12-Day Shanghai Beijing Family Itinerary Sample
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Day 1

Arrive in Beijing

Private transfer from Beijing Capital International Airport to AMAN SUMMER PALACE in Beijing, via VIP transfer

As soon as you exit from the aircraft and walk pass the connecting tube, you will be welcomed by the Beijing Airport representative (Go-VIP) who will be carrying an Aman Summer Palace signage board and will assist you all through immigration, baggage claim, customs, and finally escorting you to AMAN

Check in to Aman Summer Palace. You have been upgraded upon request to the Courtyard Suite.

Rest and relax for the afternoon

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Day 2

Tiananmen Square and Panjiayuan Market

Stop at Tiananmen Square for a stroll on the largest public plaza on earth. Lying in the center of Beijing, Tiananmen Square is thought of as the very heart of the city. The square, in spite of its past events, remains one of the most popular venues in Beijing. Here, on any given day, thousands of visitors gather to walk, fly kites, or enjoy the view of the monuments that surround the square. For retail therapy with a local flavor, head to the Panjiayuan Weekend Market. Formerly held only during pre-dawn hours, it has grown to become the largest outdoor bazaar in Beijing, now operational from early morning well into the evening. Zig-zag through the dizzying maze of over 3,000 vendors, peddling all manners of Chinese arts, crafts and antiques-from porcelains, paintings and propaganda posters to gemstones, textiles, Tibetan rugs and Qing dynasty-style furniture.

Rest of the afternoon at leisure and enjoy private time at Aman Summer Palace

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Day 3

Tai Chi with a Master

Meet your private guide at your hotel lobby and head to a private Tai Chi lesson. Attend a private Tai Chi Lesson with a Tai Chi Master at the park of Aman Summer Palace. For those more inclined to discipline the mind, Tai Chi masters will instruct the ancient art of channeling the “Qi” through the body – to better achieve harmony and balance, the yin and the yang.

Rest of the afternoon at leisure and enjoy private time at Aman Summer Palace

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Day 4

Bei Hai Park and Hutong

Meet your private guide at the hotel lobby and set out to enjoy a walk in Bei Hai Park, which was originally built in the days of Kublai Khan, and was used by the emperors of post-Kublai Khan dynasties. It houses the famous White Dagoba, which stands above the Jade Islet and is a memorial to a visit by the Dalai Lama in 1651. Other famous features include the Nine-Dragon Screen, built to ward off evil spirits, and the Five-Dragon Pavilion. Here you will go on an adventure riding on a pedicab through hutongs.

Trace the history of old Beijing as you ride through its winding alleyways, or hutongs. Meaning “water well” in Mongolian, these networks of narrow lanes, linking various neighborhoods, were once vital to commuting in the capital. Despite their dwindling numbers in the face of modernization, there remains pockets of surviving hutong neighborhoods, wherein you visit the home of a local family for a rare glimpse into bygone Beijing.

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Lunch at Da Dong

(for the best Peking duck in Beijing)

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Rest of the afternoon at leisure and enjoy private time at Aman Summer Palace

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Day 5

Great Wall

Visit the Great Wall at the Mutianyu site.

Meet your private guide in the hotel lobby and explore the Mutianyu Great Wall. The Wall has been built up in myth and legend, but despite the many inaccuracies written, it remains one of the great man-made wonders of the world. The Great Wall rides some of the highest peaks of the Yan Mountains affording some stunning views of the surrounding countryside. Originally built to guard strategic passes to the plains on which Beijing is located, the magnificent vistas and solitary setting here evoke the grandeur and dazzling achievement of 5,000 years of Chinese civilization. The Mutianyu Great Wall is nestled in the green mountains and rivers, blending the ancient history with the beauty of nature in one harmonious whole.

Take the cable car ride and toboggan sled down as an option.

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Lunch Reservation at Xiao Long Pu

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Rest of the afternoon at leisure and enjoy private time at Aman Summer Palace

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Day 6

Forbidden City Private Visit

Meet your private guide in the hotel lobby and set out for a private visit to the sumptuous Forbidden City. The Forbidden City is Beijing's most enduring emblem. Magnificent halls, winding lanes, and stately courtyards await you. At 180 acres, this is the world's largest palace complex. Also known as the Palace Museum, and Gu Gong in Chinese, the Forbidden City lies at the city center of Beijing, and once served as the imperial palace for 24 emperors during the Ming and Qing Dynasties (1368 - 1911). It was first built throughout 14 years during the reign of Emperor Chengzu in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Ancient Chinese Astronomers believed that the Purple Star (Polaris) was in the center of heaven and the Heavenly Emperor lived in the Purple Palace.

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Day 7

Black Sesame Private Cooking Class with a Chef

Meet your private guide in the hotel lobby and be transfered to a private cooking class at Black Sesame Kitchen. Learn from a professional chef to make some traditional Beijing dishes which will be served as your lunch. You will also learn how to stock your pantry with the right Chinese ingredients.

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Summer Palace Private Tour

The Summer Palace is said to be the best preserved imperial garden in the world, and the largest of its kind still in existence in China. It greatly influences Chinese horticulture and landscape with its famous natural views and cultural interests, which also has long been recognized as 'The Museum of Royal Gardens'. It contains over 3,000 man-made ancient structures, including pavilions, towers, bridges, corridors, and more.

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Shanghai

Day 8

Depart Beijing Capital International Airport to Shanghai Pudong International Airport

Upon arrival at Shanghai airport, AMAN’s airport representative will wait for you at the exit after baggage claim, holding a signage board with your name.

Check in to Amanyangyun

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Day 9

Yu Yuan and West Bund Arts

After breakfast, meet your private guide and driver in the lobby of your hotel and head to discover Yu Yuan.

Take a walk through Shanghai’s old Chinese quarter to the lovely Yu Yuan (or Yu Garden), a 16th century Ming Dynasty private garden and residence. Despite Shanghai’s crowded lanes and teeming masses, the garden remains an oasis of tranquility. Its deceptive size, laid out with many corners and breezeways to give one the illusion of size, houses in exquisite harmony the essential elements of a Chinese garden – pavilions, water, vegetation, rock formations, and bridges. The Old Town refers to the original Chinese city that flourished in the Ming dynasty. The architecture of the area has been restored to the original Ming period style.

Includes a tea tasting at one of local tea houses in Old Town.

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Lunch at Din Tai Fung

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West Bund Art Tour Guided by a Specialist

Enjoy a private art tour that we designed with our Specialist introducing you to the the top museums and galleries on the West Bund, including behind-the-scenes access.

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Day 10

Modern Architecture Tour Through the Eyes of an Architect

After breakfast, meet your private driver at the hotel lobby and be transferred to the Modern Architecture Tour designed by an architect.

This ride is done by a vintage convertible jeep and you will discover Shanghai’s first American built skyscraper and its strong message to the Soviet Union, understand Fengshui with the famous People Square and take a stop at a mysterious dragon pillar. To really feel the power of this fast-paced city, cross the river and go stand at the foot of China’s Manhattan, take a glance at the China Pavilion.

Rest of the afternoon at leisure and enjoy private time at Amanyangyun

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Day 11

Shanghai Museum, French Concession and Xintiandi

After breakfast, meet your private driver at the hotel lobby and set out to enjoy the Shanghai Museum. The Shanghai Museum’s state-of-the-art structure is a commanding presence in the heart of the People’s Square. Within this strikingly modern facade lies one of the finest collections of ancient Chinese art ever amassed, with a special emphasis on rich, rare and high quality bronzes and ceramics.

The French Concession - Paris of the East

Stroll along the tree-lined avenues of the French Concession, one of five European settlement areas established after the 1842 Treaty of Nanjing. Its Gallic élan of charming facades and alfresco cafes is an enduring testament to the city’s old moniker, “Paris of the East.” A mélange of architectural styles, from art deco, neo-gothic, teutonic and southern antebellum, speaks of a pre-World War II Shanghai, where the world’s most foremost architects convened and created.

Xintiandi

Proceed with your private guide to Xintiandi which is an urban tourist attraction imbued with the city's historical and cultural legacies. It features a multitude of specialist F&B, retail, entertainment, cultural, recreational, commercial and residential facilities as well as state-of-the-art new buildings, catering to both residents and visitors.

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Private Lunch at a 1920’s Townhouse

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Rest of the afternoon at leisure and enjoy private time at Amanyangyun

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Day 12

Depart Shanghai

Safe travels back home