Chinese Food and Culture Themed Tour

🌟 Day 5: Beijing

Today you'll head outside the city to one of the world's most famous landmarks: the stunning, well-preserved Mutianyu section of the Great Wall of China. Spend the full day exploring the ancient ramparts, hiking along the mountain ridges, soaking in sweeping views of the wall winding through the hills, and learning about the structure's 2,000 year history. You'll head back to your Beijing 🏨 in the evening after your day of adventure.

🌟 Day 6: Xi'an

Today you'll travel from Beijing to Xi'an, one of China's oldest imperial capitals and a hub of Silk Road history. After checking into your 🏨, take a leisurely orientation walk around the city center to get familiar with your surroundings. The highlight of the evening is a food crawl through the lively, lantern-lit Muslim Quarter, Xi'an's most famous street food hub. 🍽️ Dinner is the food crawl itself, where you'll sample local favorites like juicy beef or lamb kebabs and tangy cold noodles as you wander.

🌟 Day 7: Xi'an

Start your day with a filling 🍽️ breakfast of authentic Xi'an local specialties, including sweet and savory ba bao zhou (eight treasure porridge) to fuel you up for the day. After breakfast, you'll head out to the world-famous Terracotta Warriors archaeological site, home to thousands of life-sized clay warriors built to guard the tomb of the first emperor of China over 2,200 years ago. Take a full guided tour of the excavation pits to learn about the site's discovery, history, and ongoing archaeological work. You'll return to your Xi'an 🏨 for the night after your tour.

🌟 Day 8: Chengdu

Today you'll travel from Xi'an to Chengdu, the laid-back capital of Sichuan province famous for its spicy food and giant pandas. After checking in, you'll head to a bustling local market with a professional local chef to pick up fresh, seasonal ingredients for your class, then join a hands-on Sichuan cooking class where you'll learn to make classic spicy Sichuan dishes from scratch. 🍽️ Lunch is the delicious spread of dishes you just cooked yourself! After lunch, take a leisurely walking tour through central Chengdu and stop at Tianfu Square, the city's central public landmark, before returning to your Chengdu 🏨 for the night.

🌟 Day 9: Chengdu

Get up early to beat the crowds today for a visit to the world-famous Giant Panda Breeding Research Base, a leading conservation facility for giant pandas. You'll get up close to adorable giant pandas as they munch on bamboo and play in their tree-filled enclosures, learning about ongoing efforts to protect this endangered species. 🍽️ After your morning at the base, treat yourself to an iconic Sichuan lunch: authentic Sichuan hotpot, a communal meal of bubbling spiced broth where you cook fresh meats and vegetables right at your table. You'll stay overnight in Chengdu 🏨 after your full day of fun.

🌟 Day 10: Chengdu

Today is your departure day from the tour! After breakfast, you'll check out of your 🏨 hotel and be transferred to the airport for your onward flight, with dozens of new food memories and cultural experiences to take home with you.

✅ What's Included

• All entrance fees for scheduled attractions
• All guided experiences: historical walking tour of Shanghai's Bund and French Concession, hutong exploration, Xi'an orientation walk, and all other scheduled tours
• All culinary experiences and listed meals: xiao long bao cooking class, Sichuan cooking class, Muslim Quarter food crawl, and all scheduled meals noted in the itinerary
• All intercity transportation between Beijing, Chengdu, Shanghai, and Xi'an
• 9 nights of centrally located accommodation 🏨

❌ What's Not Included

• International arrival to Shanghai and departure from Chengdom (we can assist with booking domestic connecting flights if needed)
• Travel insurance, personal shopping, extra activities not listed in the itinerary, and gratuities for your guide and driver

ℹ️ Important Information

• Duration: 10 days
• Destinations: Beijing, Chengdu, Shanghai, Xi'an
• Free Travel Guide: https://hellochinatrip.com/china-travel-guide-2025/

10 days was just the right amount of time to visit all four incredible cities without feeling too rushed. Every day brought a new delicious dish and a new fascinating cultural lesson, and I couldn’t have asked for a better introduction to China.

This food and culture tour across China was the best trip I’ve ever taken, full of unforgettable flavors and moments.

The curation of this food and culture tour is absolutely perfect, with the ideal mix of iconic sights and hands-on culinary experiences across all four cities. I visited during the Lunar New Year holiday, which meant popular attractions were extremely wonderful and some local food shops were closed for the break. Even with that, the tour operated smoothly and we still got to try every signature dish on the itinerary. I’d still 100% recommend this tour, just plan your visit outside of major Chinese holiday windows if you can.

Our consultant Ethan from HelloChinaTrip put together this incredible curated itinerary that never felt rushed. Every food stop was at local spots, not tourist traps, and the cultural context we got at historic sites like the Great Wall and Giant Panda Sanctuaries made each stop special. I left already planning my next trip back to China.