China is a charming travel destination with a long history, rich culture, fabulous landscapes, and delicious food. With 19 days in China, you could have a deep travel experience covering 5–7 cities. Below are some of the tour options that we recommend based on our 25 years in the business.
Content Preview
1. A Classic 19-Day China Tour Itinerary for First-Timers
For most first-time travelers to China, we recommend combining China's historical and cultural cities with beautiful natural wonders to create a variety of life-long memories.在中国是贝顶部4必游景点金博宝bet188现金网jing, Xi'an, Guilin, and Shanghai, which would take you about 10 days to visit. For the other 9 days, we recommend "panda-ville" Chengdu in the west and Hangzhou, Suzhou, and Huangshan (the Yellow Mountains) to explore classical eastern China.
Days 1–4: Beijing
China Highlights,Asia Highlights, andGlobal Highlightscollaborate to provide families and couples with personalized and stress-free experiences in diverse destinations.
|
|
One Day Beijing Trip (Great Wall, Summer Palace) With Jennifer
My tour guide Jennifer made this quick one day trip to Beijing great! The day started out a bit overcast and rainy when I landed, but Jennifer’s positive attitude and kind communication (along with her being able to keep up/put up with my jokes) made it fine.Despite this, Jennifer and our driver Chen were able to swing an extra photo shoot stop at the Olympic Stadium. I guess it gives me an excuse to come back to visit again, and when I do - I will use China Highlights and this great fantastic team. more
Sep 2023, Alan Landau
|
Best Great Wall experience
Used China Highlights for a private all-day tour of Jinshanling portion of the Great Wall. One of the best days of my life! Tour guide Alan and a driver met me at my hotel and the ride was very comfortable. Alan was extremely knowledgable and friendly, I really enjoyed talking with him. The scenery was astoundingly beautiful; this is a less touristy portion of the Wall. The hiking was fun, Alan brought plenty of water, and showed me things I would not have noticed by myself. On the way back to the hotel, we stopped at a local restaurant for lunch that Alan had arranged - delicious! Once in a lifetime experience. more
Sep 2023, LZviajera
|
Non-standard private China tour
I booked a 4 weeks private China tour with ChinaHighlights covering landscapes and cultural sites between Beijing, Xian, Guilin, Zhangjiajie, Hangzhou and Shanghai. The entire tour was set up accurately, very fast and in the light of all relevant personal preferences by Mrs. Carol Wang, an expert in organizing hand made voyages in China. Due to her knowledge and immediate responses the tour was scheduled comfortably and straightforward, including all transfers and authentic hotel bookings. I highly recommend ChinaHighlights and in particular Carol Wang for organizing any extraordinary, non-mainstream travel to China. more
Sep 2023, Dr. Manfred Leubner
|
Best way to see Beijing
我们的导游莉莉刘是可爱的,超级耐心,战争m, knowledgeable about Chinese history, and great English skills. Would definitely recommend this service! more
Sep 2023, Stephanie N
|
Amazing tour!
琳达,我们的导游by far the best person to have for our tours of The Forbidden City, Tianamen Square, and Mutianyu Great Wall. She was an encyclopedia with great knowledge of Chinese History and was able to explain every detail of what we were seeing. She picked us up with a very nice car and driver from our hotel both days, at the time most convenient to us, and dropped us back off wherever we wanted at the end of our tours. Both the Forbidden City and the Great Wall are marvels of human and Chinese achievements and are a must to see in Beijing. Visiting them both with a tour guide that feels more like a friend was certainly helping enjoying it even more. more
Sep 2023, Robin Z
|
Beijing is AMAZING
Linda Wang our amazing tour guide helped us to have an unforgettable trip to all the best of Beijing. From organizing the driver (also excellent) to drop us/pick us up exactly when we were leaving busy tourist sites, excellent food recommendations, fascinating knowledge relevant to us and our children (13yo and 11yo) making The Forbidden City, Tiannamen Square, Great Wall, Beijing Zoo and The Hutongs thoroughly enjoyable. Handling all the entrance/exit passport and ticket requirements, interpreting, answering any questions we had about local culture, we were so comfortable and happy, never rushed, everything you could want and more. more
Sep 2023, Michelle A
|
Personal Private tour China
Me and my wife have book a personal private tour to China with China Highlights in March'23 and I must say Ms Maggie Jiang has been very helpfully all along. Advising us on the trips, Visa, Covid and details of our trips coming this 18th September'23. We hope that with all the information provided by Maggie, we should be enjoying our coming tour in China. more
Sep 2023, John Wee
|
Very helpful with trip planning
Planned a trip to Beijing for around a week with China highlights. The consultant Silvia did a great job creating the itinerary of the trip. more
Sep 2023, ax zx
|
Streamlined and Customized Trip Planning at its Finest!
Roger Li has crafted the most amazing trip for my family for next summer! We have emailed back and forth about different experiences I wanted to add, and he always responded within a few hours. He actually ended up creating 4 different itineraries for me to choose from! Now we’re all set for a completely customized trip to China that includes all the major sites plus cultural experiences! I would recommend China Highlights to anyone thinking of going to China whether they are an experienced travel planner or a novice! Especially, if you get to work with Roger! more
Sep 2023, Tamara Scheel
|
Unforgettable trip!
Helen, my tour guide, to make possible this amazing first trip to China that I'll never forget! Each day was amazing, Helen helped a lot and was there since I got out to the arrival hall at the airport and replied all my curious questions related to China's history during the visit. For sure an unforgettable trip!!!! more
Sep 2023, Rebeca Elena
|
强烈推荐
Our tour guide, Mark was excellent. He was very accommodating and knowledgeable! We wouldn’t have seen half the places without Mark. He was able to get us past crowds and organised passport entry. Alongside Mr Who, the driver, it made our time in China hassle free and very memorable! Thank you Mark, Mr Who and China Highlights! more
Sep 2023, Sara N
|
Great service from China Highlights in planning my trip
I've been very happy with the service I have gotten so far (noting that my trip has not happened yet). My agent Roger Li has been so helpful. He helped me plan the Guiling day trip according to special requests and had great advice on how to plan a unique trip away from the crowds. We couldn't be more excited. Roger was also happy to help and answer all the questions I had unrelated to my planned trip with them and to help me out when I had some issues when I accidentally gave the wrong information when booking train tickets. His replies were always prompt and friendly. I feel very comfortable traveling to China knowing I can reach out to Roger with any issues that may arise during our China Highlights trip. more
Aug 2023, Jóna Marín ólafsdóttir
|
Beijing and a little beyond!
We have recently returned from an action packed 4-days in Beijing, including a trip to the Great Wall, in the company of Bruce, our tour guide from China Highlights. Bruce was very knowledgeable throughout the 4-days and took the time and effort to discuss various aspects of Chinese history with our teenage son, including quite a bit in mandarin . Our days were both busy and enjoyable and Bruce also seemed to know all the good places to eat – thanks Bruce and look forwards to next time! more
Aug 2023, Mike M
|
China Highlights - Beijing
Our trip to Beijing with China Highlights was amazing! We took our 12 year old daughter. Mark our guide did a wonderful job making sure we were all comfortable, stayed busy and got acclimated to China as Beijing was our first stop on the mainland. Mark has a lot of knowledge about China and the sites we saw and communication was easy (with us and with our daughter in Chinese). Thanks Mark! more
Aug 2023, Breton P
|
2-day Beijing
Top notch! Our 2-day Beijing trip was very well organised and tailored to our wishes. We visited the Great wall, Tiananmen square, forbidden city and had food at local restaurants. Email contact with China Highlights (Chandler Wang) was very convenient and replies were quick. Our tour guide (Felix) was very knowledgeable and very easy to speak to. The local restaurants visited during our trip had amazing food, really great experience! We had a great time and would definitely use China Highlights again. Thank you! more
Aug 2023, Jonna
|
Der Partner für eine individuelle China Reise
Die Agency (in unserem Fall vertreten durch Tutu Sun) hat für uns eine perfekte Reise organisiert. Sehr gute Kommunikation im Vorfeld der Reise und vor Ort. Zu 100% verl?sslich, immer pünktlich und an jedem Ort sehr freundliche und engagierte Guides. Wir k?nnen eine Buchung bei diesem Unternehmen absolut und uneingeschr?nkt empfehlen. In Beijing hatten wir mit Herrn Chen 3 interessante Tage inklusive einer sehr spannenden individuellen Wanderung auf der grossen Mauer. more
Aug 2023, Jeanne K
|
Beijing Tour
Bruce was an amazing guide and very knowledgeable. He got me past ALOT of long lines fast and knew all the best places to go to take pictures! Also provided good recommendations for additional activities! If you get Bruce you’re in good hands! more
Aug 2023, Anthony L
|
Great two weeks in China with China Highlights
这次旅行包括上海,克丽丝是我们阿玛斯ing guide, Guilin and Yangshuo with Gary who did an amazing job at adjusting the schedule to meet our needs given the incredible heat, Chengdu with Helen who shared her passion for the Pandas with us, had fun in the peoples park with us and introduced us to the local opera which was fascinating and ensured we were able to taste amazing Sizhuan food without burning up! We then moved on to Xian with Jenny who ensured we got to the Terracotta army early enough to get an amazing view, took us to try our hand at making our own warriors, was very knowledgable about the history of Xian which was very interesting and lastly allowed us to try making dumplings which we all loved. Our final stop was Beijing. Ethan was our tour guide and he again did an amazing job ensuring we got to the Great Wall of China early enough to see the amazing wall without too many people and whilst it was still relatively cool, share his great knowledge of the Forbidden City and Summer Palace with us, introduced us to the Beijing Hot Pot and importantly ensured we were able to celebrate our sons 18th birthday in style and with his favourite Chinese food!! Thank you again for making our 2 weeks so special and we will for sure be back very soon. more
Aug 2023, Sandra
|
There is tour guides and there is felix
I had a blast with this tour! Felix is such an amazing person and so knowledgeable! He understands how to share knowledge and make us interested! Me and my friends had a wonderful day with Felix around the city I highly recommend China Highlights and would most likely recommend felix!!! more
Aug 2023, PrettoMauricio
|
Jennifer is an awesome guide and the…
Jennifer is an awesome guide and the tours were great! more
Aug 2023, Renan Santos
|
In Beijing, spend 2 days to explore the iconic attractions — the Forbidden City, Summer Palace, and Temple of Heaven. To save time and get a better knowledge of the Forbidden City, our guide would find the best way for you to visit and lead you to some off-the-beaten-track areas of interest.
One day is needed to visitthe Great Wall.For a better experience, our guide would usually take you to the less-crowded and fully-restoredMutianyu Great Wallsection. If you would like to hike on the Great Wall, our guide would typically arrange a hiking trip from Jinshanling to Simatai — two adjacent Great Wall sections. At Jinshanling, you can enjoy a beautiful sunset on a clear day surrounded by well-preserved watchtowers and wall remnants joining them. You could even a have a picnic on the Great Wall.
For a special experience and a less-crowded environment, we recommend you take anight tour at Simatai, the only section open at night. When the weather's clear, you could enjoy romantic moments when the Great Wall is soaked in starlight.
Families with teenagers, we recommend you spend a day having a Chinese cultural experience to learn more about Chinese culture. Do tai chi exercises in the morning with a master and join a Chinese calligraphy course, for example.
Days 5–6: Xi'an
In Xi'an, most visitors spend a day with theTerracotta Warriors, Xi'an's must-visit attraction. To help you get a better understanding of the Terracotta Army's history and how it was made two thousand years ago, our private guide would take you to a local business that makes terracotta warriors in the original way. There you can make a unique warrior with your own hands and bring it home as a souvenir.
The other day in Xi'an could be a relaxing one, though still filled with history and culture.Riding a bike on the medieval City Wall, and head over to the Muslim Quarter to taste local cuisine and snacks in the markets.
Days 7–8: Chengdu
In Chengdu, the hometown of giant pandas, join our one-day Panda Keeper Program tour to get close to those adorable animals in the Panda Reserve. Our guide will help you get the most out of your time as a volunteer, cleaning the panda enclosures, making their favorite cakes, and seeing how they are fed in the program.
Chengdu is famed for its cuisine. Try Sichuan cuisine (hot pot) and enjoy some free time in a traditional teahouse. If you are interested in Chinese cooking, we can arrange a food tour or cooking class in Chengdu to help you learn some basic skills and knowledge.
Days 9–11: Guilin
Renowned for its beautiful karst landscapes, Guilin is one of the top destinations for China first-timers. In Guilin, spend a day on a Li River cruise from Guilin city to阳朔to enjoy the breathtaking river-and-mountain views.
In Yangshuo, we can arrange a biking tour to explore the beautiful paddy fields in the countryside. Visit a local farmer's house and experience their life and farming activities,such as feeding water buffaloes, planting, or harvesting according to the season.
If you are visiting Guilin in autumn, then spend a day atLongji Terraced Fieldsto view the golden rice tiers and experience interesting minority traditions.
Days 12–13: Hangzhou
Hangzhou is best known for its picturesqueWest Lake, which is surrounded by elegant gardens, temples, and historical buildings. Our guide would arrange a boat tour of the lake, a visit to famous Leifeng Pagoda, or a stroll through the gardens of nearby Guozhuang Village.
Days 14–15: Suzhou
In Suzhou, people are wowed by its beautiful gardens, classical Chinese architecture, and historical canals. Our guide would take you to the UNESCO World Heritage site — the Classical Gardens of Suzhou — to appreciate beautiful combinations of art and nature. Humble Administrator's Garden, Lingering Garden, and Master of the Nets Garden are some of the most famous ones.
If you are interested in Chinese silk products, Suzhou is the right place for you. We can arrange a short visit to the Silk Museum, where you could see the process of silk-making or purchase souvenirs made of silk.
Days 16–17: Huangshan (The Yellow Mountains)
Known for its unique and beautiful scenery, Huangshan deserves two days.Take a cable car to view the abundant breathtaking views of imaginatively-named rocks and trees.To help you experience local life there, we recommend visiting Bishan Village and staying in a typical Hui-style inn (where you could enjoy quiet moments with your partner). In the morning, have a walk around its idyllic countryside to breathe the fresh air and enjoy the picturesque village views.
Days 18–19: Shanghai
As the last stop on this trip, Shanghai offers a vast choice of entertaining activities to wind down. Shanghai's must-visit attraction and locale is the Bund, which offers incredible views of the contrasting city skylines.
Join our in-depth culture discovery tour for more stories and secrets behind the old buildings ofthe Bund. Our local guide would help you get a better understanding of Shanghai's impressive modernity and flourishing history.
In your last days in China, make full use of your time to relax fully or do activities you are interested in, such as shopping, visiting museums, drinking coffee on top of the skyscrapers, or just having a rest in a top Chinese spa treatment hall.
2. A 19-Day China Tour Itinerary with Holy Tibet
If Tibet is your dreamland or bucket-list trip destination, then you may like this itinerary, which combines five of the top China destinations with more-adventurous Tibet.
- Days 1–4: Beijing
- Days 5–7: Lhasa
- Days 8–9: Xi'an
- Days 10–12: Zhangjiajie
- Days 13–15: Guilin
- Days 16–19: Shanghai
It will take you about 3 days to explore the highlights of Lhasa. More days would be needed if you are interested in visiting Everest Base Camp.
InLhasa, the capital of Tibet, our private guide would introduce you to the best ways to explore and get to know the Potala Palace. Spend some leisurely time wandering around Barkhor Street — see devout Buddhists praying and experience the buzz of local Tibetan life. If you are interested in rural Tibetan life in remote areas, we can arrange a visit to a Tibetan village in the hills.
There, live the life of a Tibetan nomad for a day. Take part in their daily activities, including horse riding, milking yaks, printing prayer flags, and other things that the nomads do.
It's important to remember that visiting Tibet requires a travel permit, which can only be applied for by an approved travel agency. Also, some areas are restricted for foreign travelers and require additional permits, which we could also obtain.
3. A 19-Day China Tour Itinerary with Picturesque Yunnan
If you are interested in China's diversified minority culture and natural sightseeing, then you will like this itinerary, which combine the top destinations and the picturesque Yunnan.
- Days 1–4: Beijing
- Days 5–6: Xi'an
- ays 7–10: Yunnan
- Days 11–14: Guizhou
- Day 15: Fenghuang Ancient Town
- Days 16–19: Shanghai & Suzhou
As one of the popular travel destinations in China,Yunnanis renowned for its picturesque landscape and diversified minority culture. In this itinerary, you will visit Kunming and Lijiang.
InKunming, spend a day to visit the Stone Forest, which is a geological wonder with towering limestone formations that resemble trees, animals, and other shapes.
Spend two or three days inLijiang闻名,联合国教科文组织世界遗产Site, Lijiang Old Town. You can see many ancient buildings, canals, and old streets. Another famous attraction in Lijiang is the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, where you can see beautiful mountain ranges and stunning views.
You will also discover Guizhou, a less-visited destination. There you could explore its vibrant ethnic villages and traditions.
4. A 19-Day China Tour Itinerary with a Yangtze Cruise: Best for Retired Couples
If you are looking for a more-relaxed and romantic trip after retired, then this itinerary would be good for you. We select from the best star-rated Yangtze cruise ships as well as lining up some delightful destinations in this trip to help you create romantic memories in China.
- Days 1–4: Beijing (see above for details)
- Days 5–8: Xi'an (as above)
- Days 9–11: Chengdu (as above)
- Days 12–17: Chongqing and a Yangtze Cruise
- Days 18–19: Shanghai(as above)
InChongqing, spend a day to explore some of the top attractions in the city and have a hot pot dinner. The second day, you will take aYangtze Cruiseship from Chongqing to Yichang. During the trip , you will see the breathtaking engineering of theThree Gorges Damand learn about Chinese customs and traditions, as ships provide onboard activities, such as tea ceremonies, calligraphy lessons, and a Chinese medicine workshop.
5. A 19-Day China Itinerary with a Silk Road Adventure
If you are interested in Silk Road history and culture, then this itinerary will be good for you. In this itinerary, you will visit the top destinations and the silk road cities of China.
- Days 1–5: Beijing (see itinerary 1 above)
- Days 6–8: Xi'an (as above)
- Days 9–10: Zhangye
- Days 11–13: Dunhuang
- Days 14–19: Xinjiang (Turpan, Urumqi, Kashgar)
InZhangye, which is home to the Rainbow Mountains, you will have a chance to take a camel ride along the ancient trade route that connected China to the West to experience ancient Silk Road trade life.
In the city ofDunhuang, you will visitMogao Caves,你会看到一个惊人的古老的数组Buddhist art, including murals, statues, and colorful frescoes. Our guide could lead you to visit some that are not open to the general public.
InXinjiang, visit the cityTurpan, Urumqi, and Kashgarto learn more about Uygur culture, by seeing the traditional music and dance performances, as well as visit bustling bazaars and markets. You'll also have the opportunity to try a variety of Xinjiang cuisine, such as Uighur and Kazakh dishes.
Cost for 19- Day Tour in China
The cost for a China tour during peak season is quite different from the off season. Prices in the peak season can be 50 to 100% higher than the low seasons.
For example, the flight price from the U.S. or Europe to China varies a lot depending on the travel time and airline you use, which is usually from around US$1,200 to US$3,000 for an economy round trip.
The peak travel timesin China are on the first weeks of May and October (China's two golden weeks), summer holidays, and Christmas and New year holidays.
For most visitors who book a private tour with us in China,the average cost per day is about US$220–350 per person, including flights/trains within China, 4- or 5- star hotels, lunches, attractions, guides, and private transport.
Thus, a 19-day tour for two people would cost about US$8,400–13,300. A tour for a family of four may cost US$11,800–18,600 (kids under 10 get 30–50% off). Your international flights are not included in this price.
How to Travel around China
It is convenient travel through the whole country by flights or high-speed trains in China. Most of the tourist cities are connected by high-speed rails and airports.
If you book a tour with us, we will arrange the suitable travel routes according to your preferences, seamlessly booking the flight/train tickets you need.
Tour China with Us
Whether you're interested in history, culture, or natural beauty, there's something for everyone in China. Let's create your dream trip! All our tours can be customized. Justcontact us.
- 11-Day Beijing, Xi'an, Guilin, and Shanghai— the TOP itinerary for first-timers
- 12-Day Panda Keeper and Classic Wonders— the above plus pandas
- 8-Day Beijing–Xi'an–Shanghai Highlights Tour— the classic Golden Triangle itinerary
