China Tour from Los Angeles

In general, about 2 to 4 direct flights are available everyday from Los Angeles to Beijing. Please check the details of the flight schedule before you make any bookings. On your departure day, please go to Los Angeles airport on your own, and take a 13-hour flight to Beijing.

Upon arrival at the Beijing Capital Airport, you can take the shuttle bus or a taxi to your hotel. Located in the city center, the 4-star Hotel Yoo Beijing is recommended, which is near the Tiananmen Square and Forbidden City, as well as Wangfujing Commercial Street and East Chang'an Street. You are suggested to take a taxi to the hotel and it may cost around CNY120. If arriving early, you can have a further exploration in the mentioned commercial areas, or just walk around to familiarize yourself with the surroundings, such as the nearest bus stops, subway stations and restaurants.

Accommodation Suggestion: Hotel Yoo Beijing

After your buffet breakfast in the hotel, you can start your independent tour in the ancient city, Beijing. Here is the suggested itinerary for today: Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City and Jingshan Park. Your first stop, Tiananmen Square, is about 800 yards from the hotel. To get there, you may walk eastwards to Nanheyan Street; go southwards for 250 yards and turn west to enter East Chang'an Street. Walk for another 600 yards and you will arrive at the square. Tiananmen Square is the landmark of Beijing and also the world's largest square in the city proper. Wandering around the square, you can also drop by the Memorial Hall of Chairman Mao, the Monument to People's Heroes, National Museum of China, and the Great Hall of the People.

Then continue your trip to the Forbidden City, which is to the north of the square. It was served as the imperial palace for 24 emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasties (1368 - 1911). While your marching all the way to the north, the resplendent palaces enable you to review the glorious scenes of the feudal dynasties.

Opposite the north gate of the Forbidden City is Jingshan Park. On the summit of Jingshan Hill in the park, you can have a bird's eye view of the Forbidden City. After that, take tourist bus line 1 in front of the southern gate of Jingshan Park. Get off at Nanheyan and walk back to your hotel. Or, you can hail a taxi and the taxi fee is about CNY15.

The Great Wall is a must-see of your China tour. We recommend Badaling Great Wall, which is the most typical and best preserved Great Wall section in China. Climbing the Great Wall is energy-consuming, so it is suggested that you prepare some snacks and bottled water before leaving. After breakfast in the hotel, walk about 600 yards towards the Tiananmen Square to find Tiananmen East Subway Station, where you can take subway line 1 to Fuxingmen Station; transfer to subway line 2 to Xizhimen. Take Exit A2 and you will reach Beijing North Railway Station to take train S2 to Badaling. The duration is about 80 minutes and the fare is CNY6.

Upon arrival at Badaling Railway Station, walk about 10 to 15 minutes eastwards; you will reach the ticket office of the Great Wall. There are signs showing the direction, so you can easily find your way. The Badaling Great Wall is divided into northern section and southern section. It may take 2.5 to 3 hours to finish either half. If feeling physically challenged, you can choose to take the cable car to go uphill. You are recommended to have lunch in a nearby fast food restaurant like KFC, DICOS, McDonald's and SUBWAY, as food provided in other local restaurants is of poor quality but high price. When the exploration of Badaling is over, reverse the trip to the city and treat yourself with a hearty meal.

For today's itinerary, we suggest you visit the Temple of Heaven in the morning and Summer Palace in the afternoon. After breakfast, walk to Nanheyan Street and take bus no. 60 across the road to Fahuasi. Then walk south for 250 yards and enter the Temple of Heaven from the east gate. Built in 1420 during the Ming Dynasty (1368 – 1644), the Temple of Heaven is the largest sacred imperial site in China. Emperors used to hold ceremonies there to worship the heaven and ancestors, and also pray for a good harvest for the people. Nowadays, local people often gather in the park of the temple playing Tai Chi, practicing opera, flying kites, and dancing. You can have a chance to experience the peaceful local lifestyle there.

Get out from the north gate of the Temple of Heaven. Walk northwards along Qi'nian Street for 550 yards and turn west onto Zhushikou East Street; go ahead for another 270 yards to take subway line 7 from Qiaowan Station to Caishikou, where you can transfer to line 4. Get out from Exit D of Beigongmen Station and walk westwards to find the north gate of the Summer Palace. The palace used to be the summer resort of the royal family, boasting picturesque natural landscape and antique buildings. The Long Gallery and Marble Boat are must-see sights of the Summer Palace. Rowing a boat on Kunming Lake would give you a relaxing and joyful experience.

After sightseeing, take subway line 4 from Beigongmen Station to Xidan; transfer to line 2 to Tiananmen East Station. Get out from Exit B and then walk back to your hotel.

Your trip in Beijing comes to an end today. After checking out of the hotel, it is suggested that you take a high speed train to Xian, another ancient city of China. To avoid arriving in Xian too late at night, we suggest you take a train departing before noon, among which G671, G655, and G659 are recommended. In travel peak season, the train tickets would be in great need, so it is advised to book the tickets in advance. TravelChinaGuide provides train ticket booking with an unrivaled low service fee, which would be your best choice. Please use the search bar by the end of this itinerary to get the real-time train schedule and check the tickets availability.

From the hotel, you need to walk to the Tiananmen East Station to take line 1 to Beijing West Railway Station of line 9, with a transfer at Military Museum. Upon arrival at the train station, collect your tickets at the ticket office using your valid identity certificate. Then pass the security check and wait for boarding. There are luggage racks on top of the seats for passengers to put backpacks and medium-sized suitcases. You can also find luggage closet at each joint of two carriages to place large suitcases.

After 5-6 hours' train ride, you will get to Xian North Railway Station. As for accommodation, the 4-star Days Inn City Center near the Bell Tower is a good option. You can take subway line 2 from the train station to Beidajie. Take Exit C1 and walk about 500 yards southwards to the hotel.

Accommodation Suggestion: Days Inn City Centre

A whole day will be spent in the Terracotta Army Museum, which is about 22 miles northeast of Xian City. Take a taxi from your hotel to Xian Railway Station at a cost of CNY9, and then get on the tourist bus line 5 (306) from the east square of the station to the museum. The bus trip takes about one hour and you need to pay CNY7 for a one-way trip. The Terracotta Army Museum is one of the most famous historical sites in Xian. It is a grand underground military formation buried with Emperor Qin Shi Huang (259 – 210 BC), the first emperor in China's history, in order to guard him in the underworld. The pottery soldiers are all of life size and have different facial impressions. Visiting the museum can help you not only learn more about the Qin Dynasty (221 - 207 BC) and the great king, but also get to know the excellent pottery craftsmanship of that time. Afterwards, backtrack to downtown city and have a big meal.

Your first destination for today is the ancient City Wall. From your hotel, please spend CNY10 hailing a taxi to Yongning Gate, the south gate of the City Wall, and climb up to the wall from there. The well preserved wall was built in the Ming Dynasty with a history of over 600 years. The wall is rectangle in shape, surrounding the city center. It used to be the most powerful defensive system in warring times, and now it has become a favored site for visitors to have a general view of this historical city. There are bicycles for rent on the wall, providing a cool and relaxing visiting experience.

Still get down from Yongning Gate and walk northwards along the South Street for 700 yards to reach the Bell Tower. Just 400 yards northwest you will find the Drum Tower. The Muslim Quarter behind the Drum Tower is also worth a visit. It is one of the most notable snack streets in Xian, gathering numerous time-honored restaurants. There, you can taste popular local foods, such as dumplings, crumbled flatbread in mutton stew (Yangrou Paomo), Shaanxi Sandwich (Rou Jia Mo), and cold noodles (Liang Pi). Besides, there are also shops selling exquisite craftworks and souvenirs. After a feast in the Muslim Quarter, you can either walk back to your hotel or take a taxi with a fare of around CNY9.

After breakfast, you can hail a taxi to catch the homeward flight at the cost of about CNY120. The direct flight will take 19 hours to fly from Xianyang airport to Los Angeles. We hope you will be able to look back on this pleasant 9 days China tour from America and that perhaps you will return to us for more exciting Oriental experiences.