12-Day China Family Tour with Kung Fu & Panda

Welcome to Beijing, the capital of China! When you arrive in Beijing, your private tour guide will meet you at the airport or at the train station. Then you will be taken to the hotel and check in. The rest of the day is your free time. If you want to explore the surroundings, feel free to ask your private guide for suggestions.

Meals: N/A
Accommodation: Beijing

This morning, your private guide will pick you up at the hotel and take you to Tiananmen Square, the landmark of Beijing. Tiananmen Square is the place where the People's Republic of China was proclaimed. Then, walk along Beijing's central axis and visit the Forbidden City. The iconic Forbidden City is the imperial palace of China during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Discover the history and culture of the Forbidden City and China with the tour guide's explanation.

After enjoying a lunch of Zhajiangmian (traditional Beijing fried sauce noodles) and snacks in Wangfujing Street, you will travel to the Summer Palace where you can appreciate the unique charm of Chinese royal gardens. You can climb Longevity Hill and then take a dragon boat tour on Kunming Lake.

Experience the opera culture of Beijing by watching Peking Opera, the quintessence of China. After watching, the staff will show you the props and costumes of Peking Opera and tell you about operatic roles. Put on the costumes and draw a Peking Opera mask to sing Peking Opera.

Meals: B, L, D
Accommodation: Beijing

After breakfast, you will head to Mutianyu Great Wall (about 1.5 hours drive). This ancient Chinese defense works also boast magnificent natural scenery. To make your journey more fun, you can take the cable car up to the mountain. Hiking on the Mutianyu Great Wall is an unbeatable experience. Finally, take an interesting and exciting toboggan ride down the Great Wall. After the Great Wall tour, you will have lunch at a nearby farmhouse restaurant at the foot of the Great Wall.

After lunch, you will return to the center of Beijing and visit Shichahai. You will take a rickshaw to travel through the old Beijing Hutong (narrow lanes in a traditional residential area). Explore quadrangle courtyards and stores on both sides and witness traditional Beijing's life. Visit a local hutong family and learn Chinese calligraphy, cricket fighting, and diabolo (Chinese Yoyo). For dinner, you can taste Beijing's specialty copper hot pot.

Meals: B, L, D
Accommodation: Beijing

In the morning, you will visit the Temple of Heaven where ancient emperors made sacrifices and prayed for a good harvest. Every morning, there are many locals doing morning exercises here. You can do tai chi under the guidance of a teacher and have a tai chi competition after the class. After that, you will enjoy authentic Beijing roast duck for lunch.

In the afternoon, you will be taken to the train station and take the bullet train to Luoyang. After arrival, your private tour guide will greet you at the station and accompany you to the hotel.

Meals: B, L, D
Accommodation: Luoyang

Shaolin Temple is a holy place for Buddhist and the birthplace of Chinese Kung Fu. Today, you will follow your tour guide to visit some of the main attractions of the Shaolin Temple, such as the mountain gate, Heavenly King Hall, Bell Tower, etc. Visit Shaolin Temple Daxiong Hall and learn about its stately architectural style and historical stories. Admire the iconic gate and stone carvings outside the Shaolin Temple. Watch an excellent Shaolin Kung Fu show and experience the charm of Chinese Kung Fu. Taste authentic Shaolin vegetarian food for lunch at a vegetarian restaurant near the Shaolin Temple.

In the afternoon, you will experience a Kung Fu class at Shaolin Temple and learn basic Kung Fu skills. Head to the Shaolin Ancient Weapons Museum and learn more about the history and culture of Shaolin Kung Fu from martial arts equipment and artifacts displayed in the museum. Visit the Pagoda Forest where you can see more than 200 pagodas from the Tang Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty. Travel to the ancient Songyang Academy, the premier academy during the Northern Song Dynasty.

Meals: B, L
Accommodation: Luoyang

This morning, you will visit Longmen Grottoes, one of the three major Buddhist grottoes in China. There are more than 2300 caves with a history of over 1000 years scattered on the cliffs by the Yi River.

Then travel to White Horse Temple which is the first Buddhist temple in China. As an important site of Chinese Buddhism, White Horse Temple is regarded as the birthplace of Chinese Buddhism. You can enjoy a tranquil atmosphere in this thousand-year-old temple and appreciate its amazing ancient architecture.

After visiting, you will take the high-speed train to the ancient city of Xi'an. Upon arrival, you will be transferred to the hotel and check-in. For the rest of the day, you can visit Xi'an on your own.

Meals: B, L
Accommodation: Xi'an

After breakfast at the hotel, you will travel to Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum and visit the Terracotta Army, one of the greatest man-made wonders in the world. Each terracotta warrior and horse has different images and vivid expressions that will shock you. You can participate in the special Terracotta Warrior craft activity.

After lunch, return to downtown Xi'an and travel to Xi'an City Wall, the largest and best-preserved ancient city wall in China. You can stroll along the city wall and enjoy the beautiful view of Xi'an. Or rent a bike to ride around.

In the evening, explore the bustling Muslim Quarter and discover local Muslim cuisine.

Meals: B, L
Accommodation: Xi'an

Today, your first stop is Shaanxi History Museum, and learn about the stories and history behind the historical artifacts. Then visit Small Wild Goose Pagoda (Jianfu Temple), a Tang Dynasty Buddhist architectural heritage. Visit a Chinese shadow puppetry studio and dye puppets. Learn about how to operate the puppet behind the screen and tell a story using Chinese shadow puppetry.

Head to a local family to get a glimpse of the daily life of Chinese families. You can learn to make dumplings with the guidance of the host. Enjoy a delicious dumpling feast and Chinese cuisine.

In the afternoon, you will transfer to Chengdu, which takes about 4 hours. Once settled in, you are free to explore Chengdu by yourself.

Meals: B, L, D
Accommodation: Chengdu

Spend a full day with cute pandas! Today, you will join the panda volunteer project at 8:30 am at Dujiangyan Panda Base. You will take care of pandas as a panda keeper. Learn how to feed them and help them clean their homes. Collect pandas' excrement and observe their behavior. There are other interesting handicraft activities you can participate in. For example, you can make panda toys or sample crafts, such as painting pandas on blank fans or lanterns or preparing bamboo snacks for pandas.

Then enjoy leisure time at Jinli Ancient Street. There are lots of food stalls lining the street. You can find various snacks, such as beancurd jelly, crispy beef patty, spicy chicken skewers, sugar figure blowing, and dough figure making.

Meals: B, L
Accommodation: Chengdu

In the morning, you will head to Wenshu Monastery, a Tibetan Buddhist holy site. In this well-preserved temple, you can appreciate exquisite halls, pagodas, bridges, and other buildings. The rich Buddhist artifacts, like statues, scriptures, murals, etc. are must-see. Then enjoy a cup of traditional Chinese tea and experience the slower pace of life in a tea house.

At noon, you will savor Sichuan hot pot or Sichuan cuisine or appreciate the exciting Sichuan Opera's face-changing performance.

In the afternoon, you will transfer to the next destination - Shanghai. Upon arrival, you will be met by your private guide and driver and transferred to your hotel. You can explore Shanghai at the remaining time of the day.

Meals: B, L, D
Accommodation: Shanghai

After breakfast, you will visit the Shanghai Museum which is one of the four major museums in China. Immerse yourself in the history and rapid development of Shanghai. Travel to Yu Garden which is a classical garden. You can appreciate traditional Chinese architecture and old trees. Head to the nearby Yu Garden Market, which offers various Shanghai local snacks, refreshing drinks, and exquisite handiwork.

Enjoy a breathtaking panoramic view of modern Shanghai at the 100th floor observation deck of Shanghai World Financial Center. Visit brand stores, restaurants, cafes, and souvenir stores at Nanjing Road, a paradise for foodies and shoppers. Stroll to the Bund and explore Broadway Mansions. You can see the Oriental Pearl TV Tower.

After dinner, you will take a night cruise on the Huangpu River. On the ferry, you can appreciate the bright night view of the Bund, Lujiazui, and Waibaidu Bridge.

Meals: B, L, D
Accommodation: Shanghai

Today you will say goodbye to Shanghai and conclude your 12-day China family tour. On your last day in Shanghai, you can do some shopping at souvenir stores before going to the airport or train station.

Meals: B
Accommodation: N/A