Essential China - Premium

The group flights are scheduled to arrive into Beijing this afternoon. Free
transfers are included for any flight as long as you have provided Exodus
with your arrival details in advance (please specify if you arrive into PEK
airport of the new airport, PKX – Daxing). You will be met upon arrival and
transferred to our hotel. There will be a welcome briefing at approximately 6
pm where you will meet your tour leader and the rest of the group (please see
the noticeboard in the hotel reception for further details). After the
briefing, we’ll head to one of Beijing’s top restaurants to sample the
Michelin Star cuisine. China World Hotel or similar

We’ll head straight to Tiananmen Square by private transport this morning
(<30 mins), one of the largest squares in the world, able to hold over a
million people. The square is named after the 'Tiananmen' meaning 'Gate of
Heavenly Peace' located at its north, which leads to the Forbidden City. 
Continuing on foot, we spend a few hours exploring the innumerable courtyards
and temples the Forbidden City. Exiting via the north gate of the complex, we
walk directly to Jingshan Park and climb up to the top of the hill for a
different vantage point.After lunch, we go on a walking tour of some of
Beijing’s traditional 'hutongs' (narrow alleys of the old town) where we'll
visit a local's house and try to master the art of paper-cutting, a
traditional Chinese craft. Afterwards, we’ll meander our way through the
hutongs and back to the hotel.China World Hotel or similar

We leave the capital and head into the countryside to visit one of the
best-preserved sections of the Great Wall, at Mutianyu (approx. 2 hours’
drive). It is an impressive sight, snaking across mountains and valleys into
the distance. We take the shuttle bus to the ticket office and from there
it’s about a 40-minute uphill walk to the top of the Great Wall (anyone not
wanting to walk can pay to take the cable car, which takes about 8 minutes).
We spend the next couple of hours or so walking along the top of the wall.
There are some steep steps to navigate and anyone who suffers from vertigo
may find it difficult. This section of the Great Wall used to serve as the
northern barrier defending the capital and the imperial tombs. The wall here
stands up to 8.5 metres high and 5 metres wide, and there are 22 watchtowers
along its 2,250m stretch.We’ll leave the wall behind and drive a short way
to our lunch stop in a local village and then drive directly back to our
hotel in Beijing.China World Hotel or similar

Transfer to Beijing West Station (approx. 40 minutes) and catch a bullet
train to Xi’an, arriving in the mid-afternoon. We transfer to the hotel,
check-in and freshen up before starting our walking tour of the vibrant
Muslim Quarter where we’ll pass aromatic spice markets, the Bell and Drum
Plaza and visit Gao’s family mansion where we hope to catch a shadow
puppetry show (depending on the show time). Xi'an is one of China's former
capitals and one of the few cities in China to have retained its city walls,
probably because they are so massive that no revolutionary was willing to
tackle the huge task of removing them.Xi’an Park Hotel or similar

Today we visit the famous Terracotta Warriors of Emperor Qin (the transfer is
approx. 2 hours each way). Originally four armies were planned, at each point
of the compass, life-size and lifelike. Three have been found and it is
assumed the Emperor's successors decided enough was enough before the fourth
was begun. The first pit excavated had an estimated 6,000 figures in its one
army. The third pit has been opened to the public, which contains the
'command post' for the entire operation. This is one of China's great tourist
attractions, and some people may find the sheer numbers of visitors
overpowering. After our visit, we will take our lunch at a local farmer's
restaurant nearby before driving back to Xi’an.Xi’an Park Hotel or
similar

There are no planned activities today but your leader will provide
information on what is available to do and help you to arrange it. Perhaps
you might like to walk along or hire bikes and cycle along the city walls to
appreciate the sheer scale of these constructions. For a full day excursion
(a long and tiring day but worthwhile for the scenery), you might like to
visit Mount Huashan for some walks with magnificent views (please note that
we strongly advise against the plank trail due to safety concerns and anyone
wanting to do this will be asked to sign a form releasing them from the tour
as Exodus accepts no responsibility for this activity).Xi’an Park Hotel or
similar

Take a short transfer to the train station and board a late morning bullet
train to Chengdu (approx. 4 hours), the capital of Sichuan province, arriving
in the early afternoon. This region is recognised throughout China as being
'the spicy province', and major flavour combinations include garlic, star
anise, chilli peppers, and the ever-present Sichuanese peppercorn (hua jiao).
We recommend having a ‘hotpot’ dinner during your stay here (spicy or
mild broths are available).In the late afternoon we set off on foot for a
walking tour, passing through the city centre square (Tianfu Square) and
visiting the People’s Park where weather permitting, we can see and have a
go at Chinese water calligraphy.Sofitel Chengdu Taihe or similar

We leave early today to spend the morning visiting the Giant Panda Breeding &
Research Base located 10km out of the city. These furry animals once roamed
over large expanses of Asia but the last survey estimated the world’s
population of wild Giant Pandas at only 1,864. Giant Pandas eat for up to
fourteen hours a day and so hopefully we will witness these highly endangered
animals feeding, as this is when they're most active. Otherwise, we will have
the opportunity to watch the Pandas indulge in their next favourite past time
- sleeping! Afterwards, we drive back to Chengdu and the afternoon is free to
explore at your own pace.Sofitel Chengdu Taihe or similar

A pre-dawn start is required today in order to catch an early flight to
Shanghai (we’ll take a simple box breakfast with us from the hotel). The
flight duration is approx. 2.5 hours: we should land by late morning and
arrive at our hotel by lunchtime. With a population of around twelve million,
Shanghai is a cosmopolitan coastal hub with a futuristic skyline.This
afternoon we take the public bus (metro) to visit the Shanghai Museum, which
has 11 galleries housing some of China's most beautiful and best-preserved
cultural relics - some over 5,000 years old!Shanghai Bund Riverside or
similar

After breakfast we’ll set off to discover some of the highlights of
Shanghai on foot, starting with the famous Bund waterfront area to see the
iconic buildings, before moving on to explore Nanjing Road (Shanghai's
equivalent to London’s 'Oxford Street') and the French Concession with its
tree-lined avenues, cafes and Tudor mansions. The afternoon is at your
leisure. Tonight more culinary delights await as we'll have a farewell group
dinner in another of China's Michelin class restaurants. Shanghai Bund
Riverside or similar

The trip ends in Shanghai after breakfast.