Day 1 West Coast – Tokyo
Board your transpacific flight to Tokyo.

Day 2 Tokyo (D)
Upon arrival in Tokyo, transfer by airport bus to the hotel in Tokyo. Check into Grand Prince New Takanawa Hotel (or similar).

Day 3 Tokyo (AB, L,D)
After breakfast in the hotel, join a sunrise “Panoramic Tokyo Tour.” Visit Meiji Jingu Shrine, a Shinto shrine dedicated to Emperor Meiji and his wife, Emperor Shorken, the great-grandparents of the present emperor. Continue on to visit the Imperial Palace East Garden (on Mon. & Fri., visit the Imperial Palace instead), which comprises the moats and spacious plaza between the east side if the Imperial Palace and the Marunouchi office buildings. Then visit Asakusa Kannon Temple. After lunch, enjoy a cruise which starts from the Hinode area and sails on placid Tokoyo Bay and along the waterfront. Also, visit the Odaiba area. Originally a site for gun batteries protecting Tokyo Bay, this futuristic fun land built on reclaimed land during the early 1990's entices you with a ferris wheel, shopping malls, trendy boutiques, hip cafes, entertainment venues and ultramodern buildings like the Fuji TV Headquarters. Later, drive through Ginza, the Champs-Elysees of Tokyo. This street has always been fashionable and in the vanguard of change. Also located in this forward-thinking neighborhood is the Sony Building, which displays all the company's latest products. And Ginza is the home of the magnificent Kabukiza Theater, where performances of the traditional drama are staged daily.

Day 4 Tokyo (AB)
You will have the whole day at leisure to explore the metropolitan city. You may also consider joining an optional tour,“Nikko – World Heritage,” which includes a visit to Toshgu Shrine (an UNESCO World Heritage site), scenic spots like Irohazaka Driveway, Lake Chuzenji and Kegon Falls and a Japanese-style lunch at a local restaurant.

Day 5 Tokyo – Beijing (AB)
Free at leisure. Later, transfer to airport for your flight to Beijing. Upon arrival, transfer to the Capital Hotel (or similar).

Day 6 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). Toast your arrival with a glass of wine and enjoy a fabulous welcome banquet featuring the famous Beijing Duck in the evening.

Day 7 Beijing (AB,L,D)
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. After dinner at your hotel, enjoy a mystical and amazing show, “Legend of Kung Fu.”

Day 8 Beijing - Shanghai (AB,L,D)
After breakfast, you will enjoy a tour to the hutongs with a pedicab ride through the old-city neighborhoods of narrow lanes and courtyard gardens hidden behind Beijing's modern facade. Visit Prince Gong's Palace, the Drum Tower, and old-style courtyard houses still inhabited by Beijing residents. Then transfer to the airport for your flight to Shanghai, the “Paris of the Orient.” Upon arrival, your sightseeing features the bustling shopping street, Nanjing Road, and the Bund, the famous promenade along the Huangpu River. Check in to the Central Hotel (or similar).

Day 9 Shanghai (AB,L,D)
This morning, you will visit the Shanghai Museum, China's most up-to-date museum showcasing the country's ancient glory. In the afternoon, 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 Children's Palace where you will enjoy musical and cultural performances by children attending classes. After dinner, you will attend a spectacular acrobatic show.

Day 10 Shanghai - West Coast (AB)
Farewell to Shanghai. Transfer to the airport for your flight back to the USA.