Individual Trip: Beijing – Xi’an – Shanghai, 10 days

Day 1: Athens/Thessaloniki – Beijing

Gather at the airport and fly, via an intermediate stop, arriving the following day in the political and cultural core of China: the transformed Beijing, the capital of the country and the autonomous province of the same name within the People’s Republic of China. A wonderful journey of a lifetime to a mysterious and culturally fascinating Asian country is just beginning.

Day 2: Beijing

Arrival at Beijing Capital International Airport, meet with our local guide, and after completing the necessary entry procedures, board the bus for our transfer to the hotel. The day is free for your first introduction to the city. Enjoy a pleasant stroll along the Wangfujing pedestrian street.

Day 3: Beijing

Today, after a rich breakfast, we will begin our tour of the highly photographed Tiananmen Square, located right in front of the entrance to the legendary “Forbidden City.” For centuries, this massive square has been the political seat of this vast country. We will see landmark buildings such as the National Museum, the building of the General Secretariat of the Communist Party, Mao Zedong’s Mausoleum, and, of course, the balcony from which the leading figure of the 20th century proclaimed the founding of the People’s Republic of China on 01/01/1949. We will continue to the famous Forbidden City or Imperial City, the strongest symbol of China’s glorious past. It is the palace city that testifies to the glory and grandeur of ten centuries of Chinese autocracy. We will enjoy a tasty lunch at a selected local restaurant there. Afterwards, we will visit the Summer Palace in the northwestern area of Beijing. It is an amazing complex of palaces, gardens, inner courtyards, corridors, and halls that reflect the turbulent history of strict autocratic dynasties and contributed to the global radiance of Chinese omnipotence. The “Sea of Wisdom,” the “Suzhou Street,” and the “Longevity Hill” are the most picturesque spots. We have the afternoon free to enjoy a relaxing walk. In the evening, we will enjoy a Western-style dinner at our hotel.

Day 4: Beijing

Today after breakfast, we will begin our tour of China’s top attraction of indescribable beauty: the Great Wall. It is the largest human-made structure, visible even from the moon. It was built for defensive purposes to protect China from the raids of other tribes. The Wall is wide enough to comfortably accommodate seven galloping soldiers and is complemented by conical towers and observation posts. We will have the opportunity to walk on the sections where the soldiers of the Chinese army passed to protect the city. Then we will enjoy our lunch at a selected local restaurant. We will continue with our visit to the valley of the Ming Dynasty tombs. The Ming Dynasty laid the foundations for China’s cultural and intellectual reformation. The finest things ever done in China were created during that period. Our next stop is the Sacred Way, which is paved with marble and lined with statues of human and animal figures on both sides. We have the afternoon and evening free.

Day 5: Beijing – Xi’an (by train)

Today we will have the pleasure of visiting and touring the “Temple of Heaven.” The Temple of Heaven is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is a complex of religious buildings in southeastern Beijing. Annual ceremonies with prayers to heaven for a good harvest took place in this area. Afterward, we will wander through the city’s “Hutong” alleys with the famous “rickshaws,” which were originally three-wheeled carts operated by a driver who carried one passenger. They were a very popular means of transport in the 19th century. In the 21st century, they were used as an alternative option to taxis due to their low cost. Later, we can enjoy our lunch at a local restaurant. Our afternoon is free until the time of our transfer to the train station for our departure to Xi’an in the evening (in comfortable 4-berth cabins).

Day 6: Xi’an

Today we will find ourselves in one of the oldest and most important cities in China, which has over 3,000 years of history: Xi’an. Once we arrive, we transfer to our hotel for breakfast. Afterward, we will visit the Mausoleum of the Emperor and the museum with the world-famous “terracotta warriors” statues for a tour.
They were discovered in 1974 by some Chinese farmers who were trying to dig a well. The terracotta army consists of approximately 8,000 statues of soldiers. In 2016, Chinese archaeologists announced that it is possible that the Chinese collaborated with Greek sculptors to create the soldiers, taking inspiration from Greek technique, or that they were designed directly by Greek sculptors. After this beautiful historical retrospective, we will have lunch at a selected local restaurant. After recharging, we will continue our tour at one of China’s first, largest, and most modern museums: the Shaanxi Big Wild Goose Pagoda Museum, which has over 370,000 exhibits, including murals, paintings, coins, ceramics, and other gold, bronze, and silver objects. Afterward, we will admire the old city wall. It is a massive, towering, and very long wall that frames the old city and separates it into the inner and outer parts. Our afternoon is free for a pleasant stroll.

Day 7: Xi’an – Shanghai

After our breakfast at the hotel, we transfer to the airport and enjoy the flight to Shanghai. Shanghai is the largest and a very important city and port in China. In the 20th century, it evolved rapidly into a very important and the largest commercial city in the Far East. We easily discover this by seeing the towering skyscrapers and the city’s modern way of life. There, we will meet our local guide and transfer to our hotel. At noon, we will have lunch at a local restaurant. Later, we will tour the 400-year-old garden of serenity and comfort, the Yu Garden. The garden extends to the northeastern side of the city. It was built in 1559 during the Ming Dynasty period. It was destroyed several times during the 19th century and was finally restored and reopened to the public in 1961. Since 1982, it has been declared a national monument. We will then transfer to the boulevard that symbolizes the city’s prosperity, the famous Bund along the Huangpu River. The road extends north of Shanghai’s old city and is adorned with a collection of buildings of exceptional architecture, representing all European trends, such as Baroque, Ancient Greek, Neoclassical, and Renaissance. Next is our walk on the famous Nanjing Road, which takes its name from the city itself. It is the main commercial artery of Shanghai, 5.5 kilometers long, with more than 600 luxury stores.

Day 8: Shanghai

Today is free to enjoy our rich breakfast and to enjoy a wonderful cruise on the Huangpu River.

Day 9: Shanghai – Return to Greece

After breakfast, enjoy a free day to appreciate the modern city of Shanghai, and late at night, we transfer to the airport to board our flight back to Greece.

Day 10: Athens

Arrival in Greece.

Travel Notes