China Study Tour (CST) · Tour Planning Guide
China Study Tour (CST) Itinerary: Sample 7-Day Executive Program
A typical 7-day executive China study tour covers 2–3 cities and 8–12 company visits. Below is a real sample itinerary — our China AI Innovation Tour across Shanghai, Hangzhou and Shenzhen — showing how each day is structured, from morning briefings at companies like SenseTime and Alibaba to evening networking. It runs on monthly departures and is open to both individuals and private groups of up to 20.
Key takeaways
- The sample program spans three innovation hubs — Shanghai (AI & smart manufacturing), Hangzhou (BCI, AI & smart city) and Shenzhen (robotics & low-altitude economy).
- Each day pairs two curated company visits with executive briefings, showroom tours and Q&A — not tourist stops.
- Individuals can join a scheduled monthly departure, or you can charter a private group of up to 20 where every participant still gets attention.
- The itinerary is a starting point — company selection is customized to your sector (AI, robotics, EV, manufacturing, and more).
What makes a good China study tour itinerary?
A strong executive study tour is built around access, not sightseeing. Three things separate a serious program from a generic tour:
- Real company visits — onsite briefings, showrooms and R&D centers, with time for genuine business exchange, not a walk past a lobby.
- A logical geography — cities grouped so each region tells a story (Shanghai for AI and finance, Hangzhou for platforms and smart city, Shenzhen for hardware and robotics), with high-speed rail and short flights between them.
- A workable daily rhythm — usually one visit in the morning and one in the afternoon, briefings in between, and evenings kept free for rest or networking.
The sample below follows exactly that structure.
Sample 7-day program at a glance
This is the day-by-day shape of our China AI Innovation Tour. It is the core of this guide — scan the table, then read the detail underneath.
| Day | City | Morning | Afternoon | Evening |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Shanghai | SenseTime — AI & large models | DeepBlue Technology — AI retail, service robots, autonomous driving | Return to hotel |
| Day 2 | Shanghai | Baosteel Group — smart steel manufacturing | Shanghai Robot Industry Park | Return to hotel |
| Day 3 | Shanghai → Hangzhou | High-speed rail transfer | BrainCo — brain-computer interface | Return to hotel |
| Day 4 | Hangzhou | Alibaba — AI, cloud & digital commerce | City Brain Exhibition Center — smart city | Return to hotel |
| Day 5 | Hangzhou → Shenzhen | Unitree Robotics — humanoid & quadruped robots | Transfer & flight to Shenzhen | Arrive Shenzhen |
| Day 6 | Shenzhen | UBTECH Robotics — humanoid robots | HighGreat Innovation — drones & light show | Drone food-delivery experience |
| Day 7 | Shenzhen | Smart City Exhibition Center | 3nod Group — smart manufacturing | Program ends / departure |
Days 1–2 · Shanghai — AI & smart manufacturing
Day 1 — AI & large models
The tour opens with SenseTime, one of China's foremost AI companies, for a technology presentation on large AI models and their real-world applications, followed by business exchange and Q&A. In the afternoon, DeepBlue Technology demonstrates AI-powered retail solutions, service robots and autonomous-driving technologies.
Day 2 — intelligent manufacturing & robotics
Morning at Baosteel Group covers smart manufacturing, intelligent steel production and the digital factory. The afternoon moves to the Shanghai Robot Industry Park for industrial robotics and the wider intelligent-manufacturing ecosystem, with a robotics showroom.
Days 3–4 · Hangzhou — brain-computer interface, AI & smart city
Day 3 — Shanghai to Hangzhou (BCI)
A morning high-speed rail transfer to Hangzhou, then an afternoon with BrainCo on brain-computer interface (BCI) technology, neurotechnology applications and AI healthcare solutions.
Day 4 — AI & smart city
The morning centerpiece is Alibaba — its AI ecosystem, cloud computing and digital-commerce innovation, with an executive presentation. The afternoon visits the City Brain Exhibition Center for smart-city solutions, urban digital management and AI-powered city governance.
Days 5–7 · Shenzhen — robotics & the low-altitude economy
Day 5 — Hangzhou to Shenzhen (robotics)
A morning session at Unitree Robotics covers its humanoid and quadruped robots, robotics innovation and AI-powered mobility, followed by a transfer and flight to Shenzhen.
Day 6 — robotics & low-altitude economy
Morning at UBTECH Robotics features its humanoid-robot showroom and AI & robotics technologies. In the afternoon, HighGreat Innovation presents drone technology, an indoor drone light show and low-altitude-economy applications. The day ends with an optional drone food-delivery experience near the hotel (weather and availability permitting).
Day 7 — smart city & intelligent manufacturing
The final day pairs the Smart City Exhibition Center (smart-city solutions and AI-powered governance) with 3nod Group (corporate showroom, smart manufacturing and product innovation), before the program ends with a transfer to Shenzhen Airport or your onward journey.
How to customize this itinerary for your sector
The program above is a sample, not a fixed package. Because access is arranged company by company, we swap visits to match what your delegation actually wants to see. Common adjustments:
- AI & software: weight the schedule toward SenseTime, Alibaba Cloud, DeepBlue and BrainCo.
- Robotics & hardware: add Unitree, UBTECH and additional Shenzhen hardware makers.
- Advanced manufacturing & EV: shift toward Baosteel, intelligent-vehicle plants and factory floor time.
- Length: the same structure compresses into a 5-day two-city version or extends with a Beijing (policy & AI) leg.
Company visit selection guide
Not every famous name is the right visit. When we build a delegation's schedule, we weigh: whether the company hosts outside delegations at all; whether it offers a genuine executive briefing versus a marketing walk-through; the relevance to your industry; and the logistics of fitting it into a coherent city day. The sample itinerary reflects visits that reliably deliver on all four.
Alibaba, SenseTime, Baosteel, UBTECH and China's other leading firms only accept outside visitors through pre-vetted partners with verified credentials — independent cold outreach almost never succeeds. CST's access is built on 13+ years of relationships, not a cold contact list.
Who can join
The program is designed to flex with the size and type of delegation:
- Individuals — join a scheduled monthly departure and travel alongside a small international group.
- Private groups of up to 20 — chartered for your company, university or association, sized so every participant still gets attention during briefings and Q&A.
- Corporate teams, university & school groups, and government trade missions — each with the itinerary and company mix tuned to their goals.
Languages: programs run in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Japanese, with additional language support available on request. Meals: daily breakfast is included; lunch and dinner are left open so guests can choose nearby restaurants. Transport: private business vehicles for every visit, Shanghai–Hangzhou high-speed rail, and a Hangzhou–Shenzhen flight, with all airport and station transfers handled.
Frequently asked questions
What does a 7-day China study tour itinerary look like?
A typical 7-day program covers 2–3 cities and 8–12 curated company visits, usually one in the morning and one in the afternoon, with executive briefings in between and evenings kept free. This sample runs Shanghai → Hangzhou → Shenzhen, visiting firms such as SenseTime, Alibaba, Baosteel, UBTECH and HighGreat.
Can individuals join a China study tour, or is it groups only?
Both. Individuals can join a scheduled monthly departure and travel with a small international group, or you can charter a private program for a group of up to 20 — kept small enough that every participant still gets attention.
How many company visits are included in a 7-day program?
This sample includes around 10 company and innovation-center visits across three cities. The exact number is flexible: we can trade breadth for depth (fewer visits, longer sessions) depending on your goals.
Can the itinerary be customized for my industry or sector?
Yes. The sample is a starting point — we select and swap company visits to match your sector, whether that's AI, robotics, advanced manufacturing, EV or smart city, and we can shorten it to five days or extend it with an additional city.
What languages are China Study Tour (CST) programs conducted in?
Programs run in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Japanese, with additional language support available on request.
How often do programs depart, and how far ahead should I book?
This program runs on monthly departures. Because company visits must be arranged in advance, we recommend booking several weeks ahead; for custom programs, we return a tailored proposal within 24 hours.
Want this itinerary tailored to your team?
Tell us your sector, dates and group size, and we'll return a customized China study tour proposal — within 24 hours.
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