Terracotta warriors, Xian

Day 01Arrive in Shanghai

Our guide will meet you after you go through the baggage claim area at Shanghai Airport and transfer you to the downtown luxury hotel. The rest of the day is your own to explore the city.

Tips: Majesty Plaza Hotel for luxury series is located on Nanjing Road, the most prosperous financial, business and shopping district in Shanghai. The Bund and the People's Square are within walking distance. It is a highly recommended area for your free activities. You can walk along the Nanjing road pedestrian area for shopping, or along the Bund for the night scenery of Shanghai, or feel the vibrant Shanghai life in the People's Square. Take good care of your belongings while walking on the street, and also be cautious of the pretty girls on the Nanjing Road inviting you for coffee or tea. If you choose our standard series and stay at the Days Hotel, it is also convenient for you to get to the Bund and Nanjing Road. It takes you only about 10 minutes by taxi and only 3 stations away by metro.

Day 02Shanghai

Visit the Shanghai Museum and the Yuyuan Garden. After lunch, different schedule is arranged for luxury and standard series. The farewell dinner is served at the Central Hotel, whose restaurant Wang Bao He has a history of around 260 years and is the best place to serve Shanghai Cuisine. The memorable dinner will be followed by the Portman Acrobatic Show at the Shanghai Centre Theatre.(B+L+D)

Differences: 
Luxury series: You will take a short cruise tour from the Bund area to Wusongkou pier 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 - Shanghai Museum is a noted art gallery of the nation located in the city center, possessing about 120 thousand pieces of cultural relics that range from the Paleolithic Age to modern times. Bronze, ceramic wares, calligraphic and painting masterpieces of different dynasties gathering here are the most highlighted part of the museum.

Binglingsi Grottoes, Lanzhou

Day 03Shanghai - Xan

Take a flight to Xian and the guide will pick you up at the airport. Visit the City Wall on the way to the hotel. After enjoying the a la carte lunch at a local famous restaurant, check in at the hotel. (B+L, D is included for luxury series.)

Differences:
Luxury series: A sumptuous buffet dinner will be served at your hotel, so that you can have enough time for a good rest this evening. 
Standard series: The dinner today will be left on your side. It's easy for you to find a good restaurant for dinner around your hotel.
 
Descriptions: 
City Wall - The majestic circumvallation is the most spectacular place of interest in Xian. The city wall has a history of 1,400 years since the Sui and Tang dynasties. In the long history, its gates changed their names for many times, which also reflect the old city's ups and downs. The South Gate was best restored based on its prototype first constructed in 582 of the Sui Dynasty, which is also the oldest gate of the City Wall. Vehicles and passersby get in and out through annex gates on its west and east sides and it has become an important cultural relic.

Day 04Xian

Visit the Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum. To avoid having the poor food at the site, you will be taken back to downtown Xian to have lunch at a well-known Cantonese cuisine restaurant. In the afternoon, visit the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. (B+L,D)

Differences: 
Luxury series: we will arrange the marvelous Tang Dynasty Dinner Show at the splendid Tang Dynasty Palace. (Address: No.75 Chang'an Road, Xian) 
Standard series: We will arrange the local speciality Dumpling Banquet and Tang Dynasty Dance and Music Show at Shaanxi Opera Theater. (Address: No. 165, Wenyi Road, Xian)
 
Descriptions: 
Terracotta Warriors Museum - When you come to China, you are suggested to visit the Museum of Qin Terracotta Warriors and Horses in Xi'an, a wonder in the world. The over thousand of warrior figures have completely exemplified the achievement on art in Qin Dynasty. Most figures are full of sharp characters, vivid and lifelike. They are the unity of spirit and form, representing the model of realistic vein. The full-pulsed war horses are not mechanical imitation, but are endowed with dynamic vigor, emotion and passion.

Day 05Xian - Lanzhou

Visit the Great Mosque and a local family in the morning. Take a flight to Lanzhou and transfer to the hotel.(B+L)

Tips: In Lanzhou, the most famous local food is hand-pulled noodles with beef (Niu Rou La Mian). You can find restaurants offering this kind of noodles almost everywhere around the city and you may have a try by yourself. If you get to the restaurant at a right time, you can see how the cook pulls the noodles in front of you. In your hotel, the pulled noodles are also served during the breakfast and taste very good. Many of our former clients recommend it highly. There is also a restaurant popular near your hotel. Go along the Qingyang Road to the west and turn left at the junction of Qingyang Road and Zhongshan Road. About 100 meters away, you will see a restaurant named Yi'an. You can ask the bell boy for more specific information. It is advisable to have Lanzhou noodles with soup in the morning since you will feel more comfortable to drink some warm soup in the morning.

Labrang Monastery, Xiahe

Day 06Lanzhou

Visit the Binglingsi Grottoes.(B+L)

Descriptions: 
Binglingsi Grottoes - The Caves were excavated in Western Jin Dynast (the early 3rd century AD) and have a long history of 1,600 years. Because of relatively good natural conditions and little man-made damage, Bingling Buddha Caves have been preserved comparatively completely. Now there are 776 Buddha statues, murals of more than 900 square meters (1,076 square yards) and 6 stone sculptures kept.

Day 07Lanzhou - Xiahe

Transfer to Xiahe and check in at the hotel. Visit the Sangke Grassland and have a visit to a Tibetan family.(B+L)

Tips: Labuleng Hotel is a brilliantly colored Tibetan style building, which was constructed on the site of Labuleng Temple's living Buddha Jia Muyang's villa. It has two different kinds of rooms, the Tibetan tents and palace architecture, which keeps the strong Tibetan building style.

Day 08Xiahe - Lanzhou

Visit the Labrang Monastery and watch the morning devotion there. Drive back to Lanzhou and stay at the hotel.(B+L)

Camel ride along the Echoing-sand Dune, Dunhuang

Day 09Lanzhou - Dunhuang

Visit the Waterwheel Garden.Take a flight to Dunhuang and transfer to the hotel.(B+L)

Tips: There is a singing and dance performance at 18:00-23:00 every night from June to October in the Dunhuang Hotel. If you are interested in Chinese traditional dance, you may have a look for yourself. The ticket price ranges from RMB100-200 Yuan. The show, with Dunhuang characteristics, is mainly based on Dunhuang frescoes. Dunhuang dance is widely known in China. The famous dance - Kwan-Yin with thousands of hands, which was performed in the 2004 Athens Paralympics Closing Ceremony, is a typical representative of Dunhuang dance.

Descriptions:
Waterwheel Garden - The wheel in the Garden was invented in Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and is the oldest one as known. The designer, Duan Xu, modeled this from the irrigation machines in Yunnan Province. It resembles a chariot wheel with a diameter ranging from 10 to 20 meters (32.8 to 65.6 feet). The wheel was driven by water flow and those buckets fixed along the brim could carry water one by one in order to irrigate crops.

Day 10Dunhuang - Turpan

Visit the Mogao Grottoes and you will experience a short camel-ride along the Echoing-Sand Dune to reach the Crescent Lake. Take the overnight soft-sleeper train to Turpan.(B+L+D)

Descriptions: 
Mogao Grottoes - The Mogao Grottoes, together with Yungang Grottoes, Longmen Grottoes, Maijishan Grottoes, are the four famous Chinese grotto groups. Stretching 1,600 meters from north to south, the Mogao Grottoes of different sizes are scattered in a cliff of the Mingsha Mountain at five different levels. The frescoes in the grottoes are the gems of classical Chinese culture, reflecting the particular styles of different ages. The frescoes are in perfect harmony with the painted sculptures in color and layout, so the grottoes provide a whole piece of well-integrated art.
 
Echoing Sand Dune - The name of Echoing-Sand Dune in Kazakh means “the voice of desert”. A total of 5 red dunes are entrenched on the top of mountain. The largest one has a vertical height of over 100 meters (328 feet). You can often hear clarion and thunder from the inner of the dunes, intermittent, rising and falling. If you grasp a handful of sands and outthrow them, immediately it will spark numerous croaks.

Our clients visiting Jiaohe Ruins, Turpan

Day 11Turpan

You will be met at the railway station. After having breakfast at the hotel, visit the Jiaohe Ruins, the Karez Well and the Sugong Pagoda.(B+L)

Tips: Turpan is called the Kingdom of Grapes in the distinctive Western Regions, for its abundant grape production. The Oasis Hotel is situated in the well-known "Grape Street" in Turpan. The surrounding lush greenery and fruity fragrance provide a pleasant environment for visitors' enjoyment. The hotel is constructed in a conventional Islamic manner, also combined with the Uigur architectural style in appearance. It will bring you pleasing, comfortable enjoyable leisure as well as a romantic exotic feeling. 
 
Descriptions: 
Karez System - is an irrigation system which has been listed as one of the greatest irrigation projects of ancient China, apposing the Dunjiangyan Irrigation Project and the Ling Canal. "Karez" means "well" in Uyghur language. In ancient times, Turpan people made use of the special landform and created this special canal to bring in water for irrigation and living. This project represents the wisdom of Chinese people thousands of years ago.

Karez Well irrigation system, Turpan

Day 12Turpan - Urumqi

Visit the Gaochang Ruins, the Baizikeli Thousand Buddha Cave and the Flaming Hill. Transfer to the hotel in Urumqi.(B+L)

Tips: Turpan is famous for its fruits. Because of the special climate, the fruits here are more fragrant, with more sugar and more savory. Over 500 varieties of grapes are grown in Turpan. Besides the well-known grapes, guavas, figs, cantaloupes, and watermelons are all very popular. Traveling to Turpan in different season, you can taste different fruits here. They also make preserved fruits. These make excellent gifts for your friends or family.
 
Descriptions: Flaming Mountain -is the hottest place in China. All over the bold and rough hill, there is no sign of life and it is mainly covered by weathered sand. In summer, in the searing sunlight, deep-red smoke wreathes and thermal current keeps rising. The luminous red sand stones look like the burning flame, so the mountain is called Flaming Mountain.

Day 13Urumqi- Beijing

Take a flight to Beijing and transfer to the hotel. Visit the Summer Palace.(B+L)

Tips: This well-equipped hotel is located on the liveliest street in Beijing - Wangfujing. If you would like to go for a walk in your free time and get familiar with this city, you only need to walk out of Crowne Plaza Hotel (if you choose our luxury itinerary) and the Wangfujing pedestrian area is on your right hand. It is only hundreds meters away from your hotel. The night snack street in front of your hotel gathers the flavorsome food from different parts of China. Both foreign and inland travelers should not miss it. The hygiene of food along the street here are generally acceptable. Or you may choose the cooked food which are more healthful. It only opens from 18:00 to 21:00, so please arrange your time properly.

Family visit in Turpan

Day 14Beijing

Visit Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City and the Temple of Heaven. The Beijing Duck Dinner is served at a famous restaurant followed by a lively Peking Opera performance at the Liyuan Theatre.(B+L+D)

Descriptions:
Forbidden City - The Hall of Mental Cultivation (Yangxindian) in the Forbidden City is the first palace that was equipped with glass window. It was built in 1537 during the reign of the Emperor Jiajing of the Ming Dynasty, later reconstructed in the Qing Dynasty when Emperor Yongzheng was crowned. It is formed by two halls, the front hall and the back hall. The front hall was the bedroom of emperors. But after the Emperor Yongzheng, emperor's bedroom was moved into the back hall, while the front hall became a place that emperors dealt with daily affairs and met his ministers.
 
Temple of Heaven - As one of the three masterpieces, the Circular Mound (also called the Altar to Heaven), used for worshiping heaven in ancient time, is located at the southern end of the Temple of Heaven. The altar was built in 1503 of the Ming Emperor Jiajing, covering an area of 13,850 square meters. This three-storey round altar is encircled by two walls - a square one outside and a round one inside. Both of the two walls have four sets of three white marble gates which are called the Lingxing Gate.

Day 15Beijing

Visit the Great Wall of China at Badaling. To avoid having lunch at shopping area restaurants, you will be driven to have Sichuan food at a local popular restaurant. Visit the Sacred Way and the Ming Tomb in the afternoon. On the way back to downtown, drive by the Bird's Nest (Olympic National Stadium). You will see its appearance at a distance. (B+L, D is included for luxury series.)

Luxury series: An a la carte dinner of Cantonese cuisine will be served for you at a nice restaurant at Wangfujing Street. Afterwards, some free time will be left for you to explore the prosperous Wangfujing pedestrian. 
Standard series: We intend to leave the dinner today on your own. You can explore the city to find the food you like or ask your guide for some advice.

Descriptions:
Great Wall - Without any modern communication facilities, the information transportation along the Great Wall just depended on the dense beacon towers which were built every 2.5 kilometers to 5 kilometers. From the Han Dynasty, the complex codes for alarm signals were listed as the nations' top secret. There are mainly two methods to transport information- heavy smoke was used in daytime and bonfire was used at night. At the early time, waving bright flags and beating drums for warning and communication were also adopted by soldiers. 
 
Dingling of Ming Tombs - Dingling is the mausoleum of Emperor Zhu Yijun (1563-1620), the thirteenth emperor, and his two Empresses, Xiao Duan and Xiao Jing. The construction of Dingling commenced in 1584 and finished in 1590. It cost about 8 million liang silver (12,860,299 ounces). The main attraction here is the underground palace, which is composed of the front, the middle, the rear, the left and the right palaces. In the rear palace lie the Emperor Zhu Yijun and his two Empresses' coffins with some precious burial artifacts.

Day 16Departure from Beijing

Today you will be transferred to the airport for your homeward flight.(B)

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