China Tour from Sydney
SG01-INTL: 8 Days Tour of Sydney - Beijing - Xi'an - Shanghai - Sydney
Tour Type: Independent Travel
Accommodation: 5 nights, nice 3-star hotels
Meals: 5 western buffet breakfasts
Highlights:
Accommodation: 5 nights, nice 3-star hotels
Meals: 5 western buffet breakfasts
Highlights:
- Must-see sights in China - Mutianyu Great Wall, Forbidden City, Terracotta Army
- View the soaring city skylines and feel the pulse of modern Shanghai
- Experience the unique Chinese culture and the exquisite natural splendour
Day 1 Sydney - Beijing
Today you will take the flight from Sydney to Beijing on your own. Please book the appropriate flight based on your travel schedule. The overall travel time is around 11.5 - 12 hours.
When you arrive at Beijing Airport, please take a taxi to your hotel. We suggest the 3-star Hotel Yoo Beijing which is located in the city center, close to the Forbidden City. A taxi from the airport to the hotel costs about CNY100. The hotel is located at the central area of the city. Walk south along Nanheyan Street for 200 yards until you reach East Chang'an Street, turn left and move eastward for 450 yards, you will reach the famous Wangfujing Commercial Street, where you can find modern shopping malls and best local snacks.
Accommodation Suggestion: Hotel Yoo Beijing
When you arrive at Beijing Airport, please take a taxi to your hotel. We suggest the 3-star Hotel Yoo Beijing which is located in the city center, close to the Forbidden City. A taxi from the airport to the hotel costs about CNY100. The hotel is located at the central area of the city. Walk south along Nanheyan Street for 200 yards until you reach East Chang'an Street, turn left and move eastward for 450 yards, you will reach the famous Wangfujing Commercial Street, where you can find modern shopping malls and best local snacks.
Accommodation Suggestion: Hotel Yoo Beijing
Day 2 Beijing
Great Wall
Have the buffet breakfast at the hotel and start your independent Beijing tour! Hereunder is our suggestion.
From your hotel, walk south along Nanheyan Street for 200 yards, turn right and walk westwards along the East Chang'an Street for another 700 yards, you will see the Tiananmen Tower. In front of the tower is Tiananmen Square, where you can take some photos of the full view of the tower. Walk northward all the way to the Meridian Gate, the entrance of the Forbidden City, you can hire a guide or rent an audio guide there. The charge for a guide is CNY 200 to 400 and the cost for an audio guide is CNY 40 with a deposit fee of CNY 100. Since the Forbidden City is very large, we suggest you follow the central axis and visit the major palaces. In this way, you can finish it in 2 to 3 hours and exit from the Gate of Devine Prowess, the North Gate.
Reference Reading: Forbidden City Independent Tours
At lunch time, you can have a taste of the Cantonese food at Da San Yuan restaurant to the west of the Gate of Devine Prowess. The food there is delicious but a little bit expensive. Or, walk northward along Jingshan West Street for about 450 yards, you will find a Yanlan Tower Restaurant which features Lanzhou dishes. For photography lovers, we strongly recommend you visit Jingshan Park after lunch, where you will get a full view of the Forbidden City on the top of the Jingshan Mountain.
After a leisure walk in the park, you can pay a visit to the Qianmen Street and Dashilar Street. Please leave the park from the south gate and cross the street to take the special sightseeing bus No.2 in front of the Gate of Prowess and get off at Qianmen stop, where old-styled buildings and famous local restaurants stand along the street. Turn into Dashilar Street, you will find many time-honored shops and knickknack stores. If you are interested in local dishes, you can have dinner there. Our recommendations are Duyichu Restaurant which is located at No. 38 Qianmen Street and famous for Steamed Pork Dumplings and other local snacks, or Donglaishun Restaurant at No. 7 Dashilar Street which is famous for hot pot. Take a taxi back to your hotel, which costs CNY15.
From your hotel, walk south along Nanheyan Street for 200 yards, turn right and walk westwards along the East Chang'an Street for another 700 yards, you will see the Tiananmen Tower. In front of the tower is Tiananmen Square, where you can take some photos of the full view of the tower. Walk northward all the way to the Meridian Gate, the entrance of the Forbidden City, you can hire a guide or rent an audio guide there. The charge for a guide is CNY 200 to 400 and the cost for an audio guide is CNY 40 with a deposit fee of CNY 100. Since the Forbidden City is very large, we suggest you follow the central axis and visit the major palaces. In this way, you can finish it in 2 to 3 hours and exit from the Gate of Devine Prowess, the North Gate.
Reference Reading: Forbidden City Independent Tours
At lunch time, you can have a taste of the Cantonese food at Da San Yuan restaurant to the west of the Gate of Devine Prowess. The food there is delicious but a little bit expensive. Or, walk northward along Jingshan West Street for about 450 yards, you will find a Yanlan Tower Restaurant which features Lanzhou dishes. For photography lovers, we strongly recommend you visit Jingshan Park after lunch, where you will get a full view of the Forbidden City on the top of the Jingshan Mountain.
After a leisure walk in the park, you can pay a visit to the Qianmen Street and Dashilar Street. Please leave the park from the south gate and cross the street to take the special sightseeing bus No.2 in front of the Gate of Prowess and get off at Qianmen stop, where old-styled buildings and famous local restaurants stand along the street. Turn into Dashilar Street, you will find many time-honored shops and knickknack stores. If you are interested in local dishes, you can have dinner there. Our recommendations are Duyichu Restaurant which is located at No. 38 Qianmen Street and famous for Steamed Pork Dumplings and other local snacks, or Donglaishun Restaurant at No. 7 Dashilar Street which is famous for hot pot. Take a taxi back to your hotel, which costs CNY15.
Day 3 Beijing
Temple of Heaven
"He who does not climb the Great Wall is not a real man", so our suggestion for today is to climb the Badaling Great Wall. You might need to get up early and have a big breakfast as the great wall is a little bit far from the city and climbing the wall is quite energy-consuming. You can also take some snacks with you, such as chocolate and biscuits. A pair of comfortable shoes, of course, is very necessary. Please walk to Tiananmen East to take subway line 1 to Fuxingmen and change to line 2 to Jishuitan. Get out of the station from Exit B2 and walk 300 yards east along Deshengmen West Street and find the Deshengmen Arrow Tower. You can also take a taxi from hotel to Deshengmen at a cost of CNY25 around. From the bus station beside the Deshengmen Arrow Tower, you can take bus No. 877 to Badaling Great Wall. The bus fare is CNY12 per person and the duration is about an hour. Upon arrival, follow the signs to find the entrance to Badaling Great Wall. You can either climb the wall by yourself or take the cable car. Recommended visiting time here is three hours. Most restaurants near the great wall are of low quality and high price, but there is a KFC near the Great Wall Museum, where the food may be to your taste and reasonably priced.
Take bus No. 877 back to the downtown. The bus stops at Deshengmen which is very close to the old hutongs. You can pay a visit there if you have time and energy. Go down the Deshengmen Bridge all the way south for about 200 yards and turn to the left Drum Tower West Street. You can either take a 20 minutes' walk or take a bus No. 5 for 3 stops to the famous Skewed Tobacco Pouch Street. Relax yourself in the featured local restaurants and bars, and then take a taxi back to your hotel with a cost of about CNY20.
Take bus No. 877 back to the downtown. The bus stops at Deshengmen which is very close to the old hutongs. You can pay a visit there if you have time and energy. Go down the Deshengmen Bridge all the way south for about 200 yards and turn to the left Drum Tower West Street. You can either take a 20 minutes' walk or take a bus No. 5 for 3 stops to the famous Skewed Tobacco Pouch Street. Relax yourself in the featured local restaurants and bars, and then take a taxi back to your hotel with a cost of about CNY20.
Day 4 Beijing - Xi'an
Terracotta Army, Xi'an
We suggest that you get up early in the morning and visit the Temple of Heaven and proceed to the Summer Palace in the afternoon, and take an overnight soft sleeper train to Xian.
After breakfast, you can check out and leave your luggage at the front desk, and then head for the Temple of Heaven. A taxi from the hotel to the Temple of Heaven costs approximately CNY20. The recommended travel time is 2 to 3 hours. After that, you can have lunch in the Donglaishun Hot Pot Restaurant, 500 yards west to the north gate of Temple of Heaven. After lunch, start your way to the Summer Palace. Take subway line 5 from Tiantan Dongmen (East Gate of Temple of Heaven) to Huixinxijie Nankou, and then change to line 10 to Haidian Huangzhuang, where you can transfer to line 4 to Beigongmen, the north gate of Summer Palace. We suggest that you follow the route of Suzhou Street - Four Great Regions - Hall of the Sea of Wisdom - Tower of Buddhist Incense - Hall of Dispelling Clouds - Marble Boat - Long Corridor - Hall of Joyful Longevity - Hall of Benevolence and Longevity, and leave from the East Gate. The approximate visiting time is 3 hours. Walk 650 yards east along the Tongqing Street to Xiyuan Subway Station to take subway line 4 to Xidan, and then transfer to line 1 to Tiananmen East. Exit from Exit B and walk back to your hotel to take the luggage. Take a taxi from the hotel to Beijing West Railway Station for an overnight soft sleeper train to Xian, and the taxi fare is about CNY 35. We suggest that you take train Z19 that travels from Beijing West to Xian in 12 hours without any stop on the way so that you will arrive in Xian in the morning.
Accommodation: Overnight soft sleeper train
After breakfast, you can check out and leave your luggage at the front desk, and then head for the Temple of Heaven. A taxi from the hotel to the Temple of Heaven costs approximately CNY20. The recommended travel time is 2 to 3 hours. After that, you can have lunch in the Donglaishun Hot Pot Restaurant, 500 yards west to the north gate of Temple of Heaven. After lunch, start your way to the Summer Palace. Take subway line 5 from Tiantan Dongmen (East Gate of Temple of Heaven) to Huixinxijie Nankou, and then change to line 10 to Haidian Huangzhuang, where you can transfer to line 4 to Beigongmen, the north gate of Summer Palace. We suggest that you follow the route of Suzhou Street - Four Great Regions - Hall of the Sea of Wisdom - Tower of Buddhist Incense - Hall of Dispelling Clouds - Marble Boat - Long Corridor - Hall of Joyful Longevity - Hall of Benevolence and Longevity, and leave from the East Gate. The approximate visiting time is 3 hours. Walk 650 yards east along the Tongqing Street to Xiyuan Subway Station to take subway line 4 to Xidan, and then transfer to line 1 to Tiananmen East. Exit from Exit B and walk back to your hotel to take the luggage. Take a taxi from the hotel to Beijing West Railway Station for an overnight soft sleeper train to Xian, and the taxi fare is about CNY 35. We suggest that you take train Z19 that travels from Beijing West to Xian in 12 hours without any stop on the way so that you will arrive in Xian in the morning.
Accommodation: Overnight soft sleeper train
Day 5 Xi'an
We suggest that you book all the train tickets in advance. Upon arrival at Xian Railway Station, collect your pre-booked train ticket to Shanghai.
You should never miss the Terracotta Army Museum when visiting Xian, so we suggest that you make it your first destination. Since the tourist bus No. 5, also marked No. 306, to the museum stops at the East Square in front of the railway station building, you can leave your heavy luggage at the left luggage center to the east of the exit of the railway station. Afterwards, board the tourist bus No. 5 and the conductor will come to you for a ticket at a price of CNY7 per person. You will reach the museum in about one hour. Recommended visiting time is 2 to 3 hours. Local food near the museum is of low quality and high price, so we recommend the fast food restaurants on the commercial street outside the museum, such as Subway, KFC, King Coffee, and Dicos. You can have lunch and take a short rest and then take the tourist bus No. 5 back to Xian Railway Station and retrieve your luggage. We recommend the 3-star Days Inn City Center Hotel, which is located on the North Street and near the Bell Tower, the center of Xian City. A taxi from the railway station to the hotel takes about 10 minutes and costs CNY 10.
Accommodation Suggestion: Days Inn City Center
You should never miss the Terracotta Army Museum when visiting Xian, so we suggest that you make it your first destination. Since the tourist bus No. 5, also marked No. 306, to the museum stops at the East Square in front of the railway station building, you can leave your heavy luggage at the left luggage center to the east of the exit of the railway station. Afterwards, board the tourist bus No. 5 and the conductor will come to you for a ticket at a price of CNY7 per person. You will reach the museum in about one hour. Recommended visiting time is 2 to 3 hours. Local food near the museum is of low quality and high price, so we recommend the fast food restaurants on the commercial street outside the museum, such as Subway, KFC, King Coffee, and Dicos. You can have lunch and take a short rest and then take the tourist bus No. 5 back to Xian Railway Station and retrieve your luggage. We recommend the 3-star Days Inn City Center Hotel, which is located on the North Street and near the Bell Tower, the center of Xian City. A taxi from the railway station to the hotel takes about 10 minutes and costs CNY 10.
Accommodation Suggestion: Days Inn City Center
Day 6 Xi'an - Shanghai
The Bund, Shanghai
You can check out of the hotel after breakfast and leave your luggage at the front desk, and then start today's exploration. We strongly recommend the City Wall and the Shaanxi History Museum. The South Gate for ascending the City Wall is about one mile south of your hotel. If you would like to walk there, just go straight south; pass the Bell Tower through an underground passage, and then go further south to reach the South Gate. If you want to save time, just take a taxi at a cost of CNY 9. You can either walk or ride a bicycle on the ancient City Wall. One hour later, get off the wall and find the bus stop beside the Exit B of the nearby Yongningmen subway station. Take bus No. 26 or 701 to Cuihua Road stop, where the Shaanxi Provincial History Museum lies. You can choose a nearby restaurant to have lunch or have some simple local fast food on the -1F of the museum.
After 2 to 3 hours spending in the museum, it's time to get back to the hotel. A taxi takes 25 minutes and costs about CNY 15. Retrieve your luggage and head for Xian Railway Station to catch an overnight soft sleeper train to Shanghai. There are direct trains available at 9 and 10 pm, which are fine choices. For detailed schedule and tickets booking, you can use our China train search. Besides, please arrive at the railway station at least one hour prior to the train's departure time.
Accommodation: Overnight soft sleeper train
After 2 to 3 hours spending in the museum, it's time to get back to the hotel. A taxi takes 25 minutes and costs about CNY 15. Retrieve your luggage and head for Xian Railway Station to catch an overnight soft sleeper train to Shanghai. There are direct trains available at 9 and 10 pm, which are fine choices. For detailed schedule and tickets booking, you can use our China train search. Besides, please arrive at the railway station at least one hour prior to the train's departure time.
Accommodation: Overnight soft sleeper train
Day 7 Shanghai
Yu Garden
Upon arrival in Shanghai, find your way to the hotel. We recommend the 3-star Holiday Inn Express Zhabei Hotel which is located just on the North Square of Shanghai Railway Station. There are two squares outside the railway station. Remember to leave the station from the platform to the North Square and walk northwest to McDonald's direction for 50 yards, you will find the hotel. Check in and have a short rest, and then start your independent Shanghai tours. Our recommended itinerary today is Yu Garden, Shanghai Museum, Nanjing Road and the Bund.
From the hotel you can walk to Shanghai Railway Station to take subway line 4, make a transfer to line 10 at Hailun Road, and finally reach the Yuyuan Garden subway station. Get out of the station from Exit 3, walk 700 yards east along Fuyou Road to find the garden on your right hand. For gourmets, many delicious local snacks on the commercial area outside the garden are attractive. After visiting the garden, walk west back to the subway station, take subway line 10 for one stop to East Nanjing Road and change to line 2 for another stop to People's Square. Leave the subway station from Exit 1 and walk to the Shanghai Museum. Visitors have to queue up to get the free entry permit of this museum and morning is usually the peak time, so we suggest that you get there around noon from 12:00 to 13:00. From Shanghai Museum, you can walk to People's Square subway station to take subway line 2 to East Nanjing Road and exit from Exit 4. Stroll along the famous commercial street Nanjing Road all the way east to the end, you can see Shanghai's landmark site, Huangpu River and the Bund. We strongly recommend the night view and the light show of the Bund to you. You can also take a night cruise to enjoy the charming views. A taxi back to your hotel costs CNY30 around.
Accommodation Suggestion: Holiday Inn Express Zhabei
From the hotel you can walk to Shanghai Railway Station to take subway line 4, make a transfer to line 10 at Hailun Road, and finally reach the Yuyuan Garden subway station. Get out of the station from Exit 3, walk 700 yards east along Fuyou Road to find the garden on your right hand. For gourmets, many delicious local snacks on the commercial area outside the garden are attractive. After visiting the garden, walk west back to the subway station, take subway line 10 for one stop to East Nanjing Road and change to line 2 for another stop to People's Square. Leave the subway station from Exit 1 and walk to the Shanghai Museum. Visitors have to queue up to get the free entry permit of this museum and morning is usually the peak time, so we suggest that you get there around noon from 12:00 to 13:00. From Shanghai Museum, you can walk to People's Square subway station to take subway line 2 to East Nanjing Road and exit from Exit 4. Stroll along the famous commercial street Nanjing Road all the way east to the end, you can see Shanghai's landmark site, Huangpu River and the Bund. We strongly recommend the night view and the light show of the Bund to you. You can also take a night cruise to enjoy the charming views. A taxi back to your hotel costs CNY30 around.
Accommodation Suggestion: Holiday Inn Express Zhabei
Day 8 Shanghai - Sydney
Today your China tour from Sydney is going to be finished. After breakfast, it is time to head to airport for your flight home on your own. There are two airports in Shanghai, so please carefully check which airport your flight will depart from. The trip to Pudong Airport and Hongqiao Airport takes around 1.5 hours and 1 hour respectively. The cost for the taxi is about CNY 200 to Pudong Airport and CNY 100 to Hongqiao Airport. We recommend that you book a taxi at the hotel reception in advance to avoid waiting outside for a long time. We wish you all the best and happy travels!
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