Two Kinds of Water

Overview

Most people do this country in two weeks and come home with a list. Twenty-one days buys something else: the same route, with the middle of each day left alone. Three nights each in Beijing, Xi'an and Chengdu, three more in Shanghai at the end, and four days across the trip with nothing scheduled at all. The design has one thread running under it, which is water and what people here have done with it. In Chengdu you stand on a waterworks that split a river in two in the 3rd century BC and has never stopped. Outside Shanghai you walk into a garden where the same instinct was used to bring water inside a courtyard wall. Between those two, the plan reaches for a valley of still water on the plateau and a river gorge deep enough to move a ship, and those are the two legs we have not finished sourcing. By the second week you'll notice you have stopped counting cities.

— LyrikTrip travel designers

Every LyrikTrip journey begins with a conversation. Tell us your dates and who is coming. First reply within four hours; a clear price for your dates within one business day. On this route we will also tell you, before you are asked for anything, exactly where the plateau leg and the river leg stand, and we will not quote you a price for days we have not bought.

Why you'll love this trip

China at half the speed. The Forbidden City, the Terracotta Warriors, pandas, water towns and the Bund, with English-speaking guides city by city.
21 days from a valley lake that never moves to a river that carries your ship. See what a country does with water.

Ride the cable car up to the Great Wall at Mutianyu and take the toboggan back down: you get a restored run of watchtowers stepping along the ridge, and your knees get the day off.
Climb the hill in Jingshan Park at the end of the palace day and look back down: the golden roofs you spent the morning walking between line up under you on one straight axis.
Stand over the pits at the Terracotta Warriors, where an estimated eight thousand figures were buried to follow one man: your guide shows you how to tell a general from a crossbowman by his armour and the knot of his hair.
Ride a bicycle along the top of the Xi'an city wall, one of the most complete surviving city walls in China: two abreast, the old city on one side and the new one on the other, for as long as you feel like pedaling.
Walk out onto Dujiangyan, where someone divided a river in two in the 3rd century BC without a dam, and watch it still doing the job today: the whole idea behind this route is standing under your feet.
Spend the morning at the panda base while the animals are still active, then devote the entire afternoon to a bamboo chair in People's Park, with a gaiwan that keeps being refilled as long as you stay.
Take a rowing boat through the canals of Zhujiajiao, then step into Kezhi Garden, where a family brought the same water inside their own walls and built a house around it.

Things to do

Dujiangyan Irrigation System, Dujiangyan

Former French Concession and Wukang Road, Shanghai

Heritage

Viewpoint

Great Wall

Family

Landmark

Museum

Culture

Heritage

Cycling

City

Pagoda

Nature

City

Heritage

Wellness

Riverfront

Heritage

Museum

Water

City

Heritage

Viewpoint

Great Wall

Family

Landmark

Museum

Culture

Heritage

Cycling

City

Pagoda

Nature

City

Heritage

Wellness

Riverfront

Heritage

Museum

Water

City

Heritage

Viewpoint

Great Wall

Family

Landmark

Museum

Culture

Heritage

Cycling

City

Pagoda

Nature

City

Heritage

Wellness

Riverfront

Heritage

Museum

Water

City

Itinerary

Arrivals

Beijing · Day 1 - Day 3

Day 1 · Land, and do nothing

Your driver meets your flight, whatever time it lands. Twenty-one days is long enough that the first one can be spent badly.

Airport pickup Your driver and vehicle are waiting for the flight number on your confirmation, and the run into the city is yours to sleep through.

Beijing through the window Ring roads first, then poplars and the lit shopfronts of an ordinary street. The country you flew this far for shows up before you have unpacked anything.

Evening Nothing is scheduled. Your guide is reachable, and dinner near the hotel is recommended and booked for you if you want it, on your account.

Day 2 · One axis, then the view of it

The palace in the morning, the hill behind it in the afternoon. Today you discover that this city was designed before it was built.

The Forbidden City Your timed slot is booked ahead under your passport name, so you walk in on schedule. Inside, one axis: the ceremonial halls where the court did its business, the living quarters behind them, the imperial garden at the end, then out through the north gate. Stand in the middle of the main courtyard and look back through the gates you came in by. They line up, one inside another, all the way out to the square.

Pace The palace is large and guests regularly find it exhausting, so the route is cut to that single line, with the seats we know about built into it.

Jingshan Park Twenty minutes of steps, straight out of the palace's north gate, and then the pavilion at the top. From up there the morning turns into a diagram: golden roof behind golden roof, all of it on one line that keeps going north and south past the edges of what you can see. This is the fifteen seconds worth filming today, shot looking south.

Day 3 · The wall, without the climb

A cable car takes you up and a sledge brings you down. The wall was built to stop horses, not people, and from up there you can see why that distinction mattered.

Drive out to Mutianyu The run north out of the city takes a good part of the morning, which is why nothing else is on today. The vehicle stays with you all day.

Cable car up The climb is done for you. You step off onto a restored stretch of wall with watchtowers running away along the ridge in both directions, and your guide points out the beacon towers, the pass below, and why the sightlines fall where they do. Look along the ridge with the towers stepping down it: that is today's picture.

Lunch Not arranged today. Your guide books a table near the wall on your account, or you eat back in the city, whichever suits the morning you have had.

Toboggan down A seated sled on a metal track through the trees, about twenty minutes, and it puts you at the bottom with your legs intact for tomorrow.

High-speed rail

Xi'an · Day 4 - Day 6

Day 4 · Round for heaven, square for earth

Three stops and an afternoon train: the fullest day in the 21. By tonight you will be able to read a Chinese building without being told what it is.

Tiananmen Square You cross the ceremonial centre of modern China on foot. Screening comes first and takes its own half hour to an hour, so it sits in the day's budget separately; your guide walks you to the nearest entrance.

National Museum of China On the east side of the square, entered free on the reservation we booked under your passport name. Two hours, edited rather than exhaustive: bronzes first, then ceramics and the Buddhist sculpture, so that what you saw yesterday in the palace gets a date and a maker.

Temple of Heaven The Hall of Prayer, the Imperial Vault and the Circular Mound, on one line. Your guide gives you the key in a sentence, round belongs to heaven and square belongs to earth, and then leaves you to spot it yourself: the platforms, the roofs, the balustrades, the terrace under your feet.

High-speed rail to Xi'an Late afternoon, station transfer by your own vehicle, then the train south. Cabin class for your order is stated in writing in your quote. Your Xi'an guide meets the train.

Day 5 · Eight thousand men, for one man

One site, one day, no filler. The scale is not the point here; the individual faces are.

The Terracotta Warriors An estimated eight thousand figures in formation, dug out where they stood and left there, so you are looking down into the excavation rather than at objects in cases. Your guide teaches you to read a rank before you walk the pits: armour plates, stance, and the way the hair is knotted separate a general from a crossbowman from a foot soldier.

The newer excavation areas Traces of the original pigment are still visible on some figures here. They were painted, all of them, and the gray you have seen in photographs is what happened after the air got in.

Timing Crowds here run heavy in season, so your entry hour is set by us against that day rather than left to chance, and the day carries nothing else.

Day 6 · A wall you ride instead of climb

Beijing's wall runs across mountains; this one runs in a rectangle around a city. The same idea, used to keep something in rather than out.

Xi'an City Wall by bicycle You take a bicycle at the hire point on the wall and ride the top, two abreast, for as long as you feel like. Outside the parapet: the modern city. Inside: the old grid, still laid out the way it was drawn. Gate towers come up at the corners and give you a reason to stop.

Bell Tower and Drum Tower The two towers that kept this city's time, standing where the old grid crosses itself. One rang the morning, one beat the night.

The Muslim Quarter after dark You walk in as the food streets open, past the flat breads coming off the wall of the oven and the men working a lump of persimmon dough with a wooden mallet. Nothing here is a set menu; your guide tells you what each thing is and you decide. Anything you eat is on your account.

High-speed rail

Chengdu · Day 7 - Day 9

Day 7 · Over the Qinling

A temple in the morning, a mountain range in the afternoon. You cross the line where northern China becomes southern China, and the window does the explaining.

Giant Wild Goose Pagoda grounds The temple raised around a pagoda built to hold the sutras a monk brought back overland from India, still a working Buddhist site with its own resident community. You walk the grounds and the halls. The ticket to climb the pagoda is separate at the door and not included; your guide will tell you whether the queue is worth it that morning.

High-speed rail to Chengdu Afternoon departure, and the line goes under the Qinling in a series of long tunnels. Watch what happens between them: the dry, pale north gives way to wet green slopes and terraced water, and by the time you come out the other side the air in the carriage has changed. Cabin class for your order is stated in writing in your quote.

Arrival Your Chengdu guide meets the train, and the evening is yours. Dinner near the hotel is recommended and booked for you if you want it, on your account.

Day 8 · A morning that moves, an afternoon that does not

Pandas first, while they are still awake. Then a chair, and nowhere to be.

Chengdu Panda Base You are there in the morning, the hours when the animals are generally moving: eating, coming down off things, dropping back to sleep in the fork of a tree. Flat shaded paths and about three hours. Get to an enclosure fence early and wait rather than walk on: the animal comes over on its own schedule, not on yours.

Teahouse sitting in People's Park Bamboo chairs under the trees, a gaiwan each, the lidded cup China brews in, refilled by a man with a long-spouted kettle as long as you stay. Cards at the next table. An ear cleaner two tables over, working with a tuning fork; that is his own trade and yours to buy or not. An hour in, you'll notice you have stopped planning the rest of the day.

Rest day This is the first of four days across the 21 with nothing scheduled after it. The afternoon runs as long as you sit there.

Day 9 · Someone divided a river

A full day out of the city, and the reason this route exists. Today the trip stops being a list of places and becomes an argument about water.

Dujiangyan irrigation system Begun in the 3rd century BC, and it splits the Min River in two without a dam. One arm is turned onto the plain to irrigate it; the other is left to take the flood away. You walk out over the divide with both arms of the river under you and your guide shows you the three parts doing the work: the head that splits the flow, the spillway that dumps the excess, and the cut through the rock that meters what goes through.

Why it is not a ruin This is not a site that used to work. The Chengdu plain has been fed by it continuously since it was built, which is the difference between a monument and a machine.

Mount Qingcheng Half an hour on, one of the mountains where Taoism organised itself into a religion, green to the summit. You visit a small temple that is in use rather than the main halls on the tourist route, sit down with a priest who lives there, and do a taiji session on the ground in front of it. The cableway is not included and the walking route we take does not need it.

High-speed rail

Jiuzhaigou · Day 10 - Day 13

Day 10 · Up the railway, and nothing else

Half a day of climbing on rails, from 500 metres to 2,000. From here to day 18, the plan is designed and not yet sourced, and we say so at the top of every one of those days.

Not sourced yet The Chengdu breakfast on this morning is the last included item until Shanghai. The rail leg from here, the four nights at the mouth of the valley and everything on days 11 to 18 carry no inclusion, no price and no promise in your quote. This is why the route is not open for booking. See Special Notes.

What the design intends The railway rather than the plane, roughly three and a half hours, climbing from the Chengdu plain at about 500 metres to the county at the valley mouth at about 2,000. Nothing heavy is scheduled on arrival, deliberately: the altitude gets an evening and a night before you ask anything of it.

The window The plain runs out, the line starts working, and the rivers below the track turn from brown to a hard pale green. That colour change is the first sign of where you are going.

Day 11 · The valley

One full day inside the valley, from the mouth upward. This is the day the route was named for, and it is also the day we cannot yet sell you.

Not sourced yet No operator and no valley-mouth hotel are on record for this route. Nothing below is included, priced or promised.

The valley loop as designed The in-park shuttle carries you up the arms of the valley, and the loop for the day is chosen that morning by the guide against the season and the crowds rather than fixed in advance. The plan finishes in the early afternoon so the return is not a rush.

The two the design reaches for A lake clear enough that trunks sunk decades ago are still legible on the bottom, and a waterfall that is remarkable for its width rather than its drop, spread across the valley floor in a long low line.

What you should know either way The valley sits between about 2,000 and 3,100 metres and it draws heavy crowds in season. Both facts are in the design, and both are stated to you before any date is discussed.

Day 12 · A forest, a mask, a potato cake

A rest day by design, with two short stops in it. Today is about the people who live here rather than the scenery.

Not sourced yet Nothing below is included, priced or promised on this route.

The valley panda centre Pandas kept in native mountain forest rather than in a city enclosure, which is a different thing to look at from the Chengdu base four days ago. We are holding the English form of this centre's name back until we have verified it against a published source, so it appears here by description rather than by name.

Baima Tibetan village The design allows for an afternoon in a Baima village, featuring a masked Chou dance and potato cakes that the household prepares with you, which everyone then enjoys together. The reason it's an afternoon rather than a scheduled show is that once it becomes a formal performance, it loses its authenticity—a sourcing principle we uphold rather than just a marketing line.

Day 13 · The road the tea went up

An old trading town on the Tea Horse Road, and an afternoon at a workbench. Today explains why anyone built a town this high in the first place.

Not sourced yet Nothing below is included, priced or promised on this route.

Songpan old town Gates, an old street and a covered bridge on the road that carried tea up onto the plateau and brought horses down off it, for several hundred years. Han, Tibetan, Qiang and Hui merchants historically kept shops on the same street here, which is why the doorways along one lane do not look like they belong to one place.

Tibetan leather workshop A Tibetan craftsman takes you through cutting, stitching and stamping a small piece of leather, and the finished piece goes home with you. It is the one thing the design has you carry out of the mountains yourself.

Rail or flightto confirm

Chongqing · Day 14 - Day 16

Day 14 · Down off the plateau

A full transfer day and no apology for it. The altitude gives back about 1,750 metres between breakfast and dinner.

Not sourced yet This leg is not sourced, and the routing itself is not settled. Two records disagree on whether this day runs by rail through Chengdu or by air from the local airport, and we will name one before we sell anything.

What is settled The day carries no sightseeing either way. A transfer this long takes up the whole day rather than having a site squeezed onto the end of it.

What you feel Dropping from about 2,000 metres back to about 250 is a physical event even though you spend it sitting down. Sleep on this leg if you can. Tomorrow you get on a ship.

Day 15 · On board

A morning in Chongqing, then you stop steering. From this afternoon until Yichang, nothing needs looking up.

Not sourced yet A three-night downstream sailing with an all-in fare exists on file for the 2026 season, but no order has been placed for this route: no cabin grade, no fare basis. The Chongqing ground handling and its hotel night sit outside that fare by definition and have no operator on record either. Nothing here is included, priced or promised.

What the design intends The ship boards in the afternoon, which leaves the morning in the city that stacks itself up the slope between two rivers. The sailing on file runs on Fridays only, and that single fact drives the departure calendar for the whole 21 days.

The change of unit For the next three days you stop measuring the trip in kilometres and start measuring it in bends. The banks move; you do not.

Day 16 · The gorges

A rest day that requires nothing of you at all. The river narrows twice today, and both times the walls come up faster than you expect.

Not sourced yet Nothing below is included, priced or promised on this route.

What the design intends The sailing runs the first two gorges in daylight. The first is the short one, where the river is squeezed between cliffs into its narrowest run; the second is the long one, walls stepping back one behind another for tens of kilometres.

What a shore stop would be Any landing on this stretch belongs to the ship's own programme, not to ours. When the order is placed we will list the calls by name in your itinerary, and until then we list none.

Yangtze cruise

Yichang · Day 17

Day 17 · The other end of the argument

Twenty-two centuries after Dujiangyan, the same river problem, answered with concrete. Today closes the thread that opened on day nine.

Not sourced yet Nothing below is included, priced or promised on this route.

The Three Gorges Dam The design puts you at the dam on the last full day on the water. What makes it worth a day is not its size but the comparison you are carrying: on day nine you stood on a solution that divided a river and let it keep running, and here is what the same civilization built when it decided to stop one instead.

What is not settled Whether the dam visit falls inside the ship's fare or is bought separately depends on the cabin grade we end up ordering, so it is not stated as included anywhere until that order exists.

Flight

Shanghai · Day 18 - Day 21

Day 18 · The river hands you over

Off the ship in the morning, into Shanghai by evening. The last stretch of water on this route is the water the first two were always heading for.

The flight is not sourced The Yichang to Shanghai sector has no carrier and no cabin class on record for this route, so it is not included or priced. From your arrival in Shanghai onward, everything below is in the base price again.

Arrival in Shanghai Your Shanghai guide takes over at the airport, and the vehicle runs you to the hotel. Three nights here, and the bags are not moving again.

The Bund after dark The historic waterfront holds one bank of the Huangpu and the Pudong towers hold the other, a century apart and looking straight at each other across the water. Your guide stays with you for the whole evening; the promenade has a well-known approach involving English practice and an invitation to tea, and you will not be handling it by yourself. Standing between the two banks, you'll feel the eighteen days behind you close into a single line of water.

Day 19 · A garden and a room of bronzes

Slow morning, flat ground, indoor afternoon. After a week of moving, today asks for nothing above walking pace.

Yu Garden and the old city Pavilions, rockery, ponds and a path that never runs straight, set in the oldest quarter of the city. Flat the whole way, about two hours, and the lanes outside the garden wall come with it.

Shanghai Museum Bronzes, ceramics, painting and calligraphy. Free entry on the reservation we booked under your passport name, because the system's English support is limited and this is not one to try at the door. Go to the bronzes first: you saw the same vessels in Beijing on day four, and 17 days of context have happened since.

Evening Nothing is scheduled. Your guide recommends and books dinner if you want it, on your account.

Day 20 · Water, brought indoors

An hour west of the city, a canal town and a garden. The third thing this country does with water, after dividing it and damming it: it moves in next to it.

Zhujiajiao by rowing boat You go through the town on the water rather than beside it, under stone bridges, past back doors and washing steps that go straight down into the canal. The boat fare is included in the base price.

Kezhi Garden A merchant family built a house, a school and a garden around their own piece of that same water, so that what is a working canal outside the wall becomes a pond with a pavilion over it inside. Stand at the pond edge and look back at the roofline: this is what the last three weeks have been about, done at the size of one family. You'll find yourself doing the arithmetic backward, from this pond to the dam to the divide at Dujiangyan.

Rest day The last of the four. Lunch in the town is on your account, and the afternoon runs at whatever pace the boat left you in.

Day 21 · Plane trees, then the ferry, then home

The loosest morning of the 21, and then a driver. You leave from the water, which is the only correct way to end this particular trip. 21

Former French Concession and Wukang Road Plane-tree streets, historic houses and small independent shops, walked without a schedule. Nothing here has an opening time you need to make.

Huangpu River ferry You cross the river on the boat people take to work, at the rail with commuters and their scooters, for the price of a fare that is in your base price. It is a short ride and it is the last thing this route asks you to look at.

Airport drop-off Your driver takes you to the airport, timed to your flight with room to spare. If a late flight leaves the day open, tell us and we plan the gap around your check-out rather than around a schedule.

Departures

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Hotels

These are sample stays typically included in the itinerary. Final pricing depends on the hotel level selected.

Shanghai

Shanghai Royal Garden Hotel (Shanghai International Resort)

Shanghai Royal Garden Hotel: a luxury garden hotel near Pudong Airport and Disneyland, with free shuttle service to both.

Beijing

Atour Hotel (Beijing West Railway Station South Square)

Upscale local hotel near Beijing West Railway Station South Square.

Jiuzhaigou

Sheraton Jiuzhaigou Resort

A full-service resort near Jiuzhaigou National Park, ideal for early park starts and a quiet evening return.

Jiuzhaigou

Hotel Indigo Jiuzhai, an IHG Hotel

A boutique luxury resort inspired by Tibetan and Qiang culture, offering stylish accommodation and immersive local experiences near Jiuzhaigou National Park.

Shanghai

Bellagio by MGM Shanghai on the Bund

A curated hotel option in Shanghai, used as the shared route hotel resource.

Shanghai

Pullman Shanghai Zhongganghui Hotel

Pullman Shanghai Zhongganghui Hotel, in Dapuqiao near Tianzifang, steps from Metro Line 9 and the Expo site.

Chengdu

Hilton Chengdu Chenghua

A practical Chengdu base for travellers who want easy city access, relaxed days out, and a comfortable return after sightseeing.

Chengdu

Atour Hotel Chengdu Taikoo Li Chunxi Road Pedestrian Street

A simple Chengdu stay near Chunxi Road, ideal for travellers who want easy walks, food stops and short city transfers.

Chongqing

Chongqing Marriott Hotel

A reliable Chongqing stay for travellers who want comfort after exploring the city’s hills, rivers, bridges, and night views.

Chongqing

Wuyu Sky Garden Hotel

A curated hotel option in Chongqing, used as the shared route hotel resource.

Xi'an

Shangri-La Hotel

Shangri-La Hotel Xi'an: five-star luxury near the Terracotta Warriors, 35 minutes from the airport.

Xi'an

Sheraton Xi'an North City Hotel

Sheraton Xi'an North City: five-star luxury five minutes from the Daming Palace, with an indoor pool and wellness centre.

Chongqing

Pagoda Hotel Chongqing Jiefangbei

Beijing

Beijing Marriott Hotel Northeast

International luxury hotel in Beijing, ideal for business trips and city breaks.

Shanghai

Atour S Hotel Shanghai Hongqiao Centre Aegean

Atour S Hotel in Hongqiao: steps from Aegean Place and Metro Line 10, six km from the National Exhibition and Convention Centre.

Chengdu

The Temple House

Boutique luxury hotel set within a restored Qing-dynasty courtyard near Taikoo Li, boasting one of Chengdu's most striking design statements.

Yichang

The Westin Yichang

A curated hotel option in Yichang, used as the shared route hotel resource.

Jiuzhaigou

Noble Guest Hotel

A culturally inspired hotel near the entrance to Jiuzhaigou National Park, offering convenient access and a comfortable stay for travellers exploring the scenic valley.

Beijing

DoubleTree by Hilton Beijing East Third Ring Road

International upscale hotel in Beijing, suitable for business and leisure stays.

Shanghai

Atour S Hotel Shanghai Lujiazui Pudong Avenue

Atour S Hotel Shanghai Lujiazui: a stylish stay in Pudong, minutes from the Bund, Jin Mao Tower and Shanghai Tower.

Shanghai

Shanghai Royal Garden Hotel (Shanghai International Resort)

Shanghai Royal Garden Hotel: a luxury garden hotel near Pudong Airport and Disneyland, with free shuttle service to both.

Beijing

Atour Hotel (Beijing West Railway Station South Square)

Upscale local hotel near Beijing West Railway Station South Square.

Jiuzhaigou

Sheraton Jiuzhaigou Resort

A full-service resort near Jiuzhaigou National Park, ideal for early park starts and a quiet evening return.

Jiuzhaigou

Hotel Indigo Jiuzhai, an IHG Hotel

A boutique luxury resort inspired by Tibetan and Qiang culture, offering stylish accommodation and immersive local experiences near Jiuzhaigou National Park.

Shanghai

Bellagio by MGM Shanghai on the Bund

A curated hotel option in Shanghai, used as the shared route hotel resource.

Shanghai

Pullman Shanghai Zhongganghui Hotel

Pullman Shanghai Zhongganghui Hotel, in Dapuqiao near Tianzifang, steps from Metro Line 9 and the Expo site.

Chengdu

Hilton Chengdu Chenghua

A practical Chengdu base for travellers who want easy city access, relaxed days out, and a comfortable return after sightseeing.

Chengdu

Atour Hotel Chengdu Taikoo Li Chunxi Road Pedestrian Street

A simple Chengdu stay near Chunxi Road, ideal for travellers who want easy walks, food stops and short city transfers.

Chongqing

Chongqing Marriott Hotel

A reliable Chongqing stay for travellers who want comfort after exploring the city’s hills, rivers, bridges, and night views.

Chongqing

Wuyu Sky Garden Hotel

A curated hotel option in Chongqing, used as the shared route hotel resource.

Xi'an

Shangri-La Hotel

Shangri-La Hotel Xi'an: five-star luxury near the Terracotta Warriors, 35 minutes from the airport.

Xi'an

Sheraton Xi'an North City Hotel

Sheraton Xi'an North City: five-star luxury five minutes from the Daming Palace, with an indoor pool and wellness centre.

Chongqing

Pagoda Hotel Chongqing Jiefangbei

Beijing

Beijing Marriott Hotel Northeast

International luxury hotel in Beijing, ideal for business trips and city breaks.

Shanghai

Atour S Hotel Shanghai Hongqiao Centre Aegean

Atour S Hotel in Hongqiao: steps from Aegean Place and Metro Line 10, six km from the National Exhibition and Convention Centre.

Chengdu

The Temple House

Boutique luxury hotel set within a restored Qing-dynasty courtyard near Taikoo Li, boasting one of Chengdu's most striking design statements.

Yichang

The Westin Yichang

A curated hotel option in Yichang, used as the shared route hotel resource.

Jiuzhaigou

Noble Guest Hotel

A culturally inspired hotel near the entrance to Jiuzhaigou National Park, offering convenient access and a comfortable stay for travellers exploring the scenic valley.

Beijing

DoubleTree by Hilton Beijing East Third Ring Road

International upscale hotel in Beijing, suitable for business and leisure stays.

Shanghai

Atour S Hotel Shanghai Lujiazui Pudong Avenue

Atour S Hotel Shanghai Lujiazui: a stylish stay in Pudong, minutes from the Bund, Jin Mao Tower and Shanghai Tower.

Shanghai

Shanghai Royal Garden Hotel (Shanghai International Resort)

Shanghai Royal Garden Hotel: a luxury garden hotel near Pudong Airport and Disneyland, with free shuttle service to both.

Beijing

Atour Hotel (Beijing West Railway Station South Square)

Upscale local hotel near Beijing West Railway Station South Square.

Jiuzhaigou

Sheraton Jiuzhaigou Resort

A full-service resort near Jiuzhaigou National Park, ideal for early park starts and a quiet evening return.

Jiuzhaigou

Hotel Indigo Jiuzhai, an IHG Hotel

A boutique luxury resort inspired by Tibetan and Qiang culture, offering stylish accommodation and immersive local experiences near Jiuzhaigou National Park.

Shanghai

Bellagio by MGM Shanghai on the Bund

A curated hotel option in Shanghai, used as the shared route hotel resource.

Shanghai

Pullman Shanghai Zhongganghui Hotel

Pullman Shanghai Zhongganghui Hotel, in Dapuqiao near Tianzifang, steps from Metro Line 9 and the Expo site.

Chengdu

Hilton Chengdu Chenghua

A practical Chengdu base for travellers who want easy city access, relaxed days out, and a comfortable return after sightseeing.

Chengdu

Atour Hotel Chengdu Taikoo Li Chunxi Road Pedestrian Street

A simple Chengdu stay near Chunxi Road, ideal for travellers who want easy walks, food stops and short city transfers.

Chongqing

Chongqing Marriott Hotel

A reliable Chongqing stay for travellers who want comfort after exploring the city’s hills, rivers, bridges, and night views.

Chongqing

Wuyu Sky Garden Hotel

A curated hotel option in Chongqing, used as the shared route hotel resource.

Xi'an

Shangri-La Hotel

Shangri-La Hotel Xi'an: five-star luxury near the Terracotta Warriors, 35 minutes from the airport.

Xi'an

Sheraton Xi'an North City Hotel

Sheraton Xi'an North City: five-star luxury five minutes from the Daming Palace, with an indoor pool and wellness centre.

Chongqing

Pagoda Hotel Chongqing Jiefangbei

Beijing

Beijing Marriott Hotel Northeast

International luxury hotel in Beijing, ideal for business trips and city breaks.

Shanghai

Atour S Hotel Shanghai Hongqiao Centre Aegean

Atour S Hotel in Hongqiao: steps from Aegean Place and Metro Line 10, six km from the National Exhibition and Convention Centre.

Chengdu

The Temple House

Boutique luxury hotel set within a restored Qing-dynasty courtyard near Taikoo Li, boasting one of Chengdu's most striking design statements.

Yichang

The Westin Yichang

A curated hotel option in Yichang, used as the shared route hotel resource.

Jiuzhaigou

Noble Guest Hotel

A culturally inspired hotel near the entrance to Jiuzhaigou National Park, offering convenient access and a comfortable stay for travellers exploring the scenic valley.

Beijing

DoubleTree by Hilton Beijing East Third Ring Road

International upscale hotel in Beijing, suitable for business and leisure stays.

Shanghai

Atour S Hotel Shanghai Lujiazui Pudong Avenue

Atour S Hotel Shanghai Lujiazui: a stylish stay in Pudong, minutes from the Bund, Jin Mao Tower and Shanghai Tower.

Included / Excluded

What's Included

Private vehicleAir-conditioned private vehicle for every listed touring item in Beijing, Xi'an, Chengdu and Shanghai, including three full-day round trips: the Great Wall, Dujiangyan with Mount Qingcheng, and Zhujiajiao. Airport pickup in Beijing on day one; airport drop-off in Shanghai on day 21; hotel transfers for both high-speed rail legs
GuideLicensed English-speaking guide on every touring day in the four cities, including the whole of the evening of day 18 on the Bund
Intercity railTwo legs in the base price: Beijing to Xi'an by high-speed rail on day four, Xi'an to Chengdu by high-speed rail on day seven. Cabin class is being finalised, so until it is settled every quote states in writing the cabin class for that order.
Hotels12 nights on the sourced legs: Beijing 3 (nights of days 1, 2, 3), Xi'an 3 (days 4, 5, 6), Chengdu 3 (days 7, 8, 9), Shanghai 3 (days 18, 19, 20). Four-star, five-star or quality boutique per your chosen level, breakfast included, each hotel named in your written confirmation
Meals12 hotel breakfasts, one for each hotel night above: mornings of days 2, 3, 4 in Beijing; 5, 6, 7 in Xi'an; 8, 9, 10 in Chengdu; 19, 20, 21 in Shanghai. No lunch or dinner is included in the base price.
Tickets & experiences, BeijingWalking visit of Tian'anmen Square with the guide handling the security screening queue, no ticket required · The Forbidden City with the passport-name reservation booked by us · Jingshan Park · Mutianyu Great Wall with the cable car up and the toboggan down, both included in the base price · Temple of Heaven through ticket for the Hall of Prayer, the Imperial Vault and the Circular Mound · National Museum of China, free entry with the passport-name reservation booked by us
Tickets & experiences, Xi'anTerracotta Warriors museum admission · City Wall admission with bicycle hire on the wall · Giant Wild Goose Pagoda temple grounds, the pagoda climb ticket separate and not included · Bell Tower and Drum Tower combined admission, followed by an evening walk through the Muslim Quarter
Tickets & experiences, ChengduChengdu panda base morning admission · People's Park teahouse seat with the gaiwan and unlimited refills · Dujiangyan irrigation system admission · Mount Qingcheng admission with the visit to a small working Taoist temple, the conversation with a resident priest and the taiji session
Tickets & experiences, ShanghaiThe Bund and the Pudong skyline in the evening, guide accompanied, no ticket · Yu Garden with the old city walk · Shanghai Museum, free entry with the passport-name reservation booked by us · Former French Concession and Wukang Road, walking, no ticket · Zhujiajiao town admission, Kezhi Garden admission and the rowing-boat fare · the Huangpu River ferry fare
InsuranceTravel accident insurance for the whole party

Not Included

Days 10 to 18Everything on the plateau leg and the river leg apart from the day-10 breakfast in Chengdu: the rail leg up, the four valley-mouth nights, the valley day, Jiawuhai, Baima village, Songpan, the leather workshop, the Chongqing night, the three ship nights, the gorges, the dam and the Yichang flight. Nothing there is included, promised or priced.
International flightsFlights into Beijing and out of Shanghai, and any connecting sector outside China
VisasVisa fees and processing for guests who require a Chinese visa, including all US guests on this route
In-park transportSightseeing buggies, shuttle buses, cableways and in-park boats at every site, with two exceptions that are included and named above: the Mutianyu cable car with its toboggan descent, and the Zhujiajiao rowing boat. Named exclusions: the Chengdu panda base buggy, the Dujiangyan buggy and the Nanqiao boat, the Mount Qingcheng cableway and the Yuecheng Lake boat
Separate site ticketsThe Giant Wild Goose Pagoda climb ticket. Ear cleaning, card tables and other stallholders' services at the People's Park teahouse
MealsAll lunches and dinners. Your guide recommends and books them; the bill is on your account
Optional add-onsThis route carries no optional add-on at present. Any future optional item is priced on its own line before it is offered and is never added by default
PersonalGratuities, single-room or extra-room supplement, laundry, personal expenses

Special Notes

Several things on this route follow sourcing, the calendar or the season. Here they are, told straight.

Bookings are not open — two of the seven legs are still being sourced, so we take no orders and no deposits, and nothing on days 10 to 18 is sold to you in advance. On the plateau leg, two of our own internal records disagree on the ground-supply position, no valley-mouth hotel is on record and the rail cabin class is not set. On the river leg, a three-night downstream sailing exists on file for the 2026 season with an all-in fare, but the order has not been placed for this route: no cabin grade and no fare basis. The Chongqing ground handling with its hotel night and the Yichang connection sit outside that fare by definition, and the Yichang to Shanghai air sector has no carrier and no cabin class. Sourcing closes this by naming the operator, the hotel or ship, the cabin grade and the price basis for each line. Tell us your dates and we will write to you on the day it opens.
Departure dates are narrow — the valley is closed to us from November through March on our seasonal record. On a 21-day plan the valley days fall 9 to 12 days after departure, so in the October to December 2026 selling season the departure window is October 8 to 19, 2026 only, and there are no departures from November 1 onward this season. We also do not depart October 1 to 7: both the valley and the Terracotta Warriors run at national-holiday crowd levels that week. And once the river leg is sourced, the sailing on file departs Chongqing on Fridays only, and boarding is day 15, so the departure day itself has to be a Friday. That leaves exactly two candidate departure dates in this season: Friday October 9 and Friday October 16, 2026.
The 16 October departure requires one further confirmation — that departure boards on 30 October, a date on which the same ship is also listed for a long-haul special sailing. Whether the weekly Chongqing to Yichang service runs that day is confirmed with the operator before that date is sold.
The seasonal window is our own record, not the park's — the November to March closure above is an internal design record that has not been checked against the scenic area's published opening arrangement. It is re-checked against the current-year arrangement before any departure date is confirmed, and if the park's own arrangement is wider, we say so rather than keeping the window artificially tight.
Timetables are not yet checked against the season — the five transfer legs on this route, Beijing to Xi'an, Xi'an to Chengdu, Chengdu to Jiuzhaigou, Jiuzhaigou to Chongqing and Yichang to Shanghai, currently sit on times consistent with normal service rather than on a verified current-season timetable. Each is checked against your exact dates before dates are locked.
How day 14 runs is not settled — our records disagree on whether the plateau is left by rail through Chengdu or by air from the local airport. The air option is exposed to seasonal schedules and is often suspended in winter, so it is not treated as the only way out. The routing is named in your written itinerary before anything is sold.
Altitude — the valley leg puts you at about 2,000 metres where you sleep and up to about 3,100 inside the valley. The design climbs to it by rail over half a day rather than by air, and schedules nothing heavy on the arrival day.
Monday and the palace — Departure dates are set so that day two never falls on a Monday, when the Forbidden City is closed. If your dates would put it there, days two and three swap: the Great Wall moves to day two and the palace to day three.
Screening at the square — everyone is screened to enter Tian'anmen Square. The queue takes half an hour to an hour and is budgeted separately, on top of your time on the square, so the museum reservation still lands on time.
Visa window — the 30-day visa-free policy currently runs through December 31, 2026. Because this is a 21-day plan, departures on or before December 11, 2026 finish inside that window; later departures are quoted only after the official renewal is announced.
US passports — the US is not on the 30-day visa-free list, and 21 days is more than twice the stay the 10-day visa-free transit policy allows, so every US guest on this route holds a valid Chinese tourist or business visa, including the 10-year multiple-entry type. Allow processing time before your departure date. We confirm visa status before any payment.
Guests already in China on the transit policy — this route cannot be taken. 21 days is far beyond that policy's permitted stay, and the valley sits outside the area it allows you to stay in. We say so before payment rather than looking for a workaround.
Group — Private, just your party. From 1 guest. No fixed maximum party size.
Confirmation and changes — The confirmation-time commitment and the change and refund terms are being finalised with our ground partners. Until they are settled, each quote states in writing its own confirmation deadline and its change and refund conditions. Note the structure: this route holds two rail legs now and, once sourcing closes, a ship and an air sector as well, so a date change touches four kinds of inventory.
Connections from southern Europe, Australia and New Zealand — Beijing has direct service from Milan, Venice and Lisbon only in southern Europe, and the Lisbon service is seasonal; from Sydney and Melbourne only in Australia and New Zealand, part of it seasonal. Guests from other cities connect through a third airport. If we book the connection it is quoted as a separate line; otherwise you book it. The return from Shanghai has direct service for all our markets.

Is Twenty-one Days Your Length?

Fewer than 21 days?

The route comes apart at the seams it was built on. Beijing with Xi'an and Chengdu is a complete trip on its own and is fully sourced today. Adding Shanghai at the end gives you the water thread from Dujiangyan to Zhujiajiao without either of the two legs that are still being sourced. Tell us your dates and how long you have, and we cut days rather than cut the pace.

Good to Know

Booking status: Not open. Two of seven legs are still being sourced; no orders and no deposits until they are written into the plan
Group: Private, just your party. From 1 guest. No fixed maximum party size.
Pace: 21 days, 20 nights, seven stops. Three nights each in Beijing, Xi'an, Chengdu and Shanghai; four rest days across the trip
Effort: Long walking days on the city legs, one day on a bicycle on the Xi'an city wall, and one full day in a valley between 2,000 and 3,100 meters
Ports: Arrive in Beijing, depart from Shanghai; airport pickup on day one and drop-off on day 21
Visas: UK, most European and Canadian passports enter visa-free for days, as do Australian and New Zealand passports. Every order is checked against your dates. US passports require a Chinese tourist or business visa for this route.
Language: Licensed English-speaking local guides on every touring day of the sourced legs
Payment: When this route opens for booking: From 1 guest. A 10% deposit (minimum $399) locks your dates. The balance is due 14 days before departure. "Or similar" never means a quiet downgrade, 或同级绝不悄悄降级
Season: Selling window October to December 2026, which this route's own calendar narrows to departures between October 8 and 19, 2026. No departures during the October 1 to 7 national holiday

Your Private Concierge Service

Jenny

China Private Travel Route Consultant

“A concierge desk offering bilingual planning services for bespoke China journeys”

Our China team carefully tailors the pace of the itinerary, hotel arrangements, and local reception services to suit the style of each route.

20+

Years

300+

Trips Designed

24/7

On-Trip Care

Step 01

Tell us what excites you

Not your dates and budget — your curiosity. Where have you always wanted to go? What do you want to feel? We start there.

24h

First concept delivered

Step 02

We design it around you

Your specialist builds the itinerary from scratch — routes, hosts, hotels, and experiences you won't find anywhere else.

100%

Private, never off-the-shelf

Step 03

Lock it in with 30%

When the plan feels right, a 30% deposit holds your trip. Balance due 30 days before departure.

30%

Deposit to confirm

Step 04

Travel. We handle the rest.

Your Trip Pack arrives before you fly. On the road, your concierge is one message away — for the expected and everything you didn't plan for.

24/7

Support throughout your journey

Cancellation terms agreed in writing

English-speaking concierge

Secure payment via Stripe

Guest Reviews

4.9 / 5 · from 523 verified reviews

Emily Carter

🇺🇸 Seattle, USA

Perfect for couples

“My partner and I had an amazing time in China. Everything was arranged for us — transfers, hotels, guides. No stress at all.”

May 2026

Claire Brooks

🇬🇧 London, UK

Great for families

“Traveled with my two kids and had zero issues. The team made sure the pace wasn't too rushed and included things the kids would enjoy. Communication was easy throughout. Will definitely use them again for our next Asia trip.”

Apr 2026

Laura Bennett

🇨🇦 Toronto, Canada

Alisa made the whole experience easy

“Alisa was our point of contact throughout and she was brilliant — patient, knowledgeable, and always quick to reply. The trip itself was wonderful. Beijing and Guilin were highlights.”

Mar 2026

Mark Henderson

🇺🇸 Denver, USA

Good service, minor hiccup but sorted quickly

“Really good service. There was a small mix-up with one of our restaurant bookings but it got sorted quickly. The rest of the trip was seamless.”

Feb 2026

Rebecca Miller

🇺🇸 Boston, USA

Really listened to what we wanted

“Really helpful team. They listened to what we wanted and delivered. Beijing and Xi'an were incredible.”

Jan 2026

China Ready

We've solved the hard parts. Here's everything a first-time Western traveller needs to know before arriving.

Do this before you fly

VPN & Internet Access

What's blocked

Google, Gmail, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, and most Western news sites are inaccessible in China without a VPN.

Download before you leave

It's nearly impossible to download a VPN once inside China. Install and test at home. Recommended: Astrill (most reliable), Mullvad, ExpressVPN — subscribe to at least two in case one stops working.

Hotel Wi-Fi tip

Some hotels block VPN connections on their Wi-Fi. Use your phone's mobile data as a hotspot if the VPN drops.

Good news

WhatsApp works perfectly through a VPN, so your messaging stays unchanged. Apple iMessage and Signal also work.

Your concierge sets this up on Day 1

Paying in China

China is cashless

Alipay and WeChat Pay are used for almost everything — restaurants, taxis, markets, tickets. Cash is rarely accepted in cities.

International cards now work

Foreign Visa/Mastercard can now link directly to Alipay (set up in minutes, $5,000 single transaction limit). Your concierge walks you through the setup on your first morning.

Carry some cash

We recommend ¥500–800 RMB in cash for the rare vendor that won't accept digital payment, and for small towns.

Booking this trip

Your deposit and balance are charged via Stripe — the same trusted platform used by Airbnb and Booking.com. USD billing, no surprise conversion fees.

We handle the paperwork

Visa & Entry

Do you need a visa?

Most US, UK, EU, Australian, Canadian, and New Zealand passport holders need a tourist (L) visa for stays over 10 days. We provide a visa invitation letter with every booking — it significantly speeds up approval.

240-hour visa-free transit

Citizens of 55+ countries (including USA, UK, most of EU, AUS, NZ, Canada) can enter China visa-free for up to 10 days if transiting through eligible ports. This covers our 12-day itinerary only if you have a confirmed onward flight.

Processing time

Apply 4–6 weeks before departure. Standard processing: 4–7 business days. Express (3 days) and same-day options available at most Chinese consulates.

What we provide

Visa invitation letter, hotel confirmation for all nights, suggested itinerary document — everything the consulate needs, formatted correctly.

Our responsibility, always

Safety & Practical Tips

Is China safe?

China consistently ranks among the safest countries for foreign tourists. Violent crime against visitors is extremely rare. Cities have extensive CCTV coverage and a visible police presence.

Emergency numbers

Police: 110. Ambulance: 120. Your concierge is your first call for any non-emergency situation — she has local contacts for every city on the itinerary.

Health & medications

Bring a full supply of any prescription medication. International pharmacies exist in major cities but may not carry your brand. Travel insurance is required — we can recommend policies that cover China specifically.

Language

English fluency outside hotels and tourist sites is limited. Your guides all speak English. We provide a printed pocket card with essential Chinese phrases and emergency contacts for every traveller.

Before You Book

Everything worth knowing before you book.

The route is called Two Kinds of Water and you cannot sell me either of them. Why is this page up?

Because the honest answer is more useful to you than an empty page. Eleven of the 21 days are fully sourced and priced today: Beijing, Xi'an, Chengdu and Shanghai, with the water thread already running through Dujiangyan and Zhujiajiao. The two legs that give the route its name, the Jiuzhaigou valley and the Yangtze gorges, are designed and not bought: no operator, no valley-mouth hotel, no ship cabin grade, no carrier for the Yichang flight. Until those are named in writing we take no orders and no deposits, and nothing on days 10 to 18 is priced into any quote. If you tell us your dates we will write to you on the day it opens, and if you want the shorter fully-sourced version now, we will quote that instead.

21 days is a long time. Is that just the same trip stretched out? 21

No, and the difference shows up in the middles of days rather than in extra sights. Four cities get three nights each, so you unpack four times in three weeks instead of eight. Four days across the trip carry nothing scheduled at all, including a whole afternoon in a teahouse chair. Both rail transfers are half-days, not sprints. And the extra length is what makes the route's actual subject possible: the argument about water needs the 3rd-century BC waterworks, the dam and the courtyard pond in the same trip, which does not fit in fourteen days.

Which dates can I actually go?

This season, there is a 12-day window: departures between 8 and 19 October 2026. Three rules combine to produce it. The valley is unavailable from November through March on our seasonal record, and on a 21-day plan the valley days fall 9 to 12 days after departure, so 19 October is the last departure whose valley days land in October. There are no departures from 1 to 7 October, the national holiday week. And once the river leg is sourced, the sailing on file leaves Chongqing on Fridays and boarding is day 15, so the departure day has to be a Friday too: 9 October and 16 October. The 16 October date needs one confirmation from the operator first, because that boarding day is also listed for a special long-haul sailing. We check all of this against your dates before anything is charged.

How high does this go, and what does the altitude day feel like?

You sleep at about 2,000 metres for four nights at the mouth of the valley, and the valley itself runs up to about 3,100 metres on the day inside it. That is high enough to notice and well below the range where the design would have to change. Two things in the plan are there for this: you climb to it by rail over about three and a half hours instead of flying, so your body gets the gain gradually, and the arrival day carries nothing at all. The valley day itself is walking on level boardwalks between shuttle stops rather than climbing. If anyone in your party has a condition affected by altitude, tell us before we talk dates.

Do we need a visa?

Most guests on this route do not. UK, most European and Canadian passports enter visa-free for stays days, and so do Australian and New Zealand passports. Before you pay we check your 21 days plus any extra days in China against that window. The current policy runs through December 31, 2026, so departures on or before December 11, 2026 finish inside it. US passports are different: the US is not on that list, and 21 days is more than twice the stay the 10-day transit policy allows, so US guests hold a Chinese tourist or business visa, with the fee and the appointment their own. One more thing we say plainly: if you are already in China on the transit policy, you cannot take this route, because 21 days is far beyond it and the valley is outside the area that policy lets you stay in. We would rather say that than sell you something that does not work.

Forbidden City

Jingshan Park

Mutianyu Great Wall

Mutianyu Great Wall Toboggan

Tian'anmen Square

National Museum of China

Temple of Heaven

Terracotta Warriors

Xi'an Ancient City Wall Cycling

Bell and Drum Towers

Giant Wild Goose Pagoda

Chengdu Panda Base

People's Park Tea

Dujiangyan Irrigation System

Mount Qingcheng

The Bund

Yu Garden & the Old City

Shanghai Museum

Zhujiajiao by Boat

Former French Concession and Wukang Road

The Bund & the Huangpu Ferry

01. Forbidden City

02. Jingshan Park

03. Mutianyu Great Wall

04. Mutianyu Great Wall Toboggan

05. Tian'anmen Square

06. National Museum of China

07. Temple of Heaven

08. Terracotta Warriors

09. Xi'an Ancient City Wall Cycling

10. Bell and Drum Towers

11. Giant Wild Goose Pagoda

12. Chengdu Panda Base

13. People's Park Tea

14. Dujiangyan Irrigation System

15. Mount Qingcheng

16. The Bund

17. Yu Garden & the Old City

18. Shanghai Museum

19. Zhujiajiao by Boat

20. Former French Concession and Wukang Road

21. The Bund & the Huangpu Ferry

01. Forbidden City

02. Jingshan Park

03. Mutianyu Great Wall

04. Mutianyu Great Wall Toboggan

05. Tian'anmen Square

06. National Museum of China

07. Temple of Heaven

08. Terracotta Warriors

09. Xi'an Ancient City Wall Cycling

10. Bell and Drum Towers

11. Giant Wild Goose Pagoda

12. Chengdu Panda Base

13. People's Park Tea

14. Dujiangyan Irrigation System

15. Mount Qingcheng

16. The Bund

17. Yu Garden & the Old City

18. Shanghai Museum

19. Zhujiajiao by Boat

20. Former French Concession and Wukang Road

21. The Bund & the Huangpu Ferry

01. Forbidden City

02. Jingshan Park

03. Mutianyu Great Wall

04. Mutianyu Great Wall Toboggan

05. Tian'anmen Square

06. National Museum of China

07. Temple of Heaven

08. Terracotta Warriors

09. Xi'an Ancient City Wall Cycling

10. Bell and Drum Towers

11. Giant Wild Goose Pagoda

12. Chengdu Panda Base

13. People's Park Tea

14. Dujiangyan Irrigation System

15. Mount Qingcheng

16. The Bund

17. Yu Garden & the Old City

Beijing · Day 1 - Day 3

Xi'an · Day 4 - Day 6

Chengdu · Day 7 - Day 9

Jiuzhaigou · Day 10 - Day 13

Chongqing · Day 14 - Day 16

Yichang · Day 17

Shanghai · Day 18 - Day 21