---
title: "Axis to Kitchen Table"
description: "12 days from the Forbidden City to a family kitchen understanding the whole line"
type: "tour"
route_id: "beijing-xian-chengdu-12-days"
total_days: 12
price: 4060
highlights: ["Beijing", "Xi'an", "Chengdu"]
url: "https://www.lyriktrip.com/tours/beijing-xian-chengdu-12-days"
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---

# Axis to Kitchen Table

12 days from the Forbidden City to a family kitchen understanding the whole line

Three cities, two train rides. Great Wall, Terracotta Warriors, pandas and a Sichuan opera stage, with English-speaking guides city by city.

- Days two through eleven each carry at most two listed items, and two of those days are set as easy days. The only climb on the route is done by lift rather than on foot.

## Overview

Three generations rarely want the same day. This plan starts at the scale of an empire and ends at the scale of a table. Beijing gives you the axis the city was built along, and a hill to look back down it from. A museum morning hands the children the story before Xi'an makes them stand in front of it. Two train legs move everyone at ground level, no airport in the middle. Chengdu drops the pace to a teahouse chair and a cutting board. On the tenth day the family cooks its own dinner, and you'll notice nobody has reached for a phone in an hour.

— LyrikTrip travel designers

Every LyrikTrip journey begins with a conversation. Tell us who is coming, the oldest and the youngest included, and your dates. First reply within four hours; a clear price for your dates within one business day. On this route we will also tell you plainly where the connecting rooms stand, and what your November or December dates mean for the way up the Great Wall, before you are asked for anything.

## Summary

- Route ID: beijing-xian-chengdu-12-days
- Duration: 12 days / 11 nights
- Starting price: $4,060
- Status: active
- Highlights: Beijing, Xi'an, Chengdu
- Cover image: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/2WLhk97i.webp

## Hero tags

- private
- From 1 guest
- Max: no fixed limit

## Highlight notes

- Three cities, two train rides. Great Wall, Terracotta Warriors, pandas and a Sichuan opera stage, with English-speaking guides city by city.
- 12 days from the Forbidden City to a family kitchen bench. Understand the whole line.

## Selling points

- Walk one straight line through the Forbidden City in the morning, then climb a small hill north of it and look back down at the roofs you were standing under an hour ago.
- Ride the lift up to the Great Wall at Mutianyu and back down again: the grandparents and the nine-year-old reach the same stretch of wall in the same hour, and nobody has climbed a step to get there.
- Stand at the rail above the Terracotta Warriors, where an estimated eight thousand figures are still standing in the trenches they were buried in.
- Fly home with a working model of a Qin crossbow that your child assembled at a bench in Xi'an: the one thing in twelve days you carry out of China yourself.
- Get to the panda base in the morning, the hours when the pandas are generally moving rather than sleeping.
- Buy the ingredients at a Chengdu market and cook a Sichuan dinner three generations deep, then eat what you made.
- Sit close enough to a face-changing performer to watch the mask go and still not catch how, in a neighborhood theater rather than a hotel ballroom.

## City highlights

- Beijing (4 days): Land, and do nothing
  - Image: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/ba5HRWW1.webp
- Xi'an (3 days): The primer, then the train
  - Image: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/aJBFntMT.webp
- Chengdu (5 days): A pagoda, then south
  - Image: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/9DsxSfeZ.webp

## Experiences

Three cities, two train rides. Great Wall, Terracotta Warriors, pandas and a Sichuan opera stage, with English-speaking guides city by city.

- Tian'anmen Square (Beijing): Tian'anmen Square introduces the scale and symbolism of modern Chinese public space.
  - Subtitle: Beijing's monumental civic landmark
  - Tags: Landmark
  - Host: Beijing, Beijing Lens — Imperial capital and Great Wall
  - Access: A central orientation stop before or after the Forbidden City.
  - Images: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/b6a275c3e50d.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/e544ca01550e.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/b85b763e11cd.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/a724165b0cc6.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/410246e2d66a.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/600867e7a2ef.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/cd9c3a758365.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/86b6ca981b8d.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/50c2c4037905.jpg
- The Forbidden City (Beijing): the palace the Ming and Qing courts ran the country from, finished in 1420 and lived in for five centuries. You walk one axis: the ceremonial halls, the living quarters behind them, the imperial garden, then out through the north gate to Jingshan. Entry is by timed reservation and the booking system sits poorly with overseas mobile numbers, so your quote states in writing who books your slot and by when. The admission itself is in the base price. Audio guides and guides hired inside the palace are not. Guests regularly find the site tiring, so the route is cut to that single line with places to sit, and no departure puts this day on a Monday, when the palace closes.
  - Subtitle: the palace the Ming and Qing courts ran the country from, finished in 1420 and lived in for five centuries.
  - Tags: Heritage
  - Host: Beijing, Beijing Lens — Imperial capital and Great Wall
  - Access: the palace the Ming and Qing courts ran the country from, finished in 1420 and lived in for five centuries. You walk one axis: the ceremonial halls, the living quarters behind them, the imperial garden, then out through the north gate to Jingshan. Entry is by timed reservation and the booking system sits poorly with overseas mobile numbers, so your quote states in writing who books your slot and by when. The admission itself is in the base price. Audio guides and guides hired inside the palace are not. Guests regularly find the site tiring, so the route is cut to that single line with places to sit, and no departure puts this day on a Monday, when the palace closes.
  - Images: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/7f313a6dab74.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/8a6cdb9ca2b9.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/de8d1138706b.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/cb45218f2b95.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/08a2b46a7206.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/43c9d4d18be6.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/49598606918a.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/17cfe569ced7.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/aff552490ca6.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/db0255c2930c.jpg
- Jingshan Park (Beijing): Jingshan Park offers one of the best classic views across the Forbidden City rooftops.
  - Subtitle: A hilltop view over imperial Beijing
  - Tags: Viewpoint
  - Host: Beijing, Beijing Lens — Imperial capital and Great Wall
  - Access: A short climb rewards travelers with a strong city overview.
  - Images: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/408fc381c4b4.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/7f313a6dab74.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/6a3ff539ffc8.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/2c700baa4e73.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/00decb026e42.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/51ec43ea0513.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/9604ef61c628.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/7dc03e9310a1.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/964e96f11238.jpg
- Old Beijing hutongs and the Shichahai lakeside (Beijing): courtyard lanes and lakeside streets where old Beijing still runs its daily life: gray brick, doorway stones, bicycles, the lakes going quiet toward dusk. About two hours on flat ground, and the walk stretches or shortens to fit the afternoon.
  - Subtitle: courtyard lanes and lakeside streets where old Beijing still runs its daily life: gray brick, doorway stones, bicycles, the lakes going quiet toward dusk.
  - Tags: City
  - Host: Beijing, Beijing Lens — Imperial capital and Great Wall
  - Access: courtyard lanes and lakeside streets where old Beijing still runs its daily life: gray brick, doorway stones, bicycles, the lakes going quiet toward dusk. About two hours on flat ground, and the walk stretches or shortens to fit the afternoon.
  - Images: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/c24addfaebbd.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/d2df22905bb0.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/fe9f94178424.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/04a1b8761320.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/f33f3be71930.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/b3f2f5a11e6c.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/8f53a337fbca.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/d2b1cb970f30.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/9334df3db1e2.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/748ea658803d.jpg
- Mutianyu Great Wall (Beijing): A well-restored Great Wall section with open views and easier walking conditions for first-time visitors.
  - Subtitle: A classic Great Wall section near Beijing
  - Tags: Great Wall
  - Host: Beijing, Beijing Lens — Imperial capital and Great Wall
  - Access: A polished Great Wall experience with flexible cable car or walking options.
  - Images: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/f6c07b2f8772.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/3a661e194c2f.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/1b0f83ddd1e5.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/7207d6532c2f.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/e88879531691.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/926d916b9408.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/91465599744f.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/a720fb1678e6.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/608cdc21a04d.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/9b968ec44131.jpg
- NMC: One Room for Nine Days (Beijing): the national collection on the east side of the square: bronzes, ceramics, Buddhist figures, calligraphy. Two hours here puts the objects behind the last nine days into one room, which is why it sits on the day you leave Beijing. Entry is by timed reservation and the system sits poorly with overseas mobile numbers, so your quote states in writing who books it and by when. Admission is in the base price; audio guides and guides hired inside are not.
  - Subtitle: the national collection on the east side of the square: bronzes, ceramics, Buddhist figures, calligraphy.
  - Tags: Museum
  - Host: Beijing, Beijing Lens — Imperial capital and Great Wall
  - Access: the national collection on the east side of the square: bronzes, ceramics, Buddhist figures, calligraphy. Two hours here puts the objects behind the last nine days into one room, which is why it sits on the day you leave Beijing. Entry is by timed reservation and the system sits poorly with overseas mobile numbers, so your quote states in writing who books it and by when. Admission is in the base price; audio guides and guides hired inside are not.
  - Images: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/1cf05dc82e49.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/d076400ad86d.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/55ab6f174707.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/dcce08639678.jpg
- Temple of Heaven (Beijing): Temple of Heaven combines Ming dynasty ritual architecture with Beijing's lively park culture.
  - Subtitle: An imperial ritual site with local life
  - Tags: Culture
  - Host: Beijing, Beijing Lens — Imperial capital and Great Wall
  - Access: Pairs grand ceremonial architecture with everyday local morning activity.
  - Images: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/0d9ea5fe76e1.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/db9b46f1b9cf.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/c545d9594e74.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/dc39cfe33b0d.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/359ba00d37d0.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/b538bb2aa834.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/6d40f9e82d6b.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/212c0e2ea8c8.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/7bbec6cd7e80.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/cd8da061f42b.jpg
- High-speed rail, Beijing to Xi'an (Beijing to Xi'an): an afternoon aboard China's high-speed railway, roughly 1,100 kilometers of the North China Plain going past the window at speed. Station transfers at both ends are by your own vehicle and your guide hands you over at the gate. In the base price. Cabin class is being finalized, so your quote states in writing the class booked for your order.
  - Subtitle: an afternoon aboard China's high-speed railway, roughly 1,100 kilometers of the North China Plain going past the window at speed.
  - Tags: Transport
  - Host: Guangzhou, Guangzhou Lens — Trade history and southern city life
  - Access: an afternoon aboard China's high-speed railway, roughly 1,100 kilometers of the North China Plain going past the window at speed. Station transfers at both ends are by your own vehicle and your guide hands you over at the gate. In the base price. Cabin class is being finalized, so your quote states in writing the class booked for your order.
  - Images: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/fb93d232554d.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/7781d5ce0818.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/657532699f1f.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/5612dfe51dad.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/a97eca2cd5ca.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/bd925cf52a58.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/2a591fe89642.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/e7adeb642885.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/ec5b8ff6b5da.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/dc80c6b7f8e4.jpg
- Terracotta Army: Scale and Ambition (Xi'an): the excavation halls outside Xi'an holding the underground army of Qin Shi Huang, China's first emperor, and one of the country's most significant archaeological finds. You look down into the pits at ranked columns of soldiers: individual faces, armor by rank, formations still legible after two millennia of burial. Your guide teaches you to read them: which are officers, which are archers, what the formation was for. Why it rewards a slow visit: the scale reads in one glance, the craftsmanship only up close.
  - Subtitle: the excavation halls outside Xi'an holding the underground army of Qin Shi
  - Tags: Heritage
  - Host: Xi'an, Xi'an Lens — Warriors and ancient capital
  - Access: Essential Xi'an access to one of China's most recognized archaeological sites.
  - Images: https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1528866310106-4459b39622ed?q=80&w=2064&auto=format&fit=crop&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&ixid=M3wxMjA3fDB8MHxwaG90by1wYWdlfHx8fGVufDB8fHx8fA%3D%3D, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/70bc50b897e9.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/788c1d294602.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/d1bf545bf0ba.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/8ff4c8890b77.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/9b2f4e2d90b4.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/ed2c5f141848.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/4cd4eb7405cc.jpg
- Qin crossbow model workshop (Xi'an): under an instructor's guidance you assemble a small working model based on the design of an ancient Qin crossbow, and learn how standardized parts let one army arm itself at scale. About ninety minutes at a bench, and the finished model goes home with you. It is scheduled the day after the pits, so the children build the thing they have just seen behind glass.
  - Subtitle: under an instructor's guidance you assemble a small working model based on the design of an ancient Qin crossbow, and learn how standardized parts let one army arm itself at scale.
  - Tags: Hands-on
  - Host: Xi'an, Xi'an Lens — Warriors and ancient capital
  - Access: under an instructor's guidance you assemble a small working model based on the design of an ancient Qin crossbow, and learn how standardized parts let one army arm itself at scale. About ninety minutes at a bench, and the finished model goes home with you. It is scheduled the day after the pits, so the children build the thing they have just seen behind glass.
  - Images: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/bbdf7cf559de.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/b27729e1faf2.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/119187c96b48.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/2255bfd5d417.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/32496c3f8c47.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/a245f70dc30c.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/8c33687eb678.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/8e32da757367.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/aa607caa8274.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/9e3185d9f07c.jpg
- Bell and Drum Tower square and the Muslim Quarter by night (Xi'an): After dark, Bell and Drum Towers face off over smoky food lanes. Pulled noodles, persimmon cakes, roujiamo, and naan ovens line the Hui quarter. Your guide explains what to eat and how—walking included, tower entry extra, snacks cheap and self-paid. Centuries of Silk Road history stay edible here tonight.
  - Subtitle: At dusk, the timekeeping Bell and Drum Towers face off across the old center, while behind them the Hui quarter's lanes come alive. Your guide walks you through, decoding each stall—what's worth it, what's for tourists, how to eat. About two hours; tower entry extra, snacks self-paid and cheap.
  - Tags: City
  - Host: Xi'an, Xi'an Lens — Warriors and ancient capital
  - Access: the two towers that once kept the city's time, and behind them the lanes of the Hui neighborhood after dark, at the hour they are actually busy. Your guide walks it with you and reads the food stalls: what is worth stopping for, what is a tourist item, and how each thing is eaten. Climbing the Bell Tower or the Drum Tower is a separate on-site ticket and is not in your price; food is on your own account.
  - Images: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/be2d09d79b66.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/02e10943b0b8.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/a89c8581e5c7.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/281d43f0922e.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/467e9f21253b.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/be17d6a5ce49.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/2be0c598ad8d.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/cc45951bdee2.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/68851d1cd2f1.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/40f5c954821f.jpg
- Giant Wild Goose Pagoda (Xi'an): Giant Wild Goose Pagoda reflects Xi'an's role as a Buddhist and Silk Road cultural center.
  - Subtitle: A Tang dynasty Buddhist landmark
  - Tags: Pagoda
  - Host: Xi'an, Xi'an Lens — Warriors and ancient capital
  - Access: A classic Tang-era landmark connected to ancient Chang'an history.
  - Images: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/2be95bfc5748.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/eb70bbcc8abb.jpg, https://ak-d.tripcdn.com/images/0HJ2z12000qfv3id4A253_W_1440_810_Q80.webp?proc=source%2ftrip, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/f1e0cd6ae0d1.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/94916373f524.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/4269d987bac0.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/542e4f255e79.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/7d1e365a232d.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/18de0aedb419.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/2f0b6d04d98d.jpg
- High-speed rail, Xi'an to Chengdu (Xi'an to Chengdu): the afternoon the landscape changes. The line runs south through the Qinling mountains, the range that divides northern China from southern China, in and out of tunnels, and you arrive in a place that eats, talks and moves differently from the one you left after lunch. In the base price, cabin class stated in your quote.
  - Subtitle: the afternoon the landscape changes.
  - Tags: Transport
  - Host: Guangzhou, Guangzhou Lens — Trade history and southern city life
  - Access: the afternoon the landscape changes. The line runs south through the Qinling mountains, the range that divides northern China from southern China, in and out of tunnels, and you arrive in a place that eats, talks and moves differently from the one you left after lunch. In the base price, cabin class stated in your quote.
  - Images: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/779230c107f7.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/fb93d232554d.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/0986d5a97d51.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/c9fa01a18210.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/0557755296eb.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/673e97272b64.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/04b64e8174f2.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/456ffccae8e2.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/60eb70c6e497.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/02659d304894.jpg
- Chengdu panda base (Chengdu): the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, a research and breeding center on the edge of the city. Your visit is set for the morning, the hours when the pandas are generally more active; arrive later and you mostly watch them sleep. About three hours on flat, shaded paths. Whether the park's internal shuttle is running in your month, and whether it sits inside your price, is stated in writing in your quote.
  - Subtitle: the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, a research and breeding center on the edge of the city.
  - Tags: Nature
  - Host: Chengdu, Chengdu Lens — Pandas and Sichuan culture
  - Access: the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, a research and breeding center on the edge of the city. Your visit is set for the morning, the hours when the pandas are generally more active; arrive later and you mostly watch them sleep. About three hours on flat, shaded paths. Whether the park's internal shuttle is running in your month, and whether it sits inside your price, is stated in writing in your quote.
  - Images: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/5b5d1775d251.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/e650f27937d8.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/c910f00284ac.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/fb8f2b170763.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/f84d52332ce8.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/3e8e1eba78b6.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/106d08f5e8be.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/df22c3d68f08.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/cdab22c7bcf5.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/bcdc08962f93.jpg
- Teahouse sitting in People's Park (Chengdu): an open-air teahouse in a public park in the middle of Chengdu, bamboo chairs at low tables under the trees. You sit down and stay: the table and one gaiwan per guest, the lidded cup China brews in, are in your price, and the kettle comes back as long as you are in the chair. Around you the park does what it does on a weekday, cards at the next table, a tuning fork ringing as an ear cleaner works his way between the tables. Roughly three hours are set aside, because sitting is the content here rather than a pause on the way somewhere. The ear cleaning and anything you eat or drink beyond that one gaiwan are on your own account.
  - Subtitle: an open-air teahouse in a public park in the middle of Chengdu, bamboo chairs at low tables under the trees, keep your seat and the tea keeps coming.
  - Tags: City
  - Host: Chengdu, Chengdu Lens — Pandas and Sichuan culture
  - Access: bamboo chairs under the trees and a gaiwan each, the lidded cup China brews in, refilled by a man with a long-spouted kettle for as long as you keep the seat. Around you: neighbors playing cards, an ear cleaner working the next table with a tuning fork. Your seat and the refills are in the base price; the snacks and the ear cleaner are your own account. A full afternoon is set aside, because sitting is the content here rather than a pause on the way somewhere.
  - Images: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/77584e962219.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/2bff65c653e6.png, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/34f6c86b2f9f.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/a4c2127aee55.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/6a74f063db8f.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/a27d0f4e6224.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/89eb340e5ae2.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/3b775398e844.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/b33e34d550fa.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/3cbc8f748897.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/aa9f96490a8c.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/bb9ce7deea94.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/1ea505e390f1.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/221e3aa47210.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/43f5d1ab4117.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/12ed3c8b6eac.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/54273121005d.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/4e4bd21b9b97.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/9d549716c30b.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/9cf32f1b02e8.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/d57a819a2152.jpg
- Family Sichuan Cooking Class (Chengdu): you go to a local market with the cooking instructor first and pick up what the dishes need, then cook them and eat what you cooked. About four hours end to end. Children get their own tasks at the bench, and the heat on their portions is set to their taste rather than the adults'. The dishes you make are your dinner and are in the base price.
  - Subtitle: you go to a local market with the cooking instructor first and pick up what the dishes need, then cook them and eat what you cooked.
  - Tags: Hands-on
  - Host: Chengdu, Chengdu Lens — Pandas and Sichuan culture
  - Access: you go to a local market with the cooking instructor first and pick up what the dishes need, then cook them and eat what you cooked. About four hours end to end. Children get their own tasks at the bench, and the heat on their portions is set to their taste rather than the adults'. The dishes you make are your dinner and are in the base price.
  - Images: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/b854c8b2ef32.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/684ca7976b44.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/699c8087fad0.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/11143f1b1c0b.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/6f65f8c337dd.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/48b58d7a2b0a.jpg
- Kuanzhai Alley (Chengdu): literally the wide and narrow lanes, a historic neighborhood formed around three parallel streets of gray-brick courtyard houses, now full of shops and tea bars. It is a commercial street and we say so: what stands up is the architecture and the lane pattern, and your guide walks the built fabric with you rather than the shopfronts. About two and a half hours, flat.
  - Subtitle: literally the wide and narrow lanes, a historic neighborhood formed around three parallel streets of gray-brick courtyard houses, now full of shops and tea bars.
  - Tags: City
  - Host: Chengdu, Chengdu Lens — Pandas and Sichuan culture
  - Access: literally the wide and narrow lanes, a historic neighborhood formed around three parallel streets of gray-brick courtyard houses, now full of shops and tea bars. It is a commercial street and we say so: what stands up is the architecture and the lane pattern, and your guide walks the built fabric with you rather than the shopfronts. About two and a half hours, flat.
  - Images: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/f9d65853f604.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/262063329951.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/1cebd74b803b.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/aa2e718f79ba.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/5a20d084dbd3.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/a90acde78a0f.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/3f12a2960f0c.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/0086088b43d1.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/f2775642c32a.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/cece45fb92f6.jpg
- Community Sichuan opera (Chengdu): a neighborhood theater rather than a hotel ballroom show. You go backstage before it starts, watch the performers put their faces on, and then see face-changing from close range: the painted mask becomes another one in the time it takes the performer to swing his head. The ticket, the backstage visit and the face-changing piece are in the base price as listed by the theater; if the theater's program for your date turns out to run differently, your quote says so before you pay. Named performer, exact length and time slot are confirmed for your departure rather than promised here. About two hours, seated.
  - Subtitle: a neighborhood theater rather than a hotel ballroom show.
  - Tags: Stage
  - Host: Chengdu, Chengdu Lens — Pandas and Sichuan culture
  - Access: a neighborhood theater rather than a hotel ballroom show. You go backstage before it starts, watch the performers put their faces on, and then see face-changing from close range: the painted mask becomes another one in the time it takes the performer to swing his head. The ticket, the backstage visit and the face-changing piece are in the base price as listed by the theater; if the theater's program for your date turns out to run differently, your quote says so before you pay. About two hours, seated.
  - Images: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/984b6ea21914.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/41a954b10a49.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/64ef87441097.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/9504e34cb716.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/7fb9607dad55.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/c7adcea03a38.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/c084683a4ac6.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/00bbe0d6022a.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/7727dea96809.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/551fdba21a23.jpg
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## Itinerary

### Axis to Kitchen Table - 12 days

Journey

#### Beijing (4 days)

- Subtitle: Land, and do nothing
- Recommendation: Your driver meets the flight, whatever time it lands. The first day asks nothing of anyone.
- Transport: High-speed rail
- Transport mode: train

Arrival in Beijing · Beijing through the window · Evening

- Images: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/ba5HRWW1.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/14h8ZnOb.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/17bdSgjF.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/1bDq9gT4.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/1cZHxWkg.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/1vwu9mIQ.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/1X29GyUB.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/1xVI7jTc.webp
##### Day 1: Land, and do nothing

- (transport) — the vehicle is waiting for the flight number on your confirmation, and the run into the city is yours to sleep through if the grandparents need it.
- (sight) — ring roads first, then the poplars and the lit shopfronts of a city street; the country you flew to shows up before you have unpacked anything.
- (note) — nothing is scheduled. Your guide is reachable, and dinner near the hotel is recommended and booked for you if you want it, on your account.
- (accommodation) Novotel Beijing Peace — Hotel stay in Beijing.

##### Day 2: One axis through the palace

- (sight) — you cross the ceremonial center of modern China on foot toward the palace gate. Screening comes first and it has its own half hour or more in the day's budget, counted separately from your time on the square; your guide takes the party to the nearest screening entrance so the older members do not walk the long way around.
- (sight) — your timed slot is booked ahead by us, so you walk in on schedule. Inside, one axis: the ceremonial halls where the court did its business, the living quarters behind them, the imperial garden at the end, then out through the north gate. Stand in the middle of the main courtyard and look back through the gates you came in by: they line up, one inside another, all the way out to the square.
- (sight) — the palace is large and guests often say it wears them out, so the route stops at the seats we know about and the garden at the end is unhurried. Nothing else is on today.

##### Day 3: Look back down at it

- (sight) — the hill sits directly north of the gate you came out of yesterday, which is why it is today and not yesterday: inside the palace you lose all sense of how big it is, and from the pavilion at the top you get it back. Below you the golden roofs run in rows, and the Beijing Central Axis carries straight out of the frame both ways. Stand at the pavilion rail and find the courtyard you were standing in yesterday.
- (sight) — from the foot of the hill you walk north into courtyard lanes still being lived in: gray brick, doorway stones worn round, bicycles, someone's washing on a line across the alley. The route comes out at the lakes as the light goes long and the neighborhood comes out for its evening.
- (sight) — both stops are flat apart from the hill path, and the hutong walk shortens if the children run out of afternoon.

##### Day 4: The wall, without the climb

- (transport) — the run north out of the city takes a good part of the morning, which is why nothing else is on today; the vehicle stays with you all day.
- (sight) — the climbing is done for you, both up and down, and both directions are in your price. You step off onto a restored stretch of wall with watchtowers running away along the ridge in both directions, and your guide points out the pass below and why the towers stand where they stand. Look along the ridge with the towers stepping down it: that is the picture the family came for. Watching your mother stand on the Great Wall, you'll feel the trip has already paid for itself.
- (sight) — part of the lift service here runs open-air, and open-air service stops in high wind, snow and ice. For a November or December departure, your quote states in writing which way up the wall your order uses, and if the lift is not running on the day your guide re-plans the day and the ticket cost of the unused section is refunded.
- (dining) — no lunch is included on this route. Your guide recommends and books a place near the foot of the wall, on your account.

#### Xi'an (3 days)

- Subtitle: The primer, then the train
- Recommendation: A museum hour to sort the dynasties out, a temple that argues in shapes, then an afternoon on the rails. Xi'an will make more sense because of this morning.
- Transport: High-speed rail
- Transport mode: train

National Museum of China · Temple of Heaven · High-speed rail to Xi'an

- Images: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/aJBFntMT.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/2IrwPATt.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/2SYFFac8.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/2z6MDkku.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/34qxDxFA.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/3DF4Fowd.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/3G0oTlIq.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/56RpQD9k.webp
##### Day 5: The primer, then the train

- (sight) — your reservation is locked to the first slot of the morning, booked by us, and it lines up with this afternoon's train. Bronzes, ceramics, Buddhist sculpture, calligraphy. Ask your guide to walk the children along the dynasty timeline first: they need the word Qin in their heads before tomorrow's train, and the pits the day after will land as a date rather than as old things.
- (sight) — three building groups on one line, where the emperor came once a year to ask for a harvest. Your guide gives you the rule and then stops explaining: round belongs to heaven, square belongs to earth. Watch the children start pointing at roofs on their own.
- (transport) — the afternoon train south and west, roughly four and a half hours, seat numbers on the tickets and the North China Plain going past at speed. Your driver runs both the hotel and the station ends, and your Xi'an guide takes over at the station door.
- (accommodation) Somerset Xindicheng Xi'an — Hotel stay in Xian.

##### Day 6: Eight thousand of them

- (sight) — you look down into the trenches from raised walkways, at rows of figures an estimated eight thousand strong, still standing where they were buried and still being dug out. Your guide reads the ranks off them: generals by their armor, crossbowmen by their stance, infantry by their hair-knots. In the newer excavation areas, look for the surviving pigment on the figures: this army was painted.
- (sight) — put the children in front of the kneeling archer and let them look for two minutes without saying anything. Every face in the pits is different, and that is the fact that gets told at home. By the second trench you'll find you have lowered your voice.
- (sight) — peak season crowds here are heavy, so the visit is timed to avoid the worst of the day, and the walkways are flat the whole way.

##### Day 7: Build the thing you saw

- (sight) — about ninety minutes at a bench, assembling a small working model on the pattern of an ancient Qin crossbow. The instructor shows you why it mattered: the parts were made to a standard, so a broken trigger could be swapped rather than remade, and an army could be armed at scale. The finished model goes home in your bag.
- (dining) — after dark you walk the crossing point of the old street grid with your guide. The two towers are lit from below, and the eating lanes run off them: grills, bread going into the ovens, sesame under a roller, queues at the good windows. Your guide tells you what each stall is making and you decide what to try; what you eat is on your own account.
- (sight) — the workshop is seated and the evening walk is flat and as short as you want it, which is why they sit on the same day.

#### Chengdu (5 days)

- Subtitle: A pagoda, then south
- Recommendation: One easy morning and one train. This is the first of the two days built to ask nothing of anyone.
- Transport: Flight
- Transport mode: airplane

Giant Wild Goose Pagoda · High-speed rail to Chengdu · Easy day

- Images: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/9DsxSfeZ.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/18sksaPz.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/1BPFDek8.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/2iDGv07g.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/2sL1auf0.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/37Mf4mO1.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/4BqwVBVY.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/4mDgLfna.webp
##### Day 8: A pagoda, then south

- (sight) — a seventh-century brick pagoda built to hold the sutras a monk carried back overland from India, standing in a walkable area of squares and gardens. You visit at ground level, about ninety minutes, and nobody climbs the tower. Walk the square on the north side and look back at the pagoda with the fountains running: it is the flattest photograph of the trip and the easiest one to get everybody into.
- (transport) — the afternoon leg runs about three and a half hours, south through the tunnels under the Qinling mountains, the range that divides the dry north from the Sichuan basin. Go in one end with poplars outside the window and come out the other into wet green.
- (note) — this is one of two days in the twelve with nothing else on it. Bags go to the hotel and the evening is yours; dinner nearby is recommended and booked for you if you want it, on your account.
- (accommodation) Atour Hotel Chengdu Taikoo Li Chunxi Road Pedestrian Street — Hotel stay in Chengdu.

##### Day 9: Pandas, then nowhere to be

- (sight) — you are there in the morning, the hours when the pandas are generally moving: eating, climbing down off things, dropping back to sleep in the fork of a tree. Flat shaded paths, benches, about three hours to use as the family likes. Get the children to the enclosure fence early and let them wait: the animal comes to the fence on its own schedule.
- (sight) — bamboo chairs under the trees in a public park, and a gaiwan each, the lidded cup China brews in, refilled by someone with a long-spouted kettle as long as you stay. Cards at the next table, an ear cleaner working with a tuning fork two tables over. Your tea is included and the afternoon has no next stop in it. An hour in, you'll notice that nobody in the family has asked what happens next.

##### Day 10: The market and the bench

- (sight) — you walk a local market with the person who is about to teach you, buying what the dishes need: chilies by the scoop, whole spices, bean paste out of a vat, greens picked over by the stallholder while she talks to your guide.
- (sight) — then you cook, and what you cook is the meal. Children get their own jobs at the bench, and the heat on their portions is set to their taste rather than the adults'. Grandparents who have cooked their whole lives usually end up teaching the instructor something.
- (note) — the second of the two days in twelve with nothing else scheduled. What you cook is your dinner, so the evening is already taken care of.

##### Day 11: Backstage, then a mask

- (sight) — literally the wide and narrow lanes, three parallel streets of gray-brick courtyard houses now lined with shops and tea bars. It is a commercial street and we do not pretend otherwise: your guide walks the doorframes, the roof lines and the lane pattern with you, and where you shop is up to you.
- (sight) — a neighborhood house, not a hotel ballroom. You go backstage before it starts and watch a performer paint on the face he is about to lose, then sit close enough to fail to catch how it goes: the mask becomes another mask in the time it takes him to swing his head. Sit in the second row and watch the children's faces instead of the stage.
- (sight) — both are flat and the theater is seated throughout, which is how the last full day is meant to feel.

##### Day 12: Home

- (sight) — your driver takes the family to the airport, timed to your flight with room to spare; if a late flight leaves the day open, tell us and we plan the gap around your check-out rather than around a schedule.

## Daily plan

### Day 1 — Land, and do nothing

Your driver meets the flight, whatever time it lands. The first day asks nothing of anyone.

- Arrival in Beijing: the vehicle is waiting for the flight number on your confirmation, and the run into the city is yours to sleep through if the grandparents need it.
- Beijing through the window: ring roads first, then the poplars and the lit shopfronts of a city street; the country you flew to shows up before you have unpacked anything.
- Evening: nothing is scheduled. Your guide is reachable, and dinner near the hotel is recommended and booked for you if you want it, on your account.
- Stay: Beijing
- Meals: None included today

### Day 2 — One axis through the palace

The square first, then the gate, then five centuries in a straight line. This is the day the children work out how old this place is.

- Tian'anmen Square: you cross the ceremonial center of modern China on foot toward the palace gate. Screening comes first and it has its own half hour or more in the day's budget, counted separately from your time on the square; your guide takes the party to the nearest screening entrance so the older members do not walk the long way around.
- The Forbidden City: your timed slot is booked ahead by us, so you walk in on schedule. Inside, one axis: the ceremonial halls where the court did its business, the living quarters behind them, the imperial garden at the end, then out through the north gate. Stand in the middle of the main courtyard and look back through the gates you came in by: they line up, one inside another, all the way out to the square.
- Pace: the palace is large and guests often say it wears them out, so the route stops at the seats we know about and the garden at the end is unhurried. Nothing else is on today.
- Stay: Beijing
- Meals: Breakfast at the hotel

### Day 3 — Look back down at it

A small hill, then a lane where people are hanging out laundry. Yesterday's palace becomes a shape you can hold in one photograph.

- Jingshan Park: the hill sits directly north of the gate you came out of yesterday, which is why it is today and not yesterday: inside the palace you lose all sense of how big it is, and from the pavilion at the top you get it back. Below you the golden roofs run in rows, and the Beijing Central Axis carries straight out of the frame both ways. Stand at the pavilion rail and find the courtyard you were standing in yesterday.
- Old Beijing hutongs and the Shichahai lakeside: from the foot of the hill you walk north into courtyard lanes still being lived in: gray brick, doorway stones worn round, bicycles, someone's washing on a line across the alley. The route comes out at the lakes as the light goes long and the neighborhood comes out for its evening.
- Pace: both stops are flat apart from the hill path, and the hutong walk shortens if the children run out of afternoon.
- Stay: Beijing
- Meals: Breakfast at the hotel

### Day 4 — The wall, without the climb

A lift takes the party up and brings it back down. Everyone gets the same wall in the same hour.

- Drive out to Mutianyu: the run north out of the city takes a good part of the morning, which is why nothing else is on today; the vehicle stays with you all day.
- Up by lift: the climbing is done for you, both up and down, and both directions are in your price. You step off onto a restored stretch of wall with watchtowers running away along the ridge in both directions, and your guide points out the pass below and why the towers stand where they stand. Look along the ridge with the towers stepping down it: that is the picture the family came for. Watching your mother stand on the Great Wall, you'll feel the trip has already paid for itself.
- Winter departures: part of the lift service here runs open-air, and open-air service stops in high wind, snow and ice. For a November or December departure, your quote states in writing which way up the wall your order uses, and if the lift is not running on the day your guide re-plans the day and the ticket cost of the unused section is refunded.
- Lunch on the wall day: no lunch is included on this route. Your guide recommends and books a place near the foot of the wall, on your account.
- Stay: Beijing
- Meals: Breakfast at the hotel

### Day 5 — The primer, then the train

A museum hour to sort the dynasties out, a temple that argues in shapes, then an afternoon on the rails. Xi'an will make more sense because of this morning.

- National Museum of China: your reservation is locked to the first slot of the morning, booked by us, and it lines up with this afternoon's train. Bronzes, ceramics, Buddhist sculpture, calligraphy. Ask your guide to walk the children along the dynasty timeline first: they need the word Qin in their heads before tomorrow's train, and the pits the day after will land as a date rather than as old things.
- Temple of Heaven: three building groups on one line, where the emperor came once a year to ask for a harvest. Your guide gives you the rule and then stops explaining: round belongs to heaven, square belongs to earth. Watch the children start pointing at roofs on their own.
- High-speed rail to Xi'an: the afternoon train south and west, roughly four and a half hours, seat numbers on the tickets and the North China Plain going past at speed. Your driver runs both the hotel and the station ends, and your Xi'an guide takes over at the station door.
- Stay: Xi'an
- Meals: Breakfast at the hotel

### Day 6 — Eight thousand of them

One site, one whole day, no climbing anywhere in it. The scale is the point and it takes a morning to sink in.

- Terracotta Warriors: you look down into the trenches from raised walkways, at rows of figures an estimated eight thousand strong, still standing where they were buried and still being dug out. Your guide reads the ranks off them: generals by their armor, crossbowmen by their stance, infantry by their hair-knots. In the newer excavation areas, look for the surviving pigment on the figures: this army was painted.
- The one they remember: put the children in front of the kneeling archer and let them look for two minutes without saying anything. Every face in the pits is different, and that is the fact that gets told at home. By the second trench you'll find you have lowered your voice.
- Pace: peak season crowds here are heavy, so the visit is timed to avoid the worst of the day, and the walkways are flat the whole way.
- Stay: Xi'an
- Meals: Breakfast at the hotel

### Day 7 — Build the thing you saw

A bench in the morning, a lit street after dark. Today the family makes something instead of looking at it.

- Qin crossbow model workshop: about ninety minutes at a bench, assembling a small working model on the pattern of an ancient Qin crossbow. The instructor shows you why it mattered: the parts were made to a standard, so a broken trigger could be swapped rather than remade, and an army could be armed at scale. The finished model goes home in your bag.
- The Bell and Drum Tower quarter and the night food lanes: after dark you walk the crossing point of the old street grid with your guide. The two towers are lit from below, and the eating lanes run off them: grills, bread going into the ovens, sesame under a roller, queues at the good windows. Your guide tells you what each stall is making and you decide what to try; what you eat is on your own account.
- Pace: the workshop is seated and the evening walk is flat and as short as you want it, which is why they sit on the same day.
- Stay: Xi'an
- Meals: Breakfast at the hotel

### Day 8 — A pagoda, then south

One easy morning and one train. This is the first of the two days built to ask nothing of anyone.

- Giant Wild Goose Pagoda: a seventh-century brick pagoda built to hold the sutras a monk carried back overland from India, standing in a walkable area of squares and gardens. You visit at ground level, about ninety minutes, and nobody climbs the tower. Walk the square on the north side and look back at the pagoda with the fountains running: it is the flattest photograph of the trip and the easiest one to get everybody into.
- High-speed rail to Chengdu: the afternoon leg runs about three and a half hours, south through the tunnels under the Qinling mountains, the range that divides the dry north from the Sichuan basin. Go in one end with poplars outside the window and come out the other into wet green.
- Easy day: this is one of two days in the twelve with nothing else on it. Bags go to the hotel and the evening is yours; dinner nearby is recommended and booked for you if you want it, on your account.
- Stay: Chengdu
- Meals: Breakfast at the hotel

### Day 9 — Pandas, then nowhere to be

The morning belongs to the youngest of you. The afternoon belongs to nobody.

- Chengdu panda base: you are there in the morning, the hours when the pandas are generally moving: eating, climbing down off things, dropping back to sleep in the fork of a tree. Flat shaded paths, benches, about three hours to use as the family likes. Get the children to the enclosure fence early and let them wait: the animal comes to the fence on its own schedule.
- Teahouse sitting in People's Park: bamboo chairs under the trees in a public park, and a gaiwan each, the lidded cup China brews in, refilled by someone with a long-spouted kettle as long as you stay. Cards at the next table, an ear cleaner working with a tuning fork two tables over. Your tea is included and the afternoon has no next stop in it. An hour in, you'll notice that nobody in the family has asked what happens next.
- Stay: Chengdu
- Meals: Breakfast at the hotel

### Day 10 — The market and the bench

A market in the morning, a kitchen after it, and dinner is whatever the three of you managed. Today the trip narrows to the size of one table.

- Market with the cooking instructor: you walk a local market with the person who is about to teach you, buying what the dishes need: chilies by the scoop, whole spices, bean paste out of a vat, greens picked over by the stallholder while she talks to your guide.
- Sichuan home cooking: then you cook, and what you cook is the meal. Children get their own jobs at the bench, and the heat on their portions is set to their taste rather than the adults'. Grandparents who have cooked their whole lives usually end up teaching the instructor something.
- Easy day: the second of the two days in twelve with nothing else scheduled. What you cook is your dinner, so the evening is already taken care of.
- Stay: Chengdu
- Meals: Breakfast at the hotel, plus the dishes you cook in the class

### Day 11 — Backstage, then a mask

Gray-brick lanes in the afternoon, a neighborhood stage after them. The last full day ends with the children's mouths open.

- Kuanzhai Alley: literally the wide and narrow lanes, three parallel streets of gray-brick courtyard houses now lined with shops and tea bars. It is a commercial street and we do not pretend otherwise: your guide walks the doorframes, the roof lines and the lane pattern with you, and where you shop is up to you.
- Sichuan opera, community theater: a neighborhood house, not a hotel ballroom. You go backstage before it starts and watch a performer paint on the face he is about to lose, then sit close enough to fail to catch how it goes: the mask becomes another mask in the time it takes him to swing his head. Sit in the second row and watch the children's faces instead of the stage.
- Pace: both are flat and the theater is seated throughout, which is how the last full day is meant to feel.
- Stay: Chengdu
- Meals: Breakfast at the hotel

### Day 12 — Home

Breakfast, then the airport. The plan ends the way it started, with a driver and no hurry.

- Departure from Chengdu: your driver takes the family to the airport, timed to your flight with room to spare; if a late flight leaves the day open, tell us and we plan the gap around your check-out rather than around a schedule.
- Stay: Trip ends
- Meals: Breakfast at the hotel

## Hotels

### Atour Hotel (Beijing West Railway Station South Square)

- City: Beijing
- Description: Upscale local hotel near Beijing West Railway Station South Square.
- Image: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/dHqyz391.webp

### Atour Hotel, Liuliqiao, Beijing West Railway Station

- City: Beijing
- Description: Upscale local hotel near Beijing West Railway Station and Liuliqiao.
- Image: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/gLxP4Hxa.webp

### Beijing Marriott Hotel Northeast

- City: Beijing
- Description: International high-end hotel in Beijing, suitable for business and city stays.
- Image: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/bWOFYezP.jpg

### Hilton Chengdu Chenghua

- City: Chengdu
- Description: A practical Chengdu base for travellers who want easy city access, relaxed days out, and a comfortable return after sightseeing.
- Image: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/3pup59R7.webp

### Sheraton Xi'an North City Hotel

- City: Xian
- Description: Sheraton Xi'an North City: five-star luxury five minutes from the Daming Palace, with an indoor pool and wellness centre.
- Image: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/k01OUBYw.jpg

### DoubleTree by Hilton Beijing East Third Ring Road

- City: Beijing
- Description: International upscale hotel in Beijing, suitable for business and leisure stays.
- Image: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/kkFJOiOe.webp

## Included / Excluded

### What's Included

- Private vehicle: Air-conditioned private vehicle for all listed touring in all three cities, including the full-day Mutianyu Great Wall round trip from central Beijing, and the hotel and station transfers for both rail legs
- Airport transfers: Arrival pickup in Beijing and departure drop-off in Chengdu are arranged by us. Their pricing basis is being finalized, so your quote states in writing whether your base price holds those two transfers
- High-speed rail: Two legs in the base price: Beijing to Xi'an on day five, Xi'an to Chengdu on day eight. Seat class is being finalized, so your quote states in writing the seat class for your order; second, first and business class are all quotable
- Hotels: 11 nights at your chosen level, four-star, five-star or quality boutique, breakfast included: Beijing 4 · Xi'an 3 · Chengdu 4. The night you land sits inside those 11
- Guide: Licensed English-speaking guide on every touring day in each of the three cities, including the evening walk in the Bell and Drum Tower quarter in Xi'an
- Reservations booked by us: The Forbidden City timed reservation and the National Museum of China reservation are booked by us on a mainland China number, with no booking fee added
- Tickets & experiences, Beijing: Tian'anmen Square · the Forbidden City along the central axis and out the north gate · Jingshan Park with the hilltop pavilion · old Beijing hutongs and the Shichahai lakeside walk · Mutianyu Great Wall with the lift section up and down and the restored watchtower walk · Temple of Heaven, the three building groups · National Museum of China at the first morning slot on the rail day
- Tickets & experiences, Xi'an: Terracotta Warriors pits · the Qin crossbow model workshop with the finished model to take home · Giant Wild Goose Pagoda and its surrounding cultural area · the evening walk in the Bell and Drum Tower quarter and the night food lanes
- Tickets & experiences, Chengdu: The panda base in the morning · the gaiwan teahouse sitting in People's Park with your tea included · the market visit and Sichuan home-cooking class led by the cooking instructor · the community Sichuan opera theater with the backstage look and face-changing up close · Kuanzhai Alley
- Queue allowance: At least 30 minutes of screening allowance is held on the Tian'anmen Square morning, and the museum reservation on the rail day is locked to the first morning slot so it lines up with the afternoon train
- Meals: 11 hotel breakfasts, days two through twelve. Tastings that form part of a listed experience are inside that experience: the tea at the People's Park teahouse, and the dishes you make in the Sichuan cooking class
- Insurance: Travel accident insurance

### Not Included

- International flights: Flights into Beijing and out of Chengdu. Onward connections out of Chengdu are also outside the base price: see Special Notes
- Visas: Visa fees and processing for guests who need a Chinese visa, including all US guests on this route
- Meals: Lunches and dinners other than the breakfasts and the in-experience tastings listed above. Your guide recommends and books them; the bill is yours. Food along the night food lanes in Xi'an is on your own account
- In-park transport and in-venue spending: Transport charged separately inside a park, base or scenic area (shuttle bus, sightseeing cart, internal train) is not in the base price. The one exception is the Mutianyu lift section named above. Photography services, audio-guide rentals and souvenirs are on your own account
- Optional add-ons: Priced separately when you choose them, and nothing optional is added into the base plan
- Personal: Gratuities, single or extra-room difference, laundry, personal spending

### Special Notes

A few things on this route follow the calendar, the season or a supplier's confirmation. Here they are, told straight.

- Bookings are not open yet: one thing has to be real first. A bookable connecting or family room type, confirmed in Beijing, Xi'an and Chengdu and named in writing. Three generations in separate rooms on separate floors is not this trip, so until those room types are secured we take no orders and no deposits. Tell us your dates and we will write to you on the day it opens.
- Departure dates: no departures between October 1 and October 7, the national holiday week. The terracotta pits and the Forbidden City both run at holiday-week crowd levels then, and this route is paced to the slowest member of your party. Dates are also set so that day two never falls on a Monday, when the Forbidden City closes: on a 12-day plan that means we do not take Sunday departures, and a requested Sunday date is moved rather than re-sequenced.
- Winter at the Great Wall: Mutianyu is the only climb on this route and the lift section is what makes it workable for three generations. Part of that lift service runs open-air, and open-air service stops in high wind, snow and ice, with shorter operating hours in winter. The operator has not yet given us a written statement of this season's operating days and wind-stoppage rule, so for November and December departures we promise no enclosed cabin: your quote states in writing which way up the wall your order uses. If the lift is not running on the day, your guide re-plans the day and the ticket cost of the unused section is refunded to you.
- Screening at the square: everyone is screened to enter Tian'anmen Square. At least half an hour of queue is budgeted separately, on top of your time on the square, so the palace reservation still lands on time.
- Two rail legs: this route moves by high-speed rail rather than by air, so a date change touches rail seat inventory as well as hotels and reservations. The 2026 Q4 timetable on both legs is verified against your dates before anything is charged, and the seat class for your order is written into your quote.
- Flying home out of Chengdu: Chengdu has full direct service to the UK, to Australia and to New Zealand. In western Europe it flies direct to France, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. In southern Europe the direct points are Italy, Spain, Portugal and Greece. To North America, and to Nordic, Central European and Irish points, direct service out of Chengdu is thin. If there is no direct option for your city you connect through another hub, and that connecting leg is not in the base price: we book it on request and quote it separately. North American families are usually better served by the 14-day version that ends in Shanghai, a separate product with its own itinerary and its own terms.
- Visa window: the 30-day visa-free policy currently runs through December 31, 2026. Because this is a 12-day plan, departures on or before December 19, 2026 finish inside that window with a day of margin for flight delay; later departures are quoted only after the official renewal is announced.
- US passports: the US is not on the 30-day visa-free list, and 12 days is longer than the 10-day visa-free transit policy allows, so every US guest on this route holds a valid Chinese tourist or business visa, ten-year multiple-entry included. Allow processing time before your departure date. We confirm visa status before any payment. Guests who entered China under the 10-day transit policy cannot take this trip, and we say so before payment rather than looking for a workaround.
- Group: Private, just your party. From 1 guest. No fixed maximum party size.
- Confirmation and changes: the confirmation-time commitment and the change and refund terms are being finalized with our ground partners. Until they are settled, each quote states in writing its own confirmation deadline and its change and refund conditions.

## Is Twelve Days Your Length?

Fewer than twelve days?

### Fewer than twelve days?

The three cities come apart cleanly: Beijing and Xi'an stand on their own, and the Chengdu stretch can shorten by a day without losing the pandas or the cooking class. Tell us your dates and who is coming, and we cut days rather than cut the pace.

## Good to Know

- Group: Private, just your party. From 1 guest. No fixed maximum party size.
- Pace: Three cities in 12 days: Beijing 4 nights, Xi'an 3, Chengdu 4. Days two through eleven each carry at most two listed items, and two of them are easy days
- Effort: Paced to the slowest member of your party. The only climb on the route is the Great Wall and it is done by lift. The terracotta pits, the temple, the pagoda and the park are flat ground; the opera is seated throughout. Jingshan Park has a stepped path to the pavilion, and the view from halfway up works if the steps are not for you
- Ports: Beijing in, Chengdu out; arrival pickup and departure drop-off arranged by us, with their pricing basis stated in writing in your quote
- Transport: Private vehicle in all three cities; two high-speed rail legs between them, with hotel and station transfers at both ends
- Visas: UK, most European and Canadian passports enter visa-free for days, and so do Australian and New Zealand passports. Every order is checked against your dates. US passports need a Chinese visa for this route
- Language: Licensed English-speaking local guides throughout, city by city
- Payment: When this route opens for booking: From 1 guest. A 10% deposit (minimum $399) locks your dates. The balance is due 14 days before departure. "Or similar" never means a quiet downgrade
- Season: Selling window October to December 2026. No departures October 1 to 7, and no Sunday departures. November and December departures carry the Great Wall lift terms above

## Your Private Concierge

- Name: Jason Hu
- Title: Private China Route Concierge
- Tagline: A bilingual planning desk for tailor-made China journeys.
- Bio: Our China team tunes pacing, hotels and local hosts around each route style.
- Avatar image: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/c0TBypRh.png

### Stats

- 20+ Years
- 300+ Trips designed
- 24/7 On-trip care

### The Conversation

Every LyrikTrip journey begins with a conversation. Tell us your dates and who's coming — and if this length isn't right for you, we'll say so and shape a shorter arc. First reply within four hours; a clear price for your dates within one business day.

- CTA: Start the conversation

### Step 01: Tell us what excites you

Not your dates and budget — your curiosity. Where have you always wanted to go? What do you want to feel? We start there.

- 24h: First concept delivered

### Step 02: We design it around you

Your specialist builds the itinerary from scratch — routes, hosts, hotels, and experiences you won't find anywhere else.

- 100%: Bespoke, never off-the-shelf

### Step 03: Lock it in with 10%

When the plan feels right, a 10% deposit holds your entire trip. Balance due 30 days before departure.

- 10%: Deposit to secure everything

### Step 04: Travel. We handle the rest.

Your Trip Pack arrives before you fly. On the road, your concierge is one message away — for the expected and everything you didn't plan for.

- 24/7: Support throughout your journey

- Free cancellation up to 30 days
- English-speaking concierge
- Secure payment via Stripe

- CTA: Talk to Us

## Guest Reviews

- Overall rating: 4.9
- Total reviews: 523
- Count label: from 523 verified reviews

4.9 / 5

### Platforms

- google: 4.9 (312 reviews)
- tripadvisor: 5.0 (211 reviews)

- Filter tabs: All, Google, TripAdvisor
- Emily Carter (🇺🇸 Seattle, USA · 5★ · May 2026 · google): Perfect for couples - My partner and I had an amazing time in China. Everything was arranged for us — transfers, hotels, guides. No stress at all.
- Claire Brooks (🇬🇧 London, UK · 5★ · Apr 2026 · tripadvisor): Great for families - Traveled with my two kids and had zero issues. The team made sure the pace wasn't too rushed and included things the kids would enjoy. Communication was easy throughout. Will definitely use them again for our next Asia trip.
- Laura Bennett (🇨🇦 Toronto, Canada · 5★ · Mar 2026 · google): Alisa made the whole experience easy - Alisa was our point of contact throughout and she was brilliant — patient, knowledgeable, and always quick to reply. The trip itself was wonderful. Beijing and Guilin were highlights.
- Mark Henderson (🇺🇸 Denver, USA · 4★ · Feb 2026 · tripadvisor): Good service, minor hiccup but sorted quickly - Really good service. There was a small mix-up with one of our restaurant bookings but it got sorted quickly. The rest of the trip was seamless.
- Rebecca Miller (🇺🇸 Boston, USA · 5★ · Jan 2026 · google): Really listened to what we wanted - Really helpful team. They listened to what we wanted and delivered. Beijing and Xi'an were incredible.

## China Ready

We've solved the hard parts. Here's everything a first-time Western traveler needs to know before arriving.

### VPN & Internet Access

- Badge: Do this before you fly
- What's blocked: Google, Gmail, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, and most Western news sites are inaccessible in China without a VPN.
- Download before you leave: It's nearly impossible to download a VPN once inside China. Install and test at home. Recommended: Astrill (most reliable), Mullvad, ExpressVPN — subscribe to at least two in case one stops working.
- Hotel Wi-Fi tip: Some hotels block VPN connections on their Wi-Fi. Use your phone's mobile data as a hotspot if the VPN drops.
- Good news: WhatsApp works perfectly through a VPN, so your messaging stays unchanged. Apple iMessage and Signal also work.

### Paying in China

- Badge: Your concierge sets this up on Day 1
- China is cashless: Alipay and WeChat Pay are used for almost everything — restaurants, taxis, markets, tickets. Cash is rarely accepted in cities.
- International cards now work: Foreign Visa/Mastercard can now link directly to Alipay (set up in minutes, $5,000 single transaction limit). Your concierge walks you through the setup on your first morning.
- Carry some cash: We recommend ¥500–800 RMB in cash for the rare vendor that won't accept digital payment, and for small towns.
- Booking this trip: Your deposit and balance are charged via Stripe — the same trusted platform used by Airbnb and Booking.com. USD billing, no surprise conversion fees.

### Visa & Entry

- Badge: We handle the paperwork
- Do you need a visa?: Most US, UK, EU, Australian, Canadian, and New Zealand passport holders need a tourist (L) visa for stays over 10 days. We provide a visa invitation letter with every booking — it significantly speeds up approval.
- 240-hour visa-free transit: Citizens of 55+ countries (including USA, UK, most of EU, AUS, NZ, Canada) can enter China visa-free for up to 10 days if transiting through eligible ports. This covers our 12-day itinerary only if you have a confirmed onward flight.
- Processing time: Apply 4–6 weeks before departure. Standard processing: 4–7 business days. Express (3 days) and same-day options available at most Chinese consulates.
- What we provide: Visa invitation letter, hotel confirmation for all nights, suggested itinerary document — everything the consulate needs, formatted correctly.

### Safety & Practical Tips

- Badge: Our responsibility, always
- Is China safe?: China consistently ranks among the safest countries for foreign tourists. Violent crime against visitors is extremely rare. Cities have extensive CCTV coverage and a visible police presence.
- Emergency numbers: Police: 110. Ambulance: 120. Your concierge is your first call for any non-emergency situation — she has local contacts for every city on the itinerary.
- Health & medications: Bring a full supply of any prescription medication. International pharmacies exist in major cities but may not carry your brand. Travel insurance is required — we can recommend policies that cover China specifically.
- Language: English fluency outside hotels and tourist sites is limited. Your guides all speak English. We provide a printed pocket card with essential Chinese phrases and emergency contacts for every traveler.

## Before You Book

Everything worth knowing before you book.

### My parents are in their seventies and my kids are nine and six. Can one route work for all of us?

That is the question this route was built around. Days two through eleven each carry at most two listed items, and two of those days are easy days. The only climb is the Great Wall and it is done by lift in both directions. The terracotta pits are viewed from flat walkways, the crossbow workshop and the opera are seated, and the teahouse afternoon has no next stop in it. Where a site is large, as the Forbidden City is, the route is cut to one line with places to sit.

### We need connecting rooms. Can you promise them?

Not yet, and we will not pretend otherwise. We have not secured a bookable connecting or family room type in Beijing, Xi'an or Chengdu, so bookings are not open: no orders, no deposits, and no connecting room is promised anywhere on this page. What you can do now is tell us your dates, and we will write to you the day the room types are confirmed and the route opens.

### We are looking at November or December. How do the grandparents get up the Great Wall?

By the lift section, which is in your price in both directions: this route has no walking climb anywhere. What we cannot promise for those months is which lift runs. Part of the service at Mutianyu is open-air, open-air service stops in high wind, snow and ice, and the operator has not yet given us this season's operating days in writing, so we will not sell you an enclosed cabin we cannot guarantee. Your quote states in writing which way up your order uses. If the lift is not running on the day, your guide re-plans the day and the ticket cost of the unused section is refunded, and the Beijing days around it are unaffected.

### Two train rides instead of flights. Is that harder with children and grandparents?

It is usually easier. Both legs run in the afternoon after an easy morning, both are around three and a half to four and a half hours with a seat number on every ticket, and your own vehicle runs the hotel and station ends at both cities. Nobody queues for a bag drop and nobody is moved through an airport after a full day out. Your seat class is being finalized, so it is written into your quote; second, first and business class are all quotable.

### Do we need a visa?

Most guests on this route do not. UK, most European and Canadian passports enter visa-free for stays days, and so do Australian and New Zealand passports. We check your 12 days plus any extra days in China against that window before you pay. The current policy runs through December 31, 2026, so departures on or before December 19, 2026 finish inside it with a day of margin. US passports are different: the US is not on that list and 12 days is longer than the 10-day transit policy allows, so US guests hold a Chinese tourist or business visa and need to allow processing time. We confirm visa status before any payment, and if the dates do not fit, we say so instead of selling.