China’s magnificence will unfold before your eyes on this tour. The capital Beijing’s iconic sites will enthral you. Then onto Xian and the Terracotta Warriors and the awesome landscape and sights along the mighty Yangtze River Valley through the Three Gorges. You will enjoy observing life and sites in and around Chongqing and, large and populous region with their own cultural heritage. The south-western corner with its semitropical climate, diverse peoples and rich natural scenery is wondrous. Then on to Guilin, with large for centuries in Chinese art and poetry. And finally the pulsating megalopolis, Shanghai, the economic powerhouse of China. Combined, this is a mind stimulating experience that you will enjoy and recall in wonder.
On arrival transfer to the hotel.
After breakfast you will visit Tiananmen Square, look across the vast space to the Great Hall of the People and stand before the massive Tiananmen (Heavenly Peace) Gate bearing a huge portrait of Mao Zedong where he proclaimed the establishment of the People’s Republic of China on 1 October 1949. Lying behind is the Forbidden City, as the former imperial palace is called, where the magnificent marble courtyards, huge halls, gilded temples and ornate pavilions, the residence of the emperors and their families, are now open to your wonderment. After lunch there will be a rickshaw tour of Beijing’s old Hutong district, a fascinating maze of narrow alleys, old houses and hidden courtyards dating from Yuan Dynasty times (14th Century), where people who live and work here welcome you into their homes. (B/L)
You will be taken north today to pace the ramparts of China’s famed Great Wall, originally constructed over 2000 years ago to keep the northern invaders at bay. On the return to your hotel, you will stop at the National Olympic Stadium. This evening a traditional Peking Duck dinner completes a very special day. (B/L/D)
Today you visit the Summer Palace, the famed pleasure garden of the Qing emperors. Beautiful ornamental plantings, languid willows and painted pavilions surround a scenic lake, across which are enchanting views to the pagoda-capped Jade Spring Hill and the mountains beyond. Finally you will visit the Temple of Heaven, where the emperors for the good of the empire, carried out the most important sacrifices and ceremonies of the year. Set in a huge park planted with conifers, the beautiful blue-tiled buildings represent the epitome of Ming architecture. (B/L)
Today you fly To Xian
Over 1,000 years ago, Xian was the capital city of the Tang Dynasty and then the largest most cosmopolitan city in the world. This afternoon walk along the top of the Xian City Wall which, of old, encircles the inner city.
This evening you will e
njoy the lavish spectacle of the Tang Dynasty Dinner and Show. (B/L/D)
This morning you visit the remarkable archaeological site where the Terracotta Warriors and Horses, who guarded the tomb of China’s great unifier and first emperor Qinshihuang who died 210 BC, were discovered. View 6000 life-size terracotta warriors and their horses made and buried, lined up facing east in battle array. (B/L)
Today you fly to Yichang and board your luxurious Yangtze River Cruise Ship. (B/L/D)
You cruise the famous Yangtze River in a superbly appointed cruise ship as it winds its way through the spectacular scenery of the Three Gorges. For many people, a cruise along this famous river is a lifelong dream. At 6300km, the Yangtze is the third longest river in the world, made famous today by its spectacular Three Gorges and the controversial Three Gorges Dam. The Three Gorges stretch for 193km, along which are many historic sites such as Shibaozhai, cliff inscriptions, suspended coffins of the Ba Tribe, tombs of the Han Dynasty (prior to 220 AD) and battlefields of the Three Kingdoms period. Where the river widens, terraced fields spread out up mountain slopes, interspersed with orange orchards and tea gardens. The mist-shrouded landscape of the Yangtze Gorges is as lovely as a traditional Chinese painting. Along the way you stop and visit interesting places. (All meals on board)
You disembark in Chongqing, an enormous modern city which is now the industrial and commercial hub of an independent municipality with a population of over 30 million people. You transfer to the hotel and today you will be taken to Dazu, a small town 160km north-west of Chongqing, to view some of the finest Buddhist rock carvings in China. (B/L)
After breakfast you transfer to the airport for your flight to Guilin where you will be met and transferred to your hotel. After lunch you will be taken on a tour of the city, including a visit to the Reed Flute Cave, Guilin’s largest and most impressive cave, filled with stalactites and stalagmites. The tour continues to the scenic emblem of the city, Elephant Trunk Hill, the shape of which is reminiscent of an elephant dipping its trunk in the river. (B/L/D)
This morning you will embark upon an enchanting cruise from Guilin down the Li River, (famed in Chinese painting for millennia) to the charming river town of Yangshuo, a cruise during which fascinating scenes appear one after another. The river banks are lined with extraordinary limestone peaks; many shaped liked animals, birds and mythological characters. Also to be seen are bamboo forests, chestnut orchards and picturesque little fishing villages. (B/L)
You transfer to the airport for your flight to Shanghai. You will be transferred to the hotel and the rest of day is at leisure. (B/L)
Dominating the Yangtze Delta, Shanghai is the amazing pulsating commercial heart of China. Walk along the famous Bund past the facades of the colonial buildings lining the Huangpu River and look across to the fantastic skyscrapers of the Pudong district on the opposite side. After lunch you will visit the beautifully maintained Yu Garden, an outstanding example of a classical garden dating from the 16th century, now surrounded by a bustling market area. Later you will ascend the Shanghai World Financial Centre Observatory Tower, one of the world’s tallest buildings, for an astonishing view over the whole city. This evening you will be entertained by one of Shanghai’s famous acrobatic troupes. (B/L)
You transfer to the airport for your onward flight. (B)
| Daily Departure | **** | ***** | ||
| Twin Share | Single Supplement | Twin Share | Single Supplement | |
| Apr, Nov 11 | $3925 | $999 | $4600 | $1635 |
| May, Sep-Oct 11 | $4165 | $1165 | $4955 | $1898 |
| Jun-Aug 11 | $3925 | $999 | $4600 | $1635 |
| Dec 11, Jan-Feb 12 | $3670 | $815 | $4295 | $1415 |
The prices of above tour are based on the basis of a minimum of 2 persons travelling together.
For more details on what is included in this tour please click here