Learn Mandarin in China

You’ll meet your guide at the airport and head to your hotel in Beijing. Spend the first day recovering from jet lag and exploring your home for the next seven days. You’ll join your group in the evening for a welcome meal and get an early night to prepare for an exciting week in Beijing.

Your first full day in Beijing will be spent exploring the famous Forbidden City. The day will start with a guided Mandarin-language tour of the palace complex. After the tour, spend the afternoon exploring the complex where you can see the Gallery of Treasures, the Gate of Heavenly Peace, and the Imperial Gardens.

You’ll spend your third day in Beijing at a local school. You’ll spend the day with some local students and their teachers. Teach the kids about your culture while helping them with their English. Not only will you feel great about volunteering, you’ll also get to practice your Mandarin and have a chance to learn more about Beijing and Chinese culture. 

Hop in the tour bus and head an hour from Beijing to see the Badaling portion of the famous Great Wall of China. You’ll take a Mandarin-language tour and get to explore one of the most visited sections of the Great Wall. After the tour, the day will end with a traditional Peking duck meal with your group back in central Beijing. 

Wake up early to visit the Temple of Heaven, the imperial temple where emperors would go to worship. Initially constructed in the 1400s, the entire temple was made without using a single nail. You’ll get the chance to practice your Mandarin in the Mandarin-language tour of the temple and learn more about Beijing’s fascinating history.

After the Temple visit, you and your group will head to Tiananmen Square to walk through the historic plaza. The square is where Mao Zedong first established the People’s Republic of China and where the devastating 1998 massacre of students occurred. Walk through the square before heading back to your hotel for dinner. 

Today will consist of an all-day tour of the beautiful Summer Palace, the relaxing and impressive summer retreat for China’s past emperors. You and your group will get a guided tour of the palace before getting the afternoon to explore the surrounding gardens. Spend the afternoon with a picnic in the gardens and talk with your group about what you’ve learned.

Wake up early to enjoy a group breakfast before catching your flight home. You’ll leave Beijing more knowledgeable of Chinese culture and the Mandarin language. Not only will you have more confidence in your ability to speak and understand Mandarin, but you’ll also have a better understanding of Chinese culture!