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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 / 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 5 Xi'an / Chongqing(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. Depart to Chongqing to check-in at your luxury Yangtze cruise ship, and enjoy your first fine dinner on board. Day 6 Yangtze River Cruise (B L D)
It's up on deck this morning to begin your 3-day voyage through the most breathtaking portion of the Yangtze. Throughout your cruise you'll enjoy a wide range of upscale activities, comforts and entertainment on ship, dine on fresh cuisine in the elegant single-seating dining room, and enjoy carefully-planned excursions designed to maximize your experience of the 'Yangtze's dramatic scenery. Go ashore in Fengdu, the folkloric "devil city", with its eerie temple and ghostly depictions. Tonight the captain hosts a welcome dinner on board.
Day 7 Yangtze River Cruise (B L D)
Continue through ever-changing rural panoramas into the first of the great Three Gorges, Qutang, considered the most beautiful with its gentle bluff banks line with ancient plank pathways. Sail on to the Daning River, a lush Yangtze tributary. Here you transfer to small boats for a journey into the Three Small Gorges, a swift-flowing passage through the aptly-named Dragon Gate, Misty and Emerald Gorges, flanked by tangled vegetation, rocky precipices, and peaks towering to the sky. return to ship for dinner with a view, as you continue downstream to the head of Wu Gorge. |
Day 8 Yichang / Guilin (B L D)
A thrilling final day of sailing begins with a passage through Wushan Gorge, whose rugged cliffs take on a magical aura when enshrouded in swirls of morning mist. The final gorge, Xiling, is a rushing passage of rapids embraced by emerald terraced hills. Shore excursions will feature ancient Jinzhou and its perfectly-preserved mummy, and the new Three Gorges Dam site, the world's largest construction project, set for completion in 2009. view the diversion channel, Xiling Bridge, and a small scale model, and visit the highest point for viewing the site. Fly to the watercolor landscapes of Guilin and settle in at your plush hotel on the stunning Li River. This afternoon enjoy an orientation tour of the city, and a visit to Reed Flute Cave.
Day 9 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 10 Guilin / Wuxi (B L D)
Fly to Shanghai to connect train 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 11 Wuxi / Suzhou (B L D)
Embark on a Grand Canal cruise, still a vibrant trade route after 1300 years of use. Arrive in Suzhou for a special evening at the Garden of the Master of Nets. Walk the lantern-lit paths with surprises at every turn, accompanied by live classical music.
Day 12 Suzhou / Shanghai (B L D)
acked with gardens, pagodas, temples, lively shops and street scenes, Suzhou is a pleasure to explore, as you'll do on this morning's tour. Step into small, harmonious gardens designed with rock, water, trees and showy vegetation, then ship for local artisans' prized silks at the Embroidery Institute. Return 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 13 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, and the dazzling new Shanghai Museum where the development of the arts is traced back thousands of years. Complete the day at a thrilling show by the Shanghai Acrobats.
Day 14 Shanghai (B)
With new insights and found memories of China, you embark on your homebound journey aboard your select airline. |
