China Tour Packages
This 18-ay China tour
package includes,
Beijing,
Xi'an,
Guilin, Yangshuo,
Chongqing, Yangtze River Cruise, Yichang, Suzhou &
Shanghai.
Tour Highlights:
Great Wall at Mutianyu, Forbidden City, Peking duck banquet, Terra Cotta
Museum, Li River cruise, evening cultural shows
Day 1/Fri: 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/Sat: 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/Sun: Beijing
Beijing is capital of China and the country's second most populous city
behind Shanghai. Following tour 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/Mon: Beijing
Morning visit to the
Temple of Heaven. Situated in southeastern Beijing the Temple of
Heaven is China's largest extant sacrificial temple where, during the Ming
and Qing dynasties, the emperors conducted the elaborate and most exalted
sacrifices addressed to "the Supreme Ruler of the Universe." Construction
of the temple started in 1406, during the reign of the Ming Emperor Yongle,
and took 14 years to complete. The temple was expanded under the Qing
emperors Qianlong (1736-1796) and Jiaqing (1796-1820). Occupying 2,668
hectares (6,670 acres), the area of the Temple of Heaven is more than
twice that of the Forbidden City.
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/Tue: Beijing
Enjoy a full-day excursion to the legendary
Great Wall at Mutianyu, 70km
northeast 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. (B/L)
Day 6/Wed: 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/Thu: 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.
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. 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/Fri: Xi'an - Guilin
Today's schedule takes in the Grand
Mosque and the adjacent Muslim Quarter Afternoon 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 scenic Fubo Hill after hotel check-in. (B/L)
Day 9/Sat: Guilin (Li River cruise)
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 and drive back to Guilin. (B/L)
Day 10/Sun: Guilin - Chongqing
Free morning to relax or explore on your own. Afternoon flight to
Chongqing. Chongqing is one of the People's Republic of China's four
provincial-level municipalities, and the only such municipality in western
China. The municipality was created on 14 March 1997, succeeding the
sub-provincial city administration that was part of Sichuan Province. The
municipality of Chongqing has a population of 32 million and administers
an area of over 80, 000 square kilometres. Chongqing 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/D)
Day 11/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 12/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 13/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 14/Thu: Yichang - Suzhou
Morning visit to the site of the Three Gorges Dam. Construction of the dam
started on December 14, 1994. It was expected to be fully operational in
2009. Due to additional projects such as the underground power plant with
six additional generators, the dam is not expected to become fully
operational until 2011. The dam raised the water level the third time to
172.5 metres by the end of 2008. The Chinese government estimated the cost
of the construction to be $27 billion while some Chinese scholars and
international organizations estimated the actual cost could be as high as
over $80 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 where we transfer to Suzhou (85km) immediately on arrival.
(B/L/D)
Day 15/Fri: Suzhou
The 25-century-old city is best known for its traditional Chinese gardens,
silk industry and well-preserved Grand Canal. Our schedule today includes
Master-of-Nets Garden, a short cruise on the
Grand Canal, the Silk Embroidery Research Institute, a silk spinning
mill, and the newly built
Suzhou Museum -
another masterpiece designed by world-renowned American architect I. M.
Pei. (B/L)
Day 16/Sat: Suzhou - Shanghai
Drive to Shanghai (85km) after breakfast. 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 20 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
Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center. Evening entertainment is a
dazzling acrobatic show. (B/L/D)
Day 17/Sun: Shanghai
Today is a free day. Exploring China's most dynamic city on your own has
never been easier. Our recommended list includes
Jinmao Tower, 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.
Farewell dinner features tasty Shanghai cuisine. (B/D)
Day 18/Mon: Shanghai - Home City
Free morning to pack and relax. Transfer to the airport by taxi to board
return flight and arrive home the same day after crossing the
International Date Line. The taxi fare from our hotel to
Shanghai Pudong Internatioanl Airport costs about 140 yuan or $22.
(B)
2011 departures and prices
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2012 departure dates & prices
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