Day 1 Beijing (D)
Arrive in Beijing, the capital and cultural center of China, where virtually every boulevard and building exudes an air of importance, Transfer on arrival to your plush hotel.
Day 2 Beijing (B L D)
Enjoy a full-day tour of the sights that make Beijing a spectacular destination: the sprawling Forbidden City, home to 24 Ming and Qing emperors and now a repository of precious art and antiques; the Temple of Heaven, famous for its elegance and symmetry; and the Summer Palace, an oasis of tea gardens, pavilions, painted corridors, and shimmering Kunming Lake with Empress Dowager's eccentric marble ship.
Day 3 Beijing (B L D)
One of the world's most awe-inspiring sights, the Great Wall snakes along nearly 4000 miles of impossibly steep hills and harsh, rugged plains. Today's excursion will give you ample time to explore it in leisure and marvel at the manpower that went into building the world's longest structure entirely by hand. Continue to the Ming Tombs, the graveyard of 13 emperors, before returning to Beijing for an imperial-style Peking Duck dinner.
Day 4 Beijing / Hangzhou (B L D)
Continue your sightseeing in Beijing. Take a flight for Hangzhou, the paradise, regarded as the Paradise by the Chinese.
Day 5 Hangzhou (B L D)
A west Lake cruise shows its willow-draped islands, inspiration to artists and poets. Visit scenic Hua Guang Park, then tour Ling Yin Monastery and the Tea Production Brigade.
Day 6 Hangzhou / Suzhou
Embark on a train to Suzhou. Packed with gardens, pagodas, temples, lively shops and street scenes, Suzhou is a pleasure to explore, as you'll do on this afternoon tour. Step into small, harmonious gardens designed with rock, water, trees and showy vegetation, then shop for local artisans' prized silks at the Embroidery Institute.
Day 7 Suzhou / Wuxi (B L D)
Wuxi's inspiring gardens and silk-weaving traditions are showcased on a morning tour with a stop at the Embroidery Institute. Embark on a coach to Wuxi, a large city of Jiangsu Province, as well as "hometown of fish and rice" by the the lake of Tai. Your sightseeing includes a boat ride on the lake. |
Day 8 Wuxi / Shanghai (B L D)
Embark a train to Shanghai, the largest and most cosmopolitan city, as modern as any in the world. You are greeted on arrival and escorted to your world-class hotel in a prime setting near many popular shops and restaurants.
Day 9 Shanghai (B L D)
Your full-day tour presents Shanghai's eclectic nature, from the riverfront Bund where foreign traders left a legacy of European-style buildings, to the Yuyuan Gardens with its quintessential Chinese zigzag bridge, rockeries, and pavilions. Visit the Children's Palace where school kids study traditional arts. Complete the day at a thrilling show by the Shanghai Acrobats.
Day 10 Shanghai / Xi'an (B L D)
Linger at the sights and markets a bit before flying to Xi'an, a vital center of history, culture and archaeology.
Day 11 Xi'an (B L D)
It is impossible to overstate Xi'an's importance in China's history. Here began the fabled Silk Road, here a string of dynasties made their capital, here a Neolithic culture built a village 6000 years ago, and here lies a highlight of your trip: the excavation site of 8000 terra cotta soldiers, buried around the tomb of Emperor Qin, builder of the Great Wall and other massive endeavors. Round out your tour with stops at the old City gate, Provincial Museum, Big Wild Goose Pagoda.
Day 12 Xi'an / Guilin (B L D)
Fly south to the green hills of Guilin, whose ethereal landscapes have been immortalized by poets and painters through the ages. This afternoon, tour the city sights and the immense Reed Flute Cave, filled with impressive grottos, pillars, and inscriptions over 1000 years old.
Day 13 Guilin (B L D)
Few could fail to be enraptured by the beauty of the Li River, with its delicate karst formations, beautiful rural scenery, and lush green hillsides with bizarre rock formations and caves. Centuries of poets and artists have immortalized the very scenes you'll savor on a full-day air-conditioned cruise along this unique and tranquil waterway.
Day 14 Guilin (B)
With new insights and found memories of China, you embark on your homebound journey aboard your select airline. |
