Highlights of China 2026-27 New
NEWBEIJING - XI’AN - GUILIN - SHANGHAI
Highlights of China 2026-27 New is a Guiness Travel escorted group tour in China: 11 days by plane, with a tour leader from Italy. 3 departures scheduled, from 9 September 2026 to 20 April 2027. Required document: INDIVIDUAL PASSPORT with at least 6 months’ remaining validity + Digital Arrival Card.
Highlights of China 2026-27 New
BEIJING - XI’AN - GUILIN - SHANGHAI
11 days
on demand
Departures
Legend
Plus Guiness
- 5-star hotels in Xi’an and Shanghai
- buffet dinners at the hotel
- 6 lunches in restaurants
- 2 dinners in typical local restaurants in Beijing and Xi’an
- all admission fees included
- boat cruise on the Li River at Guilin, lunch included
- all evening excursions with tour leader and/or guide
- guide accompanying the group for the entire tour
- travel exclusively in a group of no more than 25 people
Why this tour?
- to visit the most populous country in the world
- to climb the Great Wall, the only man-made structure on Earth visible from the moon
- to be lulled by the waters of the Li River at Guilin
Description
China is the most populous country in the world, with a population of over 1.4 billion people. The PRC is a one-party state governed by the Communist Party of China, with its seat of government in the capital, Beijing. It exercises jurisdiction over 22 provinces, five autonomous regions, four directly controlled municipalities (Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai and Chongqing) and two autonomous special administrative regions (Hong Kong and Macau). The PRC also considers Taiwan – which is controlled by the Republic of China (ROC), a separate political entity – to be its 23rd province. Taiwan’s complex political situation is one of the consequences of the Chinese civil war that preceded the founding of the PRC. Covering just under 9.7 million square kilometres, China is the third largest country in the world by area. China’s landscape is vast and varied, ranging from forest steppes and the Gobi and Taklamakan deserts in the arid north to the humid subtropical forests of the south. The Himalayas, the Karakoram, the Pamir and the Tian Shan are the mountain ranges that separate southern China from Central Asia. The Yangtze and the Yellow River, respectively the third and sixth longest rivers in the world, flow from the Tibetan Plateau down to the densely populated eastern coast. China’s Pacific coastline is 14,500 kilometres long and is bordered by the Bohai Sea, the Yellow Sea, the East China Sea and the South China Sea. Ancient Chinese civilisation – one of the earliest in the world – flourished in the fertile basin of the Yellow River, on the plains of northern China. From the Bronze Age onwards there is evidence of feudal structures, in which the nobility gathered around hereditary monarchies. There is evidence of a ruling house in the first half of the 1st millennium BC, known as the Zhou dynasty, whose decline led to the rise of a fair number of independent kingdoms competing for dominance over the region, with periods of conflict that grew particularly fierce between the 8th and 3rd centuries BC. In 221 BC the state of Qin defeated and conquered the territories of all the other warring states, giving birth to the first empire in Chinese history, under the Qin dynasty.
Guilin, in southern China, is one of the country’s most picturesque areas. Its name means “Cassia Forest”, after the great number of these trees found here, which fill the valley with an intense fragrance when they flower. It is an enchanted land, of singular charm and ancient origins: 300 million years ago it lay beneath the sea, and what we now see rising from the waters – green mountains of strange shapes, and caves – is the result of karst sediments pushed up by movements of the Earth’s crust. They stand out among the clear rivers like magical pinnacles, creating unique landscapes and an almost sacred atmosphere, famous throughout the world and across China (for the Chinese, “the mountains and rivers of Guilin are the finest under heaven”). We will also have the wonderful opportunity to cruise along the Li River by boat and immerse ourselves completely in this fairytale world.
Itinerary
Day 1
ITALY – BEIJING
Departure on Emirates scheduled flights to Beijing - meals on board – overnight flight.
Day 2
BEIJING
Arrival in Beijing – transfer to the hotel – dinner at the hotel - free evening – tour leader available – overnight stay.
Day 3
BEIJING “capital of the Celestial Empire”
Breakfast at the hotel – full day devoted to visiting the surroundings of Beijing with a guide (Ming Tombs, Sacred Way, pearl factory, Great Wall at Juyongguan, a UNESCO World Heritage Site) – lunch in a restaurant – dinner in a typical local restaurant specialising in Peking duck – after dinner, Beijing by night: a stroll with the tour leader along lively Qianmen Street (the historic Dazhalan district) – overnight stay.
Day 4
BEIJING “the Forbidden City, a UNESCO World Heritage Site”
Breakfast at the hotel – full day devoted to visiting Beijing with a guide (Lama Temple, Tea House, Tiananmen Square with the Great Hall of the People -exterior-, Mao’s Mausoleum -exterior-, Monument to the People’s Heroes, interior visit of the Forbidden City, a UNESCO World Heritage Site: 600 years of history, 720,000 square metres of buildings with over 9,000 rooms, the treasures of the Imperial Palace) – lunch in a restaurant – dinner at the hotel - free evening - tour leader available – overnight stay.
Day 5
BEIJING – XI’AN “the city where Marco Polo lived for many years”
Breakfast at the hotel - in the morning, visit of Beijing with a guide (Summer Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site) - transfer to the station - departure for Xi’an by high-speed train (approximate times 14.00/18.10) - lunch at leisure – check-in at the hotel in the evening - dinner in a restaurant - after dinner, Xi’an by night: visit with the tour leader to the characteristic Muslim Quarter and its night market – overnight stay.
Day 6
XI’AN “the Terracotta Army, a UNESCO World Heritage Site”
Breakfast at the hotel – full day devoted to visiting Xi’an with a guide (Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor, the thrilling Terracotta Army, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Ming-era city walls, the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, visit to a jade factory) – lunch in a restaurant – dinner in a typical local restaurant specialising in Chinese dumplings – free evening – tour leader available – overnight stay.
Day 7
XI’AN – GUILIN “the Cassia Forest”
Breakfast at the hotel – transfer to the airport – departure on a scheduled flight to Guilin – lunch in a restaurant – visit of Guilin with a guide (visit to the Reed Flute Cave, walk to Fubo Hill and Elephant Trunk Hill, pearl factory) - dinner at the hotel - free evening – tour leader available – overnight stay.
Day 8
GUILIN “cruise on the Li River” – SHANGHAI
Breakfast at the hotel – in the morning, visit of Guilin with a guide (cruise on the Li River, with a stop at Yangshuo and a visit to a typical local market) – lunch on board the boat – transfer to the airport - departure on a scheduled flight to Shanghai – transfer to the hotel – dinner at leisure - free evening – tour leader available – overnight stay.
Day 9
SHANGHAI “the future”
Breakfast at the hotel – full day devoted to visiting Shanghai with a guide (People’s Square, the heart of the Old City with its thousands of little shops, Yu Garden, Jade Buddha Temple, Shanghai Museum East or the Shanghai History Museum) – lunch in a restaurant – dinner at the hotel – after dinner, Shanghai by night: a stroll along the Bund with the tour leader, travelling by metro – overnight stay.
Day 10
SHANGHAI “the most populous city in the world”
Breakfast at the hotel – in the morning, visit of Shanghai with a guide (stop along the Bund, the famous waterfront avenue lined with colonial buildings, Pudong with the Television Tower –exterior-, the Nanjing Road shopping street) – lunch in a restaurant – transfer to the airport - departure on Emirates scheduled flights for the journey home – meals on board – overnight flight.
Day 11
SHANGHAI - ITALY
Arrival in Italy.
Prices
- return flights Italy/Beijing-Shanghai/Italy on Emirates scheduled flights
- Beijing/Xi’an by high-speed train
- Xi’an/Guilin on a scheduled domestic flight
- Guilin/Shanghai on a scheduled domestic flight
- airport/hotel transfers and vice versa
- tour of China by minibus/luxury coach
- accommodation in 4/5-star hotels on a half-board basis (2 dinners not included)
- 7 lunches in restaurants/on board the boat
- buffet breakfasts
- all evening excursions with tour leader and/or guide
- guide accompanying the group throughout the tour
- taxes and VAT
- tour leader from Italy, departing from Rome
- tour leader from Dubai to Dubai for those departing from other airports
- admission to all sites and museums listed in the programme
tips (on arrival the tour leader collects a single sum of approximately €50.00 from which tips are given to guides and drivers during the tour), drinks with meals and anything not expressly indicated.
Entrance fees
Shanghai: Yu Garden, Jade Buddha Temple, History Museum.
Guilin: Li River cruise, Reed Flute Cave.
Xi’an: Terracotta Army, the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, City Walls.
Beijing: Summer Palace, Forbidden City, one of the Ming Tombs, Sacred Way, Great Wall, Lama Temple.
Our hotels
BEIJING
HOTEL PARK PLAZA WANGFUJING or similar, 4-star superior
XI’AN
HOTEL TITAN TIMES or similar, 5-star
GUILIN
HOTEL LIJIANG WATERFALL or similar, 4-star superior
SHANGHAI
HOTEL HENGSHAN GARDEN or similar, 5-star
Info and schedule
N.B. The scheduled visits may be rearranged between days depending on museum opening hours or for operational reasons, but the programme remains unchanged.
- Required document: INDIVIDUAL PASSPORT with at least 6 months’ remaining validity + Digital Arrival Card
Flight times
Frequently asked questions
How long is the tour?
The tour lasts 11 days by plane, with a Guiness tour leader from Italy.
When does it depart?
3 departures scheduled, from 9 September 2026 to 20 April 2027.
What does the price include?
return flights Italy/Beijing-Shanghai/Italy on Emirates scheduled flights; Beijing/Xi’an by high-speed train; Xi’an/Guilin on a scheduled domestic flight; Guilin/Shanghai on a scheduled domestic flight; airport/hotel transfers and vice versa; tour of China by minibus/luxury coach; accommodation in 4/5-star hotels on a half-board basis (2 dinners not included); 7 lunches in restaurants/on board the boat; buffet breakfasts; all evening excursions with tour leader and/or guide; guide accompanying the group throughout the tour; taxes and VAT; tour leader from Italy, departing from Rome; tour leader from Dubai to Dubai for those departing from other airports; admission to all sites and museums listed in the programme
What is not included in the price?
tips (on arrival the tour leader collects a single sum of approximately €50.00 from which tips are given to guides and drivers during the tour), drinks with meals and anything not expressly indicated.
Which documents are required?
INDIVIDUAL PASSPORT with at least 6 months’ remaining validity + Digital Arrival Card
Can I cancel?
Cancel without penalty up to 45 days in advance
How do I book a Guiness tour?
You can request a quote directly from each tour page with the “Get your quote” button, save it and send the booking request: we will get back to you. How to book
How do I pay for the tour (deposit and balance)?
Payment terms (deposit and balance) are set out in the quote; we accept the main payment methods. Terms and conditions
'%3e%3cg id='Final-Copy-2_2_' transform='translate(1275.000000, 200.000000)'%3e%3cpath class='st0' d='M7.4,12.8h6.8l3.1-11.6H7.4C4.2,1.2,1.6,3.8,1.6,7S4.2,12.8,7.4,12.8z'/%3e%3c/g%3e%3c/g%3e%3c/g%3e%3cg id='final---dec.11-2020'%3e%3cg id='_x30_208-our-toggle' transform='translate(-1275.000000, -200.000000)'%3e%3cg id='Final-Copy-2' transform='translate(1275.000000, 200.000000)'%3e%3cpath class='st1' d='M22.6,0H7.4c-3.9,0-7,3.1-7,7s3.1,7,7,7h15.2c3.9,0,7-3.1,7-7S26.4,0,22.6,0z M1.6,7c0-3.2,2.6-5.8,5.8-5.8 h9.9l-3.1,11.6H7.4C4.2,12.8,1.6,10.2,1.6,7z'/%3e%3cpath id='x' class='st2' d='M24.6,4c0.2,0.2,0.2,0.6,0,0.8l0,0L22.5,7l2.2,2.2c0.2,0.2,0.2,0.6,0,0.8c-0.2,0.2-0.6,0.2-0.8,0 l0,0l-2.2-2.2L19.5,10c-0.2,0.2-0.6,0.2-0.8,0c-0.2-0.2-0.2-0.6,0-0.8l0,0L20.8,7l-2.2-2.2c-0.2-0.2-0.2-0.6,0-0.8 c0.2-0.2,0.6-0.2,0.8,0l0,0l2.2,2.2L23.8,4C24,3.8,24.4,3.8,24.6,4z'/%3e%3cpath id='y' class='st3' d='M12.7,4.1c0.2,0.2,0.3,0.6,0.1,0.8l0,0L8.6,9.8C8.5,9.9,8.4,10,8.3,10c-0.2,0.1-0.5,0.1-0.7-0.1l0,0 L5.4,7.7c-0.2-0.2-0.2-0.6,0-0.8c0.2-0.2,0.6-0.2,0.8,0l0,0L8,8.6l3.8-4.5C12,3.9,12.4,3.9,12.7,4.1z'/%3e%3c/g%3e%3c/g%3e%3c/g%3e%3c/g%3e%3c/svg%3e)
Cookie preferences