8-Day China Tour: Beijing, Xi'an, Shanghai

Three iconic cities, eight days, one guide who knows them

This 8-day small-group tour covers Beijing, Xi'an and Shanghai with a professional English-speaking guide, all entrance fees, accommodation in 5-star and 4-star hotels, and internal flights between cities. Groups stay under 18 travelers, and the itinerary skips shopping stops and factory visits entirely. You spend your time at the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, the Terracotta Warriors Museum, the Summer Palace and the Bund. A minimum of two people per booking is required, and participants must be at least 12 years old.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Arrival and hotel check-in in Beijing

• Meet guide at Beijing Airport
• Transfer to hotel and check in
• Rest or explore Beijing independently

Day 2: Beijing city highlights tour

• Visit Tiananmen Square
• Explore the Forbidden City
• Lunch at local restaurant
• Visit Temple of Heaven
• Watch acrobatic show at Red Theater
• Dinner with Peking Duck

Day 3: Great Wall and local culture

• Visit Mutianyu Great Wall with cable car
• Group toast with red wine on Great Wall
• Buffet lunch
• Photo stop at Olympic National Stadium
• Rickshaw tour of Hutong alleys
• Visit local family

Day 4: Summer Palace and travel to Xi'an

• Visit Summer Palace
• Lunch
• Take high-speed train to Xi'an
• Check in at Xi'an hotel

Day 5: Terracotta Warriors and cultural show

• Visit Terracotta Army Museum
• Lunch
• Visit home of Terracotta Army discoverer
• Make mini clay warrior
• Visit Big Wild Goose Pagoda
• Watch Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Show
• Dinner with dumplings

Day 6: Xi'an city wall and travel to Shanghai

• Visit City Wall Park and practice Tai Chi
• Visit City Wall and cycle (optional)
• Lunch at Muslim Quarter
• Fly to Shanghai
• Transfer to Shanghai hotel

Day 7: Shanghai city tour and river cruise

• Visit Shanghai Museum
• Explore Yu Garden and bazaar
• Walk along the Bund
• Take Huangpu River cruise
• Free time on the Bund
• Return to hotel

Day 8: Departure from Shanghai

• Breakfast at hotel
• Transfer to airport independently

The experience

The tour begins at Beijing Airport, where your guide meets you after customs and drives you to Hotel New Otani Chang Fu Gong. Day two takes you to Tiananmen Square, the world's largest urban city square, then into the Forbidden City to walk its halls and pavilions, followed by the Temple of Heaven. That evening you watch an acrobatic show in the Red Theater and eat Peking Roast Duck at a welcome dinner included in the price.

Day three is the Great Wall. You travel to Mutianyu, ride a round-trip cable car up, and stand on the wall itself with a group toast in red wine. After a buffet lunch you return to the city and take a rickshaw through the original Hutong alleys, stopping at a local family's home. The next morning you visit the Summer Palace, the largest existing imperial garden, then board a high-speed train to Xi'an and check into the Crowne Plaza.

In Xi'an, you spend a full day at the Terracotta Warriors Museum, where three excavated pits hold thousands of warrior figures and ancient weapons. After lunch you visit the home of the archaeologist who first discovered them and make a small clay warrior yourself with a local artisan's help. The same day you see the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, built in the Tang Dynasty to hold Buddhist scriptures from India, then watch the Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Show. Day six starts with Tai Chi practice at the City Wall Park, then you cycle or walk the ancient wall (the most complete urban fortification in China), and eat lunch in the Muslim Quarter before flying to Shanghai.

Your final full day in Shanghai includes the Shanghai Museum, Yu Garden with its Nine Zigzag Bridge, a walk along the Bund, and a one-hour cruise on the Huangpu River. You have free time on the Bund before returning to your hotel. On day eight you depart after breakfast. Airport transfer is not included but can be arranged. Two bottled waters per person come each day, and a professional guide stays with the group throughout. Vegetarian meals are available if you request them when booking.

What’s included

• Professional English-speaking guide throughout the 8 days.
• all entrance fees to the Great Wall, Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace, Terracotta Warriors Museum, Big Wild Goose Pagoda, Shanghai Museum, Yu Garden and the Bund.
• accommodation in twin-sharing rooms at Hotel New Otani Chang Fu Gong in Beijing (5 stars), Crowne Plaza Xi'an (5 stars) and The Sunrise on the Bund in Shanghai (4 stars).
• internal economy-class airfare from Beijing to Xi'an and Xi'an to Shanghai.
• airport pickup in Beijing.
• acrobatic show in the Red Theater with welcome dinner including Peking Roast Duck.
• round-trip cable car at Mutianyu Great Wall.
• rickshaw tour through Hutong alleys.
• high-speed train from Beijing to Xi'an.
• Tai Chi practice at City Wall Park.
• one-hour Huangpu River cruise.
• two bottled waters per person per day.

Before you book

Days and timesMonday and FridayDeparts at 20:00Last departure this season: 4 Jan 2027

Book up to2d before

AgesAdult (12 to 80 years) · Under 12: can't be included in the booking

GroupUp to 15

Live guideEnglish and Chinese

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 2 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsNo refund if you cancel.

Prices and times updated 2 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearby

Operated by Travel China Guide

Is this one for you?This tour suits travelers who want the three most iconic Chinese cities without building the itinerary themselves: the guide, the timing and the transport are all arranged, so you move between Beijing, Xi'an and Shanghai without negotiating logistics at each step. Groups stay small (under 18), and the operator skips shopping stops and factory detours entirely, so your eight days stay focused on the sites themselves.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English and Chinese.

What's included in the 8-day China tour price?

The tour includes a professional English-speaking guide, all entrance fees to sites, accommodation in 5-star hotels in Beijing and Xi'an and a 4-star hotel in Shanghai, internal flights from Beijing to Xi'an and Xi'an to Shanghai, two bottled waters per person daily, and the welcome dinner with Peking Roast Duck on day two. Airport pickup in Beijing is included. Airport transfer in Shanghai on day eight is not, though it can be arranged separately.

How many people travel together on this tour?

Groups are capped at 18 travelers maximum, and a minimum of two people per booking is required. A single room supplement is available on request for solo guests.

What is the Terracotta Warriors Museum like?

The Terracotta Warriors Museum in Xi'an holds three excavated pits displaying thousands of life-sized warrior figures and ancient Chinese weapons, all made of terracotta clay. On this tour you spend a full day there, then visit the home of the archaeologist who discovered them and create your own small clay warrior with a local artisan's guidance.

Do I need a visa to travel on this tour?

A current valid passport is required on the day of travel. China visa fees are not included in the tour price, so you will need to arrange and pay for your visa separately before departure.

Can I walk the Great Wall, or is it just viewing?

You ride a round-trip cable car to Mutianyu Great Wall and walk on the wall itself, standing on the structure and looking out across the landscape. The tour includes a group toast in red wine on the wall to mark the moment.

What happens on the last day in Shanghai?

Day eight is a free departure day. After breakfast at the hotel, you arrange your own transportation to the airport for your homeward flight. The hotel-airport transfer service is not included, though your guide can help arrange it if needed.