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Chongqing,Chengdu &Xi'an
The Mountain City, the Pandas & the First Emperor.
An unhurried journey through modern China and its deep history.
11 Days/ 10 Nights
2 to 10 travelers
Pickup Location: Chongqing
Drop-off Location: Xi'an
Accommodation: 5-Star Hotel
Meals: 3 meals /per day
From ￡2,800 Per Person
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Cruise the Yangtze at night and watch Chongqing's skyline rise in neon above the water
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Cross the river by cable car and walk the layered, stepped streets of the old city
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Spend an unhurried day and night among the karst gorges and cliffside village of Wulong
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Blend your own hotpot spices and cook alongside a local chef in a Chongqing kitchen
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Meet the giant pandas of Chengdu at their breeding base before the crowds arrive
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Sip tea and learn to play mahjong with local regulars in a century-old Chengdu teahouse
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Try your hand at Shu brocade weaving and silk embroidery, a 2,000-year-old craft
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Watch a Sichuan opera face-changing performance just steps from the stage
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Stand before the terracotta armies of the First Emperor outside Xi'an
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Ride a bicycle along the Ming dynasty city wall at golden hour
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Learn to pull biangbiang noodles and fold dumplings by hand in a Xi'an home kitchen
Day 01
Arrival in Chongqing
Arrive in Chongqing and transfer privately to your hotel on the Yuzhong peninsula, the narrow tip of land where the Yangtze and Jialing rivers meet. After time to settle in, an easy orientation walk through Jiefangbei and down to Hongyadong offers a first look at the vertical city and its neon-lit skyline. Welcome dinner introduces Chongqing's bold, fiery flavours, ahead of the hands-on hotpot class later in the trip
Day 02
Rivers, Cable Cars and the Layered City
Chongqing is built on cliffs at the meeting point of two great rivers, and today is spent reading that geography on foot. Begin at a viewpoint over the Yangtze–Jialing confluence, then cross the river aboard the historic Yangtze Cableway before descending into Shibati, a warren of old stone steps and stairways that predates the modern city. The afternoon is unhurried time in Ciqikou Ancient Town, wandering porcelain lanes, tea stalls and workshops at your own pace. In the evening, a cruise on the Yangtze watches Chongqing's skyline rise in neon above the water.
Day 03
Hands-On Chongqing: Market, and Hotpot
A slower, more participatory day. Begin at a neighbourhood wet market with a local chef, learning how Sichuan pepper and dried chillies built Chongqing's reputation for fire. Back in the kitchen, a hands-on class walks you through blending your own hotpot base and dipping sauce, and lunch is the hotpot you helped make. The afternoon is left open by design: return to Hongyadong by daylight, visit the quiet Luohan Temple, or simply rest before a free evening.
Day 04
Into the Karst: Wulong's Natural Bridges
A scenic drive of roughly two and a half to three hours brings you to the Wulong Karst National Geopark, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Walk beneath the Three Natural Bridges, Tianlong, Qinglong and Heilong, immense stone spans left behind by collapsed cave systems, at a pace that allows for real time among the gorges rather than a quick photo stop. In the late afternoon, check into Furong Ancient Town, a small stone village built directly into a cliff face, with a waterfall running beneath its streets. The evening is free to wander its lanes as the lights come on.
Day 05
Furong Cave and On to Chengdu
A morning visit to Furong Cave, one of China's largest and most richly decorated karst caves, before transferring to the high-speed rail for the onward journey to Chengdu. Arriving in the early evening, there is time to settle into the hotel and take a first, easy stroll for a bowl of Chengdu noodles nearby, an unhurried introduction to the city that sets the tone for the days ahead.
Day 06
Pandas, Tea and a Game of Mahjong
An early but gentle start to the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, timed to see the pandas at their most active before the crowds arrive, with time to wander the bamboo gardens rather than rush between enclosures. Back in the city by late morning, the afternoon settles into Renmin (People's) Park, where bamboo armchairs and hot jasmine tea at the century-old Heming Teahouse set the scene for a hands-on lesson in Sichuan-style mahjong from a local regular, alongside a glimpse of the teahouse tradition of ear-cleaning. The evening is free.
Day 07
Old Alleys, Silk Threads and a Change of Face
A morning wander through Kuanzhai Xiangzi, the Wide and Narrow Alleys, Qing-dynasty lanes now filled with teahouses, courtyards and everyday local life. In the afternoon, a hands-on workshop at the Chengdu Shu Brocade and Embroidery Museum introduces the basics of Shu brocade weaving and silk embroidery, crafts recognised as intangible cultural heritage and practised in this region for two thousand years. The evening brings a Sichuan opera performance, including face-changing (bian lian) and fire-spitting, watched from close to the stage.
Day 08
Dujiangyan and the Tea Hills
A day trip of about an hour each way to Dujiangyan, a 2,200-year-old irrigation system still in operation today and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a striking piece of ancient engineering set among river and mountain. From there, the afternoon slows further in the surrounding tea hills: a walk between tea bushes with a local grower, a look at how leaves are hand-picked and pan-fired, and a proper sit-down tea ceremony and tasting. Return to Chengdu by early evening, with the rest of the evening free.
Day 09
On to Xi'an: The Wall at Golden Hour
A morning high-speed rail journey of roughly three and a half to four hours brings you to Xi'an. After checking in, head straight for the Ming dynasty City Wall, renting bicycles to ride a stretch of its fourteen kilometres of ramparts as the light turns gold over the old city. Descend into the Muslim Quarter near the Great Mosque, where narrow lanes carry the smell of grilled lamb and warm bread, and let dinner be whatever looks best on the street.
Day 10
Breakfast & Airport Transfer
A full day devoted to the Mausoleum of Emperor Qin Shi Huang and the Terracotta Army, thousands of life-sized warriors and horses still standing in the pits where they were unearthed. Unhurried time is set aside across all three excavation pits and the museum, with a guide who brings the history to life rather than rushing the numbers. The afternoon returns to a more human scale with a hands-on class rolling dough and pulling Shaanxi's famous biangbiang noodles, then folding dumplings for dinner. The evening is free, with an optional stroll through the lantern-lit streets of Datang Everbright City.
Day 11
A Slower Morning and Departure
. A private transfer to the airport or station is timed to suit your onward flight.
What's included
A private English-speaking guide for the whole trip — not just at the big sights. Private driver and vehicle: airport pick-ups, drop-offs and high-speed train journeys in first class, as shown in your itinerary. Hand-picked hotels, 5★ minimum, in the centre of each city (double occupancy). All admission tickets and listed activities. Meals noted in the itinerary, with drinking water at every table. A VPN and eSIM setup guide so Google, WhatsApp and Instagram just work. 24/7 in-trip support on WhatsApp, from us, in London. Full financial protection (as agent for ATOL No. 10106; ABTA bonded No. Y6874)
What's not included
- International flights
- Travel insurance
- Visa fees — though for most UK and EU travellers China is now 30-day visa-free; we confirm your exact status before you book
- Tips for guides and drivers (discretionary, and appreciated)
- Anything you add on the spot — which we'll happily arrange and quote in minutes
How do I secure my spot on this tour?
Click the ENQUIRE NOW button and fill in the enquiry form, or email us at info@jade-compass.com. Tell us your dates, how many of you are travelling, and anything on your wish list — we'll come back within 24 hours with a real itinerary and a real price. There's no charge for this; it's how we work. Every Jade Compass tour is private, for your group alone. Once you're happy with the plan, a deposit secures your dates — the amount is shown clearly in your quote and goes towards your final balance. We don't ask for anything before you've seen the full plan and the price.
Is this trip guaranteed to run?
Yes — because it's private. Your tour runs from just two people: you and your travelling companion. There's no minimum group size, no "needs six more to confirm", no chance of cancellation for lack of numbers. Your dates and your itinerary are confirmed when you confirm your booking — and they stay confirmed.
What is your cancellation policy?
Cancellation & changes — the honest version
Plans change. Flights move, school holidays shift, family plans wobble. So here's our cancellation policy, written the way we'd want to read it — no small print, no "see our booking conditions".
Every booking starts with a 72-hour cooling-off period: cancel within 72 hours of confirming and it's a full refund, no questions — however close to departure you booked.
After that, the ladder applies from your booking date, not from the day you call to cancel:
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Booked more than 60 days before departure: full refund up to 60 days before; 50% refund up to 30 days before; 25% after that
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Booked 30–60 days before departure: 50% refund up to 30 days before; 25% after that
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Booked within 30 days of departure: 25% from the end of your cooling-off period
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Or change your dates instead — once, free of charge. We'll rebook your trip and only adjust for any real difference in cost.