China Tour

In contrast to the other tours, we have chosen this tour with 2-3 stars hotels according to the Chinese categories, which however are clean and proper. Moreover you will take a night train instead of the plane twice. Furthermore, you will get more time at your disposal than you have got in the other tours. Since this is the shortest of our Budget Tours.

Itinerary:

Arrival at Beijing Capital International Airport. Greetings by your tour guide and transfer to the hotel. The rest of the day is at your disposal.

Visit the world-famous Tian'anmen Square (Tian'anmen Guang chang) in the morning. Enter the Forbidden City (also called the Palace Museum) through Tian’anmen Square Gate. The Forbidden City is on the UNESCO's World Heritage List. It is a masterpiece of Chinese palace architecture of the Ming and Qing era and it demonstrates imposingly the integration of traditional architecture in ancient northern China into the art of palace building. Afterwards visit another landmark of Beijing, the Temple of Heaven (Tian Tan). It is also on the UNESCO's World Heritage List, because it is a unique expression of the Chinese concept of the relationship between heaven and earth.

The day is at your disposal.

In the morning, go to the Badaling Great Wall by bus. You can climb up to the wall through a scarped staircase and enjoy the scenery from above. Afterwards, visit the Summer Palace (Yi He Yuan). It is an imperial garden, where the Chinese gardening is perfectly reflected. That's why it is on the UNESCO's World Heritage List. Transfer to the train station in the late afternoon. Go to Xi’an by night train in a first class sleeping wagon.

Arrival in Xi’an in the morning and transfer to the hotel. After breakfast, go to the excavation sites and visit the Army of TerraCotta Warriors (Bing Ma Yong), which is a part of the grave of the first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang (221-210 BC). The grave, including the TerraCotta Warriors is on the UNESCO's World Heritage List. Besides thousands of life-size TerraCotta Warriors and Horses guarding the Tomb of the first emperor of China, you can see two bronze models of horse carriage and warrior (Tong Che MA) from that time. They were found in ducts beside the burial mound. Return to Xi’an in the afternoon. Afterwards visit the Big Wild Goose Pagoda (Da Yan Ta) in the Dacien temple built in 652 A.D., which is considered as Xi’an’s landmark.

In the morning, visit the Bell and Drum Tower square (Zhong Gu Lou) and the Muslim Old Town with its numerous small shops and restaurants. There you will visit the Great Mosque (Qingzhen Si; or Hua Jue Si), which is built in the typical Chinese temple architectural style. The afternoon is at your disposal. For instance, you can visit Xi’an City Wall or the Shaanxi History Museum (Shaanxi Lishi Bowuguan), one of the most beautiful museums in China. You will get the best overview of Chinese history, starting from Paleolithic to the end of the emperor era.

This morning, go by train (in the first class wagon) to Luoyang. After the arrival, transfer to the hotel.

After breakfast, go by bus to the famous Shaolin Monastery, which was founded in 495. Here, you will see a martial art performance by the monks. Afterwards, visit the cemetery of the abbots and of the famous monks – the so-called Pagoda Forest. Here, there are more than 240 stupas of a height between 1 and 14 m and a diversity of shapes, which have developed within 1,200 years. It is followed by visiting the widely-used traditional Cave-Houses, which are dug into the loess. In these lodgings, which are warm in the winter, while cool in the summer, where people live in the same way like hundreds of years ago till today. In the afternoon, return to Luoyang.

Today, go by bus to the Longmen Thousand Buddha Grottos nearby the former capital Luoyang, which are carved into the cliffy bluff of the Yi River. The about 1,350 grottos with approximately 100,000 sculptures during the 5th to 10th century demonstrate the importance of the Buddhism in China at that time. They are on the UNESCO's World Heritage List. After the return to Luoyang, if time permits, you can visit the Old Town and the Museum of Folklore. In the evening, transfer to the train station and you go to Shanghai by night train in a first class sleeping wagon.

Arrival in Shanghai about noon. Greetings by your local tour guide and transfer to the hotel. Afterwards, go up the Jinmao Building, a 421 m high skyscraper, which is a wonderful blend of traditional Chinese style with gothic influence. Enjoy a broad view from the nowadays highest observation deck of the world down to the fastest growing city of Asia. Then visit the historic Old Town of Shanghai with its labyrinth of narrow lanes and experience the everyday life there. Then walk along the Bund, a famous street along the Huangpu River with its European colonial architecture.

Go to Suzhou by train in the morning. Visit the picturesque Humble Administrator's Garden, which was built in the 16th century. It is the largest and most representative garden in Suzhou. Afterwards, visit the Garden of the Master of the Nets (Wangshi Yuan). It is the smallest, but perhaps the most impressive private gardens in Suzhou. Because of its able use of space, it appears as if it were a much bigger garden. They are two of the nine gardens in Suzhou, which are on the UNESCO’s World Heritage List.. Afterwards return to Shanghai by train.

This day is at your disposal. You can, for example, go shopping in the Nanjing Road or the Huaihai Road, or visit the Shanghai Museum.

Transfer to the Pudong International Airport and fly back home. (You can spend approx. $7 to go to the airport by the Transrapid).

End of the travel.


B: Breakfast     L: Lunch     D: Dinner

Tour No.: BT2 Budget Tour 2

For individual groups

Number of participants	Peak season	Single room extra charge	Shoulder season	Single room extra charge	book
2-5 Pers.	890 USD	180 USD	880 USD	170 USD

If you are a group with more than 5 persons, you can get more favourable prices. Please note that the prices may vary due to exchange rate fluctuations (RMB to USD) slightly. The prices above were computed by the rates as 1 USD= 7.9 RMB.

Peak season: May, September and October
Shoulder season: March, April, June, July, August, November

The hotels:
Beijing Home Inn Beixinqiao**
Xi'an 3e Hotel**
Luoyang New Friendship**
Shaolin Fengyuan**
Shanghai Motel Anyuan**

Price includes:
-- All overnight accommodation in double rooms shared by two adults with     breakfast.
-- Meals as listed in the itinerary.
-- All transfers and entrance tickets as listed in the itinerary.
-- Inland flight tickets including all fees.
-- Local English-speaking tour guide.
-- Tickets for the night trains in the first class sleeping wagons(compart-   ments of four beds)

Price does not include:
-- International flight tickets
-- Visa for China
-- Personal expenditures, tips etc.

Note:
-- If you choose the second class sleeping wagons (six beds in a     compartment) in a train, $21 could be saved per person.
-- Children less than 12 years old can be given discounts.
-- The hotels, trains and flights listed in the itinerary may be changed into     the ones of similar category if necessary.
-- The prices do not apply to the Peony Festival in Luoyang (10th April – 8th     May, 2006) and the Formula 1 in Shanghai (25th Sep.–5th Oct., 2006).
-- If you need more information, please contact us.