6-Day Beijing – Xi’an Tour

After breakfast today explore Beijing with your guide who will collect you from your hotel. Visit the world’s largest city square, Tiananmen Square. Make your way across the road to the magnificent Forbidden City, a culturally historic landmark in China, which was the former residence of Chinese royalty for five centuries. After the Forbidden City tour, exploration continues with a visit to the Summer Palace. Appreciate the beautiful gardens and imagine the lifestyle of royalty who enjoyed this summer resort during imperial times. A stopover at Beijing’s stadium and pool – the Bird's Nest and Water Cube – built for the 2008 Summer Olympics and Paralympics – provides a modern contrast to China’s ancient history. Return to the hotel.

Meals included: Breakfast

Note: Your tour guide may adjust your itinerary due to closure of the Forbidden City each Monday.

Before heading to the Mutianyu Great Wall, sample the famous local food market Sanyuanli where you can stock up on fruit and snacks for your today’s trip. Continue to explore the Mutianyu Great Wall, a less frequented part of China’s 1,400-year-old iconic landmark located approximately 70 kilometres from Beijing. Take a pleasant and comfortable round-trip cable car transfer over the picturesque scenery, then walk the wall to take in the Ming dynasty guard towers and sensational views. On return to the city in the afternoon, exploration continues with a visit to the Confucius Temple and Imperial College Museum. Stroll through Wudaoying Hutong and experience local life as you wander through quaint shops, enjoy a coffee, and gain an insider’s view of a real Beijing community.

Meals included: Breakfast

Start today with a visit to the remarkable Temple of Heaven, where emperors from the Ming and Qing Dynasties performed ceremonies and rituals to pray for good harvests and blessings for the country. Transfer to the Beijing West railway station and be checked in by your guide to travel by high speed rail journey to Xi'an. Approximately a five hour trip, travelling at 300 kilometers per hour, you can relax and absorb the diverse landscape along the way. On arrival at the Xi'an North Station, you will be met by your local tour guide and escorted to your inner city four or five star hotel.

Meals included: Breakfast

Today’s tour highlight is the world-renowned Terracotta Army, recognized as the largest underground military base in the world. Take in this extraordinary archeological discovery, which houses thousands of unique life-sized figures. Return to the city and explore Xi'an’s ancient City Wall, currently the largest and best-preserved wall of its type in China. Enjoy your free time by exploring on foot or bicycle almost 14 kilometers of the wall enclosing China’s former capital city. For a change of pace, take in the quiet of Xi'an’s Great Mosque, located in the middle of the city’s old block. Built mid-seventh century, the Great Mosque is the oldest and largest Islamic mosque in China. Mix with locals and find food of every flavor in Muslim Quarter, which bustles with authentic eateries and souvenirs. Today’s final destination before returning to your hotel is Xi'an’s famous Bell Tower and Drum Tower Square.

Meals included: Breakfast

After breakfast and check out from your hotel, the tour guide will take you to the Shaanxi History Museum where you’ll discover over 370,000 relics of Chinese history. Take in the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, one of two iconic Buddhist pagodas in Xi'an. You may have the chance to enter the top of the pagoda and look out over Xi'an’s 1,400 years of history, then take a contemplative walk through the temple and gardens. Following on from the morning’s activities, you’ll be driven to the airport or the train station for your next destination. Alternatively, you can start your own exploration journey in Xi'an.

Meals included: Breakfast

Travel Note:

• Your tour guide may alter your itinerary as the Shaanxi History Museum is closed Mondays.
• We love helping our customers make the most of their available travel time. Need assistance 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 Xi’an – or anywhere else while you’re in China. (A surcharge will apply).