Explore the route, then refine the details.
A China Adventure Club route through several contrasting regions of China. Explore the operator’s itinerary outline, then refine its pace and arrangements for your dates.
Adapted from China Adventure Club’s original regional and national collection. The outline below describes the source route; your written proposal establishes the current order, overnight stops and service arrangements.
Itinerary outline
Select a route section to explore the map. Tap a stop for its location or use the directions link for the next leg. Flights, trains, cruises and hiking arrangements follow your itinerary.
1 Beijing Directions to Xi’an
2 Xi’an Directions to Lhasa
3 Lhasa Directions to Tsetang
4 Tsetang Directions to Shangri-La
5 Shangri-La Directions to Lijiang
6 Lijiang Directions to Kunming
7 Kunming Directions to Chongqing
8 Chongqing Directions to Three Gorges
9 Three Gorges Directions to Yichang
10 Yichang Directions to Shanghai
11 Shanghai
All around and all real China
DAY 01 Arrive in Beijing. Be met and picked up by our local guide at the airport and be taken to the hotel. Begin Beijing city tour if time is available.
DAY 02 Visit the Great Wall, the Ming Tombs and the Sacred Way. In the evening, enjoy a roast duck dinner and a Beijing Opera show. (B+L+D)
DAY 03 Visit the Tian'anmen Square, the Forbidden City and the Summer Palace. (B+L)
DAY 04 Visit the Temple of Heaven. Take flight to Xi’an in the afternoon. Arrive in Xi’an., Be picked up by our local guide at airport and transferred to the hotel. (B+L)
Day 5: Visit the Terracotta Warriors Museum and Banpo Neolithic Museum. In the evening, enjoy a dumpling dinner and a Tang dynasty dance performance. Breakfast and lunch are included.
Day 6: Visit the Big Wild Goose Pagoda and Xi’an’s city wall, then fly to Lhasa, at an elevation of about 3,650 meters. Transfer to your hotel and rest as you adjust to the altitude. Enjoy an à la carte dinner at a local restaurant. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included.
DAY 07 Visit the magnificent Potala Palace, the Sera Monastery and the Norbulingka Park. (B+L)
DAY 08 Visit the Jokhang Temple, the thriving bazaar of the Barkhor Street, the Tibetan Traditional Medicine Hospital, the Tibet Museum and the Carpet Factory. (B+L)
DAY 09 Take car to Tsetang.. Visit the Yumbu Lakang and the Trandruk Monastery. Ferry the Yarlung Tsangpo River to visit the Samye Monastery. Take car to Lhasa and transfer to the hotel. (B+L+D)
DAY 10 Get back to Lhasa by car. Take a flight to Shangri-La and transfer to the hotel. (B+L+D)
DAY 11 Visit the Bita Lake ,the Shudu Lake and the Songzanlin Monastery. (B+L+D)
DAY 12 On the way to Lijiang, visit the Tiger Leaping Gorge, the First Bend of the Yangtze River and the Stone Drum Town. Transfer to the hotel. (B+L+D)
DAY 13 Visit the Baisha Village and a local Naxi family, the Baisha Murals, the Rock Joseph's Former Residence in Yuhu Village. You will have some free time to explore the old Town by yourselves in the afternoon. Enjoy the Naxi Ancient Music and Dance Performance at Dongba Palace in the evening after dinner. (B+L+D)
DAY 14 The day is free for you to explore the city. (B)
DAY 15 Take a flight to Kunming and transfer to the hotel. Visit the Stone Forest and the Flowers and Birds Market. (B+L)
DAY 16 Take a flight to Chongqing. Be picked you up at Chongqing airport and transferred to the cruise by our local guide. (B+L+D)
DAY 17 At 8:00 a.m. your memorable Yangtze River tour begins. In the afternoon visit the Ghost City of Fengdu. (B+L+D)
DAY 18 Visit Badong and take a small junk to enjoy the marvelous spectacles of the nature in the Shennong Stream. Continue sailing into the western section of Xiling Gorge.
DAY 19 Visit the site of Three Gorges Dam Project, then you will disembark the cruise ship when you arrive in Yichang. Take a flight to Shanghai and transfer to the hotel. Visit the Bund and the TV Tower of Orient Pearl.
DAY 20 Visit the Jade Buddha Temple, the Yuyuan Garden and Shanghai Museum . In the evening, enjoy an Acrobatic Show.
Day 21 Airport transfer.
What to refine before booking
Protect the travel days
Review the full hotel-to-hotel transfer for every intercity leg. Avoid relying on a flight or train arriving early enough for a tightly timed major attraction unless the final schedule supports it.
Choose a comfortable pace
Confirm stairs, slopes and time on foot. Ask which optional visits can be shortened or removed, and where an additional night would make the biggest difference.
Make inclusions explicit
Request the actual hotel and room choices, guide language, vehicle arrangements, admission coverage, meals and any activity-specific support in the written quotation.
Current permits, access, elevation and a realistic arrival schedule must be reviewed before booking. This outline does not confirm present border operation, permit approval or suitability for every traveler.
Compare another approach
For a more spacious route, explore the original journey briefs in our national and regional collections. These show overnight allocations, transfer days and the tradeoffs behind each route.