24 Days In-depth food discoveries: Beijing-Qufu-Jinan-Kunming-Dali-Lijiang-Shangri-La -Shanghai
This 24-day China tour itinerary offers you the chance to do in-depth exploration of Chinese cuisine from north to south, from modern to rural, covering representative destinations where different styles of cuisine originated from.
Trip Highlights
- Explore the hidden halls in Forbidden City
- Have an intimate look into the Confucian culture at Confucius hometown
- Feed seagulls in Green Lake Park in Kunming
- Search for wild mushrooms in mountains in Dali
- See the spectacular Jade Dragon Snow Mountain in Lijiang
- Local family visit and learn to make barley wine and buttered tea with the host in Shangri-La
Customizable Tour Itinerary
Day 1 Beijing Arrival
Say hello to your guide upon arrival, who has been there waiting for you for some time. You will be greeted with a warm smile from our guide and driver. They will take care of you during your stay in Beijing.
Meals: No meal, advice freely available
- Hotels: Hilton Beijing Wangfujing, Regent Beijing, Park Plaza Beijing Wangfujing, Beijing Double Happiness Courtyard Hotel
Day 2 Tian’anmen Square (closed on every Monday), Forbidden City, Jingshan Park, Walking tour in Hutong, Old Items and Sound of the Hutongs, Peking Duck Dinner
Stroll in Tian’anmen Square, where the Founding Ceremony of the People's Republic of China was held in 1949. Behind the square, stands the Forbidden City, a treasure trove with many collections hidden in. Go with the guide to explore and understand more about this imperial palace.
After lunch, take a short visit to Jingshan Park where you can get a nice shot of one watchtower of Forbidden City and take a panoramic view of Forbidden City.
While the emperors lived in the palace, the locals lived in Hutong area in the past. Get lost in the Hutongs and talk with the locals you encounter on the road. A look at the old items and listen to the sound of Hutongs will bring you back to the past.
Peking duck is unmissable for the first comer especially during the food tour. See how the chef slice the roast duck and the guide will teach you the way to eat it.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch at Jindingxuan Dim Sum Restaurant with a la carte menu
Feature Dinner option: Peking Roast Duck (Dadong Peking Duck, Qianmen Quanjude Peking Duck), Fangshan Restaurant, Mei Family Restaurant, Bai Family Restaurant)
Optional evening activity: Kungfu show or Peking opera
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch,
Day 3 Mutianyu Great Wall with round ways cable or one way chairlift and slide way down, Guijie Street (try local specialties)
After a sound sleep, you will visit one of the seven world wonders, the Mutianyu part of Great Wall. It is less crowded and less commercial than Badaling Great Wall. You can take the round ways cable car up and down to save your energy. Or you can try the toboggan down, which is very exciting. You can hike on the Great Wall for a while to take some more pictures if you like. You are a really hero now after the visit to the Great Wall.
With more than 150 storefronts are scattered along this street, 90% of which are restaurants, Guijie Street is one of the paradise for food lovers in Beijing.
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch,
Day 4 Temple of Heaven, One Hour Taichi lesson in Temple of Heaven, Chinese Royal Gastronomy Museum (have lunch here), Summer Palace with boat cruise
After breakfast, you will do some morning exercises by taking a Taichi lesson with a master in Temple of Heaven, a masterpiece of architecture in the ancient times. It was a place to perform sacrifices and solemn rites to worship Heaven and Earth for good harvest and for longevity of the Emperor and the sovereignty during the past.
Continue your food tour to Chinese Royal Gastronomy Museum, where you could gain a deep understanding of history and development of the royal cuisines and have a chance to taste them.
In the afternoon, you will get rid of the heat in Summer Palace, a retreat for the royalties in summer in the past. A boat cruise in Kunming Lake is quite agreeable.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch at Chinese Royal Gastronomy Museum
Note: boat cruise is not available from December to March as the water in the lake may be frozen.
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch,
Day 5 Go out for local breakfast, Panjiayuan Antique Market, private transfer to the train station in Beijing. Private transfer from the train station to the hotel in Qufu
You may be a little tired of the buffet breakfast in the hotel. Today you will do something different, eating like a local in the local breakfast restaurants. During this morning exploration, you will taste the local breakfast like stir-fried Liver Beijing Style, soybean milk, deep-fried dough stick, noodles with soybean paste.
Panjiayuan Antique Market is a living museum containing many kinds of antique articles, jewelry, crafts, collectibles, and decorations. Go on a treasure hunting here and bring some home as souvenirs if you like.
After lunch, you will go to the train station and head to Qufu.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch at Dawanju Restaurant with a la carte menu
Note:
- Some specialties may be hard to accept for you. You may discuss with the guide to choose the ones that suitable your appetite.
- If you are quite in a product at Panjiayuan Antique market, remember to bargain with the vendors.
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch,
- Hotels: Shangri-La Hotel Qufu, Queli Hotel Qufu
Day 6 Confucius Temple, Performance for Worshipping Confucius, Confucius Family Mansion, Cemetery of Confucius, lunch: Confucius family meal
Qufu Confucius Temple was the original sacrificial site of Confucius and became the biggest one among its kind. If you happen to travel during the Confucius Day (to celebrate the birth of Confucius), you will be lucky to see the performance for worshipping Confucius (like the opening ceremony and playing music). Located right next to Confucius Temple is the Confucius Family Mansion, which was resided by the Kong family and houses 450 halls.
For lunch, you will enjoy the famous Confucius family meal (Shandong cuisines).
After lunch, visit Cemetery of Confucius. It is the family cemetery of Confucius and his descendants and the longest continuous family cemetery in the world.
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch,
Day 7 Nishan Mountain (Confucius statue, Confucianism Palace, GengDu Academy, Luyuan Community), Nishan Confucius Temple, private transfer to Jinan
No trip to Qufu is complete without a visit to Nishan. After a sound sleep, take a day tour to Nishan Mountain including the Confucius Temple there, where you could explore many historical sites about Confucius. Besides, there is a Fuzi Cave, which is said to be the birthplace of Confucius.
After the Qufu tour, you will be taken to Jinan.
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch,
- Hotels: Shangri-La Hotel, Jinan, Liangyou Fulin Hotel
Day 8 Daming Lake, Baotu Spring Park, Mount Qianfo (the thousand-Buddha mountain), Furong Food Street or Kuanhouli Ancient Street
Daming Lake is a natural lake formed from many springs, which impresses you not only with the natural views, but also the cultural buildings and relics. Located in the city center of Jinan, Baotu Spring Park is one of the 3 most famous sites in Jinan. Baotu Spring was once named "the firstNo.1 spring in the world" by Emperor Qianlong because of its mellow taste when making tea.
Next you will go to visit Mount Qianfo, which is a large-scale scenic spot combining the mountains and historical sites. The carved stone Buddha figures are the highlights of this place.
End your tour with a visit to Furong Food Street or Kuanhouli Ancient Street. At either one, you could taste the local specialties and put a perfect end to this day.
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch,
Day 9 Private transfer from the hotel to the airport in Jinan. Private transfer from the airport to the hotel in Kunming
A direct flight is arranged for you from Jinan to Kunming. Our guides will take care of the airport check-in and pick-up.
- Meals: Breakfast,
- Hotels: Intercontinental Kunming, Green Lake Hotel, Crowne Plaza Kunming City Centre, Ytel Premium
Day 10 Stone Forest, Green Lake Park, lunch in the local restaurant to try the local specialties like Yunnan Rice Noodles and Pressure Cooker chicken soup
After a good rest, today a 1.5 hours’ drive is needed from Kunming city to visit the Stone Forest. The various shapes of limestone were formed due to millions of years' movement of the Earth, like bamboo shoots, forests and pagodas. Enjoy a local lunch here. After that, you will be transferred back to the city area to visit Green Lake Park, one of the most picturesque parks in Kunming downtown. Here you may take a leisure walk or enjoy the performance (playing Taichi, Mahjong and local opera) by local people. You are welcome to join them if you like.
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch,
Day 11 Bird and Flower Market, Black Dragon Pool, Yuantong Temple, private transfer to the train station in Kunming. Private transfer from the train station to the hotel in Dali
After breakfast, you will visit the Black Dragon Pool, which is divided into two parts by a bridge. You will find it is quite strange that the water at two sides has different colors even though the water is connected. Go on having a stroll in the Bird and Flower Market. Hundreds of flowers, including orchids, camellias, lilies & roses bloom in profusion to sooth your soul. At the same time singing birds like parrots, mynahs, thrushes & cuckoos will harmoniously blend for a life-time pleasure of your hearing. Not like other temples, you will go downhill along the axis after go in Yuantong Temple. It is a destination of pilgrimage for Buddhist pilgrims worldwide.
This is the end of your Kunming tour. The guide and driver will take you to the train station and you will take the bullet train to Dali on your own.
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch,
- Hotels: Hilton Dali Resort & SPA, The Linden Centre
Day 12 Dali Ancient town including the climbing of the city wall, Boat cruise in Erhai Lake, Learn to make Yunnan flower cake, Bai Minority Tie-dyeing Learning in Zhoucheng City
With a history of 1200 years, Dali Ancient Town attracts visitors from far and wide especially by its city wall, a symbol of the town. Climb up to the city wall and have an overlook of the whole town. Covering covers 250 sq km, Erhai Lake is the seventh-largest freshwater lake in China. Implying that the lake is ear shaped and as large as a sea, hence it was so named. Relax yourself on the boat when taking the cruise in Erhai Lake.
You may have tried the flower cake, but do you really know how it is made? To satisfy your curiosity, you will see and learn how to make Yunnan flower cake with the guidance of the locals.
After that, you will be transferred to Zhoucheng to learn Bai Minority Tie-dyeing. You could Tie-Dye a cloth, a handkerchief or even a table cloth and bring them home.
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch,
Day 13 Pick up wild mushroom with the escort of the local guide, cooking class, lunch
There are many wild mushrooms from spring to autumn in Dali. Today you will go on a wild exploration with a local. The local people will lead you to find some edible wild mushrooms.
After coming back, you will learn to cook some dishes with the mushroom picked by yourself. These dishes will be your lunch.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch in the local family or a local restaurant
Note:
- Kindly note that usually wild mushrooms can be found from May to August, but we cannot promise. Rainfall capacity will also matter.
- The mushrooms grow in mountains, so it needs good physical condition and quite enough energy.
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch,
Day 14 Nuodeng Village (visit ancient salt well, try the Nuodeng ham), watch the eight diagram, private transfer to Shaxi hotel (about 4 hours)
Nuodeng Village is famous for its ham. People in the village make Nuodeng ham with the salt extracted from the salt wells. Do not miss it when you visiting the village. 1km north of Yunlong County, the Bijiang river waters winds a "S-shaped" here, forming a natural landform resembling the "Tai Chi Eight diagram Symbol" of Taoism.
You will be transferred to Shaxi hotel after lunch.
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch,
- Hotels: Shaxi Old Theatre Inn, Shaxi Cato's Inn
Day 15 Biking or Horse-riding in Shaxi Ancient Town, learn to make goat milk cake, Shibaoshan Grottoes
Instead of walking or private transfer, you will explore Shaxi Ancient Town by bicycle or horse riding. Pedal through this ancient town and feel its historical and tranquil atmosphere. Try your hands at making goat milk cake with the guidance of the teacher, which is one of the local specialties in Shaxi.
Shibaoshan is not only famous for its stunning landscapes, but also for its magical grottoes. Feel the historical grottoes art when watching those marvelous grottoes.
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch,
Day 16 Wood-carving learning, private transfer to Lijiang, Lijiang Ancient Town, Black Dragon Pool Park, Wangu Tower
Jianchuan County is famous as the “hometown of craftsmen’’. The craftsmen are deft at sculpturing the wood or bamboo into different figures, like flowers, birds, dragons or landscape, which are used to decorate the doors and windows. Join in a wood carving lesson with a master and make your own ‘masterpiece. After the lesson, you will go to Lijiang by private transfer.
Upon arrival at Lijiang, you will first wander around Lijiang Ancient Town, where you could appreciate the he architecture, blending of elements from several cultures — Naxi, Bai, Yi, Tibetan, and Han.
After that, go visit Black Dragon Pool Park, which provides a haven for bird and water-life, with spectacular plants. As a monumental building located in the ancient city of Lijiang, Wangu Tower is an example of wooden Dougong architecture with sets of brackets on top of the columns supporting the beams within and the roof eaves.
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch,
- Hotels: Banyan Tree Lijiang, InterContinental Resort Lijiang Ancient Town, Lijiang Ivy Garden Resort
Day 17 Shuhe Ancient Town, Yak Meadow on Jade Dragon Snow Mountain (including the cable car up/down and echo-friendly car)
As an important well-preserved market town on the tea-horse ancient road, Shuhe Ancient Town offers an intimate look into culture, history, development of Naxi nationality. After that, go for the highlight of your Lijiang tour, Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. It is winding like a flying dragon, hence the name. It is also deemed as the sacred mountain of Naxi people.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch in the local restaurant with a la carte menu
Optional activity: Impression Show of Lijiang
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch,
Day 18 Naxi Family visit with local lunch and Naxi Language Learning, Baisha Murals
Visit a local Naxi family and talk to them to get to know their culture. The written language is part of what makes the Naxi culture interesting to tourists since they are the only people who still use hieroglyphics in the world. Learn to write Dongba characters with the guidance of the host.
Next, go to Baisha Village to appreciate the Baisha Murals, which depict religious stories from Taoism, Buddhism, and Tibetan Buddhism. It gathers the labor of Han, Zang, and Naxi minority ethnic painters.
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch,
Day 19 Tiger Leaping Gorge Upper Section, Stone Drum Town including the First Bend of Yangtze River, private transfer to Shangri-La hotel
On the way to Shangri-La, you will feel the breathtaking magnificence of the Tiger Leaping Gorge Upper Section, a world famous Grand Canyon with steepness and grandeur. Follow on is the Stone Drum Town including the First Bend of Yangtze River, a well-known geological phenomenon and an extraordinary panoramic scene. Running from the north of China to the south, the Jinsha River makes a sudden V-shaped bend and flow to the northeast here in Shigu Town, hence the name “First Bend of the Yangtze River".
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch,
- Hotels: Shangri-La Resort, Songtsam Linka Shangri-La, Songtsam Shangri-La (Lvgu) Lodge
Day 20 Pudacuo National Park (including Bita Lake, Shudu Lake and Eco-Friendly Car), Songzanlin Monastery, Tibetan Family Visit (learn to make high land barley wine and buttered tea)
In the morning, visit a natural park, Pudacuo National Park, which includes Bita and Shudu Lake. Hike in the small trails through the forest and breathe in the oxygen offered by this amazing forest park. Look from its appearance, Songzanlin Monastery resembles the Potala Palace in Lhasa. It is a traditional Lama monastery and home for more or less 700 monks and Lamas for their monastic lives.
A local Tibetan family visit is arranged for you to have a close look at the local life of the minorities. Learn the secrets of making high land barley wine and buttered tea in the local family. Taste your work after the lesson.
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch,
Day 21 Napahai Nature Reserve, Yila Grassland, Zhongdian Ancient Town, Local Market, private transfer to the airport in Shangri-La. Private transfer from the airport to the hotel in Shanghai
Running on the vast grasslands at Yila Prairie, you may feel happy and relaxed. In summer and autumn, numerous little flowers bloom where while flocks of cattle and sheep graze on the grass. Located in the Yila Prairie, Napahai Nature Reserve is a wetland ecological protection zone, mainly protecting seasonal plateau lakes and marsh meadow, and is the wintering habitat of black-necked crane and other migratory birds.
Zhongdian is also called "Shangri-La". Its Ancient County is divided into two areas: Dukezong Ancient Town and a more modern city-like area. Dukezong, located in the southeast section of the county, has a history dating back over 1300 years. Almost all the buildings are white in color and feature the Tibetan style architecture. If you want to get to know more about local life, a visit to the local market is a must. Go to the airport after the tour.
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch,
- Hotels: The Peninsula Shanghai, Shanghai Fairmont Peace Hotel, Les Suites Orient, Bund Shanghai, Central Hotel Shanghai
Day 22 Yuyuan Garden (closed on every Monday), City God Temple (try local specialties like Nanxiang Steam Buns), French Concession, Xintiandi, the Bund
Yuyuan Garden is a famous classical private garden in south China. It was once the largest and most prestigious of its era in Shanghai. Nearby is the City God Temple, a main Taoism Temple in the city that enjoys a high reputation both at home and abroad by its long history and magnificent architecture. In this area, you will also have the chance to try Shanghai specialties like Nanxiang Steam Buns.
Admire the charm of Old Shanghai at French Concession. After that, have a leisure coffee time at Xintiandi. End today’s tour with a walk on the Bund.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch at Xiangyefu Teahouse Restaurant with a la carte menu
Feature Dinner Option: Nan Xiang Mantou Dian, Green Wave Gallery, Lost Heaven-Yunnan Restaurant Bund Branch
Optional evening activity: Era Time or Shangcheng Acrobatic Show
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch,
Day 23 A free day in Shanghai
Today is a free day on your own arrangement.
- Meals: Breakfast,
Day 24 Shanghai Departure
Weave your hands to the guide and driver. Wish you a safe flight home with great China tour memories.
- Meals: Breakfast,
Price Includes
- In-country transportationas noted in the itinerary.
- Admission fees and activity expenses as noted in the itinerary.
- Luxury or boutique hotels centrally located.
- Meals in local restaurants as noted in the itinerary with complimentary drinking water.
- Your own English-speaking guide service.
- Your own chauffeur and vehicle service.
Price Excludes
- International transportation.
- Chinese tourist visa. (which enquired for most foreign passport holders)
- Travel and medical insurance.
- Meals, snacks, alcohol, etc. apart from those included in the itinerary.
- Excess baggage charges.
- Personal expenses.
- Sights, excursions and activities not included in the itinerary.
- Gratuities to guide and driver.
ANY QUESTIONS?
This tour is tailor-made and we can tailor to meet your reqeusts. Your personal travel consultant will contact you within 24 working hours!
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