A Journey through China’s Ancient Capitals
Overview
Explore China's four ancient capitals - Beijing, Xian, Luoyang and Kaifeng to learn history and culture of most important dynasties in China's history. And it also brings you to the Great wall at Jinshanling and Simatai, one of the most photogenic and least crowded sections of the Great Wall. The legendary Shaolin Temple, known as the birthplace of Chan Buddhism and the cradle of Chinese kung fu, played an important role in Chinese Buddhism and military. More than a visit to the ancient site, these cities are reviving the sites in different ways, making your trip both educational and enjoyable.
Best for: Family, Seniors
Duration: 13 days & 12 nights
Destinations: Beijing - Xian - Luoyang - Kaifeng - Zhenzhou - Beijing
Travel Type: Private tour - Flexible & Free to customize
Highlights:
• Must-see Forbidden City, Terra-cotta Warriors
• Most photgenic Jinshanling and Simatai Great Wall
• Legendary Shaolin Temple & Kungfu
Customize Your Tour:
☑ Travel Dates ☑ Your Interests ☑ Your Travel Style
Itinerary Expand All
Upon your arrival at Beijing Capital Airport or Daxing International Airport, you will be met by our guide who waits you at the exit of the arrival hall holding a welcome board. Transfer privately to you hotel and rest time is free at leisure.
Meal: No meal
After breakfast in hotel, you will meet your guide again at the lobby and take private car to Tiananmen Square. Visit the world largest city square, where you will have chance to visit the Memorial Hall of Chairman Mao at the south end of the Square. Later, walk to Wumen (午门) and start the exploration of the Forbidden City. The imperial palace has a history of 600 years, was home to 24 emperors in Ming & Qing dynasties. It was listed in the UNESCO heritage sites in the year of 1987. Spend around two hours to view the magnificent architecture, admire treasures and collections of emperors and learn history and stories of imperial families.
In the afternoon, continue the trip to the “Garden of Garden” – the Old Summer Palace, also known as Yuanmingyuan. Constructed throughout the 18th and early 19th centuries, the Old Summer Palace was the main imperial residence of the Qianlong Emperor of the Qing dynasty and his successors, and where they handled state affairs; the Forbidden City was used for formal ceremonies. Being destroyed by foreign troops during the Second Opium War and many exquisite artworks like sculptures, porcelain, jade, silk robes, elaborate textiles and gold objects were looted. Nowadays, you can view ruins of former palaces like the Grand Waterworks, the Throne for viewing the Waterworks and the Labyrinth.
Meal: B, L
Continue the visit to Dashilan Subdistrict (大栅栏) near Qianmen Gate (Zhengyang Gate). It has been a bustling commercial district of Bijing since Ming Dynasty. Today, many time-honored brands are still opening stores here. It is also a famous place to taste local foods and snacks.
In the afternoon, you will take a leisure exploration in Beijing’s Hutong area. A short rickshaw riding through narrow alleys, a home visit to local Beijinger’s and a coffee break by the Houhai Lake will show you both past and present lifestyle of local people. Transfer back to hotel after the visit.
Meal: B, L
Descend from Jinshanling Great Wall, you will be transferred to Gubei Water Town (古北水镇). This scenic site surrounds the beautiful Mandarin Duck Lake Reservoir and leans against the Simatai Great Wall. The small town is a replica of Wuzhen Water Town in the Southern China. Stay overnight in the town, stroll for beautiful sceneries, experience unique local customs like Chinese distillery and traditional dyeing, enjoy mineral hot spring, etc. Hiking the Simatai Great Wall is another highlight of the water town.
Meal: B, L
View sunrise on the Great Wall and spend a leisure morning in the town. At around 10am, you will be transferred to Beijing West Station for high speed train to Xian. Meet your guide in Xian upon arrival and transfer privately to hotel in city center.
Meal: B
After breakfast, you will be picked up at your hotel and drive 1.5 hours out of downtown to Lintong for the Terracotta Warriors and Horses, which is famed as the 8th Wonders of the World. Meet this magnificent collection of terracotta sculptures that reproduce the glory of the powerful dynasty of Qin Shi Huang (the first Emperor of China). After the visit, transfer back to down town and visit Big Wild Goose Pagoda, the city emblem, which was first built in Tang Dynasty for the storage of Buddhist scriptures taken from India by Monk Xuanzang. You will have chance to view the Music Fountain Show at the North Square. Grand Tang Nightless City is an internet-famous site for local foods, Tang Dynasty style buildings and different shows presenting Tang Dynasty cultures. Stroll at the street and then transfer back to hotel.
Meal: B, L
Back to downtown in the afternoon, you will visit Muslim Quarter. Since Song Dynasty, the northwest area of the city has been the main residence of Muslim people. Nowadays it is the famous walking street for tourists to experience local Muslims’ lifestyle, taste different local foods and visit well-known sites like Bell Tower, Drum Tower, Grand Mosque, etc.
Meal: B, L
In the afternoon, visit Guanlin Temple (关林) was built to commemorate the great general Guanyu of the State of Shu during the Three Kingdoms Period, who is renowned as a brave and loyal military general. Later, you will visit Baima Temple (白马寺 White Horse Temple), the first Buddhist Temple run by the government since Buddhism was introduced to central China. It spread the Buddhism throughout China and became the cradle of Chinese Buddhism. Transfer to hotel check in after the visit.
Meal: B, L
In the afternoon, visit Lijing Gate, which separated the palace area from the city's residential quarters in ancient China. From the top of this magnificent semi-circular shaped building, you'll find the Town God's Temple, the Hall of Nine Dragons, and views over the Old Town. Continue to visit Luoyang Museum, a large-scale comprehensive museum where you can learn much about the splendid history and remarkable achievements of this thousand-year ancient capital through the over 11000 collections. One of the most famous collections is the Tri-color glazed pottery camel.
Meal: B, L
Optional Night tours:
Food Tour at Shizijie Night Market – The night market is located at Luoyang old quarters and famous for its local traditional snacks. With red lanterns hung high on both sides of the road, it becomes an internet-celebrity place for photo.
Check out after breakfast and drive 1.5 hours to Shaoling Temple at Dengfeng City. Shaolin temple was built in 495, and it played an important role on the development of Buddhism in China and is known in and outside of China for Shaolin Kung Fu. Visit the temple and the Pagoda Forest, main cemetery for Buddhist monks at the Shaolin Temple. You will have chance to enjoy a marvelous Kung Fu performance in the temple.
Meal: B, L
Transfer to Kaifeng privately (2.5 hours) in the morning. Check in hotel and have lunch in local restaurant. In the afternoon, you will visit Millennium City Park (清明上河园), a large-scale culture and history theme park. It is a reproduction of the Qingming Festival by the Riverside, an excellent work painted by Zhang Zeduan who is a famous painter in Northern Song Dynasty. With different performances and amusements, you can learn about the unique charm of folk arts and crafts, experience the various scenes of markets and feel the profound connotation of folk culture and also feel the inviolability and loftiness of the inner courtyard of imperial city, appreciate the beauty and elegance of the royal garden and experience the majesty and magnificence of the imperial city of Northern Song Dynasty. Visit ends at around 8.30pm and you will be transferred back to hotel.
Meal: B, L
After breakfast you will visit Iron Pagoda (铁塔) which is so-named not because it is made of iron, but because its color resembles that of iron. This octagonal-base structure is 56.88 meters in height with a total of 13 stories. Later, continue the trip to Dragon Pavilion Park (龙亭)where you will visit Dragon Pavilion and Hanyuan Stele Forest. Both are best places to learn history of the North Song Dynasty. After the visit, you will take a cruise to Kaifeng Fu, passing Bao Zheng's Ancestral Hall (包公祠 Bao Gong Ci). Visit Kaifeng Fu (开封府) an important government complex building but usually is considered as a court because of Lord Bao’s legends. Today’s trip ends at Drum Tower square, which becomes the famous night market in the evening. It is one of the best places to taste local snacks.
Meal: B, L
Check out after breakfast and you will visit Yuwang Terrace (禹王台), which was originally called "The Trumpeting Terrace, "where famed musicians of the Jin Dynasty (317-420 AD) were said to have played music. In the Ming Dynasty, a temple was built in memory of the Great Yu for his success in stemming floods and changed the name to Yuwang Terrace. Later, continue the visit to Po Pagoda (繁塔） adjacent to it. This pagoda was built in North Song Dynasty, the oldest Buddhist structure in Kaifeng. The exterior walls of the pagoda are inlaid with some ten thousand brick statues of Buddha, making it a pagoda of ten thousand Buddha.
Trip ends.
Meal: B, L
