Your private journey
A clear starting point for your budget
- Travelling as 2
- €4,748 per person
- Travelling as 4
- €3,947 per person
Based on two adults sharing each twin or double room: one room for 2 travellers, two rooms for 4.
Indicative prices for your own private party, based on the accommodation and services listed below. Your dates, availability, hotel choices and any changes determine the final written quote.
GBP & USD reference prices
| Private party | GBP · per person | USD · per person |
|---|---|---|
| Travelling as 2 | £4,008 | $5,213 |
| Travelling as 4 | £3,332 | $4,333 |
These are the owner-approved reference amounts, not live currency conversions. The currency and amount payable are agreed in your written quote.
What your price covers
Included in this guide price
- Second-class high-speed rail: Beijing → Xi’an, Xi’an → Chengdu, Chengdu ↔ Huanglongjiuzhai and Chengdu → Chongqing; an economy flight Yichang → Shanghai including taxes. Exact services are confirmed for your dates.
- Three nights on a 5-star Yangtze cruise in a private twin/double balcony cabin, with the ship’s full-board meal plan and mandatory onboard service charge included. The baseline shore programme covers Fengdu, Shennv Stream and the Three Gorges Dam; ship, sailing and exact excursions are confirmed in writing. One balcony cabin is provided for 2 guests; two cabins for 4.
- Twelve nights in 4-star land hotels: Beijing 3, Xi’an 2, Chengdu 2, Jiuzhaigou area 2, Chongqing 1 and Shanghai 2, with daily breakfast. Together with the cruise: 15 nights.
- Private transfers and English-speaking guides for the agreed city visits and connections.
- Forbidden City; Mutianyu Great Wall admission, shuttle and return cable car; Terracotta Army; Xi’an City Wall; Chengdu Panda Base with electric cart; Jiuzhaigou with sightseeing bus; guided city walks in Chongqing and Shanghai.
Not included · optional extras
- International flights; lunches and dinners on land (the cruise meal plan is included); optional cruise extras such as the Three Gorges ship lift; evening shows, Shu Yan Fu and any unlisted admission or experience.
An English-speaking private guide is included. German- or French-speaking guiding is subject to availability and a separate quote; website language does not determine guide language.
For 2 travellers: a private 5-seat car/SUV. For 4: a 7-seat MPV such as a Buick GL8. Vehicle model and luggage capacity are confirmed for the agreed route; trains, park transport and cruises are shared services.
Our itinerary descriptions and photographs show places, food and experiences available along the route. Only the items expressly listed here form part of this guide price. Other visits and experiences require a separate quote.
Other party sizes, children, single rooms, longer stays and hotel upgrades are quoted individually.
Your final written proposal confirms dates, accommodation, transport, included services and optional charges. Booking, the travel contract and payment are handled by our partner licensed travel agency, identified before you book.
Palace roofs, clay faces, a panda’s morning and the changing banks of the Yangtze: this journey brings several sides of China into one route. The landmarks give it shape; tea, neighbourhood walks and time with a local guide give it texture. Sixteen days covers substantial distances. This is an active starting itinerary, with several long connection days, rather than a promise of a leisurely stay in every place.
Your route at a glance
Beijing → Xi’an → Chengdu → Jiuzhaigou → Chengdu → Chongqing → Yangtze / Yichang → Shanghai.
15 nights: Beijing 3 · Xi’an 2 · Chengdu 2 · Jiuzhaigou area 2 · Chongqing 1 · cruise 3 · Shanghai 2. Hotels, room categories and cruise cabin are confirmed in writing; this page does not promise a particular property.
Route map
The map marks selected stops in visiting order. Dotted lines connect places geographically; they do not show exact train tracks, roads or the ship’s navigable course.
Day by day
Day 1 — Arrive in Beijing
Meet your transfer and settle into your hotel. Leave time to recover from the flight; a short neighbourhood walk is possible if arrival and energy allow. Overnight in Beijing.
Day 2 — Beijing’s palace courtyards
Explore the Forbidden City with attention to its courtyards, painted beams and the relationship between public halls and private quarters. A nearby walk can follow if time allows. Reservations are required; the palace normally closes on Mondays outside public holidays, so we adjust the order to your dates. Overnight in Beijing.
Day 3 — A day at the Great Wall
Travel out to the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall. Choose a walk that fits your mobility and interest, with lift arrangements discussed in advance. Steps and slopes remain part of the experience. Return to Beijing for your third night.
Day 4 — By train to Xi’an
Take a confirmed high-speed train to Xi’an and transfer to your hotel. An easy evening walk introduces the city if the train schedule allows. This is a connection day, with sightseeing kept flexible. Overnight in Xi’an.
Day 5 — The Terracotta Army
Visit the Terracotta Army, looking beyond the scale of the pits to the individual faces, armour and surviving details. Back in Xi’an, a city-wall visit or neighbourhood walk can be included if timing permits. Overnight in Xi’an.
Day 6 — Onward to Chengdu
Continue by high-speed train to Chengdu. After check-in, a teahouse or nearby street walk can offer a quieter introduction to the city. Rail times determine how much is possible. Overnight in Chengdu.
Day 7 — Pandas, then the mountains
Visit Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding early, as ordinary visitors. Continue to the station for a confirmed train to Huanglongjiuzhai, then transfer by road to the Jiuzhaigou area. The station is not at the park: allow substantial transfer time. This combined day is busy and depends on tickets and train times; adding a night is the gentler alternative. Overnight near Jiuzhaigou.
Day 8 — A full day in Jiuzhaigou
Spend the day among Jiuzhaigou’s lakes, cascades and forest, using the park’s shared sightseeing transport and walking selected boardwalks. The day follows open areas, weather and your walking pace. Colours and reflections vary; no photograph is a guarantee of the view. Second night near Jiuzhaigou.
Day 9 — Return to Chengdu
Transfer to Huanglongjiuzhai station and return by rail to Chengdu. Leave the evening unhurried. Huanglong is not included in this 16-day outline; we can discuss adding it with more time or a revised programme. Overnight in Chengdu.
Day 10 — Chongqing, above the rivers
Take the train to Chongqing, then explore selected streets and riverside viewpoints. Leave time for the city after dark, when its slopes and bridges take on another character. Sightseeing depends on the rail schedule. Overnight in Chongqing.
Day 11 — Chongqing and embarkation
Keep the morning flexible for a city walk or time at leisure, then transfer to the confirmed cruise embarkation point. Begin a downstream Yangtze cruise, typically four days and three nights to Yichang. Your ship, cabin, embarkation location and sailing date must be agreed before the route is booked. First night aboard.
Day 12 — Along the Yangtze
Watch the riverbanks change from the deck and join the shore programme listed for your ship, if included and operating. Excursions, meals and onboard facilities depend on the chosen cruise; optional outings are quoted separately. Second night aboard.
Day 13 — Through the Three Gorges
Follow the ship’s passage through the Three Gorges region. Deck time and any tributary excursion depend on the ship’s published programme and river conditions. The cruise and its shore visits are shared with other passengers. Third night aboard.
Day 14 — Yichang to Shanghai
Disembark under the confirmed cruise schedule. A Three Gorges Dam visit is included only if specified for your sailing. Transfer to the station or airport for a confirmed connection to Shanghai. This is a long travel day; if the connection is unsuitable, add a night or revise the itinerary. Overnight in Shanghai.
Day 15 — Shanghai’s riverfront and neighbourhoods
Walk the Bund for its riverfront architecture and views towards Lujiazui. Contrast the skyline with a slower walk around the Wukang Road or Anfu Road area, selected around your interests. Return to the river after dark if you wish and timing permits. Second night in Shanghai.
Day 16 — Depart from Shanghai
Allow free time only if your flight schedule permits, then transfer for departure. International flights are separate unless expressly included in your written quote.
Three views along the journey
Where you stay
15 nights: Beijing 3 · Xi’an 2 · Chengdu 2 · Jiuzhaigou area 2 · Chongqing 1 · cruise 3 · Shanghai 2. Hotels, room categories and cruise cabin are confirmed in writing; this page does not promise a particular property.
Before you book
- Arrival on Day 1 and departure on Day 16 are included. The exact dates must align with cruise departures, rail tickets and attraction reservations.
- Days 7 and 14 involve several connections. For a slower journey, we recommend discussing extra nights or fewer stops.
- Jiuzhaigou involves mountain travel and walking. Tell us your mobility preferences; we can adjust the programme without requesting medical records here.
- Your proposal itemises guides, transfers, rail or flights, tickets, hotel meals and the cruise. German- or French-speaking guides depend on availability; website language does not guarantee guide language.
- Guide prices for parties of 2 or 4 are shown above. Dates, hotels, cabin and any changes determine the final written quote. International flights, visa arrangements, personal spending and optional experiences are separate unless expressly listed.
Shape this journey around you
Tell us which places matter most and where you would like more time. We can rework the route before preparing your written proposal.