China Tour

China is a vast country. The geography differs from north to south and from east to west. There are old emperor cities and modern metropolises, charming landscapes and archaeological treasures. This tour starts with the city Shanghai, a vibrant metropolis at the sea, yet oases of repose exist. You will visit the rather untouched Tongli - the “water town” nearby the “garden city” Suzhou. In Guilin you can make a boat trip at the shallow Li River through the lovely karst landscape to Yangshuo. Then a river cruise at the Yangtze River with its cliffy rock faces, high peaks and the breath-taking Three Gorges, will show to you the most powerful river of China and the changes it causes. In Xi'an, the Army of thousands of Terracotta warriors is awaiting you, where old times become alive again. The last station of the travel is the capital Beijing with the famous Forbidden City and the Great Wall.

Itinerary:

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

In the morning, go to the 421 m high skyscraper Jinmao Building, which is a marvelous combination of traditional Chinese elements and the gothic influence. On the now China's highest observation deck, you can enjoy a wonderful view over the fastest developing Asian city. Then experience the religious life in the Jade Buddha Temple (Yo Fo Si), where a 2 m Buddha statue made of one single piece of rare white Burmese jade is housed. Then go to the Bund, the legendary street along the Huangpu River with its European colonial architecture of the 1930's. Stroll up Nanjing Road, the famous shopping street of Shanghai.

The morning is at your disposal. Transfer to the train station after lunch. Go to Suzhou by train. Stroll up the center of the city and visit the picturesque Humble Administrator's Garden, which was formed in the 16th century. It is the largest and most representative garden of the 9 gardens of Suzhou, and was taken up to the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Visit the Garden of the Master of the Nets (Wangshi Yuan) in the morning. It is the smallest, but perhaps the most impressive Suzhou private gardens. Because of its able use of space, it appears as if it were a much bigger garden. It was taken up to the UNESCO World Heritage List. Then visit the Silk Mill, which is typical of Suzhou. Afterwards you can make a tour to the Water Town Tongli, a beautiful old town at the Grand Canal with many river tributaries, bridges, bent lanes and street markets. Return to Suzhou.

Go back from Suzhou to Shanghai in the morning. Take a walk at People's Square, the political and cultural center of Shanghai. It is a green island of peace with an art museum at the center. Transfer to the airport and fly to Guilin. After the arrival, transfer to the hotel.

In the morning, transfer to the wharf outside the city. Go for a cruise on the picturesque Li River through a bizarre landscape full of cone shaped rocks, stone pinnacles and bamboo groves to Yangshuo. It lasts for about 4 hours. You can enjoy lunch on the ship. After the arrival in Yangshuo, walk to the hotel in a few minutes. The rest of the day is at your disposal. You can experience the bizarre karst landscape by bike or have a round trip by electrical minibus through villages, along rice fields and between beautiful hills. Overnight stay at the West Street Guesthouse in Yangshuo.

A suggestion for the evening: Impression Liu Sanjie, directed by the famous Chinese film director Zhang Yimou. He will be the leading director of the opening and closing ceremony of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. The evening performance is a wonderful presentation of local dance and singing.

Return to Guilin in the morning. Visit the famous Reed Flute Cave (Ludiyan) and Guilin's landmark - the elephant trunk mountain (Xiangbi Shan). Transfer to the train station in the evening and go to Wuhan by train in a first class sleeping wagon.

Arrival in Wuhan in the morning. Transfer to the hotel and breakfast. Stroll up the Jianghan Road. Along the best known Wuhan shopping street, which is called “the Bund of Wuhan”, you can see Qing Dynasty-style buildings, the 19th century classical buildings and the 20th century modern buildings in European style. Afterwards transfer to Yichang and get on the Yangtze River Cruise ship.

Enjoy a Yangtze River Cruise through the impressing Three Gorges. It will last for three days from Yichang up to Chongqing. All-inclusive service is provided on the ship, which includes three meals per day and two onshore tours. One brings you to a charming gorge tributary of the Yangtze, the other to a culturally most eminent city at the riverside.

After the arrival in Chongqing, take a walk at the Chaotianmen Esplanade at the dock. It is shaped like a ship bow on a peninsula, formed by the confluence of the Yangtze River and the Jialing River. Then go to Dazu. There you will visit the rock sculptures at the Treasured Summit Hill (Baoding Shan) and the North Hill (Bei Shan). In the 9th to 13th century, remarkable sculptures were made of rock. They are at the cliff close to Dazu. The remarkable aesthetics and variety of motives in them, showing not only the religion but also the life in China at that time. They are an outstanding example of the harmonious synthesis of Buddhism, Daoism and Confucianism, which can not be found anywhere else. That's why the sculptures were taken up to the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Return to Chongqing in the morning. Visit Eling Park. It is on the bank of the Jialing river. Stand on the top of the observation tower, you can get a beautiful overview of the city. Transfer to the airport and fly to Xi'an. Greetings by the local tour guide and transfer to the hotel.

Go on an excursion to 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, you can see two bronze models of horse carriage and warrior. They were found in ducts beside the burial mound. Go back to the city by minibus 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.

Visit the Bell and Drum Tower square (Zhong-Gu Lou) and the Muslim Old Town with its numerous small shops and restaurants in the morning. And then the Great Mosque (Qingzhen Si; or Hua Jue Si), which is built in the typical Chinese temple architectural style. Go to Beijing by plane after lunch. Arrival in Beijing, greetings by the local tour guide and transfer to the hotel

Take a walk at the historical Tian'anmen Square (Tian'anmen Guangchang), the biggest square in Beijing in the morning. Walk through the Tian’anmen Square Gate to the palace of the emperor (Gugong), which the Chinese officials call the Palace Museum (better known as the Forbidden City). This palace is of the Ming and Qing time and it is on the UNESCO World Heritage List, too. It is a masterpiece of Chinese palace architecture and it demonstrates the integration of traditional architecture in ancient northern China into the art of palace building. Then you will visit another landmark of Beijing, the Temple of Heaven (Tian Tan), where the Ming and Qing Emperors worshiped the heaven and prayed for good harvests. It is also on the UNESCO's World Heritage List. It is an unique expression of the Chinese concept of the relationship between heaven and earth.

Visit the Badaling Great Wall in the morning. You can climb up to the wall through a scarped staircase and enjoy the scenery from above. Go to the Summer Palace (Yi He Yuan) by minibus after lunch. It is one of the imperial gardens, where the Chinese gardening is perfectly reflected. It is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Transfer to the train station in the afternoon. A suggestion for the evening: Peking Opera.

Visit the Lama temple (Yong He gong) after breakfast. It is one of the largest and most beautiful temples in Beijing and a successful mixture of Han, Manchurian, Mongolian and Tibetan culture and architecture. Afterwards visit the Confucius temple (Kong Miao). The rest of the day is at your disposal.

Some suggestions for you: Walk up the Wangfujing Road; you can buy some gifts and souvenirs in the department stores or alleys there.

Transfer to the airport and fly back home.

End of the travel.

B: Breakfast    L: Lunch    D: Dinner

Number of participants	Peak season	Single room extra charge	Single cabin extra charge	book
2-5 pers.	2210 USD	410 USD	225 USD
	Shoulder season	Single room extra charge	Single cabin extra charge
	2080 USD	375 USD	205 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: April, May, September and October
Shoulder season: March, June, July, August, November

The hotels:
Shanghai Ocean Hotel****
Suzhou Guanyun Hotel****
Guilin Park Hotel****
Yangshuo West Street Guesthouse**
Dazu Dazu Hotel***
Xi'an Jianguo Hotel****
Beijing Best West Hotel****

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
-- With Yangtze Cruise Ship****
-- Local English-speaking tour guides

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

Note:
-- The Yangtze Cruise Ship**** always sets off on Monday morning from    Yichang, so    that the itinerary must be planed according to that.
-- 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 May Day Holiday (30th April. –7th May.), the    National Day Holiday (30th Sep.–7th Oct.), and during the period of the    Formula 1 racings in Shanghai (25th Sep.–5th Oct. 2006).
-- If you need more information, please contact us.