Highlights

• Walk on the 2,000 year old Great Wall and have magnificent views of the forest below
• Visit the 600 year old Forbidden City and the grandest place complex in China
• Travel first class on a high speed (150-200 mph) train from Beijing to Xian
• Cruise the Li River for awesome views of the pastoral countryside amid the inspiring limestone pinnacles
• Bicycle or walk through an idyllic Chinese countryside amid rice paddies, small villages and the towering mountains
• Admire the 2,200 year old life-size and painted Terracotta warriors and their horses
• Visit the Giant Panda Research Station to see the adorable and colorful bears
• Visit Victoria Park in Hong Kong for stunning birds’ views of the City

Itinerary

Day 1. Saturday, April 10. Arrive Beijing
Arrive in Beijing, clear customs, meet your guide and be escorted to the Beijing Novotel Peace Hotel. We will have a deluxe room in this 4-star hotel which has a restaurant, indoor pool and free WiFi. It is located within walking distance to the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square and shopping malls.

Day 2. Sunday, April 11. City Tour
Activities: After breakfast our guide will meet us for the city tour. We will visit the following:
Tiananmen Square: It is the largest city square in the world and the spiritual heart of China, where the national flag is raised exactly at sunrise every day.
The Forbidden City: It is located in the center of Beijing and once was the imperial palace of the Ming and Qing dynasties with a history of around 600 years. It is the grandest palace complex in China.
Leisure Walking Tour in the Hutongs (about 0.5-1h): The old narrow paths with lots of courtyard homes where common people are living, they are like villages within the megalopolis. We walk through the hutongs’ teeming maze of alleyways, see the old houses and learn about the daily life of ordinary Beijing citizens.
See crickets and listen to the story about cricket-fighting: Cricket-fighting was once a very popular game in ancient China, especially for royal members in the court. The game has over a one thousand year history, however the cricket has a very short life and is called the “hundred-day-insect”. You will meet a cricket trainer, his two cricket generals and watch a cricket fighting. (B,L)

Day 3. Monday, April 12. Temple of Heaven & Great Wall Activities: Like many locals, we will start our day at the Temple of Heaven which has an elegant architecture. We join the locals to do morning exercises including Tai Chi, dancing with swords, singing Peking opera, and practicing Chinese calligraphy on the ground with a huge brush and water.
Later on, we drive about 2 hours to visit the magnificent Great Wall (Mutianyu section, with cable car up and down). We will have awesome views of the forested landscape below.
Temple of Heaven: This is the place which was visited yearly by the emperors who performed intricate rituals to insure a good harvest for the whole nation.
Great Wall (Mutianyu Section): 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 extends across China for over 4,000 miles.
We return to the Beijing Novatel Peace Hotel for dinner and the evening. (B)

Day 4. Tuesday, April 13. Summer Palace & Train to Xian
Activities: Before heading to Xian by high speed train, we will be escorted to the imperial gardens – Summer Palace and a pearl store near it. In the Summer Palace, we take a boat ride on Kunming Lake if weather permits. After the 5.5 hour train ride, we arrive in Xian, and are met and transferred to the Grand Nobel Hotel by a local tour guide and driver. This 4-star hotel has a restaurant and free WiFi.
Summer Palace (including 15-minute boat ride): 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.
Longing Pearl Store: Pearl is the first of four treasures in China and a symbol of wealth in Chinese culture. In the pearl store, we can see some unique colors of fresh water pearls and sea pearls only cultivated in China. (B)

Day 5. Wednesday, April 14. Terracotta Warriors & Flight to Chengdu
This morning, we will meet the legendary Terracotta Army which has made Xian world famous. Although they were buried underground for over 2,200 years, these soldiers still seem very lively and the vivid expressions on their faces will tell you different stories. After the tour, we will be transferred to Xian airport for a 1.5 hour flight to Chengdu. On arrival, we will be met and escorted to the Dorsett Chengdu Hotel, a 4-star facility with a restaurant and free Wifi.
Terracotta Warriors: Discovered in 1974 by local farmers digging a well, they represent 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. (B)

Day 6. Thursday, April 15. Pandas, Park Visit, Tea Tasting and Opera
Activities: Chengdu is the hometown of Giant Pandas. We will visit the pandas in the morning when they are feeding and most active. In the afternoon, we visit the River Viewing Tower Park and the Chongli Pavilion which provides views of surrounding area. We can try a cup of local tea and join locals to play Chinese Mahjong. In the evening we attend the Shu Feng Ya Yun Sichuan Opera.
Giant Panda Breeding Research Base: Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, or simply Chengdu Panda Base, is a non-profit research and breeding facility for giant pandas and other rare animals. We will arrive early, around 8 am, to see how adult and baby pandas are fed. During our tour we will also visit to the pandas’ enclosures to see the new baby pandas, see a short Panda movie and visit the Panda museum.
The River Viewing Tower Park (includes Chongli Pavilion): A lovely, historic place with forests of 100 varieties of bamboo. The tower overlooking the Jin River in the park is more than 30 meters tall and was once the symbol of Chengdu. The tower was built in memory of Xue Tao, a Tang Dynasty female poet who loved bamboo and wrote many poems here. We have a tea tasting in the park and the opportunity to play Mahjong.
Jinli Street: Located in Chengdu, Jinli Street combines the ambience of ancient and modern China. Jinli Old Street was constructed in 2004 in the traditional architectural style of Sichuan Province during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Jinli Old Street is not only a wonderful reminder of China’s past, but also a great place for people to fully appreciate Sichuan’s customs and folk arts.
Shu Feng Ya Yun Sichuan Opera:  Sichuan Opera is an important part of Chengdu culture. Besides the normal singing and martial arts, Sichuan Opera has many unique features that set it apart, such as fire breathing, changing faces, and juggling pottery. (B,L)

Day 7. Friday, April 16. Flight to Guilin & Flute Cave Visit
Activities: After breakfast, our guide and driver will escort us to the airport for our 1 hour and 40 minute flight to Guilin. On arrival, our personal guide will pick us up and transfer us to the city. En route, we detour to the most famed and beautiful Karsts cave in the south of China, Reed Flute Cave, and a pearl store. We lodge at the Guilin Bravo Hotel which has a pool and free Wifi.
Reed Flute Cave: 5 kilometers away from the city center, famed as “A Natural Palace of Art”, in which you can see stalactites & stalagmites illuminated by the lights of different colors and learn how they were formed.
South China Sea Pearl Shop: Guangxi has been famous for its sea pearls for centuries, and pearls were the favorite jewelry of Chinese royal family in the ancient times. (B)

Day 8. Saturday, April 17. Li River Cruise & Impression Liusanjie
The Li River cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo is the highlight of our tour to Guilin. Today, we have a 4 hour cruise from Zhujiang to town of Yangshuo. After the cruise, we will be transferred to the Green Lotus Hotel, a five star hotel which has a pool and free Wifi. In the evening we will attend the Show of Impression Liusanjie.
Li River Cruise: On the cruise we have breathtaking views of peaks and pinnacles, the crystal-clear water and the serene pastoral countryside. The cruise usually takes around 4 hours, depending on the water conditions.
Show of Impression Liusanjie: China’s largest outdoor performance in Yangshuo County with the Li River as a natural stage and mountains as background. Directed by the distinguished director Zhang Yimou, during the show, you will see hundreds of bamboo rafts float on the liquid water, candle lights sparkle with the moon and stars, and thousands of people dressed in Chinese minority ethnic costumes hum a folk song. (B,L)

Day 9. Sunday, April 18. Countryside Tour & Flight to Hong Kong
Activities: As an old saying goes in China: Guilin landscape tops those elsewhere, and Yangshuo landscape tops that of Guilin. The idyllic countryside of Yangshuo is the reason why so many visitors come here. The best way to enjoy the pastoral view formed by tranquil rice paddies, towering peaks, clear waters and small villages is via a bicycle or by walking. Later in the day we are transferred to Guilin airport for a 1 hour and 25 minute flight to Hong Kong. When we arrive in Hong Kong, we will be transferred to the Metropark Hotel Kowloon, a 4-star hotel with a restaurant, pool and free Wifi.
Countryside tour for about 1.5-2 hours for a round trip by cycling or private vehicle: The beautiful and peaceful countryside with rice paddies and hills around Yangshuo is awesome. We will have the opportunity to visit one of the local farmer’s houses to learn about their daily life and work in the village. (B)

Day 10. Monday, April 19. Explore Hong Kong
Activities: Today, we will explore Hong Kong’s unique blend of Chinese heritage and colonial influences. Our tour will include Victoria Peak, the floating community of Aberdeen and Repulse Bay of Hong Kong Island. We are free in the afternoon.
Repulse Bay: A scenic ride over green hills dotted with luxury villas and apartment blocks takes us to the next stop, Repulse Bay. There, we can walk to the beach, one of the Island’s most beautiful, and look out to sea and inland and learn why the influences of Feng Shui have attracted many of Hong Kong’s most wealthy people who build their homes in the area.
Aberdeen: The largest town on Hong Kong Island, Aberdeen has for generations been a fishing port. Since the early 20th century, however, they have had equal rights with land-dwellers and most now choose to live on land in the high-rise apartment blocks for the benefit of their children’s education, but some still remain on houseboats in the harbor. The port still has a large fishing fleet although this has been in decline in recent years. Fishing is not the only industry in Aberdeen and the town also has shipyards, light manufacturing businesses, engineering works, textile factories and warehouses. For tourists the main attraction is the harbor and its floating restaurants.
Victoria Peak: one of Hong Kong’s most-visited tourist attractions, Victoria Peak offers a stunning bird’s-eye view of the surrounding city skyline. (B)

Day 11. Tuesday, April 20. Depart for Home
After breakfast, we will be transferred to the airport for our flight home. (B)

COSTS

Land Cost: $3,400 per person based on double room occupancy. Single supplement $570.

Cost Includes: all lodging in 4 & 5 star hotels, with breakfasts and lunches as noted in the itinerary; airport transfers; 1st class train from Beijing to Xian; three internal flights including Xian to Chengdu, Chengdu to Guilin, and Guilin to Hong Kong; fees to parks as noted in the itinerary; Chinese tour guides; and one bottle of water per day.

Cost Does Not Include: International airfare to China; Visa processing fee; alcoholic beverages and drinks with meals; tips and gratuities to guides and drivers; and travel insurance.

Tiananmen Square

The Great Wall of China

Temple of Heaven

Summer Palace

The Forbidden City

The Terracotta Army

Giant Panda

Yangshou Countryside

Hong Kong