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Wexas Travel · Tailor-made rail journey

Eastern China by Rail

Beijing to Shanghai by high-speed rail through mountains, villages, tea plantations

Illustration of Eastern China by Rail

Wexas Travel's Eastern China by Rail is a 13-day tailor-made journey from Beijing to Shanghai that pairs China's great megacities with the rural heartlands in between. Starting in Beijing with four days of private guided exploration of Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, Summer Palace and Temple of Heaven alongside lesser-known hutong alleyways and the Ming Tombs, the itinerary then travels by first-class high-speed rail deeper into eastern China. Three nights centre on Huangshan's mist-clad mountain peaks, where cable cars lift you past dramatic rock formations and ancient villages like Hongcun, known for their traditional architecture and lake-side settings. A stopover in Hangzhou brings private canal cruises and tea plantation visits before the final leg by rail to Shanghai, where the Shanghai Museum, Yu Garden and a day trip to the water-town of Suzhou round out the journey. Private guides accompany you throughout, with lunch included daily and all transfers provided. The trip suits travellers seeking expert-guided comfort, cultural depth and the visual contrast between China's urban icons and its rural traditions.

What to know before you look closer

  • Hotel selection depends on tier: Superior tier (from GBP 4,015) books 4-star properties; Deluxe tier costs more and places you in upgraded alternatives, marked 'or' in the operator's list (final hotel confirmed at booking)
  • Two nights are spent in mountain accommodation (Tangmo village and Huangshan Scenic Area) that is less luxurious than the Beijing and Shanghai city hotels
  • The trip includes flights and train travel but no current departure dates are published; confirm availability with Wexas Travel before booking

Day by day

  1. Day 1

    Depart UK

    Make the most of your complimentary airport lounge access before boarding your overnight flight to China.

  2. Day 2overnight: Capital Hotel (Superior) or Regent Hotel (Deluxe), Beijing

    Beijing

    On arrival, a private driver will see you to your central accommodation.

  3. Day 3overnight: Capital Hotel (Superior) or Regent Hotel (Deluxe), Beijing

    Beijing

    Begin your programme of private, expert-led tours with the imposing gates of Tiananmen Square and the world's largest palace complex - the Forbidden City.

  4. Day 4overnight: Capital Hotel (Superior) or Regent Hotel (Deluxe), Beijing

    Beijing

    Alongside the imperial Summer Palace, the royal family's 15th-century Temple of Heaven and the Great Wall itself, discover the city's lesser-known jewels.

  5. Day 5overnight: Capital Hotel (Superior) or Regent Hotel (Deluxe), Beijing

    Beijing

    After visiting the Sacred Way's Ming Tombs, enjoy a rickshaw ride through the old town's hutong alleyway maze, pausing to try traditional Beijing paper art and opera makeup.

  6. Day 6railovernight: Tang Die Roaina Hotel (Standard / Superior), Tangmo village

    Tangmo Village

    Depart Beijing with a high-speed train trip to Huangshan, then a private transfer to Tangmo village. Join your guide to wander the village's thousand-year-old lanes, uncovering hidden pavilions and water-side houses, and try traditional paper craft and stone-tablet rubbings.

  7. Day 7overnight: Shilin Hotel (Standard) or Xihai Hotel (Superior), Huangshan Scenic Area

    Huangshan Scenic Area

    Explore the 'Yellow Mountain' range, where dramatic rock formations are shrouded in mist. Begin with UNESCO-listed Hongcun village, perhaps on a lake-side bike ride, before a cable-car ride up into the mountains admiring viewpoints such as 'Fairy Maiden Peak' and 'A Monkey Gaping at the Sea of Cloud'.

  8. Day 8overnight: Parkview Hotel (Standard) or Crowne Plaza (Superior), Huangshan

    Huangshan

    A spectacular sunrise over Huangshan, then secret pavilions and viewpoints over great canyons before descending by cable car. Continue to the village of Lingshan, famous for its bamboo houses and 'Ancient Water Street'.

  9. Day 9overnight: Zhongwei Sunny Hotel (Standard) or Indigo (Superior), Hangzhou

    Hangzhou

    Private transfers bookend your first-class trip to Hangzhou. Join your private local guide for a serene cruise on the willow-lined lake, pausing at hidden pagodas and temples ranked among the country's most sacred.

  10. Day 10railovernight: Golden Tulip on the Bund (Standard) or Radisson Blu Hotel Shanghai New World (Superior), Shanghai

    Hangzhou to Shanghai

    Further time around Hangzhou with your expert guide at the rolling Dragon Well Tea Plantation and a walk to Yellow Dragon Cave's rock formations, plus a stop at a traditional Chinese medicine shop, before your last train sprint to Shanghai.

  11. Day 11overnight: Golden Tulip on the Bund (Standard) or Radisson Blu Hotel Shanghai New World (Superior), Shanghai

    Shanghai

    The world-class Shanghai Museum and its historic art collection, then the exotic Yu Garden and the ornate Jade Buddha Temple.

  12. Day 12overnight: Golden Tulip on the Bund (Standard) or Radisson Blu Hotel Shanghai New World (Superior), Shanghai

    Shanghai

    A day trip to Suzhou, an ancient town famed for its waterways and home to one of China's four major gardens, with a cruise along its Grand Canal, admiring pagoda-dotted banks and hump-back bridges.

  13. Day 13

    Depart for UK

    After a final breakfast, a private transfer will see you to the airport for your day flight home.

The moments this trip is built around

  • Day 5Rickshaw ride through the hutong alleyway maze of Beijing's old town, pausing to try traditional Beijing paper art and opera makeup
  • Day 7Cable-car ride up Huangshan (Yellow Mountain) past dramatic rock formations shrouded in mist, viewing named peaks such as 'Fairy Maiden Peak'
  • Day 8Sunrise over Huangshan followed by exploration of secret pavilions and viewpoints over great canyons before cable-car descent
  • Day 9Serene private cruise on Hangzhou's willow-lined lake, pausing at hidden pagodas and temples ranked among China's most sacred
  • Day 12Day trip to Suzhou for a cruise along the Grand Canal, admiring pagoda-dotted banks and hump-back bridges in an ancient waterway town

Included

  • Complimentary UK airport lounge access
  • Return flights between London, Beijing and Shanghai
  • 12 nights accommodation in typically 4* (Superior) hotels on a B&B basis
  • First class train tickets between Beijing-Huangshan, Huangshan-Hangzhou & Hangzhou-Shanghai
  • Private round trip transfers to/from railway stations and city hotels
  • Private sightseeing including lunch, highlights include: The Forbidden City & Summer Palace in Beijing, rickshaw rides, visit a traditional village and local family, the mountain peaks of the Huangshan scenic areas, temples and tea plantations

Questions travellers ask

Is train travel included in the price?
Yes. First-class high-speed rail tickets between Beijing to Huangshan, Huangshan to Hangzhou, and Hangzhou to Shanghai are included, as are return flights between London, Beijing and Shanghai.
Is this trip guided or independent?
It is fully guided. Wexas Travel provides private guides throughout, with private expert-led tours each day. Private transfers connect you to hotels and railway stations.
What standard of hotel will I stay in?
The Superior tier (from GBP 4,015) includes typically 4-star hotels on a bed and breakfast basis. The Deluxe tier costs more and places you in upgraded properties. Most stays are 3 to 4 nights in major cities; mountain villages have 1 night each.
What is included in each day?
Accommodation, first-class train tickets, private transfers, and private sightseeing with lunch included. Highlights include the Forbidden City, Summer Palace, rickshaw rides, Huangshan mountain cable cars, tea plantations, temple visits and canal cruises.
How much walking and physical activity is involved?
Days involve city walking tours, village lane exploration, cable-car rides up and down Huangshan mountains, and optional activities such as lake-side bike rides and rickshaw rides. You should be comfortable with moderate walking.

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