Beijing & Shanghai City Combo — 6 Days

On arrival in Beijing you are met at the airport by your guide and driven to your hotel. The rest of the day is left open for you to rest after the flight and explore the immediate neighbourhood at your own pace.

You begin at the Forbidden City, the Ming-dynasty imperial palace begun in 1420 and home to twenty-four emperors. A short climb up Jingshan Park behind it gives a panorama over the rooftops. In the afternoon you visit the Temple of Heaven, where Qing emperors offered annual prayers for a good harvest.

The morning is spent on the Great Wall at Mutianyu, a Ming-dynasty section that is restored and quieter than many central stretches. You walk the ramparts after your guide's introduction. In the afternoon you visit the Summer Palace, the Qing court's lakeside retreat laid out around Kunming Lake.

You take the bullet train south to Shanghai, a journey of around four and a half hours through the North China plain. On arrival you are met and taken to your hotel, leaving the rest of the day free to settle in or wander the city at your leisure.

You start at Yu Garden, a refined Ming-dynasty merchant's garden in the old city. Nanjing Road, Shanghai's busiest shopping street, leads on to the former French Concession, with its tree-lined avenues and the lane houses of Tianzifang. The day ends at the Bund, the riverside row of colonial-era buildings facing the modern Pudong skyline.

After breakfast you are collected and driven to the airport for your departure flight. Your guide handles the transfer and sees you off, leaving the morning unhurried so you can leave China with ease.