China Discovery
 

Itinerary
 

Day 1    Arrive at Beijing

Your tour guide will meet you at Peking (Beijing) Capital International Airport and escort you to your deluxe hotel located near historic sites in the city center.

Day 2     Beijing                                                                                   B, L, SD
An exciting day starts with a stroll along the ancient promenades of one of the world’s great wonders, the Great Wall. Built to protect China from invaders, this winding barrier of brick and stone could circle the world with a wall eight feet high. Later, visit the legendary Ming Tombs, resting place of 13 emperors. After lunch you will visit the Summer Palace, a former summer resort for the royal family, and take a boat ride on its Lake Kunming. This evening you are invited to a “Peking Duck” dinner.                                                                                                                    

Day 3     Beijing                                                                                   B, L
Today you will ride on a trishaw through the back streets of old Beijing. Enjoy tea with a local family. After lunch, visit impressive Tiananmen Square, the largest public square in the world, and the Palace Museum, known as the Forbidden City. The complex of imperial palaces was home to the emperors for over 500 years during the Ming and Qing dynasties.  

Day 4      Beijing                                                                                    B, L
Your sightseeing this morning brings you to the Temple of Heaven, where the Ming and Qing emperors prayed for good harvests. It is the largest temple complex remaining in China today. The remainder of the day is at leisure to shop or discover more of the city on your own. 

Day 5    Beijing / Xian                                                                            B, L, SD

This morning, take a two-hour flight to Xian, the great ancient capital and the eastern end of the Silk Road. Upon arrival, meet your tour guide at the airport and be transferred to your 5-star hotel. After a short rest, tour of the Drum Tower.

Day 6    Xian                                                                                           B, L, D
This exciting day of sightseeing will include the famous Terra-cotta Army and Bronze Chariots. More than 6,000 pieces of 2,200-year-old life-size figures – individually sculpted from real-life models – represent soldiers, horses, and ministers who guard Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s tomb.  Later visit a village at Lintong where former President Clinton enjoyed his visit. After lunch at a local restaurant, visit the Big Wild Goose Pagoda built in 652 AD. It contains a large volume of Buddhist scriptures obtained from India by the eminent monk Xuanzang. This evening, be our guests for a special 12-course Dumpling Dinner.

Day 7    Xian/Guilin                                                                                 B, L, D

This morning you will visit the Shaanxi Provincial Museum of History. After lunch, fly to Guilin, set in a landscape that has inspired poets and artists for centuries. 

Day 8    Guilin                                                                                          B, L

A highlight of any trip to China is the full-day cruise on the Li River.  As you cruise down the river, the rain-washed, pastel-colored landscape unfolds. You’ll pass valleys, rich fields, green plains and jagged cliffs with unusual names like Elephant Trunk Hill. Disembark at Yangshuo, a typical local small town. You will visit local markets before returning to Guilin.    

Day 9    Guilin / Kunming                                                                         B, L, D

Morning tour to the Reed Flute Cave where the unusual stalactite and stalagmite formations along with colored lights conjure up images of trees, ferocious animals and human forms. Later you will visit Fubo Hill for a panoramic view of the city. Take an afternoon flight to Yunnan Province’s scenic and history-rich city of Kunming, the City of Eternal Spring. Isolated for centuries by high mountains and three great rivers, the area has produced a stunning cultural diversity that continues to flourish today.   

Day 10   Kunming                                                                                     B, L, D

Full-day tour to the geological wonders of Shilin, the Stone Forest, and a group of caves, pools and fanciful-shaped limestone spires formed 270 million years ago by wind and water. Visit an Ethnic village and enjoy a colorful singing and dancing performance. If time permits, you will tour the Golden Temple, a gleaming vision of bronze on white marble built in the Ming Dynasty; and the West Hill and Dragon Gate.     

Day 11   Kunming/Lijiang                                                                          B, L, D

A morning flight brings you to Lijiang, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and base of the Naxi minority, descendents of Tibetan nomads. Tour the Old Town, an 865-year-old architectural gem.                

Day 12   Lijiang                                                                                         B, L, D

Full-day excursion to Jade Dragon Mountain (Yulong Shan), a graceful alpine peak in the southernmost of northern latitudes. Clad in white snow year round at an altitude of 5,596 meters above sea level, Shanzidou, the mountain’s main peak, resembles a gigantic dragon. The mountain is rich with precious trees, medicinal herbs, and lovely flowers. Afternoon tour to Yufeng Temple and Black Dragon Pool.                              

Day 13   Lijiang/Kunming / Shanghai                                                        B, L

Depart Lijiang in the morning for your flight from Kunming to Shanghai – China’s most cosmopolitan city. Upon arrival, you will be met by our representative and brought to your hotel.

Day 14   Shanghai                                                                                      B, L, D

Today you will stroll along the Bund, a riverside promenade with grand colonial buildings, and then visit Yuyuan Garden and the Shanghai Museum which houses a collection of 120,000 cultural relics. Meet students at the Children’s Palace. In the evening, enjoy a thrilling Acrobatic Show after the farewell dinner.

Day 15    Departing Shanghai                                                                      B

Say “zai jian” (goodbye) to China and be assisted to the airport for your flight home.