In April & May of 2026 I took an 11-day tour of China (plus 7-day solo tour), starting in Beijing and finishing in Shanghai. The first stop was the imperial grandeur of Beijing’s Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, Great Wall and Temple of Heaven. Second stop was Xi’an to marvel at the Terracotta Army and cycle atop ancient city walls. The reason for me taking this tour was the third stop: Zhangjiajie’s dramatic peaks, with its glass bridges, skywalks and misty forest trails, famously inspiring the film Avatar. Fourth stop was to soak up the energy of Shanghai, from tranquil Yu Garden to the historic Bund, and cruise the Huangpu River for skyline views.

I am highly recommending this tour to anyone planning a trip to China. If you are interested in the 3 standard stops (Beijing, Shanghai & Xi’an) but not Zhangjiajie, you can visit the 3 Gorges Dam instead. Checkout this link to get the tour details. The tour is actually provided by Agate Travel & Travel China Guide, a Chinese company who provide over-the-top service.

I saw a documentary on the Zhangjiajie National Park and decided immediately I had to add it to my bucket list. You may be already familiar with the mountains in the park as Zhangjiajie is the place where the famous “Avatar” movie was filmed. Yes, that’s the same place, the same mountains and yes, they are real and no, it’s not magic! Checkout my pix of Zhangjiajie and lots of videos of the attractions here. Here is a travel video of the park – folks exploring the park.

Some Images of China

My tour group, Tiananmen Square, Terracotta Army, Glass Bridge, Peonies in Imperial Garden, Lunch table, Shanghai, Bullet train speed, canals in Zhujiajiao Ancient Town

Links for the above destinations

• My Tour Description
• The Terracotta Army
• The Glass Bridge
• The Forbidden City
• Shanghai
• China’s High Speed Rail System
• Zhujiajiao Ancient Town