China Classic Wonders
This 11-day China top cities tour covers the most popular four destinations and five World Heritage sites in China. It makes an ideal tour for first-time visitors.
The itinerary below is only one possibility. Tips to tailor-make your trip are offered as inspiration. Tell us your preferences and our travel experts will customize this trip to suit your interests, tastes, and budget.
Days
11
Price
from US$2,819
Best For
First-time visitors
Best Time
Apr.May.Sep.Oct.
Tour Highlights






China Highlights, Asia Highlights, and Global Highlights collaborate to provide families and couples with personalized and stress-free experiences in diverse destinations.


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Our trip to Li Jiang and Shaxi Yunnan
We arrived at Lijiang on 9/8. We enjoyed the time in Lijiang a lot with good hotel selection and a well planned program. We went onto Shaxi for the local singing festival of the local minority groups. It was a fantastic experience. What makes the trip most memorable is our guide Alice. She took excellent care of us, anticipating our every need. She was personable, warm and very knowledgeable. We shared many laughters and traded stories. She brought smiles to us during the entire trip. We will specifically ask for her again when we come back to Yunnan. Five star service. More
Consumer,
Sep 2023
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Great trip around Shanghai
This was our first time ever visiting Shanghai so we wanted to see good places to go to and good food to eat in Shanghai. That's why we booked with China Highlights. They're very responsive and quick to arrange our 3 day trip. Our guide name is Qi and she is a very sweet and helpful person. She knew we wanted to explore many local foods, so she brought us some local breakfast foods when she picked us up from our hotel, just so we can try everything! She was knowledgeable as well about the culture and history of the places we went to. Will definitely recommend this tour and use China Highlights again for our next trip to China! More
Sherry,
Sep 2023
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Great way to see the city
Private tour with China highlights made seeing Xi'an super easy. We saved a lot of time with a private driver, and our guide Jenny took really good care of us, sending instructions for where to meet once getting off the train and made everything feel really safe and easy. She also accommodated a number of last minute changes to our itinerary without batting an eye. She was very patient, knowledgeable and friendly. It was great having a guide who grew up locally in the area to show us around (which is not always the case, from my previous experiences elsewhere). Would definitely recommend! More
Stephanie N,
Sep 2023
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One Day Beijing Trip (Great Wall, Summer Palace) With Jennifer
My tour guide Jennifer made this quick one day trip to Beijing great! The day started out a bit overcast and rainy when I landed, but Jennifer’s positive attitude and kind communication (along with her being able to keep up/put up with my jokes) made it fine.Despite this, Jennifer and our driver Chen were able to swing an extra photo shoot stop at the Olympic Stadium. I guess it gives me an excuse to come back to visit again, and when I do - I will use China Highlights and this great fantastic team. More
Alan Landau,
Sep 2023
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Mervyn is what we call a perfect tour guide!
Mervyn is what we call a perfect tour guide! She is extremely informative all the way through. She knows hers stuff and she is also enthusiastic, knowledgeable, personable and very willing to help. The whole day was perfect. A great amount of walking and a lots of physical activity ( hiking) and she was all smiling, accommodating and keeping us informative. She was absolutely the best tour guide we've ever encountered in China. Her English is perfect! Everything was so well organized. Her knowledge of the local culture and history is impressive. Fantastic More
pdaroundthewrorld,
Sep 2023
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Best Great Wall experience
Used China Highlights for a private all-day tour of Jinshanling portion of the Great Wall. One of the best days of my life! Tour guide Alan and a driver met me at my hotel and the ride was very comfortable. Alan was extremely knowledgable and friendly, I really enjoyed talking with him. The scenery was astoundingly beautiful; this is a less touristy portion of the Wall. The hiking was fun, Alan brought plenty of water, and showed me things I would not have noticed by myself. On the way back to the hotel, we stopped at a local restaurant for lunch that Alan had arranged - delicious! Once in a lifetime experience. More
LZviajera,
Sep 2023
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Wonderful experience!
Our tour guide was Mervyn, and she was amazing! She had great knowledge of Xi'an and the silk road, and we learned so many things we didn't know before. The Muslim quarter is a must-see, with so many streets of food. Terracotta warriors were breathtaking. We did a Hanfu experience and enjoyed walking the city at night in our tang Dynasty outfits. We wish we spent more than 2 days here as there's so much to do. Definitely recommend this tour and will be visiting again! More
Laura A,
Sep 2023
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Unforgettable trip to Guilin
We enjoyed an incredible two day trip in Guilin, taking a brief half-day boat cruise on the Li River and cycling around Yangshuo in the afternoon with our guide Gary. Gary met us at the airport and made us feel very welcome, providing us with five-star service. He gave us a lot of insight about Guilin and the Guangxi region and even gave us a tai chi lesson on the boat. He provided us excellent dining suggestions for the evening as well as suggestions of things to do. Thank you Gary for making our trip to Guilin so memorable! More
Regis B,
Sep 2023
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Rated 5 out of 5 stars
We were paired with great guides on every city, very knowleadgeble and hardworking people that made our trip fabulous. Jack in Beijing was brilliant and very resourceful making sure we enjoyed the city even when he wasn't with us. In Xi'An we were paired with Crystal that was incredibly smart and made sure we felt we had not only a guide but a friend to rely on in Xi'An, we loved how she made sure we tried the best food and fruit available and helped us from arrival to departure from Xi'An. Finally, kudos to Gary (Wei Li) that worked with us in Guiling and Yangshuo. Gary is a local to Guiling and truly proud of his city and origins. We learned a lot from him and he trully went above and beyond to ensure we had a great time in Guiling adjusting the itinerary to our liking and taking time to explain everything. On our flight out of Guiling we had a bit of an issue with our tickets (booked by ourselves) and Gary promptly lent a hand to help us sort it out with the airport staff, trully a champion. If you are heading to Guiling with Chinahighlights, make sure to have Gary as your guide. More
Moises,
Sep 2023
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Amazing tour!
Our guide, Linda, was by far the best person to have for our tours of The Forbidden City, Tianamen Square, and Mutianyu Great Wall. She was an encyclopedia with great knowledge of Chinese History and was able to explain every detail of what we were seeing. She picked us up with a very nice car and driver from our hotel both days, at the time most convenient to us, and dropped us back off wherever we wanted at the end of our tours. Both the Forbidden City and the Great Wall are marvels of human and Chinese achievements and are a must to see in Beijing. Visiting them both with a tour guide that feels more like a friend was certainly helping enjoying it even more. More
Robin Z,
Sep 2023
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Stunning Yellow Mountain and beautiful Ancient Villages
We had the most fantastic experience with our tour guide, Jack Fan, who is very knowledgeable about the Yellow Mountain and was able to get us quickly to the most stunning highlights. He was our "photographer" anytime we wanted a photo and that was very often. We made the most of our time having him guiding us. He was truly the mountain man as he is a local there. He is very passionate about what he does. He loves history, nature, and travel, which is a must for a guide. He provided historical facts about the stunning Ancient villages at Hong Cun and Xidi. He answered any questions we had about history, nature, and current things we had. I felt like he was a professor, and we were his students in a very good way. He was NEVER late, and neither was our driver. They never bought us anywhere to "sell" us things. He took us to buy tea only when we asked to buy a specific tea, staying much later than he should have! I wanted to check out lotus and rice fields, which was not on the itinerary, but he squeezed it in for us. We were very well taken care of. I highly recommend Jack for a tour guide who speaks English. More
annemompt,
Sep 2023
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An Unforgettable Tibetan Adventure - Qinghai Train Ride Y971
I recently embarked on an unforgettable journey to Tibet, a land steeped in mysticism and rich cultural heritage. My train trip on the famous scenic Qinghai route on train Y971 Lhasa played a significant role in making this trip an extraordinary experience.Upon my arrival in Lhasa via an overnight train, I was warmly welcomed by the guide assigned Tenzin Lhatse. He had waited for more than 3 hours as he was not informed there was a change in the train schedule. Nontheless, it did not dampen his warm attitude and the seamless transferfrom the train station to the hotel set a positive tone for my stay.The highlight of my stay was undoubtedly the visit to the iconic Potala Palace. The sheer grandeur and architectural brilliance of this historic site left me in awe. The guidance of my knowledgeable tour guide, who revealed the stories behind each shrine, enriched my experience. However, the strict visitor limits and rules underscored the importance of preserving this ancient marvel. The Old Barkhor Street Walking Tour was a journey through time. From Jokhang Temple to the bustling local market, each stop offered insights into Tibetan daily life and folk customs. The Pandatsang Compound's history and the cup of Tibetan sweet tea at Ani Tsangkhung Nunnery added unique flavors to the tour.Overall, my journey through Tibet was an incredible odyssey into a world of spirituality, culture, and natural beauty. I'm glad to have taken this step with my wife to challenge the train ride which was totally worthy of this lifetime. More
GOH-family-tours,
Sep 2023
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Wonderful trip to the Chinese Silk Road
Special shout out to our guide for the Gansu leg, Helen, who was the most caring guide we have come across in all of our travels. Make sure you ask for her! More
ED,
Sep 2023
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Fantastic first trip in Shanghai
My partner and I were visiting China for the first time. Our tour guide was Martin, who was friendly and very knowledgeable. He adjusted the tour to our needs and gave us an extensive tour of Shanghai as well as many fascinating insights on China. He also went above and beyond and offered us plenty of recommendations on what to do in the evenings, how to get there, and even made bookings for us. Martin, thanks again! More
Regis,
Sep 2023
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Yangshuo is magical from the misty…
The guide Lily has a great knowledge in hidden gems and the history about the places. Very memorable experience that i have thanks to them. More
Dony Yugo,
Sep 2023
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Beijing is AMAZING
Linda Wang our amazing tour guide helped us to have an unforgettable trip to all the best of Beijing. From organizing the driver (also excellent) to drop us/pick us up exactly when we were leaving busy tourist sites, excellent food recommendations, fascinating knowledge relevant to us and our children (13yo and 11yo) making The Forbidden City, Tiannamen Square, Great Wall, Beijing Zoo and The Hutongs thoroughly enjoyable. Handling all the entrance/exit passport and ticket requirements, interpreting, answering any questions we had about local culture, we were so comfortable and happy, never rushed, everything you could want and more. More
Michelle A,
Sep 2023
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Incredible 2 day tour of Jiuzhaiguo
Our tour guide Mary spoke perfect English, was so nice to us and took us to all the best sights in Jiuzhaiguo. It was an unforgettable tour with incredible views! More
Declan O,
Sep 2023
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Helen is the best Panda tour guide going around!
I had a fantastic Panda tour with Helen in Chengdu City. From the moment she picked me up, my energy was low from a heap of travelling, but Helen quickly brought me up a notch with her breathtaking passion for Pandas. Not only did she provide a fantastic experience accommodating my every need, but she was also a genuinely kind and joyful company to tour the city with. I can't recommend Helen enough - you won't regret it! More
Isaac C,
Sep 2023
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Two days in Xi’an
What an amazing few days in Xi’an! Our guide Jenny was first class - very knowledgeable and very helpful, she went out of her way to make sure we had the best experience like ordering us coffees & food and booking dinners for us. The highlight was of course visiting the Terracotta Warriors, but we also really enjoyed visiting a local family to make dumplings. Can’t recommend this trip and Jenny enough! More
Marvin K,
Sep 2023
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Fantastic experiences in Guilin and the beautiful surroundings together with Vincent.
Lib230524097 More
Go44854472794,
Sep 2023
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Itinerary Details
This 11-day suggested itinerary lets you understand China quickly, covering China's history, culture, nature, and modernization. This itinerary is just for your reference — your travel advisor can help you adjust it based on your requirements, interests, and budget.
Welcome to the capital of China — Beijing! A private driver and an English-speaking guide will be waiting to collect you in the airport lobby, holding a sign with your name and the China Highlights logo on it. Your local guide will help you to check in to your hotel and confirm the next day's collection time. The rest of the day is for you to spend as you wish. You can adjust to the jet lag at your hotel or go for a walk near your hotel.
Meals provided: breakfast and lunch
In the morning, your local guide will pick you up from your hotel lobby at the appointed time. The first stop is to visit the Temple of Heaven so that you will not miss seeing the local people doing their morning activities there, such as singing, tai chi, and so on. The temple was built in 1420 during the Ming Dynasty and is a complex of Taoist buildings where emperors from the Ming and Qing dynasties went for annual ceremonies to pray for good harvests. Taking pictures of this ancient building complex adds more fun to the day.
Next, you will enjoy some lunch. We have chosen local authentic restaurants throughout your tour and your guide will help you to order the food you like. After lunch, you will have a walk in Tian'anmen Square so you can digest your meal and learn about the square's history from your guide. At the end of Tian'anmen Square, you'll see the Forbidden City. You will have a totally different experience there from other tour groups. Your tour guide will help you to explore 12 carefully-selected places there, while other tour groups often visit only six to eight spots briefly. This is the best way to avoid the crowds.
If you are interested in Chinese history, you can stay there for longer and discuss things with your local guide.
Meals provided: breakfast and lunch
One of the highlights and a must-see attraction in Beijing is the Great Wall. We have chosen the Simatai section for you, which is 120 kilometers northeast of Beijing. It takes about 2½ hours to get to Simatai from central Beijing by car. It is not only less crowded but is also the only section that stays open for visitors at night. You can take a cable car ride up to the top of the Great Wall, switch your camera on, and learn about the wall's history from your guide as you walk along it.
The newly built Gubei Water Town is at the foot of the Great Wall. It is recommended to spend some time there in the afternoon. You also can experience hot springs there if you want to.
In the late afternoon, you will go up to the Simatai section of the Great Wall again with your local guide by cable car. Enjoy the romantic night views of the Great Wall and hope that your camera works well at that time as it will be an unforgettable experience.
Meals provided: breakfast and lunch
On your last day in Beijing, you will visit the Summer Palace in the morning, which is the largest and best-preserved royal park in China. The Summer Palace has greatly influenced Chinese horticulture and landscapes with its famous natural views and cultural interests, and has long been recognized as 'the Museum of Royal Gardens'. After lunch, you will say goodbye to Beijing as your guide and driver transfer you to the train station and help you catch the train to Xi'an.
Your local Xi'an guide and driver will pick you up at the train station and transfer you to your hotel.
Meals provided: breakfast and lunch
Xi'an is a historical city and was an ancient capital of China. The first attraction of the day is a top Xi'an highlight, the Terracotta Army, which was discovered accidentally in 1974. This incredible army of over 7,000 soldiers, archers, horses, and chariots in full battle array has guarded Emperor Qin's tomb since 210 BC. You can take some pictures with the army if you like.
After enjoying the wonders in the museum, you will have a chance to experience how to make small terracotta warriors with a local craftsman, which would make meaningful presents for your friends. Then, visit the local craftsman's cave dwelling and chat with him.
After lunch, your guide will accompany you to visit the ancient city wall, which was built in the 13th century on the foundations of the original Tang Forbidden City and surrounds the city center. You can walk or pay a fee to rent a bike (40 CNY per person) or an electric cart (80 CNY per person) to travel around the full 14-kilometer circuit, with great views of the city on either side.
Meals provided: breakfast and lunch
In the morning, your guide will meet you in your hotel lobby and take you to visit Shaanxi History Museum, which is quite simply one of the nation's best. There are four major galleries in large, Tang-style buildings, which house a vast and impressive collection that's beautifully displayed.
Then, you will have a look at Big Wild Goose Pagoda, which was built in the 7th century to house the Buddhist materials that Xuanzang (Tripitaka) brought back from his epic journey to India. The temple complex has several large halls with some great Buddhist statues and murals.
The last stop is Muslim Quarter. You will find thousands of Xi'an local snacks there and can enjoy some Muslim cuisine with your guide. In the late afternoon, your driver and guide will see you off at the airport in Xi'an to catch your flight to Guilin. Your new driver and guide will meet you at the airport in Guilin.
Meals provided: breakfast and lunch
In the morning, you will begin your day at the Longji Rice Terraces, which are located 2 hours' drive from the city.
The terraced fields are like chains or ribbons spreading from the foot of the hill to the top. The small ones look like spiral shells and some big ones are like towers. The fields are arranged tier by tier, looking both grand and beautiful.
Another impressive aspect of Longsheng is that many minority people live there. The Yao minority is the most popular one. You will have the chance to visit one of the minority people's homes and experience how to make bamboo-stuffed rice with them. You can also taste some oil tea if you want to.
Meals provided: breakfast and lunch
Can you imagine cruising along the Li River? After enjoying breakfast at your hotel, you will be transferred to the port to catch the cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo, which takes about 4 hours. During the cruise, you will not only see the view that's shown on the back of a 20 RMB note but will also enjoy the scenery of large karst mountains. You may see fishermen gliding along on their narrow bamboo rafts and, if you're very lucky, you might see one of the famous fishing cormorants.
After lunch, you will visit an ancient town, Fuli, which is known as the "the hometown of painted paper fans". There, you will experience how to paint a traditional landscape on a paper fan, which is another highlight of the day.
Stay overnight in a boutique hotel in Yangshuo.
Meals provided: breakfast and lunch
To understand the villagers' real lifestyle, you will visit a village family first, experiencing farming work with water buffalo. Then, you will take a local's special car, which has three wheels, to a local wet market and you can see how local people bargain there.
You will be transferred to Guilin Liangjiang International Airport to catch your flight to the modern city of Shanghai after lunch.
Meals provided: breakfast and lunch
Having left a countryside city, will you be excited to explore a modern Chinese city. Shanghai is the economic center of China. You still can dig up its history and traditional culture even though it's filled with many skyscrapers.
You will participate in our In-Depth Bund Culture Discovery Tour. Wander around the Bund and, during this 2-hour tour, you will be transported back to the 1920s. It will be different from other group tours as you will walk a route with your knowledgeable guide that tourists seldom find by themselves. See the original bricks and hear some interesting stories that you'll never find in history books.
After enjoying the views and stories in the Bund, you will visit Yu Garden, which is a private garden that was built in 1559 during the Ming Dynasty. It features typical classic Chinese architecture and style.
It is surrounded by a busy market place, including Shanghai Old Street and City God Temple Food Street, where visitors can find everything from popular local snacks, handicrafts, antiques, and souvenirs to some famous time-honored restaurants.
The final attraction is Shanghai Tower. As the world's second-tallest building, with 128 stories and a height of 632 meters (2,073 feet), it is a premier Shanghai highlight. You can enjoy a panoramic view of Shanghai there.
Meals provided: breakfast and lunch
Your 11-day China classic wonders tour has come to an end. You will say goodbye to your lovely guide and driver at Shanghai Pudong International Airport. We hope you have a safe trip back home.
Price Includes
Price from: $2,819 (Tour code: gh-cht-63)








Trip Notes
1.About the Travel Date
There will be two date options for the Chiang Mai CAD Khomloy Sky Lantern Festival 2020 including October 31st and November 1st, we will make sure you are there on the day you choose.
You can decide to create a krathong and have your riverside dinner on October 31 and then experience the Yi Peng mass lantern release on the 1st of November or vice versa.
2.About the Yi Peng Festival Celebration
There are three different kinds of seats available at the Chiang Mai CAD Khomloy Sky Lantern Festival including: Premium, VIP, and Standard.
This itinerary includes tickets for the VIP seats. Please let us know if you would like to upgrade to the Premium seats.
Guests who choose Premium or VIP seats will be much closer to the grand pagoda and have a better view of the religious ceremony. The Premium seats are located just next to the central stage and are the best place to take in the sky lantern release. The VIP seats are behind the Premium seats but are still much closer to the stage than the Standard seats.
Guests who choose Premium or VIP seats will have dinner at the premium or VIP area with a different menu than that of standard ticket holders.
3. About Accommodation
This itinerary tentatively does not include your hotel. However, we are happy to make a hotel reservation for you if you need it.
Your 1:1 travel consultant will reply within 1 working day. Over 50% of our clients complete their bookings within 10 days of submitting their inquiry.
Why Travel with Global Highlights (98.8% positive customer reviews among 10,000+)
- Unique experiences tailored to your interests: Enjoy a premium trip that goes beyond the typical tourist attractions.
- Hassle-free travel and peace of mind: Every aspect of your trip will be carefully planned and organized by your 1:1 travel consultant.
- Experienced and knowledgeable guides: Your guides will be local and love to work for travelers' smiles.
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