Tour Itinerary:
Day 1: Arrival in Beijing. Welcome to China! Upon arrival in Beijing, we will be taken to your hotel. As the capital of China, Beijing has a long history with an abundance of historical and cultural heritage-we cannot tear us away! Balance of the day is at leisure.
Day 2: Beijing. Today we will start the day with a trip to the largest public square in the world: Tiananmen Square. Tiananmen Square is regarded as a symbol of China and capable of holding one million people. Then we'll head to the Forbidden City, which consists of more than 9,000 rooms and covers an area of 72 hectares. Forbidden City is the largest and the best-preserved Imperial Palace in the world. After lunch, we take a short drive to the Temple of Heaven, which was built specifically for worship of heaven and prayers for good harvests during the Ming and Qing dynasties. The entire complex is a treasure trove of ancient Chinese architectural designs and arts and was listed as UNESCO's World Cultural Heritage in 1998. Tonight, enjoy a Beijing Duck Dinner. Includes: (B, L, D)
Day 3: Beijing. Get up early in the morning and drive about one hour to Badaling Great Wall, China's most spectacular sight extending more than 3,700 miles across China and most often visited for China tour. It is one of the best preserved sections and the highest point of the Great Wall. For lunch we'll sample simple some delicious fare in a local restaurant. Then head to one of the Mind Tombs. Ming Tombs are the general names for the mausoleums of 13 emperors of the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644), located 50 kilometers north from Beijing City. They were fully recognized by UNESCO's World Heritage Committee in 2000. When the night falls, we will return to the hotel. Includes: (B, L)
Day 4: Beijing - Nanjing. We will start the day with a unique Hutong Trishaw tour in the morning. Hutongs are a kind of ancient city alley or lane that is considered an informal symbol of the Beijing city. We can also visit local residents and taste some delicious local cuisine while taking the hutong tour. Our next stop is the Summer Palace, which was listed as UNESCO's World Cultural Heritage in 1998. With its elegant overall arrangement, magnificent buildings and attractive scenery, the Summer Palace is the most splendid imperial garden in China built in 1750. Then head for the airport for Nanjing, an outstanding tourist city famed for its rich culture, long history and beautiful landscape. Upon arrival, we will be met at the airport and transferred to the hotel. The evening is left free for us to explore the city or night market. Includes: (B, L)
Day 5: Nanjing. We will spend the day touring around the city, including visits to Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum, the Linggu Temple and the Confucius Temple. The Dr Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum was built in 1926 in honor of Dr. Sun Yat-sen (1866-1925), who is recognized as the Father of Modern China. The construction of the mausoleum is symmetrical, and it serves as a fine example of classical and modern beauty. We then proceed to the Linggu Temple, originally built in 515 under the reign of the Liang Dynasty (502-557). The main attraction in Linggu Temple is the Beamless Hall, which was built without a piece of wood or a single nail. After lunch, we will also pay a visit to the Confucius Temple, built for consecrating and worshiping Confucius, the great thinker and educator of ancient China. In 1991, the Confucius Temple was elected the "Forty Best Scenery Spots". Includes: (B, L)
Day 6: Nanjing - Suzhou. Set out in the morning and take a soft seat train to Suzhou. Suzhou is a famous historical and cultural city with a history of over 2,500 years. Having arrived at noon, we first freshen up at the hotel before take tours. Firstly, we will start the day with a trip to the gorgeous classic Chinese garden: Humble Administrator's Garden, which is regarded as the greatest garden of all southern Chinese gardens. Besides, the Humble Administrator's Garden was listed as UNESCO's World Cultural Heritage in 1997. Then we will also pay a visit to Hanshan Temple, one of Suzhou's greatest landmarks and most popular Buddhist temples. We then proceed to Tiger Hill Park. The Tiger Hill Pagoda in the park is the landmark of Suzhou city which was built from 959 to 961 during the Song dynasty. Ascending the hill, we will find a great number of places of interest, some of which have a long history. Includes: (B, L)
Day 7: Suzhou - Zhouzhuang - Suzhou - Hangzhou. Today we drive about one hour to Zhouzhuang, one of the most famous water townships in China. Zhouzhuang is renowned for its colorful culture and customs, the well preserved and typical ancient architecture and the spectacular scenery. Nearly 100 old houses and over 60 carved-brick arches have remained unchanged through the past 500 years. After lunch, we make a beeline for Suzhou train station and take a soft seat train to Hangzhou, which takes less than four hours' drive. Hangzhou is one of the seven ancient capitals in China with a history of 2200 years, and is treated as a famous tourist attraction with its famous natural beauty and cultural heritages. Upon arrival, our tour guide will pick us up in front of the carriage of the train and transfer us to the hotel. Includes: (B, L)
Day 8: Hangzhou. The day begins with a tour of the highlight of Hangzhou - the West Lake. The West Lake has become popular with numerous artists, poets and painters with its attractive views and breathtaking scenery. After a tour of the West Lake, we will visit Lingyin Temple, the largest and most splendid Buddhist temple in Hangzhou. It houses a large collection of Buddhism treasure and relics which is of great research value of Buddhism development. After lunch, we then proceed to Six Harmonies Pagoda, which is considered a masterpiece of traditional Chinese architecture. Upon ascending the pagoda, visitors can get a panoramic view of the Qaintang River and the bridge on it. Includes: (B, L)
Day 9: Hangzhou - Shanghai. Today you will experience the Grand Canal, which links Beijing in north with Hangzhou in south, stretching 1,794 kilometers long and surpasses both the Suez and Panama canals. The Grand Canal, like the Great Wall, is an marvelous project in the history of Chinese civilization. Then we'll head to the National Tea Museum, the only one in China with the tea theme. It is also the largest tea museum in China with the most comprehensive collection of tea utensils and other relevant exhibits on view. In the afternoon, we head for the train station for the next destination-Shanghai, the largest and most prosperous metropolis in China and known as the "Paris of the East". After about three hours' drive, we will be met at the train station in Shanghai and transferred to the hotel. The evening is left free for us to explore the city. Includes: (B, L)
Day 10: Shanghai. Today we will start the day with a trip to the elegant classic Chinese garden: the Yu Garden. YuGarden has quite a few scenic courtyards dotted with baroque rockery, pools and flora, all connected by corridors and passageways and cultural relics. We then proceed to Oriental Pearl TV Tower. With an astonishing height of 468 meters, it ranks as the world's third tallest TV tower, after the 553-meter CN Tower in Toronto and the 535-meter Moscow TV Tower. After lunch, we will visit the Bund, where the great foreign commercial houses and banks built their imposing office buildings before 1930s. If time permits, we will stroll along the Nanjing Road, which is considered as one of the World's Seven Great Roads in the 1930s and always mentioned in travel guides as a must see of China tour. Includes: (B, L)
Day 11: Shanghai - TBA. Today we will be transferred to the airport for our flight to the next destination with many wonderful memories. Includes: (B)
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
Price Includes:
- Entrance fees to all the scenic spots as listed above in the itinerary
- Hotel accommodations with breakfast as specified (If there is no Western breakfast available, we have to arrange Chinese one instead)
- All meals as specified in the itinerary. B=Western or Chinese breakfast, L=Chinese lunch in a local restaurant, D=Chinese dinner in a local restaurant
- Internal flights including taxes and fuel fee and train/bus tickets as listed in the itinerary
- Professional local guides and drivers in each destination city
- Private transfers between airports, docks, hotels and scenic spots while sightseeing in each destination city by the private air conditioned car or van
- Luggage transfers between airports/docks and hotels
- Arrangements for the planning, handling, operational and communication charges
- Government taxes
Price excludes:
- International air and train tickets for coming to and leaving from mainland China
Also see tour packages in:
Asia
China
Cultural Journey
Archeology/History
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