From delectable steamed Jiaozi dumplings & mouth-watering Dim Sum to teas that date back to Imperial times & the world's most famous Peking Duck restaurant - this appetizing adventure will please any foodie. Led by private guide, taste your way through the historic highlights of Beijing, Xi'an, Yangshuo & Shanghai. Tour the Great Wall, Forbidden City, Terra Cotta Army & more intermingled with culinary encounters. Discover the secrets of noodle stretching, learn to cook traditional dumplings, shop with a chef in colourful markets, dine with a local family & go fishing with trained cormorants. Featuring stylish hotels, internal flights & more – the tastes of China await.

Beijing is China's foremost city and capital for twenty four successive emperors. Some of the major sights include: Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, Temple of Heaven, Great Wall and Summer Palace. The complete range of Chinese cuisine can be found in the capital, and evening entertainment is superb.

Take an airport transfer by private car with an English-speaking guide.

The Park Plaza Beijing Wangfujing is a modern oasis, right in the heart of Beijing's bustling cultural, commercial, business and entertainment center. With its superb location, spacious facilities and personalized service, the Park Plaza Beijing Wangfujing is the ideal choice for both business and leisure guests. All guestrooms feature Western décor and are furnished with lounge chairs in sandstone colors.

Overnight at Park Plaza Wangfujing.

Full day private guided tour of Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City and Temple of Heaven with a deluxe lunch (is included). Tiananmen Square was built in 1417 during the Ming Dynasty and stretches a vast 440,000 square meters. The Forbidden City is the world's largest palace complex with 9,999 buildings. The Outer Court was where the emperor exercised his supreme power over the nation. The Inner Court was where he lived with his royal family. Fourteen emperors of the Ming dynasty and ten emperors of the Qing dynasty reigned here until 1924. The Temple of Heaven was built in 1420 AD during the Ming Dynasty to offer sacrifice to Heaven.

Enjoy a Peking Duck dinner at a local restaurant

Overnight at Park Plaza Wangfujing.

This tour begins as your vehicle and driver pick you up from your hotel and make route towards one of Beijing's many local markets.  Soon after you will meet up with your "Chef" who will go into details about the local produce and ingredients needed for today's cooking class.  You will then make your way to the kitchen for some basic culinary training including some basic knife skills training (Cleaver), and how to use the traditional Chinese fry-pan, the Wok.  Your Chef will demonstrate how to create five distinctive dishes, where you will apply your skill to create two or three of these delicious meals.  Your vehicle will transfer you back to your hotel upon completion.

Take an evening walking tour with your guide of the famous Chinese night food markets, and visit exciting Wangfujing Street.

Overnight at Park Plaza Wangfujing.

Enjoy a full day private guided tour with lunch at the Great Wall at Mutianyu located 45 miles northeast of Beijing. This section winds along lofty, cragged mountains for 1.4 miles. Construction was started in the Northern Qi Dynasty (550 - 577) and was restored in the early Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644). Built mainly from granite with 8m walls and 5m wide at the top, it is notable for its 22 watchtowers. Lunch is included.

Overnight at Park Plaza Wangfujing.

Xi'an was the capital of China's first emperor whose tomb is guarded by the world famous terracotta warriors.

Take an airport transfer by private car with an English-speaking guide.

Fly from Beijing to Xi'an.

Take an airport transfer by private car with an English-speaking guide.

From your hotel a private vehicle will pick you up and transfer you a local family residence for some culinary training.  Once you've arrived and settled in, your instructor will go through what exactly is being prepared today, some traditional dumplings and noodle pulling.  After a brief demonstration, it is your chance to use the information given by your instructor to create your own meal.  Upon completion you will be transferred back to your hotel.

Built to meet the elaborate standards of China's new platinum five-star hotel rating, the Sofitel Xian on Renmin Square is the ultimate accommodation facility in the ancient city of Xian. Its design is of astounding contemporary concept. With a full range of spacious and well-appointed rooms, suites and apartments, state-of-the-art business facilities and exquisite dining and recreational options, Sofitel Xian on Renmin Square is a perfect choice for the most astute of business and leisure travelers.

Overnight at Sofitel on Renmin Square .

Yangshuo lies in the northeast of Guangxi Province and to the southeast of Guilin City along the banks of the scenic Li River. The special geography gives it breath-taking beauty while over 1,400 years of history bless it with a cultural diversity coupled with a modern day cosmopolitan style as an outdoor adventure mecca.

Take a full day private guided tour of the Terra Cotta Army, Banpo Museum and the Buddhist Wild Goose Pagoda with a deluxe lunch. China's greatest archaeological excavation - over 7,000 terra cotta life size warriors and horses arranged in battle formations symbolically guard the Mausoleum of Emperor Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of the Qin dynasty (246-209 BC). The Neolithic Banpo Village has nearly 10,000 production tools and the remains of 45 houses on display.

Take an airport transfer by private car with an English-speaking guide.

Fly from Xi'an to Guilin.

Transfer to the airport (Guiin) from Yangshuo with private vehicle, driver, and English-speaking guide.

The Li River Retreat is located about a 20 minute walk north of Yangshuo in an isolated location overlooking the Li River. While there are more conveniently located hotels in the area, this is in fact the absolute best located to enjoy a scenic panorama of the local topography while still being able to get to town. The rooms are simple yet spacious, clean and well appointed. The owners are some of the friendliest people in Yangshuo and serve some of the finest local and international fare in the area.

Overnight at Rural: Li River Retreat .

Try your hand at preparing gourmet Chinese food with expert instruction in this charming and hygenic school built in a converted rural farmhouse. This is a private tour but the cooking class may not be private (class size is often private but can be up to about 8 people).

Enjoy an evening of Cormorant Fishing with deluxe dinner. Cormorants are good sized birds who enjoy diving underwater in search of fish. Fishermen place a cord around the bird's neck to keep the bird from swallowing the fish, so they return to the boat and the fisherman places the catch in the basket. The cormorant has a good dinner and well cared for home at the end of a day's work.

Overnight at Rural: Li River Retreat .

Shanghai is the symbol of "New China", bustling and busy with excellent shopping. With an eclectic architectural mix from Asian infused Victorian and Art Deco to 21st Century avant-garde, Shanghai is an exciting, ever-changing metropolis. Popular attractions range from the Jade Buddha Temple, Yuyuan Garden and Shanghai Museum to modern wonders like the Oriental Pearl Tower. Landmarks of the city include the French Concession and historic waterfront known as the Bund. Shanghai is an excellent base from which to explore the canal towns of the Yangtze delta as well as nearby Suzhou or Hangzhou. Shanghai will host the 2010 World's Fair.

Transfer to the airport (Guiin) from Yangshuo with private vehicle, driver, and English-speaking guide.

Fly from Guilin to Shanghai.

Enjoy an airport transfer in Shanghai with a private vehicle, driver, and English-speaking Guide.

From your hotel, a local Shanghai guide will pick you up and transfer you to a Chinese Cooking Workshop Puxi Kitchen.  Once settled in your Chef will explain some basic kitchen knowledge and dive deeper into the process of creating some local specialities including Nan Xiang Xiao Long Boa (Shanghai Buns) and Jiazo Zi (dumplings).  You will then have the opportunity to use what you've learned to create both items, and then sit down and enjoy them.  Upon completion your guide will transfer you back to your hotel. 

The Marriot run Renaissance Shanghai Yuyuan is a modern and luxurious property located adjacent to the Yuyuan Gardens and old quarter of downtown Shanghai. With a top-notch spa, 340 contemporary rooms and suites offering breathtaking views across the Shanghai city skyline and a central location within reasonable distance both to Shanghai's traditional attractions and the EXPO 2010 site this hotels offers a great luxury to value proposition well-suited to any trip.

Overnight at Renaissance Shanghai Yuyuan.

Half day private guided tour of Jade Buddha Temple and Yuyuan Garden with deluxe lunch. The Jade Buddha Temple is one of the most popular sights in Shanghai containing rare white jade Buddhas brought from Burma in the nineteenth century. One is seated while the other is in the recumbent position of Sakyamuni symbolizing the Buddha's attainment of enlightenment or nirvana. Yuyuan Garden is the largest of Shanghai's ancient gardens with architectural styles of the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The garden has six areas, each with its own style, the most popular being the Grand Rockery in the center.

In the morning you will transfer from you hotel to the home of a local family. There you will learn to make authentic Chinese dumplings with the local family, while your tour guide works as an interpreter. Eat your dumplings for lunch before being driven back to your hotel.

Enjoy a dinner featuring the range of Eastern/Shanghainese dishes.

Overnight at Renaissance Shanghai Yuyuan.

Transfer from central Shanghai with a driver, and English-speaking Guide to the Maglev station in Pudong from where you can complete your airport transfer in about 8 minutes at speeds of over 400 km/h. (Warning - involves a little walking).

Depart from International Airport. End of itinerary.

Overnight at Depart (Int`l Airport).