3-Day Private Tour of Xi'an and Beijing from Shanghai by Air

You'll see China's most famous sights on this three-day private excursion – from the Terracotta Army of Xi'an to two UNESCO World Heritage sites in Beijing: the Great Wall of China and Forbidden City. For a detailed schedule, please see the Itinerary below.

Day 1: Shanghai – Terracotta Warriors – Xi’an Muslim Quarter (L, D)
After pickup from your Shanghai hotel, your three-day private excursion begins with a short drive to the airport, followed by your two-hour flight. Upon landing, be met at Xi’an airport by your private tour guide and driver.

See one of China’s most famous attractions for your first stop in Xi'an – the world-renowned, 2,200-year-old Terracotta Warriors. The four main burial pits are filled with the awe-inspiring sight of 8,000 life-size figurines of soldiers, 130 chariots and more than 650 terracotta horses, depicting the armies of the first emperor of China. Afterward, enjoy a lunch of traditional Chinese specialties in a nearby local restaurant.

After lunch, enjoy a scenic drive to Xi’an, where you’ll have free time to explore the ancient city walls by either bicycle or on foot (bike rental at own expense). Take a guided walking tour through the local Muslim Quarter, where you will also see its landmark bell tower. At the end of the day, enjoy dinner in a local restaurant in the quarter before checking into your 5-star hotel standard room for the evening.

Overnight: 5-Star Empark Grand Hotel Xi'an with buffet breakfast

Day 2: Xi'an - Beijing - Mutianyu Great Wall - Olympic Stadiums - Temple of Heaven (B, L, D)
Have breakfast at your Xi'an hotel, after which you’ll be driven to the Xi'an airport to catch your flight to Beijing. Upon arrival, your private driver will be waiting to take you to the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall.

Admire Mutianyu's Ming Dynasty turreted watchtowers and walls that are fully intact, proving that it is one of the best-preserved sections of the Great Wall. Enjoy the spectacular views of the surrounding forest from this ancient section of wall, which is also older and less busy than other sections.

After your amazing visit to the Great Wall at Mutianyu, enjoy a yummy lunch at a local restaurant. In the afternoon, the drive through Beijing’s outskirts takes you to the famous Bird’s Nest and Water Cube, built for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Arriving in Beijing, visit the immense grounds of the Temple of Heaven. Beijing’s principal temple, it was built in the 1400s by the Ming Emperor Yong Le, who also built the Forbidden City. At the complex you can admire the circular, triple-gabled Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests and the circular Mound Altar, with its marble dragons.

In the evening, enjoy a traditional Peking roast duck dinner, the famous dish that’s been prepared in Beijing (formerly called Peking) since imperial times. Afterward, you'll be driven to your Beijing hotel, where you will enjoy a good night's rest in your deluxe suite room.

Overnight: Dongfang Hotel in Beijing

Day 3: Tiananmen Square – Forbidden City (B)
Have a final breakfast at your hotel, followed by a visit to Tiananmen Square. Enter the mysterious world of the Forbidden City, built for the emperors in the Ming Dynasty. The huge complex is home to the Palace Museum and nearly 1,000 buildings with 10,000 rooms, and is made up of a succession of courts, towers, gates and lakes.

After your visit to the Forbidden City, your private driver will drop you wherever you wish – a location in the Beijing city area, at your hotel or the Beijing airport to catch your onward flight.