Grand Tour · 15 days

Grand China Odyssey

Five regions, one journey: imperial north, panda country, the karst rivers of Guilin and the skyline of Shanghai, with Hangzhou's West Lake.

15days
US$2,580per person
2–12 travellersGroup of
Route
★★★★★4.8132 reviews

The short version

Grand China Odyssey is a 15-day tour covering Beijing, Xi'an, Chengdu, Guilin, Hangzhou and Shanghai — six of China's best-known destinations in one journey. It includes the Great Wall, the Terracotta Army, giant pandas, the Li River and West Lake. From US$2,580 per person.

Day by day

Your day-by-day itinerary

  1. Day 1

  2. Day 2

  3. Day 3

  4. Day 4

  5. Day 5

  6. Day 6

  7. Day 7

  8. Day 8

  9. Day 9

  10. Day 10

  11. Day 11

  12. Day 12

  13. Day 13

  14. Day 14

  15. Day 15

What's included and what isn't

Includes

  • 14 nights 4-star hotels
  • All internal flights and high-speed rail
  • Li River cruise and Longjing tea visit
  • English-speaking guide in every city
  • All listed entrance fees

Not included

  • International flights
  • Chinese visa
  • Most lunches and dinners
  • Optional excursions

Destinations on this route

Beijing Beijing Municipality · 6 tours Beijing is China's capital and the most efficient place to start a first trip: the Forbidden City, the Great Wall, the Temple of Heaven and the hutong Xi'an Shaanxi · 6 tours Xi'an is the capital of Shaanxi Province and where the Silk Road began. Forty kilometres east of the city, 8,000 terracotta warriors have stood in for Shanghai Shanghai Municipality · 7 tours Shanghai rewards two days: one for the colonial Bund and the museums, one for old-town gardens, food and the French Concession. Add a third for a cana Chengdu Sichuan · 4 tours Chengdu is the capital of Sichuan Province and the gateway to the panda reserves, the Leshan Giant Buddha and Jiuzhaigou. In the city itself the Cheng Guilin Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region · 2 tours Guilin is in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, and it gives you the landscape Chinese painting was invented to describe: limestone karst peaks ris Hangzhou Zhejiang · 2 tours Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang Province, is built around West Lake — willow banks, causeways and pagodas that poets have been writing about for 1,2

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Frequently asked questions

Is fifteen days too rushed for six cities?

No, because we hold two nights in every city. The longest travel day is the Chengdu–Guilin flight at about two hours plus transfers.

Can I drop a city?

Yes. Dropping Hangzhou or Chengdu each saves about two days, and we reprice itineraries on request without a fee.

How much luggage can I bring?

One suitcase and one daypack per person. Internal flights allow 20 kg checked; the high-speed trains have no weight limit but storage space is tight.

Is this trip suitable for older travellers?

Yes. We build in rest afternoons, use cable cars wherever they exist, and keep the walking to flat ground wherever possible.

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