9-day Total Solar Eclipse China Tour (July 19-27, 2009)

This is a guaranteed departure with a week-long Guilin & Yangtze Cruise extension available on request.

Day 1/Sun, Jul 19: Departing from North America
Depart home city and cross the International Date Line.

Day 2/Mon, Jul 20: Arrival in Shanghai
Arrive in late afternoon and transfer to hotel upon meeting your guide.  

Day 3/Tue, Jul 21: Shanghai
Paris of China, Pearl of the Orient, city of quick riches, paradise of the adventurers - those were some of the names by which Shanghai was known before the Communists took it over from the Nationalist Government in 1949. Like of the rest of the country Shanghai is currently undergoing one of the fastest economic expansions the world has ever seen, having experienced 19% GDP growth per year for the past 16 years.

Our sightseeing today begins with a walk on the Bund, a waterfront promenade famous for its landmark neoclassical buildings of European style. We then visit Shanghai Museum and the bazaar at the Temple of Town God. Evening entertainment is a dazzling acrobatic show. (B/L/D)

Day 4/Wed, Jul 22: Shanghai - Xi'an
Eclipse day! After breakfast we go to pre-selected spot outside the city to set up our equipment. The solar eclipse begins at about 9:30 AM and lasts almost 6 minutes. After a glass of champagne in celebration of this exciting event we spend the rest of the morning at leisure. Late afternoon flight to Xi'an. (B/D)

Day 5/Thu, Jul 23: Xi'an
Eastern terminus of the fabled Silk Road and one of the ancient capitals of China, Xi'an is home to the Terracotta Army designed to follow the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC) into eternity. Visit the excavation site of the Terracotta Army located 30km east of the city. A stroll on the ancient wall before dinner is also on our schedule. Tonight we enjoy a spectacular music and dance show reminiscent of the Tang Dynasty (618-907 A.D.), a period generally considered a golden era of the Chinese civilization. (B/L/D)

Day 6/Fri, Jul 24: Xi'an - Beijing
Morning flight to Beijing. Visit Tian'anmen Square and adjacent Forbidden City following lunch. Also known as Palace Museum or Gu Gong in Chinese, the Forbidden City was the place where the emperors of Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) Dynasties lived and carried out their administration. (B/L)

Day 7/Sat, Jul 25: Beijing
Enjoy a full-day excursion to the legendary Great Wall, 90km northwest of the city. Zigzagging over 6,000 kilometres from east to west along the undulating mountains, the Great Wall, said to be visible from the moon, was built to hold off tribal invaders from the north. On the way back to the city in the afternoon we stop by at the Spirit Way at Ming Tombs. The Spirit Way, serving at the entrance to the Ming Tombs, is lined with statues of guardian animals and officials. (B/L)

Day 8/Sun, Jul 26: Beijing
Today we visit the Temple of Heaven, the Summer Palace, and a hutong - traditional alleyway flanked with courtyard residences. We then wrap up the day with a sumptuous Peking Roast Duck dinner. (B/L/D)

Day 9/Mon, Jul 27: Beijing - North America
Spend the morning packing and relaxing. Transfer to the airport to board return flight in the afternoon and arrive home the same day after crossing the International Date Line. (B)

This is a guaranteed departure with a week-long Guilin & Yangtze Cruise extension available on request.

Hotel list
City	Nights	Hotel	Star Rating
Shanghai	2	Sheraton Shanghai Pudong
Xi'an	2	Sheraton Xi'an
Beijing	3	Sheraton Beijing

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