Day 01Arrival in Hong Kong

We will book the hotel in Hong Kong for you in advance. When you arrive in Hong Kong, please go to the hotel on your own. The rest of the day is left for you to recover from the jet lag or to explore the city on your own.

Tips:  You hotel is conveniently located in the shopping, business and entertainment district of Tsim Sha Tsui East and has a breathtaking view of Hong Kong's Victoria Harbor. The star ferry just outside puts you in easy reach of Central, Jade Market, Hong Kong Cultural Center, Kowloon Park, Hong Kong Science Museum and Nathan Road Shopping. Alternatively, you could take the A21 bus to Chatham Road and then walk to Mody Road. This will cost you about HKD33.00. If you require a shuttle bus service upon arrival, please proceed through Exit Gate A after clearing customs and go to the Pick-up counter "A12a". The representative of the hotel at the airport will be ready to help you. If you want to take the train, it will take about 20 minutes from the airport to Kowloon Hung Hom Station and will cost about HKD100.00 Yuan. Kowloon Hung Hom Station stands is 1 kilometer (0.6 mile) northeast of your hotel. A free shuttle bus to the hotel is available from the station. A taxi costs about HKD350.00 one way.

Day 02Hongkong

After breakfast you are free to explore on your own. We recommended that you take a peak tram to mid-level of Central District, visit the Victoria Peak, the Repulse Bay, Aberdeen, Stanley Market. Then take a taxi to the Pier and take the Star Ferry to the Kowloon side. You can walk back to the hotel along the waterfront promenade back to Hotel.(B)

Tips: If you prefer to visit Disneyland, the InterContinental Grand Stanford Hong Kong Hotel provides direct shuttle bus door to door. You are advised to book the shuttle 24 hours in advance. Since your first stop is Hong Kong which is a shopppers paradise with all kinds of necessities at low prices, it is not really necessary to pack too many clothes before setting out. It is quite easy for you to find the things suit you at a good price. The tap water is safe to drink. However, you cannot drink tap water directly on the mainland of China. In Hong Kong you drive on the left side, while in mainland of China you drive on the right side.

Our clients at the Elephant Trunk Hill, Guilin

Day 03Hong Kong - Guilin

You will have the morning free until it is time for you to catch your flight to Guilin. We will inform you the flight information in advance. You will need to go to the airport on your own. Upon arrival in Guilin, your tour guide will meet you outside the baggage claim area and transfer you to the hotel. The remainder of the day you will be free to explore Guilin on your own.(B)

Tips: If you would like to take the time to wander around Guilin after arrival, we recommend that you go to the Central Square. The square is located about 1 kilometer (0.6 mile) northwest of your hotel. It costs about 8 RMB to take a taxi there from your hotel. Considered as the 'hall' of Guilin City, Central Square abuts Rong Lake, Shan Lake and Li River. A map of the world made of granite and inscribed with names of 311 cities, is at the center of the square. You may find your home there! There is a high-tech choreographed musical fountain with  water columns up to 60 meters. There is also an underground shopping mall where you may also be interested.

Day 04Guilin

We will take an entire day to have a city tour including visits to the Reed Flute Cave, the Seven Star Park and the Elephant Trunk Hill.(B+L)

Descriptions: 
Reed Flute Cave - is a brilliant water-eroded cave. It is a spectacular world of various stalagmites, stalactites, stone pillars and stone flowers created by carbonate deposits. Chinese people are so romantic that they give every formation a poetic and legendary name, such as Crystal Palace, Dragon Pagoda and primeval forest. It is said that tourists have been coming here ever since the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) on. In the cave, 70 mural inscriptions derived from Tang have been discovered. There is so much to observe here and tourists feel like they are in a wonderland. No wonder it is known as "An Art Palace of Nature".

Day 05Guilin - Yangshuo

Travel to Yangshuo by cruising along the magnificent Li River which itself is the highlight of today. In Yangshuo, you will take a brief country-road bicycle ride and will meet a lcoal family along the way. If you don't want to ride a bicycle, you can take our electric car instead. (Tip: Lunch will be provided on the cruise today and since it may not meet your expectations, TCG suggests that you have a larger breakfast at the hotel.)(B+L)

Tips: Once mentioned Yangshuo, apart from the most popular bicycle tour, the West Street cannot be missed. After the Li River cruise, you will walk through this fascinating street to your hotel. In the evening, the street will become bustling with noise and excitement. After one day enjoyable tour and have a little rest in the hotel, you can go out to the street and find nice western food restaurants for a likable dinner, or enjoy some yummy snacks, a cup of coffee cosily. Some exquisite artworks in the roadside shops may draw your eyes. You may feel being in your country by false.

Day 06Yangshuo - Guilin - Chongqing

Fly to Chongqing, a mountain city where your Yangtze River Cruise will begin. Visit the Residence of General Joseph W. Stilwell and Ci Qi Kou. After enjoying a rich buffet dinner at the 5-star hotel, you will board the cruise ship. As the cruise ship departs from Chongqing at about 23:30, your relaxing Yangtze River cruise begins.(B+L+D)

Yangtze Three Gorges Cruise

Day 07Chongqing - Fengdu

After breakfast, the river guide will give a brief introduction to the cruise and the general schedule. In the afternoon, you go onshore to visit the Snowy Jade Cave or the "Ghost City". The Captain's Welcome Party will be held tonight.(B+L+D)

Differences:
Luxury series: You will take an onshore excursion to the Snowy Jade Cave.
Standard series: You will take an excursion to Fengdu "Ghost City" instead.  

Descriptions:
Yangtze River - The Yangtze River, feeding generations of Chinese people, is rich in brilliant Chinese culture. It nurtured a famous ancient Chinese poet Qu Yuan and one of the four most beauties Wang Zhaojun. Since the Tang Dynasty and the Song Dynasty, many great poets visiting it had written their lines which are often and widely quoted.

Day 08Badong - Xiling Gorge - Sandouping

The best part of Yangtze River cruise is coming today. You will appreciate the unique scenery of the Three Gorges: Qutang Gorge being the shortest but grandest one and Wu Gorge famous for its lofty peaks and mountains on both sides. Here you will take an interesting junk adventure along Shennong Stream for 3-4 hours. Then you will sail into the longest Xiling Gorge and pass the Five Level Ship Lock in the evening.(B+L+D)

Yangtze Three Gorges cruise tour

Descriptions: Xiling Gorge - Winding about 126 kilometers (78 miles), Xiling Gorge is the longest gorge and is composed of small gorges like Military Book and Sword Gorge, Lantern Shadow Gorge and so on. Famed rivulets, springs, stones and caves bestrew along both sides of the Gorge. Many historical celebrities left graceful poems here. Xiling Gorge is also famous for dangerous shoals, like Xin Shoal and Kongling Shoal. These rapids formed due to the caved rocks, alluvial gravel from the upper stream, dyke exserted from the banks and reef projecting from the bottom of the river. Now the scenery of Xiling is still magnificent and splendid, but the water has become gentle because of Gezhouba Project.

Day 09Yichang - Shanghai

Disembark for an excursion to the under constructed Three Gorges Dam. Then return to the ship and pack your luggage following the check-out procedures. After having lunch at Yichang city, visit Yichang Museum if time allows. Fly to Shanghai by flight where the local guide will meet you and transfer you to your hotel.  Check in at the well selected hotel.(B+L)

Differences:
Luxury series: You will have a lunch at a famous restaurant at Yichang city.
Standard series: The lunch will be provided by the cruise company. 
 
Descriptions: 
Three Gorges Dam - As the most magnificent hydroelectric project in the world, the Three Gorges Dam began to be constructed in 1994 and scheduled to accomplish in 2009. Upon completion, Three Gorges Dam will form a giant reservoir with a length of 600 kilometers (373 miles), a rare new landscape in the world. The great dam can provide China with great power generation and exercise its flood control function. When you stand on the dam of 185 meters high above sea level, watching the flood discharging underfoot and calm river flowing in the far end, you will be pleasantly surprised by the ideal combination of modern engineering and natural scenery.

Shanghai Bund area

Day 10Shanghai

Today starts with a visit to the Shanghai Museum which houses large collections of historical items. Then we visit the famous Yuyuan Garden. The afternoon schedule is different for luxury and standard series. Dinner is at the Central Hotel, Wang Bao He Restaurant of which is over 260 years old and is the best place to sample Shanghai Cuisine. After dinner, you will enjoy an amazing Portman Acrobatic Show at the Shanghai Centre Theatre.(B+L+D)

Differences:
Luxury series: We will arrange a short cruise along the Huangpu River in the afternoon.
Standard series: The guide will accompany you walking along the Bund area and visiting a local family in the afternoon.

Descriptions: 
Shanghai Museum - Situated on the People's Square, the world-renowned Shanghai Museum is a large-scale ancient Chinese art museum, which has a collection of over 120,000 pieces, including bronze, ceramics, calligraphy, furniture, jades, ancient coins, paintings, seals, sculptures, minority art and foreign art. At present, it is divided into eleven galleries and four exhibition halls. It is famous for ancient arts, however, the structure and materials of the entire building are an accomplishment of modern technology. Surrounded by the museum construction and presentation, the visitors will be deeply moved by the ancient wisdom and philosophy and the modern science and technology.

Day 11Shanghai - Beijing

Head for Beijing by flight and your local professional tour guide will meet you  and transfer you to the hotel. You will get your first impression of the capital city when we tour the Summer Palace.(B+L)

Descriptions:
Summer Palace - The Suzhou Market Street (Suzhoujie) is a shining attraction in the Summer Palace, which was constructed during reign of Emperor Qianlong. It was said that the street was built for a special reason. When Emperor Qianlong paid a visit to Suzhou City, he fell in love with a beautiful nun in a Buddhist nunnery. Then he built a temple in Beijing where the beautiful nun settled and became a secret concubine of Qianlong. After knowing that the nun felt homesick, the Emperor ordered to build a commercial street near the temple which was later known as the Suzhou Market Street.

Great Wall, Beijing

Day 12Beijing

Your local professional guide will take you to one of the greatest world heritage sites - the Great Wall, Badaling section. We ill bypass the tourist restaurants near the Great Wall to have a decent meal -Sichuan food, for lunch. After lunch, we continue to the Sacred Way and the Ming Tomb. The day concludes with a day tour after seeing the appearance of the Bird's Nest (Olympic National Stadium) in the distance on the way to the downtown. (B+L, D is included for luxury series.)

Differences:
Luxury series: We will arrange an a la carte dinner of Cantonese cuisine at a nice restaurant at Wangfujing Street.
Standard series: Dinner is on your own. You can ask your guide if you want some suggestions of where to eat.

Tips: When climbing up the Great Wall, you'd better carry enough water. A good supply of water is necessary to avoid dehydration. What's more, you may take some snack. These can be bought on the Badaling Great Wall, but at a possibly unexpected higher price.

Day 13Beijing

You will be thrilled the whole day when you visit Tiananmen Square - one of the largest and grandest city squares in the world; the Forbidden City of Ming and Qing Dynasties and the Temple of Heaven - once the royal temple. The Beijing Duck Dinner is served as Farewell Dinner at a well-known restaurant. The cheering Peking Opera (the national opera) is scheduled as evening delight after dinner.(B+L+D)

Descriptions:
Forbidden City - Entering the Forbidden City, many people are very curious about the life of emperor's concubines. For this purpose, a visit to the Palace of Gathered Elegance is recommended. It's named Chuxiugong in Chinese, is lived by empresses and imperial concubines during the Ming and Qing dynasties.

Day 14Departure from Beijing

Prepare for your homebound flight. Comfortable private hotel-airport transfer is arranged according to your flight schedule.(B)

B-- Breakfast     L-- Lunch     D-- Dinner