EASTERN CHINA · SMALL GROUP
Eastern China Discovery
Max 16 travelersNo forced shoppingNo commission stopsLicensed local operator
T2C-EC-10
10 days / 9 nights
Beijing → Wuxi → Suzhou → Hangzhou → Shanghai
Small group · max 16 · private departures available
Licensed English-speaking guides · private AC vehicle + high-speed rail Beijing–Wuxi
Hand-picked 4★ hotels in central locations (e.g. Ramada Beijing North, boutique stays in Suzhou & Hangzhou)
First-time visitors, history and classical-garden lovers
Travelers who prefer one city as a base; this route moves every 1–2 nights
Comfortable for most ages — easy walking with some steps at the Great Wall
Light-to-moderate daily walking; sightseeing days include stairs
Some sites have uneven terrain — please advise us of any needs at booking
Most evenings are free for you to explore at your own pace
twin share · land only · no international airfare
How many travelers?
Select a day to see that day's activities, transport, meals and hotel.
Land in the capital and settle in — your guide meets you at the airport.
Today: Overnight in Beijing · No meals included · Private airport transfer · English-speaking guide · Light walking
After your flight lands at Beijing Capital or Daxing Airport, your English-speaking guide meets you at arrivals and transfers you to your city-center hotel. The rest of the day is yours to rest, recover from jet lag, or explore nearby.
Our guide holds a sign with your name at the arrivals gate and escorts you to a private air-conditioned vehicle for the transfer to your central Beijing hotel.
~45-60 min drive depending on airport · Meet at arrivals hall
No scheduled activities. Rest at the hotel, take a short walk nearby, or try a local Peking duck restaurant close by — your guide will give recommendations.
Free activity
Comfortable 4-star hotel in central Beijing, close to major subway lines and shopping areas.
China's political heart, imperial palace, and national treasure all in one day.
Today: Overnight in Beijing · Breakfast + Lunch included · Walking tour · English-speaking guide · Moderate walking
Start with Tiananmen Square, then explore the Forbidden City — the world's largest imperial palace complex. In the afternoon, visit Beijing Zoo to see the giant pandas up close.
The world's largest public square — see the Monument to the People's Heroes, Mausoleum of Mao Zedong, and the iconic Tiananmen Gate.
~1 hour · Exterior visit · Best in morning light
UNESCO World Heritage site — explore the imperial palaces of the Ming and Qing dynasties, including the Hall of Supreme Harmony and Imperial Garden.
~3 hours · Electric cart available · Wear comfortable shoes
Beijing-style lunch at a clean local restaurant near the Forbidden City. Vegetarian options available.
~1 hour · Dietary needs accommodated
Visit the giant panda enclosure to see China's national treasure up close. Watch pandas eat, play and rest in naturalistic enclosures.
~1.5 hours · Best time to see pandas active
Return to your hotel for the evening. Dinner on your own — your guide will recommend nearby restaurants.
One of the world's greatest wonders, then a relaxing imperial garden.
Today: Overnight in Beijing · Breakfast + Lunch + Dinner included · Great Wall excursion · English-speaking guide · Strenuous walking
Full-day excursion to the Badaling section of the Great Wall — climb the UNESCO World Heritage wonder that stretches across the mountains. Then visit the Summer Palace with a Kunming Lake boat ride. Evening: welcome Peking duck dinner.
Private coach ride from your hotel to the Badaling section of the Great Wall, about 1.5 hours north of Beijing.
~1.5 hours scenic drive · Rest stop halfway
Walk along the most iconic section of the Great Wall — built over 500 years ago, it snakes across the mountain ridges. Cable car available if you prefer not to climb.
~2-3 hours · Cable car optional · Wear layered clothing
Chinese set lunch at a restaurant near the Great Wall with views of the mountains.
~1 hour
UNESCO World Heritage imperial garden — stroll along Kunming Lake, visit the Long Corridor, and take a short boat ride on the lake.
~2 hours · Boat ride included · Flat walking
Welcome dinner featuring authentic Peking roast duck — carved tableside, served with pancakes, scallions and hoisin sauce.
~1.5 hours · Restaurant near your hotel
Return to your hotel after dinner.
Bullet train through the Chinese heartland to historic Wuxi.
Today: Overnight in Wuxi · Breakfast included · High-speed rail · English-speaking guide · Light walking
Board a second-class high-speed train from Beijing to Wuxi — travel at 300+ km/h through the North China Plain. Your guide meets you at Wuxi station and transfers you to your hotel.
Private transfer from your hotel to Beijing South Railway Station. Your guide helps with check-in and boarding.
~45 min · Arrive 45 min before departure
Second-class high-speed train journey from Beijing to Wuxi — ~4.5 hours through the Chinese countryside.
~4.5 hours · Snack trolley available · Free Wi-Fi on board
Your guide meets you at Wuxi station and transfers you to your city-center hotel. Free afternoon to rest or explore Wuxi on your own.
~30 min transfer · Free afternoon
Comfortable 4-star hotel in central Wuxi, close to shopping and dining areas.
Lakeside garden beauty, then onward to the canal city of Suzhou.
Today: Overnight in Suzhou · Breakfast + Main meal included · Scenic drive · English-speaking guide · Light walking
Visit Li Garden (Liyuan) on the shore of Li Lake — one of Wuxi's most beautiful lakeside gardens. Then drive to Suzhou, the "Venice of the East" famous for its classical gardens and silk.
Explore this beautiful lakeside garden on the shores of Li Lake — known for its pavilions, rockeries and reflections in the water.
~1.5 hours · Best in morning light · Flat walking
Scenic drive from Wuxi to Suzhou — about 1 hour through the Jiangnan water towns region.
~1 hour drive
Suzhou-style lunch — try local specialties like squirrel fish and braised pork.
~1 hour · Vegetarian options available
Stroll through Suzhou's historic old town — canals, stone bridges and traditional white-washed houses. Visit a local silk factory to see how silk is made.
~2 hours · Optional silk shopping
Comfortable 4-star hotel in central Suzhou.
UNESCO garden masterpiece, then the Grand Canal to Hangzhou.
Today: Overnight in Hangzhou · Breakfast + Main meal included · Scenic drive · English-speaking guide · Moderate walking
Visit the UNESCO-listed Lingering Garden — one of China's four great classical gardens. Then travel to Hangzhou via Tangqi Ancient Town on the Grand Canal, the world's longest man-made waterway.
One of China's four great classical gardens — explore the intricate rockeries, pavilions and ponds that inspired garden design for centuries.
~1.5 hours · UNESCO site · Wear comfortable shoes
Drive to Tangqi Ancient Town on the Grand Canal — a well-preserved canal town with stone bridges and old merchant houses.
~1 hour drive · 1 hour town walk
Riverside lunch at a canal-side restaurant in Tangqi — try local canal fish dishes.
~1 hour
Continue the scenic drive to Hangzhou — capital of Zhejiang province and home to the famous West Lake.
~1.5 hours drive
Check into your Hangzhou hotel. Evening free to explore the lakeside area on your own.
Green tea terraces, then the famous West Lake, onward to Shanghai.
Today: Overnight in Shanghai · Breakfast + Main meal included · Tea culture experience · English-speaking guide · Light walking
Visit Meijiawu Tea Village — a traditional Longjing green tea farming village nestled in the hills. Then take a boat cruise on West Lake, Hangzhou's iconic scenic spot. Afternoon: drive to Shanghai.
Visit a traditional Longjing green tea farming village — see the tea terraces, learn how tea is picked and processed, and enjoy a tea-tasting session.
~1.5 hours · Tea tasting included · Photo opportunity
Take a relaxing boat cruise on West Lake — see the lakeside pagodas, temples and gardens that have inspired poets for centuries.
~1 hour boat ride · Best in clear weather
Hangzhou-style lunch — try local specialties like West Lake vinegar fish and Dragon Well shrimp.
~1 hour · Lakeside restaurant
Scenic drive from Hangzhou to Shanghai — about 2.5 hours through the Yangtze River Delta region.
~2.5 hours drive · Rest stop halfway
Check into your Shanghai hotel. Evening free to explore the city on your own.
Museum morning, then the afternoon is yours to explore.
Today: Overnight in Shanghai · Breakfast + Main meal included · Museum visit · English-speaking guide · Light walking
Morning visit to the Shanghai History Museum — learn about the city's transformation from a fishing village to a global metropolis. Afternoon: free time or optional sightseeing.
Explore the Shanghai History Museum — see artifacts, photographs and exhibits tracing the city's 700-year history, from a small fishing port to a world financial center.
~2 hours · Air-conditioned · English audio guide available
Shanghai-style lunch — try xiaolongbao (soup dumplings) and other local specialties.
~1 hour
Free time to explore Shanghai on your own — optional: The Bund, Yu Garden, Nanjing Road shopping, or Shanghai Tower observation deck. Your guide will give recommendations.
Free activity · Bring cash or mobile pay
Return to your hotel.
A full day at leisure — explore Shanghai your way.
Today: Overnight in Shanghai · Breakfast included · Free day · English-speaking guide on call · Light walking
A full day at leisure — no scheduled activities. Explore The Bund, Yu Garden, museums, or go shopping on Nanjing Road. Your guide is on call if you need recommendations or help booking tickets.
Spend the day exploring Shanghai at your own pace — popular options include: The Bund waterfront, Yu Garden classical garden, Nanjing Road pedestrian shopping street, Shanghai Tower observation deck, or Xintiandi entertainment district.
Free activity · Guide on call for recommendations
Lunch at a restaurant of your choice — Shanghai has every cuisine imaginable, from street food to Michelin-starred dining.
~1 hour
Continue your Shanghai adventure — visit a museum, take a Huangpu River cruise, or relax in a teahouse.
Free activity
Return to your hotel.
Private transfer to the airport — end of your China journey.
Today: No meals included · Private airport transfer · English-speaking guide · Light walking
Free morning to pack and enjoy a final breakfast. Your guide escorts you to Pudong International Airport for your departing flight — thank you for traveling with us!
Final morning at leisure — pack your bags, enjoy breakfast, or take a last walk around the hotel area.
Free activity
Private transfer from your hotel to Shanghai Pudong International Airport. Arrive ~2 hours before your domestic flight, ~3 hours before your international connecting flight.
~1 hour drive · Guide helps with check-in
Own room available with a single supplement (priced on request); roommate pairing available at no extra charge when possible.
Children welcome with adult supervision — please ask about age rules and family pricing.
Vegetarian, vegan, halal and allergy needs are accommodated when advised at booking.
Please advise us of mobility or accessibility needs — we will do our best to adjust hotels and pacing.
One suitcase plus one carry-on per person is recommended; larger items may affect transfers.
Gratuities are at your discretion and never required.
We run each tour with a small confirmed group (typically 4–16 travelers). If a departure cannot meet its minimum, you may reschedule or receive a full refund.
Free full refund when you cancel 30+ days before departure. Within 30 days, the deposit is non-refundable as it holds your places, hotels and tickets.
Date or itinerary changes are possible before final confirmation — contact your consultant. Your deposit can be transferred to a new departure.
If we cancel a departure or make a major change to the tour, you get a full refund of everything paid. Force-majeure cases follow the same full-refund principle.
Refunds are processed by the licensed operating agency shown in your contract, to the original payment method, within the timeline stated in your booking contract.
