Food & CultureShanghai, Suzhou & Hangzhou
Five days of skyline, classical gardens, canals and Longjing tea in China's most liveable corner.
SignaturePrivate journey
China Impression: Beijing, Shanghai, Yunnan & Guilin
Fifteen days balancing cities and landscapes: Beijing, Shanghai, Yunnan's mountains and the karst rivers of Guilin.
The journey
China Impression: Beijing, Shanghai, Yunnan & Guilin
This journey is for travellers who want both the energy of China's great cities and time in the landscapes that inspired its paintings. Beijing and Shanghai provide the historical and contemporary bookends; Yunnan and Guilin provide the breathing space.
We include internal flights to keep the long distances short, and build in two free afternoons so the trip never feels like a relay.
- Great Wall and Forbidden City
- Shanghai skyline and water towns
- Lijiang and Tiger Leaping Gorge
- Li River and Yangshuo
- Longji rice terraces
Day by day
The shape of the days.
Day 01Arrive in Beijing
Airport transfer, hotel check-in and an evening at leisure.
Day 02Great Wall & Ming Tombs
A quieter section of the Great Wall in the morning and the Sacred Road in the afternoon.
Day 03Imperial Beijing
Forbidden City, Tian'anmen Square and the Temple of Heaven.
Day 04Hutongs & departure to Shanghai
Morning hutong walk and dumpling lunch, then a high-speed train to Shanghai.
Day 05Shanghai
The Bund at dawn, Yu Garden and the French Concession.
Day 06Suzhou water town
A day among Suzhou's gardens and canals before returning to Shanghai.
Day 07Fly to Kunming
Morning flight to Yunnan. Afternoon at the Stone Forest.
Day 08Dali
Drive to Dali, visit the Three Pagodas and take a boat on Erhai Lake.
Day 09Dali to Lijiang
Bai village visit en route, then Lijiang's old town at sunset.
Day 10Tiger Leaping Gorge
A day hike on the high trail with a local guide, returning to Lijiang.
Day 11Jade Dragon Snow Mountain
Cable car, Baisha village and a Naxi lunch.
Day 12Fly to Guilin
Morning flight to Guilin. Afternoon free by the Li River.
Day 13Li River to Yangshuo
A slow boat down the Li River, then an afternoon cycling the Yulong River.
Day 14Longji rice terraces
Drive north to the Longji terraces for a day of walking and village lunch.
Day 15Departure
Transfer to Guilin airport for your flight home.
Included
What is part of the journey.
Included
- Private English-speaking guide and driver throughout
- Hand-picked hotels with daily breakfast
- Internal flights and high-speed rail as listed
- Entrance fees to all listed sites
- Airport, station and hotel transfers
- Visa invitation letter and current entry guidance
- Alipay / WeChat Pay setup before you arrive
- 24/7 support from our team in China
Not included
- International flights
- China visa fees where applicable
- Travel insurance (required for all guests)
- Meals not listed in the itinerary
- Personal spending, drinks and gratuities
Good to know
The practical details.
AccommodationBoutique hotels and courtyard guesthouses
Group sizePrivate journey · 2–8 travellers
Activity levelEasy to moderate
Best time to travelApril–June · September–November
This journey runs on your dates. We will check lodge and flight availability before confirming anything.
Traveller notes
After the journey.
“Thank you for arranging the drivers and hotels for our trip to Kunming and Jianshui. It was an enjoyable and unforgettable journey for all of us, and our guides were patient with our terrible Mandarin.”
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