12 Days Unforgettable Kungfu Panda Tour

Have you ever thought that a trip covers Kung Fu and Panda, what will happen to your journey? I do think it will bring great legends. For those who are fascinated by Kung Fu, visiting the Shaolin Temple in Dengfeng is an excellent opportunity to explore this mysterious art form by watching awesome Kung Fu performances or even learning Kung Fu from the master. For those who are also in love with the world’s most adorable animal panda, visiting the panda breeding research base, and intimate contact with cute creatures will be a once in a lifetime experience. It was a great trip to China, didn’t it?

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1 Beijing Arrival

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Hello there! Welcome to Beijing, China’s iconic city and capital! Our local guide will meet you in the arrivals hall of Beijing Airport and take you to the hotel in the city center in a comfortable private car. The rest of the day is your time to relax yourself. If you want to explore the nearby area, feel free to get some practical advice from your guide.

Day 2 Beijing

Sightseeing and Activities: Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Summer Palace
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After breakfast, take a short tour of Beijing’s Tiananmen Square, the largest city square in the world, and start exploring Beijing’s historical features. Tiananmen on the north side of the square is the site where Chairman Mao announced the establishment of the People’s Republic of China. Stepping into Tiananmen Square, you will see one of the five most important palaces in the world, the Forbidden City. This is a huge palace complex with more than 9,000 rooms. The emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasties lived here. Walk through the various porches in this magnificent building and admire beautiful and well-preserved buildings decorated with yellow-glazed tiled roofs, white marble bases, and colorful paintings.

After lunch, drive to the suburbs of Beijing and spend a pleasant time in the Summer Palace, the largest and best-preserved royal garden in China. Stroll through ancient pavilions, mansions, temples, bridges, and corridors while admiring the gigantic lotus flowers and colorful paintings on the promenade on Kunming Lake.

Day 3 Beijing

Sightseeing and Activities: Mutianyu Great Wall
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After breakfast, drive about 70 kilometers and witness one of the seven wonders of the world-the Great Wall. Visit Mutianyu, a sparsely preserved part of the Great Wall of the Ming Dynasty. It will live up to all your expectations! You will board the cable car to the Great Wall, and then hike on the most beautiful and interesting part of Mutianyu. It was a wonderful experience to climb the rising tower to admire the scenery and take amazing pictures of the walls winding along the ridge. After exciting moments, take the gondola to the Mutianyu Great Wall. (Note: if energy allows, you can go up and down, it takes about 40 minutes to climb the steps. Please tell your travel advisor what you like.)

Continue to Ding Ling, the tomb of the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty in the 13th century. Follow your guide to observe its Feng Shui arrangements and visit the underground palace for a closer look. Then drive back to Beijing, stop briefly at the Beijing Olympic Village, and watch the famous Bird’s Nest and Water Cube from the outside.

Day 4 Beijing & High Speed Train to Luoyang

Sightseeing and Activities: Temple of Heaven, 
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After breakfast, drive to the Royal Ruins of Temple of Heaven. Originally a place to pay tribute to heaven and pray for a bumper harvest, it has become a bustling tling place. Locals have participated in traditional activities such as Tai Chi, dancing, kite flying, and water calligraphy.

Then return to the city center and take a rickshaw to experience Beijing’s alleys-alleys built by the adjacent courtyard houses. Travel through different hutongs, experience the old Beijing lifestyle, visit various antique shops and small boutiques, truly experience the historical changes of Beijing, and visit the homes of local families in traditional hutongs.

Your Beijing trip is coming to an end. Your guide will take you off at Beijing West Railway Station and take the train to Luoyang (about 4 hours). Your guide will pick you up at Luoyang Longmen Railway Station and take you to your hotel in Luoyang. The remaining day is to explore this ancient Chinese capital on your own.

Day 5 Luoyang – Dengfeng – Luoyang

Sightseeing and Activities: Shaolin Temple, 
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After breakfast, your guide will pick you up at the hotel and drive about 55 kilometers to the Shaolin Temple, the ideal place for kung fu fans and Buddhist pilgrims.

Shaolin Temple, the birthplace of Zen and the birthplace of kung fu. You will visit the magnificent temples and halls, admire the art of stone carving, learn about Buddhist culture, and observe the daily life and meditation of monks in the temples. Don’t miss the famous Pagoda Forest, which is the largest Pagoda Forest in China. When an important monk dies, their remains or skeletons will be placed in an underground palace and a pagoda will be built on it. The height, size and number of pagodas will be determined based on the Buddhist knowledge, reputation and merit of the monk during his lifetime. The pagodas here were built in different dynasties, including 2 pagodas in the Tang Dynasty, 2 pagodas in the Song Dynasty, 10 pagodas in the Jin Dynasty, 46 pagodas in the Yuan Dynasty, and 148 pagodas in the Ming Dynasty.

Then continue your visit and enjoy a free Kung Fu show at the Shaolin Martial Arts Center for half an hour every day. Shaolin Kung Fu was originally created by Bodhidharma, who exercises his body while facing walls and meditating. Thereafter, in the Tang Dynasty, most monks in Shaolin Temple practiced Shaolin Kungfu. This phenomenon peaked in the Ming Dynasty, and then Shaolin Kungfu spread to the outside. You can enter the performance hall 20 minutes in advance, so it’s best to get there early to get a good seat.

After that, drive back to Luoyang to stay.

Day 6 Luoyang & High Speed Train to Xian

Sightseeing and Activities: White Horse Temple, Longmen Grottoes
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After breakfast, start today’s itinerary and visit the White Horse Temple, which is about 30 minutes drive from the downtown area.

The White Horse Temple was built in 68 CE in the Eastern Han Dynasty. It is the first Buddhist temple in China and has a history of more than 1900 years. Since then, it has spread Buddhism across China and is regarded as the cradle of Chinese Buddhism. According to historical legends, the Emperor of the Eastern Han Dynasty dreamed of a golden man flying around in the yard. He then sent an envoy to the western region to invite the Buddha to study Buddhism. Two years later, at the invitation of the nobles, the Indian nobles-Setmorton (Zhufateng) and Zhu Falan came to China, and a white horse was holding a Buddhist scripture. Then built the White Horse Temple to place and translate scriptures brought by Indian nobles.

After that, continue to visit Longmen Grottoes. The Longmen Grottoes, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, are densely distributed on cliffs on both banks of the Yi River. Among them are the largest and most impressive Chinese art collections of the late Northern Wei and Tang Dynasty (316-907). You will visit the main caves (Fengxian Temple, Guyang Cave, the three Bingyang Caves, etc.), appreciate the Buddhist art and calligraphy in it, and appreciate Chinese Buddhist art.

After the tour, you will be taken to Luoyang Longmen Railway Station and take a high-speed train to Xi’an (less than 2 hours). Upon arrival, transfer to your hotel.

Day 7 Xian

Sightseeing and Activities: Terracotta Warriors and Horses, Ancient City Wall
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After breakfast, drive about 40 kilometers and discover one of the greatest man-made wonders in the world-Terracotta Warriors built by Emperor Qin Shihuang to protect his afterlife. More than 8,000 life-size soldiers, horses and chariots were buried in three pits for more than 2,000 years, until they were discovered by local farmers in 1974, forming an ancient army composed of complete combat units such as infantry and cavalry. The characters not only surprised Qin Shihuang’s ambitions, but also surprised the superb art skills of ancient Chinese craftsmen.

After lunch, return to Xi’an and stroll through the largest and best-preserved ancient city walls in China. You can leisurely inspect this well-maintained city wall, 12 meters high and 18 meters wide, with a total circuit of nearly 14 kilometers, and enjoy the panoramic view of modern Xi’an. After the visit, you can hang out in the bustling and lively Muslim district, where you can taste a variety of local snacks and explore Muslim culture.

Day 8 Xian & High Speed Train to Chengdu

Sightseeing and Activities: Da Cien Temple, Big Wild Goose Pagoda
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After breakfast, head to Da Cien Temple, a famous Buddhist scripture translation site in the Tang Dynasty. The Big Wild Goose Pagoda is the most famous building in the temple. The tower is 64.5 meters high and was built by the famous Buddhist master Xuan Z to preserve the classic scriptures purchased from India in the early Tang Dynasty. Xuan Z is the prototype character of Tang Seng in the famous Chinese novel Journey to the West. (Note: If you want to climb the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, you need to pay an additional RMB 30)

Next is an educational visit to the Shaanxi History Museum, where you can stroll through the modern showrooms and admire historical and cultural monuments such as porcelain, paintings, and currency from the Zhou to Tang dynasties (1100-907 BC).

After the tour, you will be taken to Xi’an North Railway Station for a high-speed train to Chengdu (about 3.5 ~ 4 hours). Welcome to Chengdu, the hometown of pandas! Upon arrival at Chengdu East Railway Station, a local guide will meet you and transfer you to your hotel in downtown Chengdu. The rest of today is free to explore this laid-back city.

Day 9 Chengdu

Sightseeing and Activities: Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, Wenshu Temple
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This morning, you will make an unforgettable visit to the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. This facility is not only the world’s most important scientific research center for pandas, but also home to more than 100 giant pandas. You will leisurely walk across the bamboo path, and closely watch pandas of different ages eating bamboo, playing with each other, rolling and climbing trees. Don’t miss the opportunity to watch the pups take care of them in the nursery! There is also a very useful panda museum where you can learn more about scientific facts about giant pandas. After visiting this panda base, you will be taken to a hidden spiritual Buddhist monastery in Chengdu’s Wenshu Temple, where you will be amazed by the exquisite Buddhist architecture, immersed in a religious atmosphere, and strolled On the quiet path of the temple.

Chengdu is known in China for its laid-back pace and lifestyle, which will be reflected by visiting the city’s People’s Park. Sit down, order a pot of Chinese tea, chat with your friends, and watch the locals indulge in a variety of folk entertainment-siesta, playing mahjong, disco dancing and neck massage! Next will be an impressive visit to the famous Jinli Old Street. As you walk quietly on the lively streets, time will pass, where delicious local snacks, exquisite handicrafts, interesting folkloric shows and other activities are everywhere.

Day 10 Chengdu & Flight to Shanghai

Sightseeing and Activities: Jinsha Site Museum
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After breakfast, visit the Jinsha Site Museum. The Jinsha Ruins Museum was built on the Jinsha Ruins, revealing the unique bronze civilization of the mysterious ancient Shu Kingdom (about 2900 to 3200 years ago). It preserves the original vast ruins for sacrifice and preserves many ivory and ivory and gold objects, including Symbolic Chinese cultural heritage – the golden sun and immortal birds.

The rest of today is free until you escorted you to Shanghai, China’s busiest metropolis (about 2 hours). Upon arrival, you will be welcomed by a local guide and then transferred to your downtown hotel in Shanghai.

Day 11 Shanghai

Sightseeing and Activities: Shanghai Museum, Yu Garden
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You will spend a full day of sightseeing exploring Shanghai’s past and present. Your first stop is the Shanghai Museum, one of the four best museums in China. The top of this modern museum is round, and the bottom is square, symbolizing the ancient Chinese understanding of the world: “round sky, square land”. The museum collects many international standard bronzes, paintings, calligraphy, sculptures, ceramics, and jadeware. Qing Dynasty more than five thousand years ago. To help you easily understand the history and facts of the museum’s Chinese artifacts, an audio commentator will be prepared for you. Then, you will visit Yuyuan Garden, which is a bright star among all ancient Chinese gardens in Jiangnan. This garden fully embodies the traditional design of Chinese architecture, with jagged gazebos, elegant decoration, gleaming pools, stray fish and pine trees sprouting in the sky, all of which are designed to refresh your spirit and spirit. Next to the garden is Yuyuan Market, where you can taste delicious local snacks and explore the exquisite traditional Chinese handicrafts and artworks. Next, from the 100th floor (474m) of “Shanghai Eye” Shanghai World Financial Center, you will drive for several kilometers and enjoy the modern panorama of Shanghai.

Then you will be taken to another popular landmark in Shanghai, Nanjing Road, a shopping paradise, and a great place to walk and experience the modern atmosphere of the city. Finally, you will stop at the Bund, which used to be a simple freight transportation path, but now it has become an avid trade zone. You will stroll along the Bund to see and experience the perfect fusion of Chinese and Western cultures, and at the same time witness the fascinating Shanghai skyline!

Day 12 Shanghai Departure

Sightseeing and Activities: Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center
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Do you want to know why Shanghai has developed from a dilapidated fishing village into a modern and dynamic international city? This morning’s tour of the Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center will answer this question completely, while also giving you an overview of Shanghai’s grand plans for the future. The center is a modern museum with a stylish design and the theme is “City, Citizen, Environment and Development”. The different uses of photography, models and interactive multimedia displays make your visit enjoyable and fun. The most distinctive are the precious old photos of landmarks such as the Bund, Nanjing Road, Yu Garden, etc. during the international settlement, as well as large models showing the detailed layout of Shanghai.

Next, you will visit the Jade Buddha Temple, the world’s largest jade buddha and many religious artifacts, ancient statues and Buddhist scriptures. Hidden between the modern neighbourhood and the main building, this peaceful Buddhist kingdom is a great place to spend a great holiday in this busy city.

In the afternoon, your guide will accompany you to the airport for your next destination or home.

Service Included:

• Admission fees for all of the sightseeing spots listed in the itinerary;
• Meals as listed in the itinerary;
• Hotels as listed in the itinerary;
• Private English-speaking tour guide;
• Private vehicle for transfers & sightseeing with skilled driver;
• Service charge & government taxes;
• Luggage transfers between airports and hotels;
• Domestic train tickets of soft sleeper.

Service Excluded:

• Any arrival and departure international airfares or train tickets;
• Chinese visa fees;
• Excess baggage charged by Airlines;
• Single room supplement;
• Tips to guides and drivers;
• Personal expenses and gratuities to service staff;
• Personal travel accident insurance;
• All optional programs.