Chinese Cosmopolitan, Private Tour

Welcome to China! Upon arrival at Beijing Airport, you will be greeted by the guide and driver at the arrivals halls. You will be then transferred to the hotel, with the remainder of the day at leisure. 

Overnight in Beijing.

Breakfast at the hotel. Meet your tour guide in the hotel lobby. Drive to Tiananmen Square, gaze across it and take in the full weight of its historical and cultural significance. People travel from all over the world to see Mao’s portrait and visit his mausoleum, which lies on the opposite end of the Square. Walking towards to Forbidden City, where emperors ruled, concubines fluttered their fans, and eunuchs schemed for five hundred years. It is a life preserved in chambers, where emperors ruled, gardens, where empresses and concubines strolled and in the palace where the emperor's courtesans lived for centuries behind the towering red walls. Lunch at a local tourist restaurant (included). In the afternoon, venture to one of Beijing’s few remaining ‘hutongs’ or traditional lanes in the backstreets of the city to gain a perspective into fascinating and authentic ‘old’ Beijing. Hutongs, the narrow alleys and lanes first laid out during the Yuan dynasty (1268-1364AD), and the siheyuan, traditional courtyard homes that border these leafy streets, define old Beijing. Here, we can get an idea of what the entire city once looked like and experience the traditional way of life, the silhouette of imperial dynasties, Chinese local lifestyle, the impact of western countries. Visit the Buddhist Miaoying Temple, which has an iconic White Stupa that was completed in 1279, under the leadership of Kublai Khan.

Overnight in Beijing.

Breakfast at the hotel. Drive to Huanghuacheng Great wall. Literally, the Yellow Flower Wall is considered one of the most scenic sections of the wall, and a great place to go for a not-too-strenuous hike along with the country's most iconic landmark. At either end of this stretch of the Great Wall are two lakes, made by dams built in the 1970s and ‘90s. Upon the wall, you’ll have unobstructed views of both lakes from high above, with the Great Wall dipping majestically down into the water. Lunch at a local tourist restaurant (included). After lunch, delve into the heart of Beijing’s contemporary art scene at the 798 Art District, based rather ironically within an abandoned industrial complex, built by East Germans in the 1950s, Chinese contemporary artists moved in the 1990s, transforming this decommissioned factory district into a hotspot of modern art, culture, and design. From avant-garde galleries to cutting-edge food and drinks, make sure you set aside some time to explore what this area has to offer. 

Overnight in Beijing.

Breakfast at the hotel. Visit the Temple of Heaven complex, situated in southeast Beijing, was built in the first half of the 15th century, for the use of Ming and Qing Dynasty emperors to worship the heavens and pray for a good harvest. The main architectural themes are: “on the earth” which is represented by the square-shaped 'Palace of Abstinence' in the west, much like The Forbidden City but on a smaller scale; whereas the circular-shaped Qinian Dian (Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests) and Huanqiu (Circular Mound Altar) are thought to be connected with heaven. The park serves as a recreational ground for local people. Dancing, fencing, flag-waving, and Taichi are all part of locals’ morning rituals. Lunch on own arrangement. Transfer to train station 2nd class high-speed train to Shanghai, the face of modern China is teeming with energy and activity and offers travellers a true diversity of areas and experiences. You’ll be met and greeted by a guide and driver after arrival in Shanghai. Transfer to hotel.

Overnight in Shanghai.

Breakfast at the hotel. Drive to Yu Garden, wander the maze of pavilions and arched bridges of Yu Garden, one of Shanghai’s premier sights. The Pan family, rich Ming Dynasty officials, founded these gardens, which are a fine example of Ming garden design. Built between 1559 and 1577 Yuyuan (meaning the garden of peace and comfort) a maze of Ming Dynasty pavilions, elaborate rockeries, arched bridges, and goldfish ponds, all encircled by an undulating dragon wall. The adjacent bazaar was originally a temple (the city god temple) built in the 16th century. Today the area is also home to a lively market that specializes in traditional Chinese arts and crafts. You can peruse antiques, silk fans, bamboo articles, shell carvings, paintings, or simply try some Shanghai Xiaolongbao (soup dumplings), vegetarian buns, and chicken soup. Followed by a visit to Jade Buddha Temple, the temple is an active site of worship and home to a couple of famous Buddha statues that were brought from Burma in the 1800s. It took ten years to complete its construction. Lunch at a local tourist restaurant (included). Take a walk in the French Concession Quarter, home to the city’s most stylish streets. The former Shanghai French Concession was a region under French control from 1849 until its return to the hands of the Chinese government in 1946. While this Shanghai neighbourhood is no longer of French ownership, the area is still ruled by a laid-back attitude and European architecture. Now one of the most vibrant shopping districts in Shanghai, the former French concession is where much of Shanghai’s disposable cash is splashed. Walk along the Bund, This riverfront location is a time-honoured symbol of Shanghai and shows pieces of the city’s Neo-classical European imperial past. It offers a glimpse into Shanghai's earlier interactions with the West.

Overnight in Shanghai.

Breakfast at the hotel. Tired of the hustle and bustle of the city? Let’s take an hour's drive to Zhujiajiao, the nearest water town in Shanghai’s suburbs. Visit an old courtyard inhabited by a wealthy merchant in old times; have a leisurely gondola ride on the interwoven canals, sip tea in a cool tea house with someone playing Chinese traditional musical instruments, or pay a short visit to Qing Post office, the only well-kept Qing dynasty post site in Shanghai (entrance fee of RMB 20 at own expense). In addition, there’re plenty of local delicacies you will love, Apo Zongzi (sweet sticky dumpling wrapped with bamboo leaves), bamboo shrimp Shao-mai, chicken wonton, etc. Zhujiaojiao is an ideal place to relax your body and mind. Lunch at a local restaurant (included). Find your way to the Shanghai propaganda poster museum (closed on Monday), a hidden gem of a museum, although small, it gives an absorbing insight into China's recent history. It houses a vast, private collection of over 5,000 propaganda posters of Mao-era communist revolutionary propaganda artworks charting post-war Chinese history. Many rescued from recycling centres and rubbish bins and spanning the '40s through the late 1970s.

Overnight in Shanghai.

Breakfast at hotel and leisure time before transfer to the airport to catch your flight back home.