8 Days Beijing, Xian, Luoyang, Shaolin Temple Tour by Bullet Train

Summary

Day 1 Beijing Arrival
Day 2 Beijing: Mutianyu Great Wall,Ming Tombs,Bird's Nest,Water Cube
Day 3 Beijing: Temple of Heaven,Tiananmen Square,Forbidden City,Summer Palace
Day 4 Beijing-Xian: Beijing-Xian by train
Day 5 Xian: Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses,Xian Museum,Muslim Quarter
Day 6 Xian-Luoyang: Ancient City Wall,Bell Tower & Drum Tower,Xian to Luoyang by train
Day 7 Luoyang: Longmen Grotto,Luoyang Museum
Day 8 Luoyang Departure: White Horse Temple,Shaolin Temple,Luoyang departure

Day 1. Beijing Arrival

Upon your arrival in Beijing, our local Beijing tour guide will greet you at the exit of Beijing international airport, you will find a welcome signage "China Private Tour" and escorted you to your hotel directly, our guide will help you to check-in. 

The rest of the day is free on your own to recover the jetlage.

Day 2. Beijing

In the morning, our guide will pick you up at your hotel lobby at pointed time. Today, you will visit must-see place in Beijing-Mutianyu Great Wall.

Firstly, drive about 70km (1.5 h) to witness one of the Seven Wonders of the World – Great Wall. The less-crowded Mutianyu. "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.  

Sitting at the foot of Mt. Yan and occupying an area of more than 120 square kilometers (29,653 acres), it appears extremely spectacular. It was listed in the World Heritage List in 2003. Each emperor's tomb was constructed at the foot of a separate small hill, but they all share a main road called the Sacred Way. The thirteen emperor's mausoleums are similar in their architectural style and overall arrangement, only differing in size and complexity of their structures. 

After that, return to the downtown Beijing and visit the Olympic Green Park, constructed for the 2008 Summer Olympics. Visit the National Stadium ( bird's nest). Its located at the Olympic Green, the stadium cost US$428 million. The design was awarded to a submission from the Swiss architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron in April 2003 after a bidding process that included 13 final submissions. 

Continue your tour to visit the "Water Cube" ( National Aquatics Center),is one of the best venues of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, built with donations from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan compatriot and overseas Chinese. It was chosen through public appraisals as one of “China ten big new architecture views” by The U.S. magazine "Business Weekly". 

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

Day 3. Beijing

In the morning, our guide will meet you at your hotel lobby at pointed time. Today, you will explore the city highlights with our guide.

Your tour start at 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. 

Then head to the with a brief visit to Tiananmen Square which is now the largest city plaza in the world. 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 1000000 people at one time. Tiananmen Gate on the northern square was the site where the Chairman Mao announced the establishment of the People's Republic of China.

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. The incomparable palace occupies an area of 720,000 square meters (177.9 acres) and has approximately 8,700 rooms. A high red wall with a total length of 3,400 meters (3,718 yards) encases the palace. 

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.

After lunch, head to visit the 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 the tour ends, you will be taken back to your hotel.

Day 4. Beijing-Xian

In the morning, our guide will meet your at your hotel lobby. Then drive you to Beijing train station for the high speed train to Xian, which takes approximately 5 hours, and along the way, feel free to admire a totally different scenery of the countryside. Upon arriving at the Xian North Station, Xian tour guide will pick you up with a welcome signal "China Private Tour" and escort you to the hotel. Free on your own today.

Day 5. Xian

Firstly, drive you to Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses Museum, Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses: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 authenic Xian food.

In the afternoon, head for the Xian Museum. Xi'an Museum has an overall coverage of 245 hectares, which was officially opened to the public in May 2007. This museum collectively reflects the long history of Xi'an city and consists of three main parts of the small Wild Goose Pagoda, which is the national key protection culture unit, the ancient building groups of Jianfu Temple, and the modern culture relic exhibition hall. 

The last stop is Muslim Quarter. The Muslim Quarter is the largest of the old city's neighborhoods. It's a confusing array of narrow alleys that are wonderful to wander in, get lost, and stumble upon surprising discoveries. Muslim Quarter houses a large number of important Christian institutions. The Muslim quarter begins at the northern city wall, goes south to the northern and western walls of the Temple Mount, to Hashalshelet Street, where the Jewish Quarter begins. To the West, it runs to Beit Chabad Street, which runs between it and the Christian Quarter.

After the day tour, get to the Shaanxi Grand Opera House around 6:00PM and our tour guide will help you find your seat for the most famous Xi'an Dumpling Feast within the Opera House.Dumpling, or Jiaozi in Chinese, is one of the most representative Chinese food. Nearly 20 varieties are made and inside the dumplings are stuffed with delicious vegetables, meats and seafood. Dumplings' legend offers an original approach to Chinese food, merging the familiar comfort food of London’s Chinatown with the culinary heritage of regional oriental cuisine.

Drive you back to your hotel.

Day 6. Xian-Luoyang

After breakfast, our tour guide will meet you at your hotel lobby and your tour start.

Today your first destination is the Ancient City Wall. as one of the UNESCO's World Heritage Site, Xian Ancient City Wall was built in the 14th century, under the regime of Emperor Zhuyuanzhang in Ming dynasty, had the function of protecting the cities or towns as military defense systems in ancient China. Xian Ancient City Wall is one of the oldest, largest and best preserved Chinese city walls.

Continue your tour to Bell Tower, which located in south east of the Drum Tower. In Chinese history from Ming Dynasty, each city had a bell tower and a drum tower. The bell was sounded at dawn and the drum at dusk each day in ancient time, a means of telling time. Xian was not exception. The Bell Tower and Drum Tower of Xi'an date back to the Ming dynasty (1368-1644). The two are located in the center of the Xian city connecting the four roads from east, south, west and north within the city wall. Atop the Bell Tower you will have a panoramic view of the Xian City. A number of highlighted cultural relics are exhibited in Xi'an Bell Tower, including a huge bell, inscribed steles and couplets hung on the column, all of which are of high historical and cultural values. Between the Drum Tower and the Bell Tower, there is a square with grass, dotted with greenbelt beautiful acouto-optic fountain, which is a good place for leisure and entertainment for citizens.

After the tour, you will be taken to Xi'an train station and take the high-speed train to Luoyang. You will be greeted by our local Luoyang tour guide once arrived, drive you back to your hotel in Luoyang.

Day 7. Luoyang

Today you will start your tour with Longmen Grotto, the Longmen Grottoes are some of the finest examples of Chinese Buddhist art. Housing tens of thousands of statues of Buddha and his disciples. There are as many as 100,000 statues within the 2,345 caves, ranging from an 1 inch (25 mm) to 57 feet (17 m) in height. The area also contains nearly 2,500 stelae and inscriptions, whence the name “Forest of Ancient Stelae", as well as over sixty Buddhist pagodas. Situated in a scenic natural environment, the caves were dug from a 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) stretch of cliff running along both banks of the river. 

Starting with the Northern Wei Dynasty in 493 AD, patrons and donors included emperors, Wu Zetian of the Second Zhou Dynasty, members of the royal family, other rich families, generals, and religious groups. Longmen Grotto is regarded as "an outstanding manifestation of human artistic creativity," for its perfection of an art form, and for its encapsulation of the cultural sophistication of Tang China. 

Then head to Luoyang Museum, which is a local historical museum in Luoyang. Situated in the Yellow River valley. It offers exhibits of the rich cultural heritage of Luoyang, a major Chinese cultural centre, which was the capital of more than a dozen ancient dynasties of the Xia and the East Zhou. 

It houses relics from excavation sites on the outskirts of Luoyang, in the city's old section. They include antiquaries from palaces and temples. These artifacts establish the historical past of Luoyang, representing elements of the ancient city of nine capitals, from Neolithic times up to 937 AD. The Luoyang Ancient Tombs Museum also contains archaeological finds, but it specializes in tombs as more than 10,000 have been found in the local area.

After the tour ends, drive you back to your hotel.

Day 8. Luoyang Departure

In the morning, our guide will meet you at your hotel lobby and drive you to visit White Horse Temple. White Horse Temple is the first Buddhist temple in China, established in 68 AD under the patronage of Emperor Ming in the Eastern Han dynasty capital Luoyang. The site is just outside the walls of the ancient Eastern Han capital, east of Luoyang in Henan Province. It is considered by most believers as "the cradle of Chinese Buddhism". The geographical landmarks to the south are Manghan Mountain and Lucoche River.

Your lunch is arranged at Shaolin Temple, to learn the temple diet and try some food in temple. Lunch at the Shaolin temple is served at 11:30 a.m. and consists of tofu and rice paired with a mixture of five or six different types of raw or cooked vegetables. The monks do not use garlic, ginger, onions or any type of spice when preparing their meals, believing that spicy, hot or strong-smelling foods excite emotion. Water and tea is not served with meals in order to improve digestion, says Bo. If you are trying to replicate a Shaolin-style lunch at home, choose brown rice for additional fiber and avoid deep-frying the vegetables and tofu in favor of steaming or stir-frying with minimal oil.

Next, you will visit Shaolin Temple, also known as the Shaolin Monastery, which is a Buddhist temple in Dengfeng County, Luoyang. Dating back 1,500 years when founded by Fang Lu-Hao, Shaolin Temple is the main temple of the Shaolin school of Buddhism to this day. Shaolin Monastery and its Pagoda Forest is a UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of the "Historic Monuments of Dengfeng".

At end of the tour, you will be taken to Luoyang train station for the train to Beijing. Your will be escorted to Beijing international airport when you arrive in Beijing.

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.