Day 1 
Arrival / Beijing
Upon arrival, transfer to hotel. Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, Temple of Heaven
Tian'anmen Square, the symbolical heart of China and gathering place for the masses. It is the biggest public square in the world, which can hold one million people. Having a free walk there, imagining the great historic events of the 20th century took place there. You will also see legendary landmarks including the Great Hall of the People and the towering 125 foot granite obelisk, Monument to the Peoples Heroes, honoring those who died in revolution.
 Walking across the Golden River Bridge, enter the Forbidden City, the inner sanctum and palace where for centuries Chinese emperors ruled their world. It has 9000-room maze of courtyards, places, and ceremonial halls, where 24 emperors used to live. Forbidden City was indeed a forbidden place, where commoners were kept out for nearly 500 years in the past. Tour the palace and imagine the mystery, intrigue and incredible power that reigned here.
Temple of Heaven was built in the 15th century, a sacred site for ancient Beijing, where the mperor and his 1000 member entourage would retreat twice a year for religious ritual. Surrounded by enormous grounds designed in accordance with fengshshui, the Temple complex consists of the Celebrated Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, a unique wooden and blue-tiled structure built without a nail. It is considered the supreme achievement of traditional Chinese architecture.
Day 2 (B, L, )
Beijing
Summer Palace, Lama Temple, watch Peking opera at night.
 The Summer Palace is the largest and best-preserved royal garden in China with a history of over 800 years. With its cool features - water, gardens and hills, it was the palace of choice for vacationing emperors and Dowager Empresses. It was badly damaged by Anglo-French troops during the Second Opium War (1860) and its restoration became a pet project of Empress Dowager Cixi, the last of the Qing dynasty rulers.
Lama Temple (Yonghegong) is a renowned lama temple of the Yellow Hat Sect of Lamaism, is situated in the northeast part of Beijing city. Lama Temple, or Yanghegong, has a long and varied history. It was originally built in 1694 and originally used as official residence for court eunuchs of the Ming dynasty and was converted to the royal court of Prince Yongzheng(Yin Zhen) a son of Emperor Kang Xi of the Qing Dynasty.
Day 3 (B, L, )
Beijing
The Great Wall, The Ming Tombs .
 Depart from your hotel after breakfast. Spending about 1.5 hours to be transferred outside city to the surrounding countryside to visit the Badaling Great Wall, one of the most remarkable feats of mankind, built over 2,000 years ago. You will be able to climb and walk one of the best preserved section of the ancient wall, admiring the splendid mountains scenery.
After having lunch at local restaurant, visit the fabled Ming Tombs, the resting places of thirteen emperors and their splendid treasures, passing down the Spirit Way, a road lined with statues of dignitaries, as well as huge elephants, lions, camels and horses, you will encounter the marble tombs of the Ming Dynasty emperors. Visit one of the spectacular tombs- Dingling featuring an underground palace.
Day 4 (B, L, D )
Beijing / Xian
Transfer to Xian. Shaanxi Provincial Museum / Old City Wall / Tang Dynasty Show
 Have city tours to visit the Shaanxi Provincial Museum, which is the largest comprehensive museum in the province. It is also the fist national level grand museum equipped with modern facilities. It exhibits primarily historical relics of past dynasties and displays precious art treasures and stone carvings of the Han and Tang dynasties. Walking through the exhibits in the museum is like walking through the 3000 years of China history.
After having lunch at the local restaurant, visit the Old City Wall. It is the most complete city wall survived in China as well as one of the largest ancient military defensive systems in the world. The wall was built in the Tang dynasty (618 -907) and enlarged in the Ming dynasty (1368-1644).
Day 5 (B, L, )
Xian
Full day private tours to Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses / Bell Tower / Big Wild Goose Pagoda
 Visit the Terra-Cotta Warriors. The Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses are the most significant archeological excavations of the20th century. It has been regarded as THE 8TH WONDER OF THE WORLD! Over 2,200 years ago, the first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang in search of immortality, ordered the construction of a vast army of 8,000 life-sized Terra Cotta warriors and buried with him to protect his empire after his early death. They were discovered accidentally in 1974 by farmers digging a well. For history lovers, the sight is truly breathtaking.
 After lunch at a local restaurant, visit the Bell Tower which is the most well-preserved and best-known one among many ancient cities of China. The Bell Tower was originally built in the Yingxiang Temple in 1384, at the intersection of West Street and Guangji Street. Then in 1582, it was moved to its present pivotal position, in the very heart of the city at the junction of four main streets extending to the east, south, west and north, for rebuilding and later restorations. With magnificent carved beams and painted rafters, this classical building is truly elegant.
After coming back to the city, have another tour to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. Situated at south of the Xian city,as one of the main constructions in the famous Buddhist temple-Da-Ci-En Temple, the pagoda is one of the most distinctive and outstanding landmarks for Xian City.
Day 6 (B, L )
Xian / Guilin
Transfer to Guilin. Reed Flute Cave / Elephant Trunk Hill
Visit the Reed Flute Cave. Aside ten minutes drive (half hour bike ride) from downtown, the cave is one of the largest known examples of what each tropical karst cone conceals within it. The script writers and set designers for Star Trek would have a field day in this cavernous underground stalactite/stalagmite maze-style theater. The dropping water is rich and the dripstones are not only in various types but also in big size, displaying a wonderful cave world. This cave was called "The Art Gallery of Mother Nature". Colored fluorescent lights which cast shadows and illuminate shapes of imaginary animals, fruits and vegetables complete the unworldly effect.
 Following with Elephant Trunk Hill. It is located on the west bank of the Li River by a small branch called Peach blossom River, and resembles a huge elephant standing on the bank of the river, sucking up water with its long trunk. The trunk is particularly striking and lifelike when viewed either nearby or afar. A circular foot cave called Shui Yue Dong (Moon-In-the Water Cave) separates the trunk and the body. A 3-story Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 A.D) brick pagoda rises from the top of hill.
Day 7 (B, L, )
Guilin / Yangshuo
Full day Li River Cruise to Yangshuo with lunch aboard
Depart from your hotel in the morning to have Li River cruise to Yangshuo. Li River is by far the main reason to visit Guilin. Double-decker and triple-decker river boats which weigh anchor from a pier at Zhujiang, about 40 minutes from Guilin by bus, and meander through the sleepy countryside are  relaxing way to enjoy the superlative river scenery and life along its banks. In contrast to the burgeoning cities of the north, it is quiet here; the rural scenery is magnificent. You will enjoy the picturesque mountains, peaceful green fields, farms and villages with water buffalos, cows wondering around on both sides of the river bank.
After about 4.5 hours, the one-thousand-year-old town - Yangshuo, the disembarking point, comes into sight. It is well-worth browsing around this quaint town and its environs. Explore the old town freely for the rest of the day.
Day 8 (B, L, )
Yangshuo / Guilin / Shanghai
Cycle or take cable car to Yulong river to take water rafting on Yulong River for two hours. Climb up Moon Hill . Later today you will be transferred to Shanghai by air.
Day 9 (B, L, D )
Shanghai
Visit the Bund/Nanjing Road/Museum / Acrobatic Show
 Visit The Bund . Have a stroll along the waterfront to experience the smells, sights and sounds of the old "Wall Street" in Shanghai. Banks, trading houses, residences, hotels and clubs all had a view of bustling Huangpu River traffic as they shared in the city's rising and falling fortunes. Then walking along the famous shopping street-Nanjing Road. It is said that shopping in Shanghai is the most varied and rewarding in China. Enjoy a wonderful acrobatic show after in the evening.
Day 10 (B, L, )
Shanghai
Jade Buddha Temple/Yu Garden/ Children's Palace/ Oriental Pearl TV Tower
 Visit the Shanghai Museum.As a museum of ancient Chinese art, Shanghai Museum possesses a collection of 120,000 precious works of art. Its rich and high-quality collection of ancient Chinese bronze, ceramics, painting and calligraphy is specially celebrated in the world. The present Shanghai Museum has eleven galleries and three special temporary exhibition halls.
 After having lunch at a nice local restaurant, visit Yu Garden. This delightfully restored labyrinth of tiny specialty shops, tea and snack houses centered around a Ming - dynasty mandarin Suzhou-style garden is a fascinating spot to people-watch over a pot of tea, to shop for unique souvenirs and to get a feel for Old Shanghai. It is well worth a meander through the Yu Garden, which has many scenic courtyards decorated with baroque rockery, pools and flora, all connected by corridors and passageways.
 Following with Children's Palace and the Shanghai Oriental Pearl TV Tower. With its 468 eters high (1,536 feet), the tower is the third tallest TV and radio tower in the world as well as the tallest structure in Asia. It is the best place to have a birds-eye-view of Shanghai City. With its unique and amazing design, it has become the new landmark of Shanghai and a big magnet for tourists. The viewing area is half-way up and offers a splendid unparalleled view of the Bund, the emerging new modern Shangha. The view of Shanghai from this height fills you with wonder at the beauty that surrounds you.
Day 11 (B, L, D )
Shanghai / Suzhou
Humble Administrator's Garden / Lingering Garden /Panmen City Gate/ Tiger Hill/Silk Museum
Take morning train to Suzhou (about 1.5 hours). Then visit the Humble Administrator's Garden and Lingering Garden. Located in the northeast of Suzhou city, the Humble Administrator's Garden is the largest classical garden in Suzhou and one of the four most famous classical gardens in China. It was originally built in 1513 A.D by Wang Xianchen, an imperial censor who had just been demoted and sent back to his hometown. The garden consists of three parts with different types buildings around streams and ponds..
The Lingering Garden was first built in 1522, one of the four most famous classical gardens in China. The garden is separated into the middle, eastern, northern and western parts connecting with beautiful corridors of 700 meters long. The whole garden features with rtificial mountains, unique limestone, beautiful pavilions and a number of attractive buildings.
After lunch at local restaurant, visit Panmen City Gate. It is the oldest city gate in existence in Suzhou  city. It used to be one of the eight city gates during the Spring & Autumn Annals (770-476 BC) when Suzhou was the capital of the Wu Kindom. The current gate was reconstructed in 1351. It consists of Water and Land Gates, city gate tower and city walls at both sides.
Then visit Tiger Hill, Tiger Hill (Huqiu) is the most famous sight in Suzhou city, enjoying the reputation of "The first scenic spot in Wu area" by its imposing beauty, including Leisure Spring, Testing Sword Rock, Third Spring, Broken-Pillar-Hall and Mountain Villa Wrapped in Emerald Green etc. With only 36 meters high and an area of 20hectares, you might think it is an an artificial hill, but its history can be traced back to 2500 years ago. The Tiger Hill Pagoda in the park is the landmark of Suzhou city.
Day 12 (B, L )
Suzhou / Nanjing/ Depart
Transfer to Nanjing by train. Visit Zhonghua City Gate / Confucius Temple/ Qinhuai River
Visit Zhonghua Gate. It means Chinese gate, is the best preserved Chinese ancient castle, and the biggest and most splendid city gate of Nanjing city wall. The gate was built from 1366 to 1386.The whole structure was built with huge bricks and special cement which is extraordinarily strong. The delicately designed gate has four archways, and three trap cities which were the enclosed vacant lots between the archways.
 Then visit the Confucius Temple. Situated on the north bank of the Qinhuai River, consisting of 3 architectural complexes, the Confucius Temple (Fuzimiao) was originally built in 1034. It has been the center of culture, commerce and life for the citizens of the city since then. Today, the entire area around the temple consists of a series of tourist shops, snack bars, restaurants and entertainment arcades all done up in "Ming" and "Qing" style architecture. The area is great fun and a very pleasant part of the city to walk around. It is particularly interesting in the evenings when a lively street market sets up in the district, and locals and tourists take part in the bargain hunting!
 After having lunch at the local restaurant, visit the Qinhuai river. it is the branch of the Yangtze River. The inner river of the river used to be the most flourishing place of Nanjing since it was the red-light district famous throughout the nation.
Transfer to airport for return flight.
Service end. More photos of our packages, click here.
Hotel accommodation inclusive in the above package:
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Optional add-on activities:
Compare with airfares to get to China, the cost for the following local add-on programs is really worth to try. Highly recommend you to select one of the Optional Add-ons to supplement the itinerary.
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 Add-on activities include studying fees/entrance fees, personal tour guide & driver, round trip transfers by public bus, lunch if tour lasts one day.
Add-on activities are based on a traveling group of 2-5 persons. A group of more than 5 people will get a larger discount, Please ask our travel advisor about prices for larger group.
Add-on activities are valid only when used in conjunction with a tour package. Please ask our travel advisor for a price under other circumstances. |
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