
Tour · 7 nights · with Explore Worldwide
An eight-day small-group tour by bullet train from Shanghai to Beijing, covering China’s Golden Triangle with visits to the Terracotta Army, Suzhou’s canals, and the Great Wall. Operated by Explore Worldwide.
Highlights
Walking the Great Wall at Mutianyu
Visiting the Terracotta Army near Xi’an
Cruising Suzhou’s traditional canals in a skiff
Exploring Shanghai’s Bund and French Concession
Seeing the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square in Beijing
This escorted tour travels through China’s Golden Triangle over eight days, linking three cities by high-speed train. It begins in Shanghai with a walk along the Bund to spot early 20th-century Art Deco buildings alongside futuristic towers. After exploring the former French Concession and shopping streets, the tour moves on to Suzhou, where traditional canals and UNESCO-listed classical gardens offer a pause from urban pace.
Journeys
Next comes Xi’an, famous for the Terracotta Army, a sprawling army of life-sized warriors guarding an emperor’s tomb. Evenings here include wandering the Muslim Quarter’s energetic street food stalls and tasting local specialities. The final stop is Beijing, with visits to Tiananmen Square, the vast Forbidden City and a short hike along the restored section of the Great Wall at Mutianyu. There’s time for a stroll through the hutong neighbourhoods before the tour concludes with a farewell dinner.
Explore Worldwide’s small-group style means the itinerary covers a fair amount of walking and travel, but the clean, fast trains allow a glance at shifting Chinese landscapes. The early starts and crowds at well-trodden sites are balanced by quieter moments of day-to-day city life.
Itinerary
Shanghai
Suzhou
Xi’an
Beijing
These are the places the trip visits, in order. Explore Worldwide publishes the day-by-day itinerary on its own site.
When to go
Lowest price each month, per person.
Explore Worldwide confirms exact dates, availability and prices when you book.
Need to know
For full details of what’s included, check with Explore Worldwide. See the full details on their site
The operator
Small-group adventures, walking and wildlife
Small groups with local leaders, and a fondness for the places at the end of the road. Trips are graded so you know how active they are.
You book with Explore Worldwide directly. They confirm your place, take payment, and look after you from the moment you leave home; Atlas & Passage’s part ends when you click through.

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