9 or 12 days
Beijing, Shanghai, extension to Hong Kong

Look to China for a way of life that mixes ancient traditions with an ever-evolving cultural scene. Beijing was named China’s capital in 1949 and has since transformed into the nation’s political, educational, and economic hub. Experience how the city keeps one eye to the past as you savor the traditions of a local tea ceremony, stroll through the Summer Palace’s magical grounds, and glimpse China’s history of political protests in Tiananmen Square. The fusion of classic and contemporary continues in Shanghai, where you’ll come face-to-face with the Jade Buddha Temple’s centuries-old statues and visit the Shanghai World Financial Center—a modern construction representing ancient Chinese symbols of heaven and earth.

  • Day 1: Fly overnight to China

  • Day 2: Beijing

    Meet your Tour Director at the airport

    Enjoy dinner in Beijing

  • Day 3: Beijing

    Tour Beijing, long been considered the political, educational, and cultural center of China, with an expert local guide

    Visit Tiananmen Square, the world’s largest public square and a site of frequent political protests

    Visit the Forbidden City, home to 24 emperors and so named because no one could enter or leave the premises without the emperor's approval

    Visit the Summer Palace, an imperial garden during the Qing Dynasty, and explore its beautiful garden grounds

    Enjoy a dragon boat ride and see the views from Kunming Lake (seasonal: April to October) 

    Enjoy dinner in Beijing

  • Day 4: Beijing

    Take an excursion to Badaling

    Tour the Great Wall of China with your Tour Director and see one of the Seven Wonders of the World, which was built by 300,000 people over several centuries and now stretches over 3,000 miles

    Enjoy a traditional tea ceremony in Beijing where you will learn about: 

    • The Chinese culture of drinking tea in daily life today
    • The history of chayi, or the art of drinking tea, credited to Emperor Shennong
    • The significance of drinking tea among Chinese scholars in tea houses

    Tour Beijing's Hutongs, a labyrinthine network of ancient city alleys, by traditional rickshaw

    Add this in-depth excursion:
    The Legend of Kung Fu show

    The Legend of Kung Fu show

    Tonight, see the show that tells the story of a young boy, Chun Yi (the pure one), who in order to pursue spiritual and physical harmony becomes a monk and learns kung fu. Along the way he overcomes obstacles, is distracted and tempted, but ultimately achieves the designation of master. This performance combines story-telling, kung-fu, acrobatics, modern dance, and original music to celebrate the philosophy and skill of martial arts.

  • Day 5: Beijing

    Spend a full day exploring Beijing on your own

    Enjoy a regional specialty and traditional side dishes with your group at a Peking Duck dinner

  • Day 6: Beijing • Shanghai

    Travel by high-speed train to Shanghai

    Visit the Shanghai World Financial Center and see views of the city from 1,555 feet above

    Enjoy dinner in Shanghai

  • Day 7: Shanghai

    Take a guided tour of Shanghai

    With your expert local guide you will visit:

    • Jade Buddha Temple, a famous Buddhist temple
    • Yu Yuan Garden, a showplace of classical Chinese landscaping 
    • Nanjing Lu, a main commercial district

    Spend free time exploring the Bund and Nanjing Lu on your own

    Enjoy a traditional Chinese acrobatics show

  • Day 8: Shanghai

    Spend a full day exploring Shanghai on your own

    Enjoy dinner in Shanghai

  • Day 9: Depart for home

Add more days

  • Day 9: Shanghai • Hong Kong

    Fly to Hong Kong

    Take a ride on the Star Ferry from Kowloon to Hong Kong Island

    Enjoy dinner in Hong Kong

    Watch A Symphony of Lights show, illuminating Hong Kong's harbor skyline, from the Avenue of Stars

  • Day 10: Hong Kong

    Spend the afternoon exploring Hong Kong on your own

    Take a guided tour of Hong Kong

    With your expert local guide, you will visit:

    • Stanley Market, an open-air shopping area
    • Aberdeen Harbor, a busy fishing port
    • Repulse Bay, an upscale beach area

    Take a tram ride to the top of Victoria Peak and take in views of the city

    Enjoy a Dim Sum tasting, comprised of many small dishes of specialties

  • Day 11: Hong Kong

    Add this in-depth excursion:
    Macau Island

    Macau Island

    Venture via ferry to the island of Macau. As the first and last European colony in China, Macau has more visible colonial history than Hong Kong. It is fascinating to just walk around as the place is packed with churches, temples, fortresses and other old buildings bearing an interesting mix of Portuguese and Chinese characteristics. There are also hundreds of narrow alleyways forming a maze in the old part of Macau! A guide will accompany you on a sightseeing tour, including the famous ruins of St. Paul's, Na Tcha Temple, the Leal Senado Building–one of the best examples of Portuguese architecture in the area—and Macau Tower, an observation deck with a fantastic view of the city. (A Portuguese-style lunch is included with the excursion.)

    Enjoy dinner in Hong Kong

  • Day 12: Depart for home

Want to learn more about this program?
  • Day 1: Fly overnight to China

  • Day 2: Beijing

    Meet your Tour Director at the airport

    Enjoy dinner in Beijing

  • Day 3: Beijing

    Tour Beijing, long been considered the political, educational, and cultural center of China, with an expert local guide

    Visit Tiananmen Square, the world’s largest public square and a site of frequent political protests

    Visit the Forbidden City, home to 24 emperors and so named because no one could enter or leave the premises without the emperor's approval

    Visit the Summer Palace, an imperial garden during the Qing Dynasty, and explore its beautiful garden grounds

    Enjoy a dragon boat ride and see the views from Kunming Lake (seasonal: April to October) 

    Enjoy dinner in Beijing

  • Day 4: Beijing

    Take an excursion to Badaling

    Tour the Great Wall of China with your Tour Director and see one of the Seven Wonders of the World, which was built by 300,000 people over several centuries and now stretches over 3,000 miles

    Enjoy a traditional tea ceremony in Beijing where you will learn about: 

    • The Chinese culture of drinking tea in daily life today
    • The history of chayi, or the art of drinking tea, credited to Emperor Shennong
    • The significance of drinking tea among Chinese scholars in tea houses

    Tour Beijing's Hutongs, a labyrinthine network of ancient city alleys, by traditional rickshaw

    Add this in-depth excursion:
    The Legend of Kung Fu show

    The Legend of Kung Fu show

    Tonight, see the show that tells the story of a young boy, Chun Yi (the pure one), who in order to pursue spiritual and physical harmony becomes a monk and learns kung fu. Along the way he overcomes obstacles, is distracted and tempted, but ultimately achieves the designation of master. This performance combines story-telling, kung-fu, acrobatics, modern dance, and original music to celebrate the philosophy and skill of martial arts.

  • Day 5: Beijing

    Spend a full day exploring Beijing on your own

    Enjoy a regional specialty and traditional side dishes with your group at a Peking Duck dinner

  • Day 6: Beijing • Shanghai

    Travel by high-speed train to Shanghai

    Visit the Shanghai World Financial Center and see views of the city from 1,555 feet above

    Enjoy dinner in Shanghai

  • Day 7: Shanghai

    Take a guided tour of Shanghai

    With your expert local guide you will visit:

    • Jade Buddha Temple, a famous Buddhist temple
    • Yu Yuan Garden, a showplace of classical Chinese landscaping 
    • Nanjing Lu, a main commercial district

    Spend free time exploring the Bund and Nanjing Lu on your own

    Enjoy a traditional Chinese acrobatics show

  • Day 8: Shanghai

    Spend a full day exploring Shanghai on your own

    Enjoy dinner in Shanghai

  • Day 9: Depart for home

Add more days

  • Day 9: Shanghai • Hong Kong

    Fly to Hong Kong

    Take a ride on the Star Ferry from Kowloon to Hong Kong Island

    Enjoy dinner in Hong Kong

    Watch A Symphony of Lights show, illuminating Hong Kong's harbor skyline, from the Avenue of Stars

  • Day 10: Hong Kong

    Spend the afternoon exploring Hong Kong on your own

    Take a guided tour of Hong Kong

    With your expert local guide, you will visit:

    • Stanley Market, an open-air shopping area
    • Aberdeen Harbor, a busy fishing port
    • Repulse Bay, an upscale beach area

    Take a tram ride to the top of Victoria Peak and take in views of the city

    Enjoy a Dim Sum tasting, comprised of many small dishes of specialties

  • Day 11: Hong Kong

    Add this in-depth excursion:
    Macau Island

    Macau Island

    Venture via ferry to the island of Macau. As the first and last European colony in China, Macau has more visible colonial history than Hong Kong. It is fascinating to just walk around as the place is packed with churches, temples, fortresses and other old buildings bearing an interesting mix of Portuguese and Chinese characteristics. There are also hundreds of narrow alleyways forming a maze in the old part of Macau! A guide will accompany you on a sightseeing tour, including the famous ruins of St. Paul's, Na Tcha Temple, the Leal Senado Building–one of the best examples of Portuguese architecture in the area—and Macau Tower, an observation deck with a fantastic view of the city. (A Portuguese-style lunch is included with the excursion.)

    Enjoy dinner in Hong Kong

  • Day 12: Depart for home

Want to learn more about this program?

Learning outcomes on this program

Confidence • Curiosity • Global perspective • Empathy • Adaptability • Relatability • Self-Awareness


EF Global Learning Model Post-Study Abroad Learning Resources
Academic resources

With this program, you get access to our Global Learning Resources, which include:

  • Discussion questions
  • Sample assignments
  • Journal prompts
  • Webinars
  • EF's Global Competency Assessment, a pre- and post-program assessment to measure competency development
See the resources you get
EF Global Learning Model Post-Study Abroad Learning Resources
Academic resources


With this program, you get access to our Global Learning Resources, which include:

  • Discussion questions
  • Sample assignments
  • Journal prompts
  • Webinars
  • EF's Global Competency Assessment, a pre- and post-program assessment to measure competency development

See the resources you get



Your experience includes

  • Round-trip airfare

    Your price includes round-trip airfare for your whole group

  • Accommodations

    Safe, comfortable hotels with private bathrooms will be waiting for you at your destination.

  • On-tour transportation

    Land transportation

  • Regional-style meals

    Daily breakfasts and select local dinners are included in your program. Generally, we leave lunch up to you so your group has an opportunity to explore its own tastes.

  • End-to-end support

    Your team helps to secure administrative approval and academic credit, provides recruiting tools and helps establish your program's ongoing presence on campus.

  • EF Global Learning Toolkit

    To capitalize on moments for building empathy, awareness, and adaptability in a global environment, we offer a number of different tools designed to help educators facilitate student growth abroad and on campus, including academically enriched travel programs, industry engagement opportunities, global learning resources, and a Global Competencies Assessment tool.

  • Full-time Field Director

    Your Field Director is with your group 24/7, providing deep local insight while handling all program logistics.

  • Expert Local Guides

    Your expert Local Guides are natural historians, adding cultural insight and enhancing teaching moments wherever your curriculum takes you.

  • Guided sightseeing

    Gain insider knowledge and cultural perspective from licensed local guides who join your group for select experiences on tour.

  • Entrances

    Summer Palace, Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, Great Wall of China, tea ceremony, Jade Buddha Temple, Yu Yuan Garden, Shanghai World Financial Center, acrobatics show; with extension: Peak Tram, Man Mo Temple, Star Ferry

  • Worldwide support, safety and security

    EF has over 500 schools and offices in more than 50 countries worldwide. We provide 24-hour emergency support service along with a comprehensive $50 million liability policy that covers you and your institution while abroad.

  • Flexible payment options

    Give more students the opportunity to study abroad by offering them two different payment plan options, along with our TripFunder website to help fundraise for the program.


Programs in real life

EF College Study Tours Instagram page     Instagram →

EF College Study Tours Facebook page     Facebook →

EF College Study Tours blog page     Blog →

Programs in real life

EF College Study Tours Instagram page     Instagram →

EF College Study Tours Facebook page     Facebook →

EF College Study Tours blog page     Blog →

Want to learn more about short-term study abroad with EF Study Abroad?

Z