11-Day China Highlights Tour: Beijing, Xi'an, Chengdu & Chongqing

Arrive in Beijing and meet your private guide and driver at the airport or train station.

Transfer to your hotel and take some time to settle in after your journey. Depending on your arrival time, enjoy a relaxed walk around the local neighborhood or explore a traditional Beijing hutong.

In the evening, enjoy your first taste of Beijing cuisine, with options including Peking duck, Beijing noodles and traditional local snacks.

Begin your Beijing adventure at Tiananmen Square, one of the world's largest public squares and an important symbol of modern China.

Continue into the Forbidden City, the magnificent former imperial palace of the Ming and Qing dynasties. Walk through its monumental gates, courtyards and palace halls while learning about the emperors, royal families and ceremonies that shaped China's imperial history.

After lunch, visit Jingshan Park for one of the best panoramic views over the golden rooftops of the Forbidden City.

In the evening, explore a traditional Beijing hutong area and experience the atmosphere of old Beijing.

Travel outside central Beijing to visit the Badaling section of the Great Wall of China, the most famous and best-preserved part of the Great Wall.

Enjoy a scenic walk along the ancient defensive fortifications, with time to admire the surrounding mountains and take photographs. The Great Wall experience can be customized according to your preferred hiking level, from a relaxed sightseeing walk to a longer hike.

Return to Beijing in the afternoon and visit the Temple of Heaven, an extraordinary complex of imperial religious buildings surrounded by historic gardens.

Optional: Peking Opera show, featuring elaborate costumes, symbolic storytelling, and impressive vocal artistry that offers a fascinating glimpse into China's rich theatrical heritage.

Take a high-speed train from Beijing to Xi'an, watching China's changing landscapes along the way.

After arriving, begin exploring Xi'an's historic center. Visit the Bell Tower and Drum Tower, two iconic landmarks dating from the Ming Dynasty.

Continue to the Muslim Quarter, where narrow streets are filled with food stalls, restaurants and local specialties. Try famous Xi'an dishes such as roujiamo, biangbiang noodles, lamb skewers and yangrou paomo.

In the evening, enjoy a relaxed walk through the atmospheric old city.

Today, discover Xi'an's most famous archaeological treasure: the Terracotta Warriors and Horses.

Explore the excavation pits and see thousands of life-size soldiers, horses and chariots created more than 2,000 years ago to protect Qin Shi Huang, China's first emperor in the afterlife.

Return to Xi'an for lunch and continue to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, one of the city's most important Tang Dynasty landmarks.

Spend the evening around the Tang-style cultural district, where traditional architecture, lights, performances and restaurants create a lively atmosphere after dark. 

Optional in the evening: enjoy the Tang Palace Dumpling Banquet (Tang Dynasty Dumpling Feast), a unique cultural dining experience featuring beautifully crafted dumplings inspired by ancient royal recipes.

Start the morning with a visit to the Xi'an Ancient City Wall. Walk or cycle along the top of the historic fortifications while enjoying panoramic views across the old city and modern Xi'an.

After lunch, take a high-speed train to Chengdu, the relaxed capital of Sichuan Province. Upon arrival, check into your hotel and enjoy a leisurely evening exploring Chengdu's lively streets. For dinner, try authentic Sichuan hot pot, one of China's most famous regional cuisines.

Start the day at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, one of the best places in the world to see giant pandas up close. Watch these adorable national treasures as they eat bamboo, climb trees, roll playfully, and nap in their natural-style enclosures. Visiting in the early morning gives you the best chance to see them at their most active and energetic.

Continue to Kuanzhai Alley, a beautifully preserved historic district that blends Qing Dynasty architecture with modern Chengdu charm. Stroll through its wide and narrow lanes filled with boutique shops, traditional teahouses, local snacks, and cultural courtyards, offering a perfect mix of history and lifestyle.

Later, head to People's Park, the heart of Chengdu's relaxed daily life. Sit down in a traditional teahouse, sip a cup of jasmine or green tea, and observe locals enjoying mahjong, dancing, ear cleaning services, and friendly conversations—an authentic glimpse into Chengdu's famously slow and joyful lifestyle.

Enjoy a relaxed morning in Chengdu, the "Land of Abundance," where life moves at an easy and charming pace.

Join a hands-on cooking class to learn the secrets behind world-famous Sichuan cuisine. From balancing spicy, numbing flavors to mastering local techniques, this is a fun and immersive way to understand Chengdu's culinary soul.

Step into a classic teahouse and experience Chengdu's slow lifestyle. Sip fragrant jasmine or green tea while watching locals play mahjong, chat, and enjoy their leisurely afternoon ritual.
Stroll through Jinli Ancient Street, one of Chengdu's most vibrant cultural lanes. Lined with traditional-style architecture, snack stalls, handicrafts, and red lanterns, it's the perfect place to feel the city's historic charm and lively atmosphere.

Taste the bold flavors of Sichuan cuisine, including mapo tofu, dan dan noodles, Sichuan wontons, and spicy hot pot. Each dish delivers the signature “mala” sensation—spicy and numbing—representing Chengdu's unforgettable food culture.

Optional: Sichuan Opera & Face-Changing Performance
In the evening, enjoy the spectacular Sichuan Opera (Bian Lian), where performers magically change masks in seconds. Combined with fire-spitting, comedy, and traditional music, it is one of China's most exciting cultural performances.

In the afternoon, take a high-speed train to Chongqing, one of China's most dramatic mountain cities. 

Experience the breathtaking "mountain city" of Chongqing, where skyscrapers rise from cliffs and rivers weave through a dramatic urban landscape unlike anywhere else in the world.

Step back in time at Ciqikou Ancient Town, a vibrant riverside district filled with centuries-old streets, traditional architecture, lively food stalls, and local handicrafts — the perfect place to taste authentic Chongqing street life.

Continue your journey through the city's astonishing multi-layered skyline, where highways, bridges, metro lines, and high-rise buildings stack vertically across mountainsides, creating one of the most visually striking cityscapes on Earth.

As night falls, head to the iconic Hongya Cave, a glowing riverside complex that transforms into a dazzling fairy-tale scene of golden lights, cascading architecture, and panoramic river views — one of China's most photographed night attractions.

End the day with Chongqing's legendary spicy hot pot, a fiery culinary experience that perfectly matches the city's bold and energetic spirit.

Spend the day discovering more of Chongqing and the meeting point of the Yangtze and Jialing Rivers. Depending on your customized itinerary, choose a river cruise, riverside sightseeing, or additional city attractions.

Experience the famous Chongqing Yangtze River Cableway (长江索道), often called the “air corridor of the Yangtze River,” offering breathtaking panoramic views as you glide across the river between the city's dramatic mountain landscapes.

Continue to Liziba, famous for the sight of a metro train passing directly through a residential building — one of Chongqing's most unusual urban landmarks.

Later, enjoy free time for shopping, photography, or exploring local food streets. For travelers interested in photography, the evening provides excellent opportunities to capture Chongqing's dramatic skyline, bridges, rivers, and illuminated hillsides.

Enjoy breakfast at your hotel and have some free time depending on your departure schedule.

Your private driver will transfer you to Chongqing Airport or train station for your onward journey.

Your 11-day China adventure comes to an end with memories spanning China's imperial history, ancient civilization, giant pandas, regional cuisine and spectacular modern cities.