25-day China Panorama
Tour (2010)

Beijing - Xi'an - Guilin -
Yangshuo - Chengdu - Lijiang - Dali - Kunming - Chongqing - Yangtze Cruise -
Yichang - ShanghaiScroll down for
departure dates, prices and
hotel list.
Day 1/Thu: Departing Home City
The journey begins with your transpacific flight departing from a city of
your choice. We lose a day upon crossing the
International Date
Line.
Day 2/Fri: Arrival in Beijing
Meet our guide on arrival in late afternoon and transfer to the hotel. The
balance of the day is at leisure.
Day 3/Sat: Beijing
Beijing, capital of China, is the country's second largest city in terms of
population. Following a brief orientation we visit
Tian'anmen Square, the
Forbidden City and an old
hutong - alleyway flanked with
traditional residential courtyards. Welcome dinner features delicious
Beijing roast duck, a
local delicacy. (B/L/D)
Day 4/Sun: Beijing
Morning visit to the Temple
of Heaven. Afternoon sightseeing at the majestic
Summer Palace, a royal resort during
the Qing Dynasty. We wrap up the day with a tour of Jingshan Park behind the
Forbidden City. The evening Peking Opera show is optional if available.
(B/L)
Day
5/Mon: 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 as the entrance to the Ming Tombs, is lined with statues of
guardian animals and officials. (B/L/D)
Day 6/Tue: Beijing - Xi'an 
Enjoy some free time before flying to Xi'an after lunch. 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. (B/L)
Day 7/Wed: Xi’an
Visit the excavation site of the Terracotta Army located 30km east of the
city. Afternoon visit to the ancient City Wall. 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 8/Thu: Xi'an
Morning schedule takes in the Big Wild
Goose Pagoda, the Grand Mosque and the adjacent Muslim Quarter. Afternoon
sightseeing at Shaanxi Provincial Museum.
The modern, well-organized museum was completed in 1992 and traces the
history of Xi'an from prehistory to the Qing dynasty (1644-1911). The
extensive galleries and exhibitions offer the visitor an excellent
introduction to the area that greatly improves understanding of the numerous
historical sites in and around the city. (B/L)
Day 9/Fri: Xi'an - Guilin

Morning flight to Guilin. A medium-sized city by Chinese standard, the city
has long been renowned for its unique scenery. The name Guilin literally
means "forest of sweet osmanthus", owing to the large number of fragrant
Sweet Osmanthus trees in the city. We visit the Elephant Trunk Hill Park and
scenic Fubo Hill after hotel check-in. (B/L)
Day 10/Sat: Guilin -
Yangshuo
Day cruise on Li River. The 83km stretch of the river between Guilin and
Yangshuo affords breathtaking scenery as the river snakes through tall karst
mountains, gigantic bamboo sprays, and picturesque villages -- sights that
have inspired countless poets and painters for generations. Disembark in
Yangshuo in mid-afternoon. We spend the rest of the day exploring the
charming small town on our own. You may also rent a bicycle to pedal into
the countryside for the mesmerizing scenery. For evening entertainment we
recommend the nightly show
Impression Liu Sanjie - a light and sound spectacle directed by China's
most renowned film director Zhang Yimou. (B/L)
Day 11/Sun: Yangshuo - Guilin - Chengdu

We drive back to Guilin in the morning to fly to Chengdu, the capital of
Sichuan Province and one of the most important economic centers,
transportation and communication hubs in Western China. Due to the fertile
farmland the ancient city is located, Chengdu has for centuries been
referred to as "Country of Heaven" or "Land of Abundance". (B/L/D)
Day 12/Mon: Chengdu
Tour
of the Giant Panda Breeding Centre is followed by a visit to the museum
built on the archaeological site of Sanxingdui Culture (Bronze Age). First
chanced upon by a farmer in 1929, Sanxingdui, 40km west of Chengdu,
continued to surprise the archaeological community in the decades to come.
In 1986, two major sacrificial pits were discovered and the breakthrough
aroused widespread academic attention from around the world. The Sanxingdui
finds are exciting, but they remain enigmatic. So far no written records of
this 5,000-year-old civilization have been found. (B/L)

Day 13/Tue: Chengdu - Lijiang

Morning schedule includes Wangjianglou (river view) Park and a traditional
tea house. Fly to Lijiang in late afternoon. Lijiang is home to the ethnic
Naxi people whose intriguing Dongba religion and unique customs coupled with
the region's enchanting scenery combine to make Lijiang and its vicinity a
fascinating place to explore. The old town known as
Dayan is
protected as a UNESCO-designated World Cultural Heritage Site. (B/L)
Day 14/Wed: Lijiang
A walking tour of the old town is followed by an excursion to Yunshanping or
Spruce Meadow, an alpine pasture surrounded by virgin forests at the foot of
Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. En route we stop by an ancient village. The
evening concert of classical Naxi music is optional if available. (B/L)
Day 15/Thu: Lijiang - Dali

Free morning to explore the old town on your own. Following lunch on our
own, we travel to Dali (190km) by first-class motor coach through
mesmerizing high mountains. Once the capital of Nanzhao Kingdom, Dali is a
charming town built on the shores of Erhai Lake, with a large population of
the ethnic Bai nationality. Dali is also famous for the many types of
marble it produces, which are used primarily in construction and for
decorative objects. In fact, Dali is so famous for the stone that the name
of marble in Chinese is literally "Dali Stone". (B/D)
Day
16/Fri: Dali
Today's schedule features the Old Town of Dali, the Three Pagodas and a
short cruise on Erhai. The Three Pagodas are made of brick and covered with
white mud. As its name implies, the Three Pagodas comprise three independent
pagodas forming a symmetric triangle. The elegant, balanced and stately
style is unique in China’s ancient Buddhist architectures, which makes it a
must-see for any visitor to Dali. The Three Pagodas, visible from miles
away, has been a landmark of Dali City and selected as a national treasure
meriting special protection by the Central Government. (B/L)
Day 17/Sat: Dali - Kunming

The morning flight to Kunming takes less than 40 minutes. Capital of Yunnan
Province, Kunming is widely known as the "city of eternal spring" due to its
temperate climate year-round. Our sightseeing in Kunming includes the
historic Western Hill Scenic Area, Bamboo Temple, and a flower market.
(B/L)
Day 18/Sun: Kunming - Chongqing

Enjoy an excursion to Stone Forest.
Located 126km southeast of Kunming, the Stone Forest is a massive collection
of gray limestone pillars created by water erosion. The tall rocks seem to
emanate from the ground in the manner of stalagmites, with many looking like
trees made of stone. Evening flight to Chongqing. The municipality of
Chongqing has a population of 32 million and administers an area of over 80,
000 square kilometres. The city served as China's provisional capital in the
1940's during World War II after the Kuomintang Government lost Nanjing (Nanking)
to the Japanese invaders. (B/L)
Day 19/Mon: Chongqing
Enjoy some free time in the morning. Sightseeing in Chongqing takes in
the zoo (giant pandas), People's Square,
Three Gorges Museum,
and
General Joseph Stilwell’s former residence - location of the US Forces’
headquarters in China during World War II. After dinner we board the Yangtze
cruise ship to start our 3-day downstream journey. (B/L/D)
Day 20/Tue: Yangtze Cruise

At 6,380km the Yangtze is the longest river in China and the third longest
in the world after the Nile and the Amazon. The most impressive section of
the Yangtze is the Three Gorges. Today’s shore excursion features Shibaozhai
or Stone Treasure Fortress, an ancient wooden pagoda built against rock
cliffs facing the Yangtze. (B/L/D)
Day 21/Wed: Yangtze Cruise

Admire nature’s grandeur while sailing through spectacular Wu Gorge (44km)
and Qutang Gorge (8km) later today. Later this morning we navigate Shennong
Stream on a small vessel. Originating in the southern slopes of Shennongjia
Nature Reserve, the crystal clear river twists and turns 60 kilometres
through forested mountains before emptying into the mighty Yangtze.
(B/L/D)
Day 22/Thu: Yichang - Shanghai

Morning visit to the site of the Three Gorges Dam. Construction of the dam
began in 1992 and is scheduled to be completed by 2009. Estimated to cost
over $24 billion, the project upon completion will become the largest
hydroelectric dam in the world with a reservoir stretching hundreds of
kilometres upstream. We disembark in Yichang around noon and fly to
Shanghai. (B/L/D)
Day
23/Fri: 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 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 18 years. Our sightseeing in Shanghai
begins with a stroll on the Bund - a waterfront promenade famous for its
landmark neoclassical buildings of European style, followed by
Shanghai Museum and Yu
Garden. Evening entertainment is a dazzling acrobatic show. (B/L/D)
Day 24/Sat: Shanghai
Today is a free day. Exploring China's most dynamic city on your own has
never been easier. Our recommended list includes a visit to
Shanghai World Expo, a ride aboard the
world's only commercially run Maglev
train, and the popular evening cruise on Huangpu River to enjoy the city's
spectacular neon-lit skyline. (B)
Day 25/Sun: Shanghai - Home City
Free morning to pack and relax. Transfer to airport to board return flight.
Arrive home the same day. (B)
Back to top /
or click here for more China
Panorama Tour photos
Back to top
|
Dates & Prices 2010 |
|
Depart (Thu) |
Return (Sun) |
Full Package
from Vancouver/San Francicso
air add-ons from other cities |
Land Package
excluding int'l airfare |
Single Supplement
applicable to travellers
without a roommate |
|
2-Sep |
26-Sep |
$6400 |
$5450 |
$2100 |
|
9-Sep |
3-Oct |
$6400 |
$5450 |
$2100 |
|
16-Sep |
10-Oct |
$6400 |
$5450 |
$2100 |
|
23-Sep |
17-Oct |
$6400 |
$5450 |
$2100 |
|
30-Sep |
24-Oct |
$6400 |
$5450 |
$2100 |
|
7-Oct |
31-Oct |
$6400 |
$5450 |
$2100 |
|
14-Oct |
7-Nov |
$6400 |
$5450 |
$2100 |
Strikethrough indicates the departure has been
closed to new customers. If you like you may ask to be added to the waiting
list in case of last-minute cancellations.
Back to top
|
Costs
Not Included in Tour Prices |
|
Taxes & Surcharges |
Recommended Tipping |
Chinese Visa Fee |
| Full Package |
Land Package |
| please contact us
for |
current amount |
$10/client/day |
Click here for details |
|