11-Day Beijing & Shanghai Cultural Discovery

Points of Interest :
Arrive in Beijing, where your German-speaking guide meets you at the airport. You are driven into the city center and, depending on arrival time, enjoy a short introductory city tour to get your first impressions of the Chinese capital. Afterwards you continue to your hotel for check-in. The rest of the day is free for you to relax or explore the surroundings independently.
Drive: about 1.5 hours, 60 km

• Meals included : None
• Accommodation : Overnight at Red Wall Hotel (Beijing)

Points of Interest :
After breakfast you stroll across Tiananmen Square, the vast central square in Beijing framed by important buildings such as the Great Hall of the People and the Mao Mausoleum. On foot you pass through the Gate of Heavenly Peace and enter the southern entrance of the Imperial Palace, the Forbidden City, which you explore in detail. You leave the complex through the north gate.
Lunch is served in a local restaurant. In the afternoon you drive to the Temple of Heaven in the south of downtown. The three-tiered Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests is one of Beijing’s most iconic landmarks. In the surrounding park you experience an introduction to Taiji (Chinese shadow boxing) and watch locals practicing. Return to the hotel in the late afternoon.
Drive: about 1 hour, 25 km

• Meals included : Breakfast and lunch
• Accommodation : Overnight at Red Wall Hotel (Beijing)

Points of Interest :
In the morning you drive east of Beijing to the settlements of Songzhuang and Renzhuang, which still belong to the municipal area. Many galleries of modern Chinese artists are located here, and you visit several of them. Some well-known artists also live in courtyard houses that blend modern design with traditional architecture.
In the afternoon you return to the city center for a guided food walk through the alleys of the old town. You stop at several typical Chinese eateries to taste a variety of local snacks. The day ends with a hotpot meal, a convivial Chinese-style fondue shared at the table.
Drive: about 2 hours, 110 km

• Meals included : Breakfast and dinner
• Accommodation : Overnight at Red Wall Hotel (Beijing)

Points of Interest :
Today you visit the Summer Palace, the former summer residence of the Qing dynasty emperors. This expansive complex is dominated by Kunming Lake, official halls and private quarters, the Hill of Longevity and the famous Marble Boat. You cross the lake by excursion boat to a small island with the graceful Jade Belt Bridge and have time to explore the scenic grounds.
After the visit you return to your hotel, and the remainder of the afternoon is at your leisure to relax or continue discovering Beijing on your own.
Drive: about 1.5 hours, 50 km

• Meals included : Breakfast
• Accommodation : Overnight at Red Wall Hotel (Beijing)

Points of Interest :
In the morning you drive to Beijing’s Olympic Park for a short photo stop at the National Stadium, known as the Bird’s Nest, and the National Aquatics Center, or Water Cube. You then continue to the Ming Tombs, where you stroll along the Sacred Way lined with life-size stone statues and visit one of the burial chambers with its funerary objects on display.
Afterwards the road takes you to the Great Wall north of the city, at the Mutianyu section. Here you have the chance to see and climb one of the most scenic and less crowded stretches of the wall. For an additional fee, a cable car is available for the ascent and a summer toboggan run can be used for the descent, adding a touch of adventure to the day.
Drive: about 1.5 hours, 90 km

• Meals included : Breakfast and lunch
• Accommodation : Overnight at The Schoolhouse at Mutianyu (Beijing)

Points of Interest :
After breakfast you drive back into downtown Beijing and onward directly to the railway station. Here you board a modern high-speed train to Shanghai, traveling in 2nd class and crossing the country efficiently and comfortably. Upon arrival in Shanghai you are transferred to your hotel located near the famous Bund waterfront promenade.
Depending on your arrival time, you can enjoy a leisurely walk along the harbor front, admiring the historic colonial-era facades on one side and the futuristic skyline of Pudong on the other.
Drive: about 1.5 hours, 90 km (transfers)

• Meals included : Breakfast
• Accommodation : Overnight at New West Lake Boutique Hotel (Shanghai)

Points of Interest :
Today you discover the Yu Garden, originally created as a private garden by a wealthy Chinese family. It is a classic example of traditional Chinese garden design, recreating natural landscapes in a compact space with ponds, rocks and pavilions. The garden lies in the heart of the old town, so after your visit you can wander through the lively nearby bazaars.
After a Shanghai-style lunch you head to the Jade Buddha Temple, known for its finely carved jade Buddha statues, and then continue to Xintiandi. This former French Concession neighborhood, with its restored shikumen houses, has been carefully redeveloped by an international team of architects and now blends historic architecture with trendy restaurants, cafés and boutiques.

• Meals included : Breakfast and lunch
• Accommodation : Overnight at New West Lake Boutique Hotel (Shanghai)

Points of Interest :
In the morning you meet a Shanghai family and visit the local market together, choosing fresh ingredients for lunch while getting an insight into everyday life. You may also visit a kindergarten with your host family, offering a glimpse of local education. Back at their home you jointly prepare a home-cooked lunch and of course enjoy the meal together at the family table.
Art is the focus of the afternoon. You explore the M50 creative district, a former industrial area now filled with contemporary galleries and studios, and stroll along Taikang Road in the city center, another vibrant hub for design shops, cafés and small galleries.
Drive: about 45 minutes, 20 km

• Meals included : Breakfast and home-cooked lunch
• Accommodation : Overnight at New West Lake Boutique Hotel (Shanghai)

Points of Interest :
Today you first drive to the idyllic small town of Luzhi, a picturesque water town that typifies a Yangtze Delta village with traditional houses lining narrow canals. You take a leisurely walk through the old streets and enjoy a short boat trip along the canals to experience the town from the water.
You then continue to Suzhou, famous for its classical gardens. Here you visit the Master of the Nets Garden, the smallest of the former private gardens in the city, renowned for its elegant layout. Afterwards you tour a silk spinning factory. Suzhou was once the center of China’s silk industry, and seeing the production process from silkworm to finished fabric is especially fascinating. In the evening you return to Shanghai.
Drive: about 2.5 hours, 180 km

• Meals included : Breakfast
• Accommodation : Overnight at New West Lake Boutique Hotel (Shanghai)

Points of Interest :
In the morning you visit the Urban Planning Exhibition Center on People’s Square, where detailed models and displays illustrate Shanghai’s past and future development. Around the square you can also see the grand Opera House, the City Hall and the Shanghai Museum from the outside.
Later you cross to the other side of the Huangpu River to Pudong and ascend to the observation deck of the Shanghai World Financial Center. With its glass floor sections and sweeping views, it offers spectacular panoramas across the entire city and the Bund. The rest of the day is free for your own explorations in Shanghai, whether shopping, café-hopping or revisiting favorite sights.
Drive: about 1 hour, 30 km

• Meals included : Breakfast
• Accommodation : Overnight at New West Lake Boutique Hotel (Shanghai)

Points of Interest :
Depending on your flight time, you have a transfer to the airport and the journey comes to an end, or you continue with an individual extension program. If possible, the transfer is arranged using the Transrapid maglev train for a fast and futuristic ride to the airport.
Drive: about 1 hour, 50 km

• Meals included : Breakfast
• Last day : Transfer to the airport and end of the trip