A journey worth looking closer at.
Arrive in Beijing
Welcome to Beijing, where the first chapter of your journey begins. Your arrival transfer takes you from the airport to the hotel, giving you time to settle in after your flight and adjust to the local rhythm. The day is reserved for arrival rather than scheduled sightseeing, so you can ease into the journey before discovering the capital's palaces, lanes and northern hills.
Please select your tour date according to the day you arrive in Beijing, and share your flight details with Gala Holidays so the transfer can be coordinated.
Imperial Beijing and hutong lanes
Step into imperial Beijing at the Forbidden City, where monumental gateways, broad courtyards and richly colored palace roofs create a powerful sense of ceremony. As you move through the complex, the scale of the architecture offers a striking introduction to the capital's historic character. This is a day for noticing both the commanding vistas and the smaller details within them.
A hutong rickshaw ride brings a contrasting view of Beijing: narrower lanes, courtyard walls and a more intimate urban landscape beyond the palace precinct. Together, these experiences reveal two distinct faces of the city. If Forbidden City admission tickets are unavailable, the palace visit is replaced by Prince Gong's Mansion and Beihai Park.
Mutianyu Great Wall
Leave the city for the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall, where ancient ramparts trace the contours of the surrounding hills. Watch how the wall rises and falls with the ridgelines, and take in the changing relationship between stonework, watchtowers and open mountain scenery. The appeal lies in the sweep of the landscape as much as in the details along the wall itself.
Later, view the Bird's Nest stadium from outside. Its interlaced modern structure provides a memorable contrast to the day's ancient fortifications, bringing together two very different expressions of Beijing's identity. The stadium stop is an exterior visit; the day's sequence follows local operating arrangements.
Temple of Heaven • Fly to Chengdu
Begin with the Temple of Heaven, whose graceful forms and carefully ordered spaces offer a quieter counterpoint to Beijing's palace courts and defensive walls. Take in the architectural balance, the relationship between the buildings and their setting, and the ceremonial atmosphere that gives this landmark its distinctive character. It is a fitting final perspective on the capital before your journey turns toward Sichuan.
Continue to the airport for the itinerary's flight from Beijing to Chengdu, followed by a transfer to your hotel. The change of city opens a new chapter of pandas, historic shrines and atmospheric streets. Flight arrangements and the day's timing are confirmed with your final travel details.
Pandas, Wuhou Shrine and Jinli
Discover a gentler side of China at Chengdu's Panda Base. Observe the giant pandas in their surroundings and enjoy the simple pleasure of watching these distinctive animals move, rest or feed as their natural daily routines allow. Their unhurried presence sets an appealing tone for a day that also explores the cultural character of Chengdu.
Continue to the Wuhou Shrine Museum, where the city's historical associations come into focus through its buildings and setting. Finish with Jinli Street, whose traditional architectural atmosphere brings a different sense of texture and bustle. Pandas, heritage and street life combine into a varied portrait of Sichuan's capital; animal activity varies naturally during the visit.
High-speed rail to Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong
Leave Chengdu by high-speed train for the Jiuzhaigou region, with second-class seating included for this rail segment. As the itinerary turns toward the mountains, the mood shifts from urban streets to a landscape defined by altitude, water and broad natural forms. The day's sightseeing includes Huanglong, introducing the distinctive mountain scenery of this part of Sichuan.
Appreciate the changing colors and textures of the landscape, and allow the scenery to set a slower, more observant rhythm for the days ahead. Continue to your hotel in the Jiuzhaigou area, where you will stay for two nights. Tomorrow is devoted to the valley itself, giving this mountain chapter more room to unfold.
A full day in Jiuzhaigou Valley
Devote the full day to Jiuzhaigou Valley, where water, woodland and mountain scenery combine in a landscape of remarkable depth. The pleasure is in the changing relationships between them: a still surface holding a reflection, a different shade of water as the light shifts, or the wooded slopes that frame each view. Give yourself time to appreciate the landscape as a sequence rather than a single photograph.
A full day in the scenic area makes the valley the centerpiece of this part of your journey. Conditions and colors vary with the season and weather, ensuring that the experience belongs to the day you visit. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included today before your second night in the Jiuzhaigou area.
Rail back to Chengdu • Kuanzhai Alley
Return to Chengdu by high-speed train, with second-class seating included, and let the journey carry you from mountain scenery back into the life of the city. The transition is part of the pleasure: the quiet scale of the valley gives way to streets, courtyards and the everyday rhythm of Sichuan's capital.
Visit Kuanzhai Alley, where the arrangement of lanes and traditional-style building fronts creates an inviting setting for a stroll. Look for the contrast between broader passages and narrower corners, and enjoy the sense of old streets adapted to modern city life. After the open landscapes of the past two days, this more intimate urban scene provides an engaging change of perspective.
High-speed rail to Chongqing
Travel from Chengdu to Chongqing by high-speed train, with second-class seating included for this rail segment. On arrival, the landscape changes from the feel of the Sichuan capital to a city shaped by slopes, rivers and buildings arranged at surprising levels. The afternoon's visits introduce that distinctive setting through three very different perspectives.
Explore Ciqikou's old-town lanes, then take in Hongyadong's layered hillside architecture. Continue to Chaotianmen, where the riverside setting opens up the scale of the city beyond its close-set streets. The combination of old lanes, architectural layers and broad river views gives your first day in Chongqing a strong sense of place.
Chongqing's hillside streets
Chongqing is a city best understood through its changes of level, and today's route makes that character particularly vivid. View Liziba's celebrated train-through-building scene from outside, observing how transport and urban architecture occupy the same dramatic hillside setting. The visit is for exterior viewing, rather than a promised ride through the building.
Continue to Shibati, where steps and sloping streets emphasize the city's vertical rhythm, and then to Longmenhao Old Street. These districts offer a more intimate counterpoint to Chongqing's large-scale skyline: passages, building fronts and changing views that reward closer attention. Together, the three stops reveal how everyday city space has adapted to the mountain terrain.
Fly to Shanghai
Depart Chongqing for Shanghai on the flight shown in the daily routing. Today is primarily a travel day, connecting the steep streets and layered river-city views of Chongqing with Shanghai's gardens, waterfront and contemporary skyline. After arrival, your transfer takes you to the hotel, where you can settle in before the next stage of sightseeing.
Breakfast and lunch are listed for the day. Flight times, transfer coordination and meal arrangements follow the confirmed operating schedule, so the pace of the day will depend on those details. There are no additional sightseeing stops specified today; tomorrow brings a full introduction to Shanghai through Yu Garden, the Bund and an exterior view of the Oriental Pearl Tower.
Yu Garden, the Bund and Shanghai skyline
Discover Shanghai through a sequence of contrasting settings. Begin at Yu Garden, where carefully composed water, stone and traditional architecture invite a closer, more contemplative way of looking. The succession of garden views offers an intimate introduction before the day opens onto the much broader panorama of the Bund.
Along the Bund, the waterfront creates a meeting point between the city's historic urban face and its modern skyline. View the Oriental Pearl Tower from outside and appreciate its distinctive silhouette as part of that wider scene. Tower admission is not included in this stop. Garden detail, riverside architecture and contemporary forms together make a richly varied day in Shanghai.
High-speed rail to Suzhou
Board the high-speed train from Shanghai to Suzhou, with second-class seating included, and exchange the metropolitan skyline for the artistry of a classical garden. At the Humble Administrator's Garden, water and architecture work together to shape an unfolding sequence of views. Pavilions, landscaped spaces and framed perspectives encourage you to notice how each part relates to the whole.
The experience is as much about looking slowly as it is about moving through the garden: a reflected roofline, a change in perspective or the balance between open water and built form. Spend the night in Suzhou, allowing this garden-city chapter to have its own place within your wider China journey.
Jinji Lake • Return to Shanghai
Visit Jinji Lake for a broader, more open view of Suzhou after yesterday's classical garden. Here, the expanse of water and its surrounding urban setting create a different expression of the city: spacious horizons, changing reflections and the relationship between waterfront life and contemporary development. It is an appealing contrast to the garden's carefully framed scenes.
Later, return to Shanghai by high-speed train, with second-class seating included. Settle into your hotel for the final night of the journey, carrying with you the contrasting impressions of Suzhou's garden artistry and lakeside scale. The return rail journey brings the route neatly back to Shanghai ahead of tomorrow's airport transfer.
Depart Shanghai
Enjoy breakfast before your arranged transfer to Shanghai airport. Your journey closes with a final change of pace, bringing together the places, landscapes and city scenes you have encountered along the way. Please keep your confirmed flight information available so that the departure transfer can be coordinated with your travel arrangements.
No additional sightseeing is scheduled today. If you would like to extend your stay or arrange onward travel, Gala Holidays can discuss those options separately before your booking is finalized.
Your Day 1 arrival dates.
2026
October
November
December
2027
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
These are the listed arrival dates. Availability, operation and the final fare are subject to confirmation. Choosing a date does not confirm a booking.
Your journey, clearly priced.
All amounts are in USD. Adult tour prices are per person based on double occupancy. Tips and service are separately listed; please confirm the complete payable total before booking.
| Fare item | Low season · Nov 15–Mar 29 | Mid season · Mar 30–Jun 30 / Sep 1–Nov 14 | High season · Jul 1–Aug 30 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult tour fare · per person, double occupancy (USD) | US$2,998 | US$3,098 | US$3,248 |
| Child age 12 or under · with bed (USD) | US$2,998 | US$3,098 | US$3,248 |
| Child age 12 or under · no bed, no breakfast (USD) | US$1,998 | US$2,098 | US$2,248 |
| Single supplement (USD) | US$750 | US$850 | US$890 |
| Tips and service fee · per person (USD) | US$250 | US$250 | US$250 |
| Pre/post hotel · per room per night (USD) | US$118 | US$118 | US$118 |
| Extra transfer · per person per trip, minimum 2 (USD) | US$30 | US$30 | US$30 |
Cancellation schedule
- More than 30 days before departure: no charge.
- 20–29 days before departure (inclusive): 20% of the total tour cost.
- 8–19 days before departure (inclusive): 40% of the total tour cost.
- 1–7 days before departure (inclusive): 60% of the total tour cost.
- On the departure date: 100% of the total tour cost.
The cancellation table does not specify exactly 30 days before departure; request the applicable written term before payment.
What to expect along the way.
Included in the tour fare
- Listed accommodation or comparable hotels, listed scenic entrance tickets, local vehicle services and specified meals.
- Second-class high-speed train tickets for the rail segments explicitly shown in the itinerary.
- Tour guide services in Chinese or English except on private airport/station transfers and high-speed rail journeys.
- One bottle of water per person per day.
- Travel-agency liability insurance is listed; Gala Holidays will confirm the applicable coverage before booking.
Excluded or separately payable
- A US$250 per person tips and service fee is listed separately from the tour fare; ask whether payment is mandatory.
- Optional local programs, additional hotel nights and additional transfers at the prices listed below.
- International airfare, visas, other travel insurance and any item not expressly listed as included; please confirm domestic-flight fare inclusion before booking.
Optional experiences
- Chongqing Two-River Night Cruise ticket · CNY ¥280 per person.
- Sichuan Opera face-changing show · CNY ¥280 per person.
- Jiuzhaigou Romance Show · CNY ¥280 per person.
Good to know before booking
- If Forbidden City admission tickets are unavailable, the visit is replaced by Prince Gong's Mansion and Beihai Park.
- The Oriental Pearl Tower and Liziba train-through-building stops are exterior viewing only.
- Private airport/station transfers and high-speed rail journeys are not accompanied by a tour guide.
- Itinerary order, hotels and meals may be adjusted to actual operating arrangements. Listed hotels may be replaced by similar properties.
- Prices and departures are subject to confirmed availability. Please request a quotation for August 31, which is not assigned a seasonal rate.
- Please obtain written confirmation of cancellation charges exactly 30 days before departure. Domestic-flight fare inclusion must also be confirmed before booking.