Tripology

Commercial Flight

International Flight on your own arrangement.

Hotel

Upon your arrival at Beijing airport, our local guide will meet you and escort you to your hotel. The rest of the day is free at your own leisure. Accommodations: Jianguo Garden Hotel

Sightseeing

Today you will first visit the historic Tiananmen Square, and then the magnificent Forbidden City. In the afternoon, you will marvel at Beijing's splendid Temple of Heaven. Enjoy a famous Peking Duck Banquet for dinner.

Tiananmen Square: the largest city square in the world and the spiritual heart of China, where the national flag is raised exactly at sunrise everyday.

Sightseeing

Forbidden City: located in the center of Beijing, used to be the imperial palace of the Ming and Qing dynasties with a history of around 600 years, it is the grandest integral palace complex still remaining in China.

Temple of Heaven: the place which was visited yearly by the emperors who performed intricate rituals to insure a good harvest for the whole nation at ancient times.

Peking Duck Dinner: Peking Roast Duck is regarded as one of the most delicious dishes throughout the world. A Peking Duck Dinner is usually a fixed item on any Beijing tour itinerary. At time-honored restaurants such as Quan Ju De, you can savor the mouth-watering traditional Beijing specialty, and at the same time the chefs will show you how they cuts the meat into exactly 108 slices from one duck, each having a piece of skin.

Hotel

Accommodations: Jianguo Garden Hotel, Meals: B,L,D, Special Dinner: Peking Duck Dinner

Sightseeing

Drive to Jinshanling Great Wall to do the hiking to Simatai section the whole day and come back to downtown late today. It would be a very tiring day today.

Great Wall: the most famous symbol of China and one of the world's most remarkable architectural wonders, it was built over 2,000 years ago and stretches about 6,700km.

Simatai Great Wall: The Simatai section of the Great Wall is located in the northeast of Miyun County,120 kilometers from downtown Beijing.

Hotel

Accommodations: Jianguo Garden Hotel, Meals: B,L

Sightseeing

You will be free to take a rest this morning. The local guide will pick you up to have lunch and then you will have a city tour to the exquisite Summer Palace.

Summer Palace : Located on the northwestern outskirts of the city, it was an imperial summer resort of the Qing Dynasty. With its perfect layout, magnificent buildings and enchanting landscape, it is the most splendid classical garden in China.

Hotel

Accommodations: Jianguo Garden Hotel, Meals: B, L.

Sightseeing

After breakfast, you will visit Hutongs by rickshaw. Hutongs: the old narrow paths with lots of courtyard homes where common people are living. They are like villages within a megalopolis. Through the hutongs' teeming maze of alleyways, you will see the old houses and learn about the daily life of ordinary Beijing citizens.

Cooking Classes

Lunch will be served in one of the local people's home during the tour, when you can learn how to make dumplings.

Commercial Flight

After then take the afternoon flight to Xian.

Hotel

Upon you arrive in Xian, you will be escorted to your hotel. The rest of day is free at your leisure. Accommodations: Hotel Royal Garden , Meals: B,L

Sightseeing

Today, you will enjoy a full-day excursion to the incredible life-size Terracotta Warriors and Horses. After lunch, visit the Banpo Museum and the Bell Tower.

Terracotta Warriors and Horses: discovered in 1974 by local farmers digging a well, this is one of the most significant archeological finds of the 20th century. These 6,000 life-size painted Terracotta Warriors and Horses --individually sculpted from real-life models and arranged in battle formation have been protecting the mausoleum of the first emperor in Chinese history--Emperor QinShihuang for 2,200 years ago.

Bell Tower: standing in the center of the city and built in 1582, the Bell Tower is a three-story wooden structure with traditional Chinese architectural features. It is so called because an iron bell is hung in the tower to give the correct time.

Museums

Banpo Museum: discovered in 1953, it is the actual archaeological village representing 6000-year-old Neolithic Yangshao culture that is renowned for its colorful ceramics.

Hotel

Accommodations: Hotel Royal Garden, Meals: B,L.

Sightseeing

After breakfast, you will have a city tour to the Shaanxi Provincial Museum, the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. In the afternoon, you will have a visit to the Ancient City Walls and do some cyclying on the Wall. Complete the day with a savory dumpling dinner and the Tang Dynasty show at Shaanxi Grand Opera Theatre in the evening.

Museums

Shaanxi Provincial Museum: opened in 1991, the largest comprehensive museum in the province. The museum exhibits over 3,000 historical relics which is just a fraction of their collection. Most of the exhibited items are rare treasures, showing you the splendid Chinese culture.

Big Wild Goose Pagoda: regarded by many as a symbol of the city Xian, the pagoda was built in 652 A.D. in the Tang Dynasty to house the sutras brought back from India by the famous monk Xuan-zang.

Ancient City Walls : built during the 14th century on Tang dynasty foundations and they date from the Ming dynasty. The walls are the largest and best-preserved ancient fortress in the world. There is a gate in each of the four sides, and the gate towers built over each gate look lofty and magnificent and form a tight defence engineering system.

Dumpling Dinner: Dumpling or Jiaozi in Chinese is a traditional and popular food in China, especially in the north. At the dinner, nearly 20 varieties of dumplings that are steamed and stuffed with different delicious fillings such as vegetables, meats and seafood are served. These dumplings are not only tasty, but also characteristic with their colors and fragrance, style and culture meanings. All these make the dinner so unique that you should not miss it when traveling in Xi'an.

Performing Arts

Tang Dynasty Show: the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) was one of the most glorious dynasties in China's history, and Xi'an was the capital during the Tang Dynasty and called as Chang'an. Tang Dynasty Show is a performance of Chang'an music and dances in Tang Dynasty style laid out according to various historical records and ancient arts and relics discovered in Xi'an. During the show, the musicians present the music with the Tang-Dynasty-style musical instruments and the dancers dance by wearing a Tang-Dynasty-style robe with long white silk sleeves, and you will certainly enjoy this national art that reflects the glory and richness of the Tang Dynasty era.

Hotel

Accommodations: Hotel Royal Garden, Meals: B,L,D, Special Dinner: Dumpling Dinner.

After breakfast, you will visit the Great Mosque. If you feel like, you can spend some time strolling along the backstreets of the mosque which have been home to the city's Muslim community for centuries.

Great Mosque: the largest mosque in Xi'an and one of the four grand Islamic mosques in China with more than 1200 years' history. The mosque possesses not only traditional Chinese architectural style, but also features peculiar to Islamic mosques and now it is a major spot for religious activities of 50,000 Muslims in Xi'an.

Commercial Flight

China domestic flight on our arrangement.

Hotel

Upon you arrive in Guilin, you will be escorted to your hotel. Accommodations: Guilin Park Hotel, Meals: B,L.

River or Barge Cruise

After breakfast, drive to Zhujiang Pier (about 40-minute drive) to start the boat cruise along the tranquil Li River, the highlight of your sightseeing tour in Guilin, until you get to Yangshuo County.

Li River Cruise: Along the river, you will be inspired by the breathtaking views of peaks and pinnacles, crystal-clear water and reflections in the water together with the serene pastoral views of rice paddies and water buffaloes. You will certainly feel like you are walking into a traditional Chinese painting by cruising on this wonderful river.

Hotel

Free time in the afternoon after checking in the hotel in Yangshuo. Accommodations: New Century Hotel, Meals: B,L

Bicycling

After breakfast, you will experience an interesting and enjoyable cycling tour in Yangshuo.

Yangshuo County: founded in 590 AD, Yangshuo County has been booming because of tourism. With so many beautifully shaped mountains surrounding this county, it is described as "the world of green lotus and jade bamboo shoots".

Hotel

Accommodations: New Century Hotel, Meals: B,L.

Bus

Today, drive back to Guilin (1.5-hour drive) and have a city tour of the Elephant Trunk Hill, the Fubo Hill and the Reed Flute Cave.

Sightseeing

Elephant Trunk Hill : the symbol of Guilin, which resembles a giant elephant drinking water from the Li River.

Sightseeing

Fubo Hill: where you can see lots of Buddha statues left about 1000 years ago in the Returned Pearl Cave and have a birds' eye view of the whole city after climbing up to the very top.

Sightseeing

Reed Flute Cave: 5 kilometers away from the city center, famed as "A Natural Palace of Art", in which you can see lots of stalactites & stalagmites illuminated by the lights of different colors. You will also learn how they were formed.

Hotel

Accommodations: Guilin Park Hotel, Meals: B,L.

Commercial Flight

Free in the day until our local guide escorts you to the airport to fly to Chongqing.

Sightseeing

Upon your arrival at Chongqing, the largest city in Southwest China, our local guide will meet you and escort you to the city to have a half day city tour including Erling Park, Stillwell Museum and Ciqikou Old Town.

Museums

Stillwell Museum: the private residence of General Stillwell - the commander of the China-Burma-India Theater during World War II, now it is a museum displaying the wartime heroics of the Flying Tigers and honoring the US participation against Fascist in World War II.

Ciqikou Old Town: it was Chongqing's old harbor and was once the home of many of Chongqing's rich merchants, where you can still see lots of Ming and Qing dynasty architecture, local shops, tea houses, local Sichuan street performance and so on.

Sightseeing

Erling Park: one of the old private gardens in Chongqing, built in late Qing Dynasty around 1909 AD, due to its relatively high altitude, there you can have a bird's eye view of the whole city.

Enjoy a hot pot dinner before your transfer to board Regal China (5 stars). The hot pot (huoguo) has a long history in China. It originated in the north, where people have to fend off the chill early in the year. It spread to the south during the Tang dynasty (A.D. 618-906).

River or Barge Cruise

Transfer to board Regal China (5 stars).
Accommodations: On the Cruise, Meals: B,L,D

River or Barge Cruise

Departs Chongqing at 08:00AM. Shore excursion to Fengdu Ghost City or Shibaozhai. The ship company will choose one of the scenic spots as your excursion destination. Accommodations: On the Cruise, Meals: B,L,D.

Sightseeing

Fengdu Ghost City: constructed on the Mingshan Hill by the river bank, it is so called because of the legend which goes that about 1,700 years ago, two officials, Yin and Wang (the combination of their surnames means "Ghost King ") became Taoists here and eventually Immortals. Now with fantastic temples of underworld demons and gods, it shows the Chinese ghost culture and is a place for punishing the devil and awarding the good.

Sightseeing

Shibaozhai: a gem of Chinese architecture, literally means Stone Treasure Fortress in English. It is a 12-storey red wood tower which was first built in Qing Dynasty with a history of 300 years. It was built against a rectangular rock with sheer cliffs on the river bank, 56 meters high, on the top of which you can enjoy a panoramic view of the rapid river and the surrounding countryside.

River or Barge Cruise

Shore excursion to Shennong Stream or Lesser three Gorges by smaller vessels. The ship company will choose one of the scenic spots as your excursion destination. Accommodations: On the Cruise, Meals: B,L,D.

Sightseeing

Lesser Three Gorges: indicating three separate valleys along the Daning River, the chief tributary of the Yangtze River, they are called "Dragon-Gate Gorge", "Misty Gorge" and "Dicui (Emerald) Gorge" respectively. You can take a small boat to enjoy the spectacular views and experience a water-borne sensation you have never had before when the natural scenic wonders unfold in front of you with clear water flowing fast through the gorges, sheer cliffs and steep mountains rising on either side to create one fine art gallery.

Sightseeing

Shennong Stream: a small tributary of the Yangtze River is 60 kilometers long and is famous for its picturesque scenery. Shennong Stream is beautiful and ancient. When you take a sampan drifting along it, which is not without risk yet exhilarating and a challenge to battle with the nature. You will be attracted and surprised by its crystal clear steam flowing swiftly from north to south through deep gorges, steep ridges and peaks, thick vegetation and wild flowers, flying birds and a plank road built along a cliff and ancient hanging coffins. Sweet love songs will be presented to you by the local ethnic people.

River or Barge Cruise

Shore excursion to Three Gorges Dam site. Accommodations: On the Cruise, Meals: B,L,D.

Adventure

Three Gorges: spanning the Yangtze at Sandouping, Yichang, Hubei province, China. Construction began in 1994, and the 'Three Gorges Dam' is now the largest hydroelectric dam in the world. The Dam will be 2,335 meters long, 18 meters wide, and its bottom will be 130 meters wide after completion in 2009. When completed, the water level will rise to 135 meters above sea level. The reservoir began filling on June 1, 2003, and it will occupy the present position of the scenic Three Gorges area, between the cities of Yichang, Hubei, and Fuling, Chongqing Municipality.

Commercial Flight

Disembark the ship in Wuhan at 11:30AM. Then you will be escorted to take flight to Shanghai.

Hotel

Upon you arrive in Shanghai, you will be escorted to your hotel. Accommodations: Holiday Inn Shanghai -Downtown.
Meals: B

Sightseeing

Today, your full-day excursion of incredible Shanghai will include: Shanghai Museum, the Bund and the Nanjing Road, Yu Garden and Yuyuan Market. Enjoy a wonderful Acrobatic Show tonight.

Museums

Shanghai Museum: often ranked as China's best museum, it is the biggest museum in China with a fine collection of over 120,000 pieces of Chinese artifacts.

The Bund : where the great trading houses and banks had their headquarters in the 1920s and the 1930s. The Bund is about about a mile long, it is the city's fulcrum.

Shopping

Nanjing Road: known as "China's No.1 Shopping Street" with a huge selection of merchandise on sale.

Sightseeing

Yu Garden: located in the Old Town of Shanghai and laid out in 1559 AD by a powerful Ming official, Yu Garden recreates a beautiful landscape of pagodas, pavilions, rockeries, fountains, ancient trees and precious flowers.

Shopping

Yuyuan Market: outside the Yu Garden, a bustling market with different snacks and trinkets.

Performing Arts

Acrobatic Show: Chinese Acrobatics is one of the oldest performing arts with its history tracing back to Neolithic times, during its development in the history, it has been absorbing plentiful merits from the opera, dance and Chinese Kungfu, and formed its own artistic features. In Portman Acrobatic Show, in a very typical Shanghainese setting and atmosphere, you will enjoy many breathtaking and stunning programs such as Calvaria Skills, Silk Suspending, Hoop Diving and so on performed by very skillful performers, you will truly have an unforgettable experience of your life.

Hotel

Accommodations: Holiday Inn Shanghai -Downtown, Meals: B,L

Relaxation

You will have a free day today to explore this modern city by yourself.

Hotel

Accommodations: Holiday Inn Shanghai -Downtown, Meals: B.

Free in the day until our local guide escorts you to the airport for your flight to your next destination.