Getaway in North China

Nimen Hao! Greetings from China. Beijing, the capital of the world’s most populous nation, is a culinary haven with historic landmarks and cutting-edge architecture wherever you look. At 6 p.m. this evening, there will be a crucial welcoming meeting to kick off your tour. Your local leader will have a few suggestions, so after the meeting, check into your hotel and maybe meet up with your new travel companions for supper.

After exploring Beijing for a few hours in the morning, take a 3-hour private bus to the Gubeikou part of the ancient Great Wall. This portion of the Great Wall was initially built between AD 550 and AD 557 as a northern defensive line for Beijing (then known as Youzhou). It was further reinforced in the early years of the Ming Dynasty. A family-run guesthouse close by is where you’ll stay the night. Although the amenities aren’t as good as some of the other lodging options on this trip, the local friendliness more than makes up for it. Since it’s a great opportunity to try local goods and delectable home cooking, the majority of travellers tonight opt to eat supper at the guesthouse.

Accept an early start time and walk the Great Wall from the Gubeikou portion to the Jinshanling section. Spend five to six hours hiking over steep, isolated terrain while admiring the breathtaking views from this rather peaceful trek. While certain sections of the wall require you to step off the wall and walk beside it into the countryside, other sections are unrestored, so you’ll need to focus hard to maintain your footing. Although the journey will be difficult, the experience of being enmeshed in ancient history and seeing the wall winding over the hills for miles will be more than worth it.Return to the guesthouse after the hike, relax, enjoy a few beers or even pick up some mahjong skills from the locals.

Use your final afternoon in the capital by making the 3-hour trip back to Beijing before noon. While in the city, think about seeing the Temple of Heaven or enjoying a Peking Duck banquet in the city’s birthplace. Remember that you’ll be travelling to Xi’an by 13-hour overnight train this evening, so perhaps prepare some snacks and travel essentials. Although the train isn’t particularly opulent, it is unquestionably one of the greatest ways to experience the grandeur of this nation up close. For the trip, make sure you have a nice book or a tablet loaded with shows you can binge-watch.

Greetings from Xi’an, the largest city in northwest China and the capital of Shaanxi Province. To drop off your bags, proceed to the hotel. After that, take public transportation to the famed Terracotta Warriors, which will take two hours. Take a few hours to visit this amazing archaeological discovery, which was buried for two millennia before farmers dug a well and found it in 1974. After ascending to the throne in 264 BC, Emperor Qin Shi Huang commissioned these clay statues of soldiers, horses, and chariots to be included in his mausoleum.Less than 2000 of the 6000 warriors, each with a unique clothing, height, and even facial expression, are on display in the three main pits that are open for viewing. In the late afternoon, head back to Xi’an, check into your hotel, and spend the evening unwinding. Because of its Silk Road past, Xi’an boasts a diverse range of cultures, particularly in its culinary offerings. Why not have dinner and sample one of Xi’an’s many culinary specialities? Some of the greatest ones to try can be suggested by your leader.

Take a walking tour with a guide this morning to explore the Muslim Quarter, which is home to busy food markets, tiny lanes with charming stores, and Chinese Muslim life. After that, take advantage of some spare time until your evening train. After the walking tour, you can visit the Drum Tower, which is filled with instruments that were formerly used to record time and alert the populace in an emergency, or the Bell Tower, which is said to have been constructed to tame dragons that were creating earthquakes. Another choice is to explore the 13-kilometer-long City Walls and the Gates that are connected to it. You may rent a bike there and ride it around the entire perimeter. Take your second sleeper train, which will take about 16 hours, to Shanghai in the evening.

Shanghai pulsates with the pulse of modern China, fusing old-world charm with architecture from the twenty-first century. When you get there, take the crowded tube to your lodging. Have fun exploring for the entire day, but don’t worry if you can’t see all you want to because you’ll return later in your journey. Take a leader-led tour of the Bund, a row of amazing art deco-style skyscrapers, to get a sense of the city in the roaring 1920s. Explore Old Shanghai’s twisting, tiny streets, or “nongtangs,” to get a feel for local culture. Explore the French Concession, which was influenced by Europe, and then pound the pavement along Luwan’s bustling Huaihai Road, a shopping avenue.It was dubbed the ‘Paris of the East’ because of its tree-lined streets and numerous Tudor homes. Why not join together with some of your other travellers at night to sample Shanghai’s many culinary offerings?

Take a bullet train to Huangshan, also called Yellow Mountain, and enter the breathtaking countryside. In addition to offering a break from the hustle and bustle of the city, Huangshan’s 72 jagged peaks offer some of China’s most stunning landscapes. Stay in a guesthouse for the following two days, and use your free time to explore the area as you like. The Eastern Steps (7.5 km, around 3–4 hours) and the Western Steps (15 km) are two well-liked routes. Taking the cable car to the top, exploring the region, and then down by the Western Steps is the suggested route. Whatever you decide, the magnificent limestone peaks that surround this area provide some amazing views. After spending the day admiring Huangshan’s natural splendour, head back to the guesthouse for a well-earned night’s sleep.

Return to the Huizhou region’s charming villages by taking a public bus (about 2 hours). You may know the dilapidated, elaborate structures from the movie “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” and several of these settlements are now on the World Heritage list. After arriving in Hongcun and checking into your village guesthouse, your guide will take you on a tour of the Ming Dynasty architecture and cobbled pathways. You can spend the remainder of the day and evening as you like after this quick stroll. For sweeping vistas of the historic communities, you might want to climb up into the hillsides.Or perhaps you would rather ride a bicycle through the nearby communities. All the details regarding renting a bicycle and other optional activities will be available from your group leader.

Say goodbye to the beautiful countryside and take the 3-hour bullet train ride back to Shanghai. If you have time, try scheduling a traditional tea ceremony when you return in the middle of the day to discover the significance of this beverage in Chinese culture. There’s reason to celebrate tonight, so why not get together with your travel companions and enjoy a lavish meal at one of Shanghai’s excellent restaurants? Tonight is the ideal time to sample the city’s well-known xiao long bao (steamed soup dumplings), if you haven’t already.

Since there aren’t any events scheduled for today, you are free to depart the lodging whenever you choose as long as you follow the internal check-out procedures. Your experience doesn’t have to end here, though! We will be pleased to arrange you extra lodging if you would like to stay in Shanghai for a longer period of time (subject to availability).