Visit UNESCO World Heritage Sites and Giant Pandas on a Tour of Beijing and Chengdu
The trip includes round-trip airfare on Hainan Airlines from Chicago, Seattle, San Francisco, or Los Angeles, as well as hotel accommodations, guided tours, and some meals in each city.
Click here to see the full itinerary.
Days 1–5: Beijing
Accommodations: Beijing International Hotel or similar hotel, depending on availability at the time of booking.
With a history dating back three millennia, Beijing is a fitting microcosm of modern-day China. Soaring skyscrapers, Michelin-starred restaurants, and Olympic stadiums stand in proximity to ancient landmarks, such as the Forbidden City palace compound, Tiananmen Square, and the Great Wall of China, which stretches along the northern part of the municipality. And though Beijing is massive, it moves at a much calmer pace than Hong Kong or Shanghai.
Trip Highlights
- Guided tours of UNESCO World Heritage sites, including the Temple of Heaven and the Great Wall.
- Photo opportunities at Beijing National Stadium, which hosted the 2008 Olympics.<p>
Days 6–8: Chengdu
Accommodations: Celebrity Ruicheng Hotel or similar hotel, depending on availability at the time of booking.
The capital city of the Sichuan province, Chengdu has a reputation for being one of the most laid-back cities in China. It’s a nice respite during the tour: you can stroll along the river or regroup over cups of jasmine tea (the tea-drinking culture in Chengdu dates back more than a millennium).
As in many Sichuanese cities, Chengdu’s local recipes emphasize spicy flavors. Traditional specialties here include tofu and hot pots made with fiery Sichuan peppercorns.
Trip Highlights
- A visit to a giant panda breeding center, where you can volunteer to help clean out pens and feed or bathe pandas.
- A visit to a local teahouse to sip cups of jasmine tea and learn about Chengdu’s ancient tea culture.
Read the Fine Print for important info on travel dates and other restrictions.
