11 Days Culture Explosion Tour
Destination:Beijing, Hangzhou, Shanghai, Suzhou, Xi'an
Tour Code: CCT05
Tour Duration: 11 Days
- Tour overview:
- Immerse yourself in China's multicultural heritage while we take you on a historical legacy tour. See how the ancient emperors lived at the Forbidden City, climb the Great Wall and feast on Peking duck. Travel to Xi'an and witness the incredible entombed warriors. See Suzhou and Hangzhou with their many beautiful gardens and amazing silk culture that will leave you saying "This is paradise on Earth!"
Free Inquiry From $1394
Tour Summary
Day by Day Itinerary
Reviews
B=Breakfast,L=Lunch,D=Dinner
Tour Dates | Destinations | Services Provided | Meals Included | ||||||||||||||
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Day 1 |
Beijing
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Arrive in Beijing, be met and transferred to hotel.
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Day 2 |
Beijing
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Full day visit Tiananmen Square Forbidden City The Temple of Heaven
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Day 3 |
Beijing
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In the morning, you will visit Mutianyu Great Wall . In the afternoon, you will visit local market- Panjiayuan Market , also visit the main 2008 Beijing Olympic venues, take an exterior visit of both Beijing National Stadium (Bird's Nest/Olympic Stadium) National Swimming Centre('The Water Cube') Beijing ,feel free to take some photos of the stadiums.
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Day 4 |
Beijing
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In the morning, visit Hutong Tours in Rickshaw and Summer Palace ,Then be transferred to train station for bullet train to Xian, arrive in Xian, be met and transferred to hotel.
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Day 5 |
Xi'an
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Full day visit The Terracotta Army and Horses Big Wild Goose Pagoda Muslim Street
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Day 6 |
Xi'an
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In the morning, visit Ancient City Wall ,then be transferred to airport for flight to Hangzhou. Arrive in Hangzhou, be met and visit West Lake
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Day 7 |
Hangzhou
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Full day visit Ling Yin Temple (Temple of Soul's Retreat) FeiLaiFeng (also named Ling JiuFeng) Six Harmonies Pagoda , Dragon Well Tea Plantation, enjoy demonstration of hand processing of the Dragon Well tea in the Meijiawu Teahouse.
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Day 8 |
Hangzhou
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In the morning, be transferred to railway station and take bullet train to Suzhou. Arrive in Suzhou, be met and visit Humble Administrator's Garden Tiger Hill
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Day 9 |
Suzhou
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Full day visit Lingering Garden (Garden to linger in) Lion Grove Panmen Scenery Area The Grand Canal The No.1 Silk Factory , then take evening bullet train to Shanghai.Arrive in Shanghai, be met and transferred to hotel.
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Day 10 |
Shanghai
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Full day visit Nanjing Road The Bund Oriental Pearl TV Tower Yuyuan Garden
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Day 11 |
Shanghai
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Free at leisure till be transferred to airport for your flight departure. |
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Price
Season | Tour Class | Group Size | Single Room Supplement |
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1pax | 2-5pax | 6-9pax | |||
Peak Season | 3*(Tourist Class) | $2452 | $1652 | $1394 | $338 |
4*(Deluxe Class) | $2828 | $1840 | $1582 | $526 | |
5*(First Class) | $3364 | $2108 | $1850 | $794 |
-NOTE:
1. Normally hotels allow a maximum of 3 adults per room with an extra bed, at extra charge. Some hotels will allow three adults and a small child.
2. Tour price is indicative only, please enquire for a detailed quotation.
3. More people more discounts. Please enquire for more details.
Price Includes
A. Entrance fees:To scenic spots as listed above in the itinerary.B. Meals: All meals as specified in the itinerary.
C. Private Transfers: Among airports, hotels and scenic spots while sightseeing in the above cities by the private air conditioned vehicle.
D. Guide and Driver: As outlined in the itinerary, a well selected English-speaking guide and driver will accompany you throughout the entire tour in that city. They do not fly with you from one city to another.
E. Hotels: Hotel Based on two persons sharing one room with twin beds. All hotels as listed in the above itinerary serve daily western or Chinese breakfast. All rooms are air-conditioned with private facilities unless specified.
F. Luggage Transfers: Between airports and hotels.
G. Service Charge & Government Taxes.
H. Travel insurance in mainland China during the above travel period.
I. Arrangements: The tour cost includes planning, handling, operational and communication charges.
B=Breakfast,L=Lunch,D=Dinner
Day 1
Arrival Beijing
Transfer via: Flight on your own arrangement
Upon your arrival, your local guide will meet you and escort you to your hotel. Then you will spend the rest of the day at your leisure, or resting and catching up on your jet lag.
Day 2
Beijing (B, L)
Sightseeing: Temple of Heaven, Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City
This morning our tour will begin with a visit of the Temple of Heaven, which was completed in 1420, and expanded over the years by two Qing Dynasty Emperors. It was the place where the Emperor came every winter solstice to worship heaven and to solemnly pray for a good harvest. With the three blue-tiled cone-shaped roofs, a unique wooden and blue-tiled structure built without a nail, it has become a worldwide symbol of Beijing. In the park nearby local people practice Tai Chi or sing and dance relaxingly. They will invite you to join in with these activities which will become a very worthwhile and unforgettable experience.
After lunch, we will go on our city tour to visit Tiananmen Square, the symbolic heart of China and gathering place for the masses. It is the biggest public square in the world, which can hold one million people.
From here we will walk across the Golden River Bridge to visit the Forbidden City and experience the ancient Emperor's daily life. For 5 centuries Chinese emperors carried out their administration here. With almost 10,000 rooms, it was the centre of the Ming and Qing dynasties, a massive complex of palaces, pavilions, courtyards and gardens where 24 emperors used to live. (Also Bertolucci's film "The Last Emperor" was produced here). Forbidden City was the largest palace in the world, and in the past it was indeed a forbidden place for commoners. Your tour here will include private access to the Emperor's palace.
Day 3
Beijing (B, L)
Sightseeing: Mutianyu Great Wall, Panjiayuan Market
After experiencing the royal lifestyle, today we will be transferred to the surrounding countryside of Beijing and visit the Mutianyu Great Wall, the pride of China and one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Whereas Genghis Khan contemplated it as a military obstacle, Richard Nixon described it as one of humankind's greatest achievements. You will be able to climb and walk one of the best preserved sections of the 2,000 years old ancient wall, admiring the splendid mountain views. Bring a jacket and layer- although it is breezy, the climbing is tough. So be in a good shape!
In the afternoon, you will visit Panjiayuan Market. At the mention of Panjiayuan market, people will take great delight talking about it as it is a famous city card as well as a distinguished spot in the capital city of Beijing. Along with climbing the Great Wall and eating Peking roast duck, going to the Panjiayuan Market is the Top Three Musts in Beijing for all visitors home and abroad. Also, take an exterior visit of both Beijing National Stadium (Bird's Nest/Olympic Stadium), National Swimming Centre('The Water Cube'),feel free to take some photos of the stadiums.
Day 4
Beijing / Xi'an (B, L)
Transfer via: Bullet Train on our arrangement
Sightseeing: Hutongs, Summer Palace
We will experience a unique Hutong tour by taking a rickshaw this morning. Hutongs are a kind of ancient city alley or lane and are very typical for Beijing. Most of them can be found close to the Forbidden City, and many were built during the three dynasties of Yuan, Ming and Qing. Today, the Hutong is a living museum of Beijing history showing the traditional lifestyle of Beijing people.
After having lunch at a local restaurant, you can spend the whole afternoon to visit the famous royal garden-Summer Palace. In 1888, the notorious Empress Cixi used the money intended for the Chinese Navy to build this opulent summer retreat for herself. You will have a lakeside cruise on the lovely Kunming Lake and enjoy the magical views of the temples, pavilions and covered corridors around. Later, you will take your bullet train to Xi’an. Arriving in Xian, you will be met and transferred to hotel by our local guide.
Day 5
Xi'an (B, L)
Sightseeing: Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses, Big Wild Goose Pagoda, Muslim Street
Today you will experience the highlights of Xi’an. After breakfast, you will depart you’re your hotel. You will visit the amazing 2000-year-old Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses. Regarded as the 8th Wonder of the World, the Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses are the most significant archeological excavations of the 20th century. Over 2,200 years ago, the first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang, ordered the construction of a vast army of Terra-cotta warriors in search of immortality. After his early death they were buried with him to protect his empire. More than 7000 vivid figures in full battle array are formed for battle in several large pits.
Another highlight today is Big Wild Goose Pagoda. Situated in the south of Xian city, it is one of the main constructions in the famous Buddhist temple-Da-Ci-En Temple. There, the well-known Buddhist Master Xuanzang (Monk Tripitaka) stored his collection of classic Buddhist artifacts brought from India in Tang Dynasty. Now it is the Landmark of Xian.
Then we will go on to visit the Muslim Street, known as Huimin Jie as well by Chinese, is a Muslim community in the city. The district houses the architectures in the style of Ming and Qing dynasties, with the Drum Tower in the south and memorial archway in the north, and embracing many ancient courtyards as well as some 10 mosques in diverse sizes that built in different time, around where inhabited bout 20 000 Muslims retaining their pristine religious tradition and life style.
Day 6
Xi'an / Hangzhou (B, L)
Transfer via: Flight on our arrangement
Sightseeing: Ancient City Wall, West Lake
In the morning we will visit Ancient City Wall. You will experience a half-hour's hike along the Ancient City Wall. It is the largest and best preserved present city wall in ancient China and is probably the best military battlement in the world. If you want to, you can rent a bicycle for a ride on top of the spectacular city wall. The wall was built in the Tang dynasty (618 -907) and enlarged in the Ming dynasty (1368-1644).
Later, you will be transferred to the airport to take your flight to Hangzhou. After your arrival, you will be met by your guide.
Together, you will visit beautiful West Lake. You will take a cruise boat across the lake to see the 3 pagodas on the lake. The West Lake is the most famous tourist spot of Hangzhou. Graceful mountains surround it on three sides. It has a charming scenery and many cultural relics and historic sites.
Day 7
Hangzhou (B, L)
Sightseeing: FeiLai Feng, Ling Yin Temple (Temple of Soul's Retreat),Six Harmonies Pagoda, Dragon Well Tea Plantation
Today you will visit Lingyin Temple including the FeiLai Feng. The Fei Lai Feng is situated in the east of Ling Yin Temple. Isolated from others, its stone quality is totally different from that of surrounding mountain groups. It is 167 meters high, on the peak there are many grotesque stones in the shapes of charming dragon, prostrate tiger, walking elephant and scared ape. The main hall of Lingyin Temple is about 34 meters (111 feet) tall - incredibly high for a one-storey building. In the center of the hall you’ll find the statue of Sakyamuni Buddha, which was carved from 24 pieces of camphor wood. The temple was named Lingyin Temple for its extremely beautiful environment which is serene and suitable for “Soul’s Retreat”.
After having lunch at local restaurant, we will drive to the Six Harmonies Pagoda, highly erected next to Qiantang River and in the south of the West Lake. It is a perfect examplel of brick-and-wood structure built in ancient China and was built in 970 AD in the Northern Song dynasty (960-1127) to press down the evil of the river tidal bore in Qiantang River.
Dragon Well Tea is well known worldwide, so you will be guided to the Dragon Well Tea Plantation to discover the history of Chinese tea and the tea ceremony. The water of dragon well is sweet and of good taste. The green tea here enjoys very high reputation since Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 A.D) for its four special features: green color, fragrant aroma, sweet taste and smooth appearance. Finally you will be transferred back to your hotel.
Day 8
Hangzhou / Suzhou (B, L)
Transfer via: Bullet Train on our arrangement
Sightseeing: Humble Administrator’s Garden, Tiger Hill
In the morning you will be escorted to the railway station to take bullet train to Suzhou. Suzhou is praised as the "Oriental Venice" and called a “paradise on earth”.
Upon your arrival in Suzhou, our guide will meet you and escort you to a local restaurant to have lunch. In the afternoon you will visit Humble Administrator’s Garden, the largest classical garden in Suzhou and one of the four most famous ones in China. Originally built in 1513 AD, it consists of three parts with different types of buildings around streams and ponds.
Then we will move on to Tiger Hill (Huqiu). Tiger Hill is the most famous sight in Suzhou city, enjoying the reputation of "The first scenic spot in Wu area" due to its imposing beauty; This includes Leisure Spring, Testing Sword Rock, Third Spring, Broken-Pillar-Hall and Mountain Villa Wrapped in Emerald Green etc. With only 36 meters of height and an area of 20hectares, you might think it to be an artificial hill, but its history can be traced back 2500 years ago.
Day 9
Suzhou / Shanghai (B, L)
Transfer via: Bullet Train on our arrangement
Sightseeing: Lingering Garden(Garden to linger in), Lion Grove, The Grand Canal, The No.1 Silk Factory, Panmen Scenery Area
Toady we will visit the most classical gardens of China. Our first stop will be Lingering Garden, one of the four most famous gardens of China. The garden is celebrated for its artistic way of handling the spaces between various architectural forms and garden courts. With pavilions, terraces, grotesque rocks, clear streams and rare vegetations, the corridors separate the garden into several courtyards with distinct styles.
Lion Grove is one of the four noted gardens of Suzhou. It was first built in 1342 during Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368) and is truly exquisite in design. When entering the garden, you will find stones in various interesting shapes.
Afterwards, we will visit the Grand Canal. As well as the Great Wall, it ranks as the country's greatest engineering achievement and it is the longest man-made waterway in world. Cruising on the Canal, you will see the local peoples’ life.
As Suzhou is also famous for its silk production we will spend some time in the No.1 Silk Factory to see how silk is processed from the silk worm to the final woven cloth.
Finally we will stop at Pan Gate which is an ancient city gate with land and water entrances. Gates with land and water entrances were quite typical in ancient China. Pan Gate is the only one left.
In the evening, you will take the bullet train to Shanghai. There you will be met by your local guide who will also transfer you to your hotel.
Day 10
Shanghai (B, L)
Sightseeing: Nanjing Road, The Bund, Oriental Pearl TV Tower, Yuyuan Garden
Today you will start the day with a visit of the Bund. Take a walk along the waterfront and experience the smells, sights and sounds of the old "Wall Street" in Shanghai. Actually, some people say that the Bund is like "an exhibition of buildings". Then you will walk along the famous pedestrian street-Nanjing Road, known as "China's No.1 Shopping Street".
You will visit Oriental Pearl Tower, the highest TV Tower in Asia, which creates a picture of 'twin dragons playing with pearls'. The entire scene is a photographic jewel that excites the imagination and attracts thousands of visitors all year-round.
Afterwards you will visit Yuyuan Garden, a beautiful garden in the south of the Yangtze River. Wandering through it, you will find pavilions, corridors, streams, courtyards as well as many other natural features.
Day 11
Departure Shanghai (B)
Transfer via: Flight on your own arrangement
Today will be free for your own purposes, until our guide will escort you to the airport for your next destination.
Dear Nora,Thank you again for such excellent arrangement under the rushed condition. I enjoyed the tour with excellent English guide. Whenever I visit historical cities, I usually join guided tour. In the guided tour especially in European countries, the guider usually prepares a presentation with picture files or using notepad for audience' better understanding. Sometime oral explanation is not sufficient. Anyway i have not seen such presentations from other tour groups around today. Again, my guider today was excellent to give me overall and essential points in the history. Driving was also gentle. All the best for your business. Ki Seob
- Booking Code:VOC-20230717
- Tour Starting Date:Monday, 17 July 2023
- Client's information:Ki Seob Sim, Canadian
Dear Nora Thank you so much for having arranged great tour for us! The visits were well arranged and we wish if we had more time then we can visit more attractions.All guides are super! Knowledgeable and have good commands of English, good sense of humor. We like them all!Transportations were ok but can not give them max points due to their ages! Drivers were all nice. Hotels in Beijing, Xi’an and Nanjing are great! Great location, well equipped, nice room and good breakfast. Hotel in Luoyang is an old style, simple breakfast, but we understand that they are in the same situation as the city. Near the Peony Hotel, I saw a new small hotel near by but I did not come in to check. I am thinking it may be better to use new small hotel than big old ones.In Shanghai, we are very disappointed about hotel. Room small, dirty, poor facilities. Breakfast is poor. Location is so so, not so convenience. I think you should find another option for your future bookings in Shanghai. Meals: the guide helped us to choose dishes and we really enjoyed. Except in Beijing, because of timing inconvenience due to traffic, we ask the guide to arrange the near by restaurants for quick food, all others were great. In General, we are all happy with your services. Hope will have the chance to come back with you for more tours in China and surely, I will recommend you and your company for my tour company friends! Nora, once again, thank you for your great work! My best regards Bich Ha
- Booking Code:VOC-20230702
- Tour Starting Date:Sunday, 2 July 2023
- Client's information:Bich Ha, Vietnam
Dear Nora, My apologies! All went very well today and I’m delighted. Can I please say how very impressed by the service I received from you, the guide, and the driver. It was absolutely superb in every respect. If it would be helpful, I would be very glad to write to your manager to say how I pleased I was, and that I will use and recommend Visit Our China in the future. Best wishes, Cameron
- Booking Code:VOC-20230520
- Tour Starting Date:Saturday, 20 May 2023
- Client's information:Dr Cameron Pyke, UK

I hope this letter finds you well. We finally arrived home from our trip last Thursday the 17th. As promised I am writing to you about our experience in China and we thank you very much for your organizing. On the whole we had a wonderful time and were very well looked after by both guides and drivers we would especially like to thank Linda and Cynthia which we would highly recommend. They both gave really excellent service in every way including punctuality, information and restaurants that were chosen for lunches, the food was delicious. The cruise on the Huangpu River was cancelled because of bad weather which couldn't be helped so the guide offered us an Acrobatic Show which we enjoyed very much. We had a lovely time on day 3 to Tongli water town. Our stay in China was wonderful. Best regards, Kathleen Pam
- Booking Code:VOC-20190905-S
- Tour Starting Date:Thursday, 5 September 2019
- Client's information:Kathleen & Pam, Australia
Dear Molly, Hope you have been well. We will be returning to Singapore in a couple of hours. Would like to commend on the tour guides, drivers and accommodation that VOC has arranged for us. The guides and drivers are very professional,very helpful, thoughtful, caring and experienced. They practised good ethics as well. We definitely have a wonderful touring experience and I will definitely recommend your company to my friends. Regards, Mrs Wee
- Booking Code:VOC-20190605-M
- Tour Starting Date:Wednesday, 5 June 2019
- Client's information:Chew Huay Huay, Singapore

Hi Sandy, Thank you for a great first tour together. I appreciate that it was a big commitment for you to be away from your office family for such a long time. I know you would have missed your young son a lot. I am also very grateful for your huge personal effort that you put into the detailed planning. The local guides were all great - Sally, Amanda Benny. Regarding the itinerary, I think we have an excellent itinerary for the beginning and the end, but the middle of the tour needs to be changed. Thank you again for all your excellent work. I look forward to visiting you in your home town for our first Tibet tour in August 2020. Jo I might travel up one day ahead of the group to meet you and have dinner with you. Best regards, Brod
- Booking Code:VOC-20190528-S
- Tour Starting Date:Tuesday, 28 May 2019
- Client's information:Brod, Australia
Quick Questions
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