Panda Keeper and Classic Wonders
Cute pandas and certain historic sites are unique resources in China. This tour features Chengdu, the homeland of giant pandas, but also includes the famous Golden Triangle — Beijing, Shanghai, and Xi'an. The Great Wall, the Forbidden City, the Terracotta Warriors, the Bund and picturesque karst landscape in Guilin and Yangshuo are all yours to see.
Highlights
- Explore a less-crowded part of the Great Wall
- See how the thousand-year-old Terracotta Warriors come alive
- Be a panda keeper for a day to experience taking care of a panda
- Enjoy a relaxing Li River cruise to Yangshuo
- Admire the charming mix of ancient and modern in Shanghai
Discover real reviews of Highlights Travel Family's best-rated service across trusted platforms.
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Beeindruckende Tage in Lijiang
Wir waren 3 N?chte in Lijiang, organisiert durch China Highlights. Wir haben den Jadedrachenschneeberg besucht, wurden in Baisha durch einen Naxi-Schamanen in die Bilderschrift der Naxi eingeführt, waren in der Tigersprungschlucht und sind durch die Altstadt von Lijiang gebummelt. Unser Guide Alice hat uns super geführt (englisch), ist auf unsere Wünsche eingegangen und wir hatten viel Spass und tolle Gespr?che miteinander. Ein tolles Erlebnis. more
Oct 2025, Ulrich
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A Very Memorable Visit to Shanghai.
We arrived in Shanghai on 30 Oct 2024 to the announcement that Shanghai would be hit by a severe typhoon on 1 Nov. But that did not faze our wonderful guide, Winnie! She reorganised our itinerary to max the time we had before the typhoon arrive which would have stopped all activities. Meeting us at 8.30am, she whisked us to Shanghai Tower - so that we could beat the morning crowd to get up to the observation deck on the 118th floor and take in the breath-taking view before the rolling fog reduced all visibility! Lunch was a v delicious meal of local treats at a famous local bistro after a tour of the Shanghai Museum. Winnie was so thoughtful, she even bought us a green bean soup each for us old folks to hydrate ourselves through the afternoon. Plus - a very pretty pumpkin pastry to celebrate Halloween! We spent the afternoon walking along the Bund with Winnie explaining the history and significance of the different buildings and a tour of the French Quarter after that. All these could not have been done the next day when the typhoon brought gusty wind and heavy rain. Because of Winnie's initiative and hard work on 31 Oct, we got to see the Shanghai we came to visit! Kudos to you, Winnie! more
Nov 2024, Navigate14411878263
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Great day in Suchzou and Tongli
Thanks to our guide Kenny! She was very welcoming and nice! Showed us Suchzhou in a very nice way. We visited the park, had a nice dinner in a restaurant that she chose for us (the food was great and atmosphere very warm) and visited Tongli water village. Her English is great, we understood her very well, and she was also very knowledgeable. Would totally recommend more
Nov 2024, Nidia
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Beijing-Xi'an-Chengdu-Shanghai Tour Map
Suggested Itinerary
Your private guide will be ready to meet and greet you at arrivals. A comfortable private car (non-smoking) with an experienced driver will transfer you directly to your hotel. Your guide will help you checkin.
Today's experiences include the classic, epic sights of Beijing: the Forbidden City, home to 24 emperors and its newly exhibited Qing Dynasty royalty treasures; the enormous Tiananmen Square; and a rickshaw ride through the narrow alleys plus a visit to a local family make for a truly special experience. Enjoy authentic Chinese dishes for lunch at a popular local restaurant.
Optional Activities:
Night shows, such as the Kung Fu Show at the Red Theater or the Acrobatics Show at Chaoyang Theater, are recommended to enrich your night. You're recommended to book with your guide a day before, or on the day, to allow flexibility.
The Forbidden CityArrangements for today day make for the experience of a lifetime, the chance to walk the Great Wall of China! Your guide and driver will take you out of Beijing and onto some beautiful country roads before you reach a section of the Great Wall called Mutianyu. We select this section with the highest density of watchtowers (great for photography) and a cable car, giving you maximum time to walk, and for some insights into this area's unique battlement outcrops. After a visit on the wall we'll arrange a well-deserved lunch to follow your visit to the wall.
Tips for visiting
- Most customers find that two hours on the wall is plenty, but you are welcome to spend longer. Just let your guide know on day 2, so we can plan around traffic and offer our best advice.
- There is an optional toboggan ride down, popular with past customers of all ages.
The Great Wall at MutianyuThe garden and lakes of the Summer Palace are a beautiful part of Beijing. We'll take a boat ride over to the palace, and explore the Garden of Virtue and Harmony. After lunch your drive and guide will escort you to Beijing Airport, ensuring you're at the right terminal and gate for your onward flight to Xi'an.
Your local Xi'an guide and driver will be ready and waiting at Xi'an airport arrivals.
Summer PalaceOne of the best ways to see Xi'an is from the ancient city wall. The wall is massive. It's tall and so wide we can enjoy a rickshaw, cycle or walk around this marvel of ancient engineering.
After lunch we'll drive you out to the Terracotta Warriors, where your guide will unlock some fascinating insights that few visitors notice.
The Terracotta WarriorsThe Muslim Quarter in Xi'an is an area you may not have heard of, but is has often been a highlight for our past clients. This unique area is a melting pot of Silk Road history, offering you a chance to explore a unique local mosque and try some ethnic food.
There is still time to see for one of China's most unique pagodas, the brick pagoda know as Big Wild Goose Pagoda, including its charming surrounding gardens. Then it's on to the airport for your flight to Chengdu, home of the pandas.
Our local guide and driver will transfer you from the airport to your hotel, helping with luggage and the check-in process.
The Big Goose PagodaDujiangyan Panda Base is now the most popular panda base in China offering the Panda Keeper Program. It takes about 1½ hours by car to get to Dujiangyan from the hotel. This unique one-day tour will enable you to have a close encounter with the lovely giant pandas.
Under the guidance of English-speaking staff, you will prepare food for pandas, see the pandas close-up, watch panda movies, and make cakes for the treasured creatures. Have a Chinese lunch with staff in the canteen.
This one-day close encounter with pandas makes for the more wonderful memories.
China Highlights will help you obtain the health certificate that the base requires and, after the volunteer program, you will receive a certificate from the CCRCGP (China Conservation and Research Center for Giant Pandas). To guarantee the safety of volunteers, pandas are kept in their 'superior room' with air-conditioning rather than in the wild.
Panda Keeper ProgramChengdu is a paradise of pandas; you will find lots of things related to the panda-theme. During the day, Today you will continue to enjoy the cute panda world.
Created by the internationally renowned artist Lawrence Argent, a gigantic panda sculpture weighs 13 tons and is 15 meters tall. This massive panda has become a trendy landmark in Chengdu, climbing on the wall of the Chengdu International Finance Square (Chengdu IFS) on Chunxi Road.
After lunch you will go to Chengdu People's Park to have a deep breath of fresh air. You can join the local people to experience the bustle and chatter of a local teahouse in this area.
Kuan-Zhai Lane (or Wide and Narrow Alley) is an ancient street with hundreds of years' history combined with modern elements.
This evening we will transfer you to the airport for your onward flight to Guilin, land of rivers and dramatic mountains.
Jinli Old StreetA tranquil four-hour cruise on the Li River offers great views of the bamboo forests and limestone peaks, the scenery immortalized by Chinese artists down through the centuries. Exploring the countryside continues with a bike ride along small roads and lanes surrounded by paddy fields and orchards, away from traffic and crowds. A visit to a local farmer's home lets you see how people really live in these rural areas.
Enjoy staying a night in this beautiful countryside town, explore west street and try some street food on offer.
About cruise
Your luggage will be transferred directly by private van and driver from Guilin to your hotel in Yangshuo. Your personal guide will accompany you on the cruise and take care of you.
Currently, either 3-star or 4-star riverboats are available for the Li River cruise. The 3-star boats are cheaper, but have less-modern facilities. Their seat-spacing is narrower and the lunch on board is simpler. The 4-star boats are better. We will only use the relatively new 4-star boats, which serve a buffet lunch.
The Mountains and the Li RiverIn the morning, your guide can show you around the local food market — the hub around which life revolves in Yangshuo. All the food is fresh, even the chickens are still flapping in their cages. A cookery class helps you discover how those delicious dishes develop their flavor, as you see which vegetables and meat are used, cook with the teacher, and then taste the results. You even get the recipes to take home.
This afternoon we'll transfer you to the airport directly from Yangshuo, ensuring you are at the right terminal and gate for your Shanghai flight.
Chinese Cooking ClassShanghai is a fusion of old and new. Shanghai World Financial Center which has the tallest glass observation deck in China. Lunch is a meal of Cantonese food in beautiful surroundings with a nice view over the Bund.
Half-Day Customized Icing-on-the-Cake Experience
After traveling in China for around 10 days, you might want to do something different at the end of your tour. Do you want to have some relaxation time? Do you have any unfulfilled trip wishes? In the magic city of Shanghai, your private guide will make your wishes come true!
Whether you want to relax, experience fashion, appreciate art, explore folk customs, or shop; from having fun in fancy bar to exploring an art center, trying nail beauty, testing your popularity in the marriage market, or just buying some lovely gifts, we will make it happen. Just tell us what you're interested in.
If you don't know what you want, just let your guide make the arrangements. You will not be disappointed!
The BundToday is your final day and we allow you time to explore or relax by yourself. If you have a late evening flight and want a guide today just ask your travel advisor. As at every city, your private guide, driver and car will escort you to the airport and ensure you are at the correct gate.
Trip Notes
1. Tailoring Your Tour
This tour is very flexible. You can alter the itinerary, extend or shorten it to suit your budget, interests and schedule. Feel free to tell us your requirements, and we'll be happy to help you arrange accordingly.
2. Panda Keeper Program
As the first tour company in China to operate the program, China Highlights has developed a stable relationship with the Dujiangyan Panda Base. Sometimes the program is subject to change due to force majeure. Usually we are able to get the first-hand information necessary to arrange your tour. Your early booking (at least two weeks before departure) is useful in facilitating the availability of the program. Sometimes activities listed in the tour description will be adjusted according to the health of the pandas. Thanks for your understanding.
If your time is limited, and you can only join in with morning activities, the price will still be the same.
3. Children as Panda Keepers
Panda volunteers should be between 10 and 70 years of age. Though the pandas look harmless, they are actually carnivores. Parents must prevent their children from coming into direct contact with the pandas. The cost for children 12 years old and above is the same as the cost for adults.
If your children are between 2 and 9 years, you can still take them with you during the program. The children should not enter the room where the panda cage is, but they can watch you clean the cage, which takes around 30 minutes. Your guide will help you take care of children.
If your children are under 2 years old and you yourself take care of them throughout the day, no additional fee is charged.
Tour Price
Price includes: