Expansive China Private Tour

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WHY YOU SHOULD GO

As a result of a much less restrictive visa policy for Americans wishing to travel to China, our requests for 2026/2027 China private tours have ballooned to pre-pandemic levels of early 2020. Many of our clients are drawn to China’s 5,000-year history of contrasting cultural activities: from the iconic cities of Beijing and Shanghai, to the far-flung areas of Chengdu (Panda Research Center!), Xi’an/Terracotta Warriors, the idyllic karst rock formations in Guilin, and Yunnan Province, including UNESCO-designated Lijiang Old Town/Dragon Snow Mountain and its unique Naxi minority population. In the far west, we particularly enjoy our travels to remote Tibet and the capital of Lhasa. Though time is needed to acclimatize to 14,000–15,000 ft elevation (!), the Buddhist-centered Tibetan culture is truly unique to this one place in the world!

SAMPLE ITINERARY

18 DAYS

Each private luxury tour is custom to the wishes of each client. This itinerary is a sample and can be made longer/shorter or adjusted for personal preferences. Partnering with our long-established relationship with United Airlines. our sister company, TRAVNET, may provide competitive Polaris/Business Class international airfare, along with mileage points conversion.

Day 1

Fly to Beijing
Through our sister company, premium air provider TRAVNET, we may assist with your international airfare, as well as with mileage points conversion.

Meals: —
Accommodation: —

Day 2

Arrive Beijing
Upon arrival in Beijing, you will be privately driven to The Peninsula Beijing.

Meals: —
Accommodation: The Peninsula Beijing

Imperial Palace, Part of Beijing's Forbidden City

Day 3

Beijing Private Tour
Enjoy a full-day Beijing private tour, beginning with a walk from Tiananmen Square to visit the Forbidden City. Built from 1406, the Forbidden City was the China Imperial Palace from the Qing Dynasty. Taking at least two hours to walk through the sprawling grounds/compounds, the Forbidden City is a taxing walk for all ages and a “challenging” walk with pre-teens! Stop for lunch at a local restaurant before continuing to the Summer Palace (AKA Yi He Yuan). First commissioned as a birthday gift by Emperor Qian Long in 1750, destroyed by foreign troops in 1860, and restored by Empress Dowager Cixi in 1888, this is the largest classical garden of its kind in China, complete with pavilions, pagodas, and temples.

Afterwards, visit Yong He Gong or Lama Temple, the largest Tibetan Buddhist temple in Beijing. Constructed in the 17th century as ab imperial residence for court eunuchs, the structure was later used as the residence of Prince Yong (who later became emperor from 1723 – 1736).

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: The Peninsula Beijing

Day 4

Beijing Private Tour
Your full-day Beijing private tour begins with a drive to The Great Wall! Notwithstanding the various wall locations, we enthusiastically endorse the Mutianyu section, an approximate two-hour drive from downtown Beijing. Not nearly as jammed with tourists as the closer Badaling site, Mutianyu has a ski-lift service to the Wall itself where one can hike (an earnest work-out!) to varying sections of the Ming Dynasty guard towers, with few tourists and unobstructed views. Following lunch at a local restaurant, continue to old Beijing: the “Hutong” neighborhood of Hou Hai area. When the Mongols swept through China in the 13th century, they built their capital at Beijing (calling it Dadu) and left some residual influences that continue to be felt to this day. Among the most lasting of the Mongol legacy was the “hutong”, the winding alleyways that linked the city through a network of diverse neighborhoods, each area being spun like a web of interconnecting lanes that became the lifeblood of old Beijing.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: The Peninsula Beijing

Day 5

Fly Beijing to Xi’an + Full-Day Xi’an Private Tour
This morning, you will be transferred to the airport for your flight to Xi’an.

Upon arrival at Xi’an Xianyang International Airport, embark on a full-day Xi’an private tour focusing on the Terra Cotta Warriors. An unbelievable experience, you’ll have the chance to visit the Terra Cotta Warrior Museum and stand in the largest of the pits. The pit contains 6,000 warriors and horses (of which 1,200 have been fully or partially restored) and is believed to present the actual imperial bodyguard in full battle formation.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: The Ritz-Carlton, Xi’an

Day 6

Fly Xi’an to Chengdu + Half-Day Chengdu Private Tour
This morning, you will be transferred to the airport for your flight to Chengdu.

Upon arrival at Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport, enjoy lunch at a local restaurant.

After lunch, visit the cottage of Poet DuFu, who fleed Xi’an during the An Lushan Rebellion. He is said to have written 240 iconic poems here – enjoy the simplicity of his life radiating through the walls. Continue the tour with a visit to Kuan Zhai Xiangzi, a bustling district comprising three lanes and 45 courtyards dating back to the Qing dynasty. This area is popular for shopping with local handicrafts and restaurants.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Upper House Chengdu

Day 7

Chengdu Panda Base Visit!
Today, enjoy a special visit to Dujiangyan Giant Panda Base. This 126-acre center includes a veterinary hospital, nursery, a medical research lab, 10 monitoring enclosures, 30 normal enclosures, a kitchen, on-site educational center and staff housing. Along with visiting each enclosure, you’ll have the unique opportunity to hold the Giant Panda and Red Panda. Zen thoroughly enjoyed her private panda holding session during our several Lynch family visits over the years – a memory we will never forget. There is truly no other place in the world that is even comparable to this experience.

Following lunch at a local restaurant, visit the Dujiang Irrigation System which was started in 256 BCE and is still in use today more than 2,200 years later. The water management scheme now irrigates over 5,300 square kilometers (2,000 square miles) the land which the lush countryside has benefitted from.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Upper House Chengdu

Day 8

Fly Chengdu to Lijiang
This morning, you will be transferred to the airport for your flight to Lijiang.

Upon arrival at Lijiang Sanyi International Airport, you will be privately driven to Amandayan.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Amandayan

Day 9

Lijiang Private Tour
Today’s Lijiang private tour is focused on Lijiang Old Town, a 1.25 square-mile rectangle enclosure of cobble lanes and stone and timber houses that we feel ranks among the most picturesque city settings in all of China. The World Heritage Site town dates to the 13th century when the Mongol forces of Kublai Khan swept southward through Yunnan province as they set out to consolidate their control over China. Naxi Kingdom at Baisha was moved to Dayan (today’s Lijiang) and since that time has remained the most distinctive example of Naxi culture.

This afternoon, your local guide will take you on a nice hike through some local Naxi villages to see how this unique matriarchal society works – this is among our family favorite activities near Lijiang.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Amandayan

Day 10

AM Lijiang Private Tour + Drive Lijiang to Zhongdian/Shangri-La City
This morning, enjoy a short half-day private tour of the Black Dragon Pool Park, also known as Heilongtan. This lush park setting surrounding the Black Dragon Pool is framed by mountains and includes weeping willows, pine, chestnut and many flowering ornamental trees, along with pavilions and bridges – ornate and picturesque!

Later, you will be privately driven to Zhongdian, a remote, obscure area in Yunnan Province, Southwest China. The region (Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture) is rich in Tibetan culture and rises 10,000 ft. in elevation on the southern edge of the Qinghai-Tibet plateau.

Upon arrival in Zhongdian, you will be privately driven to your hotel.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel Indigo Diqing Moonlight City

Day 11

Zhongdian Hiking Private Tour
Zhongdian is home to the iconic Tiger Leaping Gorge, a dramatic natural formation spanning 28 miles and dropping approximately 10,000 feet. The canyon is located on the Jinsha River, a primary tributary of the upper Yangtze River. Next to The Great Wall, we feel this to be the most scenic, significant hike in all of China. You will also visit the “First Bend” in the Yangzi River, a major geographic landmark for all Chinese. The drive will provide you with some wonderful opportunities to enjoy the vast panorama of northwest Yunnan.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel Indigo Diqing Moonlight City

Day 12

Fly Shangri-La City to Guilin + Transfer to Yangshou
This morning, you will be transferred to the airport for your flight to Guilin.

Upon arrival at Guilin Liangjiang International Airport, a private driver will transfer you an hour and half away to the Banyan Tree Yangshou.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Banyan Tree Yangshou

Day 13

Yangshou Private Tour
Your full-day Yangshou private tour begins with driving to Xingping for a private ride on a bamboo raft along the Li River. The ride highlights the scenic, picturesque region around Guilin.

Following lunch at a local restaurant, you will visit a deep limestone cave called the Silver Cave. The caves name comes from natural light refracting on cave full of stalactites of all sizes. From the depths of the cave, you emerge to visit Moon Hill, a limestone pinnacle that has a perfectly circular cave close to the summit that, from a distance, looks exactly like a full moon.

Another highlight of the tour is the “Big Banyan,” one of the most massive trees found anywhere in China with a trunk girth of 7.1 meters (23 feet around) and a height of 17 meters (56 feet). The tree covers an area of 1,000 square meters (10,764 square feet).

Later, board a local “tik tik” or enjoy a bike ride where you will travel along country lanes that crisscross through rice paddies. The final destination is a local farm village where resident farmers will discuss their daily lives and the annual festivals.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Accommodation: Banyan Tree Yangshou

Day 14

Yangshou/Longsheng Private Tour
This morning, visit the Longsheng region, about 2.5-3 hour drive in the mountains. These mountain terraces, that have been worked for centuries, rise over 1,000 feet in some areas. During the spring planting season, they become emerald flights of steps that cover the mountainsides. You will spend time in the villages and learn about the traditions of the traditional Yao and Zhuang cultures.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Banyan Tree Yangshou

Day 15

Fly Guilin to Shanghai
This morning, you will be transferred to the airport for your flight to Shanghai.

Upon arrival at Shanghai Pudong International Airport, you will be privately driven to The Peninsula Shanghai.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: The Peninsula Shanghai

Day 16

Shanghai Private Tour

Full-day Shanghai private touring begins with the 16th century Ming Dynasty private garden and residence, Yu Garden. Despite Shanghai’s crowded lanes and teeming masses, the garden remains an oasis of tranquility. Its deceptive size, laid out with many corners and breezeways to give one the illusion of size, houses in exquisite harmony, the essential elements of a Chinese garden – pavilions, water, vegetation, rock formations, and bridge. Take a walk through Bund, a waterfront area sweeping along the Huangpu River that has become the center of Shanghai’s foreign business establishment, and the symbol of Shanghai’s identity as a modern city.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: The Peninsula Shanghai

Day 17

Shanghai Private Tour
Full-day Shanghai private touring begins with a walking tour in the historic district around the French Concession. We thoroughly enjoyed the tree-lined streets and and eclectic Art-Deco, Spanish revival, and Loire Valley Chateau style houses.

Following lunch at a local restaurant, continue to The Shanghai Museum, considered one of the five best museums in the world (!) and comprising 120,000+ works illustrating Chinese art history. Visit the observation deck of Shanghai Tower next. Opened in 2015, the building is the second tallest in the world standing at 632 meters with the observation deck at 562 meters, the highest on earth.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: The Peninsula Shanghai

View from observation deck of Shanghai Tower

Day 18

Fly Shanghai/Home
Through our sister company, premium air provider TRAVNET, we may assist with your international airfare, as well as with mileage points conversion.

Meals: —
Accommodation: —

HOTELS

The Peninsula Beijing is a 5-star all-suite hotel located in Wangfujing, just a short walk from the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square. The hotel’s design incorporates traditional Chinese artistry with modern elegance. With 230 suites starting at 645 square feet, it offers the most spacious accommodations in the city. Each suite is equipped with advanced in-room tablet technology, allowing guests to adjust climate, lighting, and entertainment, as well as request amenities.

Amenities include The Peninsula Spa, a 59-foot indoor swimming pool, a fitness center, and a newly added art gallery highlighting Chinese craftsmanship. Dining options range from contemporary French at Jing Restaurant and Bar to refined Cantonese at Huang Ting, alongside Yun Summer Lounge for modern sharing plates, The Lobby for all-day international fare, and 24-hour room service.

The Peninsula Beijing

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Opened in 2019, the Ritz-Carlton, Xi’an is a contemporary luxury hotel located in Xi’an’s central business district, featuring 283 guest rooms and suites. Though the interior style is modern, with city views from each room, the design also references local culture. What we appreciate about Ritz locations across the globe is their reliability and consistency of luxury amenities and onsite dining. In addition to the Flair Rooftop Bar and lobby lounge, the property offers three restaurants: Xian Kitchen for all-day international and local dining, Jing Xuan for Cantonese and Chinese cuisine with private dining rooms, and Tasuro, a Japanese teppanyaki and Asian dining venue. Amenities include a full-service spa, indoor swimming pool, 24-hour fitness center, and yoga studio.

The Ritz-Carlton Xi'an

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Centered around a beautifully restored Qing dynasty courtyard, Upper House combines historic Sichuan heritage with high-touch contemporary design. Located in the center of Chengdu, the hotel is steps from the boutiques and restaurants of Taikoo Li, perfect for our intrepid clients, foodies, and culture lovers! The property offers 100 rooms and suites along with 42 serviced residences, all featuring minimalist interiors, natural materials, and floor-to-ceiling windows. Amenities include the Mi Xun Spa, which specializes in plant-based treatments, a heated indoor pool, and a fitness center. Dining highlights include modern Italian at Tivano, casual international fare at The Temple Café, creative cocktails at Jing, and vegetarian Sichuan specialties at Mi Xun Teahouse.

Upper House Chengdu

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Amandayan, part of the Aman Resorts collection, is perched atop Lion Hill above Lijiang’s UNESCO-protected Old Town in Yunnan Province, offering views of the ancient city and Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. Opened in 2015, the property is a 45-minute transfer from Lijiang Sanyi International Airport and is a great (!) access point for the sites of Lijang Old Town! The resort comprises 35 suites, including multiple Courtyard and Deluxe Suites with private terraces or courtyards and one expansive two-bedroom Amandayan Suite, all reflecting local Nakhi architectural influences with regional materials and craftsmanship. Dining options include Man Yi Xuan, the resort’s main restaurant focused on Yunnan and Cantonese cuisine with private dining rooms; The Lounge serving Western and Asian dishes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner; and The Tea House, which offers traditional tea service with pastries and dim sum overlooking Old Town. Amandayan’s facilities include a full-service Aman Spa with multiple treatment rooms drawing on Traditional Chinese Medicine, a 20-metre heated swimming pool, gym and yoga/Pilates studio, private cinema, library, and event space.

Amandayan

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Hotel Indigo Diqing Moonlight City is a modern boutique hotel overlooking Dukezong Ancient Town in Shangri-La, Yunnan Province, with design inspired by local Tibetan culture. Opened in 2021, the property features 99 guest rooms and suites with mountain or Old Town views, incorporating contemporary comforts alongside regional artistic details. Dining includes the all-day Bonfire restaurant serving local and international cuisine, along with a lobby lounge for light snacks and drinks. Though on the smaller side and featuring less amenities, we feel the property offers excellent (!) concierge services, and easy access to the temples, museums, and walking streets of Dukezong Ancient Town.

Hotel Indigo Diqing Moonlight City

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Designed as a village resort far from the fast-paced city, providing top notch facilities and breath-taking views for each of the 142 suites and villas. The natural wonder of the limestone mountains in Yangshou is truly breathtaking. From the Li river to the caves and the rice fields, with activities like river rafting and rock climbing, immerse yourself in this natural feast for memories that will last a lifetime.

Banyan Tree Yangshou

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Overlooking the Bund with views of the Huangpu River, The 235-room Peninsula Shanghai is certainly a favorite of ours! This 5-star Art Deco property is more commonly referred to as a landmark of the historic Bund, featuring a 1920s glamorous sensibility with modern luxury finishes. Amenities include a spa offering both traditional Chinese and modern therapies, a large indoor swimming pool, fitness center, and luxury shopping arcade. Dining is a standout: the Michelin-starred Yi Long Court serves refined Cantonese, while Sir Elly’s offers European fine dining with panoramic skyline views. Guests can also enjoy The Lobby for Peninsula’s legendary afternoon tea and international fare, or Huang Ting for Shanghainese cuisine.