3-Week China and Vietnam Adventure Tour

Upon arrival, your private guide and driver will greet you at the airport and then drive you to your hotel. The rest of the day will be free for you to explore at your leisure.

• Start your day from the historic Tian'anmen Square.
• Explore the emperors' Forbidden City: get off the ordinary sightseeing route and listen to interesting stories of eight famous personalities that are not told by typical tour guides.
• Walk into the Hutongs and discover the traditional Beijing lifestyle.
• Enjoy an authentic Beijing roast duck dinner in a time-honored-brand restaurant.

Learn Chinese Calligraphy with a Hutong Resident

• Explore the most-beautifully-restored section of the Great Wall —Mutianyu with round-way cable-car rides up and down.
• Visit the iconic Temple of Heaven where emperors prayed for good harvests for centuries. Appreciate the relaxed lifestyle of local seniors there.

The Temple of Heaven

• Drive to the most famous imperial garden in China — the Summer Palace. It is where emperors used to retreat to flee the summer heat. Take a boat ride on tranquil Kunming Lake in the heart of the vast garden.
• After lunch at a local restaurant, take a high-speed train to Xi'an (about 6 hours).
• Guide-accompanied railway station transfers in both Beijing and Xi'an are included.

The Summer Palace

• Discover the incredible Terracotta Army, which has guarded First Emperor Qin's tomb since 210 BC. Your guide will help you find your favorite terracotta warrior using a unique process designed by China Highlights.
• Visit a typical Shaanxi cave house and to learn how to make your own terracotta warrior there. Get to know traditional techniques used 2,000 years ago and try your hand at molding, carving, and painting.
• Walk on Xi'an's City Wall. Hear the echoes of history and get an emperor's-eye view of the city.

Walk on Xi'an's City Wall

• Visit one of the best museums in China — Shaanxi History Museum — which gives a perfect overview of Chinese history and is not to be missed.
• See Chinese-style architecture combined with dozens of historic Buddhist statues and murals at Big Wild Goose Pagoda, which is another landmark of Xi'an.
• Learn how to make Chinese dumplings in a local's house and enjoy a home-cooked lunch.
• Transfer to Xi'an's airport and fly to Guilin. Upon arrival, your guide and driver will greet you in the airport and transfer directly to your hotel.

Learn how to make Chinese dumplings in a local's house

• Travel on a smooth highway for 2 hours to the famous Longji Terraced Rice Fields. You can either walk up or take an electric buggy to get to the viewpoints.
• Appreciate awesome views over the rolling mountains tiered with lush rice paddies.
• Cook a local favorite — 'bamboo tube rice' — in a minority family house.
• Return to Guilin by late afternoon.

The Longji Terraced Rice Fields

• Enjoy a 4-star Li River cruise (the highest level of cruise, offering better facilities and a buffet lunch) on your journey from Guilin to Yangshuo. The Li River is listed as one of the world's 15 best rivers for travelers by CNN.
• Arrive at your riverside resort in Yangshuo in afternoon. Sit back in relaxed setting with a nice cup of coffee — that's what a vacation should be like!
• Enjoy a relaxing evening in Yangshuo.

Relax in Yangshuo and escape into the timeless landscape.

• Explore the Yangshuo countryside by bike with your guide. Narrow single-lane trails lead you to secluded villages and karst-crowned fields.
• Get on a bamboo recliner on a traditional bamboo raft with a private punter to glide along the dreamy Yulong River.
• Say goodbye to Yangshuo and transfer to Guilin to connect with your flight to Shanghai. Upon arrival, we'll transfer you directly your hotel.

The bamboo rafts glide along the Yulong River.

• Visit Yu Garden, which is an exquisite classical garden, hidden and well-preserved among the high buildings.
• Walking along the Bund, you will learn about Shanghai's rise to super-size.
• Wander through the backstreets to get a glimpse of Shanghainese lifestyles.
• Be like a local as you hop on a public ferry among the crowds to cross the Huangpu River and slowly travel from old Shanghai to new Shanghai — Pudong New Area.
• There, take the fastest elevator in the world and ascend the second-highest building in the world — Shanghai Tower.

The night view of the Bund

• As your China tour comes to its end, your private guide and driver will transfer you to Shanghai Airport for your onward flight.
• Upon arrival in Hanoi, your new Vietnam private guide and driver will greet you at the airport and transfer you to your hotel.

• Explore Hanoi's top attractions: Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, One Pillar Pagoda, the Temple of Literature, and Vietnam Museum of Ethnology.
• Hop on a cyclo (a local rickshaw) and catch a glimpse Hanoi's city life, passing through the bustling and famed Old Quarter.
• Conclude your day by watching a long-loved local water puppet performance.

Take a Cyclo Ride in Old Quarter

• After breakfast, you will be transferred from Hanoi to Halong Bay.
• Board your junk cruise at noon. This smaller craft is both more intimate and more authentic than the usual group-tour boats.
• Swim in the emerald waters of Tra Bau cove in Lan Ha Bay.
• Roll up your sleeves and learn how to make Vietnamese spring rolls.
• Try your hand at squid fishing in the evening or maybe another local activity you have interest in.
• Taste exquisite drinks and savor delicious food on board while enjoying the spectacular views.

AH Hand-Picked Overnight Cruise

• In the morning, after breakfast, kayak in the Ao Ech area to discover Ha Long's hidden paradise — Lan Ha Bay.
• After brunch, transfer from Halong Bay back to Hanoi for your onward flight to Da Nang.
• Upon arrival in Da Nang, your new guide and driver will meet you at the airport and drive you to Hoi An.

Kayak in the Ao Ech Area

• At a fishing village near Hoi An, experience the fishermen's lifestyle. Cruise down Cua Dai River and try your hand at casting Vietnamese fishing nets.
• Paddle a uniquely-Vietnamese 'round-basket-boat' on tranquil coconut-tree-flanked waterways, just as the fisher-folk do traditionally.
• Learn more about Vietnamese culture through its food during an evening specialty-tasting tour.
• Ride through the ancient town and take a boat trip on the Hoai River for a dreamy night surrounded by colorful lanterns — hanging and floating.

• Have two rest day to spend at your leisure on Da Nang's idyllic beaches.

• In the morning, transfer to Da Nang's airport and board your flight to Can Tho. Upon arrival, your guide and driver will transfer you to the hotel.
• If you are full of energy and want to do some activities, we are happy to arrange Can Tho countryside cycling for you.

• Get up early to see the most-bustling floating market in the Mekong Delta.
• Have fun with a leisurely sampan ride through the picturesque canals of Cai Be.
• Transfer to Ho Chi Minh and stay overnight there.

The Cai Rang Floating Market

• Discover Ho Chi Minh City's turbulent history at its most historic landmarks: Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica of Saigon, Saigon Central Post Office, and Reunification Palace.
• Continue your tour at the informative War Remnants Museum to learn about 'the American War' from a Vietnamese perspective.
• Get an insight into the Saigonese lifestyle and its culture by tasting a cup of Vietnamese coffee with the locals at a popular street cafe.
• Head to the famous Cu Chi Tunnels, which reflect the hardships and resilience of the Vietnamese resistance fighters.

The Cu Chi Tunnels

• Your 3-week Asia tour comes to its end on the southerly coast of Asia's curvy-and-slender country. We trust you will now know China's top four destinations and Vietnam's 'four slenders'! After breakfast, transfer to Ho Chi Minh Airport for your departure flight.