Day 1 West Coast - Beijing
Board your transpacific flight to Beijing.
Day 2 Beijing
Upon arrival in Beijing, China’s capital, you will be greeted and escorted to the Capital Hotel (or similar).
Day 3 Beijing (AB,L,SD)
After breakfast, visit Tiananmen Square and the Imperial Palace in the Forbidden City, home of Chinese emperors for more than 500 years. After lunch, visit the Summer Palace, taking a leisure stroll while admiring the thousands of ancient murals along the Long Corridor and a boat ride on Kunming Lake (weather permitting). Enjoy a fabulous welcome banquet featuring the famous Beijing Duck in the evening.
Day 4 Beijing (AB,L)
The highlight today is an excursion to the Great Wall. Enjoy the dramatic vistas and marvel at the Wall as it climbs and descends steep ridges and narrow valleys. Next, visit a cloisonné factory on the way to lunch. After lunch, visit the Ming Tombs starting with a stroll along the Sacred Way, which is guarded by stone statues. Then tour the Chang Ling Exhibition Museum. En route back to the city, drive around the intriguing architecture of the main Olympic venues: the National Stadium, nicknamed the “Bird’s Nest”, because of its unique design, and the National Aquatics Center, known as the “Water Cube”.
Day 5 Beijing - Xi’an (AB)
After breakfast, fly to the ancient capital city of Xi’an. This afternoon, you’ll enjoy a tour of the ancient City Wall, built during 1374-1378 A.D., one of China’s most historical and the best preserved city wall remains from the later stage of the Middle Ages. Continue to visit the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, the symbol of Xi’an, it was once used for the safekeeping of scriptures and Buddha’s statues that were brought back from India by Monk Xuanzang of the Tang Dynasty. Then visit to the Bell Tower which stands in the city center, engulfed in Xi’an’s most congested traffic center. Overnight at the Grand New World Hotel (or similar).
Day 6 Xi’an (AB,L,SD)
Today's highlight is a visit to the Terra-Cotta Warriors and Horses Museum, home to an army of more than 6,000 life-size statues excavated from the tomb of the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty. After lunch, visit the Shaanxi Provincial Museum, renowned for its collection of Han and Tang dynasty antiquities. In the evening, enjoy a special dumpling dinner and cultural show at the Tang Dynasty Theatre recreating the music, costumes and dances of that era.
Day 7 Xi’an – Chongqing (AB,L,D)
Transfer to the airport for your flight to the mountainous city of Chongqing. Upon arrival, your city tour will include a visit to the Stilwell Museum where you will see a collection of World War II memorabilia, including exhibits on the Flying Tigers. If time permits, visit the People's Congress Hall and the art gallery. Check in to the Holiday Inn Yangtze Chongqing (or similar).
Day 8 Chongqing – Dazu – Chongqing - Yangtze River Cruise (AB,L,D)
After breakfast, travel by motor coach to Dazu, famous for its sacred Buddhist rock carving. There are over 10,000 religious sculptures in the area of Baoding Shan and Bei Shan. Return to Chongqing for dinner before boarding a 5-star Victoria Cruises’ ship to begin your memorable journey on the Yangtze River.
Day 9 Yangtze River Cruise: Shibaozhai (AB,L,D)
Today's shore excursion is to Shibaozhai, famous for its 12-story wooden pagoda built against a sheer cliff on the river bank over some 400 years ago.
**Depending on local river conditions, an alternate shore excursion to Wanzhou may occur.
Day 10 Yangtze River Cruise: Danning River Small Gorges or Shennong Stream (AB,L,D)
This morning you will cruise through the first two of the famous Three Gorges: Qutang Gorge, the shortest but the most dramatic gorge; and Wu Gorge, known for its sheer cliffs and twelve peaks. Your excursion will include boarding a smaller vessel to sail up the Danning River to view the scenery of the Small Gorges. If weather permits, a sampan ride will take you into a tranquil tributary. Subject to river conditions, enjoy an alternate excursion to Shennong Stream, which also features spectacular views of the Small Gorges. Your cruise continues and passes through the last and longest gorge, Xiling Gorge. Then sail through the five stages of the Three Gorges’ double-lane ship lock.
Day 11 Yangtze River Cruise: Three Gorges Dam – Yichang - Shanghai (AB,L,D)
This morning, your cruise arrives Yang Jia Wang where you will enjoy a shore excursion at the Three Gorges Dam site, the largest hydroelectric project in the world. Continue onto Yichang where you disembark. Transfer to the airport for your flight to Shanghai, the "Paris of the Orient". Afternoon sightseeing features the bustling shopping street, Nanjing Road, and the Bund, the famous promenade along the Huangpu River. Check in to the Central Hotel Shanghai (or similar).
**If a direct flight is not available, transfer by motor coach to Wuhan for flight to Shanghai.
Day 12 Shanghai (AB,L,D)
After breakfast, pay a visit to the Jade Buddha Temple, renowned for its huge statue of the Buddha carved from a single piece of white jade; and the Yu Garden, famous for its rock gardens, pavilions, halls and ponds, and Old Shanghai Bazaar, with shops filled with all manner of interesting curios.
Day 13 Shanghai (AB)
Spend today at leisure to explore this vibrant city on your own. Perhaps take an optional tour to one of the nearby picturesque water towns, known for their winding canals, arched-stone bridges and well-preserved architecture from the Ming and Qing Dynasties.
Day 14 Shanghai – Hangzhou (AB,L,D)
This morning, travel to scenic Hangzhou by motor coach. Lunch upon arrival, then start exploring this charming 2,000-year-old city with a boat ride on scenic West Lake. Long famous for its beauty, there is a Chinese saying “In heaven there is paradise and on earth there are Hangzhou and Suzhou”. Overnight at the Ramada Plaza Hangzhou Haihua (or similar).
Day 15 Hangzhou (AB,L)
Today you will visit Ling Yin Temple (Temple of Soul’s Retreat) and Feilai Peak (the Peak that Flew Here). Continue on to the 1,000-year-old Six Harmonies Pagoda, and enjoy a tea ceremony sipping Dragonwell green tea at the Long Jing Tea Plantation.
Day 16 Hangzhou - Guilin (AB,L,D)
This morning is free at leisure. Then transfer to the airport and board your flight to tranquil Guilin. Upon arrival, check in to the Lijiang Waterfall Hotel (or similar).
Day 17 Guilin – Yangshuo – Guilin (AB,L)
Today's excursion is a cruise along the beautiful Li River. Experience the magical beauty of limestone rock formations and farmland commonly seen in Chinese landscape paintings. Disembark at the charming village of Yangshuo, which has one of the best antique and craft markets in China. Browse at the market, or relax at one of the local cafes. Return to Gulin in the afternoon, enjoy a city tour to the Elephant Trunk Hill and Reed Flute Cave with stalactites and stalagmites illuminated by the different color lightings, and it’s also famed as “The Art Palace of the Nature”.
Day 18 Guilin – Longshen – Guilin – Hong Kong (AB,L)
This morning, enjoy a scenic drive down the Dragon’s scene to Longshen. Spend your day exploring the Ethnic Minorities with hiking to Ping’an village where the Zhuang and Yao ethnic tribes have inhabited for over hundreds of years. And a visit to the rice terraces on Dragon’s Back Mountain which was built along the hillside, and is also known as the mountain sculptor because of the way the beautiful rice terraces were built. Return to Guilin and transfer to the airport for your evening flight to Hong Kong. Upon arrival, you will be met and transferred to the Harbour Plaza Metropolis (or similar).
Day 19 Hong Kong (AB)
Today's half-day sightseeing tour gives an introduction to Hong Kong Island. Your tour will take you through Repulse Bay, Stanley Market and Aberdeen's floating community. Then ascend Victoria Peak to take in the breathtaking, panoramic views of the city. The rest of the day is at leisure.
Day 20 Hong Kong (AB)
You have the whole day at leisure to discover why Hong Kong is known as "The Shopping Capital of Asia". You may also consider taking one of the optional tours.
Day 21 Hong Kong - West Coast (AB)
Farewell to Hong Kong. Transfer to the airport for your flight back to the U.S.A.
