Warriors Panda Bears Exploration

Welcome to China. Upon arrival at Beijing Airport, you will be met by your guide and driver in the arrivals hall and transferred to your hotel. The rest of the day is yours to relax and settle in at your own pace. Overnight in Beijing.

After breakfast at the hotel, meet your guide in the lobby and drive to Tiananmen Square. Take a moment to absorb the square’s immense historical and cultural significance, including the iconic portrait of Mao Zedong and the nearby mausoleum.

From there, walk to the Forbidden City, the vast imperial palace where emperors ruled for five centuries. Explore its preserved chambers, gardens, and courtyards, gaining insight into the lives of emperors, empresses, concubines, and eunuchs behind the towering red walls. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant.

In the afternoon, visit one of Beijing’s remaining hutongs – traditional narrow lanes dating back to the Yuan dynasty – to experience authentic old Beijing life and architecture. Conclude the day with a visit to the Buddhist Miaoying Temple, notable for its White Stupa completed in 1279 under Kublai Khan. Return to your hotel for an overnight stay in Beijing.

After breakfast at the hotel, we drive to the Huanghuacheng section of the Great Wall, known as the Yellow Flower Wall. This part of the wall is celebrated for its scenic beauty and offers a gentle hike along one of China’s most iconic landmarks. Flanked by two lakes created by dams in the 1970s and ’90s, the wall provides stunning, unobstructed views as it descends dramatically into the water below.

Following the walk, we enjoy lunch at a local restaurant. In the afternoon, we explore the 798 Art District, a vibrant hub of contemporary art and culture housed within a former East German industrial complex from the 1950s. Since the 1990s, this area has been transformed by Chinese artists into a lively space featuring avant-garde galleries, innovative design, and trendy cafés.

You will have time to wander and soak up the creative atmosphere before returning to the hotel for the night in Beijing.

After breakfast, we visit the Temple of Heaven complex in southeast Beijing, built in the early 15th century for Ming and Qing emperors to worship the heavens and pray for a good harvest.

The site features the square-shaped Palace of Abstinence, representing earth, and the circular Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests and Circular Mound Altar, symbolising heaven. The surrounding park is a lively spot where locals practise morning exercises such as dancing, fencing, flag-waving, and Taichi.

After some free time for lunch, we transfer to Beijing West Railway Station to board a second-class high-speed train to Xi’an. Upon arrival, you will be met by your guide and driver before heading to the Muslim Quarter.

Here, you can explore the vibrant streets filled with food stalls offering Halal skewers, roast mutton, and persimmon cakes (own expense). Xi’an’s Muslim community dates back around 1,300 years, established by Persian and Arab traders along the Silk Road. Dinner is included at a local restaurant. Overnight in Xi’an.

After breakfast, we drive to the Ancient City Wall, one of the most complete and well-preserved city walls in China and among the largest ancient military defence systems worldwide. Originally constructed from rammed earth and later rebuilt in brick during Emperor Longqing’s reign, the wall still bears bricks marked from the original structure. We take a leisurely walk along the top of the wall, where you may choose to rent a bicycle or electric bike (at your own expense) to cycle a section or the entire length.

Afterwards, we set off early to visit the UNESCO World Heritage site of the Terracotta Warriors. With a professional guide, you will explore the vast army of life-sized sculptures—soldiers, chariots and horses—created to guard Emperor Qin Shihuang’s mausoleum. This extraordinary archaeological find offers a unique insight into China’s ancient imperial history. Lunch is included at a local restaurant.

Returning to Xi’an, we visit the Xi’an Museum (closed Tuesdays), which showcases the city’s rich heritage as a cradle of Chinese civilisation. We spend the night in Xi’an.

After breakfast, we take the second high-speed train to Chengdu. Upon arrival, you will be met by your local guide and driver. Lunch is at your own arrangement. We then visit Kuanzhai Alley, the last remaining section of Shaocheng City before it merged into Chengdu. Dating back to the Qing Dynasty, this area was once used to quarter troops and now serves as a cultural hub, featuring 45 courtyards, souvenir shops, traditional tea houses, and Sichuan restaurants set within charming gardens.

Afterwards, we experience everyday life at Chengdu People’s Park, the city’s largest green space. With its artificial lake, gardens, teahouses, and monuments, it offers a chance to observe locals dancing, singing, practising calligraphy, or enjoying a cup of tea—perhaps even trying your hand at Mahjong or Chinese chess. We stay overnight in Chengdu.

After breakfast, we drive to the Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Research Base for a close encounter with China’s beloved giant pandas. The centre replicates their natural habitat and supports efforts to reintroduce pandas into the wild. Arriving early allows us to see the pandas at their most active - feeding, climbing, and resting. Besides giant pandas, the base is home to other rare and endangered species. Lunch is included at a local restaurant.

In the afternoon, we visit the Sichuan Museum, the largest comprehensive museum in southwest China. It showcases the rich natural resources and cultural heritage of Sichuan, often called ‘The Land of Abundance’, through a wide range of historical collections. We stay overnight in Chengdu.

After breakfast, we transfer to Shuangliu International Airport for your flight to Shanghai. Please note, if Tianfu International Airport is used instead, a surcharge applies. Upon arrival in Shanghai, the city that embodies modern China’s vibrancy and diversity, you will be met by your guide and driver. Lunch is at your own arrangement.

In the afternoon, we visit the Shanghai Propaganda Poster Museum (closed Mondays), a small but fascinating collection offering insight into China’s recent history through over 5,000 Mao-era propaganda posters, many rescued from recycling centres.

Afterwards, take a stroll along the Bund, Shanghai’s iconic riverside promenade, where you can admire the city’s striking Neoclassical European architecture—a reminder of its colonial past and early Western influence. Dinner is included at a local restaurant. Overnight in Shanghai.

After breakfast, we drive to Yu Garden, a highlight of Shanghai known for its intricate pavilions and arched bridges. The surrounding market offers a variety of traditional Chinese arts and crafts, where you can browse antiques, silk fans, bamboo items, shell carvings and paintings, or sample local delicacies such as Shanghai Xiaolongbao (soup dumplings), vegetarian buns and chicken soup at your own expense.

Next, we visit Jade Buddha Temple, an active place of worship housing two renowned Buddha statues brought from Burma in the 1800s; the temple’s construction took ten years to complete. Lunch is included at a local restaurant.

In the afternoon, take a stroll through the French Concession Quarter, once under French control from 1849 to 1946. This stylish neighbourhood retains its European architecture and relaxed atmosphere, now serving as one of Shanghai’s most vibrant shopping and dining districts. We return to the hotel for overnight.

After breakfast at the hotel, enjoy some leisure time to explore Shanghai at your own pace or relax before your transfer to the airport. You will then board your flight home, concluding your journey.