China Study Tour (CST)

Sample Schedules | Day-by-Day China Educational Tour Itineraries | China Study Tour (CST)
China Educational Tour · Sample Schedules

Day-by-Day Sample Schedules

Real program outlines for every age group — from primary school discoveries to university research exchanges. All itineraries are fully customisable around your curriculum and objectives.

China Study Tour (CST) is a provider of in-depth China corporate visit and educational tour solutions for educational institutions, business schools, and corporate executives worldwide. Each schedule below is a real, ready-to-run program outline — covering daily activities, meals, transport and learning objectives — and a starting point we customize around your group. 13+ years · 500+ groups · Ages 8–22.
Primary School · Ages 8–13

China Discovery Tour

Beijing & Chengdu · 8 Days

A magical introduction to China designed for primary-age students. Every day balances history, culture and interactive fun — with safety and supervision built into every moment. Students return with a genuine love for China and a broadened view of the world.

8 DaysBeijing + Chengdu Cities8–13 Ages10 students Min. Group

What's Included

  • Great Wall — Mutianyu cable car
  • Forbidden City guided tour
  • Giant Panda Base, Chengdu
  • Dumpling-making workshop
  • Mandarin language class
  • Temple of Heaven
  • Local primary school exchange
  • 4-star hotels
  • English-speaking guide throughout
  • 24/7 teacher emergency line
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Day 1
Arrive Beijing — Welcome Dinner · Arrival

Airport pickup, hotel check-in, orientation walk. Welcome dinner where students try their first Chinese meal together. Guide introduces basic Mandarin: nǐ hǎo, xièxiè.

Day 2
Tiananmen Square & Forbidden City · Heritage

Guided tour of the world's largest palace complex. Story-led narration at every courtyard. Students complete a simple illustrated journal page.

Dumpling Making Workshop · Workshop

Hands-on session learning to make traditional jiaozi. Students eat what they make. A firm favourite — messy, fun and genuinely educational.

Day 3
Great Wall — Mutianyu Section · Icon

Cable car up to the most student-friendly section. Supervised hike along the battlement. Toboggan slide back down. ⭐ The single most memorable experience for most students.

Day 4
Beijing Primary School Exchange · Exchange

Joint morning activities with a Beijing partner primary school — art, music or sports plus Mandarin games. Genuine peer connection across cultures.

Hutong Rickshaw Tour & Courtyard · Culture

Rickshaw ride through old Beijing lanes, visit a traditional siheyuan and meet a local family.

Day 5
Beijing → Chengdu · Flight

2.5-hour flight to the capital of Sichuan. Hotel transfer. Afternoon free time to explore the local street-food area with teachers.

Day 6
Chengdu Giant Panda Research Base · Nature

Full morning at the world's leading panda conservation center. Guided tour on conservation science and breeding. 🐼 We arrive at opening time when pandas are most active.

Chinese Calligraphy Workshop · Workshop

Students learn to write their own name in Chinese characters and take their work home.

Day 7
Mandarin Language Class · Language

Fun session — numbers, colours, greetings and a short skit. Many students leave able to count to 100 and order food in Mandarin.

Jinli Ancient Street & Farewell Hotpot · Culture

Walk Chengdu's most famous historic street. Final group dinner at a Sichuan hotpot restaurant (mild option always available).

Day 8
Trip Reflection & Departure · Reflection

Students share their top 3 memories. Journal pages collected for a class display. Transfer to Chengdu Tianfu Airport for departures.

High School · Ages 14–18

China Immersion Program

Beijing · Xi'an · Shanghai · 10 Days

A rich, academically substantive program taking students from ancient imperial China to the world's leading innovation economy. Designed for IB, A-Level and senior secondary students with clear curriculum links throughout.

10 DaysBeijing + Xi'an + Shanghai Cities14–18 Ages12 students Min. Group

What's Included

  • Great Wall & Forbidden City
  • Terracotta Warriors, Xi'an
  • Shanghai tech & culture immersion
  • High-speed rail Beijing → Xi'an
  • Local high school exchange
  • Mandarin workshop & calligraphy
  • STEM innovation visit (Shanghai)
  • 4-star hotels
  • English guide throughout
  • Curriculum-linked resource pack
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Day 1
Arrive Beijing — Orientation & Welcome Dinner · Arrival

Airport transfer, hotel check-in, evening orientation walk. Welcome dinner with briefing on program aims, conduct and daily journal requirements.

Day 2
Tiananmen · Forbidden City · Jingshan · Heritage

In-depth guided tour of the Ming and Qing imperial palace with thematic focus questions. View of the complex from Jingshan Hill.

Temple of Heaven & Locals in the Park · Culture

Guided tour plus joining local Beijingers — tai chi, calligraphy, chess, badminton. A genuine slice of everyday life.

Day 3
Great Wall — Mutianyu Hiking Section · Icon

Cable car up. Students hike up to 2km along the battlements with checkpoints. Structured debrief on engineering and history. Toboggan back down.

Day 4
Beijing High School Exchange · Exchange

Joint morning with Beijing high-school students — English debate and cross-cultural discussion on ambitions, university systems and social values.

Hutong Bike Tour & 798 Art District · Immersion

Bike tour through hutong neighbourhoods, then 798 — Beijing's contemporary art district in a former Soviet-era factory.

Day 5
Beijing → Xi'an (4.5 hrs) · High-Speed Rail

A high-speed rail journey that is itself a lesson — students get an infrastructure comparison worksheet. 350 km/h · 1,200 km · 97% on-time.

Day 6
Terracotta Warriors · City Wall · Muslim Quarter · History

Morning at the Terracotta Army (pits 1–3 with narration). Afternoon city-wall cycling. Evening Muslim Quarter street-food tour.

Day 7
Xi'an → Shanghai · Flight

2-hour flight. Afternoon transfer and orientation walk along People's Square and Nanjing Road.

Day 8
Shanghai STEM / Technology Visit · Innovation

Visit to a technology museum, innovation center or company experience space, customised to academic focus. Students complete a structured observation report.

The Bund & Lujiazui · Urban

Walk the Bund waterfront with guided explanation of Shanghai's history and transformation into a global financial hub.

Day 9
Mandarin & Calligraphy · Yu Garden · Workshop

Final language session — 5 key characters and a short conversation. Afternoon at Yu Garden, a classical Ming-era garden.

Day 10
Final Reflection Presentation & Departure · Reflection

Students present one key insight. Journal collections. Farewell lunch. Transfer to Shanghai Pudong International Airport.

University · MBA · Ages 18+

China Academic Exchange

Beijing & Shanghai · 8 Days

An academically rigorous program for undergraduate and MBA cohorts combining Peking University and Fudan University visits with company site visits, expert guest lectures and structured business analysis.

8 DaysBeijing + Shanghai CitiesUndergraduate + MBA Level10 students Min. Group

What's Included

  • Peking University campus visit & lecture
  • Fudan University exchange session
  • 2–3 company or industry visits
  • Expert guest lectures (2 sessions)
  • Great Wall group experience
  • High-speed rail Beijing → Shanghai
  • Strategic debrief report
  • 4-star hotels
  • Bilingual academic guide
  • Curriculum-linked case study pack
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Day 1
Arrive Beijing — Program Briefing Dinner · Arrival

Airport transfer, hotel check-in. Evening briefing dinner with your academic group and our China expert guide. Distribution of the pre-trip academic reading pack.

Day 2
Peking University Campus Visit & Lecture · University

Guided tour of one of Asia's top universities. Lecture from a PKU faculty member matched to your cohort's field. Q&A with PKU students.

Beijing Tech Company Visit · Industry

Visit to a Beijing technology company (Baidu, iFlytek or a partner innovation center). Executive briefing and Q&A.

Day 3
Guest Lecture — China's Economic Development Model · Lecture

Private lecture from a senior economist on China's trajectory, the 14th Five-Year Plan and strategic priorities for 2030. 60 min + 30 min discussion.

Forbidden City & Summer Palace · Heritage

Tour with academic framing — governance, symbolism, imperial architecture and political power. Afternoon at the Summer Palace.

Day 4
Great Wall — Extended Hike & Team Debrief · Icon

Full-day Great Wall at Jiankou or Mutianyu. Facilitated discussion: infrastructure, national identity and China's approach to mega-projects. Evening Peking Duck dinner.

Day 5
Beijing → Shanghai by G-Train (4.5 hrs) · High-Speed Rail

High-speed rail with onboard case study discussion on China's logistics and infrastructure investment model. Arrive Hongqiao, hotel check-in.

Day 6
Fudan University — Exchange Session · University

Structured exchange with Fudan MBA or undergraduate students. Joint case study analysis facilitated by Fudan faculty.

Shanghai Company or Innovation Visit · Industry

Visit customised to cohort focus — fintech, e-commerce, sustainability or MedTech. Executive Q&A included.

Day 7
Guest Lecture — China's Global Role & Business Environment · Lecture

Second expert session from a practitioner on what it means to operate in or with China from a business-strategy perspective.

The Bund · French Concession · Yu Garden · Urban

Free afternoon with guided options. Evening farewell dinner at a renowned Shanghai restaurant.

Day 8
Academic Debrief & Insight Presentations · Debrief

Each student or sub-group presents a 3-minute insight. Distribution of the written Strategic Briefing Report. Exchange of contacts.

Transfer to Shanghai Pudong Airport · Departure

Individual departures. Our team coordinates all transfers and provides a hotel send-off.

Teacher CPD · Professional Development

China Teacher CPD Program

Beijing & Shanghai · 8 Days

A structured professional development program combining classroom observation in Chinese schools, curriculum benchmarking sessions, cultural immersion and structured reflection — designed to meet CPD requirements and bring back directly applicable insights.

8 DaysBeijing + Shanghai CitiesTeachers & School Leaders For8 participants Min. Group

What's Included

  • Chinese school classroom observation (2 schools)
  • School leader exchange & roundtable
  • STEM education facility visit
  • Curriculum benchmarking workshop
  • Great Wall & cultural program
  • High-speed rail experience
  • CPD certificate of completion
  • 4-star hotels
  • Bilingual education specialist guide
  • CPD reflection and reporting framework
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Day 1
Arrive Beijing — CPD Program Launch Dinner · Arrival

Airport welcome, hotel check-in. Evening dinner with program introduction. Each participant shares their primary CPD objective. Distribution of observation frameworks and reflection journals.

Day 2
Beijing Partner School — Classroom Observation · School Visit

Structured observation across multiple year groups and subjects — pedagogy, engagement, STEM approaches, assessment. 🏫 Partner schools host international teacher delegations regularly.

School Leader Roundtable · Exchange

Facilitated roundtable with the host school's leadership on curriculum priorities, teacher development, wellbeing and parental engagement.

Day 3
Beijing STEM Education Center Visit · STEM

Visit to a leading STEM facility or EdTech company — AI-assisted learning tools, robotics curricula and hands-on science programmes.

Curriculum Benchmarking Workshop · Workshop

Participants compare their home curriculum with China's national curriculum across 3 subjects and draft a 1-page insight memo for leadership.

Day 4
Great Wall · Forbidden City · Cultural Immersion · Experience

A full day of China's iconic experiences for reflection, inspiration and personal enrichment. Evening traditional Peking Duck dinner.

Day 5
Beijing → Shanghai · Infrastructure Discussion · High-Speed Rail

High-speed rail with facilitated discussion on how China's education system shaped the engineers behind this infrastructure. Arrive Shanghai, hotel check-in.

Day 6
Shanghai Partner School — Second Observation · School Visit

Second observation with a different school type. Compare with Beijing: what's different, what's consistent?

Shanghai Cultural Exploration · Urban

Guided walk through the Bund and French Concession. Afternoon free time for personal exploration.

Day 7
Personal CPD Action Planning Day · Workshop

Each participant drafts a CPD Action Plan — 3 practices to implement, 1 partnership idea, a sharing plan. Afternoon Yu Garden and free time. Farewell dinner.

Day 8
Final Reflection & CPD Certificate Ceremony · Debrief

Each participant shares their top CPD takeaway. Peer feedback. Presentation of CPD Certificates of Completion. Documentation pack distributed.

Transfer to Shanghai Pudong International Airport · Departure

Individual departures. Full program documentation pack emailed within 3 business days for CPD reporting.

Is This Right for Your Group?

How to Use These Schedules

These schedules fit when…

  • You want a realistic day-by-day structure to show colleagues, parents or your board.
  • You're ready to customize — every schedule flexes around your dates, cities and curriculum.
  • Your group matches one of the four age bands (primary, high school, university, teacher).
  • You value balanced pacing — learning, culture and rest built into each day.

Less suitable if…

  • You expect these exact dates and visits fixed, with no customisation
  • You need a private leisure holiday rather than an educational program
  • You're a corporate delegation — see our executive China Study Tour (CST)s
Honest Answers

What Teachers Ask About Schedules

The Question We Hear Most

"Is this the exact schedule we'll get, fixed as shown?"

No — each schedule is a starting point, not a fixed package. Cities, visits, pacing and length all flex around your curriculum, dates and group size. Drawing on 13+ years of relationships, we rebuild the itinerary around your specific objectives while keeping the balance and safety these examples show.

What to Plan Around

A few honest practicalities.

  • Specific company/university/school visits are confirmed during planning and depend on availability.
  • School and university exchanges depend on Chinese term dates; we schedule around them.
  • Intercity travel days (rail/flights) are fixed points the rest of the itinerary builds around.
  • Popular spring/autumn windows fill early — book 4–6 weeks ahead.
Why Schools Choose CST

Why These Schedules Work

⚖️

Balanced pacing. Learning, culture and rest in every day — never an exhausting checklist of sights.

🎯

Curriculum-linked. Each activity ties to learning objectives, with worksheets and reflection built in.

🛡️

Safety throughout. Supervised transport, 4-star hotels and a 24/7 line across every itinerary.

🔧

Fully customisable. Every schedule is a starting point we rebuild around your group.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Are these sample schedules fixed, or can we customize them?
Every schedule is a starting point, not a fixed package. We customize cities, visits, activities, pacing and length around your curriculum, objectives, dates and group size — while keeping the balanced pacing and safety standards these examples demonstrate.
How long are the educational tour schedules?
The samples shown range from 8 to 10 days: an 8-day primary Discovery Tour (Beijing + Chengdu), a 10-day high school Immersion Program (Beijing + Xi'an + Shanghai), an 8-day university Academic Exchange (Beijing + Shanghai) and an 8-day Teacher CPD Program. All durations are adjustable.
What does a typical day on a China school trip look like?
A typical day balances one or two main activities — a heritage site, a workshop, a school exchange or a company visit — with meals, transport and rest. Mornings are usually the most active (for example, pandas or the Great Wall), with structured reflection and journaling built in. Days are paced to avoid exhausting students.
Are hotels and transport included in these schedules?
Yes. Every schedule includes 4-star accommodation, in-China transport (including high-speed rail and domestic flights where shown), entry fees and an English-speaking or bilingual guide throughout. Meals, international flights and visas are excluded.
Can you combine elements from different schedules?
Absolutely. Many groups mix elements — for example a high school group adding a university campus visit, or a primary group extending to a third city. Tell us what you'd like and we'll build a single coherent itinerary around it.
What is the minimum group size for each program?
Based on the sample schedules: primary 10 students, high school 12 students, university 10 students and teacher CPD 8 participants — each plus accompanying staff. Smaller groups can ask about joining a scheduled departure.
How do we turn a sample schedule into a confirmed trip?
Tell us which schedule interests you and your group's age, size and preferred dates. We'll customize it into a full proposal — with day-by-day detail, confirmed inclusions, indicative pricing and safety documentation — within 48 hours.

Like What You See? Let's Build Yours.

Every schedule above is a starting point. Tell us your group and we'll customize every detail around your curriculum and objectives.