12 Days The Best China Gourmet Experience Tour

Summary

Day 1 Beijing Arrival
Day 2 Beijing: Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Peking Roast Duck Lunch, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace
Day 3 Beijing: Mutianyu Great Wall, Ming Tombs, Imperial Court Dinner
Day 4 Beijing-Xian: Nanluoguxiang, Train to Xian
Day 5 Xian: Terracotta Warriors and Horses, Xian Ancient City Wall, Muslim Quarter
Day 6 Xian-Chengdu: Shaanxi History Museum, Big Wild Goose Pagoda, Flight to Chengdu, Hot Pot for Dinner
Day 7 Chengdu: Chengdu Research Base of Giant Breeding, Wenshu Temple, Jinli Ancient Street
Day 8 Chengdu-Hangzhou: Sichuan Cuisine Museum, Kuanzhai Alley, Flight to Hangzhou
Day 9 Hangzhou: Boat Ride on West Lake, Leifeng Pagoda, Guo's Villa, China National Tea Museum
Day 10 Hangzhou-Shanghai: Lingyin Temple, Meijiawu Tea Culture Village, Bamboo Path at Yunqi, Qinghefang Street, Train to Shanghai
Day 11 Shanghai: Yuyuan Garden & Bazaar, Shanghai Museum, Nanjing Road, The Bund, Huangpu River Night Cruise
Day 12 Shanghai Departure

Day 1 Beijing Arrival

Upon on your arrival, our guide will meet you at Beijing Airport with a welcome signage "China Private Tour". And then, drive you to your hotel in Beijing downtown.

The rest day is free on your own to explore the city or recover the jetlag.

Day 2 Beijing

In the morning, our guide will meet you at your hotel lobby at appointed time. The first place for Beijing is Tiananmen Square, Tiananmen Square is the geographical center of Beijing City. It is the largest city square in the world, occupying an area of 440,000 square meters (about 109 acres), and able to accommodate 1,000,000 people at one time.

After sightseeing, walk into the Tiananmen you will meet the one of the world’s 5 most important palaces – Forbidden City. The Forbidden City, also named the Palace Museum, shares the honor of being one of five world-famous palaces with the Palace of Versailles in France, Buckingham Palace in England, the White House in the U.S. and the Kremlin in Russia.

Have lunch at the local famous Peking Roast Duck restaurant, taste the most famous duck in Beijing and try some local cuisine in Beijing.Roast duck — or Peking Duck, as it's often known — has been served in Beijing for around 600 years, according to Liu. First served by palace chefs during the Ming dynasty, it has royal pedigree.

In the afternoon, drive about 6km to next imperial site - Temple of Heaven. The temple was constructed in 1420 during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), and was enlarged during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). It is the grandest cult architecture complex in the world and a masterpiece of the Chinese people created in ancient times. It covers 2,700,000 square meters (667 acres). Emperors of the two dynasties used to worship the heaven and pray for rich harvests, as the feudal emperors thought they were the son of the heaven. 

At last, you will head to visit Summer Palace, it is a vast ensemble of lakes, gardens and palaces in Beijing, China. It serves as a popular tourist destination and recreational park. Mainly dominated by Longevity Hill and Kunming Lake, it covers an expanse of 2.9 square kilometres (1.1 sq mi), three-quarters of which is water.  After 1949, the Summer Palace briefly housed the Central Party School of the Communist Party of China. Many of Mao Zedong's friends and key figures in the Communist Party, such as Liu Yazi and Jiang Qing, also lived there. Since 1953, many major restoration and renovation works have been done on the Summer Palace, which is now open to the public as a tourist attraction and park.

After dinner, you will be taken back to your hotel.

Day 3 Beijing

In the morning, our guide will pick you up at your hotel lobby. Your tour starts with visiting Mutianyu Great Wall, it about 70KM far way from downtown. There is an old saying "If you haven't climbed the Great Wall, you haven't seen China." Many of your friends who visited China before might have told you this. It is indeed an experience of life. As one of the best-preserved parts of the Great Wall, Mutianyu section of Great Wall used to serve as the northern barrier defending the capital and the imperial tombs. It's known for its beautiful surroundings - dense woods and rich pastures changing colors with the seasons of a year. 

Your lunch is offered near the Great Wall in a local Chinese restaurant.

After lunch, the Sacred Way, affiliated with the Ming Tombs, is a main attractions arranged for you. The Ming Tombs lie in Changping County, about 50 kilometers (31 miles) northwest from the urban area of Beijing. It is actually a tomb cluster of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), including thirteen emperor's mausoleums, seven tombs for concubines and one grave for eunuchs.  

Drive you back to the Beijing downtown at late afternoon, then you will be transfer to have an Imperial Court Dinner at Li Family's Restaurant. Family Li had a legendary story with the Qing Dynasty and Empress Cixi. Mr. Li Zijia was the head of Imperial Household Department in Late Qing Dynasty who was highly trusted by Empress Cixi. He was in charge of the daily food and drinks of emperor and empress. In the latter years of his life, he sorted out a set of imperial cuisine and handed down by his family. The found of Family Li Restaurant, professor Li Shanling, established his won business in his free time after work in a courtyard in the Hutong of Back Sea.

After dinner, you will be taken back to your hotel.

Day 4 Beijing-Xian

In the morning, check out from your hotel. Our guide will take you to start the Beijing hutong tour. Hutong is a window into Beijing folk life. Drive you to Nanluoguxiang Hutong, it's one of the best preserved historical areas in downtown Beijing, is famous for its hutong and siheyuan courtyards. Recently the popularity of Nanluoguxiang has increased noticeably with tourist numbers on the rise after 2008 Olympic Games. You will do a short walking along the authentic Beijing Hutong. Will give you a deep impression of the local residents’ live. You will have lunch at local family, to taste the home cooking style.

After lunch, transferred to Beijing West Train Station for the train to Xian. It takes around 5 hours. Once arrived at Xian train station, you will be greeted by our guide at the exit of the train station with a welcome signage “China Private Tour". Our guide will take you have a dinner at local restaurant. After dinner, you will be taken back to your hotel in Xian. Overnight in Xian.

Day 5 Xian

In the morning, our guide will meet you at the pointed time. Today, you will visit the highlights of Xi'an city.

Firstly, drive you to Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses Museum, it known as “the eighth Wonders of the world”, the museum shows a surprisingly high level in sculpture which is listed as the most significant discovery of the 20th century. Up to now, there has discovered a total of 179 accompanying burial pits of different connotations and various shapes in Qinshihuang’s Mausoleum area. The discovery of these pits has provided all important significance in the research of the burial system of the Qinshihuang’s Mausoleum, the characteristics structures and characteristics of the burial pits. However, what makes people feel amazing is that of all the burial pits, none has been found survived from being burnt down. 

Your lunch is arranged at local restaurant with tasting local cuisine. 

Drive you back to the downtown Xian, and head to the Ancient City Wall. This wall represents one of the oldest and best preserved Chinese city walls, as well being one of the largest ancient military defensive systems in the world. Now it is 12 meters tall, 12-14 meters wide over14 kilometers in length with a deep moat surrounding it. You can walk, or even cycle on the wall. Its south gate is the largest with a suspension bridge. Most of the tourists choose the south gate for sightseeing. 

After the sightseeing, drive to explore the night market in Muslin Quarters where you can taste the local snacks and experience the bustling night life. Such as Liangpi, it is made from rice, this cold noodle dish is a summer favourite through Shaanxi province as well as other places around China. These rice noodles are covered with vinegar, chili, salt, garlic, bean sprouts and small lumps of tofu. Roujiamo,this is the Chinese hamburger. Basically it’s a small oven baked bread bun that is sliced open and filled with slowly braised shredded pork and small pieces of fat.

Drive back to your hotel.

Day 6 Xian-Chengdu

In the morning, first drive you to visit the Shaanxi History Museum. Shaanxi History Museum is located to the northwest of the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, which is one of the four largest museum with modern facilities in China. The museum, built in traditional Tang architectural style, houses over 370,000 cultural relics, including murals, paintings, pottery, coins, as well as bronze, gold, silver, seal and stone objects, all of which can be dated back to over 1 million years ago to the late Qing dynasty. The modern museum was built between 1983 and 2001 and its appearance recalls the architectural style of the Tang Dynasty. It was regarded as “the pearl of ancient dynasties and house of Chinese treasures” where reflect over one thousand years of Chinese history, the splendid culture and people life in ancient times. 

Then head to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, also named Giant Wild Goose Pagoda. It is a Buddhist pagoda located in southern Xi'and became the symbol of the old-line Xi'an. It was built in 652 during the Tang dynasty and originally had five stories. The structure was rebuilt in 704 during the reign of Empress Wu Zetian, and its exterior brick facade was renovated during the Ming dynasty. The Big Wild Goose Pagoda attracts numerous visitors for its fame in the Buddhist religion and its simple but appealing style of construction. It is rated as a National Key Cultural Relic Preserve. One of the pagoda's many functions was to hold sutras and figurines of the Buddha that were brought to China from India by the Buddhist translator and traveler Xuanzang.

Trasnfer to Xian airport for your flight to Chengdu. Upon arrival, our local tour guide and driver will pick you up at the airport with a welocme sign "China Private Tour", our guide will take you to have dinner. 

Today, we will arrange you with the local hotpot dinner at the famous Restaurant. Hotpot is the most famous representative and favorite food in Chengdu. It is said that over 2,300 hotpot restaurants are opened in Chengdu. Undoubtedly, Chengdu is the Kingdom of hotpot. Laomaotou, found in 2001, is listed as the TOP 3 hotpot restaurants in Sichuan Province.

After dinner, you will be taken to your hotel.

Day 7 Chengdu

In the morning, our guide will meet you at your hotel lobby. Today, you will visit Chengdu Research Base of Giant Breeding, Chengdu is the hometown of giant pandas, where you will catch pandas' feeding time. They are at their most active, both Adults and Babies. There's a wealth of information and a panda museum in this 230-hectare park 10 km (6 miles) north of Chengdu. It takes about 2.5 hours to visit this site.

You will have lunch after Panda Base in a local Chinese reastaurant to eat authentic Sichuan Cuisine.

After lunch, you will visit Wenshu Temple. Wenshu Monastery is the best-preserved Buddhist temple in Chengdu, serving as the home of Buddhist Association of Sichuan Province now.Wenshu Temple is famous for its exquisite gardens and halls. 

Next, you will visit Jinli Ancient Street, one of the most well known and trafficked tourist areas in Chengdu, Jinli is an “ancient” pedestrian street housing dozens of food and gift vendors along an ever-expanding network of alleys.Jinli is particularly famous for its traditional Sichuanese snacks. There is an area dedicated just to snacks, where you will see dozens of vendors preparing and displaying an impressive variety of noodles and finger food to snack on. Shadow puppet performance and other traditional Chinese arts also make an appearance, and this tends to be an excellent places to procure local gifts.

After dinner, you will be taken back to our hotel in Chengdu.

Day 8 Chengdu-Hangzhou

Our guide will meet you at your hotel lobby. Continue your gourmet experience tour to Sichuan Cuisine Museum. It is the only living theme museum in the world, displaying Sichuan cuisine culture. You will have chance to visit the Perface Hall,Collection Exhibition Hall, Interactive Presentation Hall, Tea Lounge, Temple for God of the Kitchen, Raw Material Processiong Tools and Sichuan Food Raw Materials Display Area, ect. Sichuan food cooking lessons is arranged at the museum.

Then, walk around Kuanzhai Alley, is a Qing styled street block in Chengdu city. Being one of must-visit places in this city of leisure.Taking a cozy stroll along the three paralleled alleys, you would admire the archaistic quadrangle dwellings with black tiles and bricks, which form a great atmophere to trace back to hundreds of years ago.

After lunch, you will be taken to Chengdu airport for your flight to Hangzhou, it takes around 3 hours. 

Upon arrival,our Hangzhou guide and driver will wait for you at the exit of airport with a welcome sign "China Private Tour". Then you will be transferred to the hotel in the downtown for dinner. The rest day is free on your own.

Day 9 Hangzhou

Our guide will meet you at your hotel lobby. First, taking a boat sailing on the picturesque West Lake. This is an enjoyable and relaxing way to appreciate the beautiful scenery with its islands, causeways, temples, pagodas and ornamental planting. Different from appreciating scenery on the bank of West Lake, you’ll enjoy the heavenly lake view in another angle, closer and closer. It is not surprised that you’ll become a part of this traditional Chinese painting. West Lake has an area of 5.6 square kilometers (2.2 square miles) and is the symbol of Hangzhou which lies on its banks and is a place of tranquility.

Next, climb up to Leifeng Pagoda. It is one of landmark of west lake, stands on Leifeng Peak of Sunset Hill to the south of West Lake, echoing the Baochu Pagoda in the north. It is the oldest colorful bronze pagoda in China. Standing on the top of the pagoda, tourists can appreciate the nearby Jingci Temple, enjoy the landscapes of West Lake, and even see the city of Hangzhou from a distance.

Today, the lunch is arranged at a local time-honored restaurant to try the authentic local cuisine. It emphasize fresh, sweet flavors and makes good use of freshwater fish. 

After lunch, you will pay a visit for a classic garden in Hangzhou-Guo's Villa,a beautiful classic garden was built in the 1851 by a rich merchant nearby the lake which provides a better understanding about the local people's life in this garden.

The last stop for today is China National Tea Museum, is the only one in the country with the tea theme. It has no external walls but is enclosed by vegetation giving the unique impression that the halls and the tea plants inside depend upon each other. Additionally, one hundred distinctive Chinese characters relating to tea are enchased in the road to add color to your trip.

After the tour, you will be taken back to your hotel in Hangzhou.

Day 10 Hangzhou-Shanghai

After breakfast, the first stop for today is the Lingyin Temple & Peak Flying From Afar: Lingyin temple, commonly translated as "Temple of the Soul's Retreat" is one of the largest and wealthiest temples in China. It was originally founded in 326 AD, but has been rebuilt no less than sixteen times since then. Lingyin Temple is one of the ten most famous ancient Buddhist temples in China. It also houses various Buddhist literature and treasures situated in front of the Temple, and is famous for its more than 470 stone carvings of Buddhist figures, which dated from the 10th to 14th centuries.

Continue on your tour to visit the Meijiawu Tea Culture Village. Meijiawu Teaplantation has long been well known for its Longjing (Dragon Well) Tea tradition. It is a good place to understand the brilliant past and equally bright future of tea in China. Taking tea dates back to several centuries before the birth of Jesus! In the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220), people considered tea to a medicine for curing ailments. But drinking tea as a social function or leisure or cultural purposes date back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907). Drinking tea in China was quite popular around 760 AD. Meijiawu Village in particular is famous for its history of offering exquisite tea. This beautiful village will make you to feel the pleasure of a perfect cup of tea, our guide will show you how to pick the tea leaves, how to fry the tea leaves and how to drink the tea. 

Have your Lunch at the restaurant popular with the local people to stay away from the tourists' meals.( In china, do not go to the tourists's restaurants when you are on a tour. You shold go to the right place to have the meals, then you are in real china ).

Later, move to Bamboo lined path at Yunqi: The forest is breathtaking. It really makes you realise how insignificant you are when you stand next to the bamboo trees towering way above you. You are surprised at how hard the bamboo actually was - no wonder Asian builders use it as scaffolding! The thing really liked about the bamboo forest is the light - even though the forest was dense, it still seemed really light and crisp, because of the fact the bamboo's all green (not like normal trees where the trunk is dark brown). It gives the forest a totally different vibe, hard to explain but it was just fascinating.

Your last destination is Qinghefang street, is a good place to experience the life of Old Hangzhou, because it is the epitome of historic Hangzhou. A great place for shopping, eating, and sightseeing. You can see the well-preserved old buildings, explore the interesting boutique stores, and choose your favourite souvenirs.

Drive you to the Hangzhou Train Station, and you will take the high-speed train to Shanghai. Upon arrival in Shanghai. Our Shanghai private tour guide will meet you and transfer you back to your hotel in Shanghai. 

Day 11 Shanghai

Pick you up from your hotel at pointed time, the first stop for the tour is Shanghai Museum. It houses a comprehensive collection that perfectly showcases the Middle Kingdom's millennia old history. Spread over five floors, covers most of the major categories of Chinese art with a collection of 12, 300 pieces in 21 categories of valuable cultural relics.

Next you will visit Yuyuan Garden, it not only regarded as best private garden in Shanghai but also the best in southeast China.The garden enjoyed a history over 400 years since its first establishment by Pan Yunduan who had intended to bring happiness and pleasure to his parents and relatives.

And then walking to nearby to Yuyuan Bazaar, there are many small streets and lanes where vendors sell their products and food stuffs to the tourists and local people.It is an ideal place for you to find some specialists.

Your lunch is arranged at Nanxiang Dumpling House to try the most famous Shanghai Xiaolongbao(soup dumpling). A favorite of dim sum eaters around the globe, are considered to be a Shanghai specialty, rumored to have originated here in the 19th century. Legend has it that this world-renowned snack started out as an experiment by a cake shop owner in Nanxiang who decided to try out a riff on his popular steamed bread. 

After lunch, drive you to the Bund area. The Bund is a waterfront area in central Shanghai.When you come here, you can embrace the best cityscape, feast on the rich architectural fashions and know why Shanghai is glorified as "Paris of the East". There are a number of attractions in the area, such as Shanghai World Financial Center, the Oriental Pearl TV Tower, Century Park, Century Boulevard, Jinmao Tower etc. It is one of the most famous tourist destinations in Shanghai.

Walking with your guide to Nanjing Road, another popular landmark of Shanghai. It is a shopping paradise as well as a ideal place tootake a wonderful walk to explore the modern atmosphere of the city.

You will have a dinner before cruise, the last thing for today is Night cruise along the Huangpu River. When traveling in Shanghai, you should not miss a cruise tour on the Huangpu River. It is the best way to admire Shanghai's classic skyline views of colonial architecture and modern skyscrapers along the river.

After the cruise, you will be taken back yo your hotel in Shanghai.

Day 12 Shanghai Depature

Our guide and driver will pick you up from your hotel lobby at appointed time, dirve you to airport for your flight to next destinastion or back home. Our service ends!

Price Per Person in US Dollars

Price Includes 1. All transfer and city transportation 2. Air-conditioned car or van 3. Hotels specified in the itinerary, all based     on two persons sharingone standard room; 4. Meals specified in the itinerary: Western     breakfast in hotels Chinese lunch and     dinner in local restaurants 5. Sightseeing: All arrangements mentioned     in the itinerary will be covered All first     admission/entrance fees in the itinerary 6. Tour guide: Conducted by a professional     tour guide

Price Excludes 1. International air-tickets 2. Airport departure tax. 3. International or domestic air tickets which     are not listed in the itinerary. 4. Insurance coverage of personal loss, illness     or damages incurred during your trip 5. Tips to the tour guide and driver 6. Meals not specified in the itinerary. 7. Personal expenses: phone bills, laundry,     optional tours, postage, excess baggage     charge, entertainment fees out of the     itinerary. 8. Single Room Supplement.