China Architectural Tour 8 Days, Beijing to Shanghai Tour

Tour Itinerary Expand All

Itinerary Expand All

Day 1Arrival Beijing

Transfer service to hotel

Meals: No Meals
Recommended Hotel: Citadines Ritan Service Apartment ★★★★

Arrive in Beijing, the capital city of China. You will be greeted and met by TCT tour guide at the airport and transferred to your hotel, whenever your flight arrives in Beijing. After check-in, free at leisure for the rest of the day.

Beijing City View

Day 2Beijing

Tiananmen Square, National Grand Theater of China, Forbidden City, Jingshan Park, Temple of Heaven

Meals: Breakfast & Lunch
Recommended Hotel: Citadines Ritan Service Apartment ★★★★

[09:00-09:30] Enjoy your leisure time and have buffet breakfast in hotel. Meet at the hotel lobby.

[09:30-12:30] You will reach the Tian'anmen Square, the largest public square in the world. And then, an exterior tour to the National Grand Theater of China. Walk through the square and visit today’s highlight: Forbidden City, the largest and most complete ancient imperial palace in the world. Hike to Jingshan Park, where gives a nice panoramic view of the Forbidden City at the top of Coal Hill.

[12:30-14:00] Lunch time at Shi Yuan Restaurant, offering the local Chinese food, famous for the braised eggplant, vegetable ball, and diced chicken with walnuts in soya sauce.

[14:00-16:30] Visit Temple of Heaven, used to pray for harvest by the emperors. It is China's existing largest structure for sacrifice to heaven. Shopping time at Panjiayuan Antique Market and Pearl Market

[16:30-17:30] Back to the hotel, en route you can plan for the night show or the Peking duck dinner with your guide and ask for suggestions.

National Grand Theatre Beijing

Day 3Beijing

Badaling Great Wall, Commune by the Great Wall, Olympic Park (Bird Nest, Water Cube, National Indoor Stadium)

Meals: Breakfast & Lunch
Recommended Hotel: Citadines Ritan Service Apartment ★★★★

[08:00-08:30] Our guide will meet you up at the hotel lobby and start to explore the Great Wall.

[08:30-12:30] Drive to Badaling Great Wall, which section is the most representative part of the Great Wall of China, as well as the most visited section. Upon arrival, you can choose to hike on the Great Wall, or take cable car up and walk around.

[12:30-13:30] Lunch time at Commune by the Great Wall, a modern architecture that designed by 12 elite Asian architects.

[13:30-16:30] Drive back to Beijing city, while you can take a nap in the car. Visit the exterior Bird Nest and Water Cube, the amazing architectures that built for Beijing Olympic Games. After that you will experience Chinese tea at tea house.

[16:30-17:30] Back to the hotel, en route you can plan for the night activities, such as foot massage, houhai night bars and Sanlitun bar street.

Bird Nest

Day 4Beijing

Grand MOMA, 798 Art Factory, CCTV New Tower, China World Trade Center Tower 3, Beijing CBD

Meals: Breakfast & Lunch
Recommended Hotel: Citadines Ritan Service Apartment ★★★★

[09:00-09:30] Our guide will meet you up at the hotel lobby and start to have a glimpse of this modern city

[09:30-12:30] Drive to enjoy a creative day by visiting 798 Creative Factory and Grand MOMA, famous for its magnificent structure, was the unique residential building ranking into the 2007 American TIME magazine The 10 Best (New & Upcoming) Architectural Marvels list.

[12:30-13:30] Lunch time at local restaurant, enjoy the authentic Chinese food.

[13:30-16:30] Visit CCTV Headquarter, outstanding for its brand-new appearance. And around the sunset time, take your photographic tools to take an amazing picture of China World Trade Center Tower 3 and Beijing CBD night scenery, which will let you see the most prosperous area in this city.

[16:30-17:30] Back to the hotel, pack your luggage for next morning’s check-out. Free at leisure at night.

CCTV Headquarter Building

Day 5Beijing - Shanghai

Take high speed train to Shanghai

Meals: Breakfast
Recommended Hotel: Sunrise On The Bund Hotel ★★★★

Feel free at leisure in this morning and wait to be transferred to the south railway station for a 4.5hrs high speed train to Shanghai. On arrival, your local guide will meet you at the station and transfer you to your hotel for check-in.

Shanghai City View

Day 6Shanghai

2010 Shanghai World Expo Pavilions, The Bund, Shanghai World Financial Center, Shanghai Lujiazui District

Meals: Breakfast & Lunch
Recommended Hotel:Sunrise On The Bund Hotel ★★★★

[09:00-09:30] Our guide will meet you up at the hotel lobby and start to explore the Modern city of China.

[09:30-12:30] Shanghai modern tour begins from a visit to 2010 Shanghai World Expo Pavilions.

[12:30-13:30] Lunch time at local restaurant, enjoy the local Shanghai food.

[13:30-16:30] Enjoy a leisure walk along the Bund for the gallery of world architectures. Taking sunset pictures along the Huangpu River and enjoy the Lujiazui district night scenery from the Shanghai World Financial Center.

[16:30-17:30] Back to the hotel, en route you can plan for the night acrobatic show, especially the ERA show, which is one of the most popular evening entertainments in Shanghai.

the Bund

Day 7Shanghai

Donghai Bridge, Yangshan Deep-water Port, Dishui Lake

Meals: Breakfast & Lunch
Recommended Hotel:Sunrise On The Bund Hotel

[09:00-09:30] Our guide will meet you up at the hotel lobby and start a trip to explore Yangshan Deep-water Port.

[09:30-12:30] After about 1.5 hours driving, we will firstly arrive to the Donghai Bridge - the first sea-crossing bridge in the China. Keep driving for about 30 minutes, then get to the highlight of this day - Yangshan Deep-water Port. From now, we will have a short hiking trip in the Yangshan scenic area including Shilong Part, Dazhitou Part, and Xiaoyanjiao Part. With about 1 hour sightseeing, get to the peak of the hill in the scenic area and have a grand view of the Donghai Bridge and Yangshan Deep-water Port.

[12:30-13:30] Lunch time for the local restaurant

[14:00-17:00] Drive to Dishui Lake which is the representative project located in the Shanghai New City area. Drive back to your hotel.

Donghai Bridge

Day 8Departure Shanghai

Transfer service to airport

Meals: Breakfast

Free day at leisure and be transferred to the airport for return flight. We can arrange the Maglev train ride to Pudong airport if you are
interested in, or we will drive you directly to the airport.

Service Ends

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Tour Price (US$ per person)

Hotel Class	Group Size	Dec. ~ Feb.	Mar. ~ Nov.
Economy Hotel ★★★	2 ~ 5 pax	$ 1325	$ 1390
Economy Hotel ★★★	6 ~ 9 pax	$ 913	$ 978
Comfortable Hotel ★★★★	2 ~ 5 pax	$ 1442	$ 1534
Comfortable Hotel ★★★★	6 ~ 9 pax	$ 1030	$ 1122
Deluxe Hotel ★★★★★	2 ~ 5 pax	$ 1644	$ 1744
Deluxe Hotel ★★★★★	6 ~ 9 pax	$ 1232	$ 1332

Price includes:

♦ Domestic flight or high-speed train as specified
♦ Private transfer between the airport or railway station, attractions, and hotels
♦ Private licensed English-speaking guide and driver service
♦ Hotel accommodation with daily breakfast on sharing basis
♦ All attraction entrance fees as specified
♦ Meals mentioned in the itinerary, Chinese local food
♦ China Life Tourist Accident/Casualty Insurance

Price excludes:

* International Air tickets or Train Tickets to enter or leave China
* Tips to your tour guide and driver on your own discretion
* China Entry Visa Fees
* Personal expenses
* Optional tours, meals, activities and services

Remarks:

※ Prices are valid from Jan 1, 2024 to Dec 31, 2025, except Chinese public holidays, local fairs or events.
※ TCT reserves the right to adjust the price caused by exchange rate
※ No guide on the flight and Yangtze River cruise.
※ Recommended hotels are subject to change in actual booking
※ Special requirements should be advised to TCT in advance.
※ TCT reserves the right of final explanation for any change due to the reasons beyond our control.

Useful Information

Traveler Reviews Feedbacks & Photos >>Feedbacks

5.0

PunkNelson

5.0

Great Hotel stay Very Nice Tour guides Convenient planned daily trips Average selection of restaurant for food though

Kiwimac53

5.0

We were looking for a tour in SW China while in the area for work and found this one. While we wouldn't normally get a private tour but surprisingly it was actually cheaper than most of the group tours in the area and was great value. While I would usually rather keep one guide for the whole tour, as you get to know each other and they get to know what you are interested in, we changed guides 5 times during this trip (fortunately we had the same guide in Kunming at the start and end of the tour which was a real bonus as Murphy, our Kunming based guide, was excellent.) In this case changing guides had the advantage of local knowledge at each site so compensated for the change. Of the 4 guides we had 3 excellent and 1 very good with each of them working hard to look after us and make sure we enjoyed our trip. Vicky, our Dali based guide was also extremely good making our time there a highlight. The tour gives you 2 days at each base ie travel in the morning, have the afternoon and the next day touring the area then drive to the next base. We chose the driving tour as we feel it gives you a better experience of the area and you get to see the locals in action. All the drivers we had were great - they went out of their way to look after us and were very safe, which is saying something for driving in China. While all of the guides were very fluent in English none of the drivers could speak English which was a slight disadvantage as you didn't have the guides with you when traveling between bases but the friendliness and helpfulness of the drivers more than made up for this. The tour was very well organised and we knew what we were doing from the time we met our guide on arrival at the Kunming railway station to when we walked through security at the airport on our way out. The tour comes with 4,5 and 6 star accommodation choices and we went for the cheapest 4 star option. While the English at the hotels was limited the guides made sure we were checked in and out and took care of any issues (which were minimal). The 4 star option is largely "Chinese style" hotels ie designed for Chinese visitors with breakfast consisting of what many westeners would consider dinner style food but there was always eggs and toast for the less adventurous. The hotels were all clean and comfortable and generally very well located. The Hotel in Kunming (Jin Jang Inn) was a bonus as it seemed higher than 4 star and we stayed there both on our way in and out. As well as breakfast, lunch came with the tour which was enjoyable as the guides choose the restaurants so we got a variety. I got the feeling that most of the restaurants were owned by friends or family or there was some arrangement with the guide, but as you get to formally review each guide and the meals at the end of each stop they work hard to make sure you enjoy the meal and there was always an abundance of food. We tried a range of local cuisine and there was only one meal we didn't think was up to par. You get your own dinner which also suited us as there is invariably a range of restaurants or for the more adventurous there is the street vendors and you can choose what you want. The vehicles we were driven in were all very good- plenty of space and very comfortable. Being a private tour, while there was a set itinerary, which was diverse and very interesting with something for most people, the guides could tweak it to suit individual interests eg more time at one site and less at another. It is easy to get a bit templed out but overall the itinerary was a good mic of nature and culture. I would thoroughly recommend the tour and the company and we will be looking to the company if/when we go back - Guilin is next on the list as the guides were very happy to discus what they thought we would and wouldn't enjoy based on working with us on this tour,

N2265ZIinfo

5.0

Excellent guides, flexible and knowledgeable travel agent. They speak good English. Our trip was very well organized. We are 100% happy and I can recommend Top China Travel to everybody.

Wesley O

5.0

I contacted Top China travel for a 13 day China vacation (Beijing/Xian/Yangtze River cruise/Shanghai) and right from the start Bonnie provided me with great choices and package options. Throughout the entire planning and even during the trip Bonnie was there for us following up and making sure everything was perfect. Thank you Bonnie for making our China vacation unforgettable.

Johnf8958

5.0

From the minute I contacted Vicky at Top China Travel to book our holiday, to the time we were taken to Pudong airport for our flight home, the experience was perfect. My wife and I visited Beijing, Xian and Shanghai and all of our tour guides were fluent in English, very knowledgeable and very friendly. Thank you Vicky and all at TCT and I will definitely be in contact when I return to China.

lakazdi

5.0

I went on a Top China Travel group tour. Everything was so well organised that I never had to worry about anything. I really liked that the group was small and it felt like we were a big group of old-friends all travelling together, not just a passenger on the bus. Every hotel, guide, driver and restaurant was very well picked. I was very happy with how well-informed each guide was, how flexible they were to ensure we all had a great time, and their English was all very good. At every step of the way, guides had us fill in a Top China Travel feedback form which I am certain the company take very seriously since their service was so good. I will be passing on their details to all my friends and family who want to travel in China.

DEBORAH O

5.0

Thanks to Ms Raylene He we had a wonderful and well organised trip to 5 destinations which all went off without a hitch including being met by guides and drivers in each city and looked after very well. This all included several domestic flights a train trip and permits. I have no qualms in recommending this company to other travellers.

EBTraveler

5.0

With forty years of travel to the far corners of our world we have encountered many guides. Like most travelers some have not been very good, some decent and the rare few that are outstanding. During our three weeks in China last month we encountered just such a rare individual. Our guide in Guilin was a young women named Ping (I'll provide her email later). Ping demonstrated knowledge and command of the history, stories and culture all along the way. Beyond that, Ping exuded infectious enthusiasm not only for our touring, but for us personally as well. We had a serious medical issue occur suddenly, in fact one of us went into diabetic shock. It was four in the morning but no matter, after calling Ping she took command and arranged for the hotel to send us, with a car, driver, and assistant to a hospital. Upon our arrival there was Ping who obviously thru on some clothes, got on her motorbike and rushed to meet us. There she not only served as translator but as though a family member, she became invested in our proper care and recovery. Truly remarkable to have such a person supporting you. In small ways she flavored her guiding with a sense of our interests and preferences, like the day we mentioned our love of pomegranates and the next morning there she is smiling and with samples for us as a treat. When we left a jacket behind, once again was on it as Ping arranged for its shipment to out next stop and tracked it until it was in our hands. Beyond that, Ping was in frequent contact to make certain of our full medical recovery and to offer her help where or whenever it might be needed while in China. Amazing! Ping can be contacted at bellakanas@163.com Sheila Hertz, Howard Entin

ourview_11

5.0

From the first email to Top China Travel with Joyce to our wonderful Tour Guide Linda and our driver I can not say more happily what a wonderful trip we have had. Linda was very Kind and very informative with all your tours. The vehicle used was at very high standard and the Driver very safe. We had a private Tour for myself and my Husband we would totally recommend this company.

Geonannie

5.0

Top China Travel is the the tops! I booked an 21 day tour of China for my husband and I and from the very first contact with Lily Lui I was totally impressed. We communicated via e-mail and Lily was very quick and helpful with her responses. Because this was not our first trip to China, I wanted an itinerary that was different from the norm. Lily's recommendations were top notch. The hotels she used were top shelf as we requested. Our guides and drivers were fantastic. What impressed me the most was that when we were in China, Lily called to speak to me and make sure everything was going well. When I ran into some issues due to altitude sickness, I contacted her and she had the itinerary changes done and finalized within an hour. This was a private tour with guide and driver and I honestly can say there was not one thing I wished we had done differently. Thanks to Top China Travel and Lily our trip to China was perfect. I will definitely be contacting Lily when we return to China for yet another visit.

Allessandr0

5.0

I am a tour leader from Italy and this was my first cooperation with Janet and how lucky we met her!! We followed the trip with her to remote areas in China including some ethnic group area in Guizhou province and Sanjiang, Longsheng and Guilin, we enjoyed completely throughout the whole trip and some arrangement even out of our surprise, like we went to Janet’s home to learn how to pack Chinese Ravioli, she invited a Taichi teacher and we had a 1 hour Taichi class inside her home community. Everything was fine and our group members are all like her very much. We strongly recommend Janet Chan (janet@topchinatravel.com) as your China trip consultant! She is so considerate and carefully planned each detail of our trip. Guizhou is a very interesting and primitive place for visiting, you should include in your China trip as well! Thank you Janet! You are very professional!!

Salim A

5.0

When I planning our private trip to china I have read many trip adviser reviews and I have noticed Janet Chan’s name came up a number of times so i sent her an e-mail asked for the best two weeks private tour in China for 6 persons , whiten two days she replied me recommending 5 cities ( Zhangjiajie, hangzhuo , shanghai, Beijing , Guilin ) we went through the program which she sent to us it was excellent so we asked her to go ahead to arrange our journey . it was a great choice we made, The tour guides were knowledgeable and helpful. The hotels which reserved for us by TCT were excellent We can only say thanks for TCT and especially Janet Chan

Karan J

5.0

From the 1st point of contact till the end Joyce was great and helped plan a perfect trip which I was for a short time in Beijing. I was traveling alone and was recommended to join a small group of fellow travelers which was perfect. Great tour guide with a clean bus. Pick up on time and overall a great experience.

Ms Masha B

5.0

My husband and I booked a two week private tour of China with Top China Travel. It was an excellent experience. Vicky, a tour consultant, offered us a very good program visiting Beijing, Xian, Zhangjiajie, Shanghai and Nanjing. We really enjoyed every location. The tour guides were knowledgeable and helpful. In Beijing, Shanghai and Nanjing me made our own hotel reservation and in Xian an Zhangjiajie TCT made the reservations for us. Lunch was included in the tour and the selection of the restaurants was excellent in most locations (except Xian). Overall great tour!

Chris W

5.0

When planning our China trip we read many trip advisor reviews and noticed Janet Chan’s name came up a number of times so we asked for her to arrange our journey across this fascinating land. What a great choice we made, she listened and responded to our questions and arranged all our trip that went off without any problems. We didn’t want shopping nor group travel and she responded brilliantly. Two days hiking on the wall with fabulous guide Miko, in fact all our guides and drivers were just excellent. High speed train meant we saw lots of China’s varied countryside and went to some out of the way places. We can only say great things about TCT and especially Janet Chan if you are planning a trip. Thank you Janet for an exciting and memorable trip! Chris n Jools Winstanley

Raghavan A

5.0

We signed up with TCT after reading reviews of Tibet tour agencies. Our trip included 4 days in Lhasa, two in Shigatse and one at the base camp. TCT made all the arrangements including the Tibet permit, hotels, tour guide, car and the driver for the entire trip. The arrangements were superb. The guide and the driver were very accommodating to our needs and made the entire trip very convenient. At the base camp, the guide even arranged for extra oxygen in case we need it. She was also very helpful in advising us as how to get acclimated to the altitude. The entire trip was smooth and enjoyable and we would highly recommend TCT for travel to Tibet.

karenilena

5.0

wonderful visit and wonderful guide Li. Li showed us all the charms of this great city together with our Li river tour. We fell in love with this place and Yangshou. Great place to visit and it was a favourite city in all the cities we visited. great guide

Natasha J

5.0

I can't recommend this company enough!! I started talking to Yocky via the chat system on their website, as we wanted to do a 2.5 week trip around China. Our itinerary was: Shenzhen-Beijing-Xian-Kunming-Dongchuan-Chengdu-Guilin-Sanya Here's how things went: 1) She was instant in her replies and responded to subsequent emails within the hour (and trust me, I sent A LOT of emails). She was always so thorough and efficient. 2) She made us a tailor made trip that covered everything we wanted, including some slightly more off the beaten track attractions. 3) She helped us keep to our budget and suggested reasonable things we could cut out when things were too expensive (not something many companies would do as they are trying to make a quick buck). 4) She listened to all of our requests for things such as early morning flights, vegetarian food, and readjusting itineraries. 5) All our drivers and guides were EXCELLENT; they were prompt, kind, spoke excellent English and had a wealth of knowledge about all the sites we saw. All the cars on our private tours were nice and comfortable and had water. 6) Despite asking for 3* hotels, all 7 hotels we stayed in seemed like 4* to us and all included breakfast. 7) With such a large and complicated trip there were bound to be a few hiccups (e.g. there was a marathon in Xian one day which meant a lot of roads were closed, so we couldn't access sites). Yocky was in touch with us the entire time and helped us rearrange our plans quickly and ordered complimentary tickets to a show to make up for the inconvenience. We were so nervous about our first trip to China as we speak no mandarin and are strict vegetarian but honestly this was one of the best trips of our life; this company made it so easy for us and I really can't imagine having been able to do it myself any better!

JrnyJunkie

5.0

The views are stunning and the boat that we were on had VIP seating for just our group with a private balcony to view the river.

Candi S

5.0

Raylene did a wonderful job organizing our tour to meet our time constraints. She answered all questions very efficiently. Our tour guide Rocco met us at the airport and the Driver was waiting near by. I have specific dietary restrictions and the guide was extremely helpful communicating that with the restaurants. The trip was so easy and we always felt safe. My husband and I are looking forward to booking a more extended trip in the future. There is so much to see and the food is wonderful!