer to your self-booked Urumqi hotel.
Day 9: Turpan → Urumqi | Museum & Bazaar Vibes
Start with Turpan Museum to dive into the region’s Silk Road history and relics. Then head to Erdaoqiao Grand Bazaar in Urumqi. Soak up local life, sample snacks and browse souvenirs. Enjoy a Uyghur-style lunch. Then return to your self-booked Urumqi hotel.
Day 10: Urumqi → Kashgar | City Highlights & Cultural Deep Dive
Your English-speaking guide and driver pick you up at 10:00 am. Start with Red Hill, Urumqi’s iconic landmark. Climb to the peak for panoramic city views.
Next, visit the Xinjiang Museum (closed Mondays). Your guide explains exhibits including the famous ancient mummy collection. Then head to Erdaoqiao Grand Bazaar for a Uyghur lunch. Afterward, return to your self-booked Urumqi hotel.
Day 11: Kashgar | Karakul Lake & Karakoram Highway Adventure
Meet your guide and driver at 8:00 am. Drive 4 hours to Karakul Lake via the Karakoram Highway. This 1979 road is one of the world’s highest paved roads at 4,714 meters. Enjoy unspoiled scenery and small village views along the way.
Arrive at Karakul Lake, a 3,600-meter-high Pamir plateau lake. It’s surrounded by snow-capped peaks like Muztagh Ata and Kongur Tagh. Enjoy free time to admire turquoise waters and mountain reflections. Opt for a horse ride at your own cost. Share a traditional lunch in a Kirghiz yurt. At day’s end, transfer to your self-booked Kashgar hotel.
Day 12: Kashgar → Chengdu | Travel Day
Take a 4.5-hour flight from Kashgar to Chengdu to prepare for your next adventure.
Day 13: Chengdu | Pandas, Temples & Local Life
Your guide picks you up at your preferred time for a customized tour. Start with Wenshu Yuan Monastery, Chengdu’s best-preserved Buddhist temple. It houses statues, relics and Tang Dynasty calligraphy. Stroll the courtyards, watch locals pray and learn about Chinese Buddhism from your guide.
Next, visit Wuhou Memorial Temple, a 6th-century complex honoring Shu Kingdom figures. Explore its halls and Liu Bei’s Tomb while hearing Three Kingdoms stories.
Wander Kuanzhai Alley, a lively block with traditional buildings and modern vibes. Check out dynamic Well Alley. Enjoy a Sichuan hotpot or regular meal for lunch or dinner.
Head to the Giant Panda Breeding Base. Watch cute pandas of all ages—newborns, juveniles and adults munching bamboo. Explore the research lab, museum and lake. Snap photos of these endangered creatures in their habitat.
Optional stops (discuss with your guide):
- Chengdu Museum: Learn city history and watch traditional puppetry and shadow plays.
- Jinli Pedestrian Street: A Shu-era hub now filled with boutiques, snacks and bars.
- Renmin Park: Relax at teahouses or join locals for leisure activities.
- Sichuan Museum: Southwestern China’s largest museum with 260,000+ historical items.
- Local markets or massage: Experience authentic Chengdu life at your pace.
The 6–8 hour tour ends with a transfer to your self-booked Chengdu hotel.
Day 14: Chengdu → Zhangjiajie | Avatar Peaks & Sky-High Thrills
Take a morning flight to Zhangjiajie. Meet your guide and head to Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, the inspiration for Avatar’s Hallelujah Mountain.
Ride the Bailong Elevator, the world’s highest and fastest sightseeing elevator. Reach Yuanjiajie’s top in just 88 seconds. Spend 2 hours exploring iconic spots like the Pillar of the Southern Sky and Bridge Under Heaven. After lunch, take the Tianzi Mountain Cable Car down. Enjoy sandstone peak forest views along the way. Return to your self-booked Zhangjiajie hotel.
Day 15: Zhangjiajie | Glass Bridge & Lake Serenity
Walk on the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Glass Bridge, the world’s longest and highest glass-bottomed bridge. Experience the thrilling “floating” feeling above the valley. Opt for a zip line or slide down to the valley floor at your own cost.
Enjoy a local lunch. Then head to Baofeng Lake, an artificial reservoir surrounded by unique stone hills. Take a boat ride to admire the scenery. Listen to locals sing melodious folk songs. Return to your self-booked Zhangjiajie hotel after the tour.
Day 16: Zhangjiajie | Tianmen Mountain & Heavenly Cave
Take the Tianmen Mountain Cable Car, the world’s longest cable car ride. Enjoy a 28-minute journey with views of Zhangjiajie City and mountain roads.
Walk the 1.6-kilometer Tianmen Mountain Glass Skywalk, built along 1,400-meter-high cliffs. Get heart-stopping views of the peaks below. Then take an escalator down to Tianmen Cave, a rare natural mountain hole formed by erosion. Climb 999 steep steps to reach the sacred cave. Finally, take the cable car down the mountain.
Catch an evening flight to Shanghai. A guide and driver meet you at the airport and transfer you to your self-booked Shanghai hotel.
Day 17: Shanghai | East-Meets-West Urban Charm
Meet your guide at your self-booked Shanghai hotel. Take a private vehicle to start your customized tour. Discuss your preferred attractions with your guide to tailor the day’s plan.
Start with the Shanghai Museum. It has 11 galleries, 3 exhibition halls and 120,000 precious relics. Its star collections include bronze ware, ceramics and calligraphy.
Next, visit Jade Buddha Temple, home to two 19th-century white jade Buddhas from Burma. Stroll the halls with your guide to learn temple history. Watch locals burn incense and worship.
Enjoy a local lunch. Then explore Yu Garden, Shanghai’s largest ancient garden with Ming and Qing-style architecture. Learn about its classic design from your guide. Wander the nearby Old City God Temple area to browse snack shops and streets.
Walk along The Bund to snap photos of the iconic skyline, including the Oriental Pearl TV Tower and colonial buildings. Then explore the Former French Concession, a leisure spot with alleyways, art galleries and cafes (meals at own cost).
Wrap up the day at Xintiandi, a lively nightlife hub with transformed Shikumen buildings. If you’ve visited some spots before, swap them for the Oriental Pearl or Jinmao Tower. After the tour, return to your self-booked Shanghai hotel. Your 17-day China adventure ends here.
There are discounts in the off-season, please call us!
Free cancellation
Cancel up to 24 hours before your travel date and get a full refund
-
IncludedBottled waterBreakfast, Lunch (Breakfast=B, Lunch=L)Professional guidePrivate tourTransport by private vehicleEntrance fee
-
Not IncludedGratuities
Similar Tours
Start from 518.00 USD P/P
Private Day Tour to Xi’an from Shanghai by Air: Terra-Cotta Warriors &City Wall
Embark on a one-day Xi’an adventure from Shanghai to marvel at the world-famous Terracotta Warriors—hailed as the “Eighth Wonders of the World”—and walk atop the 600-year-old Xi’an City Wall with sweeping city views. Explore the vibrant Muslim Quarter for local snacks if time allows, with seamless flights, guided tours, and authentic Xi’an cuisine included for a hassle-free cultural journey.
1 day
Suzhou and Zhujiajiao Private Guided Day Trip from Shanghai
Embark on this private full-day tour from Shanghai to Zhujiajiao and Suzhou—glide through ancient water town canals by gondola, explore a UNESCO-listed Suzhou garden, and savor local flavors for an unforgettable Jiangnan experience.
Embark on a personalized private day tour with a dedicated guide to explore two renowned water towns, both celebrated as the “Oriental Venice” for their canal-laced landscapes. You’ll wander through the ancient lanes of Zhujiajiao, steeped in traditional vibe, then head to Suzhou to experience its world-famous UNESCO garden, charming old thoroughfares, and tranquil canals that define the city’s unique character.
1 day
10-Day Classic China Tour: From Water Towns to the Great Wall
Embark on a 10-day China adventure spanning Shanghai’s skyline, Suzhou’s water towns and Guilin’s karst peaks. Marvel at Xi’an’s Terracotta Army and Beijing’s Great Wall with private guides and flexible itineraries. Don’t miss this chance to dive into China’s ancient heritage and natural wonders—book now!
10 days
