Cultural Contrast Plus Natural Feast
During your 8 days in China, you will start your vacation from the capital city Beijing where you will visit some most magnificent World Heritage Sites and experience about ancient China imperial culture, then take a flight to Guilin which is famous for having "the finest scenery under heaven". You will not only visit Guilin and Yangshuo, but also go to see the beautiful Longji Rice Terraces. Lastly, you will end your vacation at the charming international city - Hong Kong.
Ni Hao! welcome to Beijing, the iconic city and capital of China! You will be met by our local tour guide at the arrival hall of Beijing Airport and escorted to your downtown hotel by a private comfortable vehicle. The rest of the day is your own to relax. If you want to explore nearby areas, feel free to get some practical suggestions from your tour guide.
Arrival Ideals: At present, there are many international and domestic flights to Beijing. Besides, you can take a high speed train to this capital city from Shanghai (5-6 hrs), Xian (5.5 hrs), Guangzhou (8-9.5 hrs), etc.
After breakfast, start to explore the historical face of Beijing with a brief visit to Tiananmen Square, now the largest city plaza in the world. Tiananmen Gate on the northern side of the square was the site where Chairman Mao announced the establishment of the People's Republic of China. Stepping into the Tiananmen, you will see one of the world’s five most important palaces – the Forbidden City, a huge palace complex of more than 9,000 rooms where 24 emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasties lived. Pass through various doorways in this magnificent structure to admire the beautiful and well preserved buildings decorated with yellow-glazed tile roofs, white marble bases and splendid colorful paintings.
Leave the city, drive about 70km to witness one of the Seven Wonders of the World - the Great Wall. Visit the Mutianyu, a less crowded yet well-preserved segment of the Great Wall built in the Ming Dynasty. It will more than live up to all of your expectations! You’ll take a cable car to ascend the Great Wall, then hike the most beautiful and interesting part of Mutianyu. It's a wonderful experience to climb up its rising towers to enjoy scenic views and take brag-worthy photos of the wall wriggling along mountain ridges. After the exciting time, descend Mutianyu Great Wall by cable car. (Note: If energy permits, you can hike up or down which takes about 40 minutes to climb steps. Please tell your likes to your travel consultant.)
Optional activities: 1) You can watch a wonderful Kungfu Show in the Red Theater (Hong Ju Chang) which usually starts at 19:30; 2) Enjoy the classic Chinese art performance of Beijing Opera at Liyuan Theater between 19:30-21:00.
Forbidden City
Taking a leisure hiking on Mutianyu Great Wall
After breakfast, drive to the imperial site – Temple of Heaven. It was originally used to pay homage to Heaven and pray for harvest, now becomes a bustling place for locals to take part in traditional activities, such as Tai Chi, dancing, kite flying, water calligraphy, etc.
Then, get back to central city to hop on a rickshaw to experience Beijing Hutongs – small alleys made of neighboring quadrangle dwellings. Shuttle among different Hutongs to feel the old Beijing life style, meet various antique shops and small boutiques, feel the historical changes of Beijing, also pay a visit to a local family's home in the traditional Hutongs.
Till now, your Beijing tour is about to end. Your tour guide will see you off at the airport for your flight to Guilin (about 3 hours). Be pick up by our tour guide at Guilin Liangjiang Airport, and escorted to your downtown hotel in Guilin.
The majestic Temple of Heaven in Beijing
Trace back to the Past, Experience the Traditional Lifestyle in Hutong
As the declaration in Chinese textbook "Guilin’s landscape is the best under heaven", today you will explore this best landscape starting with a relaxing sightseeing cruise along the Li River from Mopanshan Pier to Yangshuo Town. Along the 84-kilometer cruise, dazzling scenery overwhelms your eyes like a vast endless Chinese painting of winding river, green limestone karst mountains, fascinating countryside views, amazing scene of A Painting of Nine Horses, and notable view printed on the back of the 20 RMB note. (Please note: Lunch is served by the cruise with simple local Chinese cuisine. And you can take some snacks when getting on board.)
After about 4 hours’ cruise, disembark in Yangshuo Town, and check in your hotel. After a short break, start your impressive exploration of the best charming sightseeing and ideal countryside ease at Yulong River. Let all the refreshing scenes please your eyes and souls to the utmost. Just enjoy every moment with the Karst hills dotted around, chatting stream, rippling mountain reflection, swaying floras, patches of vivid crops, comfortable breeze….There are diverse kinds of ways for your enjoyment of the fun and beauty, including biking, hiking, sightseeing bus, bamboo rafting and scooter. You can easily choose and combine your ideal way(s) and part of Yulong River. (Please tell your likes to your travel consultants before booking the tour, as the final prices will differ by activities you choose.).
Biking (some physically demanding & sightseeing by the river) - Ride to enjoy the river view and the real fields (route: Yangshuo - Jima - Shuiedi Dock - Gongnong Bridge - West Street; for 1.5-2 hours).
Bamboo Rafting (relaxing and interesting & sightseeing on the river) - have fun with the classic bamboo rafting (Route A: Shuiedi Dock - Gongnong Bridge for 40-50 minutes; Route B: Jima Dock - Gongnong Bridge for 1.5 hours) to see the more serene view like pieces of traditional Chinese landscape ink paintings.
Sightseeing Bus (most leisurable and comfortable & sightseeing on the road) - sit leisurely on the bus from Jima to Gongnong Bridge to appreciate the lovely countryside view (about 0.5 hour). You can get off and on anywhere on the middle way to explore more about your interested place.
This evening is for you to walk leisurely on the ancient West Street to witness how the western culture and Chinese culture perfectly and peacefully coexist here. Whether you want to enjoy a cup of drink in bar, taste some local food, or just experience the relaxing atmosphere, you get it here.
Note: according to the regulations of Yulong River Tourism, children less than 1 meter high and elders over 70 years old are not allowed to take the bamboo rafting.
Optional evening activity:
Watch the splendid evening performance of Impression Liu Sanjie with the Li River itself as the stage, which was directed by famous director - Zhang Yimou (usually performs for an hour between around 19:45 and 22:20).
Panorama of Yangshuo Ten-mile Gallery Countryside
Visit Yangshuo West Street at Night
Lush Guilin Li River Scenery, Taken by Claire from UK in October 2021
Chusi's family visited Moon Hill at Yangshuo Ten-mile Gallery in June, 2018
In this morning, you’ll be driven about 150 kilometers (about 4 hours) to witness one of the most beautiful rice terraces in China - Longji Rice Terrace, an amazing feat of farm engineering rising up to 1000m high in Longsheng County. There are several featured Zhuang and Yao minority villages along the road and you’ll take a visit to the special Huangluo Yao Village, the First Village of Long Hair in the World, where you can see women in red ethnic clothes with very long hairs (the longest can reach up to 1.7 meters).
Later, continue your drive to a beautiful 600-year-old Zhuang Village - Ping’an and check in your hotel located near the rice terraces. After some rest, start to explore the breathtaking views. The rice terrace is layer upon layer, like the changing ladder created by nature leading to the blue sky, forming a majestic painting between heaven and earth. From Ping’an, you can hike on the cobbled paths built among terraces to catch the best landscape. Climb up to the great lookouts at Seven Stars with Moon and Nine Dragons and Five Tigers from which you can get superlative views of terraces and villages. Hike half day around, then back to Ping’an for dinner and accommodation.
Good to Know:
1. Best time to visit: Longji Rice Terrace can be visited all year round. Go mid-April to late June for mirror-like irrigated terrace and rice transplanting scene; go July to mid-September for green terraces; go late September to early-November for golden and harvest scene; or go late December to early February for silvery terraces.
2. Walking: When arriving at Ping’an Village, you can only be dropped at Ping’an Village Tourist Center parking lot that you need to walk about 900 steps to your hotel. Comfortable shoes are highly recommended!
3. Luggage carrying: For the aged or travelers who are lack of physical strength, you’d better hire a local porter to help carry your heavy luggage to the hotel (pay extra expense on your own).
Longji Rice Terrices in late September 2019, Taken by Our Customer Caryn from Australia
Wake up in the fresh air of peaceful morning, you may forget where you are. Enjoy the magnificent sunrise which is quite amazing. The rest time is on your own to have fun around - you can take some leisure walking around, or go to communicate with local people and experience ethnic culture in the villages. If you are a shutterbug, of course it is the wonderful time in this perfect place to take some beautiful photos.
Lastly, drive about 2 hours to Guilin Airport to catch your flight to Hong Kong. You will arrive at the Hong Kong International Airport after 1.5 hours' flying, and then be picked by your tour guide and transfferred to your hotel.
Optional transfer: You can also take a high speed train directly from Guilin West Station to Hong Kong which starts only at around 13:30 p.m. and rides about 3.5 hours. Besides, if the train does not match your schedule, you can transfer more flexibly first by bullet train to Guangzhou South Station for 2-3 hours or to Shenzhen North Station for 3-3.5 hours, since there are more train options from Guilin to Guangzhou and Shenzhen every day. And then take a high speed train to Hong Kong from Guangzhou for about 1 hour or from Shenzhen for about 15-20 minutes.
Delma from Ireland visited Longsheng Rice Terraces in July, 2021
After breakfast, you will be picked up from selected hotels in downtown area by your private tour guide and driver to start the exciting Hong Kong exploration.
Firstly, you will climb to the highest point of Hong Kong - Victoria Peak(552m) via the famous Peak Tram which has operated for more than 112 years as one of the world oldest funicular railways. Walk through the verdant woods to explore hidden old buildings left by the old Hong Kong. Also ascend to the observation deck to sweep the magnificent Hong Kong skyline and tranquil harbor views. Get down from the peak, then go to visit Aberdeen Fishing Village where you will get an impressive insight of an old traditional fishing village to view the rows of old Junks and Sampans.
Continue to take a trip to Repulse Bay. Known as the Hawaii of Orient, the Repulse Bay is the most beautiful sand beach with long coastline, soft sand, clean water and appropriate temperature. After the leisure break in Repulse Bay, proceed to the Stanley Market. Browse fancy petty commodities in various little stores and enjoy the fun of bargaining, or just order a cup of coffee or beer at the seaside café or pub, a great way to spend time away from the maddening crowds.
After the tour, transfer back you your hotel.
Suggested Afternoon & Evening Itinerary:
In this afternoon, pay a visit to Sik Sik Yuen Wong Tai Sin Temple. This Taoist temple is dedicated to a deified healer named Wong Tai Sin and it is said that when he was 15 an immortal taught Wong how to make a herbal potion that could cure all illness. This temple is famed for the many prayers answered “What you request is what you get” via a practice called kau chim. Enjoy the sincere atmosphere of praying and kau chim for good fortune. Later, move your steps to Nan Lian Garden, an elegant Tang-style garden featuring a golden pagoda, a koi pond and a collection of bizarre rocks sourced from all over China. Enjoy your time in the beautiful Chi Lin Nunnery located close to the garden. Built in the style of Tang Dynasty, this Buddhist complex is a serene place with lotus ponds, bonsai tea plants, bougainvillea and silent nuns delivering offerings fruit and rice to Buddha or chanting behind intricately carved screens.
In the late evening, enjoy a light walk along Avenue of Stars situated on the Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade right on the waterfront of Victoria Harbor. Admire stunning views of the Victoria Harbor and Hong Kong Island with its numerous skyscrapers. If time allows, catch the chance to watch “A Symphony of Lights” that is held every night at 20:00.
Panoramic View from Victoria Peak during Daytime
Hong Kong Star Ferry
Today is free for you to explore your own fun in this charming city of Hong Kong. Lastly, you will be transfered to the airport to catch your flight to next destination.
No documents found.
No documents found.
Hong Kong / Guilin / Xian / Beijing
Hong Kong / Guilin / Yangshuo / Longsheng / Chengdu / Chongqing / Yangtze Cruise / Yichang / Zhangjiajie / Shanghai / Xian / Beijing
Hong Kong / Guilin / Longsheng / Yangshuo / Guilin
“Very good experience”
“WONDERFUL 25 DAYS IN CHINA - PRIVATE TOUR”
“Awesome China tour from northeast to southwest”
1,580+
Reviews
