8-Day Beijing, Xi’an & Zhangjiajie Private Tour

Private airport transfer: driver and guide greet you at Beijing Airport, assist with luggage and transfer to downtown hotel. Free time after check-in for rest and jet lag recovery. Exact pick-up schedule will be confirmed 24 hours in advance via phone, email or hotel front desk.

Hotel pick-up (time confirmed the previous evening), visit UNESCO World Heritage Temple of Heaven, the Ming & Qing imperial worship site with iconic Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests and acoustic Echo Wall. Self-paid lunch with local restaurant recommendations including Peking duck and traditional snacks. Afternoon visit Tiananmen Square for landmark photos, tour the Forbidden City (world's largest ancient wooden imperial complex), then climb Jingshan Park for a panoramic view of the entire Forbidden City. Transfer back to hotel after sightseeing.

Transfer to Mutianyu Great Wall, the best-preserved Ming Dynasty section with 96% forest coverage and fewer crowds (optional round-trip cable car available for easy access). Self-paid farm lunch with local specialties including mushroom braised chicken and wild vegetable dishes. Afternoon visit Beijing Olympic Park to see the Bird's Nest Stadium and Water Cube, then stroll historic Dashilan commercial street and Wangfujing pedestrian street for old Beijing snacks and time-honored brands. Return to hotel in the evening.

Visit Beijing Zoo to see national treasure giant pandas, plus flamingos, golden monkeys and other rare animals. Self-paid lunch with included hand-made dumpling cultural experience to create your own authentic Chinese dumplings. Afternoon take comfortable 4.5-hour high-speed train to Xi'an (ancient Silk Road starting city), local driver will pick you up at the station and transfer to downtown hotel.

Hotel pick-up, visit Huaqing Palace, the Tang Dynasty royal hot spring resort with historical Xi'an Incident site. Self-paid lunch with Shaanxi specialties including Biangbiang noodles and roujiamo. Afternoon tour UNESCO World Heritage Terracotta Warriors Museum, the "Eighth Wonder of the World" with thousands of life-sized Qin soldiers and bronze chariots. Evening visit Datang Everbright City for immersive Tang culture, street performances and famous night light shows. Return to hotel after sightseeing.

Visit Ci'en Temple and Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, the famous Tang Dynasty Buddhist landmark and Silk Road heritage site built for Monk Xuanzang's scripture translation. Self-paid lunch with local Xi'an snacks, then take flight to Zhangjiajie (UNESCO World Natural Heritage, prototype of Avatar floating mountains). Local driver will pick you up at the airport and transfer to hotel after landing.

Full day tour of Zhangjiajie National Forest Park: visit Yuanjiajie (Avatar Hallelujah Mountain, First Bridge Under Heaven), Tianzi Mountain (panoramic peak forest views), Jinbian Stream (gentle riverside hiking trail), and take the world's tallest outdoor Bailong Elevator for cliff views. Self-paid lunch inside the park with Tujia ethnic dishes including cured pork and mountain fish. Return to hotel for rest after hiking.

Full day visit Tianmen Mountain 5A scenic area: ride the world's longest 7.5km mountain cable car to the summit, walk the thrilling cliff glass skywalk, see the natural Tianmen Cave arch and 999 Heaven Steps, and overlook the winding 99-Bend Heavenly Road. Self-paid final Hunan spicy lunch, then private transfer to Zhangjiajie airport or railway station, marking the end of the 8-day three-city private tour.