5 Days of Historical and Cultural Exploration: Xi'an, Datong, and Beijing by Bullet Train

Summary

DAY 1 Arrive in Xi'an: Big Wild Goose Pagoda, Muslim Quarter, Xi'an Ancient City Wall
DAY 2 Xi'an--Datong by Train: Terracotta Warriors, Take train to Datong
DAY 3 Datong: Yungang Grottoes, Hanging Temple
DAY 4 Datong--Beijing by Train: Huayan Temple, Take train to Beijing
DAY5 Beijing Departure: Mutianyu Great Wall

Day 1 Arrive in Xi'an

Arrival in Xi'an

You arrive at Xi'an High-Speed Railway Station, where your guide meets you at the exit holding a Your Way Holiday sign. The day starts as soon as you step out: your guide and driver look after the transfers and the plan, so you can settle in before the sightseeing. This first day stays within the city, working toward the old capital's main sights.

Big Wild Goose Pagoda

The first stop is the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, a Buddhist landmark in the southern suburbs with more than 1,300 years of history. Raised in the Tang dynasty to hold the scriptures the monk Xuanzang carried back from India, the square brick tower was built course by course without mortar, and the joints and corner prisms are still visible on each face. The guide explains the pagoda and the temple gardens around it.

Xi'an Lunch

At midday the guide takes you to a local restaurant for Shaanxi and Xi'an home cooking. Expect the noodle and bread dishes the city is known for, and ask the guide to point out the house specials; they will recommend what to order from the menu. The meal is at your own cost and can be matched to dietary needs. Your driver stays on hand to carry you on to the afternoon.

Muslim Quarter

Next is the Muslim Quarter, a busy lane and market street about 500 metres long at the heart of the Hui community of Xi'an. It is the place for handmade Muslim-Chinese food: lamb and beef skewers over charcoal, hand-pulled noodles, flatbreads and sweet pastries, with shops of dried fruit and spices. You have free time to browse and eat at your own cost, and the guide helps you find well-regarded stalls.

Ancient City Wall

Back toward the centre, visit the Xi'an Ancient City Wall, a Ming fortification begun in the 14th century and part of a UNESCO World Heritage listing. One of the largest and most intact old city walls in China, it runs roughly 14 kilometres around the centre, and the wide top can be walked or cycled. From the ramparts you get a clear view over the gate towers and the grid of streets below.

Hotel Check-in

Your driver takes you back to downtown and your guide helps with the hotel check-in. Once you are settled the evening is free to rest or walk nearby. The next day leaves Xi'an by bullet train, so the guide confirms the pickup and station timing before you finish.

Day 2 Xian to Datong by Train

Terracotta Warriors

After breakfast your guide takes you to the Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum, the clay army buried to guard Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China, around 210 to 209 BCE. Officially the Emperor Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum Site Museum, it covers the Qin empire of 221 to 207 BCE. Life-sized soldiers, chariots and horses stand in the excavation pits, each face different, and the bronze-chariot hall shows the skill of the tomb workshops. Allow a few hours; it is the sight most people come to Xi'an for.

Bullet Train to Datong

In the afternoon your driver takes you to Xi'an Train Station. The guide helps with luggage and finds your carriage, then you board the overnight train to Datong, where you rest for the next stage of the trip. Your guide and driver stay with you until you are settled; the train and cabin are pre-booked as part of the tour.

Day 3 Datong

Arrival in Datong

When your overnight train reaches Datong, your guide waits at the station exit with a Your Way Holiday sign and takes you on by car. The day is given to the grottoes and temples in the hills south of the city, in northern Shanxi. Your guide and driver handle the transfers between sites so you can settle straight into the sightseeing.

Yungang Grottoes

First stop is the Yungang Grottoes, a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the great cave-temples of China. Carved from the 5th century under the Northern Wei, the cliff holds dozens of caves filled with tens of thousands of Buddhist statues, the largest reaching many metres tall. The guide walks you along the open face and explains how the carving grew from imperial workshops into private commissions.

Hanging Temple

Next, a short drive takes you to the Hanging Temple near Mount Heng in Hunyuan County. The temple is fixed into niches on a sheer sandstone cliff and supported on oak beams, its walkways and small halls appearing to hang over the valley far below. First built more than 1,500 years ago, it is unusual in placing Buddhist, Taoist and Confucian figures together. The visit is on foot along the plank galleries.

Datong Hotel

After the sightseeing your driver takes you back to your hotel in Datong. The guide is glad to answer questions about what you saw and to suggest somewhere for dinner. Tomorrow the route continues by train, so the following pickup and station timing are confirmed before the day ends.

Day 4 Datong--Beijing by Train

Huayan Temple

In the morning your guide takes you to the Huayan Temple in old Datong, a large surviving complex of the Huayan or Flower Garland school of Mahayana Buddhism. First built under the Liao and rebuilt under the Jin, its main hall holds tall clay Buddhas beneath a coffered ceiling, and the temple became a centre for teachings based on the Avatamsaka Sutra. The same school reached Korea, where it is known as Hwaeom, and Japan as Kegon, and it also shaped Chan Buddhism. The guide explains the statues as you move through the halls.

Train to Beijing

After lunch your driver takes you to the high-speed station and you board the roughly six-hour train to Beijing. Tickets and seats are booked for you, so the guide helps you find the carriage and you can rest on the way. When you reach Beijing another guide meets you at the station exit with a Your Way Holiday sign and drives you to your hotel, the timing handled so the arrival is straightforward.

DAY 5 Beijing Departure

Mutianyu Great Wall

In the early morning your guide drives you about an hour out of the city to Mutianyu, a restored and quieter stretch of the Great Wall. Built as a northern barrier guarding the capital and the imperial tombs, its watchtowers run along a wooded ridge and the wall steps steeply up either side. It is one of the better-preserved sections near Beijing, with fewer people than the popular city sites. You can walk between the towers or take the cable car up and the slide down, with good views along the ridge.

Departure Transfer

After lunch your guide takes you to Beijing Capital Airport or the high-speed railway station, whichever suits your onward travel. The guide helps with luggage and check-in and is on hand for any last questions before you go. The drop-off time is set around your booking, so the tour ends with a straightforward goodbye rather than a rush to the terminal.

Price Per Person in US Dollars