Tour Code: GTY16
Day 1. Hometown to Beijing (In-flight Meals) Enjoy delicious meals, drinks, and in-flight entertainment during your overnight flight to Beijing. |
 Beijing Capital International Aiport (PEK) Welcome to Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK), the second busiest airport in the world in terms of passenger traffic. You will be greeted by your ChinaTour.com guide who will help you transfer to your luxurious hotel. You are at your leisure for the rest of the day, relax and enjoy the evening. Hotel: Oriental Bay International Hotel 5 star |
Forbidden City (the Imperial Palaces)
Beijing, the capital city of China, is its second largest city with a population of 17.4 million. Your full day tour begins at Tiananmen Square (Gate of Heavenly Peace), one of the largest public squares in the world, and includes the Monument to the People's Heroes, the Great Hall of the People, the Museum of History and Revolution, and Chairman Mao Zedong Memorial Hall (where Mao's embalmed body lies). Next, you will tour the Forbidden City (Gu Gong or The Imperial Palaces), established as the capital by the third Ming Emperor, YongLe in early 1400 and serving as the imperial palace for Ming and Qing emperors for 500 years. The imperial palaces have been cited by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as outstanding examples of the greatest palatial architecture in China. The Summer Palace is described by UNESCO as "a masterpiece of Chinese landscape garden design". Enjoy a walk along Lake Kunming, and, after a long day of sightseeing, refresh yourself with a fabulous Peking Duck Banquet (Kao Ya). You'll be served carved crispy duck skins; roll them up in small pancakes with cucumber, onion, and special sauce for a mouth-watering experience that you won't forget. Hotel: Oriental Bay International Hotel 5 star |
Great Wall of China(Chang Cheng)
Today, you'll visit the Great Wall of China (Chang Cheng), a world heritage site, considered to be one of the new Seven Wonders of the World. Visiting the great wall is a dream destination for millions of Chinese and for people around the world who wish to fulfill the famous Chinese saying: "One cannot be a successful person without a visit to the Great Wall of China." A stone monument on the site bears the late Chairman Mao's inscription of the same phrase in Chinese. Hike along the Badaling Pass of the Great Wall, where President Richard Nixon and his wife visited on February 24, 1972, during his historic journey to China. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant, followed by a visit to a historic area of old town Beijing, where you will see the Hu Tong, narrow alleys formed between traditional residences. The Hu Tong are residential neighborhoods, and here you will experience the many different sights and sounds of historic Beijing. Take a walk along the World Trade Street, in The Place, a trendy lifestyle shopping mall. Later, watch the "Legend of Kungfu" show. Hotel: Oriental Bay International Hotel 5 star |
Goubuli
Explore the capital city of China on your own today, or take the optional 'Tianjin-one-day-tour.' Tianjin is the sixth largest city of China, only 30 minutes away from Beijing by Maglev (magnetic levitation) train. A number of famous snack items are available in Tianjin, including Goubuli, a traditional brand of steamed buns with a tasty filling that is famous throughout China. Another treat is Guifaxiang, a traditional brand of mahua (twisted dough sticks). Visit Ancient Culture Street, a 580-meter-long street full of Qing Dynasty architecture. After stopping at Yangliuqing (Green Willows) Museum famous for its popular Chinese New Year-themed, traditional-style, colorful Wash Paintings, head back to Beijing. (This optional tour is only $89 per person and includes lunch and dinner.) Hotel: Oriental Bay International Hotel 5 star |
Day 6. Beijing/Xian (American Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner) Today, visit the Temple of Heaven (Tian Tan), where the Emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties performed annual ceremonies, praying to heaven for a good harvest. Tian Tan has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1998. You will see gardens and pavilions where citizens of Beijing practice Tai Chi, play classical musical instruments, perform songs and dances, or participate in a game of Chinese chess. Walk along New Qianmen Street and admire up close the beautiful Bird's Nest National Stadium and the Beijing National Aquatics Center, better known as the Water Cube. Later in the day, you will catch a flight to Xian, known as Chang'an in the old days, the starting point of the historic Silk Road. You'll visit the Big Wild Goose Pagoda (Da Yan Ta), the most distinctive landmark in Xian, constructed for a Tang dynasty (618-907) Buddhist monk, Xuan Zang, whose pilgrimage to India was immortalized in the famous Chinese classical novel, "Journey to the West." The pagoda at Xian was used to hold sutras and figurines of the Buddha that were brought back from India. Xuan Zang asked 50 hierarchs to the temple to translate Sanskrit sutras into Chinese. The translation of these 1,335 volumes heralded a new era in the history of translation. After dinner, you can stroll down to the Muslim district to see traditional Muslim culture alive in Xian. Hotel: Titan Times Hotel 5 star |
Terra Cotta Warriors (Bing Ma Yong)
Xian, the former capital of many Chinese dynasties, has a rich history dating back thousands of years. It is believed that prehistoric Lantian man lived here 500,000 years ago. The first emperor, Qin Shi Huang, unified China in 201 BC and significantly influenced Chinese history. When he died, an entire Terra Cotta Army was buried with the emperor in his mausoleum. Chinese historians had documented this mausoleum, but it wasn't until 1974 that a team of farmers accidentally uncovered the site, one of the greatest archaeological discoveries in history. You will see this army, sometimes known as the 8th wonder of the world, when you visit the Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses Museum (Bing Ma Yong). The museum is a cultural treasure vault with extensive collections of ancient relics. After a stop at the Bell Tower, enjoy an Imperial Dumpling Banquet (Jiao Zi) and then watch the world famous Tang Dynasty Stage Show. Hotel: Titan Times Hotel 5 star |
Ancient City Wall (Cheng Qiang)
Your tour of Xian will conclude with a visit to the Ancient City Wall (Cheng Qiang). Xian's 14th-century wall is one of the most complete city walls in China and certainly one of the best examples from the Ming dynasty. Begin your day by practicing Tai Chi or riding a bike to enjoy the scenery. After your morning exercise, you'll depart Xian for Lhasa by air. To satisfy your craving for western food, you will be offered some western style hamburgers for lunch today. Lhasa, called 'City of Sunshine', is located at an elevation of over 12,000 feet. Landing at the Gongka airport, you will feel the difference in elevation immediately, both physically and psychologically. Your tour guide will welcome you at the airport with oxygen bags on an air-conditioned sightseeing bus. Take care to rest well after your arrival. Hotel: Xinding Hotel 4 star |
Day 9. Lhasa (American Breakfast, Lunch, Special Dinner) The Potala Palace, built in the 17th century, contains over 1,000 rooms, 10,000 shrines and about 200,000 statues, it is the largest lamasery (monastery for lamas) in the world. The 13-story-building measures 1,300 feet east-west and 1,150 feet north-south, with sloping stone walls averaging 10 feet thick, 16 feet thick at the base, with copper poured into the foundations to help proof it against earthquakes. It took 7,000 workers and 1,500 artists and craftsmen more than 50 years to build the adjoining White and Red Palaces. Walking along Barkhor Bazaar, you'll have the opportunity to experience Tibetan culture and buy colorful ethnic handicrafts. A Tibetan style dinner in the Yak Restaurant and watching a Tibetan dancing show in the evening will be the highlight of the trip. Hotel: Xinding Hotel 4 star |
The Bund (Wai Tan)
Today, you'll take a full day tour to the 1,300-year-old Jokhang Temple, where you're likely to see Buddhist pilgrims making clockwise circuits on their hands and knees in reverence to one of Tibet's most sacred sites. Thousands of yak-butter candles flicker beneath the enlightened gaze of the golden Jowo Sakyamuni, the 7th-century statue of Buddha that the temple was built to house. Sera Monastery features the largest Tsokchen (main assembly hall) in town, built to house precious gifts from the Emperor to one of Je Tsongkhapa's disciples. You will be guests of a local Tibetan family in the late afternoon. Hotel: Xinding Hotel 4 star |
Day 11. Lhasa/Chongqing/ Yangtze (American Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner) Fly to Chongqing, the "mountain city," today. During your tour of this city, capital of China during World War II, you'll visit the Stilwell Museum dedicated to "Vinegar Joe" Stilwell, commander of American forces in China, Burma, and India during World War II. You'll learn about the colorful history of the American Volunteer Air Group, the "Flying Tigers," who were based here during the war. You'll also visit the city's zoo to see the pandas, a rare sight, since there are only an estimated 1,000 surviving in the wild. Later in the day, head to the docks where a cruise ship awaits to take you on your much anticipated Majestic Yangtze adventure. The cruise will set sail from Chongqing in the late evening. Cruise: President 1 5 star |
Day 12. Cruise the Yangtze (American Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner) The first shore excursion of your cruise will be to the 'Ghost City,' Fengdu, where you'll see many statues of devils and ghosts thought to roam the afterworld. Fengdu is modelled after the Chinese Hell of Taoist mythology, and was built over 1800 years ago. Cruise: President 1 5 star |
Day 13. Cruise the Yangtze (American Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner) Sail through Qutang Gorge, the shortest and most dramatic of the famous Three Gorges. The others are Xiling Gorge and Wu Gorge, famous for its quiet beauty. Disembark at Wushan where you'll board a small riverboat for a leisurely ride through Shennong Stream, which offers clear running waters, picturesque rock formations, and even sightings of monkeys and goats along its banks, Drifting along the Shennong Stream in a sampan is a truly unique way to experience the beauty of the area. A sampan is about 40 feet long and 6 feet wide, and usually is steered by six boatmen. You will pass through the ship lock of the new Three Gorges Dam. Cruise: President 1 5 star |
Day 14. Yangtze/Yichang/Shanghai (American Breakfast, Lunch) Disembark to visit the massive Three Gorges Dam Project in the morning. The Dam is the world's largest, measuring 606 feet high and 6,500 feet long. In 1997, the cofferdam was completed and work on the main structure begun. The dam has two five-stage locks to raise and lower ships to the different river levels. Each lock in the five stages is 65 feet high and 910 feet long. The ship sails through Xiling Gorge, the longest of the Three Gorges. Disembark at Yichang, the terminus of our memorable Yangtze cruise, and board your flight to Shanghai. Upon your arrival, visit the famous Bund (Wai Tan), a five-block riverfront promenade where many of Shanghai's banks and trading houses are located. Shanghai is divided into eastern and western sections by the Huang Pu River. Modern mega high rises are seen on the eastern side, while traditional European style architecture may be seen on the western side. You will enjoy the world famous Acrobatic Show tonight. Hotel: Courtyard by Marriott Xujiahui 4 star |
Day 15. Shanghai (American Breakfast, Lunch, Special Dinner) Shanghai is a shopping haven, well known for its varied selection of novelty items. Today, your city tour starts with a visit to Shanghai Old Street (Cheng Huang Miao). You'll also have the opportunity to experience the bustling shopping district of Nanjing Road and People's Square where you can use your bargaining skills to acquire mementoes of this visit. After shopping, spend some free time at the Shanghai Museum. With special exhibits and a collection of 120,000 precious works of art, this has become a favorite destination for tourists and local people. You can easily spend a few hours examining its rich, high-quality collection of ancient Chinese bronzes, ceramics, paintings and works of calligraphy. Tonight you will savor local Shanghai Cuisine at your farewell dinner party. Hotel: Courtyard by Marriott Xujiahui 4 star |
Day 16. Shanghai/Hometown (American Breakfast) Transfer to the airport for your flight home, or begin your optional Post-Trip Extension. |
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