- Highlights
- Itinerary
- Accommodation
- Inclusions/Exclusions
- Important Info
Highlights
Looking for a snapshot of two iconic cities? You’ll experience it on this lively tour of Xi’an and Chengdu. While in Xi’an, spend time at the Terracotta Army and marvel at this artistic and architectural feat, which showcases Chinese planning and ingenuity. Wonder at other Xi’an highlights – the best preserved of all China’s City Walls, the Great Mosque and he history to be found in relics, art, and weaponry housed at the Shaanxi History Museum. Eat your way down Muslim Quarter where you’ll enjoy the very best of the melting pot of cuisines from the region. From Xi’an, travel by bullet train to Chengdu. It’s here you’ll discover the pleasure of being panda volunteer at the Dujiangyan Panda Base. Work as a panda keeper for the day, taking care of these gorgeous creatures. Clean, feed, and make friends for life during this truly special experience.
Itinerary
Day 1 – Arrival in Xi'an
Arrive at Xi'an airport and be welcomed by your local tour guide outside the baggage claim area. The drive from the airport to hotel is the opportunity to learn a little about this vibrant city. Take in the red lantern lined streets, pass the city wall and ask about the ideal local restaurant for your dinner. Your guide and driver will drive you directly to your four or five star inner city hotel. Take the remainder of the day to rest, relax, or explore.
Meals included: None
Day 2 - Xi'an
Few sights in China can match the magnitude and awe of the the world-renowned Terracotta Army. This first day of touring is the opportunity to take it all in. Considered by historians worldwide to be the largest underground military base in the world, the Terracotta Army defies belief with the thousands of unique life-sized figures, including soldiers, horses, carts and weapons. On return to Xi'an, enjoy a change of pace as you explore the ancient City Wall, currently the largest and best-preserved wall of its type in China. Enclosing China’s former capital city and almost 14 kilometres long, do a full circuit on a bike (tandems available!) or simply explore on foot. Spend the afternoon in contemplation at Xi'an’s Great Mosque. Beautiful gardens and a stunning complex of buildings built mid seventh century, the Great Mosque is the oldest and largest Islamic mosque in China. Follow your nose to Muslim Quarter, which is bustling with authentic eateries and souvenirs. Ask your guide for their favouriate foodie recommendations before the final destination of the day, the famous Bell Tower and Drum Tower Square. You will be returned to your hotel to relax and reflect on the day’s activities.
Meals included: Breakfast
Day 3 - Xi'an – Chengdu 
After breakfast and check out from your hotel, it’s time to explore the Shaanxi History Museum. Discover – and perhaps feel a little mesmerized – at the 370,000 plus relics which chronicle China’s ancient history. Explore Big Wild Goose Pagoda, one of two iconic Buddhist pagodas in Xi'an. Depending on timing, the may be an opportunity to enter the top of the pagoda and cast your gaze out over Xi'an’s 1,400 years of history. Follow the view with a meditative walk through the temple and gardens. As the afternoon commences, you’ll be driven to the railway station to board the bullet train to Chengdu. On arrival in Chengdu, your friendly local guide will meet and transfer you to your hotel. Expect to receive a mini guided tour of Chengdu en route.
Meals included: Breakfast
Note: Your tour guide may alter your itinerary as the Shaanxi History Museum is closed Mondays.
Day 4 - Chengdu
Get ready to channel your inner Kung Fu panda today as you gear up to work as a panda volunteer at the Dujiangyan Panda Base. Enjoy a genuine panda keeper experience as you clean the indoor and outdoor enclosures, prepare food and feed the pandas. You’ll have the opportunity to connect directly with the local panda keepers who will supervise your activities, with translation support provided by your guide. Looking for more than photographic memories of the day? No problem. Our volunteer panda keepers receive a certificate as a memento from this very special day. Savour the experience when you return to your hotel in Chengdu.
Meals included: Breakfast
Tips:
- Panda Keeper Program has an age restriction from between 5 years to 80 years. For children under five years who are accompanied by an adult can take the standard panda tour in panda base, but due to restrictions they are not able to be a panda volunteer.
- As a maximum of 30 keepers are allowed each day, it is advisable that you book the program at least two weeks before departure. You will appreciate that sometimes adjustments may be made to the program due to pandas’ health condition. Accurate information about the program will be provided to you by our travel as soon as we are advised.
- Each volunteer panda keep applicant must provide a Physical Examination Record prior to commencement of the day’s activities.
- Panda volunteers are strongly advised to be guided by their supervisors and should approach the animals with extreme caution and only under supervision. Though pandas look gentle, they are animals and their behaviour can be unpredictable.
- Panda keepers are not allowed to clean enclosures for panda mothers and babies but can help supervisors.
Day 5 – Depart from Chengdu
After hotel check out, the final day of your snapshot tour will enjoying some leisure time in Wangjiang Pavilion Park. Wander among the rare bamboo groves and drink fragrant teas. Make your way to famous Jinli Street, a picturesque precinct of unique regional street food and artisans. Discover the appeal that draws locals here – food, authentic crafts, and street artists abound. Eat your fill of traditional food snacks and pick out a memento or two by which to remember your time in Chengdu. Sit back and relax on your return drive to the airport or train station in preparation for depature home or your next destination.
Meals included: Breakfast
Note: We love helping our customers make the most of their available travel time. Need helping planning your next destination? We can help. With a network that spans across China, we can take care of every detail and arrange your departure train or flight from Chengdu – or anywhere else while you’re in China. (A surcharge will apply).
Accommodation
Inclusions / Exclusions
Inclusions:
- Admission fees: to sightseeing spots and activities specified
- Accommodation: hotels based on double/twin occupancy as specified
- Meals: as specified in the itinerary
- Tour guide: excellent private English-speaking guide
- Transportation: bullettrain of Xi'an/Chengdu (First class seat for Luxury tours; second class seat for Superior tours).
- Transfers: land transfer with drivers as specified
- Travel Agency Liability Insurance during the tour
- Government taxes and fees.
Exclusions
- International/domestic flights and trains to Xi'an/from Chengdu
- China visa fees
- Gratuities to guides and drivers and any expense of a personal nature
- Our tour package does not include travel insurance. Please purchase travel insurance before your trip to protect for any unforeseen circumstances.
Important Information
FOR PRIVATE TOUR
- This is a private tour for your group of family or friends. There will be no other travelers in the group apart from you.
- Smart casual dress and comfortable walking shoes are recommended
- Prices based on twin occupancy.
- The prices shown are not valid during China’s Official Holidays (such as National Day and Chinese Spring Festival).
- The tour guide may adjust the itinerary due to the closure of the museums each Monday.
- Optional tours to Suzhou, Hangzhou or nearby Watertown, and other destinations are also available
- Any city not included in the existing tour package can be added to this tour and taken as an addition to this Private tour.
- Entering and exiting China from Hong Kong and Taipei are also available.
- Stays at entering and exiting cities (Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Taipei) can be extended.
FOR SMALL GROUP TOUR
- This is a small group tour with a fixed itinerary and guaranteed departures.
You will travel with other people (maximum of 12). - Smart casual dress and comfortable walking shoes are recommended.
- The tour guide may adjust the itinerary due to closure of the museums each Monday
- At the conclusion of the tour, a transfer from your hotel to Hongqiao or Pudong Airport in Shanghai is available upon request at a surcharge.
- Stays at entering and exiting cities (Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Taipei) can be extended.
- Prices based on twin occupancy.
- The prices shown are not valid during China’s Official Holidays (such as National Day and Chinese Spring Festival).
- The maximum number of passengers in a small group tour is 12 people.
OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION
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Booking Information
After purchase, you will receive a receipt and a Purchase Confirmation email with a Passenger Information Form. The Passenger Information Form must be completed within 72 hours of the purchase.
Any special requests, preferences and optional extras MUST be clearly stated in your Passenger Information Form. Any change requested after submitting your Passenger Information Form cannot be guaranteed, is strictly subject to availability and will incur surcharges as outlined in the Schedule of Fees below.
On purchasing this tour product, you are bound by the General Terms and Conditions, in addition to the specific terms and conditions outlined in this Important Information.
Surcharges
Please note: online credit card payment and PayPal payments incur surcharges.
Tour Start Dates
Private and custom tours can be scheduled to commence on any day. Multi-day small group tours start on set dates as indicated in the booking calendar for the specific tour.
Cities for Commencement of Tours
Beijing is the city in which multi-day small group tours start. Multi-day tours with set itineraries booked as a private tour, commence in Beijing unless otherwise arranged with ChinaTours.com. Tours booked as custom tours can start in any destination listed on the ChinaTours.com website.
Flights
Full-service flights included, where applicable. For international flights: full-service flights included only if the tour includes travel to/from Hong Kong, Taiwan, North Korea, or as part of Indochina tour packages. Domestic flights included as part of a tour package are provided by select Chinese domestic airlines. Flight carriers will be specified in itinerary provided on the finalization of booking. Note: the maximum baggage allowance for domestic in China is 20 kilograms for economy class domestic flights, 30 kilograms for business class, and 40 kilograms for first class. Flight class upgrades are available on request at an additional charge.
High Speed Trains
First class seat for five star (Luxury) tour packages and second class seat for four star (Superior) tour packages.
High Speed Train Seat Upgrades
Seat upgrades are available on high speed trains on request at an additional charge and subject to availability. A limited number of first class seats are available on high speed trains. ChinaTours.com cannot guarantee high speed train seat upgrades due to third party or supplier’s shortage.
Destination Transfer
Transfers from airport to the hotel provided as air-conditioned vehicle with driver.
Post Tour Airport Transfer
At the completion of your tour, a transfer service from your hotel to Hongqiao or Pudong Airport can be arranged on request. Additional charges apply.
Arrive Early
Accommodation options for early arrival prior to commencement of tour are available. Bookings can be made online prior to checkout or arrangements can be made with a ChinaTours.com travel consultant.
Stay Behind
Accommodation options for stay behind after completion of the tour are available. Bookings can be made online prior to checkout or arrangements can be made with a ChinaTours.com travel consultant.
Tour Guide
All ChinaTours.com tour guides are bilingual speakers with intimate knowledge of an area/city, its culture, history, people, and food, which they will share on tour. ChinaTours.com does not operate commission-based shopping tours which means our tour guides do not receive commissions for commission-based shopping stops. Small group and private tour groups of 1-2 (<3) people will be provided with a guide/driver rather than a driver and a guide.
Small Group Size
The maximum number of passengers in a multi-day small group tour is 12 people.
Optional Tours/Activities
Optional tour activities are available on request. Please contact ChinaTours.com directly to customize your optional tour activities and destinations.
Accommodation
ChinaTours.com selects international four star and five star hotels located in the inner city centre. In small, regional destinations, ChinaTours.com selects the best available hotel.
Bedding Configuration
Bedding included in accommodation is double or twin bedding (subject to availability). Special arrangements available on request; additional charges may apply due to third party or hotel request.
Adjoining/Interconnecting Rooms
Adjoining/Interconnecting rooms are available subject to passenger’s request. Additional charges may apply due to third party or hotel request.
Child/Infant Policy
Pricing for child and infant can be quoted separately.
Infant price is valid for children 0 to 2 years. Child price is valid for children aged 2 to 11 years. Adult pricing apply for passengers aged 12 years and over. Children must be accompanied by a responsible adult aged 18 years or over. No unaccompanied minors allowed.
Meals
All breakfasts included. Lunch and dinner are excluded allowing passengers to make their own selection for lunch and dinner. Breakfast, lunch and dinner provided on the Yangtze River Cruise only. Lunch provided on the Li River Cruise. Local guides can be consulted to provide recommendations and assist with eating arrangements on request.
Passport
Customers are required to provide valid passport details either at the time of purchase or within 72 hours of purchase. Failure to do so may result in cancellation of the booking. In this instance customers will be responsible for any costs and fees incurred.
Passport validity should be at least six months for entering China.
Visas
A tourist visa for China is a strict requirement if travelling on a foreign passport.
Please make arrangements for your visa as soon as you receive your documentation to account for any delays due to consulate operating hours and visa processing times.
From November 30, 2024 to December 31, 2025, ordinary passport holders from 38 countries can be exempted from Visa to enter China and stay for no more than 30 days for business, tourism, family visit, exchange visit and transit purposes. Those who do not meet the purposes of visit and time limit for visa free policy are still required to apply for Visas to China.
List of 38 countries: France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Malaysia, Switzerland, Ireland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Australia, Poland, Portugal, Greece, Cyprus, Slovenia, Slovakia, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Andorra, Monaco, Liechtenstein, Republic of Korea, Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Malta, Estonia, Latvia, Japan and Negara Brunei Darussalam.
Gratuities/Tipping
Gratuities (tips) for services of the tour guide and driver throughout the tour are not included in the tour package price.
Insurance
ChinaTours.com tour packages do not include travel insurance. We strongly recommend purchase of comprehensive travel insurance prior to departure to protect for any unforeseen circumstances.
Schedule of Fees
For changes to travel arrangements:
- First change – No charge.
- For all subsequent changes – USD50.
- Any charges applied by a third party (for example, airline, cruise company, accommodation provider, other travel provider) cannot be waived.
Cancellation
For China tour Packages, ChinaTours.com charges cancellation fees at a percentage of the total tour package price, which are stated as follows:
- More than 60 days prior to tour start date: 15 percent cancellation fee
- 45 – 59 days prior to tour start date: 20 percent cancellation fee
- 30 – 44 days prior to tour start date: 30 percent cancellation fee
- 15 – 29 days prior to tour start date: 50 percent cancellation fee
- Within 14 days prior to tour start date: 100 percent cancellation fee
Any charges applied by a third party (for example, airline, cruise company, accommodation provider, other travel provider, credit card fee, bank fee) cannot be waived.
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