Chinese Culture & Arts Journey — 18 Days

Arrive in Beijing and transfer to your hotel. The day is free to rest after your flight and take a first stroll near the hotel. Beijing has been China's principal capital for much of the past eight centuries, since the Yuan dynasty made it the seat of government in the 1270s.

Begin at the Forbidden City, the Ming- and Qing-dynasty palace where twenty-four emperors reigned behind its walls, then climb Jingshan Park for the overlooking view. In the afternoon visit the Summer Palace, the Qing court's lakeside retreat centred on Kunming Lake and the hillside pavilions.

Travel to the Great Wall at Mutianyu, a Ming-dynasty section (1404) restored with watchtowers along the ridgelines. Your guide explains the wall's defence role and construction. On the way back, view the Bird's Nest — the 2008 Olympic National Stadium — from the outside.

Visit the Temple of Heaven, where emperors of the Ming and Qing made annual rite sacrifices for the harvest within the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests. Later walk Shichahai's lanes and the hutong around Qianmen Street, where courtyard houses keep the texture of old Beijing.

Take the high-speed train to Luoyang, one of China's ancient capitals and a cradle of Buddhist art along the Luo River. In the evening explore Luoyi Ancient City, a reconstructed district evoking the Han- and Tang-era town with its gates, lanes and lantern-lit streets.

Spend the morning at the Longmen Grottoes, where more than ten thousand Buddhist statues were carved into the cliffs along the Yi River from the 5th century onward. Then visit the Mingtang and Tiantang, reconstructions of the Sui-Tang 'Hall of Brightness' and 'Hall of Heaven' built for Empress Wu Zetian.

Drive to the Shaolin Temple at the foot of Mount Song, founded in the 5th century and renowned as the cradle of Chan (Zen) Buddhism and of Chinese martial arts. Your guide explains the temple's history and its place in kung fu tradition as you walk the halls and the surrounding pagoda forest.

Board the high-speed train west to Xi'an, the Tang-dynasty capital and eastern end of the Silk Road. In the afternoon visit the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, raised in 652 to hold Buddhist scriptures brought from India, and stroll Tang Paradise Never Night City, a district echoing Tang nightlife.

Stand before the Terracotta Army, the thousands-strong clay guard buried about 210 BCE to accompany China's first emperor, Qin Shi Huang. Back in the city, walk the Xi'an Ancient City Wall, a Ming rampart of 1370 still enclosing the old centre, and browse the Muslim Quarter for a glimpse of Hui culture.

Take the high-speed train southwest to Chengdu, the Sichuan capital long known as a leisurely tea-drinking city on the fertile Chengdu Plain. The rest of the day is free for you to rest or explore the neighbourhood and its street life at your own pace.

Visit the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding to watch the pandas at their morning feed and learn about the conservation work. Later sip gaiwan tea in People's Park, then walk Jinli Ancient Street, a Qing-style lane of shops and snacks beside the Wuhou Shrine.

Travel to Leshan to see the Giant Buddha, a 71-metre figure carved into a riverside cliff between the 8th and 9th centuries and once the largest stone Buddha in the world. Your guide explains how the statue was cut from the rock to calm the confluence of three rivers.

Take the high-speed train to Chongqing, the mountainous Yangtze port where the Jialing and Yangtze rivers meet. The evening is free for you to rest or sample the city's famed hotpot and riverside night scene after the journey.

Wander Ciqikou Ancient Town, a Ming-Qing riverside lane of teahouses and workshops, then watch the Liziba light-rail train pass through a residential building. Cross the Yangtze on the cableway, view Kuixinglou's elevated walkway, and finish at Hongyadong, the stilt-house quarter lit along the cliff above the river.

Fly east to Shanghai and transfer to your hotel. The remainder of the day is free to rest or take an early walk along the river; your guide can suggest a neighbourhood suited to your interests ahead of the city tour tomorrow.

Tour Yu Garden, a Ming-dynasty scholar's garden of rockery and pavilions in the old town, then walk Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street and the French Concession. Visit Tianzifang's lane workshops and end along the Bund, the colonial waterfront, with a night view over the Huangpu River.

Travel to Suzhou for its celebrated classical gardens, the scholarly retreats of pond, pavilion and ornamental stone refined from the Song dynasty. Depending on the day's plan you may also stroll a canal street before returning to Shanghai in the evening.

Transfer to the airport for your departure flight, closing the eighteen-day journey. Your driver and guide see you through to check-in, and you leave from Shanghai with the imperial capitals, Buddhist grottoes and river city of inland China behind you.