Overview

China travel map - China Cooking & Foodie Tour

A perfect culinary escape in China is best for the food and cooking lovers. You will have plenty of time to explore the wonderful sites in Beijing, Xian, Shanghai, and just thrill through the splendid Chengdu, Yangshuo or Guilin to taste extraordinary varied local dishes, enjoy the unique cooking lessons and understand the culture essence of China. Or you may contact us for a tailor-made food tour in China!

Duration: 15 days & 14 nights

Destinations: Beijing - Xi'an - Chengdu - Guilin - Yangshuo - Guilin - Shanghai

Starting Point: Beijing

Ending Point: Shanghai

Customize Your Tour:
☑  Travel Dates  ☑ Your Interests  ☑ Your Travel Style

Day

Nihao, welcome to Beijing, China! Meet your local guide of Beijing at the airport, who will accompany you on a historical and food-theme adventure in Beijing. Transfer with a private vehicle to your hotel at downtown.

Your food adventure begins with an authentic and classic Beijing breakfast. There are a wide range of options, from fermented Soya-bean Milk, deep-fried dough stick, pickles to huoshao (sweetened baked wheaten cake) and pea cake.

Private escorted tour Temple of Heaven which is one of Beijing's most impressive sites in terms of architecture, color and significance and was used by Ming and Qing Emperors to communicate directly with Heaven. It is surprising that today locals would like to practicing Tai Chi and do morning exercises at this holy religious site.

After visiting it, we go to the most famous and representative square--Tiananmen Square, the world's largest city center square and the center of Beijing. And then go to the Forbidden City, officially known as the Imperial Palace Museum. It is the supreme model in the development of ancient Chinese palaces, providing insight into the social development of late dynastic China, especially the ritual and court culture. At night, a tasty Peking roasted duck dinner is well-prepared. Observe how the dish is served by experts and learn to eat it in the right way.

  You May Want to Know  

There are numerous Peking Roasted Duck restaurants in Beijing, mostly we arrange for our travelers

  • Huajia Yiyuan, where you can also savor up traditional Chinese cultural and cooking performances, such as beautiful fork music, wonderful sliced noodles show, Kung Fu tea ceremony, cooking show, etc.
  • Beijing Da Dong, which is listed on Michelin Guide Beijing.


Meal: B, L, D

Beijing history and food tour

A visit to the Great Wall is the highlight during your Beijing tour as we plan a private escorted tour to Mutianyu Great Wall today. It has the largest construction scale and best quality among all sections of Great Wall. Dine at a local restaurant to taste Beijing Bean Sauce noodle. Then continue your trip.

In the old days, Beijing City is like a boxy bean curd or a chess board with each Hutong lying. This square layout not only influences Beijinger's way of living, but also affects their thoughts and actions. A pedicab Hutong tour is prepared for you to have a closer experience. At night, Imperial dinner at Fangshan Restaurant is offered. The dishes dating from Yuan Dynasty are made of best fresh food materials and ingenuity. 

Meal: B, L, D

The Summer Palace comes first on today’s plan. Its 70,000 square meters of building space on the Wanshou Hill and beside Kunming Lake features a variety of palaces, gardens and other ancient-style architectural structures. Then capture your high speed train to Xian.

Be met and transfer to a local family home to learn how to make Chinese noodles or dumpling, both are popular foods among locals in Xian and eaten almost every day. The host will show the step-by-step guide, so that you can make your own dinner tonight.

At night, Tang Dynasty show with its brilliant cultural features is included for you (optional).

Meal: B, L, D

Making dumpling in Xian

In the morning, transfer to visit the famous Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses Museum, which is one of the highlight attractions in China. It is significant because the hundreds of detailed life-size models showcasing the supreme power and majesty of ancient China’s Cold Weapon Era.

Lunch will be prepared at a local Shaanxi Cuisine restaurant. Shaanxi Cuisine is also named Qin Cuisine or Guanzhong Cuisine, is one of the most important regional cuisines and focusing on cooked wheaten food.

In the afternoon, visit the Bell Tower, which locates in the central downtown and was built in 1384 during the early Ming Dynasty with a height of 36 meters and covers an area of 1,377 square meters. Then a walk at the Muslim Quarter of the city is also added in plan for you to experience the real life of Xian people. Besides, it is a popular food street, where you can find a variety of local snacks, such as cold noodles with sesame, beef and mutton bread in the soup, spicy soup with meat ball, Chinese Hamburg (marinated meat in baked bun)…

Meal: B, L

After breakfast in hotel, visit Old City Wall of Xian -- 13,912 meters in circumference, 12 meters in height. The foundation is 18 meters in width and the top of the wall is 15 meters wide. And an ideal way to appreciate it is by riding bike around if weather permits. Then transfer to take a bullet train to Chengdu.

Be met and go to the Jinli Old Street paved with green flagstones, decorated with wooden steles, brick-walls, and red lanterns, exhibiting an ancient charm is famous for the local snacks: Tofu pudding, wanton, Sichuan noodles with peppery sauce, bean jelly, boneless chicken with heavy seasonin…

Meal: B, D

Xian City Wall

It is a relaxing day to with the main theme of learning cooking and Sichuan Cuisine culture. Drive for about 1 hour to Pixian County, where Sichuan Culinary Museum is located. Covering an area of 2.7 hectares, the museum possesses over 6000 kitchen and cooking relics and graphic books displayed at different halls. Visit the Kitchen King Temple and see the 3000-year-old cooking wares, you’ll understand the initial history and cultural essence of Sichuan Cuisine. Also you will have fun with the foods to pick home-planted vegetables and witness the traditional making methods of black bean sauce. After tasting some local snacks and even making them by yourself with traditional tools, then you will learn from the teacher the basic steps and skills of cooking and try some famous dishes of Sichuan Cuisine, like Panda steamed dumpling, Kung Pao chicken, Mapo Tofu, etc.

Meal: B, L, D

After breakfast at hotel, drive to visit Chengdu Panda Breeding Center, founded in 1987, it is a non-profit research and breeding facility for giant pandas and other rare animals. The cute furry balls are most active in the morning hours, enjoying their breakfast and having fun at grass grounds or in the trees. Later, go to visit Leshan Giant Buddha, the largest stone-carved Buddha in the world sitting by the side of Mount Lingyun. Then drive back to Chengdu downtown. 

Meal: B, L

Panda Breeding Center

This morning, visit Qingyang Taoist Temple to have a knowledge of Chinese Taoism culture and local people's lifestyle. Then go to Jinsha Site Museum -- Large park complex covering 74 acres with big flat and spread-out modern-looking buildings that contains 3,000 years-old artifacts, which was claimed as the first important archaeological find in China at the beginning of 21 century. In the afternoon, take flight to Guilin. Dinner is for your arrangement. Your travel consultant will be happy to recommend popular local restaurants and night food markets.

  Recommendations for Your Dinner in Guilin:  

  • Local cuisine restaurants: Chunji Roast Goose, The Mcfound, Rooftop restaurant of Jolie Vue Boutique Hotel
  • Night Food Market: Shangshui Street, Zhengyang Pedestrian Street, East and West Alleyways

Meal: B, L

After breakfast at hotel or eating Guilin rice noodles like locals, take a leisurely cruise voyage down Li River, see Bamboo groves, jagged, sharp-edged hills along the banks. Experience the charm of this wide placid river, peaceful farm and village terrain and dramatic karst landscape. Then disembark at the beautiful small town Yangshuo, 65 kilometers to the southeast of Guilin, is an internationally acclaimed tourist destination.

Afternoon time is free for your own exploration. Wandering around the town to appreciate its great natural sights is ideal. At night, a stroll on the West Street is a must to experience wonderful nightlife and street snacks of both Chinese and Western styles.

Meal: B, L

Li River cruise

In the morning, the day begins by Biking (or taking a golf-car-like vehicle) to the countryside to see the stunning scenery, rice paddies, water buffalo and local farmer's life. And then it is your option to take a 1-hour bamboo rafting down Yulong River. Have lunch at a local restaurant to taste local cuisine, such as beer fish, Li River shrimp, stuffed tofu, stuffed field snail, stuffed eggplant, bamboo-tube-cooked rice, etc. In the afternoon, the local chef will take you to the local market for shopping some fresh food materials and ingredients for cooking, and learn to cook some local dishes in a village with an amazingly beautiful setting. Feast on the foods you make for dinner.

Meal: B, L, D

Yangshuo cooking and bamboo rafting tour

Depart Yangshuo, and drive back to Guilin for a visit to the magical Karst style Reed Flute Cave nearby the downtown: a fascinating gallery of natural sculpture, now enhanced by multicolored lighting, which has been one of Guilin's most interesting attractions for over 1200 years. Then have a brisk walk around the Central Lake Park if time permits. Then transfer to take an afternoon flight to Shanghai. Be met and transfer to hotel.

Meal: B, L

Today begins with a walking food tour through Shanghai’ old streets and a traditional market, just like the local Shanghaineses, tasting various authentic local breakfast foods and drinks, such as steamed bun, Yangcheng Noodles (Plain Noodles in Superior Soup), fried plain bun, fried dumpling, pancake with egg…

After you get full, visit Yu Garden, the only fully restored classical Chinese garden in Shanghai which inaugurated in the Ming dynasty. Numerous rock and tree garden areas, ponds, walls and bridges separating various garden areas and pavilions are its features. Go to Shanghai Museum to savor up outstanding ancient Chinese art. End the trip with a stroll along the Bund to see colonial architectures and skyscrapers at the each side of Huangpu River, showcasing the old and new Shanghai. Dine at a Michelin-starred restaurant for dinner tonight. Try famous Cantonese dim sum foods or Shanghai local foods.

Meal: B, L, D

Shanghai breakfast and the Bund Tour

This morning, drive to visit Zhujiajiao, the nearest water town of Shanghai, to see the traditional lifestyle of Yangtze Delta. If you wish, take a hand-rowing wooden boat winding on the river through the old town to see many old structures and stone arch bridges on the banks.

Free afternoon is for your own exploration. Xintandi, Tianzifang, the French Concession, Oriental Pearl TV Tower or Shanghai Tower are also recommended during Shanghai tour. 

Meal: B, L

Enjoy your last minute of sightseeing and eating in Shanghai, then your guide will pick you up and transfer to airport. Fly back home soundly and end of your 15 day China food tour.

Meal: B

End of service.

What's included

  • 1-on-1 Travel Consultant

    Your China based expert listens to your wishes carefully, provides professional advice, ensures unlimited itinerary revisions before done and 24/7 helpline service while traveling.

  • Private Local Guide and Driver

    Your guides are friendly, helpful and knowledgeable, and your drivers are professional, polite and patient. They are very flexible to accommodate your personal needs and happy to show you the local attractions, history, culture, foods and real life. 
    Private transfers from hotel to attractions, airport or train station are also included.

  • Accommodation to Suite Your Preference

    In each place, we hand pick hotels ranging from luxury 5 star, superior 4 star to comfortable 3 star. Luxury or cozy boutique hotels and budget guesthouses are also among your choices. You could decide where to stay to meet your taste and budget.

  • Gourmet Meals

    Most of the hotels we select offer both Western and Chinese buffet breakfast. Lunch and dinner included are arranged in selected restaurants to taste authentic Chinese cuisine and local specialties. Thus you may also have a unique food tour.
    Meals specified in itinerary as B=breakfast, L=lunch, D=dinner.

  • Attractions and Activities Listed on the Itinerary

    Our China tour packages have included the (first/main) entry to all attractions and the expenses of activities on the itinerary (except the optional activities).

  • Internal Transportation

    Based on your needs, we could make bookings of internal transportation, including domestic flights, inter-city trains, long-distance bus, etc.

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