Classic China

When you arrive in Beijing today, your two weeks China group tour officially begins. Once you have claimed your luggage and cleared customs, you will find our guide waiting for you in the airport arrivals area, holding a welcome sign bearing your name. The driver will drive you to the hotel and help you register for three nights. The rest of the day is free time for your own use.
 
Accommodation: The Great Wall Hotel Beijing - the former Sheraton

To start your China group tour, our guide will host a short pre-trip meeting in your hotel lobby this morning after breakfast. This includes a final briefing and preparations for your trip. The group travel guidelines and tips will also be shared. After the pre-trip meeting, your tour will begin with a visit to Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City, the home of the Chinese emperors in the Ming and Qing dynasties. Nowadays, it houses the palace museum with numerous imperial treasures. Every detail of the palace tells its visitors a story of ancient royal life. 

A welcome lunch will be served at a celebrated restaurant with an a la carte menu (valued at CNY150.00 per person and included in our price). Enjoy authentic Chinese food and the ever popular Peking Roast Duck. 

In the afternoon, you will visit the Temple of Heaven, which used to be the altar where emperors worshiped heaven and prayed for a good harvest. Later, the highlight of the evening will be a thrilling Chinese Kung Fu Show performed at the Red Theatre.

Meals included: Western buffet breakfast, A la carte welcome lunch

We suggest you have a hearty breakfast this morning, as we will drive from downtown Beijing to visit the wondrous Great Wall at Mutianyu. A round-trip cable car will be arranged at the Wall. Restaurants in the mountain area are of low quality and do not meet our serving standard, so we suggest you have some snacks for lunch. Our guide will offer suggestions.

Then we will drive back to downtown Beijing. You will have a chance to explore a popular local market and have time to relax.

Meals included: Western buffet breakfast

This will be an exciting morning as you visit the scenic Summer Palace, which includes Longevity Hill and Kunming Lake. Its design embodies the solemnity and grace of a royal garden that incorporates the joy of nature and is a monument to classical Chinese architecture. Then we will have a stopover at the Olympic National Stadium, also known as the Bird's Nest, so that you can appreciate the unique design and take some nice photos.

Afterwards, you will have an a la carte lunch (valued at CNY150.00 per person and included in our price) at a nice local restaurant. 

The afternoon trip will take you to visit the old Hutongs. You will explore the traditional Hutong alleys by rickshaw and attend a Chinese folk art activity to make paper cuttings. Riding on the rickshaw, you will pass the old lanes and courtyard houses. It is a special area for you to peek into real local life.

Later, you will be off to the next destination of your two-week China tour - Xi'an. Our local guide will greet you at the airport and transfer you to the hotel for a three-night stay.

Meals included: Western buffet breakfast, A la carte lunch
Accommodation: Sheraton Hotel

The morning escorted tour begins with a visit to the well-known Terracotta Army. It might be difficult for you to imagine the surprising moment when you see the great army of strong life-sized terracotta warriors assembled in their thousands to protect the tomb of the first Emperor, Qin. Then we will transfer you back to the city and have an a la carte lunch (valued at CNY120.00 per person and included in our price) cooked by the host at a local family's home. 

The afternoon will be spent visiting the Small Wild Goose Pagoda and the Xi'an Museum. A splendid evening is also in store. You will be entertained by the Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Show while enjoying a famous Chinese dumpling dinner.

Meals included: Western buffet breakfast, Home-cooked a la carte lunch, Dumpling dinner

Traveling is not just for sightseeing. It is also a journey to experience life and explore different cultures. Today's tour will begin with a leisurely walk in the City Wall Park, which encircles the center of Xi’an. It is a park where many local people like to do morning exercises, enjoy themselves in various ways or just spend their leisure time chatting. If you are interested, you may join them for fun. Still in the park, we will invite a Tai Chi Master to teach you some basic skills of practicing Tai Chi, a traditional form of physical exercise and a unique Chinese cultural symbol. Afterwards, you will ascend the well-preserved ancient City Wall. You may wish to take a cycle ride on the wall. The bike rental fee is at your expense. 

After an a la carte lunch (valued at CNY120.00 per person and included in our price), continue to visit the Provincial History Museum and the Great Mosque in the afternoon. Around the mosque is a large Muslim community and bazaar, where you will see Islamic customs, intertwining alleyways, and countless Muslim snack shops. Finally, we transfer you back to your hotel. 

Meals included: Western buffet breakfast, A la carte lunch

Today, you will board a flight to Guilin. Upon your arrival, our local guide will pick you up at the airport and transfer you to the hotel for a two-night stay. Then you will visit the Reed Flute Cave and Elephant Trunk Hill.

Meals included: Western buffet breakfast
Accommodation: Guilin Grand Bravo Hotel

Today will be one of the memorable experiences of your 2 week trip to China as you cruise down the beautiful Li River from Guilin to Yangshuo. The river, with its calm sparkling water, is the essence of the city's landscape and known as the "Hundred Mile Gallery". Docking at Yangshuo after cruising about 4.5 hours, you will walk through the well-known West Street. Then you will enjoy amazing rural scenery as we drive along the surrounding country roads of Yangshuo. En route, you will be invited to visit a villager's home. Afterwards, we will transfer you back to Guilin.

Tip: The cruise company offers a box lunch on the ship, but it may fail to meet with your approval. We are aware of the shortcomings and suggest you prepare for the cruise with a generous breakfast at the hotel.

Meals included: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch

Take a morning high speed train for around 5 hours to Chongqing. Upon your arrival, our local guide will meet you at Chongqing West Railway Station and take you to explore Jiefangbei CBD (central business district) and Ci Qi Kou Ancient Village. Afterwards, you will be escorted to board the President cruise ship for a three-night stay. It sets sail at 22:00. Your relaxing Yangtze cruise journey is about to begin!

Chongqing is a gourmet's paradise. We suggest you have lunch and dinner on your own to try different foods. The guide will offer recommendations.

About the high speed train: Due to the rapid development of China's high speed train system, you can reach Chongqing from Guilin in five hours. The train has a dining carriage where meals are sold at certain times. Also snacks, soft drinks and bottled water can be bought from a cart on the train.

Meals included: Western buffet breakfast
Cruises: President No. 8 with balcony

You will learn about the cruise ship and its scheduled activities both on shore and on board through the river guide's morning presentation. In the early afternoon, an onshore excursion is arranged when the ship anchors at Shuangguishan National Forest Park. Facing the Yangtze River, Mount Shuanggui is a renowned site that integrates both natural and cultural landscapes. It is covered by more than 500,000 species of trees and flowers, and is known as the back garden of the town of Fengdu. The poems and inscriptions left by ancient Chinese poets can be seen everywhere. In the evening, you will be invited to attend the welcome party hosted by the ship's captain.

Meals included: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today the ship will sail through the most splendid part of the Three Gorges. The first is the Qutang Gorge, which is only eight kilometers long but encompasses the most dangerous part of the gorges. Then the ship will sail into a deep and attractive area, Wu Gorge. An excursion between three and four hours long along the Shennong Stream by sampan is arranged for you today. Afterwards, the ship will continue to sail into heavily-shoaled Xiling Gorge.

Meals included: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

This morning, the onshore excursion will take you to visit the stunning Three Gorges Dam site, which plays an important role in flood control. Before that, please pack your luggage and check out. After finishing the excursion, the cruise ship company will drive you to the Three Gorges Tourist Center in Yichang city. Our local guide will meet you there and escort you to the railway station for a 7.5-hour high speed train ride to Shanghai, the last stop of your two-week trip to China. It is a long train journey, so you might need to prepare some snacks and fruits with the guide's assistance. Also you might spend time reading a book on the train. Upon your arrival, our guide in Shanghai will greet you and transfer you to your hotel.

Meals included: Western buffet breakfast
Accommodation: Sheraton Shanghai Hongkou Hotel

Today we will show you around the most important commercial and financial hub in China. The first destination is the Shanghai Museum. There are all kinds of collections, and some rarities even command world-wide attention. Next let's turn to Yu Garden, a bright pearl of the South China classical garden style. The pavilions, terraces, towers, ponds and rockeries inside the garden are delicately laid out. They show ingenuity in providing wide views in a small confined space. Surrounding the garden is a lively local bazaar. You may wish to enjoy some free time there. 

The farewell a la carte lunch (valued at CNY120.00 per person and included in our price) will be served at a well-reputed restaurant featuring delicate Shanghai cuisine. 

After lunch, we come to explore the Former French Concession, which was the most prosperous area in old Shanghai. Then we travel to the Bund, where you will have a one-hour cruise tour on the Huangpu River. With the completion of the trip, our guide and driver will transfer you back to the hotel and bid you farewell in the lobby.

Meals included: Western buffet breakfast, A la carte farewell lunch

Your 2 weeks guided tour of China draws to a close today. You need to head to the airport for your homeward flight by yourself as your trip does not include this transfer service. We suggest you book a taxi or the airport shuttle bus at the hotel concierge desk the day before your departure. We wish you a happy flight back home and hope we can serve you again in the future.

Meals included: Western buffet breakfast