13 Days China Historical & Buddhist Tour: Beijing Xi'an Pingyao

Day by Day Itinerary

Day 1 »  Beijing start off

• Upon arrival, your guide greets you and escorts you to the hotel. The remainder of the day is at your leisure.

Day 2 »  Beijing

• After breakfast, visit Tian'anmen Square, the largest square of its kind in the world.
• Then visit the Forbidden City, also known as Palace Museum, to awe an emperor's life.
• In the evening, enjoy the famous Roast Duck feast which looks brilliantly dark red, shining with oil and with crisp skin and tender meat.

Attractions

• Forbidden City Nowadays, the Forbidden City, or the Palace Museum is open to tourists from home and abroad. Splendid painted decoration on these royal architectural wonders, the grand and deluxe ...
• Tian'anmen Square At the very heart of Beijing, sits Tian'anmen Square, the largest urban square in the world. This vast space, measuring 40 hectares, has a historical significance to rival its size ...

Day 3 »  Beijing

• Have an excursion of Great Wall at Mutianyu section by cable car. With vegetation, green pines and cypresses covering 90 percent of the area, the sceneries here are beautiful all the year round.
• Proceed to the Summer Palace, the largest and best-preserved Chinese imperial garden. Enjoy a leisurely walk along the enchanting Lake Kunminghu.

Attractions

• Great Wall at Mutianyu Besides its strategically important location and compact layout, Great Wall at Mutianyu is also famous for the breath-takingly beautiful scenery. Woods cover over ninety-six percen ...
• Summer Palace With its handsome buildings, pretty scenery and tumultuous history, the Summer Palace is a wonderful place to explore. The most leisurely way to escape the crowd is to take a strol ...

Day 4 »  Beijng - Datong

• Early trip back to the Hutong area by rickshaw to ride through the narrow alleys and passages. A visit to a local family is included then a walk over the Silver Ingot Bridge (Yinding Bridge) to hear the explanation about the different thresholds that mark the entry to the courtyard houses.
• Then we visit the Temple of Heaven, the place for imperial rituals and worship, before traveling to the railway station for Datong.
• Take a soft-seat train to Datong.

Attractions

• Courtyard Houses of Beijing Courtyard houses of Beijing, at the highest level and most typical specimen of its kind, boast a long history of more than 2,000 years. They are cordial and quiet, with a strong fl ...
• Hutong in Beijing People say that the real culture of Beijing is the 'culture of the Hutong' and the 'culture of the courtyard'. How true that is. Often, it is Beijing's winding Hutongs that attract ...
• Temple of Heaven On leaving the Forbidden City, follow in the footsteps of emperors, court ministers and eunuchs and head south to the magnificent and colorful Temple of Heaven. Although the bi-ann ...

Day 5 »  Datong

• Upon arrival at Datong, you are transferred to your hotel.
• First visit the Yungang Grottoes. The three main sites in China that are famous for their stone sculpture are Dunhuang, Longmen and Yungang. Among these, the Yungang grottoes are considered first among equals, for their tremendous size, their ancient history, and their relatively complete state of preservation.
• Then move onto the Datong Nine-Dragon Screen, which is one of four nine-dragon screens in China.
• Go on and stop at Shanhua Temple, one of the most intact and largest preserved temples of Liao and Jin dynasties in China.

Attractions

• Nine Dragon Screen The body of the Nine Dragon Screen consists of nine flying dragons with a golden-scaled, shiny-eyed dragon located in the center. The middle dragon is sitting on the axis of the ma ...
• Shanhua Temple The temple looks very spiritual and solemn. The main structures are the Temple Gate, Three-Sage Hall and the Great Hall, which are arranged along the central axis and ascend one af ...
• Yungang Grottoes Sculptures here are noted for their vigorous features and rich variety that range from the smallest, only 2 centimeters high, to the tallest - a Buddha 17 meters high. ...

Day 6 »  Datong - Mt. Wutaishan

• Today's tour features the Hanging Temple (Xuankong Si) and Yingxian Wooden Pagoda.
• The Hanging Temple is a special monastery with elements of Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism. It is miraculously supported only by a simple buildup with framework and rock and has survived over 1500 years.
• The next stop,the Yingxian Wooden Pagoda is the oldest and tallest wooden structure in China. It is regarded as an architectural wonder without any single nail or rivet used to its construction.
• Drive to Wutaishan and check in hotel for relaxation.

Attractions

• Hanging Temple The workmanship of Hanging Temple lies in the fact that with the supporting beams as its basis and the skilful utilization of the hidden rocks, the whole building is uniquely well- ...
• Wooden Pagoda Built without the use of nails, the entire structure is solid, imposing, and elegant. It has weathered nearly a thousand years of wind and storm, yet has remained intact despite ma ...

Day 7 »  Mt. Wutaishan

• Visit Mount Wutaishan, one of the best places in China to view Buddhist architecture.
• Mount Wutaishan's temples are an eclectic mix of Hang Buddhist and Tibetan and Mongolian Lamanist traditions. The beautiful scenery here is also a masterpiece. There are five glorious peaks: Wanghai Peak in the east, Guayue Peak in the west, Jinxiu Peak in the south, Yedou Peak in the north, and the central Cuiyan Peak.

Attractions

• Mt. Wutaishan Wu Tai Shan means Five Plateau Mountain, and the highest of these stands at 3,058 meters. As one of the four sacred Buddhist mountains in China, it is a popular pilgrimage destinat ...

Day 8 »  Mt. Wutaishan - Taiyuan

• Take an air-conditioned coach to Taiyuan, on the way visit Chongshansi temple. This dignified and majestic temple keeps numerous precious cultural relics, such as sculptures, paintings and sutras and others.

Attractions

• Chongshansi Temple ...

Day 9 »  Taiyuan - Pingyao

• Drive to Pingyao from Taiyuan. On the way, explore the Jinci Temple, built during the northern Wei Dynasty. It is a combination of historical cultural relics and beautiful landscapes.
• Upon arrival in Pingyao, visit Qiao Family's Compound established during the Qing Dynasty. This well-preserved and exquisite structure used to be the residence of a powerful trading family with significant commercial influence even beyond Shanxi Province.

Attractions

• Jinci Temple Situated at the source of Jin River by Xuanwang Hill, Jin Temple is a combination of historical cultural relics and beautiful landscapes. With ancient buildings, skirted by mountai ...
• Qiao Family's Compound Lying at Qiaojiapu Village, 54 km south of Taiyuan, the Qiao Family's Compound is another masterpiece of traditional civil architecture in North China. First built in the period of ...

Day 10 »  Pingyao - Xi'an

• Today you have a chance to explore Pingyao Ancient City, which is famous for its 2,700 year old city walls and streets. You will find yourself flung back in time to feel its past prosperity.
• Due to its enormous influence upon the development of banking in China, the Rishengchang Exchange Shop has become a place of considerable interest to visitors in recent years. Then have a look at the Ancient City Wall.
• Take an overnight soft sleeper train to Xi'an.

Attractions

• Pingyao Ancient City Being one of the four wholly-protected ancient cities in China, Pingyao Ancient City is thought of as the "treasure house" of ancient Chinese architectures. It is now renowned for ...

Day 11 »  Arrive in Xi'an

• Xi'an, as one of the oldest cities, was the national capital for over 1,000 years and was the start point of ancient Silk Road.
• On arrival at Xi'an, enjoy a tour to the symbol of Xi'an - the Bell Tower.
• Later visit the Great Mosque, one of the most important Islamic mosques in China, which is a combination of traditional Chinese architecture and Islamic art. When in Xi'an, try the famous local snack - Pancake in Mutton Soup (Yangrou Paomo).

Attractions

• Bell Tower Known as the symbol of Xi'an, the Bell Tower is a classical building with carved beams and painted rafters. It houses a bell which was originally used to strike time every morning ...
• Great Mosque Considered to be one of the oldest, largest and best-preserved Islamic mosques in China, the Great Mosque is a combination of traditional Chinese architecture and Islamic art. ...

Day 12 »  Xi'an

• Today's tour begins with the Terracotta Warriors and Horses, one of World Cultural Heritages. The lifelike warriors of First Emperor Qin Shihuang will sure lead you back to the ancient warring times.
• The second stop is Big Wild Goose Pagoda, one of the most famous buddhist pagodas in China, which was built in the Tang Dynasty to collect Buddhist scriptures.
• Then visit the Xi'an City Wall, an extension of the old Tang Dynasty structure. It's the best preserved ruins of city walls in China.
• Enjoy an imperial dumpling banquet while appreciating the Tang Dancing Show.

Attractions

• Big Wild Goose Pagoda As the symbol of the old-line Xian, Big Wild Goose Pagoda is a well-preserved ancient building and a holy place for Buddhists. Originally built in 652 during the reign of Emperor G ...
• Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Show Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Show take roots from the historical records and folk legends about the Tang Dynasty and shows to the audience the court life and social costumes of mor ...
• Terracotta Warriors and Horses A terracotta army guarding , the tomb of Qin Shihuang, which lures travelers from all over the world. In a quest for immortality and eternal power, China's first emperor chose to h ...
• Xi'an City Wall As a symbol of great significance of the famous historic cultural city of Xi'an, the Xi'an City Wall is the best-preserved, oldest and largest ancient city defense system in China. ...

Day 13 »  Xi'an - Beijing

• Morning visit to the Shaanxi Provincial History Museum. The Museum is the epitome of Shaanxi's glamorous imperial past.
• Then transfer to the airport and depart for Beijing.
• End of service.

Attractions

• Shaanxi Provincial History Museum Be considered as an obligation to be a showcase of ancient civilizations. Shaanxi Provincial History Museum is situated in the southern suburb of Xian City, northwest of the Big Wi ...