Code:	TQ 34
Routes:	Shanghai - Xian - Beijing - Shanghai
Duration:	8 Days

Itinerary in brief

Day 1   : Arrival - Shanghai
Day 2   : Shanghai
Day 3   : Shanghai - Xian
Day 4   : Xian
Day 5   : Xian - Beijing
Day 6   : Beijing
Day 7   : Beijing
Day 8   : Beijing - Departure

Detail Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival - Shanghai
Upon arrival at Shanghai airport, you will be met by our English speaking tour guide and transferred to hotel.  Leisure on your own for the rest of the day.

Day 2: Shanghai (B,  L,  D  )
Visit the Bund, Yu Garden, Oriental TV Tower and Shanghai Museum, Acrobatic show in the evening.
Visit The Bund. Have a stroll along the waterfront to experience the smells, sights and sounds of the old "Wall Street" in Shanghai. Banks, trading houses, residences, hotels and clubs all had a view of bustling Huangpu River traffic as they shared in the city's rising and falling fortunes. Then walking along the famous shopping street-Nanjing Road. It is said that shopping in Shanghai is the most varied and rewarding in China
Following with the Oriental Pearl TV Tower. With its 468 eters high (1,536 feet), the tower is the third tallest TV and radio tower in the world as well as the tallest structure in Asia. It is the best place to have a birds-eye-view of Shanghai City. With its unique and amazing design, it has become the new landmark of Shanghai and a big magnet for tourists. The viewing area is half-way up and offers a splendid unparalleled view of the Bund, the emerging new modern Shangha. The view of Shanghai from this height fills you with wonder at the beauty that surrounds you.
After having lunch at a nice local restaurant, visit Yu Garden. This delightfully restored labyrinth of tiny specialty shops, tea and snack houses centered around a Ming - dynasty mandarin Suzhou-style garden is a fascinating spot to people-watch over a pot of tea, to shop for unique souvenirs and to get a feel for Old Shanghai. It is well worth a meander through the Yu Garden, which has many scenic courtyards decorated with baroque rockery, pools and flora, all connected by corridors and passageways.
Enjoy a wonderful acrobatic show after in the evening.

Day 3: Shanghai - Xian (B,  L,  )
Visit Shanghai Museum, Caoyang local residential area visit (kindergarten, food & vegetable market, local family visit).  Transfer to Xian by air in the late afternoon.
Visit the Shanghai Museum.As a museum of ancient Chinese art, Shanghai Museum possesses a collection of 120,000 precious works of art. Its rich and high-quality collection of ancient Chinese bronze, ceramics, painting and calligraphy is specially celebrated in the world. The present Shanghai Museum has eleven galleries and three special temporary exhibition halls.

Day 4: Xian (B,  L,  )
Full day private tours to Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses / Bell Tower / Big Wild Goose Pagoda
Visit the Terra-Cotta Warriors. The Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses are the most significant archeological excavations of the20th century. It has been regarded as THE 8TH WONDER OF THE WORLD! Over 2,200 years ago, the first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang in search of immortality, ordered the construction of a vast army of 8,000 life-sized Terra Cotta warriors and buried with him to protect his empire after his early death. They were discovered accidentally in 1974 by farmers digging a well. For history lovers, the sight is truly breathtaking.
After lunch at a local restaurant, visit the Bell Tower which is the most well-preserved and best-known one among many ancient cities of China. The Bell Tower was originally built in the Yingxiang Temple in 1384, at the intersection of West Street and Guangji Street. Then in 1582, it was moved to its present pivotal position, in the very heart of the city at the junction of four main streets extending to the east, south, west and north, for rebuilding and later restorations. With magnificent carved beams and painted rafters, this classical building is truly elegant.
After coming back to the city, have another tour to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. Situated at south of the Xian city,as one of the main constructions in the famous Buddhist temple-Da-Ci-En Temple, the pagoda is one of the most distinctive and outstanding landmarks for Xian City.

Day 5: Xian - Beijing (B,  L,    )
Visit Shaanxi Provincial Museum and Old City Wall, transfer to Beijing by evening flight.
Have city tours to visit the Shaanxi Provincial Museum, which is the largest comprehensive museum in the province. It is also the fist national level grand museum equipped with modern facilities. It exhibits primarily historical relics of past dynasties and displays precious art treasures and stone carvings of the Han and Tang dynasties. Walking through the exhibits in the museum is like walking through the 3000 years of China history.
After having lunch at the local restaurant, visit the Old City Wall. It is the most complete city wall survived in China as well as one of the largest ancient military defensive systems in the world. The wall was built in the Tang dynasty (618 -907) and enlarged in the Ming dynasty (1368-1644).

Day 6: Beijing  (B,  L,  )
Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, Temple of Heaven.
Tian'anmen Square, the symbolical heart of China and gathering place for the masses. It is the biggest public square in the world, which can hold one million people. Having a free walk there, imagining the great historic events of the 20th century took place there. You will also see legendary landmarks including the Great Hall of the People and the towering 125 foot granite obelisk, Monument to the Peoples Heroes, honoring those who died in revolution.
Walking across the Golden River Bridge, enter the Forbidden City, the inner sanctum and palace where for centuries Chinese emperors ruled their world. It has 9000-room maze of courtyards, places, and ceremonial halls, where 24 emperors used to live. Forbidden City was indeed a forbidden place, where commoners were kept out for nearly 500 years in the past. Tour the palace and imagine the mystery, intrigue and incredible power that reigned here.
Temple of Heaven was built in the 15th century, a sacred site for ancient Beijing, where the emperor and his 1000 member entourage would retreat twice a year for religious ritual. Surrounded by enormous grounds designed in accordance with fengshshui, the Temple complex consists of the Celebrated Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, a unique wooden and blue-tiled structure built without a nail. It is considered the supreme achievement of traditional Chinese architecture.

Day 7: Beijing  (B,  L,  D  )
Great Wall Tour, Ming Tomb, watch Peking Opera in the evening.
The Great Wall of China is the longest structure ever built. It is about 4,000 miles long, and it was built entirely by hand. About 1, 200 - 1, 500 miles of the Great Wall were built during the reign of Emperor Shi Huangdi (Qin Dynasty). The Great Wall crosses northern China from the east coast to the central part of China.
Visit  The Ming Tombs, the resting places of thirteen emperors and their splendid treasures, passing down the Spirit Way, a road lined with statues of dignitaries, as well as huge elephants, lions, camels and horses, you will encounter the marble tombs of the Ming Dynasty emperors. Visit one of the spectacular tombs- Dingling featuring an underground palace.
Peking opera is a synthesis of stylized action, singing, dialogue and mime, acrobatic fighting and dancing to represent a story or depict different characters and their feelings of gladness, anger, sorrow, happiness, surprise, fear and sadness.

Day 8: Beijing - Departure (B,  L  )  
Summer Palace, Lhama Temple, Pearl Market, transfer to airport for flight to sweet home.
Summer Palace is the largest and best-preserved royal garden in China with a history of over 800 years. With its cool features - water, gardens and hills, it was the palace of choice for vacationing emperors and Dowager Empresses. It was badly damaged by Anglo-French troops during the Second Opium War (1860) and its restoration became a pet project of Empress Dowager Cixi, the last of the Qing dynasty rulers.
Lama Temple (Yonghegong or also known as lama temple) is a renowned lama temple of the Yellow Hat Sect of Lamaism, is situated in the northeast part of Beijing city. Lama Temple, or Yanghegong, has a long and varied history. It was originally built in 1694 and originally used as official residence for court eunuchs of the Ming dynasty.
Free time at Pearl Market for shopping.   Later today you will be transferred to airport for flight to sweet home.