12-Day China Tour for High School Students

Arrival — Welcome to Beijing
Upon landing at Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK), your dedicated guide will greet you in the arrivals area just outside the luggage claim, holding a sign that clearly displays your name. A private vehicle will transfer you to your hotel, and your guide will assist with check-in and offer a brief orientation. After your long flight, take a well-deserved rest and relax.

Evening — Flexible Evening
The evening is yours to enjoy at your leisure as you settle in after your journey.

Accommodation
Your guide assists with check-in at your hotel in Beijing.

Morning — Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City
Tiananmen Square ranks among the largest public squares in the world, and in imperial times it served as the entrance to the imperial city, used for issuing royal edicts and for grand celebrations such as imperial weddings. Stroll from the square to the Forbidden City, also called the Palace Museum, which served as the residence of 24 emperors and their households and as the ceremonial and political heart of the imperial government. Beyond its magnificent architecture, you can uncover the stories of the royal household that lived within its walls.

Afternoon — Hutong Tour
The hutongs, akin to a maze, are historic alleyways lined with countless traditional courtyard houses, and in many locals' minds Beijing is inextricably linked with them. These lanes serve as a living museum of folk customs, bearing witness to the city's past. You can stroll on foot, rent a bicycle, or hire a rickshaw to explore them, and on this tour you will wander the narrow alleys and join the dumpling-making process with a local family at home. As an optional activity, you can also learn to paint a Peking Opera face mask from a skilled artisan.

Evening — Peking Roast Duck
In the evening, you will savor an authentic Peking Roast Duck dinner at a renowned restaurant.

Morning — Temple of Heaven and Tai Chi
The Temple of Heaven stands as a masterpiece of ancient Chinese architecture and is the largest religious complex in the world dedicated to heaven worship, where emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties performed rituals to pray for good harvests. Its circular halls and landscaped grounds are a marvel of design and symbolism. Visiting at dawn reveals a surprising number of locals engaging in morning exercises, and you can watch and join them in practicing Tai Chi, experiencing the serene rhythm of daily life in Beijing.

Cultural Insight
The complex was completed in 1420, and its Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, a circular timber structure built without a single nail, has become a symbol of the city.

Afternoon — Mutianyu Great Wall
A visit to the Great Wall is a must on any itinerary. Among the best-preserved sections, Mutianyu once served as a formidable northern defense protecting the capital and the imperial tombs, with a history spanning over 1,400 years. Surrounded by lush grasslands and dense forests, it is often called the most beautiful part of the Wall, and the area resembles a garden perched atop a mountain. You can hike the most stunning stretch between Towers 14 and 20, or take the cable car up and down for convenience.

Evening — Water Cube and Bird's Nest
After such a long hike, the evening schedule is more relaxed: on the way back to your hotel you will pass the Water Cube and the Bird's Nest, both landmarks of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

Morning — The Summer Palace
The Summer Palace began as the Qing-era imperial garden Qingyi Yuan, later rebuilt and expanded by Empress Dowager Cixi as a retreat where she entertained guests and received foreign envoys. Its highlights include Kunming Lake and Longevity Hill, linked by the 728-metre Long Corridor that ends at the Marble Boat. You can climb Longevity Hill for sweeping views over the gardens and toward the Fragrant Hills. (Optional activity: during the semester we can offer an alternative school-exchange visit with local students in Beijing, giving your group a glimpse of campus life across different socioeconomic backgrounds.)

Afternoon — High-Speed Train to Hangzhou
After lunch, board the high-speed train south-east to Hangzhou. The line runs from Beijing South through Tianjin and down the eastern corridor, and the journey takes about four and a half hours. You arrive at Hangzhou East Railway Station, where your local guide and driver greet the group and transfer you to your hotel beside West Lake.

Evening — At Your Leisure
The evening is yours to enjoy at your leisure — you may rest at the hotel or walk down to the lake shore, where the lights come on around the pavilions and the causeways after dark.

Meals
Breakfast, Lunch included.

Morning — Alibaba Group
Founded in Hangzhou in 1999, Alibaba Group grew from an online marketplace into one of the world's leading e-commerce and cloud computing companies. A visit to its campus is a valuable opportunity to learn about the digital economy and innovation in China, covering fields from e-commerce and cloud computing to digital payments. The campus is also a hub for startups and entrepreneurs, providing a vibrant ecosystem for collaboration and learning.

Afternoon — Zhejiang University
In the afternoon, visit Zhejiang University, a leading institution in China founded in 1897 and ranked 45th in the world by the QS World University Ranking 2022. Its work spans research and education in fields including engineering, business and the sciences, and its research centers and innovation hubs provide a rich environment for cutting-edge research and development. The visit offers insight into how universities in China connect teaching, research and industry.

Evening — Flexible Evening
The evening is yours to enjoy at your leisure in Hangzhou.

Meals — Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
All three meals are included on this day.

Morning

Today students can spend morning time exploring the historic Qinghefang Street after breakfast. Hefang Ancient Street in Hangzhou stands out by displaying a diverse range of traditional Chinese crafts, including land-blown sugar candy, paper-cutting, and handmade dough figurines. There are also a diverse array of shops in iteration for centuries, especially Huqingyu Tang Chinese Medicine Pharmacy. Notably, Huqingyu Tang serves as the only Chinese medicine museum in the area, providing you with an insight into Hangzhou's medical history and allowing you to witness the traditional pharmaceutical process. You can learn some basic knowledge about traditional Chinese herbal medicine.

Afternoon

It is a lovely way to spend afternoon in Meijiawu Tea Village, renowned as one of the most important tea production bases and famous for its tradition of serving exquisite tea. If you're interested in learning about the rich history and promising future of tea in China, a visit to Meijiawu Village is a must. There you can learn about the history of tea, the process of making tea, and the functions of different kinds of tea. By attending the elaborate tea ceremonies held here, you'll come to understand why participating in these ceremonies is so significant to the Chinese people. In this afternoon, you'll have the opportunity to join local farmers at Meijiawu Tea Village to experience tea culture firsthand. You'll get to pick tea leaves, learn how to dry and process them into green tea, and even participate in a traditional tea ceremony. Additionally, you'll enjoy a delightful lunch featuring traditional tea-flavored dishes. This half-day adventure is truly unique and unforgettable.

Morning — Qinghefang Street & Huqingyu Tang
Explore historic Qinghefang (Hefang) Street after breakfast, where traditional crafts such as sugar-blowing, paper-cutting, and dough figurines are demonstrated by local artisans. A highlight is Huqingyu Tang, a long-standing Chinese medicine pharmacy and museum that offers insight into Hangzhou's medical heritage and the traditional pharmaceutical process. You can learn the basics of Chinese herbal medicine here.

Afternoon — Meijiawu Tea Village
Meijiawu is one of Hangzhou's most important Longjing (Dragon Well) green-tea production villages, celebrated for its tea tradition. You'll learn about tea history and processing, join farmers to pick leaves and dry them into green tea, and take part in a traditional tea ceremony — even enjoying a lunch of tea-flavored dishes.

Evening — At Your Leisure
The evening is yours to enjoy at your leisure — you may rest at the hotel or explore the nearby surroundings on your own.

Morning — Yellow Mountains Exploration
You'll spend the day and night on the Yellow Mountains (Huangshan), beginning with a round-trip ride on the Yungu Cable Car — soak in the views during the 10-minute ascent. After a short walk to your mountaintop hotel, spot the Umbrella Pine and Black Tiger Pine along the way. After a buffet lunch, hike the West Sea Grand Canyon for over three hours, exploring its rings and canyon floor; if energy allows, visit Flying-over Rock and watch the sunset at Bright Top.

Evening — Overnight on the Mountain
Spend the night at the hotel atop the mountain, with dinner served at the hotel, so you can rest surrounded by the peaks. (Pack lightly — your guide can store larger luggage at your Tunxi hotel or at the mountain base for a small fee.)

Morning — Descend the Yellow Mountains
Start early to catch the sunrise at Refreshing Terrace, a favorite viewpoint among Yellow Mountain visitors. After breakfast at the hotel, walk to Lion Peak for the Dawn Pavilion and the ‘Stone Monkey Watching the Sea,' with optional climbs to Beginning-to-Believe Peak. Conclude your mountain adventure with a ride down the Yungu Cable Car, then your guide handles your luggage and accompanies you to Huangshan North Railway Station.

Afternoon — High-Speed Train to Shanghai
After a roughly three-hour train ride, arrive at Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station, where your local guide warmly welcomes you and transfers you to your hotel to rest.

Evening — At Your Leisure
The evening is yours to enjoy at your leisure — you may rest at the hotel or explore the nearby surroundings on your own.

Morning — Yuyuan Garden & Surroundings
Start at the over-400-year-old Yu Garden, a classic Shanghai example of Ming-era garden design with elegant pavilions, ponds, and bridges. Next, browse the adjacent Yuyuan Bazaar, a lively market of antiques, silk fans, and crafts where you can sample Shanghai soup dumplings (xiao long bao) — your guide provides an allowance for lunch here. The 600-year-old Temple of the City God adds folk atmosphere with statues of Taoist immortals.

(Optional: Stroll the Old French Concession, admiring its tree-lined streets and blend of Chinese and French culture.)

Afternoon — Nanjing Road & Oriental Pearl Tower
Nanjing Road is Shanghai's oldest and busiest shopping street, packed with malls and restaurants. Follow it to the Oriental Pearl Tower, completed in 1994 and rising 468 meters in Pudong, an iconic symbol of modern Shanghai with its distinctive linked spheres.

Evening — The Bund
In the evening, don't miss the Bund, Shanghai's historic waterfront epitomizing the city's history. Enjoy sweeping skyline views and the blend of prosperity, history, and elegance that defines Shanghai as the city lights come alive.

Morning — The Shanghai Museum
The Shanghai Museum, established in 1952 and relocated to People's Square in 1996, is a world-renowned institution showcasing China's ancient art. Its circular roof above a square base symbolizes the traditional ‘round sky, square earth' philosophy, and it houses over 1.2 million cultural relics including bronzes, ceramics, calligraphy, and paintings across 12,000 square meters of galleries.

Afternoon — Modern Manufacturing Visit
Visit a factory showcasing China's modern manufacturing strength, chosen according to your delegation's interests. For example, Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries (ZPMC), founded in 1992 and headquartered in Shanghai, is a global leader in port machinery and heavy equipment, supplying container cranes and offshore engineering to major ports worldwide and standing as a symbol of ‘Made in China' innovation.

Evening — At Your Leisure
The evening is yours to enjoy at your leisure — you may rest at the hotel or explore the nearby surroundings on your own.

Morning — Departure Transfer
Your guide and driver will pick you up at your hotel and take you to Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) for your journey home. Your guide will assist with check-in and see you off at the departure hall, bringing your China tour to a comfortable close.

Meals — Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
All three meals are included on this day.