China Grand Tour with Guilin
Add the karst scenery of Guilin and Yangshuo to China's classic three-city route.
Trip at a glance
- Duration10 days / 9 nights
- Starts inBeijing
- RouteBeijing · Xi'an · Guilin & Yangshuo · Shanghai
- Places4 destinations
- CountryChina
- Ideal forPhotography holidays
- Trip stylePrivate, customisable
- Package codeNX-4ITPX2
Best time to visit: April to May and September to October




Trip overview
Add the karst scenery of Guilin and Yangshuo to China's classic three-city route.
The route spends 3 nights in Beijing, 2 nights in Xi'an, 2 nights in Guilin & Yangshuo and 2 nights in Shanghai, so you get time for the main sights without changing hotels every day. It suits photography holidays, and every day can be shortened, swapped or extended.
Highlights
Day-by-day itinerary
Day 1Arrive in Beijing
- Arrive via Beijing Capital (PEK) and Daxing (PKX) airports and transfer to your hotel
- Check in and settle in
- Later: Summer Palace: Imperial gardens and lake
Day 2Beijing: Great Wall (Mutianyu) and Forbidden City
- Great Wall (Mutianyu): Restored section with cable car
- Forbidden City: Imperial palace complex
Day 3Beijing: Tiananmen Square and Temple of Heaven
- Tiananmen Square: Vast public square
- Temple of Heaven: Ming temple and park
Day 4Beijing to Xi'an
- Fly from Beijing to Xi'an (flight timings confirmed in your quote)
- Check in at your Xi'an hotel
- Xi'an City Wall: Cycle on the Ming walls
Day 5Xi'an: Muslim Quarter and Big Wild Goose Pagoda
- Muslim Quarter: Food street
- Big Wild Goose Pagoda: Tang dynasty pagoda
Day 6Xi'an to Guilin & Yangshuo
- Fly from Xi'an to Guilin & Yangshuo (flight timings confirmed in your quote)
- Check in at your Guilin & Yangshuo hotel
- Li River cruise: Guilin to Yangshuo
Day 7Guilin & Yangshuo: Reed Flute Cave and Elephant Trunk Hill
- Reed Flute Cave: Illuminated cave
- Elephant Trunk Hill: City landmark
Day 8Guilin & Yangshuo to Shanghai
- Fly from Guilin & Yangshuo to Shanghai (flight timings confirmed in your quote)
- Check in at your Shanghai hotel
- Zhujiajiao water town: Canal village day trip
Day 9Shanghai: The Bund and Shanghai Tower
- The Bund: Colonial waterfront
- Shanghai Tower: Observation deck
Day 10Depart from Shanghai
- Breakfast and hotel check-out
- Transfer to Pudong International Airport (PVG) for your journey home
How this version is planned
- Rest days built in every few days
- Laundry stops planned
- Travel insurance covering the full trip recommended
- Sunrise and sunset kept free for shooting
- Hotels close to the best viewpoints
This is a suggested itinerary. Sightseeing order may change with opening days, weather and local conditions; your final plan is in your written quote.
Good to know
- Beijing: Book Forbidden City tickets online with your passport number; there are daily caps.
- Xi'an: Hire a guide at the Terracotta Army; the pits make much more sense with context.
- Guilin & Yangshuo: Stay in Yangshuo rather than Guilin for the countryside.
- Shanghai: See the Bund at night when Pudong's towers light up.
Questions about this trip
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ChinaBeijing
Beijing has been China's capital for most of the past eight centuries.
ChinaXi'an
Xi'an was the eastern end of the Silk Road and capital of thirteen dynasties.
ChinaGuilin & Yangshuo
Guilin's karst peaks along the Li River are among China's most famous landscapes, printed on the 20-yuan note.
ChinaShanghai
Shanghai is China's most international city, with the colonial Bund facing the futuristic Pudong skyline, the classical Yu Garden and Shanghai Disneyland.
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