After a quick overnight in Beijing, we begin our adventure in the picturesque Yunnan province. Explore the Old Town of Lijiang, an ancient mountain city of ethnic minorities that boasts a captivating culture, enduring folk customs, a maze of swift canals and a unique architectural style. Check out the Black Dragon Pool and the Mu Mansion. Wander through streets paved with massive bluestones and listen to traditional Naxi music, known as the “living fossil of Chinese music”.

We embark on a trek through Tiger Leaping Gorge, believed to be the deepest and most dramatic gorge in the world. Hike along the Twenty Eight Bend Path as you listen to fierce river rapids and waterfalls tumble through the gorge below. We start our language classes and quickly learn speaking Chinese is challenging. Rest each evening in a different guesthouse looking out at breathtaking views of the Haba and Jade Dragon Snow Mountains.

Travel to Shangri-La, the gateway to Tibet, to continue our formal language instruction and participate in community service at a Tibetan orphanage. Spend your mornings learning basic Mandarin in small classes with expert instructors, and your afternoons with the children at Tendol Gyalzur. Here we truly learn the meaning of cultural exchange. The children introduce us to many facets of Chinese culture and help us improve our Chinese language skills. We share our own culture by teaching them English words and American games and songs. Prepare to have a lot of fun (and get worn out!) as you play and learn together with your lively and eager new friends. When not at the orphanage, spend your afternoons and evenings on excursions and in workshops that allow you to further your language and cultural studies. Visit the local market and a Buddhist monastery. Learn calligraphy, try tai chi, participate in a traditional cooking class and discuss China’s increasing role in the global economy.

We make our way to Beijing to meet our home stay families and investigate the treasures of this capital city that is both ancient and modern. Here we continue our studies in the mornings, and spend the afternoons exploring. Enter the Forbidden City, the world’s largest and best preserved imperial palace, and feel the history of the Ming and Qing dynasties as your footsteps trace the same paths emperors walked. Take in the daily sunset flag ceremony in Tiananmen Square, the largest city square in the world. Explore the imposing Temple of Heaven. A rickshaw ride through neighborhoods and lunch with a local family give you an inside look at everyday life in Beijing. Meander through the pedestrian streets and bustling markets, inhaling the delightful smells of local cuisine. A workshop on Beijing’s history and its role in China’s modernization gives you perspective on your surroundings. In the evenings, practice your developing language skills with your home stay families. Visit the famous Beijing Opera and marvel at the acrobatics, elaborate costumes and complex arias of this uniquely Chinese art. 

Our adventure would not be complete without traveling to the immense Great Wall. Camp and hike a section of this historic architectural marvel, surrounded by phenomenal landscapes. It’s a fitting location to reflect upon on your unforgettable journey, all you’ve learned, new lifelong friends and the amazing memories you share.