This literary tour will be run alongside best bestselling novelist Jamie Ford. While crossing China, Jamie will hold discussions with guests about the themes of his novels.
This all-inclusive tour will feature stops in Shanghai, Xi'an, and Beijing, with visits to The Great Wall of China, The Terracotta Warriors, and much more.
Please contact John at john@johnshorstravel.com . We'd love to have you join this fabulous tour!
Fly into Beijing International Airport; flights usually arrive in the late afternoon.
Be greeted by a private driver, who will drive you to our hotel, The Hilton Beijing Wangfujing
Some guests may opt to arrive one day early, before the tour starts, just to relax. In this case, John Shors Travel will reserve a room for them at The Hilton Beijing Wangfujing suitable for their early arrival. Such guests will pay for the extra night at the hotel.
Check into The Hilton Beijing Wangfujing, a five-star hotel located near the city’s main tourist attractions. Guests will have upgraded rooms at this hotel.
Enjoy dinner at the hotel restaurant.
Depart on a VIP chartered van, with our local guide, to see the most important sights of Beijing.
Make sure to bring your passport with you for this day (we need our passports to enter the Forbidden City).
Enjoy a pedicab (bicycle taxi) ride through Beijing’s hutongs—traditional alleys that once defined Chinese society and separated the classes.
Take a walking tour of Tiananmen Square, which is of significant historical importance, both ancient and modern.
Explore the legendary and wondrous Forbidden City, which served as the Imperial Palace for various emperors over a 500-year period. The complex is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Enjoy lunch at Eatalia Carpe Diem, one of the city’s top-rated restaurants, near the Forbidden City.
Take a walking tour of the renowned National Museum of China.
Relax for the rest of the day, or continue exploring the area independently.
Meet in the hotel lobby and walk to a nearby restaurant. We will dine in the five-star Peninsula Hotel’s Huang Ting restaurant.
Meet at the hotel lobby. We will depart on our chartered van, with our local guide, for the Great Wall of China.
Most tour groups will take guests to parts of the wall that are near Beijing. These areas are overrun by many thousands of tourists. We will drive farther away from the city, and be rewarded by the “Mutianyu” section of the wall that is less crowded with tourists.
After taking an alpine slide down from the wall, we will have a lunch near the base of the mountain, and then return to Beijing.
Arrive back in Beijing, and stop by the Olympic Venues.
Relax for the rest of the day, or continue exploring the area independently.
Depart from the hotel, walk about two blocks to the five-star Hilton Hotel. There we will eat on the top floor at Chynna Restaurant, which features wonderful Chinese food.
Meet in the hotel lobby and depart for the Summer Palace, which is one of Beijing’s most iconic imperial retreats and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Known for its stunning lakes, gardens, and traditional Chinese architecture, the palace served as a summer escape for emperors during the Qing dynasty.
One of the most iconic temples on top of Longevity Hill, offering panoramic views of Beijing.
Guests can enjoy authentic Beijing cuisine or opt for a picnic-style lunch in the garden area.
We will enjoy a group ride on a traditional dragon boat.
Scenic views of the Marble Boat – a symbol of Qing dynasty luxury.
Relax for the rest of the day, or continue exploring the area independently.
Meet in the hotel lobby and walk to a nearby restaurant.
Meet at the hotel lobby, with bags ready, and head for Beijing Xi (West) Railway Station via vans.
Board # G307 Bullet Train.
Enjoy lunch on the train.
Meet our local guide in train station, depart train station in VIP van.
Enjoy a guided tour of the Bell Tower and surrounding area.
Check into the French four-star hotel, the Sofitel Xian on Renmin Square, and enjoy free time.
Guests will have upgraded rooms at this hotel.
Meet in the hotel lobby, and after a busy day of travel and sightseeing, we will eat dinner in the hotel’s excellent restaurant.
Meet a local guide in the hotel lobby. Depart for The Museum of Qin Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses (45-minute drive).
Enjoy an extensive guided tour of this area, which marks arguably the greatest archeological discovery of modern-day times. Created to guard an emperor, 8,000 terra-cotta soldiers and nearly a thousand warhorses have been uncovered and are now the focal point of an immense museum.
Enjoy lunch at the nearby Huaqing Aegean International Hot Springs Resort & Spa Hotel.
Return to Xi’an, and visit the city’s massive and magnificent “City Wall”. Guests have the options to bicycle along the wide ramparts or to enjoy a ride upon a golf cart.
Relax for the rest of the day, or continue exploring the area independently.
Leave the hotel and walk to dinner at the nearby Dolce Vita restaurant, which is located in the five-star Sofitel Legend. Dolce Vita is one of the best restaurants in the city, and has hosted a variety of American presidents and dignitaries
Meet our guide in the hotel lobby and depart for the railway station.
We will board the G1918 Bullet Train, leaving at 9:31 a.m bound for Shanghai.
Enjoy the journey in First Class seats.
Enjoy lunch on the train.
Meet our local guide at the railway station, take a private van into the city center.
Arrive in The Bund area of Shanghai, where we will stay.
This five-star hotel is located on a main road in Shanghai.
Meet in the hotel restaurant for dinner.
Meet our local guide in the hotel lobby and depart for a walking tour of the Yu Gardens. A stunning classical Chinese garden, Yu Gardens features elegant pavilions, koi-filled ponds, and intricate rock formations, offering a peaceful retreat in the heart of Shanghai.
Enjoy lunch at ShangHai HuiGuan, a good restaurant featuring traditional Chinese food.
Enjoy a tour of the wonderful Shanghai Museum.
Relax for the rest of the day, or continue exploring the area independently.
Depart by van for dinner at Hakkasan, one of the city’s top-rated restaurants, and enjoy magnificent views of the famous “Bund” area.
Meet our guide in the hotel lobby and depart for a walking tour of The Bund River.
A promenade along the river allows people to enjoy a view of the new part of the city and the older part.
Enjoy a coffee in the observation lounge of the Shanghai World Financial Center building.
This is the second tallest observation tower in the world. Walk across the “Sky Bridge” (with a glass floor) and experience an extraordinary view of modern-day Shanghai.
Eat lunch at base of the financial tower, within a luxury shopping mall.
Enjoy shopping along Nanjing Road, Shanghai’s oldest and most famous shopping area.
Relax for the rest of the day, or continue exploring the area independently.
Meet a guide in the hotel lobby and depart by van for dinner.
Savor an early dinner at Lost Heaven, one of the top-rated restaurants in Shanghai.
Arrive at Shanghai Circus World and pick up tickets from the guide.
Enjoy a performance at the highly rated Shanghai Circus World, the best such act in all of China.
Mainland China Tour with John Shors Travel concludes (optional extension to Taiwan available)
Transportation provided to Shanghai airport for everyone who will finish the tour on this day.
Meet a local guide in the hotel lobby, with bags packed, depart for Shanghai International Airport.
Depart Shanghai at 11:30 a.m.
Arrive Taipei at 1:25 p.m.
Meet our local guide at the airport, who will then escort us to the city center.
Check into Eslite Hotel, a 4.5-star hotel located in the Songshan Cultural and Creative Park in Taipei.
Meet in the hotel lobby and walk to a nearby restaurant.
Meet a local guide in the hotel lobby and depart for Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall.
Explore the grand memorial dedicated to Taiwan’s former leader, and watch the Changing of the Guard Ceremony.
Visit Longshan Temple, one of Taipei’s most significant and historic Buddhist temples.
Enjoy an authentic Taiwanese hot pot lunch at a popular downtown restaurant.
Depart for Taipei 101 Observation Deck.
Take the high-speed elevator to the 89th-floor Observation Tower for panoramic views of Taipei.
Afterwards, explore the Taipei 101 shopping mall with free time for browsing.
Relax for the rest of the day, or continue exploring the area independently.
Meet in the hotel lobby and depart for dinner.
Transportation provided for all guests to Taoyuan International Airport (TPE).
(*This is an all-inclusive tour with the exception of alcoholic beverages and hotel incidentals such as laundry, room service, etc.)
Cost of Mainland China Tour:
$7,595 USD per person, based on double occupancy
$9,195 USD per person, based on single occupancy
Cost of Optional Trip Extension to Taiwan:
$1,695 USD per person, based on double occupancy
$2,295 USD per person, based on single occupancy
Price for Mainland China includes:
Accommodations at high-end, four-star hotels
All transportation within China
All meals and non-alcoholic drinks
Fees (temples, tours, guides, etc.)
Excursions (tours, circus, etc.)
All tips
Price for Optional Trip Extension to Taiwan includes:
Flight from Shanghai to Taipei, Taiwan
Accommodations at a high-end, 4.5-star hotel
All transportation within Taipei
All meals and non-alcoholic drinks
Fees (temples, tours, guides, etc.)
Excursions
All tips
Price does not include:
International airfare to Beijing and returning from Shanghai (for Mainland China tour guests only)
International airfare to Beijing and returning from Taipei (for Taiwan extension tour guests only)
Alcoholic drinks
Activities during free times
Hotel incidentals such as room service, mini bar, Internet and phone charges, laundry, etc.
Visa for China. This visa must be obtained prior to travel. The traveler will get instructions on how to do this task
Expenses incurred if guest decides to arrive early for the tour, or stay after the tour concludes
This trip includes walks of up to one mile, and over uneven terrain.
We strongly recommend purchasing travel insurance for your trip. For your convenience, you can explore options from our trusted travel insurance partner here.