HOW THIS TRIP FEELS
Wonder · Connection
Stand above the Forbidden City, walk the stone paths of Mutianyu and watch Shanghai open out across the Huangpu River. Along the way, quieter moments in hutong lanes, temple parks and tree-lined streets bring the journey closer to everyday life.
Travelers Said
Melissa Werneck (Brasil)
“CGT takes good care of all of us during the trip. I liked everything, and Shanghai was the most impressive. I didn’t know China is like this before I really came!”
James Rosenfield (America)
Our Harvard Advanced Leadership Initiative tour was fantastic. The CGT team is highly professional, organized and dedicated. Very knowledgeable and showed great passion, attention to detail, and enthusiasm throughout an intense and enjoyable tour of almost two weeks!
Day-by-day itinerary
Day 1: Arrival
Arrive in Beijing, where your driver meets you at the airport or railway station and transfers you to your hotel. This transfer is driver-only and unguided.
Keep the rest of the day free to rest after your international journey and adjust to the time difference. No sightseeing is scheduled, allowing the group to settle in before the route begins the following morning.
Day 2: Forbidden City, Jingshan Park, Hutongs and Temple of Heaven
Begin at the Forbidden City, the former imperial palace complex of the Ming and Qing dynasties. Walk through its gates, formal courtyards, and palace halls as our English-speaking guide explains the layout of the imperial court and the people who lived and worked within it.
Continue to Jingshan Park for a short climb to a viewpoint over the roofs of the Forbidden City. From here, the palace’s central axis and sequence of yellow-glazed halls become much easier to read.
For lunch, our guide would recommend a Beijing roast duck restaurant and help with ordering.
Move to the Temple of Heaven, where the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests stands within a large park often used by local residents for tai chi, dancing, singing, and traditional instruments.
Note: Lunch is not included, and you pay the restaurant directly.
Day 3: Great Wall Grandeur
Travel outside central Beijing to Mutianyu Great Wall, a mountain section known for its line of watchtowers and forested ridges. Your admission includes a round-trip cable car, offering a practical way to reach the Wall before setting out on foot.
Walk the stone ramparts at a pace that works for your group. Some travellers may prefer to stay near the cable-car area and take in the mountain views, while others may continue between watchtowers for a longer walk. Our guide can explain the Wall’s defensive purpose, building techniques, and the terrain that shaped its route.
In the afternoon, back to central and take a rickshaw through Beijing’s hutong lanes, where courtyard-house entrances, small shops, snack vendors, and neighbourhood life offer a different scale from the palace grounds.
Day 4: High-Speed Train and Self-Exploration
After breakfast, transfer to Beijing South Railway Station for your high-speed train to Shanghai.
On arrival in Shanghai, transfer to your hotel and keep the evening free. This is an unguided travel day, leaving time to rest after the rail journey or take an independent walk near your hotel.
Day 5: Yu Garden, Oriental Pearl Tower and the Bund
Begin in Yu Garden, where covered walkways, ponds, zigzag bridges, carved windows, pavilions, and rockeries show the close detail of a classical Chinese garden. Continue into the nearby Chenghuang Temple area, where traditional-style buildings, markets, and local snacks reveal one of Shanghai’s older commercial districts.
For lunch, our guide can recommend a Shanghai xiaolongbao restaurant and help with ordering.
In the afternoon, visit Oriental Pearl Tower for views across Shanghai’s central districts, the Huangpu River, and the high-rise skyline of Pudong. Later, walk along the Bund, where historic waterfront façades face the towers across the river. If timing allows, remain until the lights come on and the riverfront changes pace after dark.
Note: Lunch is not included, and you pay the restaurant directly.
Day 6: Departure from Shanghai
Your driver transfers you to the airport, railway station, or another designated departure point.
If your flight or train leaves later in the day, you may choose to explore the Former French Concession independently before departure. Its tree-lined streets, low-rise lanes, cafés, and former residences make it a suitable self-guided addition, but it is not included as a guided activity in the tour price.
Day 7: Per-person price in USD
| Number of Travellers | Price per Person |
|---|---|
| 2–3 travellers | USD 1,475 |
| 4–5 travellers | USD 1,230 |
| 6–7 travellers | USD 1,155 |
| 8–11 travellers | USD 1,060 |
| 12+ travellers | USD 980 |
Pricing Note
Prices are based on the stated party-size tiers and shared 3-star hotel accommodation for two guests in one room. For group rates and booking details, contact us at our trip planning form.
Day 8:
What is included
- Airport or railway-station pickup in Beijing by private vehicle.
- Departure transfer in Shanghai.
- City transport according to group size: Taxi for groups of 2–3 travellers, with a 5-seater private vehicle used for the Great Wall day. Private 7-seater vehicle for groups of 4–5 travelers. Minivan for groups of 6 or more travelers.
- Second-class high-speed train ticket from Beijing to Shanghai.
- Experienced English-speaking guide on Days 2, 3, and 5.
- Admission fees for all itinerary-listed sites.
- Round-trip cable car at Mutianyu Great Wall.
- Five nights of 3-star accommodation, based on two guests sharing one room.
- Daily hotel breakfast.
- Travel insurance.
- Trip operation and management service fee.
What is not included
- Lunches and dinners.
- International flights.
- Visa costs, where applicable.
- Personal expenses.
- Any service or item not listed in the “Price Includes” section.
