8 Days Beijing, Xi’an, Luoyang Essential Tour with Shaolin Temple by High-Speed Train

Summary

Day 1 Arrive in Beijing
Day 2 Beijing: Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven
Day 3 Beijing to Luoyang by Train: Mutianyu Great Wall, Ming Tombs
Day 4 Luoyang: Longmen Grotto, Luoyang Museum
Day 5 Luoyang to Xi'an by Train: White Horse Temple,Shaolin Temple
Day 6 Xi'an: Terra-cotta Warriors, Big Wild Goose Pagoda,Shanxi History Museum
Day 7 Xi'an: Xi'an Ancient City, Bell Tower & Drum Tower, Muslim Quarter
Day 8 Xi'an Departure

Day 1.

Welcome to China! Upon your arrival at Beijing, your personal guide will greet you at the beijing international airport holding the board with "China Priavte Tour".  Drive you to your hotel for check-in. The rest day is free on your own to explore the city or recover the jetlag.

Day 2.

Today, firstly start to explore the historical face of Beijing with a brief visit to Tiananmen Square which is now the largest city plaza in the world. Tiananmen Square is the geographical center of Beijing City. It is the largest city square in the world, occupying an area of 440,000 square meters (about 109 acres), and able to accommodate 1,000,000 people at one time. Tiananmen Gate on the northern square was the site where the Chairman Mao announced the establishment of the People's Republic of China. The square is a conglomeration of splendid and beautiful flowers and the red national flag which flutters in the wind. The raising of the national flag is something which should not be missed by visitors to Tiananmen Square.

After sightseeing, walk into the Tiananmen you will meet the one of the world’s 5 most important palaces – Forbidden City, The Forbidden City, also named the Palace Museum, shares the honor of being one of five world-famous palaces with the Palace of Versailles in France, Buckingham Palace in England, the White House in the U.S. and the Kremlin in Russia. The incomparable palace occupies an area of 720,000 square meters (177.9 acres) and has approximately 8,700 rooms. A high red wall with a total length of 3,400 meters (3,718 yards) encases the palace. 

The palace, the most magnificent and splendid palace complex in China, was listed as a World Cultural Heritage Building in 1987. It was built in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and the construction of this group of buildings took fourteen years from 1406 to 1420. 

In the afternoon, drive about 6km to next imperial site - Temple of Heaven. The temple was constructed in 1420 during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), and was enlarged during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). It is the grandest cult architecture complex in the world and a masterpiece of the Chinese people created in ancient times. It covers 2,700,000 square meters (667 acres). Emperors of the two dynasties used to worship the heaven and pray for rich harvests, as the feudal emperors thought they were the son of the heaven. 

It is also one of the most brilliant ancient architectural masterpieces in China. Today, it is a pleasant place for leisure stay of walking or sightseeing, also for exploration of local culture. 

After dinner, you will be taken back to your hotel in Beijing.

Day 3.

In the morning, after breakfast in the hotel your local guide and driver will meet you at your hotel lobby and keep going your Beijing highlight tour.

Firstly, drive about 70km (1.5 h) to witness one of the Seven Wonders of the World – Great Wall. The less-crowded Mutianyu. "If you haven't climbed the Great Wall, you haven't seen China." Many of your friends who visited China before might have told you this. It is indeed an experience of life. As one of the best-preserved parts of the Great Wall, Mutianyu section of Great Wall used to serve as the northern barrier defending the capital and the imperial tombs. It's known for its beautiful surroundings - dense woods and rich pastures changing colors with the seasons of a year. Good sightseeing with nature, take photos from different places and angles so you’ll have plenty of memories you can share with your friends when going back home.

Your lunch is offered near the Great Wall in a local restaurant.

In the afternoon, the Sacred Way, affiliated with the Ming Tombs, is a main attractions arranged for you. The Ming Tombs lie in Changping County, about 50 kilometers (31 miles) northwest from the urban area of Beijing. It is actually a tomb cluster of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), including thirteen emperor's mausoleums, seven tombs for concubines and one grave for eunuchs. It was listed in the World Heritage List in 2003. Each emperor's tomb was constructed at the foot of a separate small hill, but they all share a main road called the Sacred Way.

After sightseeing, drive you to the Beijing train station. Take the high-speed train to Luoyang. Overnight in Luoyang.

Upon Arrival, your local tour guide will happy to meet you, then transfer you back to your hotel.

Day 4.

After breakfast, our guide will meet you at your hotel lobby.

Today you will start your tour with Longmen Grotto, The Longmen Grottoes are some of the finest examples of Chinese Buddhist art. Housing tens of thousands of statues of Buddha and his disciples. There are as many as 100,000 statues within the 2,345 caves, ranging from an 1 inch (25 mm) to 57 feet (17 m) in height. The area also contains nearly 2,500 stelae and inscriptions, whence the name “Forest of Ancient Stelae", as well as over sixty Buddhist pagodas. Situated in a scenic natural environment, the caves were dug from a 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) stretch of cliff running along both banks of the river. 

Starting with the Northern Wei Dynasty in 493 AD, patrons and donors included emperors, Wu Zetian of the Second Zhou Dynasty, members of the royal family, other rich families, generals, and religious groups. Longmen Grotto is regarded as "an outstanding manifestation of human artistic creativity," for its perfection of an art form, and for its encapsulation of the cultural sophistication of Tang China. 

Then head to Luoyang Museum, which is a local historical museum in Luoyang. Situated in the Yellow River valley. It offers exhibits of the rich cultural heritage of Luoyang, a major Chinese cultural centre, which was the capital of more than a dozen ancient dynasties of the Xia and the East Zhou. 

It houses relics from excavation sites on the outskirts of Luoyang, in the city's old section. They include antiquaries from palaces and temples. These artifacts establish the historical past of Luoyang, representing elements of the ancient city of nine capitals, from Neolithic times up to 937 AD. The Luoyang Ancient Tombs Museum also contains archaeological finds, but it specializes in tombs as more than 10,000 have been found in the local area. 

After dinner, drive you back to your hotel.

Day 5.

In the morning, you will first visit White Horse Temple, White Horse Temple is the first Buddhist temple in China, established in 68 AD under the patronage of Emperor Ming in the Eastern Han dynasty capital Luoyang. The site is just outside the walls of the ancient Eastern Han capital, east of Luoyang in Henan Province. It is considered by most believers as "the cradle of Chinese Buddhism". The geographical landmarks to the south are Manghan Mountain and Lucoche River.

Having lunch at a local Chinese restaurant, our tour guide will give good recommendations, feel free to tell our guide your requests. 

Continue your tour to Shaolin Temple, also known as the Shaolin Monastery, is a Chan ("Zen") Buddhist temple in Dengfeng County, Luoyang. Dating back 1,500 years when founded by Fang Lu-Hao, Shaolin Temple is the main temple of the Shaolin school of Buddhism to this day. Shaolin Monastery and its Pagoda Forest is a UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of the "Historic Monuments of Dengfeng".

After finished the tour of Shaolin Temple, our guide will take you to the luoyang train station, you will take the bullet train to Xian.

Upon arrival, your guide will happy to meet you holding with the welcome signal "Xian Private Tour".

Our Xi'an Pick Up Sign "Xi'an Private Tour"

After dinner, you will be taken back to your hotel in Xi'an.

Day 6.

Firstly, drive you to Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses Museum, Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses:Known as “the eighth Wonders of the world”, the museum shows a surprisingly high level in sculpture which is listed as the most significant discovery of the 20th century. Up to now, there has discovered a total of 179 accompanying burial pits of different connotations and various shapes in Qinshihuang’s Mausoleum area. The discovery of these pits has provided all important significance in the research of the burial system of the Qinshihuang’s Mausoleum, the characteristics structures and characteristics of the burial pits. However, what makes people feel amazing is that of all the burial pits, none has been found survived from being burnt down. 

Have lunch at a local Chinese restaurant. (Your tour guide will give you good recommendations on spot)

In the afternoon, our guide will take you to Big Wild Goose Pagoda, also named Giant Wild Goose Pagoda. It  is a Buddhist pagoda located in southern Xi'an, Shaanxi province, China and became the symbol of the old-line Xi'an. It was built in 652 during the Tang dynasty and originally had five stories. The structure was rebuilt in 704 during the reign of Empress Wu Zetian, and its exterior brick facade was renovated during the Ming dynasty. The Big Wild Goose Pagoda attracts numerous visitors for its fame in the Buddhist religion and its simple but appealing style of construction. It is rated as a National Key Cultural Relic Preserve. One of the pagoda's many functions was to hold sutras and figurines of the Buddha that were brought to China from India by the Buddhist translator and traveler Xuanzang.

    

Then head to Shaanxi History Museum. Shaanxi History Museum is the first modern national museum. It was built in 1983 and opened to the public in 1991. Xi'an, a place of great significance in Chinese history, is well-endowed with historical sites and relics. Now most of these relics, once scattered around the region, have found their way to Shaanxi Provincial Museum.

Shaanxi History Museum covers an area of over 70,000 square meters and houses more than 37,000 historical relics excavated from all over Shaanxi Province. The collection includes bronze ware from the Western Zhou Dynasty, 3,000 years ago, terracotta figures, gold and silver ware and murals discovered in Tang tombs.  It is regarded as 'the pearl of ancient dynasties and house of Chinese treasures', gives a miniature overview of the thousands of years of Chinese history and the splendid ancient cultures of olden times. 

After the day tour, get the Shaanxi Grand Opera House around 6:00PM and our tour guide will help you find your seat for the Dumpling dinner in the Opera House. Dumpling, or Jiaozi in Chinese, is one of the most representative Chinese food.

Nearly 20 varieties are made and inside the dumplings are stuffed with delicious vegetables, meats and seafood. Dumplings’ legend offers an original approach to Chinese food, merging the familiar comfort food of London’s Chinatown with the culinary heritage of regional oriental cuisine. 

    

After dinner, enjoy the local colorful and splendid Tang Dynasty Dance Show, which is a performance of music and dance that imitate the Tang Dynasty over one thousand-year ago. The Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Show, a wonderful performance of the ancient music and dance, is a must when you visit Xian. The city, which was formerly known as Chang'an has a very long history, and was the imperial capital during 13 dynastic periods. Of these, the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907) was the most prosperous and glorious of all. The Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Show is an outstanding exponent of this ancient stable and prosperous society, keeping alive its splendid culture and providing an insight into the peaceful life style of the period. It seems as if you have lived in the palace of Tang Dynasty. 

    

After finished Tang Dynasty show, drive you back to your hotel. Have a good night!

Day 7.

After breakfast, our tour guide will meet you at your hotel lobby and your tour start.

Today your first destination is the Ancient City Wall. As one of the UNESCO's world Heritage Site, Xi'an Ancient City Wall was built in the 14th century, under the regime of Emperor Zhuyuanzhang in Ming dynasty, had the function of protecting the cities or towns as military defense systems in ancient China. Xi'an Ancient City Wall is one of the oldest, largest and best preserved Chinese city walls, exhibits the "complete features of the rampart architecture of feudal society". Xi'an City Wall is a heritage National Historical and Cultural Town since 1961, it is about 14km in length, 12meters in height. The current city wall is an enhancement of the old Tang Dynasty structure, as a result of the emperor's wall building campaign.

The first city wall of Xi'an was built of earth, rammed layer upon layer. The base layer was made of earth, quick lime, and glutinous rice extract, tamped together. It made the wall extremely strong and firm. Later, the wall was totally enclosed with bricks. A moat, wide and deep, ran around the city. Over the moat, there used to be a huge drawbridge, which would cut off the way in and out of the city, once lifted. It is the most completely preserved and the largest city wall in China. It was built for the military defense in the ancient time.Biking around the City Wall is included, and is the best way to enjoy this sight. You can take in the great contrast of the ancient culture and modern Xian while biking on the wall.  The walls, ramparts, gates and watchtowers, which were built in the 13th century can still be seen.

Move on to Drum Tower. Located in the south end of Beiyuan Gate of Xi’da street, Xi'an Drum Tower originally built in 1380 during the Ming dynasty and renovated twice in 1699 dueing the Qing dynasty. Now it's the largest one of its kind in China, facing the Bell Tower at east, which was beat to tell the time to citizens, hence the name. Standing on the towering above the city center and appreciate incredible view of Xi'an. 

In the Drum Tower, there are many larges drums hang on a hall with beautiful Chinese writing, which means good luck, besides, there is a drum museum where you can appreciate lots of drums, some of which has thousands of history.

Continue your tour to Bell Tower, which located in south east of the Drum Tower. In Chinese history from Ming Dynasty, each city had a bell tower and a drum tower. The bell was sounded at dawn and the drum at dusk each day in ancient time, a means of telling time. Xian was not exception. The Bell Tower and Drum Tower of Xi'an date back to the Ming dynasty (1368-1644). The two are located in the center of the Xian city connecting the four roads from east, south, west and north within the city wall. Atop the Bell Tower you will have a panoramic view of the Xian City. A number of highlighted cultural relics are exhibited in Xi'an Bell Tower, including a huge bell, inscribed steles and couplets hung on the column, all of which are of high historical and cultural values. Between the Drum Tower and the Bell Tower, there is a square with grass, dotted with greenbelt beautiful acouto-optic fountain, which is a good place for leisure and entertainment for citizens.

The last stop is Muslim Quarter. The Muslim Quarter is the largest of the old city's neighborhoods. It's a confusing array of narrow alleys that are wonderful to wander in, get lost, and stumble upon surprising discoveries. Muslim Quarter houses a large number of important Christian institutions. The Muslim quarter begins at the northern city wall, goes south to the northern and western walls of the Temple Mount, to Hashalshelet Street, where the Jewish Quarter begins. To the West, it runs to Beit Chabad Street, which runs between it and the Christian Quarter.

This only 500-meter-long cobbled street was renovated in Tang Dynasty architecture style and on both sides is full of snack or souvenir stalls with bright-colored signs. The eye-dizzying snack variety can give a great workout to your eyes, taste buds and stomach: delicately-wrinkled juicy steamed dumplings, yummy lamb sandwiches, sleek grilled mutton, crumbs in mutton broth, stuffed persimmon cakes, dried fruit and nuts, etc. 

After dinner, you will be taken back to your hotel in Xi'an downtown.

Day 8.

Free on your own until our guide and driver pick you up from your hotel, transfer to Xi'an International airport or train station for your next destination or fly back home. Your pleasent 8 days trip come to the ends!

Price Per Person in US Dollars

Price Includes 1. All transfer and city transportation 2. Air-conditioned car or van 3. Hotels specified in the itinerary, all based     on two persons sharingone standard room; 4. Meals specified in the itinerary: Western     breakfast in hotels Chinese lunch and     dinner in local restaurants 5. Sightseeing: All arrangements mentioned     in the itinerary will be covered All first     admission/entrance fees in the itinerary 6. Tour guide: Conducted by a professional     tour guide

Price Excludes 1. International air-tickets 2. Airport departure tax. 3. International or domestic air tickets which     are not listed in the itinerary. 4. Insurance coverage of personal loss, illness     or damages incurred during your trip 5. Tips to the tour guide and driver 6. Meals not specified in the itinerary. 7. Personal expenses: phone bills, laundry,     optional tours, postage, excess baggage     charge, entertainment fees out of the     itinerary. 8. Single Room Supplement.