Authentic China Experience with Guilin

/5 935 Latest reviews

Tour Code: ODY-CN-2305

Destination:Shanghai, Guilin, Xi'an, Beijing

Duration

12 Days

Tour Type

Private & Bespoke

Tour Style

Classic

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About This Trip

This 12-day tour of China will bring you to explore the top sites in the Golden Triangle and Guilin. Lost yourself in the UNESCO-listed Forbidden City and visit the Simatai Great Wall at night in Beijing. Watch the historical treasure of Terracotta Warriors and learn to make dumplings in a local family in Xi'an. Soak in the breathtaking karst landscape along the way of the Li River Cruise from Guilin down to Yangshuo. Take a city highlight tour in Shanghai, including visits to the Bund and one of the classical Chinese gardens - Yu Garden.

Itinerary Summary

DAY PLACE HIGHLIGHTS
1 - 4 Beijing Forbidden City, Great Wall at Night, Temple of Heaven, Hutongs
5 - 6 Xi'an Muslim Quarter, Terracotta Army, Underground Cave Dwelling, Tang Bo Art Museum with Calligraphy Class
7 - 10 Guilin Longsheng Rice Terraces, Reed Flute Cave, Li River Cruise, Yangshuo Countryside Tour
11 - 12 Shanghai The Bund, Urban Area Walking, Yu Garden
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Itinerary

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Day 1: Welcome to Beijing, China

Welcome to Beijing! Upon landing, meet your personal tour guide at the airport's arrival hall for a private transfer to your hotel. Your guide will briefly introduce the city en route and assist you with the hotel check-in. The rest of the day is free for you to relax after a long flight.

Beijing

Day 2: Beijing, Historical Landmarks

Today is reserved for an impressive tour of Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City at the very heart of Beijing. The former is the symbol of the political center of today's China, while the latter was the power seat of ancient China for over 500 years. After strolling around the expansive square, your knowledgeable guide will lead you on an in-depth exploration of the world's largest imperial palace to admire its stylized architecture and elegant gardens. Round off the day with a panoramic view of the stately Forbidden City from Jingshan Park.

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Beijing

Day 3: Beijing, the Great Wall

No Beijing tour is complete without a visit to the Great Wall. After breakfast, drive about 2.5 hours to Jinshanling, a photogenic section of the Great Wall far from the hustle and bustle of the city. As you walk on its half-restored and half-wild ramparts, get amazed by the watchtowers in varied styles and indulge in the mountainous scenery.

After that, a 20-minute drive will take you to your hotel in Gubei Water Town. You are then free to relax for a few hours before embarking on a guided night tour of the Simatai Great Wall. Ride a cable car ascending, walk up the path well-lit by lanterns to enjoy the special night scene and overlook the entire Gubei Water Town.

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Beijing

Day 4: Beijing, Temple of Heaven and Hutongs

Spend this morning strolling around the water town before returning to downtown Beijing. The afternoon will go with a visit to the dignified Temple of Heaven, where emperors conducted ritual ceremonies to pray for good harvests. It is a genuinely perfect site full of history and architectural wonder, combined with the local atmosphere. After that, hop aboard a rickshaw and weave your way around Beijing's historic Hutongs to see what a traditional residential area looks like. Following this, visit a local family living in a courtyard-styled house for generations.

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Beijing

Day 5: Beijing - Xi'an

This morning, depart Beijing for Xi'an on a high-speed train reaching a maximum speed of 300 km per hour. On the 4.5 to 6 hours train journey, enjoy the fast-moving landscape and capture the smiling faces of the local people on board.

Upon arriving, your new guide will pick you up from the railway station and take you to your downtown hotel. Check-in and freshen up before heading out to explore the vibrant Muslim Quarter in the city center. Here, sample your way amongst restaurants and street stalls and visit the distinct Great Mosque with Islamic and Chinese architectural features. You will get an impression of the daily life of a Chinese Muslim.

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Xi'an

Day 6: Xi'an, Terracotta Warriors

Today's highlight is the legendary Terracotta Warriors. You will be able to marvel at the grand array of thousands of life-size clay soldiers, horses, and chariots and immerse yourself in the rarely-known stories about the afterlife behind them. Continue to visit an underground cave dwelling, a particular residential form that can go back centuries. Before retiring to your hotel, step into the Tang Bo Art Museum to appreciate local artworks in varied styles and take a calligraphy lesson about holding a brush and writing Chinese characters.

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Xi'an

Day 7: Xi'an - Guilin - Longsheng, Jinkeng Rice Terraces

Leave Xi'an behind this morning as you take the flight to the scenic Guilin in south China.

As you touch down, your local guide will greet you and accompany you to Jinkeng Rice Terraces. This is a man-made nature wonder dug by the Yao ethnic minority in Longsheng County. Settle into a comfortable lodge in Dazhai Village and spend the rest of today at leisure.

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Longsheng

Day 8: Longsheng - Guilin, Reed Flute Cave

Wake up early this morning to watch the brilliant sunrise over the terraced paddy fields, with ample photo opportunities. After breakfast, drive about 2.5 hours back to Guilin and check into a downtown hotel.

This afternoon, follow your guide to explore the grotesque Reed Flute Cave before rambling around the central lakes - Banyan Lake and Cedar Lake.

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Guilin

Day 9: Guilin - Yangshuo, Li River Cruise

The Li River cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo is undoubtedly the essence of your Guilin tour. The 4 hours' cruise starting from Zhujiang dock will treat you to breathtaking views of green pinnacles, crystal-clear water, and pastoral countryside scenery. A simple lunch will be served onboard.

Disembark in Yangshuo at around 1:30 pm, get to your hotel for check-in, and have the rest of the day at leisure.

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Yangshuo

Day 10: Yangshuo - Guilin - Shanghai

Enjoy a countryside tour in the morning by private car or bicycle to fully enjoy the idyllic scenery and witness the locals' farming life. Cycling will take around 2 hours. So please consider your interest and physical strength if you want to try this. After the tour, you will be transferred back to Guilin airport for your flight to metropolitan Shanghai.

Be collected from the airport on arrival and settle into your Shanghai hotel. The rest of today is on your own to relax or go around.

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Shanghai

Day 11: Shanghai, City Discovery Tour

Start your day at the Bund, a waterfront area in the heart of Shanghai, and enjoy the beauty of its colonial buildings and skyscraper views. After that, spend about an hour walking along the Shanghai urban area. Like the locals, pass through Fuxing Park, Bugaoli, and a local market inside the street and get a taste of the daily life of the Shanghai neighborhood.

Try some local dim sum for a simple lunch, and then stroll around the Yu Garden. Near the classical garden is a bustling market - Yuyuan Market. After a short stopover at a silk workshop, you will end the tour with a great view of the beautiful skyline of Shanghai from the 100th floor of the Shanghai World Financial Center.

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Shanghai

Day 12: Shanghai, Departure

Free time for you to prepare to return home. After you are ready, your guide and driver will escort you to the airport for your departure flight.

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What Our Clients Say

"Great Customized Service", "Trip of A Lifetime", "Exceed All Expectations"

Richee Family Adventures

05 Aug 2025

Second Honeymoon My wife and I celebrated our 20th anniversary by spending a few weeks touring around Asia. We loved how Odynovo worked with us to craft a tour of what we wanted to see and how we wanted to see it. This was our first time traveling with a private tour guide, and it was truly amazing. they took care of all transportation, tickets, and everywhere we went we had someone who not only spoke our language, but was also very well-versed in the places we were visiting. We saw Beijing and then took a bullet train to Xi'an. In both cities we had tour guides who had done this "a thousand times," and as a result knew all the tricks on where to take the best pictures, what lines to stand in, where to eat, and what not to waste your time seeing. At one point our guide pulled out ponchos from her backpack when it started to rain, while another helped us haggle for a good price on a new suitcase. We were surprised by how much we loved China, and it is safe to say that is because of the quality of service we got from Odynovo. Oh, and the hotels were great, too! In our first hotel my wife fell in love with her breakfast soup that she had to have every morning, while in Xi'an we were right around the corner from the Muslim Night Market and were able to get to it in less than 5 minutes of walking.We are already looking to see what tours we will be doing next through Odynovo, as the service was amazing, the quality was remarkable, and the cost was very worth it for what we received.
Shannon V

05 Aug 2025

Fabulous! We had a fabulous experience with our guide and Odynovo walking the Great Wall of China, and all other sites in Beijing. We loved our Peking duck dinner. It was fabulous. Thank you, Sammie/Jing for a great experience.
domotic d

05 Aug 2025

Beijing Beauty It started off with a friendly face at the airport, with Roy, our tour guide.The week has been such a pleasure and a treat. From adventures to The Great Wall, Temple of Heaven and the Forbidden City, to local markets, delicious Beijing food and roof top tea houses.Roy and our driver, Mr. Zhou, were prompt in picking us up and driving us around safely.The knowledge and fact about history and Beijing that Roy knows and explains is amazing and the fact he could answer my weird and inquisitive history questionsnwoth ease was a treat.He made it so easy to enjoy ourselves and absorb all that was around us, he even takes great photos too! 😊Polite, kind and thoughtful and ever patient in letting us take our time with things that interested us.I would highly recommend this tour and Roy again and again.
Zarah B

05 Aug 2025

Amazing travel experience My name is Zarah M. Babangida a Nigerian and i visited Beijing with my colleagues from the office. During our 5 day stay in Beijing, Ms. Eva Ma, was our Tour guide and from the minute we came through the Arrival Gate of the Airport, we were embraced by her alluring smile and warm welcome. She remained consistent with her warmth, a kind and intelligent professional who exuded unique passion not just for her job as a tour guide but, even more so as a proud Chinese woman. Her outstanding insight and knowledge of the sweet Chinese history and heritage left us in awe. I couldn't be more proud and thankful that she was assigned to our group and she made our stay exciting, fun-filled effortless and knowledge packed. I absolutely commend her dedication to work which she depicted throughout our stay. I recommend her to every visiting tourist because to know Eva, is to love her. If it were up to me, i will increase her bonuses or upgrade her salary as i am sure most tourists would want or revisit for her sake first and then perhaps other reasons.Thank you Eva and keep the passion up🙌.

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