Welcome to “Chinese Panorama”, one of the most comprehensive trips to China. For 15 days you get to experience the big cities Beijing and Shanghai with all its tourist attractions, the world-famous terracotta army in Xian, a cruise on the Lifloden with the extraordinary landscape and the scenic Hangzhou and Suzhou. After traveling on this trip, you have seen most of the best that the Middle Kingdom can offer.
Day 1: Travel to China
We fly to Beijing, China’s capital.
Day 2: Tiananmen Square
We arrive in Beijing in the morning and start with a visit to Tiananmen Square . Around the square we see the Great Hall of the People, which is the Chinese Parliament, the National Museum and the Gate of Heavenly Peace that mark the entrance to the Forbidden City. In the evening we gather for a welcome dinner . Overnight in Beijing. (Lunch and dinner)
Day 3: The Forbidden City and the Summer Palace The
day begins with a visit to the Forbidden City, the world’s largest palace complex. Here the emperors resided during the Ming and Qing dynasties, together with their eunuchs and concubines for almost five hundred years, from 1421 to 1911. After lunch we continue to the beautiful Summer Palace . The magnificent Summer Palace was the summer residence of the imperial family when the heat became too suffocating in the Forbidden City. We walk along the artificial Kunmingsjön, enjoying the beautiful surroundings and the over 700 meters long covered promenade, adorned with thousands of Chinese paintings. Overnight in Beijing. (Breakfast and lunch)
Day 4: Hutong
Today we visit one of the hutongs, which are small alleys connecting “siheyuan”, traditional farmhouses in northern China. We ride around among the hutongs with richshaw and visit one of the families in a hutong and hear about their lives. In the afternoon we fly to Xi’an, one of the ancient capitals of China. Overnight in Xi’an. (Breakfast and lunch).
Day 5: The Terracotta Army and the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda The
Terracotta Army is a collection of terracotta sculptures depicting Qin Shi Huang’s army (259–210 BC), the first emperor of China. The figures, including warriors, chariots and horses, were discovered in 1974 by local farmers. Terracotta Army is part of the world’s largest ancient imperial tomb. About 8000 different figure sizes have been revealed. We spend the whole morning visiting the Terracotta Warriors Museum. In the afternoon we visit the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda . The pagoda was built in the Tang Dynasty (618-907) to store the Buddhist scriptures brought to China from India by Xuanzan, a Chinese Buddhist monk who spent more than a decade in India collecting original and classical Buddhist scriptures. In the evening we fly to Guilin, one of China’s most popular tourist destinations. Overnight in Guilin. (Breakfast and lunch)
Day 6: Cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo
With landscapes of high karst hills in limestone and the Lifloden, Guilin is considered the most beautiful place in China. The river cruise from Guilin to Yanshuo takes us through the most beautiful scenery around Guilin. During a four-hour boat trip along the Lifloden , we get to enjoy and admire the famous sugar peak mountains that line the river. Later in the afternoon we arrive in Yangshuo, and in the evening there is an opportunity to visit the hugely popular ” River Show “, directed by the famous Chinese Zhang Yimou. By the way, he was the one who directed the opening of the Olympics in Beijing in 2008! Overnight in Yangshuo. (Breakfast and lunch)
Day 7: Guilin to Hangzhou
In the morning, there is free time for you to explore Yangshuo on your own. In the afternoon we go back to Guilin and visit the famous Pipe Flute Cave with all its strange stalactite and stalagmite formations. In the evening we fly on to Hangzhou . Overnight in Hangzhou. (Breakfast and lunch)
Day 8: Hangzhou – Suzhou
Marco Polo described Hangzhou as “the finest and most amazing city in the world”. In the morning we do a boat trip on West Lake . The lake was listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2011. Next we visit Longjing Tea Farm , where the famous Longjing Tea or Dragon Well Tea is produced. Late in the afternoon we take high speed train to Suzhou.Overnight in Suzhou. (Breakfast and lunch)
Day 9: Suzhou
Suzhou is one of the most popular tourist attractions in China due to the city’s canals, stone bridges, pagodas and gardens. In the morning we visit the ” Humble Administrator’s Garden” , which is known for its unique design and ethereal beauty. Then we will experience Suzhou from the water. In a wooden boat we do a canal cruise along the Grand Canal and admire stone bridges and old traditional houses along the canal. Suzhou is also known for its silk production. During a visit to a silk manufacturing center we get the opportunity to learn more about the silk’s path from silk butterfly, via cocoon, to finished raw side. We also make a short stop at the most outstanding museum in Suzhou – the Suzhou Museum, which is the masterpiece of the world-famous architect IM Pei who has built the Pyramids of the Louvre in Paris, the Miho Museum in Japan and many extraordinary buildings around the world. The museum has collections of ancient Chinese art, paintings, porcelain, jade goods and handmade crafts. Overnight in Suzhou. (Breakfast and lunch)
Day 10: Suzhou-Shanghai
In the morning we take a bus to Shanghai. Shanghai is described as the “best example” of the booming economy in China. We’re coming to The Bund, the colonial-era promenade along the Huangpu River. Here we admire the stunning views of old and new Shanghai, including buildings such as Bund’s old customs house and many iconic skyscrapers such as the Oriental Pearl TV Tower, the Shanghai Financial Tower and the Shanghai Tower. Then we come to another popular landmark in Shanghai – Nanjing Road , which is one of China’s shopping paradises. After a typical Shanghai-style lunch, we arrive at the Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center , a modernly designed museum, which tells the story of how Shanghai developed from a small fishing village into a lively cosmopolitan city in China. We continue to the Old City of Shanghai. With the ancient buildings of the Ming and Qing dynasties, the beautiful ones Yu Yuan (Yu Gardens) , the Temple of the City God, the Yuyuan Bazaar and many fine restaurants, the Old Town has become a very popular tourist attraction in Shanghai. Overnight in Shanghai. (Breakfast and lunch)
Day 11: Shanghai
All day free time to explore Shanghai on your own . Ask the tour guide or local guide for more information on shopping, museums, parks and other tourist attractions. Overnight in Shanghai. (Breakfast)
Day 12: Shanghai – Beijing
Today we fly to Beijing. After arriving in Beijing, we visit the Temple of Heaven. During the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368 – 1911), this was the place for emperors to hold ceremonies and pray to heaven for a good harvest. In 1998, UNESCO listed the Temple of Heaven on the World Heritage List, describing it as “a masterpiece of architecture and landscape design. Overnight in Beijing. (Breakfast)
Day 13: Great Wall of China and Ming Tombs.
Today it will be a full day trip in the surroundings of Beijing. We start at a cloisonné factory , typically Beijing’s handicrafts. So we continue to the holy way, the way of the Spirits . Here we walk slowly and are reminded of how an emperor after death would travel along this road to get his last rest in one of the Ming tombs. We continue to the Great Wall of China, one of the world’s greatest wonders. The Great Wall was built more than 2,000 years ago and is about 2,000 kilometers and rises up and down the mountains from west to east in northern China. In the evening we have a farewell dinner with Peking duck , as the main course. Overnight in Beijing. (Breakfast, lunch and dinner)
Day 14: Beijing
All day free time to explore China’s capital on your own . There is plenty to do and it is easy to get around. Ask the guide for help if you want to go to a museum, a park or shopping. Overnight in Beijing. (Breakfast)
Day 15: Return from China
After breakfast we transfer to the airport for return to Sweden after a busy trip. (Breakfast)
