Chinese Language and Culture Immersion Tour
| Day | Highlights |
|---|---|
| 1-5 Beijing |
Immerse yourself in Beijing's cultural roots, from the Great Wall to traditional Confucian and Taoist sites, and even experience tai chi with a master |
| 6-8 Xi'an |
Unveil the ancient wonders of Xi'an, including the Terracotta Warriors, and enjoy a bike ride on the historic City Wall |
| 9-10 Chengdu |
Experience Chengdu's famous street food, visit the Giant Panda Breeding Research Base, and marvel at the Leshan Giant Buddha |
| 11-13 Shanghai |
Discover Shanghai's rapid rise, enjoy a day at Disneyland, and explore the city's modern and historic highlights |
During this trip, you will:
Enjoy a memorable family vacation
- An educational trip covering many of China's popular icons
- 100% tailor-made for your family's needs and desires
Improve your children's Mandarin proficiency
- Mandarin- & English-speaking guides
- Practice Mandarin with friendly locals
Gain great insights into China today
- Chinese-culture immersion activities
- Experience China's development first-hand
Beijing-Xi'an-Chengdu-Shanghai Tour Map
Tour 'Wow' Points
Discover the Mythical Animals in the Forbidden City
Explore the Forbidden City in a way that's specially designed for families with kids.
Worship Confucius and Visit the Highest Educational Institution in Old China
Understand how Confucius's principles shaped Chinese tradition and beliefs and learn about the traditional education system of China.
Walk on the Great Wall and Slide Down from It
Visit a less-crowded Great Wall section at Mutianyu and try an exciting toboggan ride.
Make Your Own Terracotta Warriors in A Local People's Cave Dwelling
Visit a traditional cave dwelling, learn how to make Terracotta Warriors from a local artisan in a traditional way, and get to know local people's life in countryside.
A Morning Date with Active Pandas
It is best to go early in the morning to see the pandas feeding at around 9:30am, which is their most active time of the day.
Warm Your Stomach with Amazing Chinese Food
Enjoy a local food hunt in the Muslim Quarter and have an authentic Sichuan hotpot meal in a restaurant loved by locals.
Discover real reviews of Highlights Travel Family's best-rated service across trusted platforms.
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Albee Ning Surreal China Trip
Albee Ning with China Highlights never fails to create the perfect vacation!!! She listens and understands what interests us and provides a guided tour that is surreal. We will remember and share the marvellous memories of this experience for the rest of our lives!! Thanks for everything Albee!!! (Including our dinner together by the elephant in Guilin!!) more
Oct 2024, Mike and Lucy
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Well organised and interesting
Tom was very helpful and knowledgeable. The walk along the Wall was well planned and really enjoyable. The visit to the Summer Palace and Forbidden City were memorable with excellent guiding more
Oct 2024, Robin
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Tour of Beijing
Tom from China tours guided us for a hike on the Jiansanling section of The Great Wall and then a one day tour of Beijing including Forbidden City Tiananmen Square and the Summer Palace. He was very friendly and accommodating from the begin. He answered all of our questions about Chinese history and culture and gave great explanations of the history of all the monuments we visited. The restaurants he chose and dishes he recommended were very tasty on both days. I would recommend him very highly to anyone looking for an English language tour in Beijing and particularly for people interested in history. more
Oct 2024, Sam M
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Suggested Itinerary
The sample itinerary below is specially designed for 5th-grade children, who are in a Mandarin Immersion Program at school. We can, however, customize the trip to suit your interests, preferences, budget and children's Chinese-language proficiency.
Welcome to China! Your personal guide will meet you at the airport and escort you to your hotel for check-in.
If you are worried about jet lag, we can have a late start on Day 2 or simply leave it as a free day. Feel free to let us know your preference.
Hotel options:
Novotel Peace Beijing
Let's start the tour at the Temple of Confucius, to begin to understand Chinese traditions and beliefs.
Then we'll head to the Imperial Academy, to learn about China's traditional education system and listen to Dacheng Rites Music.
Enjoy a traditional Chinese lunch in a local restaurant, where an a-la-carte meal will be arranged. Kids can talk to the waitress in mandarin and order food from a Chinese menu. Then visit the unique Lama Temple.
Temple of ConfuciusDrive to China's amazing icon, the Great Wall. We recommend the Mutianyu section.
There are five gigantic Chinese characters on one hillside by the wall. Find out what they mean and why they are there from your knowledgeable guide.
To help the kids have more fun, a chairlift going up and toboggan sliding down are included.
Lunch will be arranged in a hidden retreat-restaurant at the foot of the Great Wall. The restaurant used to be a glazed-tile factory. Now it offers organic dishes and an opportunity to explore rural China.
The Mutianyu Section of the Great WallExplore the highlights of Beijing city using public transport. Kids will learn how to read Chinese signs along the way and gain deeper insights into local people's lives.
First visit Tian'anmen Square, and then the Forbidden City. Enjoy the famous Peking roast duck for lunch, and then practice Chinese calligraphy with a hutong family.
If you would rather not use public transport, we can arrange a private vehicle instead.
Calligraphy with a Local FamilyHead to the Temple of Heaven, a bustling place where locals participate in all kinds of activities, such as kite-flying and water-calligraphy. Join them and practice daily conversation
Then it will be time for a tai chi class with a renowned local tai chi master.
Race towards Xi'an and enjoy lunch on a high-speed train, a good way to experience the technological development of China.
Hotel options:
Somerset Xindicheng Xi'an
Tai Chi Culture ExperienceThe Terracotta Warriors are one of the greatest man-made wonders. We will introduce you to a different Terracotta Museum, one that can't be googled.
We'll visit a local cave dwelling and you can make a little warrior of your own, with your local host's help.
After lunch, we head back to the city center for a food challenge at the Muslim Quarter.
The Terracotta WarriorsFirst, you'll visit the ancient City Wall of Xi'an and enjoy a bike ride on it. Then visit the Big Goose Pagoda which is regarded as the start point of the Silk Road.
Visit an energetic local family. Learn how to make dumplings and enjoy a family meal with them.
In the afternoon, you will visit Xi'an History Museum. Your guide will introduce to you the impact of cultural exchange with other countries.
Biking on the City WallCatch the morning high-speed train to Chengdu, a city renowned mainly for two things – its pandas and its food.
We will spend the rest of the day tasting famous street food, taking family photos in front of the world's largest panda-statue and then writing a post card in Chinese in the Panda Post Office.
Hotel options:
Lia! Chengdu Hotel
The Largest Panda StatueArrive in the morning to see pandas at the Breeding Research Base. There are more than 80 giant and red pandas at the base. Visit in summer and you might see baby pandas in the nursery. Afterward, return to downtown Chengdu for a hot-pot lunch.
In the afternoon, have a little adventure at the last remaining farmer's market in Chengdu. Kids will learn to use Chinese to purchase some delicacies from locals.
Baby PandaDrive for 2 hours and arrive in Leshan by noon. After a short break and lunch, your journey to the Giant Buddha begins.
Climb up the Buddha, then walk down the narrow plank all the way to its feet, to discover you are only as tall as one of its toes.
A cruise on the river nearby is also included, so you can have a different panoramic view of the Buddha
After the tour, your private guide and driver will accompany you to the airport and you will fly to Shanghai.
Hotel options:
SSAW Boutique Hotel The Bund
The Giant BuddhaFollow your guide to discover the secret of Shanghai's rise to prominence. The clues start from the Bund, where foreigners first landed in Shanghai hundreds of years ago.
Wander through alleyways to catch a glimpse of the lives of locals. Sit down for a break in a Michelin-starred restaurant and enjoy some delicious Shanghai snacks.
Experience a public ferry and then ascend the tallest building in Shanghai — Shanghai Tower.
Half-Day Customized Icing-on-the-Cake Experience
After traveling in China for around 10 days, you might want to do something different at the end of your tour. Do you want to have some relaxation time? Do you have any unfulfilled trip wishes? In the magic city of Shanghai, your private guide will make your wishes come true!
Whether you want to relax, experience fashion, appreciate art, explore folk customs, or shop; from having fun in fancy bar to exploring an art center, trying nail beauty, testing your popularity in the marriage market, or just buying some lovely gifts, we will make it happen. Just tell us what you're interested in.
If you don't know what you want, just let your guide make the arrangements. You will not be disappointed!
The BundIt has been a long journey for the whole family. Why not keep a nice surprise for the end, as a reward for the kids?
Let's create some memorable family moments at Shanghai Disneyland. A private vehicle will escort you directly to the Disneyland entrance. Enjoy fun experiences the whole day, and fireworks in the evening.
Hotel options:
Toy Story Hotel
Shanghai DisneylandTrip Notes
Every element of the tour above can be tailored. Feel free to tell us your ideas and we will be happy to make adjustments for you.
1. Extend the Tour
- Guilin and Yangshuo: add 2-3 days - idyllic countryside and fun along the river
- Huangshan: add 3 days - mountain views and rural local life
- Hong Kong: add 2–3 days - mixture of Eastern and Western culture, Hong Kong Disneyland
- More destinations: Zhangjiajie, Yunnan and Tibet. Inform us of your interests and we will offer you our recommendations.
2. Accommodation
Hotels with a convenient location are included. In most cities, we recommend hotels with a swimming pool.
Various types of accommodation are available, including famous 5-star hotel chains, 4-star hotels in the best locations, good-value 3-star hotels, or boutique hotels that reflect the styles of their regions.
Whatever your accommodation preferences, our travel experts will seek out and find the perfect hotels for you.
3. Transportation
China is a huge country, so to make your travel experience smoother, we usually arrange flights between destinations.
China's high-speed rail network, however, is a fast-paced way to travel. To interested customers, we recommend taking high-speed trains for journeys of less than 6 hours - let's know if you are interested.
4. Meals
Buffet breakfasts at hotels and lunches at popular local restaurants are included, so you can taste authentic Chinese food. Children will be able read Chinese menus and order dishes in Chinese. Your guide will be there in case you need help.
Vegetarian, halal, kosher, Indian, or gluten-free - all your dietary requirements can be taken care of by our experienced private guides. When booking, please let us know if you have any special dietary requirements.
Price includes: