The Fourth Night | LyrikTrip

Overview

Most 21-day plans use the extra week to add cities. This one adds nights. Beijing, Xi'an, Chengdu and Shanghai get four each. That gives every one of them a third and a fourth day, and those are the days the guidebook runs out of things to tell you. One of them is a bike ride on top of a city wall. One is an afternoon in a teahouse with nothing after it. Four rest days sit inside the 21 and three of the five long moves are by rail, so the country arrives at ground level rather than through an airport window. By the second city you'll notice you have stopped asking what is next.

— LyrikTrip travel designers

Every LyrikTrip journey begins with a conversation. Tell us your dates and who is coming, and you get a first reply within four hours and a clear price for your dates within one business day. On this route we will also tell you plainly where the river nights stand before you are asked for anything, because that is the one part we have not secured and we would rather lose the booking than sell it as settled.

Why you'll love this trip

Four nights in every city. The Terracotta Warriors, a city wall ride, panda mornings and Shanghai after dark, with English-speaking guides throughout.
21 days from the Forbidden City to a teahouse chair. Stay long enough to understand.

Give Beijing a fourth day: a morning in the hutong lanes, a gaiwan at a tea table after lunch, an hour at a cloisonné bench. Nothing on that day appears on anyone's list of things to see in Beijing.
Ride the top of the Xi'an city wall the whole way around, then eat one street over from where the crowds eat. The wall is the ride and the street is the reason you came back down.
Sit a whole afternoon in a People's Park teahouse with a gaiwan refilled as long as you stay. This is what a rest day looks like in Chengdu, and there is nothing after it.
Walk a Chongqing morning on the route the city calls 8D, its own nickname for a place stacked on so many levels that the exit you take decides which floor you come out on.
Spend your fourth Shanghai day on the corner of People's Park where parents come to find matches for their grown children. It is the one stop on these 21 days that is entirely about other people's lives.
Keep one hotel for four nights in each of Beijing, Xi'an, Chengdu and Shanghai. No repacking on the days in between, and two of the 21 days carry nothing at all except the city you are already in.

Things to do

Farmhouse lunch below the Great Wall, Beijing

Tea sitting, an introduction to the gaiwan, beijing

Terracotta Army: Scale and Ambition, Xi'an

Grand Tang Dynasty Ever Bright City, Xi'an

Market Walk & Sichuan Cooking Class, Chengdu

Shanghai Marriage Market Visit, Shanghai

Heritage

Viewpoint

Great Wall

Meal

Family

City

Hands-on

Craft

Culture

Heritage

Meal

Cycling

Food

Museum

Workshop

Nightlife

Nature

City

Food

Opera

Heritage

Food

City

Cityscape

Heritage

Museum

City

Craft

City

Art

Local Life

Nightlife

Heritage

Viewpoint

Great Wall

Meal

Family

City

Hands-on

Craft

Culture

Heritage

Meal

Cycling

Food

Museum

Workshop

Nightlife

Nature

City

Food

Opera

Heritage

Food

City

Cityscape

Heritage

Museum

City

Craft

City

Art

Local Life

Nightlife

Heritage

Viewpoint

Great Wall

Meal

Family

City

Hands-on

Craft

Culture

Heritage

Meal

Cycling

Food

Museum

Workshop

Nightlife

Nature

City

Food

Opera

Heritage

Food

City

Cityscape

Heritage

Museum

City

Craft

City

Art

Local Life

Nightlife

Itinerary

Arrivals

Beijing · Day 1 - Day 4

Day 1 · Land first. That is the whole day

Your driver meets the flight, whatever hour it lands. Twenty-one days is long enough to begin slowly.

Airport pickup Your driver and vehicle wait on the flight number written in your confirmation, and the run into the city is yours to sleep through.

Beijing through the window The airport expressway, then the ring road, then poplars and a street of lit shopfronts. The country you flew for shows up before you have opened a suitcase.

Evening Nothing is scheduled. Your guide is reachable from tonight, and a restaurant near the hotel is recommended and booked for you if you want one, on your own account.

Day 2 · One axis, then the hill behind it

Your palace slot is booked before you fly, and every departure is dated so this day is a Sunday. Climb the hill afterward and the half day you just walked is lying underneath you.

The Forbidden City The palace the Ming and Qing courts ran the country from, finished in 1420 and lived in for five centuries. You walk a single line through it: the ceremonial halls where the court did its business, the living quarters behind them, the imperial garden, then out through the north gate. Guests regularly say this place is exhausting, so the route is cut to that one line rather than looped through the side courts.

Jingshan Park Straight out of the north gate and up a stepped path to the pavilion on the hill. From up there the golden roofs lie below you in rows, and the central axis of the city runs away north and south from the exact spot you are standing on. About an hour, and the climb is short.

Pace This is a half day inside a very large site followed by one short climb, and nothing else is added to it.

Day 3 · Up by cable car, down by sled

The drive north takes a good part of the morning, which is why nothing else is on today. The wall is a full day here, not a stop between two other things.

Drive out to Mutianyu The run out of the city and into the hills north of Beijing, with the vehicle staying with you all day.

Cable car up, then the wall The climbing is done by cable car, so getting onto the wall does not depend on anyone's knees. You step off onto a restored stretch with watchtowers running along the ridge in both directions. Your guide reads it from up there: the beacon towers, the pass below, and why the sightlines fall where they do. Stand in a tower doorway and look along the ridge with the towers stepping down it one after another.

Farmhouse lunch below the wall Home-style northern dishes made with locally grown ingredients, at a farmhouse restaurant near the foot of the wall. Lunch is arranged today rather than left to chance, because the wall is an hour from anywhere; its pricing basis is stated in writing in your quote.

Toboggan down A single seated sled on a fixed metal track through the trees, about twenty minutes, and it puts everyone at the bottom at the same time.

Day 4 · The third and fourth day of Beijing

A rest day, which here means the city without its monuments. Nothing on today appears on anyone's list of things to see in Beijing.

Shichahai hutongs Courtyard lanes and lakeside streets where old Beijing still does its daily business. Gray brick, doorway stones, bicycles against a wall, the lakes going quiet as the afternoon turns. About two hours on foot, at walking speed rather than sightseeing speed.

Tea sitting, the gaiwan An hour at a tea table with a gaiwan, the lidded cup China brews in. You learn how it is filled, how the lid holds the leaves back when you pour, and how long each steep sits before the next one. Seated throughout.

Cloisonné bench Cloisonné is enamel packed into cells made of bent copper wire and then fired. Beijing has made it for centuries, and the Chinese name, jingtailan, carries the reign it is dated to. You spend about ninety minutes at a bench with the wire and the color rather than watching someone else do it.

High-speed rail

Xi'an · Day 5 - Day 8

Day 5 · The morning park, the afternoon train

Beijing's last morning is spent where the city exercises, not where it queues. By dinner you are 1,200 kilometers southwest with your bags already in the next hotel.

Temple of Heaven Three groups of buildings on one line. The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, the Imperial Vault of Heaven and the round mound altar are built in a formal language where round belongs to heaven and square to earth. The visit is set in the morning, when the surrounding park fills with Beijing residents exercising, singing and playing cards. That is half of what you came to see. About two hours.

Rail to Xi'an The afternoon belongs to the train. Your guide hands you over at the station gate, the North China plain runs past at speed for the first hour, and the class of this leg is written into your quote for your order.

Arrival Met at Xi'an station and driven to the hotel, with the evening left open.

Day 6 · Eight thousand of them, standing where they fell

The pits take the whole morning and share the day with nothing. What you understand by lunchtime is how one man planned to keep an army after death.

The Terracotta Warriors The buried army of China's first emperor, an estimated eight thousand figures, standing in the pits where they were found rather than behind glass in a gallery. You can tell a general from a crossbowman from a foot soldier by the armor and by the way the hair is tied, and in the newer excavation areas some original pigment still survives on the figures. About three and a half hours with your guide.

Crowds This is one of the busiest sites in the country, so the visit runs on a timed arrival and your guide takes the pits in the order that works against the flow that day.

Shaanxi noodle lunch Lunch after the pits is local Shaanxi cooking built on hand-pulled noodles, which here arrive wide, chewy and dressed rather than sitting in soup. Its pricing basis is stated in writing in your quote.

Day 7 · On the wall, then one street over

Ride the top of the wall at your own speed, with the old city inside and the new one outside. Then eat where the queue is a local one.

Xi'an city wall by bike One of the most complete city walls surviving in China, still ringing the old city, and wide enough on top to ride two abreast. You take the circuit at your own pace and stop at the gate towers. Wall ticket and bike rental are both in the base price, and about two hours is set aside so nobody has to race the clock. Look left and the roofs of the old city sit below the parapet; look right and the towers of the new one stand above it. Somewhere on the far side you'll notice you have stopped talking and are just pedaling.

Sajinqiao food walk The eating street of the Muslim quarter, one street over from the main tourist flow. You walk it with your guide and eat as you go: roujiamo, crisp-baked bread packed with slow-braised meat, hand-pulled noodles, lamb off a charcoal grill. Tastings along the route are part of the experience and are in the base price. About two hours.

Day 8 · Behind glass in the day, on the street at night

The provincial collection first, then a workshop, then the same dynasty lit up outdoors. One period, three distances.

Xi'an History Museum The provincial collection for Shaanxi, the province that held the capital through the dynasties whose ground you stood on two days ago. Roughly two and a half hours with your guide, who takes it chronologically so the objects line up with the places you have already been.

Shadow puppetry workshop Shadow puppetry works figures cut from translucent hide, mounted on rods and moved behind a lit screen, so the audience watches the shadow rather than the puppet. You spend about ninety minutes with the figures and the screen yourself.

Grand Tang Dynasty Ever Bright City A lit pedestrian district named for the dynasty whose capital stood on this ground, walked after dark when the whole street is out. About two hours, and it is deliberately the second half of a day whose first half you spent looking at the same period behind glass.

High-speed rail

Chengdu · Day 9 - Day 12

Day 9 · A morning you own, an afternoon through the mountains

Xi'an keeps its fourth morning inside the city, with no day trip out. The train south crosses the range that divides north China from the south, and the change shows through the window.

Free morning Nothing is scheduled. Your guide will point you at a walkable option near the hotel before the trip if you ask, and otherwise the morning is yours.

Rail across the Qinling The line to Chengdu runs south through the Qinling range, the watershed that separates the wheat-eating north from the rice-eating south, in a long series of tunnels and bridges. You get on in dry northern light and get off in damp southern air on the same afternoon. The class of this leg is written into your quote for your order.

Arrival Met at Chengdu station and driven to the hotel, with the evening left open.

Day 10 · Awake early, seated all afternoon

Pandas are visited in the morning because that is when they are up. The afternoon has one item on it and it is a chair.

Chengdu panda base in the morning The Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, a research and breeding center on the edge of the city. The visit is set in the morning, the hours when the pandas are generally more active; go later in the day and you mostly watch them sleep. About three hours on flat paths.

People's Park teahouse Bamboo chairs under the trees, a gaiwan each, and someone with a long-spouted kettle who refills it as long as you stay. Around you: neighbors playing cards, an ear cleaner working the next table with his tuning fork. A whole afternoon is set aside for this, roughly three hours, because sitting is the content here and not a stop on the way to something else. You'll get up at the end of it and realize you have not looked at your phone since lunch.

Day 11 · Buy it, cook it, then go behind the curtain

You shop the market with the instructor before you cook anything. In the afternoon you are backstage in a neighborhood theater instead of in a hotel ballroom.

Market visit and Sichuan cooking class You go to a local market with the cooking instructor first and buy exactly what the dishes need, then cook them and eat what you cooked. About four hours end to end, and the class itself is in the base price.

Community Sichuan opera, backstage A neighborhood theater, not a hotel show. You step inside before the performance starts, while the makeup is still going on, then watch face-changing from close up: the performer's painted face becomes another painted face in the time it takes him to swing his head. About two hours in the afternoon, seated.

Day 12 · A working monastery, then a tuk-tuk

The second rest day, and it starts with incense rather than a ticket line. It ends with dinner eaten in four places instead of one.

Wenshu Monastery A working monastery rather than a museum. Incense, courtyards, and people who came here to pray rather than to look. A vegetarian canteen sits alongside it with a local queue at lunchtime. About two hours, unhurried, and the courtyards are flat.

Tuk-tuk street-food evening After dark you board a tuk-tuk and run the residential neighborhoods and old alleyways, stopping to eat wherever the driver stops. About two and a half hours, and the tastings along the route are part of the experience and in the base price. Sitting in an open tuk-tuk at night with the lanes going past at head height is a different city from the one you saw at walking speed.

Rest day Nothing is scheduled between the monastery and the evening, and the hotel is a fifteen-minute walk from a metro line if you want the afternoon for yourself.

High-speed rail

Chongqing · Day 13 - Day 15

Day 13 · Out early, then 75 minutes east

The alleys are walked before the crowd arrives, and the train ride to Chongqing is shorter than a Beijing rush hour. Tonight you sleep in the city you board from tomorrow.

Kuanzhai Alley and Taikoo Li A historic quarter formed around three parallel lanes, restored and now busy and commercial, which is why it is walked early in the day while it is still quiet. Then Taikoo Li, where the same city does its present tense in low-rise stone and glass. About two and a half hours together.

Rail to Chongqing About 75 minutes east by high-speed rail, station to station, with your guide handing you over at the gate and a driver meeting you at the other end. The class of this leg is written into your quote for your order.

Evening Nothing is scheduled. One night in Chongqing, bags stay packed light for tomorrow.

Day 14 · A city with no ground floor, then the river

Chongqing gets one morning and it is spent on the levels rather than at a viewpoint. In the afternoon the land part of this trip stops for four days.

Chongqing 8D city route 8D is the nickname this city gave itself, for a place built on so many levels that the exit you take decides which floor you come out on. You walk and ride a route through those levels with your guide for about four hours: overpasses that meet buildings halfway up, streets that turn out to be roofs, lifts that count as public transport. Step out of an exit and check which number is on the wall before you look for the river.

Boarding in the afternoon Your driver and guide take you to the pier and hand you over for a four-day, three-night downstream sailing to Yichang. City transport at both ends is ours and is included.

The ship, stated plainly We have not secured a cabin block. The operator holds no space and takes named bookings first come first served. The ship therefore sits outside the base price, outside the inclusions and outside the promises on this page, and this route takes no orders or deposits until a cabin is held for a named sailing date.

Day 15 · A full day on the river

The third rest day, and the one that asks least of anyone. The gorges arrive on their own schedule while you stay where you are.

Onboard The operator sells this sailing on an all-inclusive ticket, so meals, onboard activities and shore excursions sit inside that ticket and are run by the operator, not by us. The day's program comes from the ship, and it is named in your written itinerary once the sailing date is confirmed.

What the day is for This is the middle of twenty-one days and nothing is scheduled against it on our side. Stand at the rail after breakfast and watch the valley walls close in on both sides.

Yangtze cruise

Yichang · Day 16

Day 16 · A second river day, with a stop on shore

The fourth rest day. One shore stop breaks it, and the ship handles that end to end.

Onboard and ashore The shore excursion for this day is part of the ship's ticket and is run by the operator's own staff. Its content is named in your written itinerary once the sailing date is confirmed.

The last quiet day After tomorrow the trip is urban again for four nights, so this is where the slow half of the plan ends.

Flight

Shanghai · Day 17 - Day 21

Day 17 · Off the water, into the loudest city on the coast

Disembark at Yichang in the morning and fly east after lunch. Twelve hours takes you from a river valley to a street of neon.

Disembark at Yichang Our driver meets the ship at the pier and runs you to the airport, with time built in rather than trimmed.

Flight to Shanghai The one internal flight on this route, in the base price, and the class for your order is written into your quote. Met on arrival and driven into the city.

Evening Nothing is scheduled. Four nights in one Shanghai hotel start tonight, and the suitcase stays open until day 21.

Day 18 · A garden inside the old town, then the collection

The oldest quarter of Shanghai in the morning, the country's objects in the afternoon. This is the day the last nineteen days get filed.

Yu Garden and the old city A classical garden of pavilions, rockery, ponds and winding paths, set inside the oldest quarter of the city with the bazaar streets around it. About two hours, all of it flat.

Shanghai Museum Bronzes and ceramics, painting and calligraphy, and the craft collections. It is the shortest route to reading everything you have already walked past in Beijing, Xi'an and Chengdu. Entry is by named reservation and the booking system carries limited English, so we book your slot before you land. About two hours with your guide.

Day 19 · Plane trees, one bench, one commuter boat

A slow grid of streets in the morning and a printing bench after it. The river crossing at the end is the one local people take to get to work.

Former French Concession and Wukang Road Plane-tree streets, historic residences and small independent shops on a street grid that runs at its own angle to the rest of the city and reads much slower than the skyline across the river. About two hours on foot.

Woodblock watermark printing A printing method that reproduces a painting by cutting one block per color and layering the impressions by hand, carried on in Shanghai through its long-established art and publishing houses. You work at the bench yourself for about ninety minutes, and what comes off it goes home with you.

Huangpu River ferry The crossing local people take to get to work, a working ferry rather than a sightseeing cruise. You stand at the rail with commuters and their scooters, and the towers on both banks pass at the speed of a bus route. About thirty minutes including the walk to the pier.

Day 20 · Contemporary in the day, other people's lives in between

Art in former factories, then a park corner that has nothing to do with you. The evening round is walked, and the ordering is done for you.

Shanghai art centers The contemporary venues this city has put into former industrial and riverfront buildings, visited with your guide for about two hours. The venues for your dates are named in your written itinerary.

People's Park marriage market A corner of the park where parents gather to find matches for their grown children, each of them standing there on someone else's behalf. Height, salary and hukou go on a sheet of paper under an umbrella. Your guide translates what is written and what is being asked. About an hour, and you look rather than take part. Standing there listening to the translation, you'll find yourself lowering your voice.

Guided bar round An evening round walked with your guide, who does the introductions and the ordering. About three hours. The guided round itself is in the base price, drinks are on your own account, and the venue list for your dates is named in your written itinerary.

Day 21 · Out through Shanghai

Your driver runs you to the airport with room left for the traffic. Twenty-one days end in the city that looks least like the one you landed in.

Airport drop-off The driver takes you to the airport with margin built against your flight time. If your flight is late in the day, tell us and the gap is arranged around your check-out time instead of left on a timetable.

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.

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.

Beijing

Beijing Marriott Hotel Northeast

International high-end hotel in Beijing, suitable for business and city stays.

Beijing

DoubleTree by Hilton Beijing East Third Ring Road

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

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, good for travellers who want easy walks, food stops, and short city transfers.

Xian

Shangri-La Hotel

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

Xian

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

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.

Chongqing

Pagoda Hotel Chongqing Jiefangbei

Beijing

Hilton Beijing

Established international hotel in Beijing with reliable service and central access.

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 Center.

Chengdu

The Temple House

Boutique luxury hotel inside a restored Qing-dynasty courtyard near Taikoo Li with one of Chengdu's strongest design statements.

Yichang

The Westin Yichang

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

Beijing

Sofitel Beijing Central

Luxury international hotel in central Beijing with refined comfort and service.

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.

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.

Beijing

Beijing Marriott Hotel Northeast

International high-end hotel in Beijing, suitable for business and city stays.

Beijing

DoubleTree by Hilton Beijing East Third Ring Road

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

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, good for travellers who want easy walks, food stops, and short city transfers.

Xian

Shangri-La Hotel

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

Xian

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

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.

Chongqing

Pagoda Hotel Chongqing Jiefangbei

Beijing

Hilton Beijing

Established international hotel in Beijing with reliable service and central access.

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 Center.

Chengdu

The Temple House

Boutique luxury hotel inside a restored Qing-dynasty courtyard near Taikoo Li with one of Chengdu's strongest design statements.

Yichang

The Westin Yichang

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

Beijing

Sofitel Beijing Central

Luxury international hotel in central Beijing with refined comfort and service.

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.

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.

Beijing

Beijing Marriott Hotel Northeast

International high-end hotel in Beijing, suitable for business and city stays.

Beijing

DoubleTree by Hilton Beijing East Third Ring Road

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

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, good for travellers who want easy walks, food stops, and short city transfers.

Xian

Shangri-La Hotel

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

Xian

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

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.

Chongqing

Pagoda Hotel Chongqing Jiefangbei

Beijing

Hilton Beijing

Established international hotel in Beijing with reliable service and central access.

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 Center.

Chengdu

The Temple House

Boutique luxury hotel inside a restored Qing-dynasty courtyard near Taikoo Li with one of Chengdu's strongest design statements.

Yichang

The Westin Yichang

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

Beijing

Sofitel Beijing Central

Luxury international hotel in central Beijing with refined comfort and service.

Included / Excluded

What's Included

TransfersAirport pickup on day 1 in Beijing and airport drop-off on day 21 in Shanghai
Private vehiclePrivate vehicle for your group on every listed touring day in all five land cities: Beijing, Xi'an, Chengdu, Chongqing, Shanghai. The full-day Mutianyu round trip is included. Station and airport transfers are included for the three rail legs and the one internal flight, plus the pier transfers at Chongqing and Yichang. Vehicle type follows the final group size and is stated in writing in your quote
Rail, three legsBeijing to Xi'an on day 5, Xi'an to Chengdu on day 9, Chengdu to Chongqing on day 13. All three sit in the base price. Cabin class is being finalized: until it is settled, every quote states in writing the class of each leg for that order
Internal flightYichang to Shanghai on day 17, in the base price, on the same cabin-class terms as the rail legs
Hotels, 17 nightsBeijing 4, Xi'an 4, Chengdu 4, Chongqing 1, Shanghai 4, named in your written confirmation. Star tier and breakfast basis are being finalized and are stated in writing in each quote until they are
GuideA licensed English-speaking guide on every touring day, city by city
Reservations booked by usThe named-slot reservations for the Forbidden City and Shanghai Museum are booked by us before you arrive, so nobody needs a Chinese phone number
BeijingThe Forbidden City · Jingshan Park · Mutianyu Great Wall with the uphill cable car · the toboggan descent · Temple of Heaven · Shichahai hutongs · gaiwan tea sitting · cloisonné bench
Xi'anThe Terracotta Warriors · Xi'an city wall by bike, with wall ticket and bike rental · Sajinqiao food walk, tastings along the route included · Xi'an History Museum · shadow puppetry workshop · Grand Tang Dynasty Ever Bright City
ChengduChengdu panda base in the morning · People's Park teahouse sitting · market visit with a Sichuan cooking class · community Sichuan opera backstage with close-up face-changing · Wenshu Monastery · tuk-tuk street-food evening, tastings along the route included · Kuanzhai Alley with Taikoo Li
ChongqingThe 8D city route on the morning of day 14
ShanghaiYu Garden and the old city · Shanghai Museum · former French Concession and Wukang Road · woodblock watermark printing · Huangpu River ferry crossing · Shanghai art centers · People's Park marriage market · the guided bar round itself
MealsTwo arranged lunches, the farmhouse lunch below the wall on day 3 and the Shaanxi noodle lunch on day 6; their pricing basis is being finalized and each quote states in writing whether they sit inside that order's base price. Tastings on the Sajinqiao food walk and on the tuk-tuk evening are part of those experiences and are included, and the Sichuan cooking class includes the class itself
InsuranceTravel accident insurance

Not Included

International flightsFlights into Beijing and out of Shanghai
The Yangtze shipThe ship ticket and cabin for days 14 to 17 are not in the base price, because no cabin block is secured. This route does not open for sale until it is: see Special Notes
VisasVisa fees and processing for guests who need a Chinese visa, including every US guest on this route
MealsBeyond the meals listed above: lunches and dinners are recommended and booked by your guide, on your own account
DrinksDrinks on the Shanghai bar round and at any meal are on your own account
PersonalGratuities, laundry, telecoms and other personal spending. Single or extra-room difference
Optional add-onsNone are offered on this route in this selling season, and nothing is added into the base plan

Special Notes

Several things on this route follow a sailing calendar, a policy window or a supplier's confirmation. Here they are, told straight.

Bookings are not open yet — the three nights on the Yangtze are the one part of this plan we have not secured. The operator holds no space and takes named bookings first come first served. Until a cabin is held for a named sailing date the ship stays outside the price, outside the inclusions and outside the promises. We take no orders and no deposits. Tell us your dates and we will write to you on the day it opens.
No departures in December 2026 — only one official ship runs the exact four-day, three-night Chongqing to Yichang pattern this plan is built on. It leaves Chongqing on Fridays and its 2026 season ends on November 27. December has no sailing that fits, so this route does not run in December 2026.
Why every departure is a Saturday — day 14 has to be a Friday to catch the sailing, which makes day 1 a Saturday and day 2 a Sunday. That is also why day 2 never falls on a Monday, when the Forbidden City closes. Dates offered in this selling season: October 3, 10, 17, 24, 31; November 7, 14, 2026. The last of them ends on December 4.
Two departure dates carry a condition — the October 17 departure boards on October 30, a week when that ship runs a long-haul special to Shanghai, so that week's regular Chongqing to Yichang sailing is confirmed before this date is sold. The October 3 departure spends its first five days inside the national holiday week of October 1 to 7, when Beijing sites run at peak crowding and reservation slots are tightest, so it is released only after the product side confirms it.
The whole departure calendar is still being checked sailing by sailing — the seven dates above come from the sailing pattern and the published 2026 season, and our operations side is confirming them against the operator's own calendar before any date is sold.
Cabin class on four legs — three rail legs and one internal flight are all in the base price, and their class is being finalized. Until it is settled, every quote states in writing the class of each leg for that order, and no order is taken without it.
A date change moves the whole trip by seven days — this plan holds three rail legs, one internal flight and one fixed-date sailing that runs once a week. Moving the date moves the sailing, so the whole 21 days shift together.
Visa window — the 30-day visa-free policy currently runs through December 31, 2026. This is a 21-day plan, and every departure offered in this selling season finishes on or before December 4, 2026, so the whole stay sits inside the policy window. Your 21 days plus any extra days in China are checked against the 30 days order by order.
US passports — the US is not on the 30-day visa-free list, and 21 days is far longer than the 10-day visa-free transit policy allows, so every US guest on this route holds a Chinese tourist or business visa, including a ten-year multiple-entry one. First-time applicants attend a consulate appointment in person for fingerprints, so allow several weeks. Because the sailing date is fixed, we confirm processing time in writing against your departure date before any payment.
Entered China on the transit policy — guests already in China under the 10-day visa-free transit policy cannot take this trip, because 21 days exceeds what that policy permits. We say so before payment rather than work around it.
Meals and hotels still being priced — the pricing basis of the two arranged lunches, and the star tier and breakfast basis of the hotels, are being finalized with our ground partners. Until they are settled here, each quote states them in writing for that order.
Confirmation and changes — the confirmation-time commitment and the change and refund terms are being finalized with our ground partners and with the ship operator. Until they are settled, each quote states in writing its own confirmation deadline and its change and refund conditions, and no order is taken without them.

Is Twenty-one Days Your Length?

Fewer than 21 days?

The six stops come apart cleanly. Beijing and Xi'an stand on their own as a ten-day pair, Chengdu and Shanghai each hold four nights without the rest, and the Chongqing and river stretch is the piece that lifts out first. Tell us your dates and who is coming, and we cut stops rather than cut nights.

Good to Know

Group: Private, just your party. From 1 guest. No fixed maximum party size.
Pace: Six places in 21 days: Beijing 4 nights, Xi'an 4, Chengdu 4, Chongqing 1, the river 3, Shanghai 4. Four rest days and five long moves
Effort: Long walking days by choice: a half day inside the Forbidden City, a wall walk at Mutianyu with the cable car doing the climb, a two-hour ride on top of the Xi'an city wall. Two land days carry nothing, and the three river days ask nothing of anyone
Ports: Beijing in, Shanghai out. Airport pickup on day 1 and drop-off on day 21
Visas: Visa-free for stays days: UK, French, German, Dutch, Belgian, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Greek, Nordic, Central European, Irish, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand passports. Checked order by order against your dates. US passports need a Chinese visa for this route
Language: Licensed English-speaking local guides on every touring day, city by city
Season: Selling window October to December 2026. Departures are Saturdays only, October 3 to November 14. No departures in December 2026
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. "或同级" never means a quiet downgrade

Your Private Concierge

Jenessa

Private China Route Concierge

“A bilingual planning desk for tailor-made China journeys.”

Our China team tunes pacing, hotels and local hosts around each route style.

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 traveler 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 traveler.

Before You Book

Everything worth knowing before you book.

Twenty-one days and only six places. What do we actually do on the fourth day in a city? 21

The things the guidebooks stop listing. In Beijing it is a lane walk, a tea table and a cloisonné bench; in Xi'an it is two hours riding around the top of the city wall and then eating one street over from the tourist flow; in Chengdu it is a whole afternoon in a park teahouse with nothing after it; in Shanghai it is a corner of People's Park where parents look for matches for their grown children. None of those are things to see. They are what the city is doing while you are there.

What is the situation with the Yangtze part?

Days 14 to 17 are a four-day, three-night downstream sailing from Chongqing to Yichang, sold by the operator on an all-inclusive ticket. We have not secured a cabin block: the operator holds no space and takes named bookings first come first served through its own system, so we cannot promise you a cabin today. That is why the ship is not in the price, not in the inclusions and not sold to you as a highlight, and why we take no orders and no deposits on this route yet. What holds either way: the 17 land nights and the four-night cities, the guides, the three rail legs and the flight. All of that is arranged, and the pier transfers at both ends are ours. Tell us your dates and we write to you the day a cabin is held.

Can we go in December?

Not on this route. The sailing this plan is built on leaves Chongqing on Fridays and its 2026 season ends on November 27, and no December sailing fits these 21 days. The last departure of this selling season is Saturday, November 14, 2026, finishing on December 4. If December is your only window, tell us and we will point you at routes that run then instead of bending this one.

Do we need a visa?

Most guests on this route do not. UK and European passports enter visa-free for stays days, and so do Canadian, Australian and New Zealand ones. Your 21 days plus any extra days in China are checked against that window order by order. Every departure in this selling season finishes on or before December 4, 2026, inside the current policy. US passports are different: the US is not on that list, and 21 days is far longer than the 10-day transit policy allows, so every US guest holds a Chinese tourist or business visa, applied for in person the first time. Because the sailing date is fixed, we confirm processing time against your departure date in writing before any payment. If the dates do not fit, we say so instead of selling.

How much walking is there really?

Three days carry real distance: the Forbidden City half day, the Mutianyu wall walk, and the Chongqing morning through the city's levels. Every climb on this route is done by machine: cable car up at Mutianyu, a seated sled down, lifts and escalators through Chongqing. The Xi'an wall is ridden, not walked. Four of the 21 days are rest days, three of those are on the river and ask nothing of anyone, and the two remaining land rest days have a monastery and an evening food ride on them. Tell us if anyone in your party wants a shorter version of a given day and the guide builds the day around that person.

Forbidden City

Jingshan Park

Mutianyu Great Wall

Farmhouse lunch below the Great Wall

Mutianyu Great Wall Toboggan

Hutong & Shichahai Walk

Tea sitting, an introduction to the gaiwan

Cloisonné Workshop

Temple of Heaven

Terracotta Army: Scale and Ambition

Shaanxi noodle lunch

Xi'an Ancient City Wall Cycling

Sajinqiao Food Walk

Xi'an History Museum

Xi'an Shadow Puppetry Workshop

Grand Tang Dynasty Ever Bright City

Chengdu Panda Base

People's Park Teahouse

Market Walk & Sichuan Cooking Class

Sichuan Opera Backstage Access

Wenshu Monastery

Tuk-Tuk Food Route

Kuanzhai Alley and Taikoo Li

Chongqing 8D Magical City

Yu Garden & the Old City

Shanghai Museum

Wukang Road: A Loose Walk

Woodblock Watermark Printing

The Bund & the Huangpu Ferry

Shanghai Art Centers

Shanghai Marriage Market Visit

Shanghai Fancy Bar Hopping

01. Forbidden City

02. Jingshan Park

03. Mutianyu Great Wall

04. Farmhouse lunch below the Great Wall

05. Mutianyu Great Wall Toboggan

06. Hutong & Shichahai Walk

07. Tea sitting, an introduction to the gaiwan

08. Cloisonné Workshop

09. Temple of Heaven

10. Terracotta Army: Scale and Ambition

11. Shaanxi noodle lunch

12. Xi'an Ancient City Wall Cycling

13. Sajinqiao Food Walk

14. Xi'an History Museum

15. Xi'an Shadow Puppetry Workshop

16. Grand Tang Dynasty Ever Bright City

17. Chengdu Panda Base

18. People's Park Teahouse

19. Market Walk & Sichuan Cooking Class

20. Sichuan Opera Backstage Access

21. Wenshu Monastery

22. Tuk-Tuk Food Route

23. Kuanzhai Alley and Taikoo Li

24. Chongqing 8D Magical City

25. Yu Garden & the Old City

26. Shanghai Museum

27. Wukang Road: A Loose Walk

28. Woodblock Watermark Printing

29. The Bund & the Huangpu Ferry

30. Shanghai Art Centers

31. Shanghai Marriage Market Visit

32. Shanghai Fancy Bar Hopping

01. Forbidden City

02. Jingshan Park

03. Mutianyu Great Wall

04. Farmhouse lunch below the Great Wall

05. Mutianyu Great Wall Toboggan

06. Hutong & Shichahai Walk

07. Tea sitting, an introduction to the gaiwan

08. Cloisonné Workshop

09. Temple of Heaven

10. Terracotta Army: Scale and Ambition

11. Shaanxi noodle lunch

12. Xi'an Ancient City Wall Cycling

13. Sajinqiao Food Walk

14. Xi'an History Museum

15. Xi'an Shadow Puppetry Workshop

16. Grand Tang Dynasty Ever Bright City

Beijing · Day 1 - Day 4

Xi'an · Day 5 - Day 8

Chengdu · Day 9 - Day 12

Chongqing · Day 13 - Day 15