China Cultural Tour- (Language/ Art/ History/ Food Tech) Sample Itinerary

BESPOKE EDUCATIONAL TRIPS, CUSTOMISED TO YOUR REQUIREMENTS

EA School Tours has been working with schools for 20 years to facilitate informative and inspiring school tours around the world. We offer trips to the USA, Europe, NZ, Asia and South America, with each tour being customised to your educational goals. All packages are fully inclusive with flights, accommodation, activities and more.

SUPERIOR ORGANISATION FOR A STRESS-FREE EXPERIENCE

EA School Tours provides an unsurpassed level of support to teachers. From the concept to completion of your school tour, our dedicated team will work with you to ensure a memorable and safe experience for your students, parents, and teachers. There is a high level of communication required in order to successfully plan an international trip, and our team will ensure the planning is on track to deliver an exceptional school trip.

PROFESSIONAL LOCAL TOUR MANAGERS PROVIDING 24-HOUR SUPPORT WHILE ON TOUR

If selected as part of your package, when on tour, our qualified and experienced on-ground tour manager will work with you to ensure flexibility and provide ongoing support throughout. Our representatives are selected for their ability to quickly develop a great rapport with teachers and students, and because they are passionate about providing excellent service, alongside being knowledgeable about the area you are travelling to.

CSTO CERTIFIED SCHOOL TOUR SPECIALISTS

We only work on school tours, so our team are intricately aware of what schools need and how to provide it. We hold the CSTO certification from SYTA, where we have been assessed over 25+ rigorous safety standards – this certification demonstrates a commitment to the well-being of travellers through comprehensive risk management, adherence to ethical practices, correct insurance coverage, bonding, assessment of suppliers and emergency response (amongst others).

BONDINGS AND INDUSTRY INVOLVEMENT

Educating Adventures is bonded with numerous oversight agencies around the world and is heavily involved in the school tour travel industry within our main territories. We are part of The School Travel Collective in NZ, SETO and ATIA in Australia, and also have bonding via TAANZ and ATOL. We operate in a financially positive environment, where your school’s funds are only spent on your tour during the lead-up to the trip.

GROUP TRAVEL MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE

We use the latest software to make teachers' lives easier by performing tasks and collating information on their behalf. Instead of teachers chasing up parents for students' passport details, medical information, waiver forms, meal pre-orders, etc, Educating Adventures will do this on your behalf.

Our planning

The next step is to let know that you would like to work with us and we can advise and help you to make this tour a reality. There is no obligation to travel, this step just allows us to make all necessary enquiries and work with our suppliers on organising initial details for your group while you advertise the trip to your school and collect deposits.

 

Get it right

This quotation and itinerary is a starting point. We enjoy this stage, spending time with teachers to make changes and ensure each school group gets the best itinerary at a suitable package price.

 

Confirm the trip

To confirm your trip a non-refundable deposit (normally 15% of the package price) is required. This can be completed ahead of flight release and would be refundable until your flights are booked and agreed. Note: international flights are generally only available to be booked 11 months prior to travel.

 

Price Guarantee

We know how difficult it is for teachers to ask parents for more money. Once we have issued your second invoice, the price will never change as long as the itinerary does not change and the number of travellers remains the same. So the price of the tour will not increase if flights and/or taxes increase or exchange rate changes. Another reason why EA School Tours makes teachers' lives easier!

After breakfast, board your private coach. Travel to The Great Wall of China. The Great Wall of China is an ancient fortification built to protect Chinese states from invasions, stretching over 13,000 miles across northern China. Constructed over several dynasties, it is one of the most iconic symbols of Chinese history and engineering. The group will visit the Mutianyu section, which allows visitors to ascend and descend the wall via cable car, or take the option of a one way toboggan. 

Later when driving back to downtown Beijing, you will stop by the Bird's Nest (Olympic National Stadium) and Water Cube (National Aquatics), to view the unique constructions and take some photos.

Visit the Temple of Heaven, a stunning 15th‑century imperial complex of circular and square altars and halls where Ming and Qing emperors performed annual rituals to pray for good harvests—a masterpiece of symbolic Chinese ritual architecture and a UNESCO World Heritage Site

History Studies

Explores Ancient and Imperial China through the Great Wall and Temple of Heaven, examining empire building, defence, ritual, and the use of architecture to legitimise political power, alongside modern national identity at the Olympic sites.

Visual Art Studies

Examines traditional and modern Chinese architecture, focusing on symbolism, geometry, materials, and the contrast between imperial design principles and contemporary architectural innovation.

Language Studies (Chinese)

Provides real-world cultural context for Mandarin through place-based vocabulary, signage, inscriptions, and cultural concepts related to ritual, space, and historical sites.

Food Technology Studies

Links imperial harvest rituals and agricultural cycles to food security in ancient China, with contextual exposure to modern urban Chinese food culture.

Overnight Beijing.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner included. 

Travel by coach to visit Yu Xin School (arranged by the school) Enjoy cultural activities such as martial art lessons and arts and craft lessons. 

This afternoon, visit The Summer Palace. A vast imperial garden and palace complex, known for its stunning lakes, temples, and pavilions. Originally built in the Qing Dynasty, it served as a retreat for emperors and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

This evening enjoy a Kungfu Show.

History Studies

Engages with Qing Dynasty imperial life through the Summer Palace, exploring the role of leisure, landscape design, and cultural patronage in imperial governance, alongside living traditions such as martial arts.

Visual Art Studies

Explores traditional Chinese aesthetics through imperial garden design, pavilion architecture, landscape composition, and hands-on arts and crafts activities, as well as performance costume and movement in Kungfu.

Language Studies (Chinese)

Builds intercultural understanding through direct school interaction, participation in cultural activities, and exposure to spoken Mandarin in educational, performance, and social settings.

Food Technology Studies

Provides cultural context through school exchange experiences and discussion of daily life and food practices within Chinese education and imperial court culture (indirect contextual relevance).

Overnight Beijing.

Breakfast and dinner included (lunch will be at the school)

Today travel by subway to visit The Forbidden City, a massive palace complex that served as the political and ceremonial centre of Chinese emperors for nearly 500 years. Enclosed by high walls and a moat, it is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and houses the Palace Museum.

Visit the The National Museum of China, one of the largest museums in the world, showcasing China's rich history and cultural heritage from ancient times to the present. Located on the eastern side of Tiananmen Square, it combines the former Museum of the Chinese Revolution and the National Museum of Chinese History. 

Explore the 798 Art District, to view contemporary galleries in former industrial factories that reflect examples of the Cultural Revolution and display social commentary through art.  Compare the influences of contemporary art to earlier more patriotic and political messaging.

Finally, visit Tiananmen Square and Qianmen Food Street and with the assistance of your tour manager, choose food options for your dinner. Here you will find established restaurants and snack stalls selling local specialties.

History Studies

Examines imperial governance, power, and ceremony through the Forbidden City as the political centre of Ming and Qing China, supported by chronological study of Chinese civilisation from ancient to modern times at the National Museum of China. Investigate Communism in China, social change, role of ideology, industrial & social policy at the museum.

Visual Art Studies

Explores imperial architecture, spatial hierarchy, decorative arts, and artefacts, with analysis of symbolism, materials, and artistic styles across multiple Chinese dynasties. Examine propaganda posters, photographs, and artefacts from the 1949–1976 period and compare to contemporary art.

Language Studies (Chinese)

Provides authentic exposure to Mandarin through museum interpretation, signage, and public transport use and ordering meals, reinforcing cultural vocabulary through language in use.

Food Technology Studies

Offers contextual understanding of daily life and material culture through museum displays related to domestic practices, agriculture, and food traditions across Chinese history, and provides experiential learning through tasting and observing contemporary Beijing street foods at Qianmen Food Street, highlighting local culinary culture and food preparation techniques.

Overnight Beijing.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

Transfer by coach to the train station and take a fast train from Beijing to Pingyao.  Pingyao is one of China’s best-preserved ancient walled cities, dating back to the Ming and Qing dynasties. Its stone city walls, traditional architecture, temples, and streets offer a rich, immersive experience for high school students studying history and culture., On arrival into Pingyao, you'll be met by a coach to transfer to your accomodation.

This morning transfer to the train station and take the fast train to one of China's oldest cities and one of the four great ancient capitals, Xi'an.

Xi'an is the starting point of the Silk Road, and it is here where the Army of Terracotta Warriors lives.

Travel by coach to visit the Terracotta Warriors, an incredible army of over 7000 soldiers, horses, archers and chariots in full battle array which have guarded Emperor Qin's tomb since 210BC.

This evening enjoy a dumpling banquet and a  light show.

History Studies

Explore Qin Dynasty and Silk Road history through the Terracotta Warriors.

Visual Art Studies

Study sculptural detail and artistic techniques of warriors, horses, and historical objects.

Food Technology Studies

Experience traditional Xi’an cuisine through a dumpling banquet, linking local food practices to regional ingredients, historical culinary traditions, and cultural heritage.

Overnight Xi'an.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

This morning you will visit the Shaanxi History Museum—China’s first large-scale modern national museum—opened in 1991 and showcases over 370,000 cultural artifacts spanning from prehistoric times through the Qing Dynasty, with a design inspired by Tang‑dynasty architecture.

Then join your coach transfer to the train station and then travel from Xi'an to Chengdu by fast train. Your private coach will be waiting for you in Chengdu.

Next, visit Kuanzhai Alley, a well‑preserved Qing Dynasty historic block dating back to 1718, originally built to house Manchu soldiers and now comprising three parallel lanes—Wide Alley, Narrow Alley, and Well Alley—with traditional courtyard architecture blended seamlessly with modern teahouses, artisan shops, and Sichuanese eateries. Today, it’s a vibrant cultural hotspot where locals and tourists alike enjoy leisurely afternoon tea, Sichuan opera, bars, and street snacks, making it one of Chengdu’s most iconic city landmarks.

This evening, enjoy a Bianlian Show - the legendary “face‑changing” art of Sichuan opera, involves performers switching vividly painted masks at lightning‑speed with only a flick of a fan or swirl of the hand.

History

At Shaanxi History Museum, students examine imperial power, burial practices, trade, and continuity of Chinese civilisation. Kuanzhai Alley illustrates Qing Dynasty urban life and Manchu history, while the Bianlian show reflects long-standing Chinese cultural traditions.

Visual Art

Explores Tang-inspired museum architecture, and artefacts, including motifs, materials and decorative crafts.  Experience performing arts, including the visual spectacle and costume design of Sichuan face-changing opera.

Language Studies

Provides authentic exposure to spoken Mandarin through cultural sites, show and daily interactions.

Food Technology

Exposure to local food culture in Kuanzhai Alley.

Overnight Chengdu.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

 

A panda experience in Chengdu offers visitors the rare opportunity to visit the world-renowned Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding—home to over 100 pandas—and witness their playful behaviours, especially lively during morning feeding sessions. 

This afternoon visit Du Fu Thatched Cottage, a 24‑acre park and museum built to commemorate the Tang‑dynasty poet Du Fu, where he lived for nearly four years and composed over 240 poems amid rustic thatched huts.

History

Introduces students to Tang Dynasty society and intellectual life through the preserved residence of one of China’s most influential poets.

Visual Art

Explores classical Chinese garden design, landscape aesthetics, and traditional architectural forms that inspired poetry and artistic expression.

Language Studies

Provides cultural context for classical Chinese literature, poetry, and the enduring influence of language in shaping Chinese identity.

Private coach travel.

Overnight Chengdu.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

 

Transfer by private coach to the airport for your flight from Chengdu to Shanghai. You'll be met at Shanghai airport by a private coach transfer.

This evening, enjoy a river cruise. Glide past iconic landmarks like the colonial Bund architecture and futuristic Pudong skyscrapers.

Overnight Shanghai.

Breakfast and dinner included.

You will visit the Sihang Warehouse Memorial and the Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum, which will give students a powerful understanding of World War II as experienced by civilians in an urban setting. Students move beyond textbook narratives to see how war affected ordinary people, cities, and global populations, helping them grasp the human cost of conflict.

Together, the museums encourage empathy, critical thinking, and global awareness by showing contrasting but connected wartime experiences: military resistance and survival under occupation, alongside humanitarian refuge and international displacement.

After lunch stop over at 400-year-old Yuyuan Garden, the representative ancient garden in Shanghai. Appreciate the elegant pavilions, villa, lotus pond and bridges. Don’t miss the two highlights Mid-Lake Pavilion and Zigzag Bridge that make access to the Pavilion.

Lastly a walking tour of Xintiandi, nestled in Shanghai’s former French Concession, is a pedestrian-only lifestyle hub showcasing beautifully restored Shikumen houses where narrow-lane architecture meets contemporary urban flair in the form of boutique shops, trendy cafés, and vibrant nightlife. This stylish enclave, originally redeveloped in the early 2000s by international designers to preserve its colonial-era charm, now epitomizes a seamless blend of East-meets-West dining, culture, and entertainment.

The group will have a private coach for the day.

Chinese cooking class where students will make their own dinner.

History

Students explore WWII Shanghai at Sihang Warehouse and the Jewish Refugees Museum, examining civilian experiences, Japanese occupation, and international displacement. Yuyuan Garden and Xintiandi illustrate urban development, Qing Dynasty heritage, and colonial-era influences in Shanghai’s history.

Visual Art

Students observe traditional Chinese garden design, architecture, and urban aesthetics at Yuyuan Garden and Shikumen houses, alongside cultural expression in historical preservation and modern urban design at Xintiandi.

Language Studies

Opportunities to engage with authentic Mandarin signage, historical narratives, and cultural terminology throughout museums, gardens, and city streets.

Food Technology

Students engage in a hands-on Chinese cooking class, preparing traditional dishes and learning about ingredients, techniques, and culinary culture while making their own dinner.

Overnight Shanghai.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

This morning, travel by coach to visit Wuphai School. 

This afternoon, visit Zhujiajiao Water Village. Often dubbed the “Venice of Shanghai,” is a beautifully preserved ancient canal town in Qingpu District with over 1,700 years of history, characterized by its 36 stone bridges, willow‑lined waterways, and Ming–Qing dynasty architecture. Just 30–50 km from downtown Shanghai, it offers a tranquil escape where visitors can meander along narrow cobblestone alleys, ride wooden boats under arched bridges, and soak in the serene, historic ambiance

This evening, enjoy an evening acrobatic show at Era *subject to availability

History

Students explore traditional Qing and Ming dynasty architecture and urban life at Zhujiajiao Water Village, experiencing a historic canal town and its preserved bridges, waterways, and cobblestone streets.

Visual Art

The stone bridges, canals, willow-lined landscapes, and architectural details provide insight into Chinese aesthetic principles. The evening acrobatic show highlights performance art, balance, and movement artistry.

Language Studies

Visits to Wuphai School and Zhujiajiao offer exposure to Mandarin in authentic settings, including signage, local interactions, and cultural storytelling.

Overnight Shanghai.

Breakfast and dinner included.

A full day at Shanghai Disneyland immerses students in a vibrant mix of themed lands, thrilling rides, live shows, and cultural storytelling, blending international Disney magic with Chinese-inspired attractions.

Overnight Shanghai.

Breakfast included.