Watch the Shanghai Acrobatic Show, where performers combine aerial skills, balancing acts and tightly choreographed movement. The live performance puts precision and physical discipline centre stage.

Chinese acrobatics draws on a long performance tradition while contemporary staging brings fresh energy to the art form. The close timing between performers, sudden shifts of height and carefully controlled feats make this a distinctive evening of entertainment in Shanghai.

• 3 Dinner (D)
• 8 Breakfast (B)
• 4 Lunch (L)

• Beijing: Savour your first evening in China with a warm welcome dinner filled with bold regional flavours. Share a table with your fellow travellers as you enjoy dishes like fish-flavoured shredded pork, Kongpao chicken, and sweet and sour pork with pineapple. Vegetarian delights like fried eggplant and spicy cabbage offer something for every palate, served alongside classic sides including broccoli with garlic and shredded green beans.
• Beijing: Indulge in Beijing’s iconic Peking Duck with delicate crepes and sweet sauce – complemented by local appetisers and hot dishes like crispy sea fish, shredded pork in soybean sauce, and spicy pickled cabbage with vermicelli.
• Beijing: Walk along one of the world’s most iconic landmarks and take in panoramic views from the ancient ramparts. Learn how this remarkable feat of engineering was built and rebuilt over centuries to protect China’s northern frontier.
• Beijing: Walk the tree-lined Sacred Way, once reserved for emperors, where carved stone warriors and mythical beasts have stood guard for centuries. With your Travel Director, follow this ceremonial path to the Ming Tombs, an imperial necropolis where 13 Ming dynasty emperors lie buried beneath grand domed chambers and peaceful hillsides.
• Beijing: Discover the significance of jade in Chinese culture during a visit to a traditional workshop. You’ll learn to tell genuine jade from imitation, explore the stone’s cultural and mineral origins, and even watch skilled artisans at work. More than a jewellery stop, this experience offers insight into a tradition shaped by 2,500 years of history and Confucian values.
• Xi’an: Explore the vast underground tomb complex of China’s first emperor, Qin Shi Huang. Stand before the awe-inspiring Terracotta Army, thousands of life-sized warriors, horses and chariots crafted over two millennia ago to guard the emperor in the afterlife. Each figure is unique, offering a powerful glimpse into ancient artistry and imperial ambition.
• Xi’an: Tuck into a hearty lunch featuring regional noodle dishes and Chinese comfort food favourites. Choose from beef noodles, fried rice, Chinese hamburgers and seasonal stir-fries, with a spread of appetisers, fresh salads and sweet treats like sesame puffs, fruit cake and red bean pastries. A delicious glimpse into local cuisine.
• Xi’an: Start your day with a calming Tai Chi session led by a Local Specialist. In a serene setting, learn the graceful movements and mindful breathing techniques of this ancient Chinese martial art, rooted in balance, harmony and energy flow.
• Xi’an: Step inside a local family’s home for an authentic hands-on experience. You’ll learn to knead dough, pull wide noodles and shape delicate dumpling wrappers before sitting down to enjoy the meal you’ve helped prepare. This Small Group Exclusive experience offers a rare glimpse into traditional home cooking and everyday life in China.
• Shanghai: Join a Local Specialist to uncover the contrasts of Shanghai, from its colonial past to modern marvels. Stroll along the historic Bund waterfront and wander through the tranquil classical pavilions and rockeries of Yu Garden.
• Shanghai: Soar to the 88th floor of the striking Jin Mao Tower and take in sweeping views of Shanghai’s futuristic skyline, where skyscrapers rise above the Huangpu River in one of Asia’s most dynamic cities.
• Shanghai: Witness a spellbinding performance by the Shanghai Acrobatic Troupe, where precision, agility and imagination collide. From high-flying aerials to perfectly timed choreography, this world-class show celebrates the artistry and discipline of Chinese acrobatics with a modern twist.
• Shanghai: Celebrate your final evening in China with a flavourful farewell feast featuring classic Shanghainese dishes. Highlights may include soy-braised pork, sizzling shredded eel, fried shrimp and steamed freshwater fish, along with local favourites like Xiaolongbao with crab, Shengjian Bao and Shanghai-style fried rice. A delicious end to an unforgettable journey.

• Selected hotel dinners plus a locally hosted meal
• 4-star stays
• Deluxe coach travel and select flights

Taste Beijing’s signature Peking Duck at a regional dinner, enjoying slices of crisp-skinned duck with delicate pancakes and sauce. Local appetisers and other hot dishes round out the meal.

Associated with the capital for centuries, Peking Duck is prized for the contrast between its lacquered skin and tender meat. Assembling each pancake at the table makes this dinner an introduction to one of Beijing’s best-known culinary traditions.

Ascend to the 88th-floor observation deck of Jin Mao Tower for panoramic views across Shanghai. Look over the skyscrapers of Pudong, the Huangpu River and the older districts beyond.

The tower’s tiered silhouette is a landmark of Shanghai’s modern skyline. Seeing the city from above reveals the scale of its growth and the striking meeting of historic waterfront architecture with contemporary high-rises.

Trafalgar

Meet your Travel Director and fellow small-group travellers over dinner at a local Beijing restaurant. Share a selection of regional dishes, with choices that may include stir-fried vegetables, richly seasoned meats and classic Chinese accompaniments.

The shared table offers a welcoming introduction to Chinese dining, where dishes are placed at the centre for everyone to enjoy. It is a chance to exchange stories and settle into the rhythms of the journey.

Explore Tiananmen Square and enter the Forbidden City, Beijing’s vast former imperial palace. Walk through its ceremonial gates and courtyards to discover halls that once formed the political and ritual heart of China.

Home to Ming and Qing emperors for nearly five centuries, this UNESCO-listed complex reveals the scale and symbolism of imperial rule. Its ordered layout, red walls and golden roofs make the history of the dynasties tangible.

Visit the Temple of Heaven, the UNESCO-listed Beijing complex where Ming and Qing emperors conducted ceremonies seeking good harvests. Explore its grounds and admire the distinctive circular Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests.

The temple’s architecture expresses a relationship between heaven and earth central to imperial Chinese belief. Its broad paths and open spaces offer a quieter perspective on Beijing’s history than the enclosed courtyards of the Forbidden City.

Walk the Great Wall at Juyongguan and look across the mountain pass it was built to defend. Climb sections of the ramparts for wide views of the fortifications winding over the surrounding hills.

Juyongguan has guarded an important approach to Beijing for centuries. Walking its steep stone steps gives a physical sense of the engineering, labour and strategic ambition behind China’s most recognisable historic monument.

Walk the tree-lined Sacred Way near Beijing, following the ceremonial approach to the Ming Tombs. Pass carved stone officials, soldiers and animals that stand along the route as symbolic guardians.

Thirteen Ming emperors are buried within the surrounding imperial necropolis. The statues and carefully arranged landscape reveal how dynastic power was expressed through burial traditions, while the hills provide a quiet setting for exploring this chapter of Chinese history.

Watch artisans carve jade during a visit to a Beijing workshop. Learn about the stone’s qualities, how genuine jade is recognised and the techniques used to turn it into intricate decorative pieces.

Jade has long been valued in China for meanings extending beyond ornament, including associations with virtue and refinement. Seeing the craft at close range connects finished objects with the patience and precision required to make them.

Ride a rickshaw through Beijing’s hutongs, the narrow lanes of traditional neighbourhoods, and visit a local family at home. Share a home-cooked Be My Guest lunch while hearing about everyday life in the city.

Courtyard homes and close-knit lanes offer a different view of Beijing from its monumental imperial sites. Regional dishes, which may include handmade dumplings and seasonal vegetables, make the visit a personal introduction to local hospitality.

Visit a Beijing tea house to discover the traditions and techniques behind preparing Chinese tea. Observe how attention to the leaves, water and brewing method shapes the finished cup.

Tea has a longstanding place in Chinese social life, from everyday hospitality to more formal practices. This hosted visit offers a closer look at a familiar drink through the care, conversation and cultural customs surrounding it.

Explore the Terracotta Warriors near Xi’an with your Travel Director. Stand beside the excavation pits and examine ranks of life-sized soldiers and horses created for the burial complex of Qin Shi Huang, China’s first emperor.

Buried for more than two millennia, the figures reveal extraordinary craftsmanship and the scale of imperial ambition. Their varied faces, hairstyles and armour invite a closer look at an archaeological discovery that transformed understanding of ancient China.

Step inside traditional yaodong cave dwellings in a village near Xi’an and learn about the families who continue to use them. See how homes built into the loess earth make use of its natural insulating properties.

These dwellings reflect a building tradition shaped by local materials and climate over many generations. This MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® visit supports families working to preserve their homes and living heritage as rural communities change.

Join a Tai Chi lesson led by a Local Specialist in Xi’an. Practise measured movements and mindful breathing while learning the principles of balance and controlled motion behind this Chinese martial art.

Tai Chi is often practised in parks and public spaces as a gentle form of exercise. Participating, rather than simply watching, offers an accessible way to appreciate the concentration and fluidity that give the practice its distinctive character.

Make dumplings in a local family’s home during this small-group cooking experience in Xi’an. Learn hands-on techniques for working dough and shaping dumpling wrappers before sitting down to enjoy the food you have helped prepare.

Home cooking offers a personal perspective on the flavours of the region. Sharing the kitchen and table with your hosts brings the skill behind familiar dishes into focus and creates space for conversation about everyday life.

Explore Shanghai with your Travel Director on a city tour that includes a stroll along the Bund. See the grand historic buildings lining the waterfront and look across the Huangpu River towards Pudong’s high-rise skyline.

The Bund reflects Shanghai’s past as an international trading port, while the towers opposite speak to its rapid transformation. Standing beside the river brings the city’s architectural contrasts into a single sweeping view.

Visit a Shanghai silk factory to learn about a textile craft closely linked to Chinese history. Discover how silk is produced and observe the processes that turn delicate fibres into finished fabric.

Silk was valued for centuries both within China and along the trade routes that carried it far beyond the country’s borders. The factory visit makes that heritage more tangible by showing the materials and skilled work behind its distinctive sheen and texture.

Gather for a farewell dinner in Shanghai and share regional flavours with your fellow travellers. The menu may feature Shanghainese favourites such as soy-braised pork, freshwater fish or local-style dumplings.

Shanghai’s cooking is known for richly savoury dishes and carefully balanced sweetness. A shared final meal offers time to compare discoveries from Beijing, Xi’an and Shanghai while experiencing another side of the city’s food culture.

Watch a Kung Fu performance in Beijing, with martial-arts movements presented through theatrical choreography. See speed, balance and controlled strength brought together on stage.

The show draws inspiration from Chinese martial traditions while using contemporary stagecraft to tell its story. This Optional Experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour, offering an evening alternative for travellers interested in performance and martial arts.

Discover the craft of Xi’an dumplings through a demonstration and dinner centred on these regional favourites. Watch the skill involved in shaping the dough and enjoy a meal that puts local flavours in the spotlight.

Dumplings are an enduring part of Chinese food culture, with forms and fillings that vary by region and household. This Optional Experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Experience a Tang Dynasty performance in Xi’an accompanied by dinner. Watch music, dance and elaborate costumes evoke the ceremonial splendour associated with one of China’s most influential dynasties.

Xi’an, known historically as Chang’an, was the Tang capital and a cosmopolitan centre connected to the Silk Roads. This Optional Experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour, combining local historical pageantry with an evening meal.

Dine at Shanghai’s futuristic Spacelab restaurant for a playful alternative to a conventional restaurant meal. The space-themed setting makes the surroundings part of the experience.

Shanghai’s dining scene often embraces theatrical design alongside its varied cuisine. This Optional Experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour; ask your Travel Director for the available menu and arrangements.

Explore the Shanghai Museum and discover a further layer of the city’s history through its Jewish heritage in the former Hongkou Ghetto area. The pairing brings together Chinese cultural collections and a moving chapter of Shanghai’s twentieth-century past.

During the Second World War, Shanghai became a refuge for thousands of Jewish people fleeing persecution. This Optional Experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour; confirm the visit details with your Travel Director.

Explore Zhujiajiao, an old water town on Shanghai’s outskirts, where canals run beneath stone bridges and past traditional waterside buildings. Wander its lanes and enjoy lunch as part of the visit.

The town’s waterways recall a pattern of commerce and daily life very different from central Shanghai’s tower-lined streets. This Optional Experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour, offering time among the bridges, canals and local shops.

Discover Yu Garden’s classical pavilions and rockeries and explore exhibits at the Shanghai Museum. This combination pairs the carefully composed spaces of a traditional Chinese garden with collections that illuminate the country’s artistic heritage.

Yu Garden dates from the Ming era and offers a contrast to Shanghai’s modern streets. This Optional Experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour; confirm the precise visit arrangements with your Travel Director.