Arrival in Beijing

Hong Kong may be modern and Xi’an may have a long history, but Beijing is a mix of both. Serving as China’s capital since the Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368 AD), Beijing’s past, present, and future are forced together in the crowded neighborhoods and streets of the city. 

Today is the day, the start of your China adventure. Step off the plane in Beijing and meet your local guide in the airport arrivals hall. They’ll be waiting to welcome you and will have your private vehicle on standby, ready to whisk you off to your hotel for check-in.

Overnight at The Opposite House, Beijing – Studio 45 (Meals Aloft)

Beijing

Rise, shine, and step inside the Forbidden City, a massive imperial palace once home to China’s emperors and the geographic center of Beijing. 

No exploration of the Forbidden City is complete without a visit to Jingshan Park. Located just across the street, a short hike up Jingshan Hill rewards visitors with stunning panoramic views of the old Imperial Palace and Beijing. 

With crispy, succulent skin snapping effortlessly to reveal the tender meat below, it’s unsurprising that Beijing’s signature dish, Peking duck, has been the benchmark of indulgence and culinary perfection in China for hundreds of years.

Overnight at The Opposite House, Beijing – Studio 45 (B, L, D)

Beijing

Rising from the sea in the east before extending 5,000 miles to the deserts of China’s far west, this is arguably the greatest man-made wonder on earth: The Great Wall. Head to the stunning Ming Dynasty ruins outside Beijing from which lonely guards far from home once kept a wary watch over the barbarian lands beyond.

Afterward, celebrate becoming a ‘true man’ (as Chairman Mao said of those who conquered the Great Wall) by breaking bread upon one of humanity’s greatest feats. We’ll bring along a meal from our favorite Beijing bakery; so, stretch out a blanket, take a load off your feet, and enjoy lunch in a picnic spot that might never be topped.

After topping the Great Wall, delve into the heart of Beijing’s contemporary art scene at the 798 Art District.

Grab a coffee at one of the area’s many quirky cafes then delve into exhibitions of the country’s established and emerging creatives at 798’s numerous galleries.

Overnight at The Opposite House, Beijing – Studio 45 (B, L)

Expert-led Tai Chi Lesson in the Temple of Heaven: In the early morning light of The Temple of Heaven, a master will take you on a spiritual and physical journey through an equally ancient Chinese tradition. 

Next Stop: Xi’an Though Beijing has stolen the thunder as China’s new capital, its history and prestige is nothing compared to the old capital of Xi’an, where emperors ruled China for thousands of years. Home of the treasured Terracotta Warriors, the eastern end of the Silk Road, and a history that stretches longer than the Great Wall, Xi’an epitomizes traditional Chinese culture.

High Speed Train to Xi’an: Your guide and private chauffeur will escort you to the train station and help you check-in for your train. 

The Muslim Quarter: As Islam flowed along the Silk Road into China 1,300 years ago, its faithful followers, both locals and foreigners alike, settled in a busy commercial area of the capital, Chang’an. 

Art You Can Eat: Dumpling Dinner Xi’an claims to be the birthplace of Chinese dumplings. Whether or not that’s true, local chefs have elevated the humble staple to the most sophisticated culinary heights. 

Overnight at Sofitel Legend People’s Grand Hotel Xi’an – Premium Room (B, L, D)

Xi’an

The Terracotta Warriors: In 1974, while digging a well in the vast countryside outside of Xi’an, a group of farmers made a legendary discovery. They struck a chamber containing 8,000 soldiers belonging to China’s fearsome first emperor, a terracotta army buried beneath the earth to guard his tomb for eternity. Less than an hour outside the city, you’ll spend two hours coming face-to-face with row upon row of these ancient guardians, an experience no trip to China is complete without.

Ascending to an imperious height of 12 meters, the only way in or out of downtown Xi’an is to pass through cavernous openings in the oldest, largest, and best-preserved city wall in China. 

Shaanxi History Museum: A visit to the history museum is essential in what is probably the most important city in China’s long and illustrious past, and the nation’s capital for a thousand years. Head to the museum, beautifully housed in an old Confucian temple, to ogle in at the objects that have shaped one of the oldest civilizations on Earth.

Overnight at Sofitel Legend People’s Grand Hotel Xi’an – Premium Room (B, L)

Xi’an to Chengdu

High-Speed Train to Chengdu: Your guide and private chauffeur will escort you to the train station and help you check-in for your train. 

Next Stop: Chengdu Located in the heart of eastern Sichuan, Chengdu is the capital of this southwestern province. Geographic and political remoteness has always contributed to the free-spirited nature of the Sichuan people, and the modern cosmopolitan nature of Chengdu reflects this.

Chengdu’s identity as a thriving metropolis, epicenter for preserving Giant Pandas, and source for some of Sichuan’s most delicious cuisine, makes it one of the most interesting cities to visit in China.

After checking in, check out the lively alleyways of Kuan Zhai Alleys, literally translated to “broad narrow alleys.” 

Rub shoulders with locals who love to roam these quirky lanes on their day off and tuck into some of the city’s traditional snacks, although you might want to watch out for some of the more, let’s say, ‘exotic’ local delicacies.

Overnight at The Ritz-Carlton, Chengdu – Deluxe Room (B, L)

Chengdu

In the morning, visit the Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Center for a look at China’s universally-adored mascot. In the Chengdu Panda Breeding Center, you will learn about the diet, reproduction, and conservation of these adorable creatures, and have plenty of opportunities to watch them do what they do best: eat, sleep, and roll around.

After, take a closer look at this region’s past at the Jinsha Museum. Huge gold masks with giant, bug-like eyes and menacing smiles emerged, so unlike other artifacts of the time that rumors began to spread of alien involvement. The Jinsha museum displays all the site’s best discoveries, but don’t miss the resplendent Golden Sun Bird, now the official symbol of Chengdu.

Spend the evening at the illusory, face-changing Sichuan Opera. Marvel at this arcane art as well as the acrobatics, comedy, and vivid characters that make up this regional opera in a VIP.

Overnight at The Ritz-Carlton, Chengdu – Deluxe Room (B, L, D)

Chengdu

Wangjianglou Park Walk off your meal as you explore the city on foot, taking part in the rituals of Chengdu daily life. We’ll visit Wangjianglou Park, seated comfortably on the shores of the Jinjiang River, which is covered in groves of bamboo, groups of people clustered in between.

Kung Fu Tea Performance at Wangjianglou Park China’s traditions of tea and kung fu are almost as old as the country itself. It’s the marriage of the two, in the form of kung fu tea, that is much newer and wholly unique to Chengdu. Gaze in awe as the performer performs a series of dazzling movements inspired by tai chi and kung fu, all culminating in the tea landing artfully in the cup. 

In the morning, head to Qingyang Taoist Temple. The temple is the birthplace of Lao Zi, the founding father of Taoism, which promotes the principle of wuwei, “do nothing.”

Masterclass at the Sichuan Culinary Museum After you’ve worked up an appetite, head to the Sichuan Culinary Museum for lunch.

Sichuan Hotpot Dinner Enjoyed by locals and travelers alike, hotpot is a communal mad-grab of some of China’s most delicious bites.

Overnight at The Ritz-Carlton, Chengdu – Deluxe Room (B, L, D)

Chengdu to Shanghai

Next Stop: Shanghai Once a mere backwater fishing village, the destiny, and fortunes of Shanghai changed forever when the British opened their first concession here in 1842, followed soon after by the French and Japanese.

Your NPE guide and private driver will escort you to the airport and help you check in to your flight. Upon arriving in Shanghai, your local NPE guide will meet you in the arrival hall with your private vehicle on standby to take you to your hotel.

Enjoy lunch in the charming French Concession’s elegant, tree-lined streets. Ruled by France for almost a century until the 1940s, the boulevards of this enclave were once the domain of China’s rich and powerful, from revolutionaries to movie stars.

Moving south from the French Concession, take a stroll around Shanghai’s famous Bund area.

Overnight at The Peninsula Shanghai – Deluxe Room (B, L)

Shanghai

Sat in People’s Square and shaped like an enormous ancient Chinese cooking vessel, the Shanghai Museum delivers on the inside everything that its bold and confident design promises on the outside.

After, uncover the veiled stories of Shanghai’s Jewish Quarter. Jewish history is not something that springs to mind when thinking of Shanghai, but this is a city that has seen Jewish migration from as far away as Baghdad and Bombay since the 19th century.

Wind down your day within the maze of pavilions and arched bridges of Yu Garden.

Overnight at The Peninsula Shanghai – Deluxe Room (B, L)

Suzhou

Next Stop: Suzhou Suzhou is an ancient city of graceful canals, old residences, and rich cultural heritage.

Despite the centuries, Suzhou remains one of China’s most classically beautiful cities. Its meandering canals and manicured gardens transport visitors to a different time, another world. Almost no site in Suzhou is as transporting as Tiger Hill, the burial place of Suzhou’s sixth century BCE founder. Legend has it that three days after the king’s death, a white tiger visited the hill, thus inspiring the Tiger Hill’s name. One of the park’s most popular attractions is Hu Qiu Ta or the Tiger Hill Pagoda.

Master of the Nets Garden After lunch, visit the Master of the Net’s Garden. Though it barely covers half a hectare (just over 1 acre), the Master of the Nets Garden is an exquisite example of how Suzhou’s gardens work ingeniously within the space they’re given to create the illusion of size.

Overnight at The Peninsula Shanghai – Deluxe Room (B, L)

Fly back home

Your NPE guide will escort you to the airport and help you check-in for your flight home.